A crisp fried corn tortilla topped with chipotle mayo, sliced raw yellowfin tuna, sliced avocado, fried leeks and a chipotle reduction. Mexico City's most-copied modern dish, invented at Contramar in 1998.
Where to eat it: 1 restaurant across 1 city.
The tuna tostada was created in 1998 by Gabriela Camara at Contramar on Calle Durango in Roma Norte, when she retro-engineered the simple coastal Mexican tostada with raw tuna, chipotle mayo and fried leeks. The dish became the city's most-copied modern Mexican dish and has been the Contramar lunch order since. Contramar is recognised in the 2024 Michelin Guide Mexico City selection.
Common allergens: Fish, Egg, Gluten
Tip from the editors. The tuna must be sashimi grade and ice-cold. The crisp leeks are essential; don't substitute fried shallots, the textural balance shifts.
This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.
Contramar in Mexico City is the Gabriela Camara-run Durango Street seafood room in Roma Norte since 1998, the lunch-only kitchen that built its name on the tuna tostada and the split-color pescado a la talla.
Signature: Tuna tostada, Pescado a la talla, Fish tacos
Order: The tuna tostada and the pescado a la talla, half red half green down the middle.
Tip: Open lunch only; lines start at 13:00. Walk-ins land easier on Mondays than mid-week.
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