South LA · Mexican Seafood · Yucatecan · Michelin-Starred
LA Times Restaurant of the Year in a food court — Gilberto Cetina Jr.'s Michelin-starred Yucatecan seafood at Mercado La Paloma
Gilberto Cetina Jr. operates Holbox from a food stall inside Mercado La Paloma — a community mercado near USC — which makes its Michelin star and LA Times Restaurant of the Year designation feel like exactly the kind of recognition Los Angeles dining is capable of when it looks at the whole city rather than just its affluent neighborhoods. The cooking is Yucatecan: fresh local fish prepared with the citrus, chiles, and bright salsas of the Gulf Coast tradition, served on handmade corn tortillas or as ceviches and tostadas built from the day's best catch. The kanpachi and uni tostada is the showpiece, but the straightforward Baja fish taco — crispy rockfish, crema, red salsa — is the dish that shows how much precision goes into even the simplest item.
Holbox is lA Times Restaurant of the Year in a food court — Gilberto Cetina Jr.'s Michelin-starred Yucatecan seafood at Mercado La Paloma. Regulars order ceviche mixto and kanpachi & uni tostada.
Holbox is priced at $$ — approx. $20–$40 per person.
Holbox takes reservations by phone — call (213) 986-9972 to book.
Holbox is at 3655 S Grand Ave, Unit C9, Los Angeles, CA 90007, in South LA. Mercado La Paloma parking lot on Grand Ave
Holbox is open Tue–Sun 11:30 AM–8 PM · Closed Mon. Hours can change on holidays — confirm on Google Maps before a long drive.