Best Seafood Restaurants In Los Angeles
(credit: Christian Horan)
The beauty of eating seafood is the versatility of it. Long gone are the days of pan fried with a slice of lemon or a side of cocktail sauce. Today, chefs get playful with flavor, cooking technique and presentation when it comes to fish. Los Angeles restaurants pride themselves on locally sourced seafood but also have no issue bringing in freshly harvested oysters from oceans all over the world. Check out these five seafood hot spots and get ready for an explosion of tastes and dynamic ingredient pairings.
Catch
8715 Melrose Ave
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(323) 347-6060
www.facebook.com
If you didn't know it was there, you'd have a hard time finding where LA's best new rooftop restaurant is. But, just seek out the line out on the street at the corner of Melrose Ave and San Vicente Blvd across from the Pacific Design Center. Straight from the east coast, Catch offers stunning views of the city from its rooftop patio along with delicious seafood options, like spicy king crab hand rolls, and crispy fish. The massive 12,000 square foot seafood spot is one you won't want to miss. Whether you sit indoors or outdoors, the setting is spectacular, and the food is just as great.
CAST
Viceroy Hotel Santa Monica
1819 Ocean Ave.
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 260-7500
www.viceroyhotelsandresorts.com
CAST restaurant takes diners on an adventure with a menu featuring unexpected twists and flavors. Guests have the luxury of selecting from so many menu options: bites, small plates, big plates and bigger plates. Executive Chef Tony DiSalvo sources ingredients from local markets (Santa Monica Seafood) and farms, and wins with these standout selections: ceviche served in a bowl of fresh yellowtail covered in lime, grapefruit, avocado, jalapeno and a drizzled soy with a side of puffed rice crackers; grilled octopus served with couscous and chickpea panisse in a tahini vinaigrette; Maine lobster featuring corn, chanterelles, lemongrass and coconut; Diver scallops and Dungeness crab risotto with snap peas and a shiso vinaigrette; roasted halibut with a side of sweet potato puree, maitake mushrooms, gai lan or Chinese broccoli tossed in a chile-sesame vinaigrette; or a crispy fried whole red snapper served with Vietnamese vegetable, noodle and herb salad.
CAFÉ del REY
4451 Admiralty Way
Marina del Rey, CA 90292
(310) 823-6395
www.cafedelreymarina.com
Seafood enthusiasts are invited to fish and dish at CAFE del REY. Executive Chef and avid fisherman Chuck Abair has a personal affinity for seafood. Each year, the restaurant hosts a special dining package which includes a half-day fishing expedition on a boat along the Pacific coastline, followed by an outdoor barbecue lunch featuring the catch of the day. These guys know a thing or two about fish as the kitchen incorporates an array of house-made specialties into spectacular Mediterranean-inspired entrees. CAFÉ del REY's standout seafood menu includes a fish stew, comprised of assorted fish and shellfish, orzo, chickpeas, carrots, fennel in a tomato broth, grilled tiger shrimp in a curry cilantro marinade, grouper, as well as Dorado with couscous, tzatziki, red onion, mint and cucumber.
EMC Seafood & Raw Bar
3500 W 6th St
Los Angeles, CA 90010
(213) 351-9988
www.emcseafood.com
EMC Seafood & Raw Bar is a constant favorite among seafood lovers for its tasty oysters and raw ber and other seafood dishes offered. And, while the Silverlake restaurant is not near the ocean, it certainly serves up some of the freshest seafood in the city. Opened in 2013, the restaurant has become popular meeting spot for those looking to dine on their one-of-a-kind lobster roll. Slathered with Tarragon butter, and sea salt on a brioche bun, it's a must to order. Or, try EMC's seafood tower which features 2 whole lobsters, along with other seafood like fresh uni, mussels, clams, shrimp and more. Want just lobster? They restaurant can steam it with spicy lemon pepper sauce, or can make it crispy with light batter, sea salt, garlic, onions. Or, choose to have it charbroiled.
Blue Plate Oysterette
8048 W 3rd St
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 656-5474
www.blueplatesantamonica.com
Santa Monica used to be the only location where you could enjoy the delicious seafood delicacies that Blue Plate Oysterette offered its patrons. But, with the opening of the West Hollywood outpost, guests east of the 405 don't have to travel far to dine on many different seafood dishes. Offering an oyster hour throughout the week, oysters are just $1 along with specialty drink cocktails at discounted prices. One of their most popular and raved about dishes is the lobster mac and cheese. With Maine lobster, parmesan, herbs and truffle oil, it's obvious why guests continue to frequent the restaurant just for this dish. Other great items include a seafood tower from their raw bar with ½ Maine lobster, 6 oysters, 4 clams, ½ lb. mussels, 4 prawns, king crab, sauces & mignonettes, as well as ceviche, fish tacos, mussels, crab cakes, fried clams, a tasty lobster roll, fish & chips and many more seafood items to choose from.
L&E Oyster Bar
1637 Silver Lake Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(323) 660-2255
www.leoysterbar.com
No doubt about it, you definitely come to L&E for the oysters. The Silver Lake restaurant may not be steps from the ocean, but it delivers on fresh fish daily from Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The oyster menu is extensive, offering guests raw (served on a bed of ice with vinegar to dip), grilled (casino, Rockefeller or L&E style) and fried (with a side of gribiche sauce). The in-house smoked mussels are served in glass jars marinated in olive oil, lemon zest and fried capers with chorizo toast on the side. And for entrees, consider the whole-roasted fish or arctic char.
Related: Best Grilled Dishes In Los Angeles
The Strand House
117 Manhattan Beach Blvd.
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
(310) 545-7470
www.thestrandhousemb.com
This South Bay restaurant makes dining seaside an experience to relish in with its view of the Pacific Ocean, a passionate menu and its celebrated oyster cart. The cart, which is offered during the afternoon, makes its rounds throughout the dining room. The cart features a daily selection of four oysters on the half shell, a rotation of prawns, lobster and shrimp with traditional accompaniments and a featured caviar selection. Wine pairings are also offered to accompany this afternoon treat. In addition, choose the amazing house specialty Maine lobster roll or the savory grilled fish tacos.
Hungry Cat
1535 Vine St
Los Angeles, CA 90028
(323) 462-2155
www.thehungrycat.com
Since 2005, The Hungry Cat has been serving creative seafood dishes out of their multiple locations to the delight of seafood lovers around Los Angeles. As one of Los Angeles' premier seafood restaurants, the menu offers fresh fish dishes with seasonal produce like a crab, shrimp and clam ceviche, as well as grilled octopus, a whole stuffed trout with sunchokes, apples, maitake mushrooms, squash, and brown butter, and a guest favorite: the Maine lobster roll.
Santa Monica Oyster Bar & Café
1000 Wilshire Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 393-5244
www.santamonicaseafood.com
Known as the seafood source in LA for chefs, restaurants and personal kitchens, Santa Monica Seafood offers a full-service café in addition to the market, which features an extensive refrigerated seafood display of responsibly sourced and freshly caught halibut, tuna, sea bass, shellfish and so much more. The café is a convenient place to get grilled fresh seafood, raw oysters, calamari fritti, Pacific coast ceviche, Dungeness crab cakes, three different chowders, cioppino, fish and chips, spicy swordfish sliders and crab Louie.
Connie And Teds
8171 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90046
(323) 848-2722
www.connieandteds.com
Los Angeles is known for a wide variety of seafood restaurants, but Connie & Teds is one of those restaurants which solely dedicates their menu to seafood. While you may find a few stray dishes that don't have any seafood in it, the bulk of the menu is seafood seafood seafood. And, with so many great options to choose from at this West Hollywood hot spot, you might feel a bit overwhelmed when it comes to ordering. Everything on the menu though is delicious, but items like Joanne's Fish and Chips or the grilled catch of the day, the batter dipped cod, and the rock shrimp salad are big stand out items. Their lobster dishes do get rave reviews too, including their lobster by the pound served with herbed oil or drawn butter, as well as the very popular lobster roll (served hot or cold).
The Lobster
1602 Ocean Ave
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 458-9294
www.thelobster.com
If you love seafood, chances are you love lobster too. And, out of any lobster restaurant in the city, you know a restaurant named after the seafood delicacy is offering up the freshest and the best around. Serving fresh seafood at the entrance to the historic Santa Monica Pier, the lobster serves lobster dishes throughout the day for brunch, lunch and dinner. Patrons have their choice of several options including a steamed American lobster with green beans, potatoes and drawn butter, the grilled American lobster with fresh herbs, lemon and garlic butter, or the butter poached American lobster. Complete with lobster mash with English peas, asparagus, mushrooms and lobster Americaine sauce, the restaurant can be a bit pricey, but lobster usually is known to set you back a few extra dollars. It's a great destination for a birthday or anniversary, or just for a nice night out. The Lobster also offers other seafood dishes as well.
