Marco Polo Seafood Restaurant

Marco Polo Seafood Restaurant serves fresh seafood from a leafy garden patio in Oaxaca de Juárez, a landlocked setting that surprises some visitors given the restaurant's focus on shrimp tacos, ceviche, and brick-oven-baked fish sourced from the Oaxacan coast a few hours away. The dining room spreads across a shaded garden courtyard filled with plants and simple wooden furniture, giving it a casual, family-friendly atmosphere rather than the formality of the city's fine-dining kitchens. It has built a loyal local following among Oaxaca residents looking for a seafood fix without traveling to the coast, and the menu stays accessible in price relative to the freshness and portion size of its dishes. Because the restaurant does not operate a tasting-menu format, ordering is straightforward à la carte, with ceviche and ceviche-adjacent starters typically shared at the table before the larger brick-oven fish plates arrive. There is no formal reservation system for most visits, though calling ahead (951-513-4308) can help for larger groups or weekend lunches, which tend to be the restaurant's busiest service. Marco Polo closes relatively early at 8pm, so it functions better as a lunch or early-dinner destination than a late-night option.