La Mar Dubai by Gastón Acurio

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Tribute to Peru's Cebicherías, on the Palm

La Mar is, in the restaurant's own words, "a party." Perched within Atlantis The Royal on Palm Jumeirah, Gastón Acurio's Dubai outpost brings the spirit of Lima's cebicherías to the Gulf — with cebiches, tiraditos, anticuchos and premium cuts that carry the robust flavors and cultural richness of Peru. The Forbes Travel Guide recognized it with a Four-Star award, a distinction that reflects both the ambition of the cooking and the care put into every detail of the experience.

The Room and the View

The design makes the sea its reference point throughout. Natural wood and stone, bright turquoise accents, and fishing nets in blue, pink, and purple signal immediately that seafood is central here. On the walls hang installations of leaf-shaped porcelain pieces alongside molten brass and wood discs. A large textile artwork in rich colors — woven from rope and wool by Peruvian artist Cynthia Malamud — greets guests at the entrance. If the weather allows, the terrace is the place to be: the view takes in the Skyblaze Fountain's fire-and-water display against the Dubai skyline, best accompanied by a pisco sour.

What to Order

The menu is built around Peru's most expressive formats. The cebiche tasting — Classic, Chalaco, and Brasa — offers the clearest overview of the kitchen's range, from the clean acidity of a classic leche de tigre to the smokiness of a yellow chili version paired with bluefin tuna. Tiraditos include Hokkaido scallops with avocado and garlic chips, and a Smoked Shiso with bluefin tuna and cancha.

From the grill, the anticuchos deserve attention: grilled octopus with Peruvian pesto and botija olive emulsion, or a mixed parrillada of calamari, scallops, octopus, and prawns. The Nigiri Criollo — torched wagyu beef MB7 on rice, finished with a fried quail egg — is one of the kitchen's most compelling plates, sitting at the intersection of Peruvian and Japanese influence that defines the Nikkei section of the menu.

Wok dishes round out the picture: Lomo Saltado Criollo with Black Angus tenderloin, and Chaufa Wagyu with MB9 wagyu striploin fried rice, show the Chinese-Peruvian thread that runs through the cuisine. A fresh fish and seafood counter changes daily, and for those who want to go further, Kaviari caviar is available by the gram alongside the kitchen's Peruvian preparations.

The Spirit of the Place

La Mar describes itself as "a celebration of the sea, Peruvian cuisine and life." That energy — festive, generous, grounded in genuine culinary tradition — comes through in a menu that doesn't hedge. The Peruvian cuisine here is specific: particular chilies, particular techniques, particular textures. It is that specificity, within a setting as dramatic as Atlantis The Royal, that earned it four stars from Forbes Travel Guide and keeps tables on the terrace in demand.