It’s fitting that the best New York City seafood restaurants are located on an island. From the humble lobster shack to the celebrity chef-owned temples of tuna, New York boasts dozens of fresh seafood restaurants where flavor and artful preparation are the keys to success.
Aquagrill
210 Spring St.
New York, NY 10012
212-274-0505
aquagrill.com
Don’t let Aquagrill’s scene-y Soho atmosphere fool you – they take fresh seafood seriously here, from the humble clam chowder (Manhattan, of course) to the Golden Russian Osetra Caviar at $155 an ounce. This New York City seafood restaurant serves up to 30 types of fresh oysters daily, along with a “plateau royale” from the raw bar and chef’s specialties that pair fresh fish with simple accompaniments in the American-fusion vein. Try the grilled Atlantic salmon with falafel crust and lemon-coriander vinaigrette or roasted Dungeness crabcake Napoleon appetizer. Starters $7.50-$14.50, entrees $16.50-$30.
Blue Fin
1567 Broadway
New York, NY 10036
212-918-1400
brguestrestaurants.com Blue Fin means to dazzle the eyes and the palate. Located in the W Times Square Hotel, Blue Fin echoes the neighborhood’s glitz with blue glass windows and crisp white Eero Saarinen chairs. The raw bar offers a selection of fresh seafood, including Malpeque, Kumamoto and Peconic Bay oysters; or indulge in the shellfish tier with oysters, clams, shrimp, crab and more. Blue Fin offers a full sushi menu as well as nouveau American entrees featuring cod, salmon, tuna and halibut. Starters $9-$15, entrees $22-$32.
Esca
402 W. 43rd St.
New York, NY 10036
212-564-7272
esca-nyc.com
Though celebrity chef Mario Batali’s seafood restaurant offers only three daily oyster choices, the extensive crudo menu makes up the difference. Simple preparations of raw pink snapper, fluke, wild hamachi, wahoo, mackerel and many more serve as appetizers to the Italian-themed entrees. Sample the Sicilian-style mako shark with spinach, hazelnuts, pignoli and almonds; whole grilled local bluefish with San Marzano tomatoes; or try the chef-selected tasting menu. Starters $17-$30, entrees $19-$64.
Marea
240 Central Park S.
New York, NY 10019
212-582-5100
marea-nyc.com
Marea’s innovative take on coastal Italian seafood earned it a Michelin star and three stars from the finicky New York Times. The restaurant menu features east and west coast oysters and crudo, house-made pastas, and seasonal fish entrees. Whole fish are also sold a la carte by the pound. The grilled Mediterranean cuttlefish with braised escarole, olives and livornese sauce and grilled Hawaiian swordfish with charred peaches, baby eggplant and almonds are just two of the palate-provoking fresh seafood entrees. Starters $8-$24, entrees $32-$45.
The Mermaid Inn
96 Second Ave., New York, NY 10003
nr. 5th St. See Map | Subway Directions Hopstop Popup
212-674-5870
themermaidnyc.com
A little more earthy than the midtown seafood restaurants, the Mermaid Inn in the East Village focuses on unadorned New England-style dishes. The daily blue plate special, a lobster roll with Old Bay fries and a draft ale, is a steal at $20, and other daily specials pepper the restaurant menu. Regular entrees include roasted hake with porcini breadcrumbs and olives, sauteed skate wing with braised Swiss chard and caper brown butter, and the raw bar grand platter with oysters, clams, shrimp and lobster knuckles. Starters $7-$12, entrees $17-$26.
