Maxwell L. Alexander

This spot truly delivers every time, from bold flavors to incredibly fresh seafood served with genuine hospitality. Even when there’s a wait, it’s completely justified once the food hits the table. We sampled several dishes and were impressed across the board, each one better than the last. The only regret was not having enough room to explore even more of the menu. It’s the kind of place that leaves you planning your next visit before you’ve even left.

+2

Yuliia Biliak

Absolutely delicious! We had an amazing experience at this Mexican restaurant. The food was full of bold, authentic flavors and perfectly seasoned. The tacos were juicy, the sauces rich, seafood was super tasty. You can really taste the freshness of the ingredients and the care put into every dish. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, and the service was friendly and attentive. We will definitely be coming back and highly recommend it to anyone who loves great Mexican sea food! Sea scallops are hit!

Amber Zhang

Absolutely phenomenal seafood! It’s located in a busy food hall and the lines get crazy (expect a 1-hour wait on weekends), but the flavors are unbeatable. This has become my go-to spot whenever I visit LA. Everything is so fresh and perfectly prepared. If you have the time, you HAVE to eat here!

+1

Julia Tsang

This is probably my third or fourth time eating here, it seems every time I come the queue got longer and longer. This time the queue reached the beginning of the adjacent parking lot, maybe about 100 people, crazy! We stayed anyway, queued in the cold and rain for at least 45 minutes. Since it is within a food court, you have to find your own table, though we party of 5 found a table instantly. They provide free water and 4 levels of hot sauces. Food is excellent as always, hence so many people are willing to queue into the rain! Note to those dislike cilantro, their ceviches are very strong in cilantro taste, plenty mixed into the sauce that can not be picked out.

+5

Claudia Michelle Chandra

I am so glad I came to Holbox in a large group because I got to try a lot of the menu items!! Every single dish in this place is out of this world. As someone who is usually averse to seafood, I have to admit that the seafood here is orgasmic!! Especially the fresh uni 🤤🥲 This restaurant definitely deserves its Michelin star. Each dish tasted intentional and offered mouthwatering flavors. I did not expect such an experience from a restaurant that is located within a food court. honestly, you can't even classify Holbox as a restaurant because it is more of a booth 😅 We arrived at around 11:30 AM and there was already a long line all the way to the car park. Thankfully, the line moved along quickly. The food is absolutely worth the weight and I cannot wait to return to this place on my next trip to LA.

+7

Asli Akal

Really fresh food! Holbox has been on my list for a long time, and for seafood, I think it's very reasonably priced. It's located in Mercado la Paloma and has free parking. We arrived around 6:30 p.m. on a Saturday, and the line was about 20 minutes long. The mercado was pretty busy, so it was slightly hard to find a good place to sit. However, the service was very fast. The ambiance is casual and lively. We got ceviche mixto, smoked kanpachi tostada, Baja fish taco, taco de pulpo en su tinta, and churros! The ceviche mixto is a must, it was incredibly fresh! I would skip the smoked kanpachi tostada and taco de pulpo on my next visit; I thought they were just okay. The Baja fish taco was amazing, definitely try it! The star of the night was definitely the churros! They were crunchy on the outside and moist on the inside, and the chocolate sauce was delicious. Overall, it totally deserves the hype.

+3

CB Architect-Builder

The food here is simply orgasmic! My son and I bought a diverse selection of dishes and loved every single one! Talk about food coma! Hope we can visit again sometime soon! There was a bit of a wait and line to get in as you’d imagine but it moved along and was worth it! The fact that it’s a food court takes away some of the “fine dining experience” and the interior of the place isn’t fancy at all but the food makes up for it! Pricing also seemed reasonable for the quality and flavor! Not being able to buy liquor (cocktails, beer or wine) also helps keep costs down. Anyway, highly recommend!!

+3

Vincent Crisol

Holbox serves some of the best seafood I’ve had, delivering Michelin level quality in a casual market setting. The scallop aguachile was incredibly fresh and beautifully presented, while the octopus and fish tacos were cooked to perfection. Since it's located in the busy Mercado La Paloma, be prepared for a bit of a wait. Because seating is shared with other restaurants, I highly recommend bringing a partner to scope out a table while you wait in line. The logistics take a little effort, but the food is absolutely worth the hustle. It is an absolute must visit for any seafood lover in LA.

Muge Selcuk

We had lunch at Holbox around noon, and even with the line, we were seated in less than 30 minutes. The service was warm, friendly, and quick. The food was excellent — we tried the sea urchin, grilled branzino, octopus, smoked fish and scallop tacos, and churros. Every bite was fresh, flavorful, and well-balanced. Despite being a Michelin-starred restaurant, the prices were quite reasonable. Watching the chef chat with guests added a personal touch. Overall, everything — food, service, and value — came together perfectly. We’re definitely planning to return and try the tasting menu.

Now.Loading.Carlos

Holbox completely lived up to and honestly exceeded its Michelin-star reputation. We ordered the scallop ceviche, kampachi, lobster, and the fresh uni… and every dish was an absolute standout. The scallop ceviche was bright and silky, bursting with clean citrus flavors. The kampachi had that perfect buttery texture, so fresh it practically melted. The lobster was rich, sweet, and cooked to perfection. But the uni wow. Creamy, briny, and unbelievably fresh… now I fully understand why Holbox earned its Michelin star. Every plate was thoughtful, balanced, and executed with precision. This is seafood at its highest level innovative, respectful of the ingredients, and genuinely unforgettable. Holbox remains one of LA’s true culinary gems. If you love world-class seafood, this place is non-negotiable.

+4

Yuelin Li

Hidden inside Mercado La Paloma, Holbox is a Michelin-starred seafood counter that completely lives up to the hype. We tried the uni & scallop tostada — freshly opened sea urchin topped with scallop and green salsa, unbelievably sweet and creamy. The Filete al Carbon (grilled sea bass with cilantro rice) was perfectly cooked — crispy skin, tender meat, and full of flavor. Both octopus and fried fish tacos were light, crunchy, and fresh, especially with their house-made hot sauces. The Kanpachi ceviche was bright and balanced, a perfect mix of acid and spice. Everything tasted so clean and ocean-fresh. It’s a casual spot, not fancy at all, but the quality easily rivals high-end restaurants.

+5

Patrick No

Definitely worth doing a little drive to get to this elevated food court and trying Holbox. This is some of the city’s best fresh Mexican cuisine, with a focus on seafood. Do yourself a favor and order a bunch of stuff, it’s worth it. We got: Branzino, Scallop Aguachile, fresh Santa Barbara Uni, Kanpachi & Uni Tostada, Kanpachi Taco, and Baja Fish Taco. Overall, whatever you do, get the Scallop Aquachile and something with Sea Urchin. By far, probably the best Sea Urchin I’ve had in my life. The Smoked Kampachi Taco was quite good too, it had a peanut chili oil (Salsa Macha) which I’ve never seen before until here. Really cool. The Branzino was fresh and cooked perfectly, with insanely good blue corn tortillas to go alongside. The Baja Fish taco was pretty standard. All in all, I try to come here every time I come to LA now. You get FRESH FRESH FISH here and it shows. Recently, there’s been lines out the door. Worth the wait, I think, but maybe come at a weird time and you won’t have to worry. All of this order was like $100.

+2

Sasha M

A Michelin-recognized, upscale taco spot that became famous thanks to social media buzz. I went fairly early in the evening, so the line wasn’t too long, and I was able to get a seat at the bar right away. It’s not a fully open kitchen, but you can still see part of the action — the staff all looked incredibly busy and dedicated. The server was quick, attentive, and provided great service. The food came out fast, and everything tasted exceptionally fresh. Every bite was full of flavor and satisfaction. I’d definitely love to come back to try more of their dishes.

+3

JB Jose

My brother took me this Michelin-starred seafood place. Though it’s in a food hall, it’s not food hall prices. The quality of the dishes were still outstanding and worthy of the cost. The highlight for me was the sopa de mariscos. The flavors reminded me of how we used to have it as a youth, if not the texture. The seafood was abundant and fresh. Other highlights include the delicious tostadas and the fresh uni and scallop. Try all the dishes with their home made hot sauces. Though the wait was about 25 minutes to be sat at prime dinner time, it’s still definitely worth it. We’ll be back.

+2

Jimmy Su

Came here with a friend for lunch on Friday and this place totally deserves its Michelin star. We got there about 15 minutes before opening, so parking was easy and we were part of the first group in line. Holbox serves Yucatán-style seafood tacos, and every single one we tried was incredible. We ordered the scallop taco, octopus taco, smoked kanpachi taco, Baja fish taco, and the aguachile with spot prawn and scallops. The scallop was buttery and sweet, the octopus was super tender with that perfect char, and the smoked kanpachi had this deep, smoky flavor that was just insane. The aguachile was bright, spicy, and refreshing—perfect for a warm day. The service was exceptional. You order at the counter, and they somehow manage to bring everything out quickly and perfectly timed, even with so many tables scattered around the market. It’s impressive how smoothly everything runs. We finished with the churros and chocolate sauce, which were the perfect ending—crispy, light, and the chocolate was rich but not overly sweet. The small lot is paid (about $4 an hour), but there’s some free street parking if you get lucky. Definitely worth coming a little early for a spot. Can’t wait to come back and try more of the menu, especially anything with uni. This place is a gem.

+4

Torn between a 4 and 5. The shrimp dish was 5+ the rest was good. The scallop ceviche had connective tissue that was unappealing. The dessert was good didnt get much flavor from the red stuff. There was a line when we arrived and line when we left. It was a Wed night! Relativity quick service. Who would have thunk a Michelin star restaurant in a food court.

Zeno Lee

Holbox definitely had some amazing dishes. Their fish tacos and their octopus were exceptional. The scallop aquachilles were a little too sour for us and the ceviche was good, but just as good as any other restaurant we been to. The presentation was amazing. And we generally really enjoyed the meal. The only thing that was challenging was waiting in line and then finding seats. We got there 30 minutes before open on Saturday and we waited just a little more than an hour. So 30 minutes after they opened. That wasn't bad considering the line got considerabl7 longer after we arrived. Then next challenge was finding a table. So many people were saving tables even though they weren't eating. Holbox definitely need to relocate to a new location. Would definitely go back for the fish tacos.

+1

Victoria Marie

I came here for the seafood and left questioning my emotional readiness for a live cooking demonstration. The tostada? Was amazing. The aqua chile? Just ok, but I’ve had better elsewhere. I also tried the uni scallop — buttery, oceanic, and definitely worth a try. The real plot twist was watching a lobster flailing after being cut in half alive. Not exactly the tableside performance I was hoping for. 🦞😳 All in all, the food’s fresh and delicious, but the hype is in the Michelin rating. There’s great seafood in L.A., and Holbox is up there — just maybe… bring emotional support if you’re squeamish. I’ll go again to check it out one more time. The line is real.

+7