The Best Mexican Restaurants in Los Angeles

There are few places in Los Angeles that cool you off and transport you into another dimension like Ceviche Project. The place that Ceviche Project’s Octavio Olivas (owner and chef) transports you to, is a mix between 1950’s Saint-Tropez, Acapulco, and the Copacabana. You will find this amazing restaurant on a busier stretch of Hyperion Avenue (borderline Silver Lake and Los Feliz) in a small little space. The best place to sit at is right at the bar, allowing you to watch Olivas as he prepares the various dishes. Fresh fish is what is on the menu, prepared in various ways — but all raw (or ceviche). The restaurant opens at 5pm and closes when they are out of fish, so I would recommend going between 6 and 7. The dishes are a feast for both your eyes and your taste buds. If there is a special I would highly recommend ordering it. And all ceviches (Mexican style, not Peruvian) are to die for. I especially loved the Sea Bass Ceviche. Another highlight for me was the Green Shrimp Aguachile, where you could see the raw shrimp “cook” in the aguachile in front of your eyes as you poured the green sauce over the ingredients. Another must have are the scallops on the half shell (and order them with the optional uni) — this is one of the best starters I have ever had. The olive oil combined with the uni coats the mouth as the flavors burst in your mouth. And in a city where you find raw fish tostadas nearly at every street corner, do not skip the Kanpachi Tostada, which will blow you away with its fresh ingredients. Each of my visits has been outstanding, and even before leaving I was hashing out my next visit.

After several visits to Enrique Olvera’s Mexico City Pujol I was truly looking forward to the opening of Damian. It took some tries to get in due to the shut downs last year but then on my most recent trip I was finally able to eat there and it was so worth the wait. I would say the food is somewhere between Pujol and Cosme … a bit more elevated than Cosme but also a bit more accessible than Pujol. The restaurant certainly takes advantage of LA access to fantastic ingredients and you can taste that in anything from the various fish to the Mexican herbs and obviously the avocados. While the food certainly shines and is the star of the show, I have to say the service was outstanding, extremely friendly, and mezcal selection, while selective, was outstanding, and the decor was beautiful. Located right across Bestia in the Arts District this is a place I am already looking forward to coming back to … soon

Don’t leave Koreatown in LA without having tried the Mole Negro at Guelaguetza! We stayed in K-town for five days, food lovers as we are we went all in Korean food. But, you reach a point when you need to change the flavour palette. Who knew that we will eat the best authentic taco ever in Koreatown LA? At Guelaguetza you will experience some solid Mexican vibes - drinks, food and music, they have it all. Have the mole negro, have the barbacoa served as tacos and have that extra Margarita - just enjoy!

Casual but among the best restaurants in LA with ceviche at the highest level. The beauty of LA is that the ugliness and roughness of the vastness of this megalopolis creates ample opportunities for little gems to blossom. Holbox is such a place that is tucked away inside a market / food hall (more specifically the Mercado La Paloma), which itself is nearly under the always busy 110 highway on one side and a middle school and some smaller factories on the other. At the same time Holbox is also the story of a family from Mexico making the US their home and sharing their love for Mexican food. These days the Mercado seems to have been built around Holbox but the opposite is the truth and you can sample dishes from Holbox’s fish focused menu and add items from other stalls. Or, on Thursdays and Fridays you can have the eight course chef’s menu at the bar seats. And the experience is exceptional. Before I talk about the food let me just say that chef Gilberto Cetina and his whole crew is amazing. If there wasn’t the hustle and bustle from the market behind you, the atmosphere is like you are sitting in his kitchen and being part of his family. Ok so the food, and maybe I should say THE FOOD. It is incredible. In a way ceviche has been the mezcal of the 2020s. Just like in the 2010s every place added a mezcal bar, the last couple of years seem to have seen an increase in places that focus on Mexican ceviche. And I love this trend. While the ceviche dishes at Holbox are among the very best I have had (like the Ceviche de Erizo con Corvina) Holbox is more than ceviche and more than raw fish (even though I would make sure to order the Tostada de Atun and the Aguachile de Camaron. Like with the ceviche the presentation is just gorgeous . If you are looking for a warm dish, the Langosta la Mojo de Ajo is amazing. Each dish makes the fish shine and it feels like the fish just came out of the water, it’s fresh and full of flavor. All the praise Holbox received in the last 12 months (including being named best restaurant for 2023 by the LA Times) are more than deserved. I can’t wait to come back. If there was one criticism it is that the eight course menu is a lot of food. I think six courses would have been all I needed and the price of the eight course dinner would still be extremely generous for a six course menu.

Never not ordering off-menu at Mariscos Jalisco in East LA, like the pulpo topper on the shrimp tacos at one of my favourite LA taco destinations.

Mexican food at its best … outstanding mariscos There is a plethora of Mexican restaurants in LA, and even an abundance of really good Mexican food, but there are a handful of standout places (from the high end to the food truck). And when it comes to mariscos -- various fish dishes -- Playita Mariscos in Silver Lake is one of those in the top tier. At the southern tip of Silver Lake, on Sunset Blvd, this is a small place, with a couple of outside benches, but the food is outstanding. The Aguachile is really good with big meaty shrimp, though it is also certainly not skimping on the chili -- might be a bit spicy for some. If that is the case I would have the ceviche (ideally the mixed one) and probably both of the tacos (shrimp and fish). You will get amazing food, full of flavors

Amazing Sonoran specialties. Chivichangas, fresh flour tortillas.. Such amazing Sonoran specialties. Especially the chivichangas, the fresh flour tortillas made with imported Sonoran flour, and the burrito 2.0.