Pearl Oyster Bar
New York, NY 10014-4138
Phone: (212) 691-8211
- Price:
- $$$
- Cross Street:
- 4th Street
- Directions:
- A, C, E; F, V, S at W 4th St
- Best of Citysearch:
- Seafood 2007
- Hours:
- Mon-Fri 12pm-2:30pm, 6pm-11pm, Sat 6pm-11pm
Editorial Review for Pearl Oyster Bar – by Allison Austin
The Scene
Thanks to an expansion into the storefront next door, the restaurant is twice the size it was when it opened in 1997. No matter--it's still always packed with happy neighbors, casual daters and friends catching up. Proof of the general conviviality of the place: Seats at the bar are most coveted.
The Food
Seafood lovers will have a hard time ordering the wrong thing--it's all done just right. Start with fried oysters, served atop a spot of homemade tartar sauce inside the oyster shells. Offered as an entree, perfectly caramelized seared scallops make a fine starter as well. The bouillabaisse is fine, though it's a bit too mussel-filled; a bowl of steamed clams in butter-clam-wine broth is better. The lobster roll can't be missed--chef and owner Rebecca Charles still makes the best one in town. Dessert--a homey, seasonal pie or cobbler--rounds out the meal perfectly.
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Insider Tips
Know Before You GoThe restaurant doesn't take reservations and lines are often long, so patience is a virtue you'll need during the busiest times.
What to DrinkA short list of very affordable wines is available, as well as three draft beers: Guinness and a rotating pilsner and amber.
User Reviews for Pearl Oyster Bar
07/15/2008 Posted by RA10022
I know people "crab" about the attitude, but we've never had a problem. We had a perfect smokey grilled lobster, sweetest scallops I've ever had over these buttery little vegetables, sinful mussels with cream sauce and a Caesar. (That recipe was worth trying to protect.) And why is the shrimp cocktail better here than anywhere else in the world? We won't even order it in most places. We got REALLY used to the strawberry-rhubarb crumble pie but now that the blueberry is back it was outrageous. If you're listening Pearl, maybe a shorter apple pie season?
05/01/2008 Posted by at0m
Great, cute little restaurant, the obvious go-to for a sure-to-please lobster roll, as well as many other excellent seafood dishes. However, when I went last night it was a series of rude encounters with the staff, kicking my bag out of their way and just walking away when we had apparently taken too long considering their menu. This place is successful, and for good reason, but I hope I never become so successful at anything in life that I no longer find it necessary to be a nice person. Being in all these great restaurants in NY that act like you should be honored to be eating there is becoming a bore. Cheer up or close the place - if you hate it so much that you can't be happy, maybe you shouldn't be doing it. You're doing no one a favor by serving excellent food with a bad attitude.
Pros: Undeniably good food
Cons: Unhappy people
