Seafood restaurants in California
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Swan Oyster Depot
Superior flavor without the superior attitude of most seafood restaurants. The downside is an inevitable wait for the few counter seats, but the upside of the high turnover is unbelievably fresh seafood. On sunny days, place an order to go, browse Polk St boutiques, then breeze past the line to pick up your crab salad with Louie dressing and the obligatory top-grade oysters with mignonette sauce. Hike or take a bus up to Sterling Park for superlative seafood with ocean views.
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Santa Barbara Shellfish Company
'From sea to skillet to plate' best describes this end-of-the-wharf crab shack that's more of a counter joint. Great lobster bisque, ocean views and the same location for 25 years.
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Tsar Nicoulai Caviar Cafe
Indulge champagne tastes and caviar dreams with a West Coast twist: grassy, sprightly Sonoma sparkling wine and sustainably farmed California ostetra caviar. Pair bubbly by the glass with the Infused Sampler: caviar with traces of brandy, kaffir lime, wasabi, truffle and ginger. Better yet: samplers are half-price on Mondays and Tuesdays. But the most deliciously perverse bar snack ever has to be the ahi and sturgeon sashimi, served in a glass inserted into a fishbowl, with fish flitting around the base.
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Waterbar
The giant glass column aquariums in the dining room and the splendid vista of the bay beyond give you some idea just how fresh and local the sustainably sourced seafood is here. Leave the dining room to Silicon Valley strivers trying hard to impress dates and investors, and make a beeline for the oval bar, where the plates and prices are smaller, and oyster shells and corks are popping to keep pace with orders of local mollusks with shallot/wine mignonette and local champagne by the glass.
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E
Sardine Factory
For a formal sit-down dinner with pampering service, the Sardine Factory is it. It's a 40-year-old institution that still prepares fine steaks and seafood, but its real strength lies in its atmosphere and wine list. It can be pricey, so consider its three-course prixe-fix dinners (17:00 to 19:00) or simply something off the tapas menu and a glass of wine. Each of its dining rooms is ornately and uniquely decorated, but my favorite is the glass conservatory.
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Weird Fish
Jerked, blackened, almond-encrusted, tossed in a tortilla: get your fish as you like it at this tiny restaurant. (It’s also sustainably farmed and under $10.) Adventurous eaters can’t resist the lure of the Suspicious Fish dish, made with the catch of the day and the chef’s inspiration. But the vegan yam, guacamole, and spinach tacos with spicy pumpkin seeds are mighty tasty too – how very Weird and wonderful.
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Catch
'Catch' as in 'of the day' – Dungeness crab, oysters, sole – not necessarily a reference to that silver fox by the fireplace. Try the vat-sized cioppino, and maneuver away from the piano to hear the hot dish being served by fellow diners.
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Monterey's Fish House
Ten bucks says you're the only non-local in the joint. Italian-Japanese chef David DiGirolamo prepares spanking-fresh seafood with the occasional Asian twist, watched over by photos of his Sicilian fishermen ancestors. Though reservations are next to required, Hawaiian shirts seem to be de rigueur for gentlemen. Try the barbecued oysters or, for those stout of heart, the large Mexican squid steak.
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I
Rock’N Fish
Sometimes it’s about the blackened halibut, sometimes it’s about the smokin’ waitstaff, but it’s always, always about the sour-apple martini at sexy Rock’N Fish, just steps from the Manhattan Beach Pier. Part seafood restaurant, part upscale bar, this appropriately named hangout is an always-popular fallback. Great for group dinners or an early date, it’s boisterous once the martini crowd flows in.
reviewed
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J
Anchor Oyster Bar
Since its founding in 1977, Anchor's formula has been simple: seafood classics, like local oysters, crab cakes, Boston clam chowder and copious salads. The nautical-themed room seats just 24 at shiny stainless-steel tables; you can't make reservations, but you can sit at the marble-top bar to shorten the wait.
reviewed
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Fish
This kid-friendly dockside joint at the end of Harbor Dr hooks locals with sustainable, line-caught fish – some from their own boats – and down-home details, like picnic-table seating and Mason-jar glasses. Sustainability and organics have their price: the Saigon salmon sandwich will set you back $22 – but it’s worth it. No credit cards.
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Bluewater Grill
Step up to the oyster bar, order a dozen on the half shell then sit back and watch the sun call it a day. For dinner, pick your fresh fish from the list then let the pros cook it any way you like. Garlic mashed potatoes and sautéed spinach (!) are can’t-miss. The houseboat crowd slips in from the adjacent marina by 6:30pm for supercheap happy-hour prices.
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Bar Crudo
An international idea that's pure California: choice morsels of fresh seafood served raw Italian-style, with pan-Asian condiments and East–West beers. Start with Japanese Hitachino white ale and raw fluke with coconut milk and grapefruit, and graduate to potent Belgian Tripel ales with wasabi-spiked Arctic char. Don't miss Tuesday to Sunday happy hour from 5pm to 6:30pm, when specials include $1 local oysters.
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Hungry Cat
Hollywood hep cats know their way to the zinc raw bar at Suzanne Goin and David Lentz’s seafood hideaway – tucked behind Borders books – where peel-and-eat shrimp, oysters on the half shell and savory fish du jour specials shine. For seafood-avoiders, the hefty Pug Burger is a must, a smoky affair memorably slathered with avocado, bacon and blue cheese.
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Neptune’s Net
Not far past the Malibu line, Neptune’s Net catches Range Rovers, road bikes and rad choppers with fried-shrimp-and-beer hospitality on inviting wooden porches. A bit further are sycamore-lined mountain trails and seaside views of frolicking seals at lustrous Point Mugu State Park.
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World Famous
Watch the surf while enjoying 'California coastal cuisine,' an ever-changing menu of inventive dishes from the sea (think banana rum mahi and bacon-and-spinach-wrapped scallops), plus steaks, salads, lunchtime sandwiches and burgers.
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Sam’s Anchor Cafe
Everyone wants an outdoor table, but you can’t reserve the bay-front patio at this way-popular seafood and burger shack – the town’s oldest restaurant (look for the trapdoor that was used to spirit booze straight from ship to saloon). Good cioppino. Expect seagulls to alight tableside.
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Oceanaire Seafood Room
The look is art-deco ocean liner and the service is just as refined, with an oyster bar (get them for a buck during happy hour, 5pm to 6pm Monday to Friday) and inventive creations including Maryland blue crab cakes and horseradish-crusted Alaskan halibut.
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Passionfish
Passionfish is one of the finest fish restaurants in the region. Fresh, sustainable seafood is served in any number of inventive ways; there are also slow-cooked meats and locally grown vegetables. Owner Ted Walther has built up a passionate following that extends well beyond PG.
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Mountain Room
The chefs at the lodge's casual-elegant dining room produce some of the best meals in the park, but your sesame-encrusted ahi (tuna) or filet mignon will likely be competing for your attention with the stunning views of Yosemite Falls. Reservations recommended.
reviewed
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San Pedro Fish Market & Restaurant
Seafood feasts don't get any more decadent than at this family-run harbor-view institution. Pick from the day's catch, have it cooked to order, lug your tray to a picnic table, fold up your sleeves and devour meaty crabs, plump shrimp, slimy oysters and tender halibut.
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Water Grill
Who needs the captain’s table when impeccable service, fresh seafood and a warm, nautical ambience await in the heart of downtown? Locals linger over martinis at the raw bar while concert-goers savor pre-show piscine specialties in the wood-beamed dining room.
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Moxie
Moxie is darkly lit and romantic, and the service is cordial and down-to-earth. The menu applies Californian attitudes to American standards and seafood specialties, with some fusion cross-breeding. Great crab pot stickers and mashed potatoes.
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Rosie's Avalon Seafood
Rosie, who reigned over this beloved fish shack for over three decades, has retired, but her successor still feeds loyal locals with dock-fresh fish tacos, fried calamari, halibut sandwiches and other simple, fishy fare.
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Bistro Gardens
The food here is better than you typically find in Crescent City. They actually use sauces! The fish-heavy menu features seafood stew, grilled oysters and filet mignon. The ocean views are stellar. Come before sunset.
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