Best Asian-Latin Seafood: MesaMar Seafood Table

MesaMar has built its identity around an idea particularly well suited to Coral Gables: take exceptionally fresh seafood, give it a Latin foundation, then introduce Asian flavors and techniques without losing sight of the fish. The Giralda Avenue restaurant describes its approach simply as “Asian meets Latin,” and that combination has given MesaMar a lane very much its own in the Gables dining scene.

Fresh fish and shellfish are at the center of the menu. The catch of the day can be grilled or fried, while ceviche, sashimi and seafood tacos bring citrus, yuzu, ponzu, miso and other brighter flavors into the mix. Rock shrimp combines mushrooms and ponzu with the restaurant’s creamy sauce, while grilled scallops are paired with pear cream and truffle oil. The combinations are inventive, but seafood remains the point.

Then there are the dishes that lean more strongly into MesaMar’s Latin side. Seafood paella brings together shrimp, lobster, clams, calamari, mussels, fish and scallops. Cazuela de mariscos, camarones al ajillo and lobster enchilado sit comfortably alongside lobster ravioli and miso-glazed salmon. It is a menu that reflects the way South Florida actually eats rather than trying to stay inside a single culinary border.

The Giralda location also gives MesaMar the easygoing quality of a neighborhood restaurant despite the sophistication of the menu. It works for a celebratory dinner, date night or business meal, but it is just as easy to settle in over seafood and a glass of wine and watch Giralda go by.

For combining fresh seafood with Latin traditions and Asian flavors in a way that has become distinctly its own, MesaMar Seafood Table is the Coral Gables Gazette’s selection for Best Asian-Latin Seafood.