Celebrity Chef Francis Mallmann Has a Private Island in Patagonia — and You Can Stay There

On a remote island in Patagonia’s Lago La Plata, the legendary chef surprises guests with a cuisine that’s largely vegetarian

Reaching La Isla, the private Patagonian island owned by celebrity chef Francis Mallmann, is a journey that tests both patience and stamina. From New York, it took nearly three days: two flights to southern Argentina’s port city of Comodoro Rivadavia, followed by a six-hour drive along desolate dirt roads, and finally a speedboat crossing of the icy waters of Lago La Plata. Wrapped in a full-body waterproof suit to withstand the freezing temperatures, I arrived at the 15-acre island exhausted, my face and toes numb with cold. But within minutes of being shown to my cabin—a snug, beautifully furnished refuge radiating warmth—every trace of discomfort dissolved.

That first day set the tone for my stay, defined by sharp contrasts that brought an almost euphoric sense of relief. Over the following days, the feeling never faded—not even when it became clear that, on this visit, Argentina’s famously grill-obsessed chef would not be serving a single bite of meat. For the past four years, Mallmann, celebrated worldwide for his steaks and fire-roasted fish, has been immersed in what may be his boldest project yet: a vegetarian cookbook.

“I think that in the next twenty years or so, no one will be eating meat or fish,” Mallmann told me. I paused mid-bite, fork suspended over a towering stack of avocado, tomato, and lettuce pressed between two crisp potato rösti, stunned by the statement. Such a prediction might raise eyebrows coming from a Brooklyn chef, but from an Argentine—whose country’s identity is so closely bound to beef—it borders on provocation.

Mallmann traced this shift in perspective to a steady stream of influence from his daughters, young chefs in his kitchens, and his social media followers. “I started getting hundreds of messages on Instagram saying, very respectfully, ‘We love your work, and by the way, we’re vegan. Can you make more recipes for us?’” he said. “For them, I decided to write a cookbook.”

Once he began, his thinking unraveled in unexpected ways. “It’s like having a rose in a vase that’s starting to wilt,” he reflected. “One petal falls, you touch it, and suddenly they all fall. That’s how it was for me—my rose collapsed in my fingers, and my point of view has been changing ever since.”

For many chefs, such a revelation could spell disaster. But Mallmann has long been comfortable swimming against the current. A product of the 1960s countercultural movement, he has always embraced unconventional paths. “I’m quite good at disobeying,” he said with a laugh. “But it hasn’t been easy.”

Early in his career, Mallmann pursued Michelin stars in French kitchens. By his forties, however, he had turned his back on fine dining’s formality in favor of cooking outdoors over open flames. While much of the culinary world chased molecular gastronomy, Mallmann focused on mastering fire, publishing his now-classic cookbook Seven Fires.

That instinct for defying trends surfaced again in 2003, when he opened Garzón, a restaurant and hotel in a sleepy Uruguayan village few had heard of at the time. Critics called him crazy. Instead, the venture proved prophetic: the relaxed, ingredient-driven retreat attracted celebrities, critics, and travelers from across the globe, transforming Garzón into a destination in its own right.

With the release of his vegetarian cookbook Green Fire, Mallmann may not be leading a movement—but his shift remains a powerful statement, particularly for fans devoted to his carnivorous