Helena Rizzo

Brazilian chef and restaurateur

Biography

Helena Rizzo is a Brazilian chef and restaurateur best known for Maní, her restaurant in São Paulo. Her work has earned international recognition, and in 2014 Restaurant magazine named her Best Female Chef of the Year, placing her among the leading figures of Brazilian cuisine on the global stage.

Born in Porto Alegre, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, she studied architecture at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul but left her course to work as a model. A friend, the model Fernanda Lima, encouraged her to move to São Paulo. In 1997 she gave up modelling to train as a cook at the restaurant Roanne, where she worked alongside Claude Troisgros and Emmanuel Bassoleil. She later completed stints in Europe, at Sadler in Italy and El Celler de Can Roca in Spain.

In 2006, back in Brazil, she opened Maní with her husband, Daniel Redondo, and other partners, among them Lima. The restaurant gained wide attention: in 2014 it was ranked 36th in the world by Restaurant magazine and second in South America, behind D.O.M. In 2015 it was awarded a Michelin star. Rizzo has also appeared on television, serving as a judge on the Brazilian episode of The Final Table in 2018, and in 2021 she was announced as a judge on the Brazilian version of MasterChef, replacing Paola Carosella. Her legacy rests largely on Maní and her role as a reference for contemporary Brazilian cooking.

Key contributions

• Maní, a São Paulo restaurant opened in 2006 that placed her among the best in South America and the world.
• Michelin star for Maní in 2015, an uncommon recognition for Brazilian cooking at the time.
• Maní's inclusion in Food & Wine's list of the 30 best restaurants in the world in 2019.
• Television work as a judge on The Final Table and later on MasterChef Brasil.