Immigrate to the USA and taste American cuisine: When in New York, you must indulge in seafood. Not only can you enjoy the freshest catches from the Atlantic Ocean and local Long Island waters, but you can also savor top-quality seafood dishes from around the world, including American, French, Japanese, and Thai styles. In the hands of top chefs, live fish and fresh shrimp are transformed into exquisite delicacies, offering diners a true feast. Today, we have compiled a list of great places to enjoy seafood in New York.
1. Le Bernardin: Three-Michelin-Starred French Restaurant
If you search for "best seafood restaurant in New York" on Google, or ask any chef in New York, you will likely get the same answer: the three-Michelin-starred French restaurant, Le Bernardin. This world-renowned top-tier French restaurant is famous for its seafood cuisine. Its predecessor was a seafood restaurant; in 1972, chef Gilbert le Coze opened a seafood restaurant in Paris, and in 1986, he moved the restaurant to New York. After Gilbert le Coze tragically passed away from a heart attack in 1994, Eric Ripert took over as executive chef and continued the restaurant's consistently refined style.
The strength of this French restaurant lies in its ability to cook top-tier seafood using seemingly simple techniques, allowing the ingredients to take center stage. The chef uses premium ingredients such as Wagyu beef and bluefin tuna in his dishes, and their lobster roll has been rated by diners as the most delicious in all of New York. Of course, if you want to enjoy a seafood feast at Le Bernardin, your wallet will have to "bleed" quite a bit.
Location: Le Bernardin is located at 155 West 51st, New York, NY 10019
2. Cuba: Affordable and Delicious Cuban Seafood Paella
Cuba Restaurant
Location: 222 Thompson St, New York, NY 10012. b/t 3rd St & Bleecker St in Greenwich Village
If you find a three-Michelin-starred French restaurant too luxurious and somewhat out of reach, you might want to try the approachable Cuban seafood restaurant. In New York's Greenwich Village, there is a Cuban restaurant called Cuba. If you have never been to Cuba, you can start learning about it at this restaurant. With passionate Cuban music, live cigar-rolling performances, Mojitos made with 23-year-old high-quality rum, as well as mouth-watering braised oxtail, seafood paella, and ceviches, the joyful atmosphere here infects every guest. It is bustling with crowds and filled with laughter almost every night.
Cuban Seafood Paella (Paella Marinera) $25
Cuba was influenced by Spanish colonial rule, and its culinary techniques also bear the mark of Spanish cuisine. The restaurant also serves seafood paella (Paellas), but it is different from Spanish paella; Cuban seafood paella uses long-grain rice rather than the firmer, short-grain rice used in Spanish style. Cuba's seafood paella seems to combine both Cuban and Spanish styles, where the rice and ingredients are cooked separately and then stewed together.
3. Atlantic Grill: Taste Authentic American Seafood
Atlantic Grill near Lincoln Center
Location: 1341 Third Ave., New York, NY 10021
Atlantic Grill is a seafood restaurant under the famous restaurant and hotel group, BR Guest Hospitality. From the dishes to the restaurant's decor, it is very "New York," which means it is highly fusion-oriented. Here, guests can enjoy American-style grilled fish, pan-seared scallops, oysters, and chilled lobster platters, as well as Asian seafood dishes like sushi and sashimi.
A dozen raw clams: Many American seafood restaurants have a Raw Bar, and whether they are good or not depends on whether the clams are fresh. When eating, squeeze a little lemon to remove the fishiness before slurping them down. Fresh clam meat is very elastic and has a sweet, oceanic flavor. Compared to oysters, the fishy taste of clams is milder and easier to enjoy.
Appetizer: Scallop & fish Ceviche marinated in lemon.
Ceviche is a common way to prepare seafood in South American countries. Fresh raw seafood is marinated in lemon or lime juice, then mixed with spices, chili, and other ingredients. The seafood surface is "cooked" by the acidity while the inside remains raw, which has a similar effect to heating, but this method adds flavor to the seafood while maintaining its freshness and tenderness better than grilling or boiling. It still tastes like sashimi, but you can slightly perceive the cooked texture of the surface. The taste is quite acidic, making it a very appetizing and refreshing appetizer.
When coming to a seafood restaurant, the main course should, of course, be seafood-based. This pan-seared salmon is quite well-made; the fish skin is charred and crispy, and the meat is tender, retaining some of the fish oil, making it flavorful without being too dry or too greasy. When ordering, you can tell the server how you would like your salmon cooked; personally, I think Medium Rare is best.
Seared Tuna is a very typical American seafood dish. Almost all American seafood restaurants have this dish, and it is a basic standard for testing a restaurant's quality.