There’s something about warm weather and sunshine that makes us turn absolutely feral for a good seafood counter, raw bar, and glass of sparkling. It could be the fact that many of those dishes come served atop glistening (and cold) ice, or that we yearn for the sea more during the summer, but whatever it is, we know we can’t be alone. That’s why we’ve gathered up our favorite seafood spots and raw bars just for you. If you need us this summer, make your way down this list — you’ll find us sooner or later.
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Smithereens East Village
This spot, from Claud alum Nick Tamburo, is a perfect New Englander’s dream when it comes to seafood. This is not your coastal grandmother’s seafood spot, however. Expect more adventurous offerings like cured fluke with rhubarb and kelp, abalone skewers, and smoked fish served with a buckwheat pancake. It’s moodily located downstairs, and the lighting is low, so bring a date you want to snuggle up with. To drink? Try the Seaweed Martini with seawater gin, to keep it on theme.
NY Kimchi Midtown
From the chef-owner of the extremely popular downtown Golden Diner comes NY Kimchi, a Korean steakhouse and raw bar to rival all. There are all the classic offerings, like shrimp cocktail, oysters, and littleneck clams, plus things more suited to titans of Korean dining, like scallop bokkeum, with soy, toasted garlic, and gochujang vinaigrette, and the tuna tartare with pineapple and jjajang-dusted rice crackers. Everything on the menu here is worth an order, so don’t stop at the top raw bar section if you know what’s good for you. The lobster in the seafood tower is especially worth the splurge.
P.S. You can also order some of NY Kimchi’s raw bar selections at Golden HOF, the Korean pub upstairs, too.
Theodora Fort Greene
If you can score a Resy for this perpetually packed Fort Greene hotspot (if you see a line in the neighborhood, it’s almost certainly for this), you’re in for a treat. Start with the monkfish liver hummus, then move into the red snapper ceviche, swordfish belly skewer, and whole butterflied trout pil pil-style. Come with a group (or a partner who loves to eat) to try as much as you can — after all, who knows when you’ll be able to get a table again.
Rice Thief Long Island City
Everyone’s favorite viral soy-marinated crabs are now in a permanent brick-and-mortar home, fresh for your taking. Obviously get the dish that made them famous, but don’t skip the shrimp, abalone congee, or Hokkaido scallops. This spot is great for a group; it’s always fun inside and the energy is always high.
El Pingüino Brooklyn
One of our favorite date night spots also happens to serve up some excellent Spanish-style seafood. Test your date’s taste with steamed clams, boquerones, gildas, and some of the Jonah crab salad. Pro tip: Come for happy hour, seven days a week from 4 to 7 p.m. with half-off oysters, or late night from 10 p.m. until midnight, with $10 sardines and $12 Midori sours.
Penny East Village
Photo by Teddy Wolff, courtesy of Penny
Penny, which just opened last year, has already made a name for itself as an unmissable seafood destination. It probably helps that it comes from the owners of the wine bar Claud, which happens to sit right downstairs. Penny is mostly for walk-ins, but you can score the occasional Resy, and it offers only counter seating (and a few standing rail spots). Make sure you order the ice box, the stuffed squid, and a sesame brioche. We know it’s not why you’re here, but do know that the ice cream sandwich is required eating.
Photo by Teddy Wolff, courtesy of Penny
Flex Mussels – UES Upper East Side
Flex serves what might be the widest variety of mussels in the city. There’s classic white wine and herb, Thai-style with coconut curry broth, and even a porcini cream style with bacon and mushrooms. The rest of the menu is designed to complement what should be your main event, so make sure to grab a few orders of their crusty bread and butter and some parmesan truffle fries.
Maison Premiere Williamsburg
Photo courtesy of Maison Premiere
You can’t talk about seafood counters in New York City without mentioning Maison Premiere. It’s a classic through and through, with its New Orleans-style interior and its perfectly shucked oysters. The towers here are worth the price, just based on beauty alone.
Photo courtesy of Maison Premiere
Cervo’s Lower East Side
The seafood-focused sister to Bed-Stuy’s Hart’s and The Fly serves one of our favorite dishes in the city: crispy shrimp heads. Go ahead, don’t be shy, eat it all in one bite. Then, order the fried skate wing, served now with spring onions and mustard, the spicy mussels escabeche, and the sea bream a la plancha. Swoon.
Grand Central Oyster Bar Grand Central
Don’t mess with the OG. Grand Central Oyster Bar has been around for more than a century. Let that sink in for a second. Once you have, head here and order whatever oysters your servers suggest, like some Maryland crab cakes, and a bottle of something bubbly as you watch all the commuters bustle by.
Call (212) 490-6650 for reservations.
Mar's Astoria
A perfect excuse to make your friends come to Queens comes to you in the form of Mar’s, not only one of our favorite seafood spots in the city, but one of our all-around favorites as well. It’s glamorous and romantic, with raw clams, oysters, moules frites, and spritzes best enjoyed in the sun on their patio or at the wood-paneled bar.
Greenpoint Fish & Lobster Co. Greenpoint
There’s something about a combination seafood market and restaurant that just really speaks to us. Maybe it’s the fact that you can see your selection with your own two eyes before it even makes it to the kitchen, or the fact that the fishmongers tend to know what’s best that day, but either way, Greenpoint is a gem. Order the lobster bisque, some fish and chips, and whatever they tell you is good on the raw bar that day.
Siren Oyster Bar & Restaurant South Slope
Park Slope’s Siren has a three-course weekday prix-fixe menu that might be one of the best deals in the neighborhood at just $65 per person. Choose from crab cakes, mussels viavolo, or branzino. Or order à la carte for Osetra caviar service and a lovely clams casino.
Deux Chats Williamsburg
It’s a gorgeous corner spot that we’d come to even if they only served gruel. Luckily for us, their menu is filled with gorgeous seafood towers, brioche buttons (aww), warm crab and artichoke dip, and a very impressive by-the-glass list. Bring a date here — it’ll almost guarantee a second.
Foxface Natural East Village
Foxface Natural prides themselves on sourcing fresh, local seafood from the Northeast (Maine and Montauk especially) and occasionally from the West Coast, year round. Their selection of crudo, smoked fish, and seafood platters filled with oysters, scallops, razor clams, mussels, red shrimp, mahogany clams, Jonah crab, and more, changes all the time — giving you all the more reason to make repeat visits. In summer, however, you should expect to see even more elaborate seafood towers and ice platters.
Quique Crudo West Village
With the team behind Casa Enrique, the city’s first Michelin-starred Mexican restaurant, behind the counter here, you know you’re in good hands. Obviously, you’re here for the crudo (the shrimp aguachile and the octopus tostada are particularly incredible) but there really isn’t a bad thing on the menu. Whatever you get, pair it with a few margaritas and finish it all with their housemade cheese ice cream.
Walk-ins only.
Randazzo’s Clam Bar Sheepshead Bay
Are you really a New Yorker before you make the trek to Randazzo’s? We’d argue, no, you’re not. It’s an absolute mammoth of an institution, serving Brooklyn since 1932. Now, they’re right near the water in Sheepshead Bay, with perfectly casual paper menus and portions fit for a family. Order the raw little neck clams, a steaming shrimp fra diavolo pasta, and a cup of clam chowder. Plus, grab a few beers from the fridges lining the dining room.
Walk-ins only.
Sea Wolf Bushwick Bushwick
On a sunny, gorgeous day there are few places we’d rather be than Sea Wolf’s location in Bushwick. The magic of this place comes from the enormous window-walls that span the restaurant, opening up completely when the weather allows, and the ample outdoor seating that is perfect for people watching. Plus, they’ve got daily happy hours from 4 until 7 p.m., with $1.50 oysters, $9 painkillers, and $9 orders of wings. Beat that.
Perle Greenwich Village
Photo by Evan Sung, courtesy of Perle
This 12-seat seafood-focused wine bar from the folks next door at Marian’s goes big on the raw bar selections like littleneck clams, shrimp cocktails, lobster, and crab, in addition to lots of different preparations of crudo. We’re also particularly partial to the seafood toasts like the king crab with basil mayo and caviar. Wines, it goes without saying, are a perfect pairing, and they have a few non-seafood related dishes, too. Pro tip: Consider making it a double dip by heading to Perle before your Resy over at Marian’s.
Photo by Evan Sung, courtesy of Perle
Mission Ceviche Upper East Side Upper East Side
What used to be a small, counter-service only spot is now one of the city’s most popular cevicherias. It’s Peruvian style, which means plenty of tiger’s milk, yuca fries, and arroz con mariscos. If it’s your first time here, go for the classic ceviche and the Nikkei style. P.S. They also have an expansive location near Union Square, too.
