Best Fine Dining Seafood Restaurants in New York
22 hand-picked restaurants, critic-reviewed and ranked
Last Updated: February 2026
Our Top Pick
Marea
Seafood-driven Italian mastery in a Michelin setting.
Essential Picks
#1
Marea
9.1
A Michelin-starred Central Park South institution specializing in coastal Italian seafood with high-gloss technique. The crudo program and house-made pastas remain the calling cards, served in a power-dining room that feels celebratory without going stuffy. Expensive, but the kitchen’s precision keeps it destination-worthy.
Must-Try Dishes:
Fusilli with octopus and bone marrow, Crudo tasting, Gnocchetti with lobster
What Makes it Special: Seafood-driven Italian mastery in a Michelin setting.
Pearl Street Raw Bar & Restaurant is an intimate raw bar and chef's counter in DUMBO, built around pristine oysters, crudos and composed seafood plates. A reservations-only format, focused tasting-style menus and a strong wine list make it a destination for serious shellfish just off the cobblestones.
Must-Try Dishes:
Seasonal East Coast oyster selection, Caviar Frito Pie, Chef's seafood tasting menu
What Makes it Special: Ten-seat raw bar where the chef builds seafood menus around daily market finds.
Notable Picks
Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare is an omakase-style, seafood-focused tasting counter hidden in the back of a Hudson Yards grocery, now led by chefs Max Natmessnig and Marco Prins. Multi-course menus lean heavily on Japanese technique and pristine product, with meticulous pacing and polished service that make it one of Midtown’s most serious splurge destinations.
Must-Try Dishes:
Bluefin tuna taco, Uni and king crab course, A5 wagyu beef course
What Makes it Special: A Michelin-level, Japanese-leaning seafood tasting counter hidden inside a Hudson Yards market.
#4
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.
8.9
Tempura Matsui is a quietly luxurious counter focused on tempura omakase, where a chef fries each course to order in front of you. Diners come for precise technique, pristine seafood, and a rare opportunity to treat tempura as a full tasting menu rather than a side dish.
Must-Try Dishes:
Tempura omakase menu with seasonal seafood, Shrimp tempura with shiitake and vegetables, Tendon bowl with tempura over rice
What Makes it Special: Tempura-focused omakase that treats frying like fine dining.
#6
Huso
8.8
A caviar-and-seafood-forward counter experience tucked inside Marky’s in Tribeca, where the meal plays like a tight tasting narrative rather than a big raw-bar blowout. Go in expecting precision, rich bites, and guided pacing—best when you let the team steer and keep the order focused.
Must-Try Dishes:
Caviar service, Seasonal seafood tasting courses, Raw preparations (when featured)
What Makes it Special: A Tribeca caviar-and-seafood counter with tasting-menu precision.
#7
Sushi Saint
8.8
A tiny, reservation-driven handroll counter where the experience is built around precision, pacing, and high-flavor combinations rather than huge menus. It’s a destination-style night when you want chef-driven temaki and a curated set that feels special without being stiff.
Must-Try Dishes:
Bluefin tuna with black garlic handroll, A5 wagyu handroll, Ikura handroll with yuzu soy
What Makes it Special: Intimate handroll counter with chef-driven combinations and tight pacing.
8.7
Vibes:
Date Night Magic
Birthday & Celebration Central
Business Lunch Power Players
Luxury Dining Elite
Avra 48th Street is a high-end Greek seafood restaurant in Midtown East, known for whole grilled Mediterranean fish, polished meze, and a bustling dining room that attracts business diners and special-occasion groups. Open since 2000, it serves as the Avra Group’s flagship, combining attentive service with an upscale, island-inspired setting steps from Grand Central. Guests consistently praise the quality of the seafood and the professional service, while noting the premium pricing as part of the experience.
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.
#9
Caviar Russe
8.7
A long-running Madison Avenue dining room built around top-tier caviar and polished New American seafood. Tasting menus and caviar services are executed with Michelin-level precision in an intimate, jewel-box setting.
Must-Try Dishes:
Osetra caviar service with traditional accompaniments, Seasonal seafood tasting menu, Butter-poached fish course from the prix-fixe
What Makes it Special: A Michelin-starred caviar house pairing ultra-luxury roe with finely tuned seafood tasting menus.
#10
Nerai
8.7
Opened in 2013, Nerai delivers refined, seafood-focused Greek cooking in a multi-level townhouse with soft, nautical-inspired design. High-volume, cross-platform reviews highlight precise execution on dishes like grilled octopus and lobster pasta, polished service, and a serious Greek wine program that make it a destination for both business dining and special occasions.
Must-Try Dishes:
Htapodi Sti Skara (grilled octopus with Santorini fava), Astakomakaronada (lobster with squid ink linguine in Metaxa bisque), Orzotto Thalassino (saffron seafood orzotto with octopus, shrimp, mussels)
What Makes it Special: Modern island-inspired Greek seafood with fine-dining polish and deep wine list.
8.6
Vibes:
Business Lunch Power Players
Birthday & Celebration Central
Luxury Dining Elite
Group Dining Gatherings
Benjamin Steakhouse Prime doubles as a power steakhouse and serious seafood house, with a raw bar and broiled fish sharing space with dry-aged beef. Midtown regulars lean on it for client dinners where surf-and-turf and clubby service are expected.
Must-Try Dishes:
Seafood Tower, Lobster Bisque, Broiled Lobster Tail
What Makes it Special: Classic Midtown steakhouse with a serious raw bar and seafood program.
8.6
A high-precision Greek seafood specialist where you pick pristine fish from the ice display and let the kitchen keep it simple. Grilled whole branzino, lobster pasta, and clean crudos emphasize ingredient quality over theatrics. Expensive by design, but the execution and sourcing make it a destination-level seafood room in Hudson Yards.
Must-Try Dishes:
Grilled Whole Branzino, Lobster Pasta (tomato-olive oil style), Mediterranean Crudo Selection
What Makes it Special: Ice-display seafood selection with near-flawless Mediterranean grilling.
#13
La Marchande
8.6
La Marchande is Chef John Fraser’s modern French chophouse inside The Wall Street Hotel, where seafood plays a starring role alongside classic cuts. Grilled lobster with coconut sauce-américaine and steamed Dover sole anchor a menu that draws Financial District diners for polished, date-ready dinners and executive entertaining.
Must-Try Dishes:
Grilled lobster with coconut sauce-américaine, Steamed Dover sole with vermouth–lime butter, Lamb prime rib with fried rice pilaf
What Makes it Special: High-end French brasserie cooking with serious lobster and sole in a chic Wall Street hotel setting.
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.
8.5
Vibes:
Group Dining Gatherings
Birthday & Celebration Central
Late Night Legends
Luxury Dining Elite
Tank-to-table Cantonese seafood destination with live Dungeness crabs, king crabs, and lobsters bubbling in front tanks. The upscale dining room features large lazy Susan tables perfect for celebration feasts of deep-fried crispy chicken, XO scallops, and ginger-scallion crab.
Must-Try Dishes:
Typhoon Shelter Dungeness Crab, XO Steamed Scallops, Crispy Half Chicken
What Makes it Special: Live tank seafood selection with sophisticated Cantonese preparation
#16
Towa
8.5
A reservation-led, technique-forward Japanese room where the sushi reads best as a focused omakase experience rather than a broad, à la carte crawl. The fish quality is the headline, with pacing and precision that reward letting the chef drive the meal from lean whites into richer toro-and-uni territory.
Must-Try Dishes:
Omakase nigiri progression, Otoro (fatty tuna) nigiri, Uni (sea urchin) hand roll
What Makes it Special: Omakase-first sushi with a precision, quiet-luxury rhythm.
#17
NIKU X
8.3
All-you-can-eat Japanese wagyu and seafood with a rare focus on A5 abundance rather than single-cut theatrics. The experience is timed and package-based, leaning into indulgence and variety, with strong value relative to the beef on offer. New in Koreatown, it’s a buzzy, high-sensory room that rewards strategic ordering.
Must-Try Dishes:
A5 wagyu tasting cuts, King crab legs, Wagyu ribeye yakiniku
What Makes it Special: Unlimited A5 wagyu in a structured, luxe buffet format.
8.2
Number One Caviar is an intimate Wall Street tasting room specializing in caviar, seafood, and wine pairings rather than full entrées. Guests book it for structured caviar flights, champagne pairings, and seafood courses built around Hokkaido scallops and other premium ingredients.
Must-Try Dishes:
Caviar tasting flight with traditional accompaniments, Hokkaido scallop with champagne sauce, Kaluga caviar bump with chilled vodka
What Makes it Special: Focused caviar and seafood tastings with guided pairings in a tiny Wall Street boutique space.
Ramerino brings a Tuscan-accented Italian steakhouse to Midtown East, pairing prime cuts and handmade pastas with a handsome, softly lit dining room. It’s used as much for business dinners near Bryant Park as for classic New York date nights built around branzino, pappardelle and a strong wine list.
Must-Try Dishes:
Pappardelle with Wild Mushroom and Truffle, Cacio e Pepe Tonnarelli, Homemade Amaretto Tiramisu
What Makes it Special: Tuscan-driven Italian prime house with tableside touches near Bryant Park.
#20
Sushi by Scratch
8.2
An intimate, omakase-only experience built around a tight sequence of bites where the move is to trust the chef and let the progression do the work. It’s at its best when you treat it like a single focused performance—no overthinking, just show up ready for a paced run of nigiri and hand rolls.
Must-Try Dishes:
Omakase tasting sequence, Otoro nigiri, Botan ebi (sweet shrimp) bite
What Makes it Special: A compact, omakase-only sushi experience designed as a progression.
Worthy Picks
#21
Aquarelle NYC
7.6
Vibes:
Luxury Dining Elite
Instagram Worthy Wonders
Birthday & Celebration Central
Trendy Table Hotspots
A dramatic, nightclub-meets-underwater set where the menu leans glitzy: raw bites, rich pasta, and surf-and-turf-style seafood statements. It’s best for occasion energy—come for the room, order one showy entrée and one crudo/raw plate, and keep expectations focused on vibe plus indulgence.
Must-Try Dishes:
Squid ink linguine with crab, Surf-and-turf steak & lobster combo, Raw bites platter
What Makes it Special: A spectacle-first seafood room pairing raw bites with a high-drama interior.
7.6
Vibes:
Birthday & Celebration Central
Group Dining Gatherings
Instagram Worthy Wonders
Luxury Dining Elite
A new, ultra-opulent all-you-can-eat seafood experience built around made-to-order rounds of raw bar staples, shellfish, and rich hot plates. The value hinges on appetite and strategy—go with a hungry group, focus on lobster/crab/scallops first, and treat the extras as filler only after you’ve hit the premium lane.
Must-Try Dishes:
King crab legs, Scallops, Lobster mac & cheese
What Makes it Special: A made-to-order premium seafood AYCE in a dramatic, luxe room.