Grand Central Oyster Bar

(212) 490-6650

89 E 42nd St (at Vanderbilt Ave.)
New York, NY 10017 40.7523 -73.978

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Neighborhoods: Midtown South Central, Midtown

OYSTERBARNY.COM

Years in business

Established in 1913

Hours:

Mon-Fri 11:30am-9:30pm

Sat 12pm-9:30pm

Price:

$$$$

Last updated 8.16.11

Category:

Restaurants, Banquet Rooms

Payment Methods:

American Express, Visa, Discover, Diners Club, MasterCard

Catering Services:

Banquets

Restaurant Special Features:

Local Favorite, Private Rooms, Historic Setting, Business Dining, Online Reservations, Group Dining, Dine At The Bar, Bar Scene, Notable Wine List

Cuisine:

Traditional American, Seafood

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About Grand Central Oyster Bar

Featured Review

Kathleen Squires

Contributor

The Scene – There's something grand about eating in Grand Central Terminal, as 90 years of Oyster Bar patrons can attest. Just ask the time-pressed commuters who prefer the lunch counters; the drinkers gravitating toward the saloon; and the tourists and power-lunchers enjoying the twinkling white lights of the arched Guastavino-tiled dining room. – – The Food – The restaurant's strength is in obtaining quality seafood. Start with the immaculate oyster selection and follow with the "cold buffet, smokehouse and raw bar" portions of the menu. Chilled lobster salad is…

Editor's Tips

The Extras:
The Guastavino Construction Company designed this laminated tile to create a vaulted effect in wide arches. For another example, visit Guastavino's--the restaurant wedged under the Queensboro Bridge.
When to Go:
The restaurant becomes much more sedate in the evenings--a good time to go for more attentive, less rushed service.
ambiance
85.0% positive
  1. “The decor is good, but then you'll have to pay for it.”
  2. “To those critics who mention the noise in this restaurant, I have to say that this is not supposed to be a "candle-light romantic place" (even though I found a quite romantic atmosphere.)”
  3. “The seafood is fresh and good but for the atmosphere - pricey!”
  4. “The ambiance was terrible - loud, crowded, hoards of children, tacky checkered tablecloths, etc.”
  5. “love the Oyster Bar -- even more than its delicious chowders and biscuits, it's the old-style NYC atmosphere that's the real draw here.”
  6. “While the oysters, Maryland She-Crab Soup (Tues & Thus only), Coquille St. Jacques and Caesar Salad with Jumbo Lump Crabmeat and Jumbo Shrimp are great, the ambiance sucks.”
  7. “Nice location, Ho-Hum everything else”
  8. “go if you have some romantic notion of New York.”
dessert
100.0% positive
  1. “And the desserts are great too.”
  2. “Rite after our main dishes were served, our waiter came and asked if we are going to order dessert.”
drinks
81.82000160217285% positive
  1. “The wine list is very extensive and has some good values.”
  2. “But do grab a drink in the Saloon and ask the knowledgeable staff about the large daily selection of oysters.”
  3. “It provides 4 separate types of seating to fit your mood (counter, dining room, quiet back room, and oyster bar itself), has easily the largest and most varied selection of fresh oysters in the city, and has a menu that meets virtually every seafood lover”
  4. “the food is just okay - but grand central is a beautiful place to visit and the oyster bar is amazing, the place is really cool.”
  5. “The raw bar offerings are excellent.”
  6. “While it was a decent dining experience, I probably won't go back for the food unless it's just to for a beer and some oysters at the bar.”
  7. “We ended up order probably three dozen oysters from the raw bar as well as an appetizer and a fish entree from the kitchen.”
  8. “They had decent wine as well.”
  9. “Our waiter was horrible -- he spilled our drinks on the table, dropped a dirty knife onto my lap, never came by once to see how we were doing, never refilled our drinks and was in general quite rude in his demeanor.”
  10. “Sitting here with the friendly staff, yummy crab, and wine just made my day.”
  11. “Stick with the raw bar and cold food and avoid anything cooked.”
food quality
75.64000129699707% positive
  1. “The salmon and side vegetables were dry and bland.”
  2. “Our broiled salmon was good, but the hollandaise sauce was lumpy and cold, the veggies were undercooked and the clam chowder was more like a clam broth.”
  3. “The structure of this restaurant is nice to look at but the food was garbage.”
  4. “highly recommend the Grand Central Oyster Platter or Oysters Rockefeller; any of their soups (Marsaillaise Saffron Broth was "out of this world"!”
  5. “tad on the pricy side for mediocre (and possibly frozen not fresh) seafood.”
  6. “We came last week and mixed green salag with beefsteak tomato- - SUPER GOOD!”
  7. “The food was good classic fare.”
  8. “highly recommend this place because of the freshest and best tasting seafood I have ever had!”
  9. “had the swordfish, which was not fresh.”
  10. “Rite after our main dishes were served, our waiter came and asked if we are going to order dessert.”
  11. “The oysters were fabulous, but honestly the "cooked" food was not that great.”
  12. “So to recap, this would be a good spot to dine if you have missed your train, love eating in old train stations, think of fish & chips as "seafood" or just want to say you've been there.”
  13. “In my opinion, this is the best seafood I have ever had in my life!”
  14. “The seafood is fresh and good but for the atmosphere - pricey!”
  15. “the food is just okay - but grand central is a beautiful place to visit and the oyster bar is amazing, the place is really cool.”
  16. “When I asked if I might swap the starch (mashed potatoes) out for a small salad the answer was a flat "no"; not even an "I'm sorry sir, we cannot make substitutions.”
  17. “the food is still FRESH and COOKED TO PERFECTION.”
  18. “The Shrimp and Salmon dishes are good but not eye-popping.”
  19. “Fried osyers are delicious too.”
  20. “Oysters, clams, mussels, many and varied fish dishes, they are all wonderful.”
  21. “Poor service on top of the poor quality of the food adds insult on top of injury.”
  22. “The food is great and you do pay alot for it.”
  23. “The fish was bland and even the steamed vegetables tasted bad.”
  24. “We ended up order probably three dozen oysters from the raw bar as well as an appetizer and a fish entree from the kitchen.”
  25. “haven't had a good pan roast in years so I ordered the shrimp pan roast.”
  26. “We both are big fans of seafood and they have a great selection here.”
  27. “While it was a decent dining experience, I probably won't go back for the food unless it's just to for a beer and some oysters at the bar.”
  28. “It provides 4 separate types of seating to fit your mood (counter, dining room, quiet back room, and oyster bar itself), has easily the largest and most varied selection of fresh oysters in the city, and has a menu that meets virtually every seafood lover”
  29. “Stick with the raw bar and cold food and avoid anything cooked.”
  30. “Another fantastic seafood place in NYC.”
  31. “The mediocre food and poor service was not worth the 40 minute wait at lunch.”
  32. “In NY fresh fish is nothing special.”
  33. “And if you get good food, consider yourself lucky.”
  34. “With so many truly great seafood restaurants in this city, it's almost sad that this place stays in business.”
  35. “love the Oyster Bar -- even more than its delicious chowders and biscuits, it's the old-style NYC atmosphere that's the real draw here.”
  36. “Sitting here with the friendly staff, yummy crab, and wine just made my day.”
  37. “You will love this restuarant for the wonderful fresh seafood.”
  38. “Another great seafood place!”
  39. “The cooked Seafood dishes here are good but not outstanding.”
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. “The wine list is very extensive and has some good values.”
  2. “We both are big fans of seafood and they have a great selection here.”
  3. “But do grab a drink in the Saloon and ask the knowledgeable staff about the large daily selection of oysters.”
  4. “especially love their oysters and the fact that they have such a great variety of oysters to choose from!”
  5. “It provides 4 separate types of seating to fit your mood (counter, dining room, quiet back room, and oyster bar itself), has easily the largest and most varied selection of fresh oysters in the city, and has a menu that meets virtually every seafood lover”
overall
95.2400016784668% positive
  1. “the service was very good - the place gets packed, and it's amazing since it sits a million people.”
  2. “Don't expect a superb dinner here, but it is a great place to run in and grab a bowl of chowder or some terrific oysters.”
  3. “Another great seafood place!”
  4. “nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there.”
  5. “The waiters are good and the place is even BETTER than I remember it.”
  6. “great place for a snack”
  7. “With so many truly great seafood restaurants in this city, it's almost sad that this place stays in business.”
return potential
100.0% positive
  1. “While it was a decent dining experience, I probably won't go back for the food unless it's just to for a beer and some oysters at the bar.”
service
50.0% positive
  1. “The waiters are good and the place is even BETTER than I remember it.”
  2. “But do grab a drink in the Saloon and ask the knowledgeable staff about the large daily selection of oysters.”
  3. “The mediocre food and poor service was not worth the 40 minute wait at lunch.”
  4. “Sitting here with the friendly staff, yummy crab, and wine just made my day.”
  5. “Poor service on top of the poor quality of the food adds insult on top of injury.”
  6. “the service was very good - the place gets packed, and it's amazing since it sits a million people.”
  7. “Rite after our main dishes were served, our waiter came and asked if we are going to order dessert.”
  8. “Our waiter could have been more attentive but he was by no means as terrible as some of the other reviews make out the wait service to be.”
  9. “Our waiter was horrible -- he spilled our drinks on the table, dropped a dirty knife onto my lap, never came by once to see how we were doing, never refilled our drinks and was in general quite rude in his demeanor.”
  10. “Because of this awful service, our day was ruined, and we were very embarrassed in front of out guest.”
  11. “Because service had been so poor up to that point, I asked the waiter to remove the entree until he served me the appetizer.”
value
80.0% positive
  1. “It is a classic, the space, with it's combination of grandeur and cheap diner is fascinating and the oysters are fantastic.”
  2. “The seafood is fresh and good but for the atmosphere - pricey!”
  3. “The mediocre food and poor service was not worth the 40 minute wait at lunch.”
  4. “It provides 4 separate types of seating to fit your mood (counter, dining room, quiet back room, and oyster bar itself), has easily the largest and most varied selection of fresh oysters in the city, and has a menu that meets virtually every seafood lover”
  5. “The wine list is very extensive and has some good values.”
wait time
0.0% positive
  1. “The mediocre food and poor service was not worth the 40 minute wait at lunch.”
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

10/10/10

New Enland clam chowder paradise...

by Food Enthusiast

...the best New England clam chowder in the City, hands down. The chowder never changes and never varies - it is always fresh and delicious! A+ Have it at the counter with oyster crackers and a glass of cold tea. Heaven for less than 10 bucks...

1 Star Rating: Poor

09/10/10

Fried Oysters were a disgrace to the establishment's name

by TerrencePhillip

I have been a loyal customer for almost ten years, but tonight made me question my loyalty.

After ordering my usual fried oyster platter, I was shocked to be presented with a few whole oysters and about two dozen tiny fried bits that were dredged up from the bottom of the fryer. When I take guests from out of town here, I don't expect a huge pile of oysters, but the ones I receive I expect to be of high quality -- medium sized and plump. Tonight was a disappointment.

To the credit of our server, he did agree to take the charge off our bill after I sent the plate back. Still, the next time I want to treat my guests to a top-notch New-York fried-oyster experience, I will look elsewhere... sadly.

4 Star Rating: Recommended

07/24/10

Great Oysters!

by SPROUT

Always sit in the back of GCOB by the bar, otherwise you will be overrun by tourists.

Still a NYC landmark and still the best oysters that you can find without travelling to the west coast, but over the years the waitstaff quality has dropped - they are less knowledgeable about the oysters, more into rushing you out than caring about your experience and not as cordial.

However, the food still holds up to what it was and the underground speakeasy feeling exists.

I am not a beer drinker, but when I do drink it's always dark.

Highly recommend: Turbo Dog Dark Ale with your oysters and ipswich clams.

  • Pros: Oyster Selection, Decor, Ipswich Clams
  • Cons: Waitstaff, Tourists
2 Star Rating: Below Average

05/09/10

no longer a landmark

by zzbest

I used to love this place but something's gone wrong over the yrs. Maybe the location and tourist cache will be enough to keep it going forever which is probably a big part of the problem. The food is no longer great and the service even much less so. skip it, go elsewhere

  • Pros: history
  • Cons: shadow of its former self
4 Star Rating: Recommended

02/21/10

Get the Shrimp Pan Roast!

by TheTripChick

Did a great walking tour of Grand Central Terminal (we love you, Justin Ferate!) and ended up smack-dab in front of the Oyster Bar. Tummies grumbling, we decided to belly-up to the bar and enjoy.

I haven't had a good pan roast in years so I ordered the shrimp pan roast. Anything that starts with a base of cream, well, I'm all over that. Decadent. Nothing could better describe each and every bite of that pan roast. Perfectly seasoned, the shrimp perfectly cooked, it was truly a thing of beauty and my tastebuds sang out. We loved sitting at the bar so we could see oysters, pan roasts and stews being prepped/made to order. Very cool! It's a don't miss when you're in the neighborhood, especially on a chilly day.

The Details on Grand Central Oyster Bar

Place Categories:

  • love oysters
  • not that great food
  • great place
  • fresh seafood
  • beautiful cavernous space
  • never so bad dinner experience
  • amazing grand central oyster bar
  • more attentive waiter
  • horrible staff
  • bland boiled vegetables
  • great dessert
  • worst dining experience
  • decent wine
  • delicious chowder
  • sucks ambiance
  • not superb dinner
  • good super
  • favorite grand dame
  • horrible experience
  • poor quality
  • nice hohum everything
  • many truly great seafood restaurants
  • bad steamed vegetables
  • poor service
  • good cooked seafood dishes
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