Crave Fishbar
Seafood restaurant · Midtown East ·
Creative seafood & oyster happy hour in a townhouse setting
Creative seafood & oyster happy hour in a townhouse setting
"We’re just going to come right out and say it: Crave Fishbar is the best restaurant in Midtown East. We liked it when we first reviewed it back in 2012, and it has only gotten better with time. Crave is that ideal neighborhood restaurant, in a hood that desperately needed one. It’s Perfect For pretty much anything - bring the family, go for a business lunch, hit it during happy hour, or use it for your next Date Night. Crave has you covered. Crave is a fish-focused restaurant, and it’s refined enough to keep serious types happy while maintaining a laid-back, comfortable atmosphere that takes you out of the misery of Midtown East. They do some pretty interesting things with fish - like taking the usual supporting cast of hake, fluke, and swordfish and turning them into starring leads - but mainstays like the fried chicken leg and homemade cavatelli are home runs, too. There’s also an excellent oyster happy hour. And don’t sleep on the cookie for dessert. It’s one of the best chocolate chip cookies in NYC. Placing all cards on the table, my younger brother is the GM at Crave. It’s only appropriate that I reveal this fact, as you’re going to have to take my word that there’s no collusion going on here. All I can tell you is that it’s a good thing his restaurant doesn’t suck, because I swear on my John Starks “The Dunk” t-shirt (that’s an important t-shirt), that I would have had no problem telling the truth if it did. Don’t just take my word on it though. Listen to the people. We’ve sent thousands of people to Crave at this point - where to eat in Midtown East is one of the more popular restaurant queries we receive, especially now in Text Rex. It’s a crowd pleaser that has never failed us. It won’t fail you, either. RESERVE A TABLE WITH RESERVE A TABLE Food Rundown Oysters Their selection pulls fresh from both coasts, and their sauces are on point. Bonus points for serving real horseradish as a fixin’. photo credit: Noah Devereaux Chilled Local Scallop One of our all time Crave favorites, this chilled scallop crudo is perfect. They bathe it in a grapefruit chipotle sauce to give it a little zest and a little spice, and then dress it with Corn Nuts for crunch. Order it. photo credit: Noah Devereaux Fluke Ceviche Tostada Another one we order every time is this crunchy fluke tostada. It’s excellent for a light lunch, as a starter for dinner, or as a thing you eat no matter what time of day it is. photo credit: Noah Devereaux Plancha Grilled Octopus A perfectly cooked piece of octopus, accompanied by Chinese broccoli and cumin mustard vinaigrette. This should be on the table. Grilled Block Island Swordfish Just because the swordfish doesn’t have a photo, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t order it. Don’t be scared. Seared Rare Yellowfin Tuna Although how it’s prepared changes, there will always be a seared yellowfin tuna entree on the menu, and it will always be a safe bet. photo credit: Noah Devereaux Lobster Curry The lobster curry has been on the menu since Crave opened and remains one of the most popular dishes. A Thai-influenced chu chee curry comes as a thick broth, featuring plenty of lobster, with charred red onion, Japanese eggplant, Thai apple eggplant, and bamboo shoots. You won’t be disappointed. photo credit: Noah Devereaux Homemade Cavatelli A simple pasta done right. We love the soft cavatelli nuggets, tomato sauce, and whipped ricotta. photo credit: Noah Devereaux Fried Chicken Leg Not your typical fried chicken dish. This chicken comes in a broth (they like to do that here), with peppers, cippolini onions, and couscous. If you’re not in the mood for fish, this is the move. photo credit: Noah Devereaux Chocolate Chip Cookie Two words: Sleeper. Cookie. One of the best restaurant chocolate chunk cookies you’ll find anywhere, served with a scoop of housemade vanilla ice cream. photo credit: Noah Devereaux" - Andrew Steinthal
"The Deal: $2-$3.50 oysters; discounted food and drink If you’re looking to eat delicious food and hang out in the mid-50s on the East Side, there’s no better place to do so than Crave Fishbar. Their menu is filled with seafood hits, but the oyster happy hour is particularly excellent, as all their assorted oysters are between $2 and $3.50." - willa moore, neha talreja, will hartman, sonal shah
"The Deal: $2.50-3.50 Oysters; $6 Estrella; $12 Select Cocktails If you need an oyster Happy Hour, you’ll like the one at Crave. This place is more of a restaurant than a bar, but it has an attractive space with a vaguely nautical theme, and it's a good spot to grab a stool, drink a margarita, and go to town on some shellfish." - bryan kim, kenny yang, will hartman
"“If you want your spicy margaritas and your dollar oysters and shrimp cocktails, they have lots of just fun little things. But I like to go and sit in a little corner there at the bar; the street's a little too active for me. The drinks are good. The oysters are great. And we lost the Mermaid Inn on the Upper West Side. I think there's another one that's coming that's supposed to be opening…but Crave is real close to my house. They also have this cauliflower soup with oysters in it that's so good. Sometimes they take it off the menu and then I pout and I don't go back for like four months and I just keep refreshing the website to see if they brought it back.”" - brennan carley
"Crave is a seafood spot that’s nice enough to send your boss with some clients, and casual enough for the rest of your team to have a quick meal before your boss gets back. Go with the $25 prix fixe, which includes an appetizer and sandwich, like the sea bass crudo and grilled chicken sandwich with burrata, as well as a dessert, like the chocolate chip cookie that’s one of the best in the city." - hannah albertine, bryan kim, matt tervooren
