As A Pro Chef, I Think These Are The Best Raw Seafood Restaurants In Los Angeles
As a native Southern Californian and professional chef, I've both eaten and prepared a lot of seafood in my life, from slow-roasted salmon to cured Arctic char. In fact, my first restaurant job — as an intern at New York's Gramercy Tavern — had me shucking hundreds of oysters per night. Now, after almost a decade in Los Angeles, I remain spoiled by our proximity to the Pacific Ocean's bountiful treasures, as fresh, local seafood is as important to us Angelenos as our beloved produce. It's easy for me to tell when restaurants use high-quality seafood and prepare it with care and skill, and those are the places I find myself returning to often.
The City of Angels is flush with seafood-laden food trucks, some more famous than others, and most of them are cranking out fantastic food at low prices. Although there is something quintessentially Los Angeles about eating tacos over the hood of your car, when I am craving raw seafood like mariscos, oysters, or crudos, I usually prefer to have a seat at a real table with a crisp beverage — and all of my favorite spots offer those things and more.
Mariscos ZaZaZa
Located in the bustling Frogtown neighborhood of LA, the sprawling backyard patio of Mariscos ZaZaZa transports you out of the chaos and into a tranquil oasis reminiscent of a casual Mexican desert resort, complete with cacti and calming earth tones. A more low-key version of its nighttime counterpart restaurant Loreto, ZaZaZa is only open for a few hours from Thursday to Sunday, and serves a more limited but still incredible menu, perfect for sweltering Los Angeles afternoons.
You walk through a narrow passageway of crunchy gravel and order at the counter bar area, then find a table in the gorgeous patio, either under the shade of an awning or beneath lush peppertrees, and sit with your perfect michelada or ice-cold Pacífico to await your food. El Aguachile Hulk has some serious spice that sneaks up on you, while the Tostada De Camarón's pineapple and avocado bring your taste buds back down to earth. What you absolutely must order, however, is the Tostada Bonito, where thick slices of Baja yellowtail are slathered in tobiko mayo and topped with capers and radish, making it one of the most unique tostadas I've ever had the pleasure of eating.
The menu also features a list of hot dishes, and the crispy Flautas Ahogadas and El Gran Burrito Caramrón should be must-orders for the table. Other than the massive burrito, portions are moderate, so I love to kick back with friends in the shade and share everything. Don't forget to take advantage of the house-made hot sauces, lying in wait on a table in the corner. The music is usually a fun mix of Bad Bunny and other contemporary Latin artists, bringing a slightly upbeat vibe to an otherwise tranquil setting.
Found Oyster
Nestled under the shadow of the gargantuan, bright-blue Scientology building looming across the street, you'll find Found Oyster. This tiny New England-inspired oyster bar is one of the darlings of Los Angeles, where I used to have to arrive before opening hours in hopes of securing a seat without an hours-long wait. Now, blessedly, the restaurant — which my friends and I simply refer to as "Found" — takes reservations for the small-but-mighty space, which includes bar seats and high tables inside, as well as an ever-changing small streetside patio. I prefer to sit at the bar, where you can chat with the lovely (and very cool) employees, and watch them shuck oysters right in front of you.
I've yet to have a bad bite at Found, but the dish that has me in an eternal chokehold is the Scallop Tostada, dotted with yuzu kosho, apple, and basil. Must-orders include oysters (obviously), the smoked trout dip (accompanied by butter Ritz crackers), and the simple but clean Sicilian crudo. The wine list is modern and fun, with a large selection of funky skin-contact wines, very on-brand for hip Angelenos.
Despite declaring their inspiration as blue-collar, Found isn't cheap, so I prefer to go in the late afternoon or early evening and share a bottle of wine and some snacks with a group, rather than make an entire meal out of it. Normally serving only wine and beer, Found is now serving $10 martinis from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. every day, making it a dangerously perfect happy hour spot, but they're also available all night for $15, still quite a steal for LA standards. A real pro tip for a pricey but incredibly delicious evening is to hit Found for drinks and appetizers before your reservation at Saffy's across the street, which is still one of the toughest reservations to get in Los Angeles.
Holbox
If you live near Los Angeles but have never heard of Holbox, it's quite possible that you've been living under a rock. It's consistently listed amongst the top restaurants in the city, including the LA Times' 101 Best and North America's 50 Best — the restaurant received its Michelin star in 2024.
However, what might surprise you is that Holbox is not a fancy, white-tablecloth establishment, but rather a counter service spot in a bustling food court called Mercado La Paloma, and they don't serve alcohol. Yet the incredible quality of the food has people consistently lining up around the building for a taste of some of the best seafood in town, if not California. Holbox does offer an eight-course tasting menu that sells out quickly, but to me, it feels a bit strange to spend over $150 per person sitting at a countertop in a crowded market. I'd rather order a variety of items, grab a table with some friends, and share the outstanding dishes together.
The menu changes daily based on product availability, but some standout dishes are the smoked Kanpachi Tostada with arbol-guajillo sauce, Baja Bay scallop aguachile, and wood-grilled local spiny lobster (in the winter), not to mention the wide selection of raw bar jewels like oysters, California sea urchin, and Baja blood clams. They also have a large selection of cooked tacos and larger entrees, like the grilled Kanpachi Collar. Whatever you order, I promise it's worth the long wait in line. By the way, I must mention another restaurant in the same market, Komal, whose chef formerly worked at Holbox. While it doesn't serve raw seafood, Komal focuses on Mexico City street food, making tacos and quesadillas with tortillas made in-house from 100% Mexican heirloom corn.
Playita Mariscos
Located on a bustling strip on Sunset Boulevard in Silver Lake, Playita Mariscos offers no frills with its standard but delicious mariscos. Ideal for a light meal on a scorching afternoon or a slightly hungover Sunday lunch (their canned Diet Cokes are especially perfect), Playita Mariscos isn't a spot where you'd enjoy a long, leisurely meal, but instead the classic taco shop bench and table seating encourages frequent turnover.
At the same time, the price points are very reasonable and reflect the no-frills environment. The menu is simple, featuring aguachiles (which are SPICY), campechanas, ceviches, tacos, and dorados, and for most of these you can select either shrimp, fish, or a mix of seafood. I yearn for the shrimp campechana on a regular basis, where halves of raw shrimp float in a plastic pint glass of chilled tomato-based broth amidst avocado and cucumbers served alongside the Mexican version of Saltines. I prefer the shrimp ceviche over the fish, as the fish is shredded finely rather than cubed or sliced, and the shrimp are sliced into two thin halves, perfect for holding up to the toasted corn tortilla underneath. While it's not a raw item, the beer-battered fish tacos are stellar and remind me of childhood trips to Ensenada. They are simple and delicious, and a great option if you're craving fish tacos now that the beloved Ricky's Fish Tacos truck has closed.