Many people go to Las Vegas and bet on red or black. But for the chef Gabriela Cámara, it’s always about betting on red and green.
Cámara will open the most awaited Cantina Contramar of Fontainebleau Las Vegas On Saturday, March 28, he serves outstanding dishes such as his Pescado a la Talla Contramar. This is, of course, his whole grilled fish with red adobo and parsley rub. This green and red fish is a signature in Mexico City Contramarand has inspired—and been copied by—many other chefs.
Cantina Contramar will also offer some of Contramar’s greatest hits, such as a crowd-pleasing dessert cart including strawberry meringue. But Cámara wants to cast a wider net in Las Vegas with dishes that take on the Contramar brand in addition to the seafood and fresh produce that Mexico City is known for.
So Cantina Contramar will offer new dishes such as wagyu aguachile, rib-eye tiradito, chicken mole enchilada and braised pork shank in adobo. The expanded menu will also feature Cámara’s version of a cantina-style Caesar salad, a tostada flight that includes Contramar’s famous tuna tostada, caviar-topped soups and main courses (like slow-cooked short rib) that will be your taco experience with house-made tortillas. This restaurant is designed mainly for surf-and-turf adventures.
“I think it’s going to be very engaging with the community that’s going to be here in Vegas,” Cámara told the Observer. He hopes that adding more meat to Contramar’s repertoire will help grow its audience in Las Vegas.
“I think it will be more accessible in terms of how one uses the menu and how one understands the food,” said Cámara. “For most Americans, Mexican food isn’t ceviche or seafood in general. It’s tacos. It’s carne asada. And we’re going to make amazing versions of those dishes.”
Cámara has been experimenting with different salsas, moles and adobos as he develops Cantina Contramar’s menu. CA firm sweet potato, for example, is served with salsa negra.
“We’re going to add complexity in terms of flavor and use unusual ingredients,” said Cámara, who specializes in California meats such as Cross Creek Ranch wagyu. “We look forward to working with our suppliers in California. We bring in cheese from Point Reyes. We bring in vegetables from the farmers market in Los Angeles. It’s a real joy to be able to cook with these ingredients.”
Cantina Contramar adds to the international prominence of Fontainebleau Las Vegas Restaurant Collectionincluding Alan Yau’s Chyna Club and Washing Potato; Ito Omakase by Masa Ito and Kevin Kim; Papi Steak and Komodo by David Grutman; and Evan Funke’s Mama Wolfe. This diversity of restaurants was undoubtedly a key factor in Fontainebleau Las Vegas becoming the only Las Vegas casino with a Michelin key in 2025.
Cantina Contramar will also add celebratory energy to the mix. Alcohol is an important part of any good cantina, so the founder of Casa Dragones Bertha González Nieves collaborates with Cámara on strong agave cocktails and shows a flight of tequila for Casa Dragones. Cámara looks forward to highlighting Mexican agave spirits and showing Vegas visitors how well tequila and mezcal pair with food.
Cantina Contramar will have a cart of tableside margaritas and carajillos. “I think that will lead to more celebrations around the tables to talk and watch each other’s experiences,” said Cámara, who was thinking about the future tableware he will unveil at Cantina Contramar.
Cantina Contramar is all about celebrating Mexican culture and giving guests reasons to visit again and again. They add snacks and drinks as well as desserts. They add to the main courses with meat. They add fish they’ve seen on Instagram a thousand times. They can grow and acquire everything at the same time.
“That’s why I wanted it to be a cantina,” said Cámara. “The cantina is a place where you can go and eat every day.”
Cantina Contramar, available 2777 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89109, will be open seven days a week from 5:30 pm to 10:30 pm
