| Contramar | |
|---|---|
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_2.jpg) The restaurant's entrance in 2025 | |
 Interactive map of Contramar | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 14 August 1998; 27 years ago (1998-08-14) |
| Owner | Gabriela Cámara |
| Food type | Seafood |
| Rating | Bib Gourmand (Michelin Guide, 2024) |
| Location | Durango 200,Roma Norte, Cuauhtémoc,Mexico City, 06700, Mexico |
| Coordinates | 19°25′10.5″N99°10′01.8″W / 19.419583°N 99.167167°W /19.419583; -99.167167 |
| Reservations | Recommended |
| Other information | Nearest station: Durango bus station |
| Website | contramar.com.mx/ |
Contramar[a] is aseafood restaurant inRoma Norte, Mexico City, Mexico, nearFuente de Cibeles. It is owned by the restaurateurGabriela Cámara, who opened it in 1998 on Durango Avenue. Her aim was to recreate the experience of dining at a beachsidepalapa.
The establishment servesà la carte dishes and has received critical acclaim particularly for its tunatostada. Its signature red-and-greenpescado a la talla has been widely imitated by other restaurants worldwide. Contramar has attracted celebrities and international diners, received multiple culinary distinctions, and was the subject of the 2019Netflix documentary –A Tale of Two Kitchens. In 2025, the restaurant received aBib Gourmand recommendation in the firstMichelin Guide coveringrestaurants in Mexico.
Contramar servesà la carteseafood.[2] The restaurant created a supply platform that allows patrons to verify the traceability of the fish. According to El Economista, some seafood, including clams, is sourced fromPuerto Libertad, Sonora, on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.[3]
The oldest plate on Contramar's menu ispescado zarandeado, served since its opening.[4] Other items served includeMexican-style seafood dishes as well as international dishes, likechowder orTiradito.[5]
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Two signature dishes at Contramar are thepescado a la talla (or red-and-green grilled snapper) and the tunatostada. The former consists of aNorthern red snapperfillet split in half, with one side topped with aparsley-basedsauce and the other inadobo sauce.[6] The tostada is prepared with thin slices of raw tuna, leek and avocado slices, andchipotle mayonnaise, served onmaize toastedtortillas.[2] At its core, the dish is tunatartare on a crisp base.[7]
Thepescado a la talla is traditionally accompanied by black beans and tortillas, allowing it to be eaten as ataco.[1][7] Its recipe has been adapted by restaurants worldwide due to the versatility of the red and green sauces. For instance, atKalaya in Philadelphia, chefNok Suntaranon adapts the dish withmackerel,jalapeño andchive to recreate the green sauce and a reddish coconut sauce mixed with ingredients fromsouthern Thailand. Other adaptations replace the fish withchicken, or incorporate variations like tomatoes orginger sauces.[6]
Contramar has an open kitchen and a high ceiling.[8][9] The restaurant's interior design resembles apalapa, with a large hand-carved dining in the middle of the room as late as 2016.[1][10] The restaurant also features aPoemario (anthology of poems), a blackboard displaying sea-themed poems by writers such asCarlos Pellicer Cámara,Rosario Castellanos,José Emilio Pacheco, andJuana Inés de la Cruz.[3]
In 1996, while vacationing with a former boyfriend inZihuatanejo,Gabriela Cámara conceived the idea of opening a restaurant inMexico City that evoked the experience of dining in a beachside palapa.[2][11][12] She states her goal was to offer the city's residents a way to enjoy that atmosphere if they were unable to travel to a coast.[7]
Cámara and her associates acquired an inexpensive former refrigeration parts store in theemergingColonia Roma. The ceiling was covered with straw mats and fish skeletons were painted on to the walls by Carlos Pellicer López (nephew of the Mexican poetPellicer Cámara).[2][12]
Contramar opened on 14 August 1998 on Durango Street, and is near theDurango bus station and theFuente de Cibeles.[3][13][14] Initially, passerby's were invited to eat and pay only if they liked the food.[3] For a time, the restaurant employed only male waiters, several of whom had previous legal troubles.[15]
Contramar has drawn a celebrity clientele that includes artists, politicians, musicians, and international visitors.[16][17] A sister restaurant, the Entremar, was opened in the city'sPolanco neighborhood to reduce customers' wait times.[18] A location called Cantina Contramar Las Vegas, located at theFontainebleau Las Vegas on theLas Vegas Strip, is scheduled to open in 2026.[19]
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Food critics recommend reservations,[13][20] noting that the restaurant is often full at lunch, especially on Fridays.[21][22]
Julia Moskin ofThe New York Times noted that the dishes are known for their simplicity and refinement, and the restaurant is representative of a family dining experience on a beach vacation.[10] Michael Parker Stainback, writing forAfar, praised the food and service at Contramar, noting that the restaurant is often full.[21] Similarly, Mariana Camacho fromThe Infatuation added that reservations are often made months in advance due to the restaurant's popularity.[23]
Ana Paula Tovar ofEl País recommended themeringue with strawberries or fig tart for dessert.[2] A reviewer forCondé Nast Traveler compared the experience to eating atThe River Cafe in London, but dressed in aTulum attire.[24] Writing forBon Appétit, Scarlett Lindeman described the menu as a healthy dining option in the city.[25]
Critics have praised the tuna tostada, describing it as "well-executed",[22] "iconic",[26] and a "must-try" dish.[13]
Contramar and Cala inSan Francisco, both owned by Cámara, are the subject of the 2019Netflix documentaryA Tale of Two Kitchens. Regarding the experience of opening a sister restaurant in the United States, she said: "Opening a Mexican restaurant in the United States is a paradox no matter how you look at it [...] there is a lot of curiosity and respect for authentic Mexican food. On the other hand, there is a larger culture that despises Mexicans".[10]
Contramar received in 2019 the Best Dining Room Service award from theMéxico Gastronómico guide and Best Service in Mexico fromTravel + Leisure magazine.[27][28] In 2023, Contramar was voted the tenth best international restaurant byFood & Wine magazine readers.[29] It received aBib Gourmand from theMichelin Guide in 2024; the inspectors described the spot as enchanting and recommended thepolbo á feira.[30][31]
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