The Clam

An overall good meal. Great service; lovely but expensive rose by the glass.
The clam dip was okay; a nice creamy starter. The lobster and crab sliders were also okay; a nice entrée to split with a friend since it only comes with two sliders. The spaghetti was of course the star of the show; nice garlic and hit of spice and the pasta was of course cooked to perfection.
Had the ice cream sandwich dessert and it was a perfect way to end the meal. Loved the ambience!

This is one of those places where nothing matters besides the food. Staff was friendly and accommodating, although I found our waiter slightly stoned-​faced.
Oysters: best oysters I’ve had in a while. So fresh!
Fluke crudo: simple, if you want to disassemble the fish, but absolutely divine and inspired. Enough for two people to taste and not awkwardly have to split the last piece. My entrée, salmon, was to die for and I don’t even go crazy for salmon. I sort of eat it like «medicine», cause it’s good for you! But I really liked it this time. Perfectly cooked, perfectly flavored. My boyfriend’s dish, pasta with clams was also excellent. The dessert, panna cotta, was also outstanding. Can’t wait to go back. And I forgot to mention the rolls they bring you between dishes which were absolutely delicious. Pricey but worthy!

What a great place! Loved the space and atmosphere. Cozy and comfortable and perfect for a first date, dinner with friends, or parents. Last night, for dinner, my friend and I ordered the clam dip and fried clam and lobster sliders for appetizers. The dip and fantastic, but those homemade chips were SO good. The sliders were good too. I liked the clam/​lobster combination and loved the contrast of the fried clam with the softness of the lobster. For dinner, we split the spaghetti and clams and a side of the chili roasted brussels sprouts. OMG. The place is known for their spaghetti and clams and it’s for a reason. It had a great touch of spice without being very overpowering, the clams were nice and juicy, and the pasta! So fresh, and delicious, and cooked to perfection. I kind of regret splitting it. I could eat the entire thing! The brussels were great too. The spice was perfect and the peanuts were great for the crunch that the dish needed. For dessert, we ordered the gingerbread ice cream sandwiches with brown butter caramel. The dessert had me at «brown butter». My favorite thing. It was great!
I live in the West Village and I can’t believe I’ve let so much time go without coming here. This will definitely be a spot I frequent often and a spot I will absolutely recommend to family and friends. It’s perfect for any occasion, and the food will not disappoint.

We had dinner on the small terrace and we had a wonderful time. The staff was very friendly and the ambiance was casual yet classy. The food was really good also. I had the clam chowder and it was fantastic! The bread is very unique and so tasty :) I do recommend the place.

3.25 stars. We arrived as a party of 4 for a 6:15pm reservation as 2 couples. Service was good and I’d give it 4 stars. My boyfriend and I arrived early and grabbed a drink at the bar. Mid-​drink, the hostess asked if we would be okay being seated at our table as there was a couple wanting to dine at the bar, sans reservation. We said fine and got seated nicely as a spacious 4-​top in the back with the couch on one side and our remaining party of 2 joined.
We ordered everything at once (we had a tight schedule as I knew in advance that the restaurant had an 8:15pm reservation after). This included a bottle of wine, 2 starters, 4 entrees, 2 vegetables and the house Parker rolls. I’d rate the food anywhere from 2.5 — 4 stars depending on what you order.
Starters included 4 east coast (Wellfleet from MA) and 4 west coast (Royal Miyagi from BC) oysters as well as the popular clam dip. The oysters were great. I’ve had both types at other oyster bars and probably slightly favored the Royal Miyagi. The clam dip (2.5−3 stars) was served with the house chips, which were a bit too salty for me. The dip itself was fine but not something I would order or rave about. It has a bit of a pickle taste in there and just seemed more creamy than clam-​like to me. Let’s just say there was still dip left after 4 of us took a bit, and I was not having seconds.
Then came the house Parker Rolls which were nice and fluffy. I didn’t even need to butter than and they were still very tasty. For entrees, I ordered the whole fish which was a sea bream, and this was probably my favorite of the entrees (4 stars) and our whole meal along with the oysters. My date ordered the monkfish over a butternut squash risotto (3 stars) and the other couple ordered the clam pizza (2 stars) and spaghetti with clams (3 stars). The vegetables to go on the side were the Brussels sprouts (2 stars) and the Cauliflower (3 stars). The restaurant is nice for a date and I’d give the ambiance a 4, but lacked for me on food and value. The monkfish and sea bream were in the $ 30s range, oysters were $ 3.50 each, clam dip was $ 13 and the pasta/​pizzas were around the $ 20s. I’d overall give the food 2.75 — 3 stars. I just wasn’t wowed enough by anything for the cost. Would I come back? Not too quickly.

The Clam is a GEM in the West Village area and one of my favorite restaurants in the city.
The food: Delicious across the board. My personal favorite is the steamers, which have a natural broth that is so good you don’t even need to touch the butter. The clam pizza is truly unique and my entire family of picky eaters are fans. The sliders are good as well, though the lobster is better than the fried clams (might be better to try to get it with just the lobster if possible). The free butter rolls are sinful. I also love the ice cream sandwich dessert; I haven’t tried the others but they all look good.
The service: Accommodating, prompt, and friendly.
The ambiance: Cozy and small, with nice background music. Not too loud and not too quiet.
Make reservations a day in advance at least — it’s often hard to get in for dinner at a normal time that day.

Wonderful Feast of the Seven Fishes chef’s dinner on Christmas Eve!
Everything was perfect: The service, all the many delicious courses, the atmosphere, and the ability to talk easily without being hounded by loud music or talking. (A little disappointed that the chef didn’t come out to say hello).
Came here another time recently and was disappointed in the clam chowder (not that tasty and somewhat watery) and the baked clams. The clams were so chewy that I had to discreetly put quite a few of them in my paper napkin.
I would come here again but probably only for one of their special dinners.

Place is too dark and music is way too loud.
For appetizer we ordered the clam dip. The clam dip tasted like mayonnaise and clam bits. It didn’t taste anything special. We also shared a clam chowder soup. It was okay but I was expecting it to be more creamy. It was too watery. The clam was chewy and didn’t have that much of flavor.
For entrée I ordered the spagetti and clam, seeing that it was really popular from all the review I was reading from. I tried the spagetti and it didn’t taste anything spectacular from what I was hoping for. The clam was also really chewy. It was not worth the price that I paid for. I was quite disappointed.

This place is AWESOME.
Service is top notch, ambiance is great — nice place for a cozy romantic dinner.
Must Gets:
Spaghetti with Clams: The noodles are cooked perfectly. There is a bit of bite and bounce to the noodles and there is a hint of spice to the seasoning. There is also a generous amount of clam in shells and clam bits in the dish. I could eat this all day.
Sliders: These are so very tasty, and all the right textures.
Definitely will be back for another visit!

Yum.
I was here last night with my friend and it was just a fabulous experience. One of my more expensive dinners (3 drinks each adds up), but worth the splurge. Everything was fantastic!!!
We wanted everything so we split several items: the Campechana coctel de camaron, the fried clam and lobster sliders, the chili roasted Brussel sprouts, old bay fries and grilled king salmon. And, we both threw back several Cucumber Gin Coolers (with vodka instead) SO REFRESHING!
Basically, every plate was better than the last and «even the bathrooms smell fantastic!» And, our sever was wonderful. I’m kicking myself for not remembering her name, but she was very thoughtful, and accommodating of my gluten free needs.
Thank you for a wonderful dinner!!!

If you love seafood — you must come here. Every dish was exceptionally good. The raw sea scallops… yum. Oysters on a half shell came with a side of house made pickles that were refreshing and crisp. The show stopper is definitely the lobster sandwich with fried clams. Wow. The spaghetti and clams I could pass on next time, though. And the warm house roll you get before your meal… WOW. Buttery, warm, and so delicious.
Like other hip NYC spots, the ambience was spot on during a Friday date night. Dim lighting and pretty tightly packed house, but you do not feel like your neighbors are intruding on your conversation.
This will definitely be on my list every time I’m in new york. Can’t wait to come back and try some other things.

4.5 stars. Went to The Clam last night for dinner and had a delicious time.
If you appreciate seafood and don’t mind paying for the good stuff, this is your place. But if you don’t really, truly LOVE seafood, as was the case for a few in my party, The Clam may not be so suitable.
We arrived for a 5:15 reservation and were seated immediately. It took a little while for bread and drinks to come out, hence the 0.5 star deduction. Though the rolls were warm and delicious when they did arrive!
Our seafood dishes were insanely good. We ordered the stuffed clams, clam dip, seafood raviolo, linguine in red clam sauce, duck breast salad, and crispy chicken.
The clam dip was the best I’ve ever had. Even if you don’t think you like clam dip, order it! The lobster raviolo was also incredible, though keep in mind this dish is a singular (albeit large) raviolo. So if you want to make that your entrée, order a few sides as well.
The linguine in clam sauce was fresh and delicious — You could tell the pasta was homemade. And the baked clams were perfectly breaded and tender.
I can’t vouch for the chicken or duck salad, which my non-​seafood-​fanatic friends ordered, but I heard it was good. The duck salad was a very tiny portion though, so be warned. (Tiny portions are a theme. If you’re the kind of person who likes massive plates to bring home for later, this is not your place.)
Overall, The Clam is a delicious, fancy treat and a must for all shellfish lovers. I definitely recommend!

Was so very pleasantly impressed with our brunch that I had to leave a review. I’m NOT a seafood or shellfish eater, but was invited to a birthday brunch and decided to go with the flow. SO glad I did. Every single item we ordered and demolished was superb!!!
We ordered multiple appetizers, an entrée and then dessert. 1^st things 1^st, quality of food, freshness and preparation were top notch. You could taste it in every bite.
Appetizers were: baked clams, iced clams, West coast & east coast oysters and the chips and clam dip. Not a bad bite to be had. Each were phenomenal and brought out with perfect timing. Also the Parker house bread was a beautiful pre entrée treat. Loved it.
Entrée: gf had the bass and I had the Pat LaFreida burger (I know, but it was extremely tasty!). The bass was grilled to perfection and gorgeously presented.
Dessert: coffee and 86 proof bourbon chocolate ice cake. One word… WOW. 2 of my favorite things in a single, beautiful dessert. Simply heaven.
Great service, I HIGHLY recommend! Thumbs up from our entire party and we let the restaurant team know in the great little book you get to sign in at the end

I was looking for somewhere to get a light meal and some drinks and stumbled upon this place. We walked by and loved the vibe coming from this packed candlelit restaurant. Luckily at 65 or so degrees it was still comfortable to sit outside.
We were greeted by a super friendly and knowledgable waiter. He helped us pick a delicious wine with how descriptive and educated he was on the wine selection.
After, we ordered the lobster raviolo to share. Very delicious and nice size chunks of lobster inside.
For our main course, my friend got the swordfish. (Grilled perfectly, with a light vinaigrette). I got the stuffed clams. The stuffing was seasoned nicely and delicately with little tomatoes. My only issue was that the clams were overcooked and rubbery. (What a shame.)
Regardless it was a nice dining experience. Very professional service and incredible atmosphere. It is a little pricey, but you are paying for quality and that is most definitely what you receive.

Lobsters rolls: 5 stars
Spaghetti with clams: 5 stars
Soft shell crab: 5 stars
Wine list: 5 stars
Beer selection: 5 stars
Wait staff: 5 stars
I could not be happier with this food and place. I can’t wait to go back. My only issue is that we had a reservation and still have to wait almost 10 minutes.
I understand that sometimes this happens and this is a small place, but I wish that hadn’t happened.

This place is worth coming for the home made Parker house bread rolls.
They come fresh out of the oven with butter and sea salt and wow, my girlfriend still talks about these. Best dinner rolls you will ever have (along with the ones from Bubby’s down the street).
Come here and just order the free dinner rolls.
Oh yeah, the rest of the food was good too.

I really, really liked The Clam, but not enough for me to give it 5-​stars as there’s still a few kinks that need to be worked out. Overall though a fantastic place.
Food: 3.8-stars
Service: 5.0-stars
Ambiance: 5.0-stars
Here’s my individual food ratings:
5.0-stars: Parker House Rolls — excellent and complimentary, I kept requesting more
3.5-stars: Campechana Shrimp Cocktail — sauce was a little too sweet
4.5-stars: Butter Lettuce & Asparagus Salad — diversity of flavors, was exceptional
4.5-stars: Scallop Crudo — very delicate and tasty
3.0-stars: Lobster & Clam Sliders — too fried and greasy, couldn’t even taste the lobster
1.0-star: Broccoli — didn’t finish, was so badly burnt
5.0-stars: Panna Cotta w/​rhubarb compote — was amazing, might have been the best thing I had
So, overall, I think this is a great restaurant and I’ll definitely come back, but will pass on the broccoli, clam sliders and shrimp cocktail. Can’t go wrong here!

The Clam is one of those side walk bistros typical to downtown Manhattan, which can vary in value and quality, but in this case, away from main tourist arteries,
it is able to maintain a purity of its bistro class without feeling exploitative.
Staying simple, with plates in the $ 15-​$ 30 range, and bottles starting around $ 45, you can capture a café experience appropriate for a long lunch with a good friend.
We came around 3:30, when the place was half full, and snagged a spot on the sidewalk, ordered a bottle of rose from Provence $ 45, and the
clam dip with house made potato chips. The clam dip was fresh with sour cream and well seasoned.
We also shared a side of escarole and lobster roll sliders and the chocolate ice box cake.
Everything was very good for around $ 100, it was the kind of meal old friends in their 40’s might exactly want.
The place is small without feeling chainy, cheesy or overhyped.
As I overheard the scruffy Italian chef explaining the nightly dinner menu to an eclectic quiet artsy staff, the leitmotiv that was present in the menu and its preparation was reverberated — thoughtful, simple, and on point.

I love the way they do clams! I had the ones with bread crumbs sautéed with onions, pancceta and red bell peppers. That was sooo good! Served with a little arugula salad in the center.
I had to have more veggies — so I tried something different in combination: fennel and escarole with raisins and roasted garlic.
To complete my sampling I ordered the clam pizza with a super thin crunchy crust. I will heat up some tomorrow with an egg for breakfast.
Their desserts looked good — but I can’t eat all that! This is a good addition to the Big Apples’s list of restaurants.

Everything about lunch at The Clam was exceptional — the lovely setting, friendly/​welcoming staff, tasty cocktails, and incredible seafood!
There were simply too many delicious sounding options on the menu and we were only two people so we sadly didn’t get to try too many things. We first shared the steamed little neck clams as an appetizer (juicy clams in a salty, savory broth with grilled herbed bread). They were memorable.
So were our entrees, though! I had the fried clam belly and lobster sliders on grilled brioche buns. They look small but that is deceiving… I was quite full by the time I had devoured them. The other entrée dish we tried was our favorite of the whole meal — the lobster, leek, tarragon raviolo (singular as oppose to the plural ravioli) was one of the best things I’ve eaten… maybe ever. The raviolo was perfectly al dente and the seafood broth it came in, as well as the lobster filling, was superb.
The Clam is wonderful and should not be missed by seafood lovers! Although expensive, the food was truly worth the price.