The Mermaid Inn Uptown

(212) 799-7400

568 Amsterdam Ave (nr. 88th St.)
New York, NY 10024 40.7787 -73.9534

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Neighborhoods: Yorkville, Midtown

THEMERMAIDNYC.COM

Hours:

Monday: 5:30-10:00

Tuesday-Thursday 5:30-11

Friday-Sunday 5:00-11:00

Sunday: 11:00am-3:00pm

Last updated 10.17.11

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

American Express, Visa, Discover, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Local Favorite, Online Reservations, Date Spot, Dine At The Bar

General Info:

Open 7 Days

Cuisine:

Seafood, Traditional American

What People Are Saying About The Mermaid Inn Uptown

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

The Scene – With its airy front room, narrow center kitchen and handsomely wainscoted back dining room, the new uptown Mermaid Inn is spookily similar to the East Village original. It's also packed to the gills with Upper West Siders who've longed for a local spot so simple and satisfying. – – The Food – The seafood menu has made the journey uptown, too. To start, a crisp wedge of iceberg balances under crumbled blue cheese and a light, tart dressing, while fried calamari could use less of its heavy batter. Whole fish change regularly: Supple Atlantic salmon is served…

Editor's Tips

The Extras:
There is no dessert on the menu, but a free demitasse cup of chocolate pudding closes each meal, accompanied by a fish toy.
Save Money:
The appetizer of steamed mussels is only $8, and when paired with a side order of the addictive Old Bay fries, it's a great cheap meal.
What to Drink:
A bottle of Hitachino white ale ($9) goes well with any fish, while a limited choice of six wines are sold by the glass. Most bottles on the globe-spanning, fish-friendly list sit below the $50 mark.
The Extras:
There is no dessert on the menu, but a free demitasse cup of chocolate pudding closes each meal, accompanied by a fish toy.
Save Money:
The appetizer of steamed mussels is only $8, and when paired with a side order of the addictive Old Bay fries, it's a great cheap meal.
What to Drink:
A bottle of Hitachino white ale ($9) goes well with any fish, while a limited choice of six wines are sold by the glass. Most bottles on the globe-spanning, fish-friendly list sit below the $50 mark.
drinks
100.0% positive
  1. The wine list was small, and reasonably priced so we were able to choose a good wine appropriate to what we ordered.
food quality
93.75% positive
  1. Finally--a nice, casual but classy neighborhood seafood place is just what the neighborhood needed.
  2. Overall, we had a great meal and will definitely be back.
  3. The seafood aoli was amazing, the raw oysters divine, the fish dishes are great.
  4. Had the lobster roll and it was decent but not nearly as good as other known places in the city and at 25 bucks also quite pricey considering it has by far some of the worst fries I have ever tasted(easy on the seasoning guys!)
  5. We started with oysters which were fresh and served with a delicious mignonette; a rarity in the upperwest side.
  6. Interestingly enough, I thought the gnocchi was my favorite even though it was non-seafood.
  7. Yes, the state is quaint and the small towns are a refreshing change to the city but that's all moot as soon as I can have one of those beautiful crustaceous meat in a lobster roll bun.
  8. Good seafood in the upperwest!
overall
100.0% positive
  1. Finally--a nice, casual but classy neighborhood seafood place is just what the neighborhood needed.
  2. Nice staff, good looking place but sorta hard to be local regular place at those prices.
return potential
100.0% positive
  1. Overall, we had a great meal and will definitely be back.
service
100.0% positive
  1. Nice staff, good looking place but sorta hard to be local regular place at those prices.
  2. Food was outrageously good, service was efficient a little rushed as the restaurant was obviously slammed, but always friendly and helpful.
  3. It was more like 30 minutes but we enjoyed the respite and the great bartender.
  4. So we walked into the Inn and were greeted with a friendly staff and told it would be 15 minutes for inside and up to an hour for outside.
value
75.0% positive
  1. Nice staff, good looking place but sorta hard to be local regular place at those prices.
  2. Had the lobster roll and it was decent but not nearly as good as other known places in the city and at 25 bucks also quite pricey considering it has by far some of the worst fries I have ever tasted(easy on the seasoning guys!)
wait time
100.0% positive
  1. So we walked into the Inn and were greeted with a friendly staff and told it would be 15 minutes for inside and up to an hour for outside.
  2. It was more like 30 minutes but we enjoyed the respite and the great bartender.
4 Star Rating: Recommended

02/03/10

Maine in the city?

by JoanneHCheng

I'II have to put it out there: I drive to Maine just for lobster rolls. Yes, the state is quaint and the small towns are a refreshing change to the city but that's all moot as soon as I can have one of those beautiful crustaceous meat in a lobster roll bun. There is no other way to eat one . . . . until I had the Mermaid Inn lobster roll. Old Bay fries. Toasted and buttered brioche bun. Chunks of lobster so much so that it just squeezes out of the sides. I'll need a new excuse to head up to Maine now.

  • Pros: Don't have to drive to Maine for a lobster roll
  • Cons: No need to drive to Maine for a lobster roll
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

06/08/08

A great ENcore of the original!

by jimbos1015

Only recently discovered the original Mermaid Inn downtown and was hoping to return to it soon. The opportunity to eat out at the last minute presented itself this past Friday, worked on the upper west side that day and was running late so my wife trekked uptown to meet me and we decided to waste more time before heading out of the city for the day in all the Friday night traffic. So we walked into the Inn and were greeted with a friendly staff and told it would be 15 minutes for inside and up to an hour for outside. We chose inside and waited at the bar. It was more like 30 minutes but we enjoyed the respite and the great bartender. Food was outrageously good, service was efficient a little rushed as the restaurant was obviously slammed, but always friendly and helpful. We never felt rushed and always got the right amount of attention when we needed it. Will try to arrivet earlier next time, as I've a feeling there'll be a few more summery Friday night visits waiting for traffic to subside!

  • Pros: Food, Service, atmosphere, Food, food food!
  • Cons: Busy and noisy, successful!!
3 Star Rating: Average

01/24/08

EXPENSIVE.

by heddo

Was really excited that a place like this was coming into my neighborhood as I really enjoy the one downtown. Nice, cute place...looks a lot like the one. Had the lobster roll and it was decent but not nearly as good as other known places in the city and at 25 bucks also quite pricey considering it has by far some of the worst fries I have ever tasted(easy on the seasoning guys!). Spent close to 200 bucks for 3 of us and I left hungry. Nice staff, good looking place but sorta hard to be local regular place at those prices.

  • Pros: Nice cozy place, nice staff, good beer
  • Cons: Small portions, Expensive for what you get, ok food
4 Star Rating: Recommended

12/16/07

Good seafood in the upperwest!

by kellyjohn

The first thing that struck us was the room itself. It wasn't too tightly packed. There is ample space between tables and we never felt as though we were intruding on someone else's dinner. It was quite romantic. The food was very well executed. We started with oysters which were fresh and served with a delicious mignonette; a rarity in the upperwest side. (One of us got a few too many shell pieces in his oysters but it didn't ruin his experience) We had the arctic char, monkfish, gnocchi, and cod fritter. All the dishes were well balanced and appropriately portioned. Although, one of us could have used "more acid" in most of his plates, but that may just be nit-picking. The wine list was small, and reasonably priced so we were able to choose a good wine appropriate to what we ordered. Overall, we had a great meal and will definitely be back.

  • Pros: Food, location, ambience.
  • Cons: New: has a few service kinks to be worked out.
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

11/26/07

It's about time!

by bigglesworth96

Finally--a nice, casual but classy neighborhood seafood place is just what the neighborhood needed. Sure there's Ocean Grill (too crowded), Docks (overpriced) and Neptune (too yuppy), but this is the place for everyone from grandmothers to dates. You can dress for a night out on the town or come in wearing a t-shirt and jeans, it doesn't matter. The seafood aoli was amazing, the raw oysters divine, the fish dishes are great. Interestingly enough, I thought the gnocchi was my favorite even though it was non-seafood. I hope it lasts for while, it's a shame how many great businesses have gone under in the area because of greedy landlords. It's been crowded since the day it opened to I would make a reservation, otherwise expect to wait 30-45 minutes.

  • Pros: Friendly service, great food
  • Cons: Small menu

The Details on The Mermaid Inn Uptown

Place Categories:

  • nice staff
  • nice neighborhood seafood place
  • divine raw oysters
  • great bartender
  • favorite gnocchi
  • great meal
  • worst fries
  • good seafood
  • good bucks
  • good wine
  • great fish dishes
  • delicious mignonette
  • really enjoy downtown
  • beautiful crustaceous meat
  • great businesses
  • amazing seafood aoli
  • great encore
  • enjoyed respite
  • outrageously good food
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