Elcielo light logo for Colombian Michelin-recognized avant-garde fine dining brand navigation
Home | Our Team

Our Team

The Artisans Behind the Experience

Behind every dish is a team that has dedicated years to perfecting one thing: a dining experience worth remembering.

Elcielo’s culinary team spans five cities across two continents. Led by Chef Juan Manuel Barrientos, recognized by the MICHELIN Guide in Miami and Washington D.C., our chefs, sommeliers, and hospitality directors share a single focus: translating Colombia’s cultural richness into world-class fine dining.

From Medellín to New York, each member brings deep technical expertise and a personal commitment to sensory-driven excellence, the foundation of every Elcielo experience.

Portrait of Juan Manuel Barrientos, Executive Chef and Owner of Elcielo

Juan Manuel Barrientos

Executive Chef

Portrait of Sebastian Moreno Henao, Executive Sous Chef and Corporate Chef USA at Elcielo Hospitality Group

Sebastian Moreno Henao

Executive Sous Chef

Portrait of Juan David Aristizábal Daza, Chef de Cuisine at Elcielo New York

Juan David Aristizabal

Chef de Cuisine

Portrait of Leidy Benitez, Chef de Cuisine at Elcielo Miami

Leidy Benitez

Chef de Cuisine

Joel López Giraldo, Chef de Cuisine at Elcielo Washington D.C., in chef whites with arms crossed

Joel Lopez

Chef de Cuisine

Contact

Google Tripadvisor Facebook Instagram
Portrait of Juan Manuel Barrientos, Executive Chef and Owner of Elcielo

Juan Manuel Barrientos
Executive Chef & Owner

Global Creative and Culinary Direction

Colombian chef, entrepreneur, and founder of Elcielo Hospitality Group. Juanma has brought Colombian gastronomy to international stages through innovation, technique, and sensory-driven experiences. Trained by renowned chefs such as Juan Mari Arzak and Iwao Komiyama, his culinary approach is rooted in research, creativity, and deep respect for ingredients.

He leads Elcielo’s global culinary vision and the development of concepts now present in Medellín, Bogotá, Miami, Washington D.C., and New York. His work has been recognized by the MICHELIN Guide, which has awarded stars to Elcielo Miami and Elcielo Washington D.C., and a MICHELIN Key to Elcielo Hotel Medellín.

He oversees the group’s strategic expansion, sensory innovation, and social impact initiatives through Elcielo Foundation.

Show More
Portrait of Sebastian Moreno Henao, Executive Sous Chef and Corporate Chef USA at Elcielo Hospitality Group

Sebastian Moreno Henao
Executive Sous Chef & Corporate Chef USA, Elcielo Hospitality Group


Culinary coordination and standards.

Sebastián Moreno Henao is a Colombian chef with more than fifteen years of experience in haute cuisine and the hospitality industry, and one of the foundational figures of Elcielo Hospitality Group, where he has worked since 2012 and has been part of the United States operations since 2015, serving as Corporate Chef USA since 2022. Currently Executive Sous Chef and Corporate Chef USA, he has overseen the culinary direction of Elcielo’s Michelin-starred restaurants in Miami and Washington, D.C., and is now leading the opening and development of Elcielo New York. Renowned for his commitment to elevating Colombian cuisine on the global stage through sensory-driven fine dining, Sebastián has been instrumental in shaping the group’s tasting menus, R&D programs, and culinary innovation, contributing brand’s development. Since 2020, he has supported the leadership of the first Colombian restaurant in history to earn a Michelin Star—Elcielo Washington D.C.—recognized consecutively from 2021 through 2025. His expertise spans recipe and menu development, culinary leadership, GMP compliance, and guiding the standards and creative direction of the group’s restaurant kitchens across multiple cities. Sebastián’s international background includes stages at world-renowned institutions such as El Celler de Can Roca (3 Michelin Stars, Girona), Restaurant Bror (Copenhagen), Nordic Food Lab, and Noma (3 Michelin Stars, Copenhagen) and BIKO restaurant (Mexico City).

Portrait of Juan David Aristizábal Daza, Chef de Cuisine at Elcielo New York

Juan David Aristizábal Daza
Chef de Cuisine, Elcielo New York

Kitchen leadership

Juan David Aristizábal Daza is a Colombian chef with more than a decade of experience in haute cuisine, recognized for his ability to conceptualize, develop, and execute gastronomic projects from ideation to full operation.

A member of Elcielo Hospitality Group since 2019, he currently leads the kitchen at Elcielo New York as Chef de Cuisine, bringing to the city a contemporary interpretation of Colombian fine dining rooted in technique, creativity, and cultural depth. His career includes formative stages and leadership roles in acclaimed international restaurants such as El Celler de Can Roca in Girona (3 Michelin Stars), Clooney in Auckland (awarded 3 Hats by the Good Food Guide), Restaurante Ambar, and Bistronomy by Rausch, experiences that strengthened his precision, flavor development, and avant-garde culinary perspective.

Juan David holds a Master’s Degree in Advanced Culinary Techniques from the Basque Culinary Center in San Sebastián, a professional culinary degree from Gato Dumas in Bogotá, and additional training in restaurant and bar design from the Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, as well as vacuum-cooking techniques from the Michelin-starred restaurant Etxanobe.

Portrait of Leidy Benitez, Chef de Cuisine at Elcielo Miami

Leidy benitez
Chef de Cuisine, Elcielo Miami

Kitchen leadership

Leidy is a Colombian chef with more than a decade of experience in fine dining and haute cuisine, celebrated for her mastery of plant-based cooking, her refined technical skills, and her profound understanding of Colombian ingredients and culinary heritage. Since 2022, she has led the kitchen at Elcielo Miami—awarded a Michelin Star consecutively in 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025—where her leadership, creativity, and precise execution have been instrumental in shaping the restaurant’s visionary tasting menus and advancing the brand’s gastronomic evolution in the United States.

A member of Elcielo Hospitality Group since 2018, she has played a key role in the development of several of the group’s restaurants in Medellín, contributing her expertise in research and development, recipe creation, menu design, and GMP compliance.

She is a graduate of the International Gourmet Academy (2012) with a degree in Culinary Arts and holds a Florida Food Manager certification.


Joel López Giraldo, Chef de Cuisine at Elcielo Washington D.C., in chef whites with arms crossed

Joel López Giraldo
Chef de Cuisine, Elcielo Washington D.C.

Kitchen leadership

Joel López Giraldo is a Colombian chef with more than a decade of experience in haute cuisine, known for his creative approach to contemporary gastronomy and his ability to transform Colombian flavors through refined technique and modern culinary trends.

A member of Elcielo Hospitality Group since 2019, he currently leads the kitchen at Elcielo Washington D.C., the first Colombian restaurant in history to earn a Michelin Star—an honor it has received consecutively from 2021 through 2025. Joel’s leadership blends precision, innovation, and deep cultural understanding, allowing him to craft tasting menus that celebrate Colombian identity while pushing the boundaries of fine dining.

His expertise spans menu development, technical execution, sensory-driven plating, and guiding culinary teams toward excellence. He holds a professional degree in Culinary Arts from the Academia Gourmet Internacional in Medellín (2018).