Find the best fish market in NYC

A family-owned fishery based on Long Island’s North Fork, Blue Moon has been goin’ fishin’ for 40 years and has been peddling its pristine, sustainably caught seafood in NYC greenmarkets for nearly three of those four decades. Its selection reflects the seasonality of New York waters: In the spring, look for bluefish and blackfish; in the summer, mahimahi and Spanish mackerel; in the fall, monkfish and cod. And year-round, there’s always flounder, fluke and squid.

With three Manhattan locations (and more in the Hamptons and Connecticut), this mini-chain is one of the most accessible sources of seafood for busy New York shoppers. Sourcing most of its selection directly from the bustling New Fulton Fish Market at Hunts Point, Citarella’s seafood counters are packed with whole branzino, Arctic char fillets, tuna steaks, shellfish and more. In a rush to get dinner on the table? Try the grill-ready seasoned-and-shaped salmon burgers, herby seafood sausage or marinated swordfish kabobs.

This newcomer to the city’s seafood scene stands out for its highly curated selection of sustainable seafood sourced from responsibly managed fisheries. Popular items include porgy, pollock, squid, catfish and the store’s namesake crustacean, of course. If you’re hungry, be sure to check out Greenpoint’s pristine raw bar and menu items such as fish tacos and curried mussels.

Located within Manhattan foodie paradise Chelsea Market, the Lobster Place is an enormous operation where customers benefit from the company’s far-reaching wholesale networks and its direct relationships with aqua-farmers and fishermen. The store’s vast selection of finfish and shellfish is complemented by specialties such as smoked and canned seafood as well as a large sushi counter and the brisk sales of both eat-in and takeout steamed lobsters.

Mom-and-pop seafood stores used to abound in the city, but thanks to skyrocketing rents and Seamless, they’re now a dying breed. Luckily for Brooklyn shoppers, quirky Williamsburg fish market Metropolitan has held on through the decades as its home turf morphed from a dusty outskirt to the pulsing heart of hipster heaven. Inside the tiny shop, seafood lovers will find a healthy selection of steaks, fillets and seafood plus funky decor such as hanging nets and 3D replicas of leaping swordfish and pinching crabs.

Home to a sizable Greek population as well as a huge number of Mediterranean and seafood restaurants, it only makes sense that Astoria would also host one of the city’s best fish markets. This quintessential neighborhood spot beckons in passersby with its colorful fish-and-palm-tree-painted façade, then it backs it up with a serious selection brought in by the market’s own five fishing boats. A great spot for picking up whole fish, the market also offers rarer fish finds such as eel and sea urchin.

After opening shop in Soho in 1993, this high-quality fish market has since moved to Grand Central Market, where its colorful array of whole fish, fillets, oysters, mussels and clams can be found fanned out over ice in an abundant display. Dedicated to sourcing sustainable seafood whenever possible, Wild Edibles has become an indispensable resource for the city’s home cooks—plus, its convenient location makes it super easy to pick up dinner fixings on your commute home.