The 12 Highest Rated Seafood Restaurants In All Of New York
New York seafood pride is basically a personality trait at this point, and these restaurants have the ratings to justify it. Consistency this high doesn’t happen through luck or a good location.
Something specific is working at each of these spots, and it shows up on the plate every single time. Here’s what’s interesting though.
The highest rated places on this list rarely have much in common with each other beyond the reviews themselves. One might specialize in something simple done perfectly, while another built its whole reputation on variety and range.
What ties them together isn’t a shared style or a shared menu, it’s a level of consistency that regulars have come to expect and rarely get let down by. Different approaches, same very high bar.
1. Cap’t Loui
Cap’t Loui is the kind of place that makes you want to cancel your dinner plans and rebook immediately. Sitting at 34 W 32nd St in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, this restaurant holds a jaw-dropping 4.9 rating, making it the highest rated seafood spot in all of New York.
That score is not an accident.
The menu leans hard into bold, saucy seafood boils packed with shrimp, crab, lobster, and clams. You pick your seafood, choose your sauce level, and brace yourself for something spectacular.
The Cajun butter sauce alone is worth the trip across town.
The space feels fun and casual without feeling rushed. Service here is genuinely warm, and the staff actually knows the menu inside and out.
First-time visitors often leave planning their return before they even finish their meal. Cap’t Loui earns every single star on that rating, and then some.
If you only visit one seafood restaurant in New York, make it this one without hesitation.
2. Aqua Boil
Aqua Boil brings serious heat to 750 9th Ave in Hell’s Kitchen, and the 4.7 rating it carries tells you everything you need to know before you even walk through the door. The restaurant specializes in seafood boils that are messy, flavorful, and completely unforgettable.
There is a bib involved, and you will not be embarrassed to wear it.
The menu offers a solid mix of crab legs, shrimp, crawfish, and clams. You can customize your spice level and sauce, which means everyone at the table gets exactly what they want.
The garlic butter option is a crowd favorite that keeps regulars coming back week after week.
Hell’s Kitchen has no shortage of great food, but Aqua Boil manages to stand out in a neighborhood full of competition. The portions are generous and the prices feel fair for the quality you receive.
Groups love this place because ordering a big shared boil turns dinner into an event. Aqua Boil is the kind of restaurant that makes New York dining feel electric and alive in the best possible way.
3. Bigelow’s New England Fried Clams
Some restaurants have been around long enough to become a local legend, and Bigelow’s New England Fried Clams is exactly that. Out in Rockville Centre at 79 N Long Beach Rd, this spot has been frying clams the right way for decades.
The 4.7 rating reflects years of consistency and a loyal fan base that spans generations.
The fried clams here are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, which sounds simple but is actually very hard to pull off. Bigelow’s has the technique locked down.
The coleslaw and tartar sauce that come alongside are made fresh and complement every bite perfectly.
Rockville Centre might not be the first neighborhood that comes to mind when you think of great New York seafood, but Bigelow’s has been putting it on the map for years. The atmosphere is casual and unpretentious, which honestly makes the food taste even better.
You feel like you stumbled onto a secret that locals have been keeping to themselves. Classic New England seafood done right, served with a side of genuine hospitality, is exactly what Bigelow’s delivers every single time you visit.
4. Cull & Pistol
Cull and Pistol earns its 4.6 rating the honest way, through outstanding oysters, impeccable sourcing, and a dining room that feels genuinely special.
Sitting inside Chelsea Market at 75 9th Ave, the restaurant benefits from one of the best foot-traffic locations in all of New York City.
But the food is what keeps people coming back.
The raw bar is the main attraction here. Oysters arrive ice cold and perfectly shucked, sourced from both East and West Coast waters so you can taste the difference between regions in a single sitting.
The clam chowder is thick, creamy, and deeply satisfying on a cold afternoon.
Beyond the raw bar, the menu includes grilled fish, lobster rolls, and carefully prepared hot dishes that showcase real culinary skill. The team behind the food clearly cares about quality and precision.
Chelsea Market itself adds a vibrant energy to the experience, making dinner feel like an outing rather than just a meal. Cull and Pistol is proof that a great seafood restaurant does not need a fancy white tablecloth to feel truly elevated and worth every single penny you spend.
5. Sweet Catch BK
Brooklyn has its own seafood culture, and Sweet Catch BK captures it beautifully. Over at 1222 Nostrand Ave in the Flatbush neighborhood, this spot has built a devoted following with its bold flavors and generous portions.
The 4.6 rating reflects a community that genuinely loves what this kitchen produces.
The menu leans into Caribbean and Southern influenced seafood preparations that feel soulful and satisfying. Fried fish, seasoned shrimp, and loaded seafood platters show up on nearly every table.
The seasoning here goes deep into the food, not just sitting on the surface, which makes a real difference in every bite.
Sweet Catch BK has the kind of energy that makes a neighborhood restaurant feel like a celebration every evening. The staff is friendly, the portions are honest, and the prices make sense for what you are getting.
Brooklyn diners have high standards and even higher opinions, so earning a 4.6 here is genuinely impressive.
If you want New York seafood that feels rooted in real culture and community rather than trends, Sweet Catch BK is the spot that will absolutely exceed your expectations and then some.
6. Crab House Brooklyn
Coney Island is famous for hot dogs and roller coasters, but Crab House Brooklyn is quietly one of the best reasons to make the trip out there.
At 1223 Surf Ave in Brooklyn, this restaurant has carved out a strong reputation for serving fresh, flavorful crab dishes that hit every single time.
The 4.6 rating is well earned and widely agreed upon.
Steamed crabs, crab boils, and shellfish platters dominate the menu in the best possible way. The kitchen does not overcomplicate things, letting the natural sweetness of the crab shine through with well-chosen seasonings.
That restraint shows real confidence in the quality of the ingredients being used.
The location near the boardwalk gives Crab House Brooklyn a relaxed, summery feel that makes every meal taste a little better than it already would. Families, couples, and friend groups all find something to love here.
The atmosphere is easy and unpretentious, which suits the food perfectly.
Crab House Brooklyn is the kind of find that makes you feel like you are in on something special, a genuinely great seafood experience hiding in plain sight along one of New York’s most iconic stretches of coastline.
7. City Island Lobster House
City Island is one of those New York surprises that feels nothing like the rest of the city. At 691 Bridge St in the Bronx, City Island Lobster House has been serving whole lobsters, clam chowder, and classic seafood plates to happy guests for years.
The 4.5 rating reflects a restaurant that consistently delivers on its promises.
The lobster here is the main event. Whole steamed lobsters arrive at the table with drawn butter, and the experience is as satisfying as it sounds.
The rest of the menu holds its own too, with fried seafood baskets, shrimp cocktail, and chowder that warms you from the inside out.
City Island itself feels like a small coastal town transplanted into the Bronx, which makes dining at the Lobster House feel like a mini getaway without leaving New York City. The waterfront setting adds charm that you simply cannot manufacture.
Regulars make the trip from all five boroughs because the combination of setting, food, and genuine hospitality is hard to find anywhere else.
City Island Lobster House is the real deal, a classic New York seafood institution that has stood the test of time with grace and good flavor.
8. Lobster Place
Part seafood market, part restaurant, entirely worth your time. Lobster Place at 75 9th Ave inside Chelsea Market has been operating as one of the most respected seafood destinations in New York City for decades.
The 4.5 rating comes from a massive volume of satisfied customers who keep returning for the freshness and variety on offer.
The market section lets you browse whole fish, fresh shellfish, and prepared items before you decide what to eat. The raw bar turns out oysters and sushi-grade fish that rival anything you will find at a high-end restaurant.
Lobster rolls, fish tacos, and ceviche round out a menu that has something genuinely good for every kind of seafood lover.
Chelsea Market gives Lobster Place a built-in energy that makes even a quick lunch feel like an experience. The staff behind the counter clearly takes pride in knowing their product, and that knowledge comes through in every recommendation they make.
Sourcing is taken seriously here, with sustainable practices guiding what ends up in the display case each day. Lobster Place is the kind of stop that spoils you for lesser seafood experiences, which is honestly a problem worth having in New York.
9. theBoil
theBoil in Greenwich Village brings a high-energy, flavor-forward approach to the seafood boil format that has made it one of the most talked-about spots downtown.
At 17 Waverly Pl in New York, the restaurant earns its 4.5 rating through bold cooking and a commitment to getting the seasoning exactly right every single time.
The concept is simple and satisfying. You choose your seafood, pick a sauce, set your spice level, and wait for a bag of steaming, butter-coated goodness to land in front of you.
Crab legs, lobster tails, shrimp, and andouille sausage all make appearances, and mixing them together is highly encouraged.
Greenwich Village has a long history of great restaurants, and theBoil fits right into that tradition while still feeling completely fresh and current.
The space is lively and the vibe is casual, making it a natural choice for group dinners where everyone wants to eat something impressive without dressing up.
The staff moves quickly and keeps the energy up throughout the meal. theBoil is one of those spots where you show up hungry, eat more than you planned, and leave with sauce on your shirt and a huge grin on your face.
10. Flex Mussels
Flex Mussels on the Upper East Side does exactly what the name promises, and it does it better than almost anyone else in the city.
At 1431 3rd Ave in Manhattan, this restaurant has earned a loyal following by treating mussels as the serious, versatile ingredient they truly are.
The 4.5 rating speaks to a level of consistency that is genuinely hard to maintain.
The menu rotates through a long list of mussel preparations, each one featuring a different broth or sauce that changes the entire character of the dish. Thai coconut, spicy tomato, and bacon cream are just a few of the directions the kitchen takes.
Crusty bread for soaking up the broth is non-negotiable and highly recommended.
Beyond mussels, the menu includes lobster rolls, fish and chips, and other seafood options that prove the kitchen has range.
The Upper East Side crowd can be particular about their dining experiences, and Flex Mussels meets those expectations without breaking a sweat.
The space feels warm and inviting rather than stuffy. Flex Mussels is the rare restaurant that takes a single ingredient and turns it into a full evening worth of discovery and genuine culinary pleasure.
11. Lure Fishbar
Lure Fishbar in SoHo has one of the most distinctive dining rooms in all of New York City. At 142 Mercer St, the space is designed to look like the interior of a luxury yacht, which sounds gimmicky but actually works beautifully.
The 4.4 rating reflects a restaurant that backs up its style with genuine substance on the plate.
The menu covers a wide range of seafood preparations, from raw bar selections and sashimi to grilled whole fish and rich lobster bisque. The lobster roll here has earned its own reputation among the city’s seafood obsessives.
Quality control is clearly a priority, and the kitchen shows real skill across every section of the menu.
SoHo is a neighborhood full of restaurants competing for attention, and Lure Fishbar has stayed relevant for years by simply being very good at what it does. The crowd tends to be stylish and the atmosphere leans sophisticated, but the food never feels pretentious.
Lure Fishbar is the kind of place you bring someone you want to impress, knowing the setting and the meal will do all the heavy lifting for you. It is effortlessly cool in the way only a truly confident restaurant can be.
12. The Boil Shack
Albany might surprise you as a destination for great seafood, but The Boil Shack at 59 Wolf Rd is making a strong case for upstate New York as a legitimate seafood scene.
The 4.3 rating comes from a growing fan base that appreciates bold flavor, generous portions, and a dining experience that feels genuinely fun from start to finish.
The Boil Shack serves up Cajun-style seafood boils loaded with shrimp, crab, lobster, and clams alongside corn, potatoes, and sausage. The sauce options range from mild to face-warming levels of spice, and the kitchen handles each order with care.
Everything arrives hot, fragrant, and ready to make a mess of your table in the best way possible.
Albany locals have embraced The Boil Shack as a go-to spot for celebrations, casual weeknight dinners, and everything in between. The staff keeps the atmosphere upbeat and the pace moving, which makes the whole experience feel energetic rather than chaotic.
For anyone traveling through upstate New York or living in the Capital Region, The Boil Shack is a must-visit that proves great seafood does not require a ZIP code that starts with a one. Good food travels, and this place proves it.