Holbox: Mexican Cuisine (Los Angeles, California)

Holbox is the latest in my "Greatest Hits" series, a compendium of the best restaurants I have been to globally. Ironically, I write this post about the best Mexican, seafood restaurant I have been to in California (or the United States, for that matter), from the states of Jalisco and Nayarit, located on the Pacific coast of Mexico.

Banderas Bay, Mexico

Here, in the gorgeous, Mexican beach cities that dot the coast, including Bucerias, Puerto Vallarta, San Pancho, Sayulita and Punta Mita, I have been devouring some of the best and freshest ceviches, aguachiles, grilled fish and lobster I have ever tasted.

And still, I feel compelled to share about a Mexican, seafood restaurant in the U.S., because, yes, it is that good! The food at Michelin-star restaurant, Holbox, in Los Angeles, California is fresh, authentic and consistent. This is a restaurant I never tire of visiting.

Holbox

Gilberto Cetina opened his marisqueria in Los Angeles, California in 2017 and since then, there has been little debate about where to get the best, Mexican seafood in Southern California. Head straight to Holbox located in Los Angeles' Historic South Central neighborhood. Even the late, great, food critic, Jonathan Gold was a superfan. Need I say more? If so, keep reading.

In 2019, 2021 and 2022, Holbox was awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand distinction. In 2023, the same year Cetina was a finalist for the James Beard Award, the Los Angeles Times named Holbox, Restaurant of the Year. In 2024, Holbox received its first Michelin star, and in 2025, Holbox received a spot on the list of the World's 50 Best Restaurants.

Mercado La Paloma

Holbox is not so much a restaurant as it is a food stall near the entrance of Mercado La Paloma, a food hall. Chef Cetina was quite familiar with the mercado, as he had helped his father open Chichén Itzá, another food stall in the hall, focused on Yucatecan cuisine.

16 years later, he opened Holbox, the seafood-focused phenomenon, named for an island off the northern tip of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, about four hours from the capital city of Mérida where Cetina grew up and was trained as a civil engineer.

Though the restaurant is named for this specific region, the cuisine has a broader reach. Cetina's goal in opening Holbox was to recreate the food he loved from coastal cities across Mexico. He nailed it!

When you arrive at this Michelin-star restaurant, throw all pretense out the door. You should expect to stand in a line that winds around the parking lot at times, and then order at the counter, grab your number and find a table in the communal dining room. If you're lucky, you might snag a seat at the kiosk's bar, where you can watch the chefs perform their magic.

Holbox Homemade Salsas

With all the accolades, Cetina has been asked if he plans to relocate the restaurant to a fancier location, or at least one that affords an alcohol permit. In response, Cetina has said, “This is where this food came from. I’ve never worked for another chef, other than my dad. Sorry, Dad. I’ve never clocked in to another kitchen, I never went to culinary school. The food that we’re serving, it was born here at the Mercado.” There's no "going back to your roots" for Cetina. He never left.

Uni Ceviche

Now about the food, let me start with my favorite dish at Holbox, the uni ceviche. Before you taste a single bite, the presentation is sure to have your mouth watering. The dish is served inside a cleaned, urchin shell. It features sweet, Baja bay scallops and fresh sea urchin (uni) accented with creamy avocado purée, crunchy cucumber, tomatoes, onions and a touch of salt.

This ceviche is a perfect balance of sweet and briny, always making me feel like I have a mouth full of rich ocean flavors.

Scallop Aguachile

The scallop aguachile utilizes those same, supple, sweet, Baja bay scallops, and bathes them in bright, lime-serrano-cilantro marinade. But for a tiny sprinkle of red onion and buttery, thin slices of avocado, that's it. Simple perfection!

Ceviche de Besugo 

We will move from aguachiles to ceviches, which are marinated in citrus for a longer time and until the seafood is cooked. The ceviche de besugo at Holbox is made with New Zealand farmed sea bream and is served with swipes and dots of delicious sauces.

Tostada de Atun

The ceviche de atun is made similarly, but with local, blue fin tuna, avocado puree, pico de gallo and a drizzle of peanut-arbol chili oil. It is served on top of a tostada.

When you visit Holbox, ordering a tostado is a must. These are not your ordinary tostadas. Holbox makes tostadas raspadas, as they are made in Jalisco, Mexico. To make them, you overcook a tostada on one side and then scrape the excess, uncooked masa from the other side.

Tostadas Raspadas

In doing so, you achieve a thin, crunchy, bubbly and airy base for all your toppings.

Tostada de Kanpachi and Uni  

Another ceviche served on a tostada is the ceviche of kanpachi and uni. It is made with premium Baja kanpachi, or amberjack, on top of which is 20 grams of sweet and creamy, Santa Barbara sea urchin.

Smoked Kanpachi Tostada

One Holbox tostada that does not incorporate ceviche, is the smoked kanpachi tostada. Inspired by Coni’Seafood’s smoked marlin tacos, Cetina started smoking kanpachi over applewood. This house-smoked amberjack is brilliant in all of Holbox's dishes. Above, it is served with shrimp, scallops, pico de gallo, avocado puree and an achiote-arbol sauce.

Smoked Kanpachi Taco

Here is that same, smokey deliciousness stuffed in a house-made, and pan fried, heirloom, blue corn, tortilla. In addition to the smoked kanpachi, the taco is stuffed with melty, locally made quesillo cheese, salsa cruda, avocado and peanut-chili oil.

Taco de Pulpo En Su Tinta

The taco de pulpo en su tinta is a staple on the Holbox menu. It is made with braised and fried Gulf of Mexico octopus and a calamari ink sofrito. Both are enhanced by some sweet, cherry tomatoes, green onions and a blue corn tortilla.

Scallop Taco

All of the tacos at Holbox are great. In part, that is due to Fátima Juárez, a former Chichén Itzá employee. Her love for masa parallels Cetina's love for seafood. Juárez nixtamalizes Mexican, heirloom corn varieties to create the handmade tortillas and tostados for all of Holbox's dishes.

The scallop taco is one of my favorites. It is made with pan seared, Hokkaido diver scallops, chile x'catic sauce, caramelized onions, tomato and thinly shaved and marinated fennel.

Baja Fish Taco

The baja fish taco is also great. The crispy, battered, local Vermillion rockfish has an airy crunch. Paired with crispy cabbage, silky crema mayo, zesty pico de gallo and a drizzle of spicy, salsa roja, it is balanced and yummy.

Pescado A La Brasa

If you come with several people or love leftovers, I suggest the whole grilled branzino. The meat is tender and easily falls away from the bones. The fish comes with cilantro rice, black beans, avocado, a cherry tomato and red onion salad and warm, handmade tortillas.

Rockfish Collars

While most of the dishes I have shared so far are always on the menu, some items at Holbox change daily or weekly. One example are these breaded and fried, local vermillion rockfish collars. They are served with raw, salsa verde, pico de gallo and slices of avocado. Add a squeeze of lemon and enjoy.

If you are in the Los Angeles area be sure to stop by Holbox for a true and superlative taste of Mexico's coast, in Southern California. I wish you all a blessed Martin Luther King Monday. Buen provecho.