Cantina Contramar Channels Mexico City Spirit Into the Las Vegas Strip 

Like many architects, Frida Escobedo first became interested in Las Vegas through the postmodern architecture book Learning from Las Vegas. In 2008, while teaching at Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City, she brought 35 students to experience the city firsthand. “The experience fulfilled the expectations I had from reading the book,” Escobedo says. “The thing that struck me the most was seeing the Hoover Dam. The glamour, shine, and lights of Vegas—that’s something you see a lot in movies. But then you see the Hoover Dam, and it’s like, ‘wow.’ This is the infrastructure that needs to happen for a city like this to [exist] and also the human capacity [to create] something like that.” 

Nearly two decades later, Escobedo returns to Las Vegas as the designer of Cantina Contramar at Fontainebleau, following an invitation from chef Gabriela Cámara, the restaurateur, author, and cultural advocate behind Mexico City’s culinary icon Contramar. Cámara opened her seminal restaurant in 1998 while still a student at Universidad Iberoamericana. In the years since, it has become both a beloved neighborhood institution and an internationally recognized destination for Mexican seafood cuisine. 

When Cámara was offered a restaurant in Las Vegas, she knew there was only one person she wanted along for the ride. Friends and contemporaries, Cámara and Escobedo have long moved within the same creative circles. “Gabriela is an icon in Mexico City. She said, ‘I’m doing this little adventure in Vegas. Would you be open to designing a restaurant?’” Escobedo says.  

“Frida has an extraordinary eye. She’s so talented, and she knew me well, professionally and personally,” Cámara says. “She really distilled the relevant things from Contramar.” 

“We understand that in Vegas, theatrics are very important, but we wanted to bring a piece of Mexico here. It was important that all of the materials came directly from the artisans,” Escobedo says. 

Guests enter through a corridor clad in hand-glazed volcanic stone tiles—dark and subtly reflective. The passage compresses space and sensation before opening into a dining room with high ceilings and ochre earthen flooring that casts a warm, rosy glow. Escobedo sourced materials directly from artisans: handmade tiles from San José de Gracia, hammered copper from Santa Clara del Cobre, and chairs by Mexican designer Oscar Hagerman. Plateware is by renowned Chihuahua, Mexico, ceramist Perla Valtierra. 

There is no hierarchy in seating—no tiers of importance, no elevated platforms or hidden corners. The octagonal room echoes the democratic spirit of the Mexican cantina, where everyone shares the same space. “The bar on one side, the kitchen on the other, people and tables creating a little bit of tension in between,” Escobedo says. “And then we have another focal point with the back wall, where the comal is.” 

The room is calibrated to an eternal golden hour, in collaboration with lighting architects L’Observatoire International. “In the golden hour, you feel relaxed—there’s no rush. In Mexico, you go to lunch, spend the whole afternoon, and see the sunset. Here, it’s quite the opposite. Vegas is about not perceiving time at all, so it’s about freezing one moment where everyone feels very relaxed and happy.” 

The simplicity of the space mirrors the ethos of Cámara’s cuisine. “Gabriela’s food is incredibly sophisticated, but not because it’s elaborate,” Escobedo says. “It’s simple ingredients and preparation that carry a lot of history and have been perfected over generations. It was about creating that feeling—not relying on decoration or expensive materials, but using the right artisanal pieces made by people who have learned these techniques over time. It’s about keeping that part of the culture alive.” 

While rooted in ceviches, aguachiles, and raw bar selections, the Las Vegas menu expands into a more indulgent, dinner-driven experience. A Tomahawk platter with queso fundido, rajas, and crema, and braised chamorro pork shank appear along with signature dishes like pescado a la talla Contramar-style. The beverage program features 50 tequilas and 15 mezcals, as well as cocktails and curated tequila flights developed in collaboration with Casa Dragones co-founder Bertha González Nieves.  

Together, all the elements shape a sensibility that is equal parts atmosphere and flavor. Escobedo is the architect of the space, and Cámara is the architect of the experience, guiding taste in all its forms. “You set the table for it to happen—the right mix of people, the right ingredients, the right preparations, the right drinks,” Cámara says. “I’m the curator of the restaurant, a conductor, an editor. I create the framework and let things happen.”