The Absolute Best Oysters in New York

If your passion is seafood, you may feel like you have to hop across the pond to Europe in order to find some truly delicious oysters. However, if you’re living in or visiting New York, there are plenty of great spots around the city where you can find exceptional oyster dishes. With so many options out there, how do you choose which ones will satisfy your cravings? Read on to discover our pick for the 7 best oyster bar in New York!

The 7 Best Oyster in New York

Grand Central Oyster Bar

Address: 89 E 42nd St, New York, NY 10017, United States
Map: Click here
Rating: 4.2 (3276)
Phone: +1 212-490-6650
Website: Link
Opening hours:

Monday: 11:30 AM – 9:30 PM

Tuesday: 11:30 AM – 9:30 PM

Wednesday: 11:30 AM – 9:30 PM

Thursday: 11:30 AM – 9:30 PM

Friday: 11:30 AM – 9:30 PM

Saturday: Closed

Sunday: Closed
Reviews:

Came year after 15 years to enjoy the oysters again. Some changes to the oyster bar but largely intact. Chives are not as many oyster types as it used to be due to Covid. More cooked food selections and have probably 8 different types of oyster to offer. Oyster ranges from $2.85 to $3.85 per piece. From east to west coast , I prefer the New Brunswick and the Washington coast . Briny and lots of sea water mineral taste . Wine selection are quite a range with selection of many American wines . I ordered the clam but it was not great. Sitting on the 50s type of chair to enjoy a simple oyster lunch! Yummy …

✭✭✭✭ By Andrew Goh (10 months ago)

An iconic NYC dining experience. Some of the freshest, most beautiful and delicious oysters you will ever eat. Not a bad seat in the house but I love all the counter and bar seat options. I’ve been a fan since my first work trip to New York City in 1992. Order an oyster pan roast in the winter months and you’ll leave happy. Ask servers and bartenders for recommendations on favorite oysters and other dishes and you’ll be happy guaranteed. Don’t miss the crab cake sandwich and caviar sandwich!

✭✭✭✭✭ By David Hale Smith (2 months ago)

Great ambience, lovely decor, huge history and to top it all off, fresh oysters in the heart of the city. If you like oysters and fresh seafood then this is an easy recommendation. They’ve got a wide selection of drinks as well so you’re set for a luxurious meal, no matter the time of day.
I’d advise to sit at the counter for a more authentic experience. It makes sense to ask the staff what’s best and what their favourites are as they know their stuff.

✭✭✭✭✭ By Alex da Costa (4 months ago)

***The star rating is only for the oysters and clam chowder***

If you like oysters and New England clam chowder then this is the place to get them. The only restaurant in NYC that has Belon oysters!! A must if you like a creamy and metallic flavor. They have sweet overtones and a sort of ‘coppery’ finish which is a delight when it hits your mouth! There are also delicious cherry stone clams and many other oysters you can choose from. The clam chowder has the perfect clam to potato ratio with just the right amount of cream and thickness. If you don’t like raw seafood you can also order their lackluster dishes that they offer from the menu.

✭✭✭ By Ms J (a month ago)

Great selection of east coast oysters! I prefer east coast because they are less briny. New England clam chowder and calamari were also great dishes. Not the best I’ve had but the calamari had a very light and crispy batter. Located downstairs in grand central in the dining concourse

Service was attentive and fast. Don’t think I’d come back though as it wasn’t memorable enough for me!

✭✭✭✭ By Jason Van (8 months ago)

Maison Premiere

Address: 298 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11249, United States
Map: Click here
Rating: 4.6 (1398)
Phone: +1 347-889-5710
Website: Link
Opening hours:

Monday: 2:00 PM – 1:00 AM

Tuesday: 2:00 PM – 1:00 AM

Wednesday: 2:00 PM – 1:00 AM

Thursday: 2:00 PM – 1:00 AM

Friday: 2:00 PM – 2:00 AM

Saturday: 12:00 PM – 2:00 AM

Sunday: 12:00 PM – 1:00 AM
Reviews:

The most beautiful garden patio! Such a fun surprise to walk into. Impressive cocktail, absinthe and wine menu. It was so diverse and overwhelming! The service was professional and attentive. We ordered 2 dozen oysters, they were perfectly chilled. Definitely stopping in again.

✭✭✭✭✭ By Susan Rice (5 months ago)

We live in UES, NYC and decided to make the trek to Brooklyn to Maison Premiere because my wife was in the mood for some good seafood and oysters. This restaurant was fantastic from the NOLA vibes to the amazing cocktails, with most importantly the food was delicious! Every single item we tried made us more excited to try the next dish we ordered. All the staff there were super nice and helpful. We would definitely come back here for a date night and some more oysters. Definitely make sure you make a reservation before going since they are very popular and busy.

✭✭✭✭✭ By Daniel Tise (4 months ago)

Amazing oysters bar with phenomenal cocktails. It’s easy to see why this place is on the Michelin list. Staff are friendly, knowledgeable and the place feels like it’s straight out of a novel. Tons of fantastic, niche absinthe’s and spirits. I love it here. Thanks Maison Premiere!

✭✭✭✭✭ By Andrew Bassett (3 months ago)

So so happy to see them open again since this is my #1 spot to go to for oysters and a nice vibe. The food was delicious if not better than i last remember and our server Jack was super sweet and attentive and gave phenomenal recommendations. Looking forward to our next visit!

P.S if you can request to sit at the oysters bar please do so because the experience in my opinion is the best. The oystertainer (i believe is what you call these professionals) was energetic and helpful we also had a nice conversation about his background and skills which was nice.

✭✭✭✭✭ By Michelle R (10 months ago)

One of NYC’s top cocktail bars is back after a pandemic hiatus. The New Orleans influenced decor and menu are replete with absinthe cocktails and seafood towers. Go early to get your spot at the coveted U shaped bar. Don’t miss one of the city’s best raw bars. James Beard award-winning and Michelin recommended.

✭✭✭✭✭ By Erik Johnson (9 months ago)

Lure Fishbar

Address: 142 Mercer St, New York, NY 10012, United States
Map: Click here
Rating: 4.4 (1382)
Phone: +1 212-431-7676
Website: Link
Opening hours:

Monday: 11:30 AM – 10:00 PM

Tuesday: 11:30 AM – 10:00 PM

Wednesday: 11:30 AM – 10:00 PM

Thursday: 11:30 AM – 11:00 PM

Friday: 11:30 AM – 11:00 PM

Saturday: 11:30 AM – 11:00 PM

Sunday: 11:30 AM – 10:00 PM
Reviews:

Awesome!

The atmosphere is cool, very low pro nautical, like you’re on an old school ocean liner.

Octavio was our server and her was great. All staff (hostesses, runners and busboys) were very friendly.

We loved our meal! Everything was fantastic. The linguine vongole was a bit too lemony/not savory enough, but it was good.

✭✭✭✭✭ By DS B (2 months ago)

We really enjoyed this restaurant. We didn’t have a reservation but were able to get a seat inside. I would recommend to make reservations if you want to dine outside. The inside vibe is cozy and it feels like you’re inside a boat. We ordered the oysters (one of each), the shrimp tempura, clam chowder, crispy rice spicy tuna, stuffed lobster and whole fish. I found the oysters were good, some were on the small side and I wasn’t sure which was which (no one explained which oyster was which, but I guess how would they know)

My husband said the clam chowder was ok, hearty, but not amazing. I wasn’t too impressed with the crispy rice spicy tuna. I felt it was missing a bit of flavour. We both really enjoyed the tempura shrimp though.

My husband enjoyed the stuffed lobster. It was market price which was $87, which we felt was a really good price considering how meaty the lobster was. I really enjoyed the whole fish. It was enough for one person and there weren’t a lot of bones (which I really appreciated).

Deducting a star for service. We felt it was a bit on the slow side but not terrible

✭✭✭✭ By Cindy F (3 months ago)

Excellent. The service was suburb, the food was delicious, and the cocktails were on point.

We especially enjoyed the miso salmon and the seared sea bass. The tempura shrimp was delicious- you were able to enjoy the sweet flavor of the shrimp and the fried coating and spicy mayo were perfect compliments—yet didn’t overpower the natural flavor of the shrimp.

My only critique, would be regarding the sushi. For this price point, I expected to be wowed. The sushi was good— but not great. However, the excellent service, great ambiance, and wonderful cocktails easily made this a 5 star rating in my opinion.

✭✭✭✭✭ By MD062010 (7 months ago)

We originally headed to another restaurant but ended up at The Lure, what a great surprise!
The place is nice and elegant inside, our server was so attentive and super friendly.
We tried different martinis, my boyfriend particularly loved the Sake Martini.
I loved the food, the whole stuffed lobster was amazing! We also had some oysters, tempura tacos and couple of rolls, everything was excellent!

✭✭✭✭✭ By Nancy Cavazos (9 months ago)

Highly recommended this place!!! For a dinner date or a quick bite! Beautiful architectures w/ great ambiance just you will fell like descended into main cabin of of a yacht that makes you feel like the whole restaurant is at the sea!

Crispy rice w/ tuna is a must to try and their ESPRESSO MARTINI is to go for! Sushi and sashimi was amazing/ so fresh. Very good restaurant for seafood theme. Everything and everyone is amazing. Can’t wait to come back and sit at the raw bar! See you soon Lure Fishbar.

✭✭✭✭ By Jun Sartin (8 months ago)

Sea Fire Grill

Address: Between 3rd and, 158 E 48th St, Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10017, United States
Map: Click here
Rating: 4.6 (1223)
Phone: +1 212-935-3785
Website: Link
Opening hours:

Monday: 11:30 AM – 11:00 PM

Tuesday: 11:30 AM – 11:00 PM

Wednesday: 11:30 AM – 11:00 PM

Thursday: 11:30 AM – 11:00 PM

Friday: 11:30 AM – 11:00 PM

Saturday: 4:00 – 11:00 PM

Sunday: Closed
Reviews:

The food was delicious and the service was great. We had the lobster bisque, squid ink pasta with lobster, and the surf and turf. Jaime was our waiter and he was extremely friendly and helpful. He was able to give suggestions based on what we asked, and even split our meal into different plates when we mentioned we were sharing meals. He also was able to recommend some spots to visit since we are from out of town. Hope to be back soon!

✭✭✭✭✭ By Leena Almasri (7 months ago)

The food was fantastic!!! We got a group of 6 visiting the restaurant and all of us were so satisfied with the food here. I had lobster bisque as my appetizer and I looked it up immediately after my first slip of the soup just to check if the restaurant offer it for to go. I then had the bone in NY strip for entrée. It tasted really good and I like the grilling-flavor it contains. The size of the dishes was not small so I was almost full by the middle of the entrée. I packed half of the steak home and it still tasted good 2 days later. Really impressed by the quality of the food here. It’s a bit dark in the restaurant so the food may not look attractive in my photos but you won’t regret dining there!

✭✭✭✭✭ By Winnie Lee (9 months ago)

Delicious!!!
Thanks for restaurant week, we had not known this restaurant. I had grilled squid for start. It had smoky aroma and was very tender, not chewy at all. I had to use bread to finish the sauce that tasted of paprika in olive oil. The main dish was roast Mediterranean branzino, very tender. I wish the fish skin would be crispy… I couldn’t believe also had dessert with coffee/tea included. The tiramisu was delicious. The main dish that my husband had was squid inked pasta w/lobster. It had fair mount of tender lobster. The cheese cake was good too, as was his coffee…
It was worth the money!!!

✭✭✭✭✭ By Betty Smith (3 months ago)

The service was fantastic!! From the hostess to the servers!! The dining room is beautiful. The food was delicious as well as the drinks. It’s located a few blocks from Times Square so I would say it’s within walking distance.

✭✭✭✭✭ By Sharonda Lee (11 months ago)

Great food and service. The menu features both seafood and steak options. We had the Oysters and King Crab legs and appetizers. Both were excellent chocies. The Tuna entree was very good and for dessert the warm chocolate cake is great.

✭✭✭✭ By Javier Evans (10 months ago)

Docks Oyster Bar NYC

Address: 633 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10017, United States
Map: Click here
Rating: 4.3 (1192)
Phone: +1 212-986-8080
Website: Link
Opening hours:

Monday: 11:30 AM – 10:00 PM

Tuesday: 11:30 AM – 10:00 PM

Wednesday: 11:30 AM – 10:00 PM

Thursday: 11:30 AM – 10:00 PM

Friday: 11:30 AM – 10:00 PM

Saturday: 3:00 – 9:00 PM

Sunday: 3:00 – 9:00 PM
Reviews:

Very popular among the working crowd, the bar is quite large and nice, rather difficult to get a drink at the bar but considering the crowd understandable. Food was very good, nothing over the top just well made and presented. Mixed drinks are quite good. Just wished our reservation was in a quieter spot so we didn’t have to yell over the crowd. Over all an good experience.

✭✭✭✭ By Mario C (Sinjin) (6 months ago)

Their happy hour is so worth. It runs from 3-7pm daily. We ordered oysters, calamari, fish tacos, tuna rolls, the beef slider, and it came to 50 after taxes and tips. I really liked the calamari and tuna rolls, and the oysters were decent. I would not order the fish tacos or beef slider again if I go back. The dining environment and service were nice.

✭✭✭✭✭ By Ellen Huang (3 months ago)

Went here last night for a team dinner. The food was great. I ordered appetizers for the table Oyster Rockefeller, Clams, Shrimp Scampi. The flavor combination of the clams were the best. However, you can’t go wrong with bacon. Also the entrée portions are huge. My entrée was fish and chips. I was expecting maybe two strips of battered code. It was huge. I had to ask for a to go bag. The only negative for me was the setting. My group and I were seated fairly close together. We felt stuffed, but I get it. They are trying to maximize space but it takes away from such a wonderful experience.

✭✭✭✭ By L Sapp (3 months ago)

Disappointed.

We arrived at 5:27 for a 5:30 reservation. Re requested a bar seat in our reservation, as he wanted to enjoy happy hour. The hostess told us there were not tables available at the bar. After waiting 10 minutes for her to see what she could di, they made up a makeshift table for us (very nice considering they’re mistake).

We then waited 28 minutes before someone even came over to bring water!!! This was even after we told 3 passing servers we have been waiting.

Finally a girl brings us water, but states he cannot take our orders. We waited another 23 minutes (51 minutes total) because our waiter came to *only* take our drink orders.

If the restaurant was busy, I’d understand. There were very few people there, and many waiters (including ours) chatting behind the bar for long periods.

I ordered the seafood salad ($36.00), and there were no shrimp as advertised. If I’m paying that much for a salad I expect to have it correct. The bill wasn’t adjusted even after mentioning this to the waiter.

Food was great, but the service was extremely poor. Making it a bad experience and would not recommend

✭ By Danni Scribani (5 months ago)

Came here for lunch with a coworker on a Thursday summer afternoon. This is a work neighborhood so the initial lunch rush was over . Anyhow ! The food was amazing — we had oyster rockerfeller, Cobb salad and octopus with polenta, some drinks — all amazing !

✭✭✭✭✭ By Lindsay P (4 months ago)

Oceana

Address: 120 W 49th St, New York, NY 10020, United States
Map: Click here
Rating: 4.5 (1031)

Crave Fishbar

Address: 945 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10022, United States
Map: Click here
Rating: 4.5 (916)

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