Crave Fishbar

Really fresh and delicious oysters. The main courses were good, not great. I would mainly come for the raw bar. Worth going to… I would definitely come back.

This was my first time here and I was very disappointed. The waiter couldn’t provide any recommendation on the menu when I asked him what was good or popular. He was less than attentive. They were out of ginger ale and the grilled octopus. What restaurant is out of ginger ale? The food was good. But the overall experience is why I gave them a poor rating. Not sure if I’d come again.

Voicemail says happy hour 4 – 6. Get there 4:40 and they aren’t open. Really?
I don’t know when they started opening at 5pm, but happy hour is now 5 – 7 on weekdays and 4 – 6 on weekends

I went for oyster happy hour last week with a friend and it was fantastic. A wonderful selections of oysters, their appetizers were great and the wine/​drink selection was plentiful. We were both very satisfied and can’t wait to go back and try dinner. Alex was our server, who was phenomenal. Very friendly, knowledgeable and professional. We will definitely be requesting his section in the future. Well done Crave, I’m happy to have such a great fish/​oyster bar in the neighborhood.

It was just ok.
The menu is limiting and they are totally inflexible. Except when THEY decide to change ingredients.
PLANCHA GRILLED BARRAMUNDI 29
romano beans, fiddlehead ferns, fresh peas, asparagus, tahini sauce, roasted cashews
My wife doesn’t like asparagus. Too bad, can’t have the barramundi with anything else. Not the other stuff w/​o asparagus. Get it plain. Buy a side for $ 8 is the only option presented.
Another at our table ordered it unchanged, but it came with pasta in the mix as well which is not on the menu. Why? Gluten free diners would be unhappy.
LOCAL PORGY POKE 14
hot sesame oil, tamari, candied macadamia, crisped rice, scallion
This was a decent app, though not as good as Maui. But it was half cucumber, so whats up with that?
Also, you cannot get a plain salad. So annoying.
On a crowded/​hot/​humid evening, the AC was struggling.

First off — the oyster Happy Hour is really great. they serve a good variety of fresh oysters, both east and west coast. People in the hood will be outside the doors waiting for it to open on a weekend. The rest of the menu is great as well. I often book a table for the back end of happy hour and let it flow into a proper dinner after that.
Staff rates 4* as well

The atmosphere here is incredible, and so is the food! It was incredibly packed on a Friday evening, obviously, and we waited 45 minutes for our table. Thanks to their genius layout, however, we were able to comfortable enjoy a drink at the bar at their mini standup tables and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, our cocktails, and our waiter.
When we finally did get seated, our wonderful waiter travelled with us and took great care of us throughout the night. He took his time, which was perfect because we had a lot to catch up on. Not being oyster experts, he was kind enough to have the oyster bar put together a sampler platter, 2 each, for us to try, half east coast half west coast. The presentation was superb, and I found East Cost unsurprisingly to be my favorite.
I would say the standout of the night however was easily the octopus appetizer. Two large and perfectly cooked tentacles topped a heaping bed of beautifully seasoned greens, and would’ve kept me very happy if we had just stopped there.
The barramundi with fiddlestick ferns was intriguing and new, with an excellent sauce and spring peas. I found the ferns a tad too bitter, but the fish was well-​crisped while still being flaky and tender.
It was a splurge, that’s for sure, but we had a truly enjoyable time and I would love to go back for another NY Oyster bar experience!

I’ve only had a couple dishes here, but the cooking is clearly impressive.
The signature lobster curry is really great — nice spice, lots of properly cooked lobster, delectable pieces of Thai apple eggplant and fresh bamboo. Pair it with a side of griddled rice and you’ve got a fantastic, albeit pricey ($ 40), main course.
The snapper crudo is very good too — big portion of meaty seafood featuring a bright, slightly spicy jalapeño-​lemon purée with wafers of bitter radish for contrast.
Service was ultra-​friendly, drinks were spot-​on, and overall looks like yet another solid addition to the UWS’ rapidly improving dining scene.

Been here for the first time as an anniversary gift of my boyfriend Leim, and i really love the place, this is definitely my kind of spot. This location is new and has only been opened up for the last few months now. I am really excited to try all their food sad to say I can’t make it at one time so definitely i would made a regular visit starting today. Very nice Interior design and outside is more on the rustic side, while the back is more classy but still very cool. My sweet boyfriend treat me with lobster curry, oyster and Cheesecake with Blueberry Sauce and Dark Chocolate Ice cream. everything delicious. He also got a Squid Ink Pasta had a lot of shrimps on top, the clam stock, its actually looks like yucky but he said that he likes it and it was delicious too.
Service is a bit slower that i expected yet totally covered by the food.

Absolutely nothing wrong with this place… Monday mussels $ 17 comes with fries. Dollah oystahs 4 – 6 every oyster on the menu is included in the happy hour! (East side loc has happy hour until 7) service is awesome, drinks are stiff and yummy, ambience is quiet and calm before 730 then gets a bit busier and noisier after, super chill, super yum, super super! Love crave. One of the best oyster happy hours in Manhattan. I’ve had other food at the east side location and it was just okay but the mussels and the variety of dollar oysters here are amazing!

This place is my goto for oysters. I am almost hesitant to let people know about this place because I don’t want to have to wait for a table when I come!
Happy Hour here is the bomb dot com. They have a wide selection of oysters to choose from, conveniently split on their menu between East and West coast. Their oyster choices change, which gives you the chance to try a variety of different oysters each time you visit.
They have some drinks and appetizers available for happy hour but I haven’t had a chance to try much of anything else because I am content just eating my way through their delicious oysters. I’ve eaten a bunch of oysters at other places, but for variety alone, this place ranks number one in my book!
I would highly recommend coming here just for happy hour alone.

This is definitely my kind of spot. This location has only been opened up for the last 4 months. I dropped one star because they have happy hour $ 1 oyster special from 4−6pm, while their midtown location is from 5−7pm. I was really looking forward to trying some of their west coast oysters. Love the décor to this place, outside is more on the rustic side, while the back is more classy but still very chilled. We ordered the spicy tuna tartare to start, and the Handmade Squid Ink Pasta and the Homemade Cavatelli. All the dishes were delicious! The chinese long beans and the spicy chips included in the tartare was definitely very interesting. My Squid Ink Pasta had a lot of shrimps on top, the clam stock they used for the sauce was fantastic, and I love the added pepper flakes to give it a nice little kick! The Cavatelli is a good option for vegetarian lovers and the tomato based sauce was very tasty. They also have very good options on resiling so definitely give their wine list a try!

It’s wonderful to have Crave on the UWS.
Made a reservation for dinner on a Saturday night. The waitstaff was exceptionally friendly and the food was great.
We started the night with two raw appetizers, the porgy poke and the fluke ceviche tostadas. Both were delicious, light, and fresh. The lobster curry entrée was also incredible, although it must be ordered with the side of rice, otherwise you are just slurping up curry…
We didn’t like the octopus, even though most people seem to rave about it. It simply wasn’t charred enough and was missing the smoky, grilled flavor.
Also, prices are steep!

Just had an awesome dining experience here! Upper West Side location is Crave Fishbar’s newer location, therefore, my companion and I decided to check it out for tonight’s dinner. After all, it is his birthday! I am so in love with their décor. It was super relaxing, comfortable, and casual. Its atmosphere reminded me of dining outside on a beach broad walk or on a cruise ship. For now, it is much more peaceful and quiet than its hectic, crowded original location in Midtown. It is still a secret! Happy Hour East and West Coast Oysters are $ 1.00 from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm here! Check it out!
My companion and I made it for Happy Hour. Yay, us! Availability of oysters depends on the season. Platters of oysters came with lemons, limes, and grapefruit! Like what they said on their window, #oystergram worthy! Our favorite one tonight was the East Coast Beausoleil oyster from New Brunswick, Canada. It starts with a forward briny taste and a sweet finish. From the West Coast, we enjoy the Totten Inlet from Washington, it was briny with a bit of watermelon accent per the description. It was refreshing! We also got the Apple Cider Sangria and Berry Lemonade to go with our oysters!
For dinner entrees, we got the Monday Special, French Dinner and the infamous Handmade Squid Ink Spaghetti.
French Dinner — Steak and frites with half a dozen of mussels. Sautéed purple onions over a fresh piece of steak, simply perfect. Frites were seasoned with sea salt topped with chives. For the mussels, we went with the original French-​style; shallot, white wine, tomato, and butter. The sauce was really good that I wished that we had more homemade sourdough bread to soak it up!
Handmade Squid Ink Spaghetti — spaghetti had a super bouncy texture and clam stock was full of flavor. There was a generous amount of chopped shrimp in every bite. To my surprise, it was indeed spicy, hence, from the red chili peppers but I love it!
An ideal dinner date for delicious wines and cocktails with oysters!

Cute little Hamptony spot on the UWS — the interior is straight out of a grandmother’s cottage in Cape Cod. We came mainly for the Happy Hour, which is a happy two hours indeed, from 4 – 6 everyday, with any oyster on their menu. We enjoyed the Malpeques best — small, sweet and simple. I love how they provide a variety of citrusy fruits to top them with — grapefruit, lime and lemons. The HH cocktails are good too — the apple cider sangria is borderline juice (but with a punch), but the Tequila Mockingjay (oh, so clever they are!) is a tasty one.
We were starving and stayed for dinner which consisted of:
— Calamari — crispy, crunchy and nicely spiced
— Fluke ceviche tostadas — which were completely covered in cabbage slaw, but hefty in fat slabs of fluke. There’s the tiniest of Thai chili slivers on the tostadas, but the bite with the chili is the absolute best
— Lobster curry — a bit salty, but the lobster is cooked to perfection, tender and sweet. You pretty much have to order the side of rice (with snap peas and egg) to eat with it (because nothing else will come with the curry). The fried rice is a bit dry and whatever, but you’re smothering it in curry anyway
Service was a bit slow and inconsistent. Nothing from dinner screamed must-​eat again, but we definitely will be back for more oysters. I guess you can say, Oy’ll be back! Ha !

I debated whether it was worth my time writing, because this place will be gone in six months. Nevertheless, this was my single most unpleasant dinning experience in the city ever (no hyperbole). The service was inexcusably slow and the staff was horrendously rude. If I wanted attitude, I would have moved to Brooklyn.

So happy this place is in the neighborhood, going to be hard to resist oyster happy hour on the weekend. We had great service, delicious oysters and great cocktails in such a cute atmosphere just a couple blocks from our apartment. Looking forward to being regulars here.

One dollar oysters. Enough said.
Kidding (but not really?). I’ve yet to come here for a full meal, but Crave has one of my favorite happy hours on the Upper West Side. The oyster selection is abundant and delicious, plus Crave offers discounts several types of cocktails, shooters, and wines during happy hour, which occurs seven days a week so your long hours at the office are no excuse to not check this place out. And as an extra bonus, the restaurant’s décor is equal parts beachy and whimsical, making your oyster-​eating experience all the more enjoyable.

We went for the $ 1 oyster happy hour a few weeks after it opened and had a great time. First of all, there aren’t many oyster happy hour bars that take OpenTable reservations, so that’s a huge plus. Happy hour is 4 – 6 pm daily and we got there at 5 pm and were seated right away. The three of us proceeded to order two dozen (there’s a limit to how many you can order at a time but I guess a table of 3 can do two dozen), polished it off, then ordered another two dozen.
Every oyster on the menu was discounted and we asked the waiter to give us a selection. This is obviously better than the Mermaid, where their happy hour is limited to the oyster of the day.
It’s still not cheap after you add all the drinks and other food, but without question it’s the cheapest way to eat 4 dozen oysters, enjoy some side dishes and have a couple of drinks.

Ate here this evening. The food was very good. Nice raw bar selections, very fresh, nice presentation with the lemons, limes, and grapefruit. The sauces were good too. I had the scallops, very good. My friend had the market selection which tonight was red snapper, and she really enjoyed it. Nice wine list at decent prices. Our one issue was the server. I’m sure he is a nice guy who was just doing what he was told to do. He never found the right balance of being available without being intrusive, when to clear, when not to clear, and in general tended towards constant interruptions throughout the meal which quickly became annoying. He was definitely «selling» the whole time from the second I sat down and it made for a less than relaxing meal, constantly stopping over to tell us his latest offer and tell him again no thanks, we will let you know, yes, we know, thanks, everything is fine, if we need something we will ask, no thanks, we are good, etc. Even after declining dessert, he came back to interrupt us again to say that he really wanted to tell us the gelato and sorbet flavors of the day, all 10 of them, he had to recite them, even though I would think that fell into the dessert category, to which we felt we had to again reply, no thank you. The kicker was to interrupt our conversation, again at the end, to announce that he was giving us our check and to ask us to fill out an online survey to give our feedback, and plopping down an electronic device.
I think this place has potential and I’d love it to last, especially given the loss of Ocean. Hopefully in time they soften up their approach, and sort out the annoying service issues. This place has nice potential for the neighborhood. They did a great job with the renovation, I had a hard time remembering what was there before.

Crave is a very welcome addition to the UWS food scene!
The atmosphere is super sophisticated, the design has more of a downtown vibe, signaling improved UWS food options. The banquette up front is very comfy and opens into a beautiful bar space, a very fun evening. The tables in the back are a bit more intimate, also super comfy. The couple of times we’ve frequented, we ran into friends, so feels very much like a neighborhood spot!
All the food is fab. Love the oysters, among the appetizers my fav is the poke, tuna tartare and ribs. All the fish mains are fresh, well prepared and sustainable. All the main courses are yummy!
Crave is super welcoming, our servers have been consistently knowledgeable and friendly despite well deserved and growing crowds.
Crave has quickly become a go-​to spot now for dinner w friends, consistently reliable, fresh and well prepared fish, in a sophisticated yet comfy neighborhood environment.
I’ve had business dinners and lunches at Crave UES — it’s great to have Crave closer to home now as well on the UWS!

This place is great from top to bottom. Even though they just opened, the staff was extremely welcoming and efficient. Crave has the best oyster menu that I have found in the city with upwards of 12 from both coasts available at all times. I strongly suggest their barrel aged Moscow mule to start of with. The lobster curry is is great and anything like I’ve had at other restaurants. All in all, if you love seafood and like to eat fish sourced with integrity there is no better place in Manhattan I’ve found.

I really wanted to fall in love with this place. Great location. Wonderful atmosphere. The rest was hit or miss…
When you go for the happy hour $ 1 oysters, they preface your order by warning you that it takes a while to shuck the oysters. They are definitely not kidding about that! I guess they really want to limit the amount that you eat? For 24 oysters, it actually took 35 minutes for the oysters to come. We thought it was just us, but the table next to us had the same problem!
Finally when the oysters came, we noticed they weren’t even shucked that well. I’m not a professional oyster shucker (LOL) but they should be rinsed?! Mud was actually caked on the bottom of the shells — the dirt was easily lifted off when we picked up each one!
On the upside: squid ink pasta and the milk and honey dessert (peanut butter cake, honeycomb, milk/​honey ice cream).
Maybe it’s because the place is new but for now, the Mermaid Inn still remains the UWS winner in this category.

I had my first meal at the bar last night, only weeks after the place opened, and am impressed! The service was good and our food came out at a nice pace. The place was packed and had a good, buzzy atmosphere. And the food… We had a great selection of oysters, perfectly prepared seared scallops, very nice tuna tartare with smoked artichokes. What’s not to like? I can’t wait to go back and try several other dishes; the grilled octopus our neighbors ordered looked amazing.
Watch out, Mermaid Inn and Fishtag!

Update: the owner contacted me to apologize and invite us back (and very nicely comped a portion of the meal). The food turned out to be excellent and the service was terrific. So I’d definitely recommend Crave in the end, just confirm that reservation!
Previous review: Made a reservation for tonight at 5 pm for six people, for my mother’s birthday. Did it over the phone since I wanted to make sure they had some options for a toddler. When we showed up, they had the reservation down for three days earlier. Ok, so that’s upsetting, but I get that screwups happen. But when I said, «it was supposed to be for tonight,» the guy just said, «well, it’s in our system for Wednesday, so it’s not our fault.» Um, what? I didn’t enter it into the system, whoever took the reservation did. Of course it’s your fault. The guy was rude, never once said «I’m sorry» or tried to find a solution. Just, «well, we’re booked and it’s not our fault.»
Ugh. Went to Vai across the street, where they managed to squeeze us in and we had a delightful meal. Hope Crave gets its act together, fast.

Well crafted cocktails.
The service was really very bad at the table.
The food came out cold and incorrect. Both the appetizer and main courses were wrong. The muscles came out cold and dried, as if they pre made them. Gross! And they were the wrong ones. The manager came by and comped the final error of the night … because we were leaving without eating the nasty old muscles, my wife’s main course.
I am so disappointed. I really wanted this place to be good. I don’t trust them to serve me seafood.
We didn’t make it to dessert, so I can’t comment on that.

Fantastic one month new uws seafood restaurant with warm contemporary cool atmosphere, impeccable friendly service and outstanding seafood.
The atmosphere… warmly modern and inviting. Walking in there’s a buzz of energy with enthusiastic hosts and servers, and the patrons mingling throughout. Make a reservation ahead or give them your name and with a bit of a wait you will be seated as a walk in.
The service. From the friendly hostess and servers and food runners, everyone was fantastic. I ordered a Mezcel drink (ecto cooler) off their specialty menu from a server in the bar area, way too tart for me, dulling the Mezcel flavor, and when I requested they make it a little sweeter — no problem, and they made it perfectly to my liking. Not one but a second server stopped by briefly asking if I liked it then — despite their crowd.
Table service was equally as attentive and the server offering drinks and checking in for our order. Food was delivered in a timely manner, and spaced well between appetizers and entrees.
The food. Delic!
— homemade bread very good.
— grilled octopus. Fantastically presented. flavored and cooked just right.
— tuna tar tar. Not my favorite here, as this is one of my top choice apps. Citrusy (blood orange) and with added onions is not my preference in flavor, and I also think possibly due to the citrus it may also makes some pieces softer than I prefer.
— lobster curry (add a side of rice) — yum! A unique must try dish. The lobster was perfectly cooked and delicious — broth was just spicy enough … And adding the rice to the fantastic broth was a great recommendation by the server.
— scallops. My friend loved them.
Highly recommend as a great spot to come with friends or a date for incredible food, atmosphere and service.
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Good food and good service. Nice space. The tap beer and wine are nice and well prepared.

Crave is a great addition to the UWS. A beautiful space with great food and a trendy, yet down-​to-​earth atmosphere.
Space/​Staff: We came for dinner and were seated in the front room near the bar. The small tables are a bit too close together in some places, which made for a tight squeeze when getting in and out. The staff were extremely friendly and excited to walk us through the menu and their personal favorites.
Appetizers: The cauliflower soup with friend oysters was great. The fried calamari was light and crispy, and large enough for two people to share.
Mains: The homemade cavatelli with tomato ragout, whipped ricotta, and basil purée was nothing short of amazing. The ragout was rich and paired perfectly with the brightly flavored basil purée and ricotta. I highly recommend.

Crave has quickly become the best restaurant on the upper west side with exceptional food and drinks. In a neighborhood that’s lacking high quality eateries, Crave is a welcome addition and a new UWS staple. I particularly love the porgy poke, calamari (the best I’ve ever had), lobster curry, squid ink spaghetti and some of the dishes you wouldn’t typically expect from a seafood restaurant, particularly the fried chicken leg and cavatelli which are crowd pleasingly incredible. Their homemade bread is also a surprisingly delicious treat at the start of the meal (we ordered three rounds). I hear they’re doing a late night menu now with a fried oyster sandwich and the famous Crave burger — I’m hoping to get there soon.
I’ve tried a bunch of their cocktails, and none have disappointed. I particularly love their creative take on the Moscow Mule (and it’s on tap!) and the Jem & The Holograms.
The staff is warm and friendly. You can feel their excitement about the new digs. The restaurant looks absolutely fabulous with a vibe that is a perfect mix of downtown cool and uptown cozy.
I’m so happy Crave has joined the UWS family and am excited to become a regular. Welcome to the hood!

As others have mentioned, Crave is a very welcome addition to the UWS, which lacks in restaurants that are both affordable and high quality. In general, restaurants here tend to be «very decent»: not bad, but not great. I’ve visited Crave in Midtown a couple of times and was surprised to see this new location pop up when I was looking for directions. We decided to go since it’s much closer and also to check out the consistency between locations.
An important thing to note is that unlike the Midtown location, this location has a happy hour that runs from 4 – 6, NOT 5 – 7. Unfortunately we did not know this until it reached 6. Our waitress was kind enough to let us know before we ordered another round of oysters, but I wish we had known earlier.
OYSTERS:
How amazed was I to see Kumamotos on the happy hour menu?! Crave is unique in that it offers a daily rotation of 10 – 12 oyster varieties for $ 1 at happy hour. That is, you get to choose from 10 – 12 varieties EVERY DAY and the varieties change daily. This is unheard of, but I love it! Not only that, but they have both East coast and West coast oysters.
We ordered a dozen Kumamotos to start and planned to order a dozen assorted East Coast oysters for our second round (a group of 1 – 2 can only order a dozen at a time). The Kumamotos were excellent. Fresh, cleanly shucked, and very light. Paired with a crisp white Muscadet, they were a great start. We were excited for the second round, but once we realized it was no longer happy hour, we hesitated to pay 3 to 4 times for the same portion of food (normal oyster prices range from about $ 3 – 4).
Regardless, I would happily return to Crave for their excellent happy hour oysters and friendly service. Everyone from the hostess to the waitress to the busboy was welcoming and helpful, even when we only ordered a small quantity. Much appreciated!

DISCLAIMER: Happy Hour is only from 4 – 6 (it is available through out the restaurant not just the bar). The Crave Fishbar website only displays information specific to the Midtown restaurant, don’t get confused by the 5 – 7 happy hour noted on the website!
Atmosphere: I loved the look of this place when I first walked in very classy and trendy. However I was taken to the back room which was a significant downgrade. I think the restaurant is trying to go for a beach house appearance but its dull and old looking in comparison. The plaid booths also stand out as an outlier… not sure how those are beachy.
Service: Kinks definitely still need to be worked out. I had someone refilling my drink every time I took a sip but it took the waitress forever to take our order for appetizers.
Food: I don’t think the price of the restaurant is bad, but for the quality you are receiving its not worth it. Save your time and go to mermaid inn (a few blocks up). The tuna tartare had a good flavor but could have been more fresh. The winter salad was not at all what I expected, all the toppings were skimped out on and the lettuce was iceberg.
Oysters: The oysters were really good, despite the happy hour mix up. The waitress was able to suggest some good options, the Hooper Island Oyster was a pleasant surprise. Oysters come with 3 home made sauces — scallion ginger, cocktail and a grapefruit mignonette. My friend and I both agreed the scallion ginger and cocktail were way to overbearing. Although good flavors — a drop of the sauce overtakes the oyster.
Overall, I’d come back come back to the restaurant for their oysters, but who gets out of work early enough to catch that happy hour deal!!!

So thrilled that Crave Fishbar opened on the UWS. I’ve been to the Turtle Bay location many times and this new one did not disappoint. The restaurant opened about a week ago and it’s already packed and buzzing.
The staff couldn’t be more friendly and the atmosphere has a very cool downtown feel.
The Moscow Mules are highly recommended as well as the oysters and the seared rare tuna entrée. Stop by for #oystergram too, you’re in for a treat!

A beautiful interior and a nice and fairly priced menu were our first impressions. Today was the first formal open time so they were still working out service kinks. We sat at the bar for Happy Hour and, unfortunately, were ignored by the server who was very busy arranging bottles and speaking with managers/​other workers. As misery loves company, the gentleman next to us was in the same boat too; after a 10 minute wait, he asked us to reach across the bar and secure him a menu.
The managers seemed very busy folding napkins and talking with familiar well wishers. On this first day, no one stopped by the ½ empty bar area to ask how things were going and if we were happy. The Happy Hour food was fine, but we felt as if we were uninvited guests crashing a private party.
I hope they will spend some time listening to folk and trying to work out the service kinks as Crave has the potential to be a great addition to the hood. I would recommend waiting a few weeks to try the place, so they have every opportunity to put their best fin forward.