Restaurant review: Holbox, Los Angeles

How often do you go to a food hall and find a seafood counter that’s been name-checked by the Michelin Guide? Even in Los Angeles, land of strip malls loaded with hidden gems, Holbox—located in Mercado La Paloma—is a standout.

Pronounced hol-BOSH (“black hole” in Mayan), it’s named after an island paradise off the northern tip of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. The region is known for its abundant marine life, the inspiration for chef Gilberto Cetina’s raw bar.

Although he had no formal training, Cetina learned to cook from the best. He came up in the kitchens of his family’s restaurant, Chichen Itza, making some of the best cochinita pibil in town. (Chichen Itza is also in Mercado La Paloma, which functions as both a culinary incubator and a cultural hub.)

Holbox’s menu is anchored by ceviches, cocteles, and aguachiles, which play with many of the same ingredients—Santa Barbara sea urchins, Hawaiian kanpachi, Mexican shrimp and scallops—in various arrangements. It’s hard to pick favorites because everything is delicious.

Start with the ceviche mixto, a combo of octopus, shrimp, and striped bass. Follow that with a few oysters, which come with an almost fruity, red-chile costeño sauce and a spicy cucumber aguachile, then an order of pata de mula (blood clams, named for their red juices), sprinkled with minced onions and a splash of lime.

If you see uni ceviche, jump on it. It arrives in a spiny shell, brimming with scallop ceviche; tongues of briny, buttery, golden-orange uni; and a dab of avocado puree. The cocteles come in a classic presentation—goblets of shrimp or mixed seafood in a lightly sweet, tomato-y broth adorned with avocado. The smoked kanpachi tostada, a smear of fish spread crowned with mixed ceviche, is a stunner.

Don’t skip the taco de pulpo en su tinta, a couple of curled octopus tendrils on a corn tortilla daubed with a squid-ink sofrito.

Entrées include live spiny lobster, grilled garlic shrimp, and seafood stew, but Holbox is all about its fresh, top-shelf raw seafood. That’s why this spot is equally beloved by locals seeking a casual lunch and foodies making a destination drive. Closed Mondays.

AAA discounts