Where To Find The Best Oysters In NYC

Photo: Courtesy of Ditch Plains.

Oyster lovers rejoice. It doesn't matter whether you know the difference between Blue Point and Kumamoto, it's Oyster Week in NYC, which calls for some serious shucking and slurping. Celebrate these delicious bivalves with an array of events (from wine pairings to yacht festivities) around New York City, now through September 28. Ahead, we've rounded up the 12 best spots to kick back, relax, and slurp those suckers down.

Ditch Plains Ditch Plains is good for oysters at pretty much any point of the day. For brunch, grab deviled eggs topped with fried oysters. Any other time, treat yourself to half a dozen grilled oysters, soaked in garlic and parsley butter and served on crunchy slices of bread.
Ditch Plains, 100 West 82nd Street (between Columbus and Amsterdam avenues); 212-362-4815.

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Docklands
This newly opened Crown Heights neighborhood spot offers a fresh selection of East and West Coast oysters (which are $1 during happy hour from 5 to 7 p.m., Monday to Friday) and oyster-vodka shooters, for those feeling a little more adventurous.
Docklands, 789 Franklin Avenue (between St. Johns and Lincoln places), Brooklyn; 718-483-9998.

Mar’s Oyster Bar

Mar's, an oyster-bar-meets-speakeasy, is Astoria's hidden gem. Looking for something more than its raw bar (where oysters are $1 during happy hour)? Try the beer-battered oysters served with tequila apple relish or the fried oyster po-boy for a new twist on an old favorite.

Mar's Oyster Bar, 34-21 34th Avenue (between 34th and 35th streets), Queens; 718-685-2480.

Photo: Courtesy of The Clam NYC.

The Clam Come here for oysters (chilled and served with a chili-lime vinaigrette), stay for the never-ending seafood selection: Fried belly clam and lobster sliders, Long Island fluke crudo with watermelon gazpacho, and whole local sea bream.
The Clam, 420 Hudson Street (at St. Lukes Place); 212-242-7420.

Sel Rrose Named after Rrose Sélavy (Marcel Duchamp's feminine alter ego), this East Village oyster house seriously channels its 20th-century Parisian inspiration. Aside from the extensive raw-bar selection (including Duxbury, Wellfleet, and Hama-Hama varieties), the resto offers a La Petit Plateau & Sparkling, which features half a dozen oysters and a glass of bubbly for $18.
Sel Rrose, 1 Delancey Street (at Bowery); 212-226-2510.

Little Neck

The beloved Gowanus clam shack is known for its laid-back, casual atmosphere and serious raw bar (oysters, clams, the works). It's bringing the beach to Brooklyn, one mollusk at a time.

Little Neck, 286 Third Avenue (between President and Carroll streets), Brooklyn; 718-522-1921.

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Photo: Courtesy of Virgola.

Virgola This tiny, intimate West Village wine and oyster bar features a variety of local oysters, cheeses, and charcuterie, as well as multiple seafood platters filled to the brim with everything from ceviche and tuna tartare to crudo and caviar.
Virgola, 28 Greenwich Avenue (between West 10th and Charles streets).

Buttermilk Channel Enjoy locally sourced oysters chilled with a grapefruit mignonette or opt for the barbecued version accompanied with bacon and green onions at this popular Carroll Gardens spot. If you're there for brunch, don't miss the Star of the Sea Bloody Mary: It features celery, peppercorn-infused vodka, and a freshly shucked oyster on top. Buttermilk Channel, 524 Court Street (at Huntington Street), Brookyln; 718-852-8490.

Wild Edibles Wild Edibles does a little bit of everything: It has a seafood market, an oyster bar, and sells seafood delicacies wholesale. Its eatery, however, is a can't-miss, with over 10 varieties of oysters (all seasonally selected), to choose from.

Wild Edibles, 535 Third Avenue (between 35th and 36th streets); 212-213-8552.

Photo: Jesse Winter/M. Wells Dinette.

M. Wells Dinette Styled like a classroom, this eatery (located at MoMA PS1 in Long Island City) is known for its oyster Bolognese, which features the half-shell delicacy served with pork and beef sauce and bread crumbs and topped with a hefty helping of Parmesan cheese. M. Wells Dinette, MoMA PS1, 22-25 Jackson Avenue (at 46th Avenue), Long Island City; 718-786-1800.

Fish This pint-sized West Village restaurant can serve a big appetite with its array of seafood and raw-bar dishes. Its known best for its red, white, and blue special (only $8), which includes six Blue Point oysters with a glass of wine or PBR. Fish, 280 Bleecker Street (between Seventh Avenue South and Morton Street); 212-727-2879.

Upstate If you're into craft beers and oysters (particularly together), Upstate is the spot for your next date. The East Village haunt is not only romantic, but it has a killer raw-bar list to boot. Upstate, 95 First Avenue (at East Sixth Street); 917-408-3395.

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