Eater NY - Ultimate Guide to Eating and Drinking Outside in NYCThe New York City Restaurant, Bar, and Nightlife Bloghttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52682/favicon-32x32.png2022-04-27T16:33:44-04:00http://ny.eater.com/rss/stream/157527172022-04-27T16:33:44-04:002022-04-27T16:33:44-04:0018 Ideal Outdoor Drinking Spots in NYC
<figure>
<img alt="A building on a pier with outdoor dining set up and an NYC building skyline in the background" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/SBx8eBGsUWH8iqa8H-Rc0dKic0U=/84x0:1416x999/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/54378379/city_winery_OutdoorPatioDrone_CreditAdamPass.7.jpg" />
<figcaption>Soak up with the warm weather season at NYC’s best outdoor drinking spots. | City Winery/Adam Pass</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>From stunning waterfront views to breezy, secluded backyards</p> <p id="3BnvE1">Outdoor season is a big deal for New York, when people get to crawl out of their tiny apartments and enjoy a cherry-topped margarita on a waterfront patio or a backyard, hidden from the bustling streets. It turns out the city can be a lovely place for cocktails outside — at least for a seemingly small stretch of the year.</p>
<p id="c4heNF">Some of the patios on this map are small and intimate, while others are larger in scale and filled with picnic tables. For a list of other choice spots for outdoor hangouts, check out the best <a href="https://ny.eater.com/maps/best-heated-outdoor-dining-restaurants-nyc">restaurants </a>with outdoor seating; or, find some <a href="https://ny.eater.com/maps/best-rooftops-restaurants-bars-nyc">sun-soaked rooftops</a>.</p>
<p id="J2XWGC"><em>Health experts consider dining out to be a high-risk activity for the unvaccinated; it may pose a risk for the vaccinated, especially in areas with substantial COVID transmission.</em></p>
<p id="jjn9zM"></p>
https://ny.eater.com/maps/best-outdoor-bars-drinking-nycEater Staff2017-05-26T09:55:37-04:002017-05-26T09:55:37-04:00Waterfront Restaurants in NYC to Feel Like You're Outside the City
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/A_z0Wq4-j6l08cbm-TaspHomkRg=/118x0:1931x1360/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/54962563/MemorialDayManhattanPierICafe.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Robert Sietsema</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>From Red Hook to Chelsea Piers</p> <p class="p--has-dropcap p-large-text" id="CM4M3L">A wise friend once speculated that, given enough time, you could find an eating establishment that resembled any type of restaurant in the world somewhere in the five boroughs. It might be true. If you’re looking for the kind of seafood restaurant that stands near a beach resort, in the hubbub of a working port, or maybe even by a tropical estuary — it’s probably evoked somewhere in New York City. Here in honor of Memorial Day and the unofficial start of summer, we test that assumption by providing this quirky collection of restaurants meant to look like somewhere else, which can easily be coupled with a visit to a nearby beach, river, or tidal strait.</p>
<h4 id="b8lgEK">BROOKLYN</h4>
<div class="c-wide-block"> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/2yPH626GAPTqC-3MveEJ1RA5tnE=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8580555/MemorialDayBrooklynNicks2.jpg">
<figcaption>Nick’s Lobster House</figcaption>
</figure>
</div>
<p id="Xqtl7O">You want a Maine-style lobster pound but don’t want to go to Maine to find it? Located in the boondocks of Marine Park, Brooklyn, <strong>Nick’s Lobster House</strong> sits near the end of Flatbush Avenue on the circular body of water known as Mill Basin. Right inside the door is the requisite aqua-colored lobster tank, with some pretty lively specimens scampering inside. There’s a big dining room — sometimes given over to karaoke contests — but persevere beyond that to one of the city’s loveliest outdoor decks, which looks across the water at houses on stilts. Then order a lobster, or a lobster roll, and wash it down with a beer. <em>2777 Flatbush Avenue</em></p>
<p id="CmlpoF">As if that weren’t enough, there’s another lobster pound in nearby Sheepshead Bay, but so obscurely located you better keep your GPS firmly in hand. <strong>Jordan’s Lobster Dock</strong> is on Shellbank Creek, where the city’s last remaining lobster boats are berthed. The restaurant has turned toward fried fast food in the last decade, but still has a lighthouse attached and stands next to a statue in a yellow slicker commemorating lobstermen (and perhaps today, lobsterwomen). In addition to lobster rolls, it’s a good place for raw clams and oysters. <em>3165 Harkness Avenue</em></p>
<p id="3mnusE">Even more amazing, and only a couple of blocks away, nestled right at a turn on the Belt Parkway, stands <strong>Clemente’s</strong> <strong>Maryland Crab House</strong>. It, too, has a waterside wooden deck with a view of pleasure boats at their moorings. The thing to get is a bucket of fresh blue crabs steamed in Old Bay. Along with it comes a wooden mallet and plastic bib. The waitresses — dressed in hot pants — will be glad to show you how to get at the crabmeat. But skip the truly awful cocktails, which come in neon colors<em>.3939 Emmons Avenue</em></p>
<p id="NfdF02">On Sheepshead Bay proper, a few blocks from Maryland Crab House, find a number of restaurants evoking the seafood cuisines of other countries, and decorated to match. You can’t go wrong at <strong>Liman</strong> (<em>2710 Emmons Avenue</em>) — a Turkish restaurant right on the water — with a roasted sea bass or mess of fried fresh anchovies, best eaten on the screened-in porch. Seven blocks further west find <strong>Yiasou</strong> an elegant Greek seafood spot where a whole flame-roasted flounder, enough for two or three people and likely locally caught, will set you back $30. And don’t miss the fried mullets or grilled octopus, either. <em>2003 Emmons Avenue</em></p>
<p id="k7w6sT">If your interest in seafood is more Italian, old timer <strong>Randazzo’s Clam Bar</strong> dates to 1964, when Sheepshead Bay offered a dozen such establishments. Order anything with clams, including fried clams, baked stuffed clams, spaghetti with white or red clam sauce, and, of course, New England or Manhattan clam chowder. Most Sicilian of all are the zuppas, which can be eaten in traditional style with ship’s biscuits. Look for the neon lobster thrust skyward. <em>2710 Emmons Avenue</em></p>
<p id="nk3Xdw">The Brighton Beach boardwalk presents an unbroken line of Ukrainian outdoor cafes, where the menus emphasize seafood and strong drink, and the prices can be near-exorbitant. But to dine judiciously on a plate of smoked fish and a glass of wine try <strong>Tatania</strong><strong> </strong>(<em>3152 Brighton 6th Street</em>). With other guests chattering in Russian in the background, you might as well be on the Black Sea. And don’t neglect <strong>Nathan’s Famous</strong>, a Coney Island fixture for 101 years at the present location. Yes, the hot dogs taste great with the smell of brine in your nostril, but don’t overlook the clam offerings, which include fried clams and raw clams on the half shell, at bargain prices. <em>1310 Surf Avenue</em></p>
<p id="1vTk8s"> If you happen to find yourself in Red Hook — site of New York City’s last working port — <strong>Brooklyn Crab</strong> looks like something out of a Jimmy Buffet tune. It boasts patios at different levels, several bars featuring beer and mixed drinks, and a menu heavy on seafood, which isn’t as bad as you might suspect. Key West here we come! Crab claws, shrimp cocktails, and raw oysters are all specialties. <em>24 Reed Street</em></p>
<div class="c-wide-block"> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/jOC_JFNGnaC3lDPFxjKT1AwtPdM=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8580567/MemorialDayBrooklynJordans3.jpg">
<figcaption>Jordan’s Lobster Dock</figcaption>
</figure>
</div>
<h4 id="agD6bl">QUEENS</h4>
<p id="w4z5lM">Once known as Rockaway Taco, and relocated to the bar called Rockaway Beach Surf Club, <strong>Tacoway Beach</strong> (<em>302 Beach 87th Street</em>) sells Baja-style tacos (pick fish, chorizo, or tofu) heaped with slaw and squiggled with crema, plus quesadillas, guac and chips, and the stray breakfast taco. As in Mexico, fresh squeezed fruit juices are also available, along with mixed drinks and beers from the bar. If you’d rather pretend you’re on the Jersey Shore, check out <strong>Ripper’s</strong>, peddling burgers, cheese fries, soft-serve ice cream, and alcoholic beverages right on the boardwalk with stunning views of the ocean. <em>8601 Shore Front Parkway</em></p>
<p id="KjKmso">Meanwhile in Howard Beach, the gateway to Jamaica Bay, find <strong>Lenny’s Clam Bar</strong>. This swinging spot, which describes itself as a clam bar and Italian restaurant, is open to the wee hours, serving up raw bar selections, baked stuffed clams, fried calamari, and steamed scungilli (conch). Open since 1974 and close to the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, its celebrity patrons have included Frank Sinatra, Jackie Mason, Selena Gomez, and a misspelled Arnold Schwartzenager. “Ask for Joe and get a free glass of wine on the house,” says the website. <em>161-3 Cross Bay Boulevard</em></p>
<h4 id="8qmVW6">MANHATTAN</h4>
<p id="1Urlrw">Sadly, most Manhattan’s waterside restaurants look just like the municipal architecture they represent. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t visit <strong>Pier I Café</strong><strong> </strong>(<em>500 West 70th Street</em>), located under the West Side Highway just a steps from the Hudson River. It makes a great bike destination, and the lobster roll, blackened salmon, and shrimp brochettes are better than they need to be, and cheaper, too. A little further up the river, elevated and built out of rusticated stone like a Transylvanian castle, is the <strong>West 79</strong><sup><strong>th</strong></sup><strong> Street</strong> <strong>Boat Basin Café</strong>, overlooking a marina. <em>West 79th Street and the Hudson River</em></p>
<p id="73fwsi">One of the city’s most exotic drinking and dining venues is a battered row of antique boats arranged along Chelsea’s Pier 66. You can explore a lightship called <strong>T</strong><strong>he Frying Pan</strong> that might remind you of the tramp steamer in <em>Lord Jim</em>, a railroad barge, a fireboat, and — odd man out — a caboose. Delicious hamburgers are grilled right on the dock, but if you’re in a seafood mood, the salmon sandwich, crab cakes, and mahi-mahi tacos are dependable. This pier is often mobbed, so try visiting before 4 p.m. or after 10 p.m.<em> 207 12th Avenue, Big Red Boat in Park </em></p>
<p id="yGOUzr">The most elegant waterside restaurant in Manhattan is certainly <strong>Gigino in Wagner Park</strong>. Tables are set in a tented pavilion like a garden party in the Hamptons, and the front lawn slopes down to the water, with splendid views of the Statue of Liberty and the Upper Bay. The food is unfussy Italian, such as you might find along the Amalfi Coast. Plenty of regional wines available by the glass, along with shrimp, mussels, clams, and finfish galore<em>. 20 Battery Place</em></p>
<h4 id="PLA6vj">STATEN ISLAND AND THE BRONX</h4>
<p id="5BKJbx">Like Brooklyn, Staten Island boasts a Turkish seafooder, too: <strong>Seaside Restaurant</strong> (<em>124 Ocean Avenue)</em> perches a pebble’s throw from sprawling South Beach. After consuming your meal, which might include a whole grilled branzino or fried calamari, take a stroll along the boardwalk, or explore nearby Fort Wadsworth, under the Verrazano Narrows Bridge. </p>
<p id="EZMJ5M">Nearer to Midland Beach find the delightful <strong>Lobster House Joe’s</strong><strong> </strong>(<em>1898 Hylan Boulevard</em>), a strip-mall palace of inexpensive seafood. The menu skews Sicilian with a splendid octopus salad dotted with black olives, a range of chowders, and lobster in several permutations. Seafood is not a specialty of <strong>Killmeyer’s Old Bavaria Inn</strong>, but the rambling inn the restaurant occupies offers views of the Arthur Kill and the oil tanks on the Jersey side of the tidal strait from its front porch. The usual German fare includes baked oysters, smoked fish, and salmon poached in weissbier. <em>4254 Arthur Kill Road</em></p>
<p id="VE3mF4">Nowhere in the five boroughs are found a larger collection of seafood restaurants than the Bronx’s City Island. Many have outdoor seating areas with expansive views of Long Island Sound, and the prices are often modest. With its giant outdoor deck, <strong>Johnny’s Reef</strong> dates to the 1960s, and the interior will remind you of Katz’s (or perhaps a Parisian <em>bouillon</em>). This working-class refectory has prices tacked up on placards around the ceiling, and bargain-basement fish, clams, oysters, and frogs legs, all fried and served with french fries and washed down with milkshakes. You’ll wish City Island wasn’t so hard to get to, <em>2 City Island Avenue</em> </p>
<div class="c-wide-block"> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-fWN2Bkk8ziEq8n3mvZ5K6SxKJc=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8580727/MemorialDayStatenIslandSeaside.jpg">
<figcaption>Seaside Restaurant</figcaption>
</figure>
</div>
<aside id="xY8po1"><div data-anthem-component="newsletter" data-anthem-component-data='{"slug":"ny-eater"}'></div></aside><p id="IlLhug"> </p>
https://ny.eater.com/2017/5/26/15682598/best-waterfront-restaurants-nycRobert Sietsema