46 editor-picked seafood restaurants across 18 cities.
A guide to seafood restaurants worth a trip, by city. We list operators, signature dishes, and the rooms locals book first.
Ford Fry's Howell Mill Road seafood room in Atlanta opened 2012 in an old smokehouse, with a raw bar and wood-grill anchoring West Midtown dining.
Signature: Wood-fired fish, Oysters, Lobster roll
Order: Oysters and the wood-grilled fish of the day.
Tip: The oyster bar takes walk-ins; the dining room reserves on Resy. The takeaway window does lobster rolls and chowder.
Hugo's Oyster Bar in Roswell, north of Atlanta, runs a daily oyster selection, raw bar plates and Gulf-leaning seafood in a converted converted historic Roswell building.
Signature: Oysters, Crab cakes, Lobster roll
Order: A dozen oysters across the daily selection plus the crab cakes.
Tip: Happy hour 16:00 to 18:00 Tuesday to Friday runs half-price oysters; reservations on OpenTable for dinner.
Neptune Oyster on Salem Street has run the city's defining raw bar in Boston since 2004. 42 seats, no reservations, Gulf of Maine lobster roll on a buttered split-top bun.
Signature: Lobster roll, Oysters on the half shell
Order: The hot-buttered lobster roll, full-claw and tail, with fries.
Tip: Put your name on the iPad at 16:30, walk to a bar, and return when they text. The 20:00 wait can run 90 minutes.
Union Oyster House on Union Street has shucked oysters in Boston since 1826, the oldest continuously operating restaurant in the United States. Daniel Webster's seat is still at the bar.
Signature: Oysters on the half shell, Clam chowder
Order: A dozen Wellfleets at the U-shaped bar and a cup of clam chowder.
Tip: Skip the dining-room tables and sit at the historic raw bar. The bar is the original 1826 plank.
Kathy Sidell's Back Bay seafood room on Dartmouth Street has run the tinned-fish-and-crudo agenda in Boston since 2016. Caviar service, lobster rolls and a rose-heavy list.
Signature: Tinned fish board, Lobster roll
Order: Tinned fish board with anchovies, mussels, sardines and butter on toast.
Tip: The window counter is the easier walk-in seat at 17:30. Brunch books two weeks out on weekends.
Row 34 on Congress Street has run the Fort Point oyster room in Boston since 2013. Named for row 34 in Duxbury Bay, the bivalve list runs 20 East Coast varieties daily.
Signature: Duxbury oysters, Crispy oysters
Order: A dozen mixed oysters and the crispy oysters with sriracha aioli.
Tip: The bar runs the same menu without the reservation lead time, and Tuesday nights are the easy walk-in seat at the counter.
Legal Sea Foods on Long Wharf, near the New England Aquarium in Boston, has anchored the chain's flagship since 1968. Boston clam chowder, the recipe served at every presidential inauguration.
Signature: New England clam chowder, Lobster pie
Order: A cup of clam chowder, the recipe served at five presidential inaugurations.
Tip: Lunch with a harbor-side window is the best seat. The raw bar runs daily until 22:00.
Row 34 on Congress Street has run the Fort Point oyster room in Boston since 2013. Named for row 34 in Duxbury Bay; 20 East Coast oyster varieties daily; Boston Magazine Best Seafood 2025.
Signature: Duxbury oysters, Lobster roll
Order: A mixed dozen of East Coast oysters and the crispy oysters with sriracha aioli.
Tip: The bar runs the same menu without the reservation lead time. Tuesday nights walk in easily.
Neptune Oyster on Salem Street runs the city's defining raw bar in Boston's North End since 2004. 42 seats, no reservations, hot-buttered lobster roll the dish that draws the line.
Signature: Hot-buttered lobster roll, Oysters
Order: Hot-buttered lobster roll on a butter-toasted split-top bun.
Tip: Put your name on the iPad at 16:30. The wait at 18:30 runs 90 minutes; weekday lunch is the easy seat.
Kathy Sidell's Saltie Girl on Dartmouth Street runs tinned fish, crudo and lobster rolls in Boston's Back Bay since 2016. Caviar service, a 300-bottle list heavy on rose and Champagne.
Signature: Tinned fish board, Lobster roll
Order: The tinned fish board: anchovies, mussels and sardines on warm butter toast.
Tip: The window counter is the walk-in seat. Brunch books two weeks out on Saturdays.
James Hook & Co on Atlantic Avenue has sold live lobster and lobster rolls from the harbor wharf in Boston since 1925. Boston Magazine Best Lobster Roll Casual 2025; counter service only.
Signature: Lobster roll, Whole lobster
Order: Lobster roll with mayo, $28, served cold on a buttered split-top bun.
Tip: Take-out window, eat on the waterfront bench out back. The retail counter sells live lobsters at wholesale prices.
Pauli's on Salem Street in Boston's North End has rolled lobster rolls and Italian subs since 2014. Best counter-service lobster roll in the city, 65 to 80 dollar XL roll the headline order.
Signature: Lobster roll, Italian sub
Order: Hot-buttered lobster roll, full-claw and tail, on a 12-inch bun.
Tip: Order the XL roll and split between two. Online order ahead skips the 15-minute counter wait.
Beau Clugston's Iluka on Peder Skrams Gade in Copenhagen serves a sustainable-seafood menu from an open kitchen: raw plates, grilled fish, Limfjord oysters.
Signature: Raw fish plates, Daily catch tasting, Oysters on ice
Order: The chef's daily fish tasting plus a half-dozen Limfjord oysters with mignonette.
Tip: Tuesday to Saturday dinner only. Counter seats face the open kitchen; ask when booking.
Fish Shop on Benburb Street in Stoneybatter, Peter and Jumoke Hogan's sit-down chipper, the most refined fish and chips and oysters in Dublin.
Signature: Beer-battered fish and chips, Mackerel pâté, Daily oysters
Order: Beer-battered haddock with chips and the daily Galway Bay oysters by the half-dozen.
Tip: Walk-in only; arrive 17:30 Thursday to Saturday to get a counter seat before the line forms.
Roy Brett's George IV Bridge oyster bar and dining room in the Old Town of Edinburgh, opened in 2009, a Royal-Mile-adjacent seafood kitchen with day-boat fish.
Signature: Native lobster Newburg, Plateau de fruits de mer
Order: The plateau de fruits de mer for two and a half-dozen native rock oysters from Loch Fyne.
Tip: Pre-theatre lunch from 12:00 to 18:00 is the value play. The horseshoe counter holds 10 walk-up seats at any time.
The New Town offshoot of the Leith Fishers seafood mini-chain in Edinburgh, on Thistle Street since 2001, a brasserie-style room running East Coast fish.
Signature: Cullen skink, Whole grilled lemon sole
Order: Cullen skink for starters and the whole grilled lemon sole with brown butter.
Tip: The original Fishers Bistro on the Shore in Leith is the smaller, more atmospheric sibling if you want the Old Port version.
Targ Rybny - Fishmarkt in Gdańsk sits on the historic fish-market square that gave the city its name. Chef Patryk Domachowski runs a Kashubian-Mediterranean menu of smoked eel, oysters and whole lobsters.
Signature: Whole-cooked lobster, Smoked Baltic eel
Order: Smoked eel from Hel to start, the whole-cooked lobster as the splurge main.
Tip: Lunch service is calmer; book the upstairs window seats for the Hilton-side view.
Targ Rybny - Fishmarkt in Gdańsk works the historic fish-market square the city was named for, with chef Patryk Domachowski running a Kashubian-Mediterranean menu of smoked eel, oysters and whole lobsters.
Signature: Whole-cooked lobster, Smoked Baltic eel
Order: Smoked eel from Hel to start, then a whole-cooked lobster as the splurge main.
Tip: Open to midnight every day. Window seats upstairs face the Hilton across Targ Rybny.
Cervejaria Ramiro in Lisbon: a 1950s seafood hall on Avenida Almirante Reis where goose barnacles, tiger prawns and clams come straight off the boat.
Signature: Goose barnacles, Tiger prawns, Steak sandwich
Order: Ameijoas a Bulhao Pato then a prego no pao to close.
Sea Me Peixaria Moderna in Chiado, Lisbon: a fishmonger that doubles as a restaurant, Portuguese seafood with a Japanese twist on Rua do Loreto.
Signature: Tuna tataki, Whole fish grilled
Order: Pick a fish from the counter, ask them to grill it whole.
The Caprice Holdings seafood institution on St Martin's Court in Covent Garden London, opened 1896, runs a pre-theatre fish-focused menu with the oyster bar next door.
Signature: Fish pie, Dover sole
Order: Sheekey's fish pie and a half-dozen native oysters from the oyster bar list.
Tip: The Oyster Bar at no. 28-32 takes walk-ins at the bar; the main dining room books two weeks ahead for evening service.
Robin Hancock and Ben Wright's seafood counter on Stoney Street next to Borough Market in London, opened 2002, runs a daily-fresh oyster menu and a serious fish pie.
Signature: Native oysters, Fish pie
Order: Half a dozen West Mersea or Lindisfarne native oysters, then the fish pie with mashed potato top.
Tip: Counter seats face the bar. Lunch runs walk-in; Saturday at noon is the un-touristed slot before market crowds peak.
Joe's Stone Crab in Miami Beach is the 1913 South of Fifth seafood cathedral, serving chilled stone crab claws with mustard sauce from October 15 to May 1 each year.
Signature: Stone crab claws with mustard sauce, Key lime pie, Hash browns
Order: Jumbo or large stone crab claws with the mustard sauce and a side of creamed spinach.
Tip: No reservations for dinner; arrive by 5pm or use the take-away counter next door for the same claws to-go.
Garcia's Seafood Grille in downtown Miami is the half-century-old Miami River fish house at 398 NW North River Drive, with a takeaway market attached.
Signature: Whole fried snapper, Conch fritters, Stone crab claws in season
Order: Whole fried snapper with a side of yellow rice and beans.
Tip: Sit on the river deck and watch the working boats unload. Cash and card both work; reservations accepted.
Sea Salt Eatery at Minnehaha Falls has run a seasonal seafood counter in South Minneapolis since 2007. Lobster rolls, po'boys, oysters at the park pavilion.
Signature: Lobster roll, Po'boy
Order: The lobster roll with butter or the shrimp po'boy.
Tip: Seasonal May to October only; weekend line runs an hour. Walk the falls while you wait.
Chef Julia Sullivan's Germantown seafood room in Nashville opened in 2017 with a raw bar, wood-grill program and a wine list built around growers.
Signature: Oyster tower, Wood-grilled fish
Order: Half-dozen oysters from the daily list, then the wood-grilled whole fish.
Tip: Brunch on Saturday is the easier seat. Happy hour 17:00 to 18:00 runs $1 oysters at the bar.
Ford Fry's Atlanta-born seafood concept landed in Nashville's Germantown Hammer Mill in 2023, anchoring a seafood tower programme and Le Loup cocktail lounge.
Signature: Seafood tower, Oysters and grilled fish
Order: The opulent seafood tower for two, plus the wood-grilled fish of the day.
Tip: Skip the line by booking the bar; downstairs at Le Loup serves the same raw bar with cocktails.
GW Fins in New Orleans is Tenney Flynn's Bienville Street fine-dining seafood room, with a daily-changing menu sourced from the Gulf and the docks of Louisiana and Mississippi.
Signature: Scalibut, Sizzling oysters
Order: Whatever runs as the daily catch. Then the warm biscuits, which arrive without prompting.
Tip: Reservations are easier on weeknights; bar dining serves the same menu with shorter waits.
Casamento's in New Orleans is the 1919 Sicilian-American oyster room on Magazine Street, with crackle-crusted fried oysters between thick slabs of pan bread on the original oyster loaf.
Signature: Oyster loaf, Fried oyster plate
Order: The oyster loaf, with the oysters fried crackle-crisp and packed between thick pan bread.
Tip: Closed June through August (oyster R-months rule). Cash-only counter service.
Acme Oyster House in New Orleans is the 1910 Iberville Street oyster bar between Bourbon and Royal, with char-grilled oysters and a shucker counter rebuilt after the 1924 fire.
Signature: Char-grilled oysters, Oysters on the half shell
Order: A dozen char-grilled oysters with garlic butter and Parmesan.
Tip: Walk-in only and a queue is the norm; aim for 11:00 open or after 21:00 for shortest waits.
Felix's in New Orleans is the Iberville Street oyster bar opposite Acme, founded 1948, with a long shucker counter, oysters Bienville and a quieter room than its neighbour.
Signature: Oysters Bienville, Char-grilled oysters
Order: Half a dozen char-grilled and half a dozen raw on the half shell.
Tip: Less queue than Acme across the street; the kitchen is open until 23:00 most nights.
The Grand Central Oyster Bar has poured oysters and clam chowder beneath the Guastavino tiles of New York City's Grand Central Terminal since 1913.
Signature: Manhattan clam chowder, Oyster pan roast, Raw oyster bar
Order: A cup of Manhattan clam chowder and a half-dozen East Coast oysters at the counter.
Tip: Sit at the counter facing the open kitchen; the pan roast is theatre when made to order.
Septime's seafood little sister, Clamato in Paris runs no-reservation oysters, ceviche and grilled fish from 19:00. Walk-in only; queue forms by 18:45.
Signature: Oysters, Hake ceviche
Order: Half a dozen Gillardeau oysters, the hake of the day, and a plate of lardo on toast.
Tip: Arrive at 18:45 for the first seating or after 21:30 for the second. No bookings ever.
Il Sanlorenzo in Rome's Centro Storico is the Michelin-starred seafood-only room. The crudi platter and the spaghettone alle vongole set the city's seafood pasta benchmark for 2026.
Signature: Crudi di mare, Spaghettone alle vongole, Scampi
Order: The crudi platter and the spaghettone alle vongole with the daily catch.
Tip: The €85 lunch tasting is the more accessible entry; dinner runs €150 carte. Book a fortnight ahead.
Ironside Fish and Oyster in San Diego is Consortium Holdings' India Street raw bar in Little Italy, with a piranha-skull-clad back wall and an extensive Pacific and East Coast oyster list.
Signature: Oyster tower, Lobster roll, Whole grilled branzino
Order: The Connecticut-style lobster roll, hot with butter; the oyster tower to share.
Tip: Happy hour at the bar runs $2 oysters Mon-Fri 3pm-5pm; the back patio gets sun until 7pm.
Ironside Fish and Oyster in San Diego is the Little Italy raw bar from Consortium Holdings, an India Street room with a piranha-skull installation and a wide Pacific-and-East-Coast oyster list.
Signature: Oyster tower, Connecticut lobster roll, Whole grilled branzino
Order: Connecticut-style lobster roll, hot with butter; the oyster tower to share.
Tip: Happy hour at the bar runs $2 oysters Mon-Fri 3-5pm; the back patio gets sun until 7pm.
Anchor Oyster Bar in San Francisco is a 22-seat Castro counter that has served Dungeness, cioppino and clam chowder the same way since 1977.
Signature: Cioppino, Clam chowder, Cracked Dungeness
Order: The cioppino in season, with a side of garlic bread.
Tip: No bookings; arrive at 16:30 for the early seating or after 21:00 when the line thins.
Swan Oyster Depot in San Francisco is a Polk Street counter that has served cold-house Dungeness, oysters and clam chowder since 1912 in 18 stools.
Signature: Cracked Dungeness, Sicilian sashimi, Clam chowder
Order: Crab Louie and a half-dozen Marin Miyagis on the half shell.
Tip: Open 10:30 to 17:00 only; queue forms at 09:45 on a weekend, takes an hour at peak.
Fog Harbor Fish House in San Francisco is the Pier 39 upstairs room with strong clam chowder among the Wharf options, plus a long crab list in winter.
Signature: Sourdough clam chowder, Crab Louie, Sand dabs
Order: Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl with a view of the sea lions.
Tip: Book the 18:00 window seating for the sunset over Alcatraz; it is the room's whole selling point.
The Walrus and the Carpenter in Seattle's Ballard is Renee Erickson's 2010 oyster room: a wood and marble bar, a chalkboard of 14 oysters, and a kitchen that built a city's seafood vocabulary.
Signature: Oysters on the half shell, Steak tartare, Fried oysters
Order: A flight of Hood Canal and Samish Bay oysters with the steak tartare and rye toast.
Tip: Walk-ins from 17:00 on Tuesday to Thursday; Friday and Saturday line up by 16:45 or take Resy at 16:30.
Westward in Seattle on Lake Union's north shore is the Renee Erickson seafood room with a fire pit, deck chairs and a kitchen that serves the city's best whole fish.
Signature: Dungeness crab, Whole roast fish, Octopus
Order: The Dungeness crab in season, cracked over crushed ice, with a glass of Chablis.
Tip: Arrive by water on a Boatel from the Center for Wooden Boats for the most Seattle of dinners; book the deck in summer.
Shaker + Spear in Seattle's Belltown is the Kimpton Palladian seafood room: a kitchen working off the Pike Place fishmongers and Hood Canal shellfish growers down the bay.
Signature: Whole rockfish, Dungeness crab, Oysters Rockefeller
Order: The whole roasted rockfish with brown butter and capers, deboned tableside.
Tip: The two top by the kitchen pass is the best seat for solos; happy hour runs 16:00 to 18:00 with $2 oysters.
Taylor Shellfish Oyster Bar in Seattle's Pioneer Square is the on-counter outpost of the 135-year Samish Bay farm: half-shells, geoduck crudo, manila clams, all from one supplier.
Signature: Half-shell oysters, Geoduck crudo, Manila clams
Order: A dozen Olympias and Kumamotos from the farm, with a glass of grower's Champagne.
Tip: Happy hour 16:00 to 17:00 drops the oysters to $1.75 each; the Occidental location is the largest and quietest of the three.
Taylor Shellfish Oyster Bar Melrose in Seattle's Capitol Hill is the Capitol Hill outpost inside Melrose Market: a marble bar, Samish Bay oysters, a clam pot on every other table.
Signature: Half-shell oysters, Steamer clams, Shucked geoduck
Order: Half-shell oyster flight with the steamed manilas in white wine, butter and parsley.
Tip: Walk in for the marble bar; the back room books on Tock and turns slower.
Shaker + Spear in Seattle's Belltown is the Kimpton Palladian seafood room: a kitchen working off the Pike Place fishmongers and Hood Canal growers down the bay.
Signature: Whole rockfish, Dungeness crab, Oysters Rockefeller
Order: The whole roasted rockfish with brown butter and capers, deboned tableside.
Tip: The two top by the kitchen pass is the best seat for solos; happy hour 16:00 to 18:00 with $2 oysters.
Westward in Seattle on Lake Union's north shore is Renee Erickson's seafood room with a fire pit, deck chairs and the city's best whole fish off the wood grill.
Signature: Dungeness crab, Whole roast fish, Octopus
Order: Dungeness crab in season, cracked over crushed ice, with a glass of Chablis.
Tip: Arrive by water on a Boatel from the Center for Wooden Boats for the most Seattle of dinners.
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