La Mar Cocina Peruana

The service was great and the waitress was very talkative and kept us occupied while the food was being prepared. The food took a while to come but tasted extremely good!! I sat next to the water with my family watching the sun set. Had a good experience

I went to La Mar for the first time about 15 years ago. Crazy to say, one because now I really feel old and two, how does a resturant stay open for that long and still feel fresh and relevant?

Back in the old school yelp days, back in its infancy, we helped build the first community in sf. we helped hold events before there was yelp elite or even a talk board. La Mar was one of those places we all love to have large group meals at.

Fast forward 15 years later, I started to have business lunches here. With two young kids at home, business lunches is about as much "going out" as I get to do.

The food is amazing just like I remembered. No doubt about that and everyone knows this part. The venue? Come on, it's about as good as you can get in the city. Right on the water, views of the bay bridge and treasure island, and of course, something just as important for a successful business lunch, easy and secure parking close by. There's two lots, one across the street and one right next door on the pier directly north of La Mar.

But the most important part of La Mar's success? Kelsey and her staff. Now, as someone that's dabbled in the world of food and beverage, I know that the front and back of the house is absolutely the most important part of the formula for a successful restaurant. Kelsey and her staff somehow makes this crazy world work, able to adjust to all sorts of stupid crap that happens every day and make a seamless service happen every time. I come fairly often and I see first hand their ability to work through all sorts of crap and make it so 99 percent of all customers don't even notice. That's professionalism at its best in the f&b world. I've brought everyone from owners of construction companies, executives from the SF port, to celebrities from Korea and a tons of f&b folks. They all loved La Mar. they all agree how perfect La Mar is for business lunches.

and what seems like a biweekly thing now, I am excited for today's lunch. Today I am bringing the owner of a chain of Korean restaurants including one with a Michelin star. and I know, like the dozens of other working lunches I've had lately, this will be an amazing business lunch.

how do you stay relevant for over 15 years in one of the hardest industries in one of the most competitive markets? you have amazing food, a beautiful venue and most important, you have a Kelsey.

Taro Chips 5 free, great after-taste
Lomo Saltado 4 tender beef, Chinese flavor
Dungeness Crab 4 w/ salted purple potatoe
Tuna nigiri 3

Had a great great time here for lunch. We had a reservation for inside, but the hostess suggested we sit in the outdoor area. It was covered with heaters to make it comfortable and there is a great view overlooking the bay. Super glad she decided to suggest the seating change. The servers were great as well and happy to explain different items on the menu. I will definitely be back!

Lomo Saltado: Super flavorful. The oyster and soy sauce tie together great with the rice and meat. It was also a very large portion.

Octopus: Flavorful and good sized portion. I was very impressed by the aesthetic of the plating as well.

This is a lovely restaurant with great views of the bay. We stopped by here to get some drinks and appetizers. We visited on a day with warm weather and chose to sit outside, although the decor inside was equally beautiful.

They have a wide variety of items on their menu. Our waitress was very helpful in taking the time to walk us through the menu and giving us recommendations. I got the classic pisco sour, and my husband got the El Capitan to drink, and we also tried the Ceviche flight to go with it. The drinks were really great, and the ceviche--all 3 of them were fresh and flavorful. They also served us complimentary taro chips, which was pretty great as well.

I'll definitely be back to try some of their other items in the future.

I had an absolutely beautiful meal at La Mar for my friend's wedding reception. It seems like a great place to book for special events, or even just for groups in general since it's much more fun to try small bites of many different dishes at this kind of place. We had a 4 course menu with multiple small bites per course, served over a leisurely 3 hour lunch. Everything was delicious, from the wines to their taro chips and avocado based dip, to the actual courses. They managed to strike a perfect balance of being fancy and high end without feeling pretentious. Every dish felt well composed. Our servers also asked about food allergies before the food came out and made an alteration to this beautiful dessert so it would be gluten free for me. This is definitely a good place for gluten free dining as well since they have a lot of naturally gf options.

Fun business lunch today at @lamarsf with colleagues. We shared the ceviche tasting, the nigiri tasting, california causas, vegana causas, tuna la mar tacos and pulpo anticuchero. The seafood was all so fresh and every dish was beautifully presented. The flavor profiles all worked so well together and hit all the senses.

It's the first time I've been back to La Mar post covid and the quality of the food and the service remains as high as I remember! I will be back.

I had a great experience at La Mar. We were kindly greeted on our way in and out of the restaurant! The food was refreshing, flavorful and plated with intent. Even the taro and plantain chips that weren't pictured here were crisped and tasty. I especially enjoyed the Verde Tiradito and Churrasco del Pescado. The black rice was unlike anything I've had and especially good. The salmon with the topping and sauce was the perfect match.

It was busy during lunch hours and we came with reservations. I always enjoy a lively restaurant. Coming back to try new dishes!

La Mar Cocina is the "Go To Place" for Peruvian Cuisine located at Historic Pier 1 1/2 (Next to the Ferry Building)!! I had reservations at 6:45 p.m. and we were promptly seated with a reservation. I requested to sit at a waterfront table through Black Card and we were waterfront with heat lamps so it wasn't chilly at all!
I have been to Chile and the drink there is Pisco Sour so when in La Mar you drink Pisco Sour!! Also ordered a Spirit Free Amante- Hibiscus infusion, aji panca, yuzu, orchid. I recommend this one if you're looking for something non- alcoholic.
The appetizers we started off with: Chifa- Hamachi belly, pachikay sauce, pickled vegetables, topped with dried garlic.
Empanadas Tasting of 4 different of: Beef, Chicken, Corn, Mushroom. My favorite was the Beef because of flavor of the added raisins inside! Yes, there are raisins and I'm hoping California raisins as I'm a farmer that used to grow raisins near Fresno, CA ! I thought my favorite one was going to be the Mushroom but it was the Beef!
Pulpo Anticuchero- Spanish octopus, anticuchero sauce, kabocha, squash locro, black olive aioli, chimichurri, garlic chips. The octopus was good and flavorful and not rubbery like octopus can be.
Seco La Mar- Grilled Maine scallops, green lima beans, tacu-tacu, seco sauce, topped with criolla salad. The scallops were fresh and tender! Overall the menu is diverse and the vibe and ambiance is lively! Lot of parties tonight and birthdays too! Music is good.
Tip: if you make reservations with Black Card they honor Complimentary Pisco Sour for your party!!

I've dined at La Mar on two separate occasions, once for dinner and once for lunch.

Dinner was a friend that made the reservation for a trip I was visiting on my birthday and the dinner was great. It was an extremely busy Friday night with a full dining room but from what I recall, the staff was good and the dinner meal was delicious. My most recent SF trip, I dined on the patio for lunch and also had a great meal with good service and a beautiful view.

Most memorable dishes for me are:
+ Any of the cebiches really but I particularly liked Limeno and California
+ Tiradito Verde
+ Quinoa Chaufa if you're looking for a vegetarian option
+ Whole Fish
+ Chocolate Cake

Definitely recommend dining here!