WELCOME
RioMar is the place for seafood from a different perspective. And the critics have noticed. Chef Adolfo Garcia draws upon cooking experiences in Spain and his Latin American heritage to showcase the bounty of the Gulf, and a few points beyond…simply and traditionally at RioMar.
Quality is paramount. Accolades include Garcia being named James Beard 2010 Best Chef for the South Semi-finalist, Best Chef by New Orleans Magazine for RioMar and La Boca. The New Orleans Times-Picayune has also included RioMar in its Top Ten Best Restaurants list.
What makes RioMar so different? Named after a town in Panama where the river meets the sea, RioMar’s warm setting is much like the seaside taverns of Galicia, Spain. Here you’ll savor flavors from both cultures on one menu.
The Old World meets the New when Garcia wraps a yellowfin tuna steak in Serrano ham and tops it with a garlicky romesco sauce. Travel down though Central America to Ecuador and Peru via four different styles of ceviche. Each day, RioMar’s kitchen serves interesting dishes from a rotating selection of some twenty different seasonal types of seafood.
Because of Garcia’s mastery of Latin influenced cuisines, artisan technique and local ingredient focus, food critics consider RioMar a fine example of progressive American cuisine.
New Orleans natives dine here to discover how forward-thinking chefs like Garcia are challenging their city’s concept of local gastronomy. Travelers to the Crescent City, once they’ve sampled main-stay Louisiana dishes like remoulade and gumbo, seek out RioMar to understand what New Orleans is doing right now to maintain its place as one the top food destinations in the country.
After all, RioMar is a New Orleans restaurant at heart, and not just for the fresh Gulf seafood and locally grown produce.
Born to Panamanian parents in New Orleans, Garcia allows Creole flair to find its way into some seasonal specials, and the joy that New Orleanians have always found in the pleasures of the table fills up the restaurant and shapes the room’s warm ambiance.
So, step out of the old Spanish architecture of the French Quarter and discover a new Spanish outpost right nearby, alive and well in the cosmopolitan Warehouse District. Yellow walls with blue accents lend a vibrant feel to the restaurant where you’re sure to see Garcia’s partner, Nicolas Bazan III, greeting newcomers and helping his staff take care of everyone. Metal sculptures of aquatic life adorn the walls. Next to the bar, an old brick wall recalls an old fisherman’s face, weathered by the ocean. Inspired by those who’ve lived their lives by the sea, by those who’ve learned to use its gifts, this is the RioMar experience.
