THE TASTE OF THE HEIGHTS

What is it?

Imagine yourself immersing into the culture of a village, eating local and ancient products, and feeling part of the tradition.

Virgilio Martinez has opened a restaurant 3.500m above the sea level called MIL, in the Andes in Peru, located above the archeological ruins of Moray Terrace. 
 What makes this restaurant special is the procedure that they have implemented. Their mission is for people to be able to live the experience of the villagers in the Andes, and try the food that the different ecosystems of the mountains have to offer, or their motto ‘Live the ecosystems of the heights’.

Only allowing a maximum of 35 customers per service, they offer a visit around the whole area. The visit starts with local guides making a route to show the ruins, the ancient ways employed for harvest, will show uses of medicinal plants and do a chocolate tasting, among other things, and the visit would finalise with ‘8 moments’, name used for the 8 course meal, where customers would be able to try every different ingredient discovered during the visit.

Why it’s Cool?

• The idea is to foment agriculture based on a relationship with the nature, not with extensive cultives, meaning that they would only produce what the soil can support.
• The menu is intuitive and seasonal. Not the same products grow in summer and winter, and they would just use whatever is available at the moment.
• They wanted to integrate the villagers and making them feel part of it, so they are the only providers for the restaurant, in terms of food, products and services.
• No product comes from further than a 5 hour trip distance.
• It has appeared in a list of the 8 most amazing and sustainable restaurants in the world 

Why it has future growth potential?

We are living in a moment ion time that requires changes in our eating and living habits if we want to be able to grow old in a planet with food, and water for all the inhabitants. People want to live experiences where they feel part of something, and specially in a gentle way towards the planet. That is why this place, that only offers products that come from the ground, without going out of season, and takes the time to explain the ancient ways of harvest, introduce you to the village’s way of living of the local area, is absolutely above processed, and foments the craft revolution.