The Otter

"The Otter isn’t just a seafood restaurant, it’s a seafood-themed restaurant. At this loosely New England-inspired spot inside The Manner hotel in Soho, the dining room—with navy walls, rattan chairs and a maritime mural—is not quite coastal grandma, but something closer to coastal child-free aunt. A dainty oyster fork awaits at your place setting, and at least one dish is served in a Le Creuset pan that’s a pearly shade of gray named after the bivalve. It’s a great-looking spot, with tall candles on every surface that challenge diners’ dexterity with the oversize menus. And some of the food is very good: Order the pastas, so long as you’re comfortable with the firmer side of al dente in your fettuccine with kelp and abalone-like matsutake mushrooms; or in the agnolotti with crab, crowned with Ritz cracker crumbles. photo credit: Alex Staniloff photo credit: Alex Staniloff photo credit: Alex Staniloff photo credit: Alex Staniloff A bit too often, though, The Otter seems more attuned to what’s fun to photograph than what’s fun to eat. A strikingly dressed seafood platter has salty trout roe bursting over luscious salmon panna cotta, but the oysters drown in cucumber cream. A double cheeseburger is winkingly seafood-ified with a slathering of remoulade, but the oozing sauce renders the bottom bun into mush and masks any beefy flavor. Slick with deep brown sauce and studded with peppercorns, the swordfish au poivre convincingly resembles a steak peeking out from a mound of frites, but the sauce itself lacks any degree of creaminess. photo credit: Alex Staniloff photo credit: Alex Staniloff photo credit: Yudi Ela As at the chef’s now-closed Mischa, the high-concept novelties can be playful to a fault. Still, some diners will no doubt enjoy feeling like they’re in on the joke. And occasionally, even when the premise is corny—the “shells” in the Clams and Shells are, in fact, pasta shells—the dish still lands. For a solid group meal with pescatarians (there's steak too, served with a crawfish béarnaise), The Otter does the trick. It might even provide some conversation starters along the way. Food Rundown photo credit: Molly Fitzpatrick Bread And Butters The very good—and complimentary—bread and butter service is the highlight of any meal here. These miniature, pull-apart potato rolls, sprinkled with a blend of Calabrian chili, celery seed, lemon zest, black pepper, and thyme, are wonderfully soft, and served with three different butters: sea salt, anchovy, and bouillabaisse. photo credit: Alex Staniloff Scallop Crudo, Red Chili, Green Chili A beautiful diptych in fresno chili red and serrano green, with contrasting hits of smoky and bright heat. A grid-worthy dish that’s worth ordering even if you own a dumb phone. photo credit: Alex Staniloff Beer-Battered Spanish Mackerel, Tartar Sauce Another highlight. A crisp golden fry on juicy, flaky, and flavorful fish. photo credit: Alex Staniloff Salt Roasted Head-On Prawns, Black Pepper Dipping Sauce The assertively peppery sauce outshines the prawns, which would otherwise feel a little dull. Pungent in a good way, its savoriness is buoyed with a hint of oyster sauce. photo credit: Alex Staniloff Clams And Shells Served alongside steaming clams in a cast-iron pan, there’s enjoyable texture variation among the pasta—some bites retain a nice chew, others are deeply caramelized. photo credit: Alex Staniloff Parsley Root Agnolotti, Buttered Crab Meat, Crushed Ritz Crackers Our favorite dish here. The Ritz crackers add a welcome salty crunch to this parsley root agnolotti with chunks of sweet, buttery crab meat. photo credit: Alex Staniloff Swordfish Steak Frites, Au Poivre The swordfish is beautifully cooked, but it doesn’t feel totally cohesive with the peppery au poivre sauce, which catches in the throat. Good frites, though. photo credit: Alex Staniloff Lobster Roll As elaborate as the process of making this lobster roll may be (it’s finished with a secret spice blend and butter made from lobster shells), it’s good, but not particularly memorable. Order if you’re in the mood for a lobster roll, but don’t feel compelled otherwise." - Molly Fitzpatrick