Best Seafood Restaurants in Midtown East (10017)
6 hand-picked restaurants, critic-reviewed and ranked
Last Updated: January 2026
Our Top Pick
Le Pavillon
Seafood- and vegetable-forward French tasting menus in a lush, sky-high dining room.
Notable Picks
#1
Le Pavillon
8.9
Le Pavillon is Daniel Boulud’s garden-like, Michelin-starred French restaurant perched inside One Vanderbilt, with a seafood- and vegetable-focused menu and sweeping views over Grand Central. Diners come for precise tasting menus, polished service, and a serene, high-ceilinged room that feels built for celebrations and high-end business dining.
Must-Try Dishes:
Oysters Vanderbilt, Lobster Spaghetti, Vidalia Onion Tart
What makes it special: Seafood- and vegetable-forward French tasting menus in a lush, sky-high dining room.
8.6
The Sea Fire Grill is an upscale Midtown East seafood-and-steak spot known for polished service, precise execution, and a serious raw bar. Diners come for refined seafood towers, lobster preparations, and a sleek room that works for both business entertaining and special-occasion dinners.
Must-Try Dishes:
Seafood tower, Lobster bisque, Spanish octopus
What makes it special: Seafood-focused fine dining where raw bar towers and composed plates share equal billing.
Operating since 1913 under Grand Central’s Guastavino arches, Grand Central Oyster Bar serves one of the city’s largest seafood menus, from raw-bar platters to the famous steam-kettle pan roasts. Commuters, tourists, and regulars pack the counters and dining room for classic New York seafood in a uniquely atmospheric setting.
Must-Try Dishes:
Oyster Pan Roast, Raw Oyster Selection, Clam Chowder
What makes it special: Century-old seafood institution under Grand Central’s tiled arches, known for raw-bar towers and steam-kettle pan roasts.
8.4
Vibes:
Date Night Magic
Birthday & Celebration Central
Business Lunch Power Players
Luxury Dining Elite
Avra Estiatorio on 48th is a high-energy Greek-Mediterranean seafood restaurant featuring a display of whole fish on ice, grilled over charcoal and served simply with olive oil and lemon. Its white-stone, island-inspired dining room is a favorite for power lunches, business dinners, and celebrations built around shared seafood platters.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chilean Sea Bass Souvlaki, Whole Grilled Lavraki (Mediterranean Sea Bass), Greek Salad
What makes it special: Flagship Greek seafood spot pairing whole grilled fish and meze with an upscale, island-inspired Midtown dining room.
Worthy Picks
Vibes:
Business Lunch Power Players
Group Dining Gatherings
Happy Hour Hotspots
Comfort Food Classics
Docks Oyster Bar is a longstanding Murray Hill seafood restaurant with an Art Deco–influenced room, large raw bar, and a menu of chowders, grilled fish, and classic mains. Since the late 1980s it has drawn office workers and neighborhood regulars for after-work oysters, seafood-heavy dinners, and private events near Grand Central.
Must-Try Dishes:
Raw oyster selection, New England clam chowder, Grilled striped bass with lobster mashed potatoes
What makes it special: A roomy raw bar–centric seafood restaurant with decades of Midtown history.
7.8
Ammos Estiatorio brings a Greek island feel to Vanderbilt Avenue with whole grilled fish, mezze, and Mediterranean wines a short walk from Grand Central. Seafood is the focus, from simply grilled dorade and lavraki to octopus and shrimp, served in a bright room popular with office groups and theatergoers.
Must-Try Dishes:
Grilled Octopus, Lamb Chops, Whole Grilled Branzino
What makes it special: Greek seafood and meze near Grand Central with a focus on whole grilled fish and private dining rooms.