The Best Oysters and Raw Bars in New York City

We think eating oysters in New York requires strategy. You can spend an entire paycheck on a dozen icy bivalves in a room full of finance guys, or you can find the bars that treat shucking as a daily neighborhood service. The best raw bars in this city are the ones that balance the math with the mood. Sometimes you want a cheap beer and a plate of dollar shells before hitting one of the best dive bars in New York City. Other times, you want to wear a nice jacket and drink a martini next to a seafood tower. Here is where to do both.

The Best Raw Bars and Oyster Happy Hours

Maison Premiere

Williamsburg · 298 Bedford Ave · $$$ WebsiteMap

The gold standard. Maison Premiere brought New Orleans absinthe and a sprawling, impeccable raw bar to Bedford Avenue over a decade ago, and it still runs circles around the competition. The horseshoe bar makes it one of the best cocktail bars in New York City, but the move is to sit in the overgrown back garden and let the staff guide you through their thirty daily oyster varieties.

Go for: A transportive date night. Know before you go: The oyster happy hour here no longer exists, so you are paying retail for the romance.

Grand Central Oyster Bar

Midtown East · 89 E 42nd St · $$ Map

Eating inside a transit hub is usually a bleak affair, but this subterranean 1913 institution is the great exception. You sit under the dramatic Guastavino tiled vaults, surrounded by pan roast kettles and commuter chatter, choosing from a dizzying list of East and West Coast bivalves. It is loud, historic, and entirely immune to whatever trends are happening above ground.

Go for: History and sheer volume. Know before you go: It was famously closed during the pandemic but resumed normal service in 2021, though weekend hours can vary.

The Ten Bells

Lower East Side · 247 Broome St · $$ WebsiteMap

This narrow, dimly lit Broome Street staple was pouring unfiltered Gamay long before natural wine bars became a personality trait. They serve a $1.50 oyster happy hour every single day from the moment they open until 7 p.m., which includes weekends. You will probably be standing, and you will definitely be squeezed, but the wine list is fantastic and the math is unbeatable.

Go for: Cheap oysters and natural wine. Know before you go: Show up early if you want a stool, especially on a Friday.

Upstate Craft Beer & Oyster Bar

East Village · 95 1st Ave · $$ WebsiteMap

A compact, unpretentious operation that focuses strictly on two things: craft beer and fresh seafood. There is no scene here, just a long wooden bar where you can order oysters and a draft beer for an entirely reasonable tab. The kitchen does not even have a freezer, meaning the oyster list shifts completely based on that morning's market run.

Go for: A casual, low-stakes weeknight hangout. Know before you go: They do not take reservations, so expect to wait during prime time.

Crave Fishbar

Midtown East · 945 2nd Ave · $$ WebsiteMap

New York's first fully sustainable seafood restaurant manages to serve serious ocean ecology without the lecture. The move here is the Oystergram happy hour, which runs daily and knocks prices down considerably on their extensive raw bar selection. The room is lively, the cocktails are well-built, and you can eat a dozen knowing exactly where they came from.

Go for: An after-work raw bar session that will not ruin the earth. Know before you go: They also have locations on the Upper West Side and Upper East Side.

Greenpoint Fish & Lobster Co.

Greenpoint · 114 Nassau Ave · $$ WebsiteMap

Part fish market, part raw bar, this bright Nassau Avenue corner feels like a pristine coastal shack dropped into Brooklyn. You can buy fillets to cook at home, but it is far better to sit at the counter and let the kitchen shuck for you. The oysters are uniformly fresh, and the baja fish tacos and lobster rolls are the best in the neighborhood.

Go for: A sunny weekend lunch. Know before you go: The space is small, so solo dining or a party of two works best.

Dame

West Village · 87 MacDougal St · $$$ WebsiteMap

What started as a pandemic pop-up is now one of the toughest reservations in the West Village. The English-leaning menu focuses on fresh seafood and fun wines. You are here for the pristine raw bar and the famous fish and chips, which critics regularly call the best in the city.

Go for: English seafood that does not take itself too seriously. Know before you go: Reservations open on Resy three weeks out at noon, and they vanish almost immediately.

Balthazar

SoHo · 80 Spring St · $$$ WebsiteMap

Keith McNally's red leather brasserie has defined SoHo dining since 1997. The front zinc bar is open all day, and taking down a half dozen oysters with a cold Sancerre mid-afternoon is a peak New York experience. You are paying a premium for the lighting, the mirrors, and the undeniable feeling of being exactly where you are supposed to be. It is also an elite option for late night food when the downtown crowd needs steak frites at midnight.

Go for: The classic seafood plateau. Know before you go: There is no discounted happy hour, this is a full-price luxury.

Gage & Tollner

Downtown Brooklyn · 372 Fulton St · $$$ WebsiteMap

Meticulously restored by a team of Brooklyn industry veterans, this 1879 chop house is a stunning room of mahogany, mirrors, and brass chandeliers. The raw bar is front and center, serving East and West Coast oysters that demand a proper martini pairing. It moves at a deliberate, 19th-century pace, offering a kind of dining grandeur that makes it a flawless date night restaurant.

Go for: A blowout celebration. Know before you go: The happy hour runs Monday through Friday from 5 to 6 p.m. at the bar.

Fish Cheeks

NoHo · 55 Bond St · $$ WebsiteMap

Most raw bars stick to mignonette and cocktail sauce. Fish Cheeks serves their oysters with nam jim, a lime-spiked, chili-heavy Thai condiment that changes the whole equation. Sit at the bright bar, order a dozen, and follow it up with their blisteringly hot coconut crab curry.

Go for: Oysters with a serious kick. Know before you go: Their $45 seafood tower happy hour is a steal, and they recently opened a second location in Williamsburg.

Cull & Pistol

Chelsea · 75 9th Ave · $$ WebsiteMap

Attached to the massive Lobster Place market, this sit-down spot has access to some of the freshest seafood in Manhattan. Their happy hour runs Monday through Friday from 4 to 6 p.m., offering their entire, extensive oyster list at half price. It is the smartest way to eat premium bivalves without the premium price tag, and an essential stop for any Chelsea guide.

Go for: Top-tier sourcing at half price. Know before you go: It sits inside Chelsea Market, so expect to navigate tourist crowds to get to your stool.

Ama Raw Bar

East Village · 190 Avenue B · $$ WebsiteMap

A dimly lit, Asian-influenced oyster bar on Avenue B that runs one of the city's best early-evening deals. Every day from 4 to 7 p.m., they shuck $1 oysters alongside lychee martinis and miso-sake mussels. It is intimate, neon-lit, and an excellent starting point for an East Village night out.

Go for: The daily happy hour. Know before you go: They strictly enforce a 90-minute table limit and a 24-oyster maximum per person during happy hour.

Lure Fishbar

SoHo · 142 Mercer St · $$$ WebsiteMap

Designed to look exactly like the interior of a luxury yacht, this subterranean SoHo institution has been serving pristine seafood since 2004. You bypass the dining room and head straight for the bar, where they pour stiff drinks and shuck excellent oysters. It is an industry power spot that actually backs up its reputation with flawless execution under Chef Preston Clark.

Go for: Boat vibes without leaving dry land. Know before you go: The crispy rice and the burger are just as famous as the raw bar.

The Mermaid Inn

Upper West Side · 335 Columbus Ave · $$ WebsiteMap

A long-running favorite for approachable New England-style seafood. While the original Amsterdam Avenue location closed, they recently moved to a massive new space on Columbus Avenue. Their daily happy hour from 4:30 to 6 p.m. offers $1.75 oysters and cheap drinks in a breezy, nautical dining room.

Go for: A low-stress, high-quality seafood dinner. Know before you go: They also operate a massive oyster bar in Times Square.

Grand Army

Boerum Hill · 336 State St · $$ WebsiteMap

This cozy corner bar in Brooklyn treats its raw bar program just as seriously as its cocktails. The drinks menu rotates through wildly inventive seasonal themes, but the seafood is a constant. Grab a stool, order a dozen East Coast oysters, and let the bartenders guide you through the latest drink list.

Go for: Top-tier cocktails and fresh shells. Know before you go: They frequently run oyster happy hour specials, currently offering a dozen for $25.

Seahorse

Union Square · 201 Park Ave S · $$$ WebsiteMap

The team behind Lure Fishbar opened this polished seafood brasserie inside the W New York in late 2025. A massive, 40-foot ocean mural wraps around a zinc-topped bar where you can order chilled lobster dusted in Old Bay and pristine crudo. It is highly stylized and heavily focused on the raw bar.

Go for: A fancy downtown dinner. Know before you go: It has its own entrance separate from the hotel lobby.

The Shout NY Take

Oysters in New York are a high-wire act of quality and cost. The smartest move you can make is identifying the happy hour windows that serve premium shells at a steep discount, and saving the full-price towers for a proper celebration.