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Elena Lugo
Co-founder of the restaurant Nicos (Mexico City)
A reference in traditional Mexican cuisine, he shares his experience in preservation techniques, whole-ingredient utilization, and handcrafted preparations with a sustainable, educational focus.
Who is Elena Lugo?
It positions itself as an expert guide to learn techniques for conserving, using, and cooking Mexican roots
MarÃa Elena Lugo is one of the foundational voices of contemporary Mexican gastronomy, recognized for preserving and revitalizing traditional flavors with sensitivity, technical rigor, and cultural commitment. Born in Mexico City, Lugo began getting involved in cooking as a child, influenced by family tradition and her mother, which allowed her to master household recipes from an early age.
In 1957, together with her husband Raymundo Vázquez, she founded the legendary restaurant Nicos, located in the ClaverÃa neighborhood, Azcapotzalco, Mexico City. Since then, Lugo has been responsible for documenting, systematizing, and honoring family and market recipes, transforming a modest business into a gastronomic institution with international recognition.
Her son, Gerardo Vázquez Lugo, joined the project as executive chef in 1996, consolidating the mother-and-son vision in Nicos’s cuisine, making the restaurant a benchmark of authentic Mexican cooking with a contemporary outlook.
Beyond her culinary work, Elena Lugo has promoted the use of local ingredients and sustainability in her kitchen — values that continue at Nicos today — actively contributing to elevating Mexico’s regional cuisine as cultural heritage.
