No city on Earth has better restaurants than New York, and their position on the eastern coast makes their seafood joints an ideal place to get quality lobster, fish, shrimp, or crab dishes fresh from the ocean. There are so many excellent sports in the Manhattan area alone that you can walk down the street and likely find a great pick, but here are a few great seafood restaurants in NYC to guide your taste buds.
Blue Water Grill in Union Square consistently ranks among the highest and best-reviewed seafood joints in the entire city, boasting a menu that ranges from Chilean sea bass to red snapper. Zagat has named them one of the most popular seafood restaurants in NYC, but they have a price tag to match their popularity: even the cheapest entrees cost twenty-five to thirty dollars. With a 20-guest capacity “bank vault” special room, a jazz floor, and a buffet room, there is something here for every diner and every occasion.
McCormick and Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant on Avenue of the Americas is ideally located in mid-town Manhattan for tourists and travelers going to or from the major sites, shops, shows, and locations in the downtown area. Boasting a menu that changes daily, McCormick and Schmick’s has nearly three dozen different varieties of freshly prepared fish and seafood. Their lively bar area sees nearly as much traffic as the restaurant itself, and a Friday evening happy hour makes their excellent range of appetizers easy on the wallet.
Fish Market NYC on South Street tells its customers not to be fooled by the name: they are one of the premiere seafood restaurants in NYC rather than a place to purchase the day’s catch. They pride themselves on being a cozier bar and restaurant than the grand, open-spaced dining halls of their competitors, which makes some customers feel welcomed but makes others feel cramped. Their menu includes oysters, calamari, and shrimp but also BBQ ribs and chicken fingers.
Lure Fishbar on Mercer Street may not be the formal dining experience for anniversaries but offers a massive slate of delicious options. Their trademark fish and chips is large enough to feed two people happily and they boast a sushi bar with over thirty choices: the lobster roll is one of the most-recommended entrees they offer. Their website keeps a rolling counter of the most popular orders, so that diners can check what everyone else is having when they make their decision.
The Ketch New American Restaurant on Pearl Street does not have seafood or fish in its name, but one glance at their menu tells the story of their wares. Not only do they offer supreme fish, scallops, or crab, but also do so for less than most of their competitors, with most entrees falling around the fifteen to twenty dollar range. They heavily feature private gatherings and cocktail receptions, including a “captain’s menu” for the biggest and best parties and “the client reception” for businesses that want to wow potential customers.