The Most Awaited Restaurant Opening: La Mar Cebicheria Peruana In San Francisco

For almost two years we've been hearing that Peru's most famous chef, the inimitable Gastón Acurio, was opening a branch of his La Mar Cebicheria Peruana in San Francisco.

I've received countless e-mails asking me, "When will it open?" "When?" When?"

Finally, I believe I have a conclusive answer (fingers crossed).

There is quite a buzz about this restaurant opening, the first time Gastón has opened a branch of one of his unique Peruvian restaurant brands outside the Spanish-speaking world.

Located just steps away from San Francisco's historic Ferry Building, La Mar Cebicheria Peruana will be located at Pier 1½, on San Francisco's Embarcadero.

The property is owned by San Francisco Waterfront Partners, and this project is expected to become the Mecca of high-end Peruvian cuisine in the United States.

The space is huge, a total of 11,000 square feet: 8,000 square feet inside Pier 1½ and another 3,000 square feet outdoors on a patio fronting San Francisco Bay.

Anyone who has been fortunate enough to eat at any of Gastón's venues, whether in Lima, Santiago, Quito, Caracas, Bogotá, Mexico City, Panama City, or Madrid, knows that quality and innovation are hallmarks of his cuisine. He is the consummate culinary perfectionist, and Peru's best ambassador of Peruvian cuisine.

Why call it La Mar Cebicheria Peruana? Gaston's first La Mar opened in Lima's Miraflores district on Avenida La Mar, which dead-ends at the Pacific Ocean, and has since become a prime culinary corridor.

In Spanish, 'la mar' is a poetic way to refer to the sea, which differs from the common appellation of 'el mar'. And, in keeping with the Peruvian spelling, 'cebichería' is spelled with a 'b' and not a 'v'. And although, 'cebichería' is correctly spelled with an accent on the final 'i', in this manifestation, that written accent mark has been dropped.

No one has done as good a job of documenting the progress of San Francisco's La Mar than Eater SF, from which we are republishing the following photographs. At their site there is a wealth of information about the details on the development of this exceptional project.

Oh, and the opening date? According to the property owner's website, the most recent date for the grand opening is September 18.

We can't wait. How about you?

All Photos: SF Eater

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TAGS: Peru, Peruvian, food, cooking, cuisine, cocina, comida, gastronomía, peruana