CHEF MARIA BARRIGA
Colombian by birth, Chef Maria Barriga began cooking at the age of 12, learning from her grandparents and aunt. She started her professional culinary journey in Bogotá as a Pastry Chef with the renowned Rausch Brothers. Driven by a passion for exploration and excellence, she went on to work in five different countries at some of the world’s most celebrated restaurants.
Chef Maria spent four years at Roberto Solís’ Nectar in Mérida, Mexico, where she rose to the position of Chef de Cuisine. She later moved to Chicago to stage at Grace and Alinea, both awarded three Michelin stars, before traveling to Copenhagen to stage at Noma, also a three–Michelin-star restaurant.
Her journey then took her to Spain, where she joined the legendary Mugaritz (two Michelin stars). There, she worked first as a Chef de Partie and later became the restaurant’s third female Chef de Cuisine. Seeking to reconnect with Latin American ingredients and traditions, Chef Maria returned to the region to further develop her craft at MashpiLAB in Ecuador and at Máximo Bistrot in Mexico City, where she served as Chef de Cuisine.
Most recently, Chef Maria worked as a Chef de Partie at Oxalis (one Michelin star) and is now the Chef de Cuisine at Oxomoco in Brooklyn.
