Grand Banks

One of the more luxurious days at sea can be had in... Tribeca? That's thanks to the crew behind Grand Banks. Docked at Tribeca Piers since 2014, this historic 1940s schooner turned oyster bar sings its sweetest siren song during the warmer months, luring New Yorkers with oysters, boozy drinks and bubbles. It's certainly a splurge, but making the voyage to this beautiful ship to slurp oysters while floating on the Hudson is a summertime rite of passage worth experiencing at least once.

The vibe: We will say it: this 80-year-old boat looks good for its age. Grand Banks is easily spotted on land as it continues to sport its iconic limoncello-yellow-and-white-colored awning, with string lights that flicker on by evening. There's plenty of seating with tables, stools at the bronze-tipped bar and a few carved-out booths near the front and rear of the ship. We always make a note to visit the silver oyster counter near the bow at least once during our voyage. It's here you'll see the master shuckers at work and get a better view of Lady Liberty in the distance. 

The food: Oysters are the main draw, many of which are plucked from the waters that border the Americas. The constant, however, is an oyster that the Crew team helped to cultivate up in Montauk—a briny boy by the name of Sailor Baby that is as salty as they come. Luckily, each oyster order arrives with a zippy horseradish cocktail sauce and two mignonettes to cut it, including a ramp variation that will stay good and pickled until the end of the season. More seafood follows as the galley churns out lobster rolls, butter-basted scallops over a rich coriander emulsion, and the poppable tater tot bite blessed with spheres of steelhead trout roe—better known as yacht tots. The seafood, while fresh, comes at a New York price: a dozen oysters start at $47 and top out at $55.

The drink: Cocktails go the seafaring route, such as the seafoam green-colored Permanent Vacation, that's nice and rummy with a blend of two spirits and made totally crushable by coconut and pineapple juices. Their menu also has a small dedicated section of spritzes, or you could go the route of wine, bubbles, and beer.

Time Out tip: The boating season for Grand Banks usually starts in mid-April and goes into a winter hibernation around mid-October. Keep an eye on their Instagram for announcements from the crew.