The 20 best waterfront restaurants in NYC

A double-bridge tableau and a switcheroo view of Brooklyn make The Fulton a year-round waterside destination for the person who has everything. Or, the person who has every selfie with Manhattan in the background, in this case. The food and drinks are good, too, including incredible seafood towers. 

Somewhat understated, Pilot is one of the most fashionable boat bars in Brooklyn or beyond. Its wooden finishes and navy color scheme have pops of gloss with the occasional varnished surface and one cheery splash overhead in the white and yellow awning shading the bar. But even a 147-foot schooner crowds pretty quick once people start filing in for oysters, soft-shell crabs and cocktails, so go before sunset to beat the crowds. 

Lawn games, barrels of seafood, buckets of beer, frozen margarita fishbowls and 250 seats span three stories at one of Red Hook's most popular summer haunts. Brooklyn Crab strongly resembles a massive ramshackle ship with much drier Instagram opportunities, plus several separate seating configurations and room for groups.

One of the most romantic restaurants in the five boroughs, The River Cafe has a secluded open-air deck, heart-swelling views of the Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan and live piano music inside.  Its $195 prix-fixe dinner menu, which includes items like foie gras, soft-shell crab, duck and lobster secures its designation as a special occasion destination. 

Though Panorama Room won't put you as close to the waves as some waterside spots, it has one of the most beautiful views your dedicated dining out dollars can buy. Its brief menu is mostly seafood-centric, and a full complement of drinks is available. 

Peruse overhead menus longer than cable news tickers featuring oysters, clams, lobster tails, frog legs and frozen drinks, order and pay cash inside and soak up the Long Island Sound at a picnic table on the patio. It fills up fast on beautiful spring and summer weekends, so come prepared with a seating plan. 

We love bivalves on land, but they’re even better at sea. Take the $2 ferry from Brooklyn or Manhattan to Governors Island and tip back a few sustainable oysters and craft suds at this casually stunning seasonal walk-in spot. 

For “meet me tonight in Atlantic City” vibes without having to get on the turnpike, Tatiana is the Boss. The Brighton Beach boardwalk spot handily leans on its natural beach scene for decor and sports red and green borscht, potato vareniki and all manner of sea fare on its menu.

Gaze upon the lower Manhattan skyline and Statue of Liberty from the deck of this historic schooner turned oyster bar docked at Pier 25 in Hudson River Park. Grand Banks, a ringer for Pilot, as they're owned by the same group, affords a maritime escape without having to pay those pesky yacht club fees. 

The 22nd floor of the William Vale hotel has a wraparound terrace ideally situated for outdoor dining, drinks and cynicism-smashing views. Visit on a not-too-hot day, order an effervescent cocktail and lower your shades for a nourishing look at the NYC skyline.

Said to be the oldest bar on the Coney Island boardwalk, Ruby’s has character for miles. Beyond its fire engine red exterior, weathered sepia prints line the walls, burgers, dogs, clams and fried shrimp populate and menu, and boozy slushies and beer slosh precariously to the edge of plastic cups. 

Bar terrace on the sixth floor of the Wythe Hotel overlooks the East River and the NYC skyline. The restaurant and bar also has abundant space inside, seafood-leaning menus and plenty of beer, wine, cocktails, frozens and zero-ABV drinks.

The 10th floor of the 1 Hotel beside the Brooklyn Bridge has panoramic views of the surrounding area, customary rooftop cocktails and (seasonal) a pool just for guests (but it could be a great way to make new friends).

This sprawling Little Paris on the Hudson has al fresco dining on its the terrace along Battery Park City esplanade, where you can sip French wine and watch yachts set sail out of North Cove Marina. You can also stroll the adjacent market space for a little taste of the City of Light right in lower Manhattan. 

A sparkling riverside Mediterranean-influenced restaurant in the shadow of the handsome Manhattan Bridge, Celestine is close enough to the water to hear the waves dancing with the shore. Its terrace frames all that in its tableau, plus a nice wide expanse of the Manhattan skyline. 

Another Seaport spot, Industry Kitchen has room for 300 along the East River. Spy the Williamsburg and Brooklyn Bridges from your seat on the patio outside, and choose from seafood starters like crab cakes and ahi tuna nachos and duck confit risotto, New York strip steak and lobster ravioli mains. In addition to the expected cocktails, wine and beer, Industry Kitchen also has frozen drinks for the season. 

This restaurant in Riverside Park at West 105th Street reopened last year in its familiar old space with tons of outside seats and a wide-ranging menu that’s great for groups. Sip a Lillet spritz with serviceable pizza, sandwiches burgers and dogs amid the trees and in view of the Hudson River. 

Previously the world’s smallest aircraft carrier, Baylander Steel Beach is now stationed at the West Harlem Piers in Upper Manhattan off 125th Street. Hit the 4,000-square-foot spot for loosely-themed cocktails like the Captain’s Colada and rummy pirates punch with torpedo dogs, pilot wings and stealth tacos. Or just get the guac.

Approaching a century old, this 133-foot lightship (like a lighthouse of the seas) has had a lot of lives. The former service ship was eventually decommissioned, abandoned and sank before the late 1980s restoration that turned it into the west side’s watery party destination by the end of that decade. We should all be so lucky.

Cruise the Hudson in hour increments on this former Florida gambling ship that seems paradoxically just as well-suited to first dates as post-work team-building sessions. With its time limit, lobster rolls, cocktail pitchers and SHOTS! (caps and punctuation theirs), we bet you won’t tire of this brief voyage. North River also operates a similar taco boat.