Nico's Fish Market Bringing Fresh Caught Local Seafood To San Diego's Pacific Beach

February 16, 2024

Nico's Fish Market is replacing the original La Perla Cocina Mexicana a block from the ocean in San Diego's Pacific Beach.

Nico Gibbons is a native San Diegan and lifelong fisherman whose passion for seafood was solidified during his time working at La Jolla's El Pescador Fish Market. After graduating from UCLA, Gibbons moved to Mexico City where he worked under acclaimed chef Ferico Rigoletti, the operator of extremely popular Contramar seafood restaurant. When he returned to San Diego, Gibbons worked wholesale at Hawaiian Fresh Seafood, doing tuna grading and delivering the freshest tuna to all San Diego restaurants. For the past almost two years, Gibbons has been operating Nico's Fish Market as a roving pop-up seafood market and eatery. 

"We’ve been doing pop ups all over San Diego for 19 months," explained Nicholas "Nico" Gibbons. "My three fishermen friends and I would fish on the weekdays then serve what we catch via market and restaurant side on the weekends. I have the best rod n reel guys here in San Diego."

Gibbons has recently signed a lease to take over the nearly oceanfront Pacific Beach space that housed La Perla Cocina Mexicana for over a decade. Opening this summer, Nico's Fish Market will have a fish case filled with fresh seafood with fish cut to order to ensure quality and freshness. The space will also have a full restaurant component with a frequently changing menu featuring poke bowls, poke n' chips, oysters, fish burritos, seafood plates and sandwiches, all made with fresh local catch. 

Nico's Fish Market is anticipated to open this summer at 745 Emerald Street in San Diego's Pacific Beach. For more information, visit nicosfishmarket.com.