Kerbside pickup
Yes
Grand Central Oyster Bar in New York
Categories
Location on the map
New York, New York County, New York, US
Service options
No-contact delivery
Yes
Delivery
Yes
Takeaway
Yes
Dine-in
Yes
Health and safety
Temperature check required
Yes
Staff wear masks
Yes
Staff get temperature checks
Yes
Staff required to disinfect surfaces between visits
Yes
Popular for
Lunch
Yes
Dinner
Yes
Solo dining
Yes
Accessibility
Wheelchair-accessible entrance
Yes
Wheelchair-accessible lift
Yes
Wheelchair-accessible seating
Yes
Wheelchair-accessible toilet
Yes
Offerings
Alcohol
Yes
Beer
Yes
Cocktails
Yes
Coffee
Yes
Comfort food
Yes
Happy-hour drinks
Yes
Happy-hour food
Yes
Healthy options
Yes
Quick bite
Yes
Small plates
Yes
Spirits
Yes
Wine
Yes
Dining options
Lunch
Yes
Dinner
Yes
Dessert
Yes
Seating
Yes
Amenities
Bar on site
Yes
Good for kids
Yes
High chairs
Yes
Toilets
Yes
Atmosphere
Casual
Yes
Historic
Yes
Crowd
Family friendly
Yes
Groups
Yes
Tourists
Yes
Planning
Lunch reservations recommended
Yes
Dinner reservations recommended
Yes
Accepts reservations
Yes
Payments
Debit cards
Yes
NFC mobile payments
Yes
Phone: +1 212-490-6650
Site: http://www.oysterbarny.com/
Site: http://www.oysterbarny.com/
Opening hours
- Monday:11:30AM–9:30PM
- Tuesday:11:30AM–9:30PM
- Wednesday:11:30AM–9:30PM
- Thursday:11:30AM–9:30PM
- Friday:11:30AM–9:30PM
- Saturday:Closed
- Sunday:Closed
Comments (199)
Had a wonderful late lunch at the Oyster bar and restaurant. I had the fish and chips which reminded me of my trip to London a few years ago. Love the ambiance, the service was great. Would definitely recommend it. The fish was fresh, the New England chowder and the coleslaw all delicious 💖👍
A wonderful dinner in a beautiful setting. We had 2 different types of oysters, West coast and east coast. Both were very good but we decided that west coast was a little bit better. Linda and I both had the shrimp scampi with linguini and Julie had the pan fried lemon sole with truffle sauce. Delicious!!
Old school Oyster house. They shuck them at the bar in front of you. There was more tha twenty types of oyster the day we were there. Check out the saloon in the back. Great place with an old New York city bar feel.
Oysters were shucked pretty well, except for one that crumbled the shell into brine. They were sold out of every main course we were interested in. So ended up with fried fish sandwiches, which was a bit of a bummer.
Fresh oysters!!! Our server was very kind even though she was very busy with many customers. Oysters were fresh and other dishes, branzino, trout, steak, calamari with cocktails were great. Steak, fish and cooked vegetables were a little bit under seasoned but it was ok after adding salt. Thank you for the candle and the smile for a special day.
This is an iconic restaurant located in the heart of GCT. I had always wanted to try it even though I don’t eat oysters, which I think is where I went wrong. To me the food seemed very overpriced for the options. I ordered fish and chips and it came out very bland and way more fried breading than fish meat. I wanted to order the wild caught salmon but they were out. The staff are nice and vibes are cool. Maybe I ordered the wrong dish and caught it on an off day. It’s turned into a bit of a tourist trap.
For the price and name brand, expected the food quality to be a lot better… bit into pieces of broken shell in the oysters and didn’t taste very fresh… or it was so fresh you could taste the fishy ocean flavor. The staff should also improve their training on hygiene ⚠️⚠️⚠️ it seems like this place implements mask wearing as all the employees are wearing a face mask, but half the waiters and busboys have their face mask either not covering their noses or dangling on the chin…. If health care workers can wear their face mask, so can we ✌🏻 personally saw one of the waiters scratch their bare face and continue to serve food with that hand 👍🏻
I’m glad these guys opened back up. These shrimp are my favorite and I love the sauce that accompanies it. They also make great tasting well balanced Arnold palmers.
Beautiful restaurant. It felt like I was lunching in an episode of Mad Men. Its famous for a reason. Also, the oysters were top notch. Tasted extremely fresh... I only wish I had planned our visit here better, because I feel like we could have made better food choices for the money we spent. Though we told the waiter it was our first visit, he offered no tips on what to try. He was nice enough though.
Craving classic Manhattan clam chowder, I had no reservation but open seating at the counter. Mary took care of me and she was so so nice. The soup was delicious. Wonderful time!!!
Cool place but not fantastic from a food perspective. Oysters was really good but mains not so much. Service was poor too and it took us an over hour to get our drinks.
Between the location, the history and the food/drinks, its hard not to give this absolute icon of New York City 5 stars. Even if it werent a landmark and a virtual time capsule of Grand Centrals 50s and 60s heyday, its still worthy of high praise thanks to the service and the ambiance of its dining room and saloon. Our waiter was not just friendly, but extremely knowledgeable about the oyster selection and various cocktails. I also loved how when you order a drink they give you the overflow in a small extra glass...a nice touch. Dont miss the saloon hidden away in the back...a great place for a drink.
It’s lost a little bit of luster over time, but still a great place for an historical setting and tasty seafood. Manhattan clam chowda is the better of the two. Tomato based and perfectly spiced. The New England chowder is great, but stretch and try something different if you haven’t had it. Fresh oysters from both coasts, great fish selection. Always great service!
A shadow of its former self. Running on fumes. Overpriced. (No online menu — I wonder why.) Service? I didn’t receive any service. They brought the food and could barely manage that. If you had to eat there, I would recommend eating in the bar which looked rather convivial on my way out. The main dining room? Creepy. My $36 fish entrée was way overcooked and garnished with a weary excuse for what looked like vegetables. Avoid. From hunger. (When you have a restaurant manager - of an iconic NYC institution - who doesnt know how to spell manager, youve got a problem.)
Such good oysters but such bad service at the Grand Central Oyster bar.I’ve been coming here for years and I have never had a counter person who did not stop to hear the order. I understand they are busy and was happy to wait until the server had time…. but not to listen and have everything delayed was more than painful for a $400 plus bill.I hope the worker/ owners read this andwill try to have respect for their customers. The respect for the customer was not apparent tonight.I recognize this severs face of many years and his brothers and I recognize how many years they have been there.. If you can’t do it right or have been there too long don’t be out there working.This is an employee operation, don’t kill your co workers with rude service. Or stop to listen to what the customers are asking for.
Worst experience ever! My friend and her boyfriend came from Boston, and invited me to have a dinner at Oyster Bar. I got to the restaurant early. My friend told me that the reservation was under her name. I told the host but he couldn’t find her name. I just said, “I might have gotten the wrong name. I don’t want to make it complicated for you. I am going to wait for my friend.” The guy immediately reacted, “You are the one making this complicated! Not me.” I was shocked and tried to explain, “I meant I don’t want to trouble you by saying I don’t want to make this complicated.” He replied with a mean voice, “you are the one making this complicated!” I was like, “Why are you being so rude?” He said, “you are being rude. This is my return to what you gave to me!” I was speechless. I don’t even know what I said for me to deserve this. I said, “As the host of the restaurant, is this how you treat your customers? I need to see your manager.” He said, “I am the manager here. This is the way I provide the service.” I said, “okay, then I need your name.” He said, “you need to stay aside. I will give it to you.” I waited until my friend and her boyfriend came. I told them what happened and I don’t want to have dinner here anymore because of the manager’s rudeness and meanness. They totally agreed and we left. I asked for his name again before we leave. This is what he wrote at the back of their business card. I hope nobody would have this type of experience with him.
Its huge! It boasts architectural design you wont see anywhere else. It seems to be the spot where Grand Central Station commuters stop for a drink and oysters before catching their train.And the menu is expansive, with many specials. Typically 10 oyster choices daily, whatever is fresh, from up and down the East Coast, and even flown in from the West Coast.But its expensive, touristy, and so large, the kitchen cant turn out meals quickly enough. So they lack distinction. But you cant mess up an oyster.I return again and again because I visited there with my father.
The best place for Oyster I have ever tried in NY! Try the platter, instead of buying the oysters in pieces. Totally worth it!
Nice warm greeting at the entrance, good selection of oysters, good service, I loved their oysters!!. they have good food as well. I tried seafood soup and that was delicious. I recommend this place
The place for oyster lovers!! Try the sampler : ) nice staff. Reasonable prices.
Great place. Alittle underwhelming at first. However, service was great and food was delicious!
Great pan roasts and chowders. Feels a bit touristy given the crowd at times, but the unique space makes up for it
The Oyster Bar is a icon and the space magnificent. The menu is traditional and the oyster selection vast. The fried fish is old school heavy like in an Irish pub and the fries are soggy. The stews are more broth than seafood. The room with its hard ceilings and floors makes conversation difficult when the restaurant is more than one half full. Its a New York experience and fun to visit but there are much better fish restaurants in the city.
The Oyster Bar used to be such a classic New York spot. Had dinner there last night and it was so disappointing. The New England clam chowder was bland and tasted of uncooked flour. Chunks of the flour roux were in the soup, and not a clam to be found. I ordered the shrimp and crabmeat on a Caesar salad. It came covered in a layer of Parmesan cheese to I had to scrape off to find the crab. The crab and shrimp were unseasoned and tasteless and the salad greens underneath were overdressed. I left feeling ripped off and hungry. The service was perfunctory and somewhat rude when they mixed up one of our orders. The oysters were good. This place is coasting on reputation, but not very well.
Went here for Valentines Day 2022. Was pretty disappointed. For an oyster bar youd think that they wouldve shucked the oysters better instead we found a lot of grit in the shells, small pieces of shells in the oyster and much of the brine had spilled out upon delivery. In addition, whatever brine was in there was pretty unspectacular. We also ordered branzino and salmon. Both lacked flavor.1 star though becuase the people seemed nice, just the aesthetics of being inside the restaurant but that was kind of the only highlight. I dont think Ill go back and Ill recommend other places to friends and family looking for good oysters and food.
A friend and I have had this on our NYC bucket list for awhile. Today (June 10 2022) we were taking the MNR upstate and decided to have lunch at the oyster bar before boarding the train. We sat down and immediately noticed the plastic grocery store branded salt and pepper shakers and the paper table cloth on the table. Very contradictory to the beautiful historic vaulted ceilings and the wooden walls. One of the most fantastic restaurant interiors and in such a novel location, such a shame that the quality of food and service could not live up to our expectations.When we arrived, the waiter asked us if we were ready to order food immediately without even taking a drink order. We asked for another minute to go over the menu and did not see him again for a good 15-20 minutes. The oysters themselves were actually not bad, but the presentation of the oysters was a bit lackluster for the price. We ordered the grilled jumbo shrimp — which contained some of the most over cooked shrimp I have ever had. The steamed vegetables on the side were quite good though. My friend has never had a crab cake before today and I feel guilty that this had to be his first crab cake experience. The actual crab meat was of good quality, however there was no traditional crab cake ingredients that make for a good crab cake.Prices were actually outrageous for the bad quality and ugly presentation of food. You can get better food on the side of the street in NYC than you can get here — not an exaggeration. Thankfully shake shack was open in Grand Central and we headed over there afterwards for a more positive dining experience.I thought about writing a review when I was in the restaurant but I forgot. The reason I remembered is because I have a bit of an upset stomach now that I’m on the train— I’m blaming the clam stew; the texture of those clams were disgusting and I did not finish the stew. I swear I felt clam waste exploding in my mouth when I bit into the clam. Disgusting disgusting disgusting.
One of the best Oyster Bars Ive ever been to. its expensive, but oysters are expensive wherever you go these days. The ones here are fresh, meaty, and large. You get your moneys worth. They have a wide variety from all over the country, my personal favorites are the gigacup. I recommend washing them down with an Alagash white or a good Summer ale. Its well worth it as a treat for yourself if youre a raw bar fiend.
Dont serve tourists cold food!!!I got the $40 crab cakes (because I love crab cakes) and they were stone cold in the middle.My husband, who generally loves fish and chips, hated the FNC here.I was shocked.I came here for the nostalgia, and have left telling people Dont Bother.Bad visits make for telling more than just one person. I have worked in the food industry, you want to make that visit perfect every time.Sounds like its time to update the recipes folks. Ive seen other reviews that say that the foods not worth it.
It might have been great place, strange diner with an average food
Brasserie type restaurant with top notch seafood. I had not been here in 40 years. I had the combination pan roast with great oysters, clams, amazing scallops, etc. Filling enough for a meal but had to have dessert...
To quote E. B. White, This is New York. The atmosphere does not exist anywhere else. Period full stop. Its like a time machine in the best way. The counter is the place to be The services is great and the food is very good.
This place is FINALLY open! The opus yet option is not as much but this place is rocking again! Delicious oysters for sure!!! Definitely highly visit now!!Who knew that there was more than one kind of oysters! If you love oysters you have to come to this place. They have so many to choose from. I preferably like to start with their New England Clamchowder which is just ok but not bad followed by a variety of West Coast oysters. I prefer West Coast oysters they’re creamier and less salty in my opinion. The staff is a NYC experience you’re definitely not getting the southern charm. The space is amazing as you can see in the pictures. Almost reminds me of the Sydney Opera house roof. The entrance to the restaurant is right in front of the whispering gallery in Grand Central Station
Beautiful oysters but the menu is a little overpriced. Wish they had a small happy hour menu!
My hubby (fourth husband, this one’s a keeper) -and I comeHere monthly (for 16years!!!!!! ) , leave the kids at home and shovel the sweetest, fleshiest,, oysters into our little pink mouths all night long. Get the fried oysters, whatever you do,and a vesper martini (or 6? Haha . ) and shrimp. If the mood strikes d you , head to the lips couch for an intermission ,,,, if things go south Just know that When there’s 4 jumbo shrimp in his moth, he can’t complain or whine ;).Kids sound asleep when we get home. Best date night ever!
Great food in THE CLASSIC setting: Oyster pan roast spot on, spicy & a little sweet; Lobster Roll was epic; fried Ipswich clams crisp & briny.Also, our Brit Waitress was a helpful & a friendly hoot by any standard!
You can’t miss it!It’s one of the iconic restaurants in Grand Central Terminal, with that low, arching ceiling. Really enjoy looking at that ceiling :)My family and I keep coming here after our trip around the city or before taking the subways. We bring along our friends as well and they love it.Love the seafood menu here.A great variety of seafood menu to choose from. Calamari is fresh and crispy, oysters are fresh, and the soups are nice. We tried the crab cake, salmon, fish and chips as well as the shrimps and love them. The scallops stew is good but a bit too salty. We tried the steak but it was not as yummy as I think and the creamy spinach is off. So I guess the tasty ones are the seafood menu. The cheesecake is also nice! My kids’ favorite.The price is NYC standard, so it’s not so expensive but not that cheap either.The seats are abundant so I never line up here.Happy to be back.
What a treat to finally visit the GC Oyster Bar. It did not disappoint. Our server guided us to a variety of oysters; west and east coast choices. All excellent. We then enjoyed fresh catch sole and mahi mahi both excellent. Cannot recommend more highly.
The place is awesome and the waiter was very attentive!
GCOB Back with a vengeance !!Could this be the most justifiably named Oyster Bar in the world ?? In one word - YES!Possibly the largest variety/selection of fresh-as-can-be Bivalvian Ostreidae I have seen in my travels so far, under one roof - BAR NONE !!On my visit, I believe 20 varieties where available out of a list of 26, including 5 West Coast actors on the playbill.26 !! ...... WHAT ??? 😵Other seafood delights are equally on-par for freshness and flavor, that can be prepared simply grilled or pan roasted without overwhelming your seafood choice.Not to be missed are the STEWS/PAN ROASTS.Oysters 4 ways ? This is the place !!-Oysters Chilled-Oysters Rockefeller-Oyster Stew-Fried OystersShout out to the excellent service carried out by folks that take pride in working in this stunning NYC landmark !! BRAVO !!See you guys again soon !!!
Fantastic part of NYC history. Hey the oysters and oyster stew.
Lunch was very good, but after having eaten there many times I was disappointed to find out that because we were having raw oysters, followed by oysters Rockefeller , and several other items , an over $ 300 lunch for four people, that we did not qualify to get bread . Not that we needed it, but it seemed a little miserly on their part.
Came here for lunch on New Years Eve. It was extremely busy. We sat at one of the bars in front of the oyster shucking area. Counter service is not that friendly or attentive. The clam chowder was really really good though. My entree of fried shrimp and fries came out luke warm sadly. I did like the habanero Bloody Mary.
Good oysters, busy restaurant and staff.Honestly I like this place. It breathes tradition and the venue is very beautiful. Unfortunately it gets so busy that the attention for customers get somewhat lost in the process. I found the staff rushed and not very informative after asking for recommendations.When I got the bill I left a small tip. Then I was friendly reminded that tipping 18% was recommended and was requested to increase my tip. Im more than happy to do so when the service is good, but not when it is lacking.Oh by the way: oysters are great (although weirdly supplemented by ketchup). Would not order fried food here again, only oysters.
Top notch Oysters and Martinis. Has become our NYC tradition.
This place is a N.Y. GEM. It’s a slice of nostalgia, and it has stood the test of time. This adorable seafood place has a Saloon, which is their bar area, right from the 70’s. They haven’t changed their decor in decades. Same with the bar in the central area, with their vintage white chairs under their dark wood tables. The place is bustling, loud, and incredibly delicious. I couldn’t even finish my raw bar sampler- and it was just 8 oysters, 2 clams, 2 mussels, and a couple shrimp! The ceiling is gorgeous with their vaulted herringbone tile (to match the rest of the station). The food is top quality, the experience is one of a kind, and it’s a NY tradition to experience. The only downside is the bathrooms- haven’t been renovated in forever, but I’ll give them that.
I remember when we first time visited New York City in 2015, and I saw this amazing ceiling restaurant in Grand Central, in that time I determined one day gonna give it a try if we have second chance to be back.And luckly, we moved to New York in 2018. And we chose this restaurant to celebrate our marriage first anniversary . The atmosphere was very lively, many people and the waiters was doing very good. Foods were good, oysters were very fresh, however, the first reason to be there just wanna enjoy staying in the restaurant and looked around amazing ceiling.Very special experience in there, the toilets was super cool as old style I guess.Recommen to visitors if you take a trip to New York City. Prices are a little bit high, but surely have special impression there.
Good white Manhattan clam chowder and oysters. The fish main dish was just ok. Save your money and just get the chowder and oyster.
It was an incredible supper! Oysters are so delicious, lobster very, very good, fish fresh and well prepared! This place is magical!
First of all, Id like to start off with how hilarious and interesting my experience was at this restaurant. I am a tourist visiting from Ontario, Canada. We went in as a group of 6. It is our first time there because someone had told us about their wonderful happy hour and how lovely the restaurant is. I was greeted by this lovely host at first and I told him that we needed a table of 6. My in-law then told me that we had to inform them about happy hour because they might have a different area for seating. So I walked back up to this dark haired hostess, and said Sorry, its actually for happy hour. She gave me a dirty look, turned around and said to the gentleman they actually want happy hour and rolled her eyes and freely showed extreme disgust. She made no attempt to show us where to go or even acknowledge me. I explained that it was our first time here and that we dont know the rules. She immediately rolled her eyes again and ignored me. I think if her eyes werent attached to her head, they would have ended up in the ceiling. The gentleman who was also hosting knew there was tension and he started rubbing her back to calm her down. (unsure why she was so upset). We then sat down and spent about an hour at the restaurant. For the first 15 minutes after we sat down, she continued to stare me down from the front with a mix of aggression and contempt. We ended up having a staring contest for about 15 minutes. At this point, I had to stop and try to enjoy my meal with my family. I ignored her, but could still see her spend the rest of our meal staring me down from the front. I am the only Chinese person in our group and the only one who she decided to target, Ill leave you to draw your own conclusions about her motivations. However, her complete lack of respect was the total opposite of the rest of our experience, the restaurant was magnificent, the oysters and cocktail were amazing and our server did an amazing job too. I do recommend this restaurant but sadden that the hostess is a tumor growing in their restaurant. Thats why I had to take 1 star away, but otherwise I could have given them a 5 star. 😔
This is our favorite restaurant in New York City. If you are a fish and seafood lover. This is the place. Love those oysters man. I cant leave NYC without eating here at least once.
Fire island is fire! Its so good and fresh
A visit to grand central station was on my list of things to do and while walking around we spotted a restaurant inside just off the main hall, the food was good but definitely not modern but sometimes this can be nice, the menu was huge and a little hard to decipher (hate to be a chef here prepping for all these meals) but we eventually chose a selection of oysters some clams and a couple of lobster rolls.The food was nice the place was clean but it was I bit expensive I feel, but I guess seafood is usually expensive so it might be on point.
This is a New York classic that never lets you down, and located inside the magnificent Grand Central station. The oysters are amazing and great variety. Do it right, add horseradish and the vinegar! Have drinks the wine and cocktails (martini 👍👍) are delicious. The place is huge not sure how they determine their seating, I prefer the bar side rather than the cafeteria looking side unless its just casual lunch... not that it matters much but one thing that stood out to us for the wrong reason was how dingy the bathroom was compared to what youd expect.
We wanted oysters for lunch and this place has it. The restaurant is huge but we got seated in a back room that was dark and a bit cramped. The service was decent though. The fresh oysters were good and the waiter was fairly helpful in explaining what each was like. I highly recommend the Clevendon Cove oysters from New Zealand. The fried seafood was too bready for me but the rest of the family enjoyed it, especially the fried clams. I’d recommend this place just because Grand Central Station should not be missed.
From 1913 To Today. A New york Institution. For over 100 years the Grand Central Oyster Bar has been serving the freshest oysters and seafood in New York City.That place is popular for its large variety of oysters. The menu is online available to , take look!Its located on the ;1 floor on Grand Central Station.You can either sit at the bar or wait to be seated at the restaurant for a full meal.The bar and had some oysters and a crab salad roll.Simple but very fresh.WiFi is working and nice bathrooms very close to Metro North travels or Subway Station, Shuttle
Timeless type of spot for timeless food. Eating slimy sea snot in nyc dont get any better. Beautiful space, the choices of sea snot are amazing, and the chowdah is amazing too. The staff runs fast and efficient here, youre getting a very memorable experience for the money.
I think this place is overrated. I tried to find a seafood bar for cousin’s birthday while we’re on vacay in nyc. The cooked seafood dishes were bland, nothing special. The raw seafood platters were great. Service is below par for the price.One thing that really upset me was, we called ahead of time and asked if we can get a birthday cake delivered to the restaurant since we are tourists. They said yes so we ordered a cake and got it delivered. The day of delivery, they refused to take it and said “this is not a storage area, you can’t just store your stuff here whenever you want”. They took the cake still since i explained the situation. The host did not give me a welcome look when I checked in for dinner as well.
Wow first of all I through its just a usually place and food, but I was really surprised when I try food and service was good 👍 food was delicious, our guest was delighted. Thank you for everything ❤️ Our best place
I first visited Grand Central Oyster Bar with my mother almost 10 years ago. Since then, I had the pleasure of visiting them several times, including their super fun Oyster Frenzy event.When you enter, there is a U-shaped counter tables to the right, small tables in the middle, and more table seating to the left. For people in a hurry, or the ones dining alone, the counter seats are preferred. If you want a wait service, or if you have a reservation, you would go to one of the table seating. We always prefer to seat at the counter, because it is faster service, and we like the interaction with the staff.Now, the staffs here are not here to impress on their “friendly” service. But they are efficient and always on the move. Our counter was managed by a female staff, Nicole, who was not “all smiles and warm hugs” type, but rather a “strong big sister who would take care of you” type. We started off with one of their popular item, New England Clam Chowder. Since we wanted to eat a lot, we didn’t want to get full with the chowder. So, we decided we are going to order one and share. Nicole kind of chuckled when we said we are going to share, but then surprised us with a really sweet gesture. She brought two soup bowls with just a little less chowder in it, so that we each have a bowl!For the main, we wanted their crab cakes (they are soooo good!), but then, Nicole told us that they are sold out… Noooo! Instead, we ordered Fried Oyster Po’ Boy Sandwich and Shellfish Platter. And yes they were both really great, we enjoyed it fully.Thanks to our server Nicole, we were well taken care of. Our water was always filled and we felt welcomed. We enjoyed our meal there, as we always have, looking forward to our next visit. If you are a oyster lover and have never been to the Grand Central Oyster Bar, I recommend you try it once. The atmosphere is great, the selection of oysters (changes daily for the best freshness) is great, and they have so much more than just oysters. And if you are concerned about the price, visit them during their happy hour, they offer Bluepoint Oysters at $1.25/each! Read my full review of this restaurant and food on my food blog, foodlovergirl.
Awesome experience great oysters
Did anyone eat here on Wednesday, May 11, 2022 and experience the worst food poison imaginable.I spent $215 for what is now 2 days of violent vomiting a d diarrhea. I would hay to think this place is using old product, jeopardizing clients well being!!!
I had thoroughly researched our week long trip to New York and included the Oyster Bar at Grand Central on our itinerary as it seems to be a New York institution. As both people in our party are pescatarian, we were delighted with the menu we read online and very excited to visit. The maître d’ was very friendly, as was our initial waiter who gave us food recommendations. It was because of the lovely service by these 2 people that I have given the Oyster Bar 2 stars. If rating the food alone, I would give 1 star. We ordered the Manhattan clam chowder and she crab soup. The soup came out cold and was a thick gelatinous consistency, almost as though it had been thickened by quite a lot of cornflour. Granted, the crab soup did have a few lumps of crab in it, but the flavour of the soup itself was just of salt. It did not have any kind of seafood or vegetable stock taste to it at all. Unfortunately there was an absence of clams in the clam chowder. The seafood in our main meal was, apart from salty, quite bland tasting making the overall experience at the Oyster Bar memorable for all the wrong reasons. When the waiter asked us how our meal was at the end of the meal, we complained about the soup but the complaint didn’t appear to go any further. We left the Oyster Bar wondering how it could be so difficult to make seafood shine. Such a shame, we just couldn’t recommend this restaurant for the food based on our experience of the meals we ate.
Nice ambiance very quaint and unexpected in the middle of grand central! I sat at the bar and only wanted oysters.. my waiter said no problem and gave me an assortment from all over.. they were so fresh and tasty ...Im glad I made the trip. Will definitely go many times again!Update:On 7/1/17 I had to bring my parents visiting from Florida here!!! We had such an awesome time!!! Muhammad was our server and he went above and beyond to provide world class service! This my favorite place for oysters in NY and the lobster was amazing!
The food is not bad, the service is a bit slow, and the prices are high honestly. I used to go the Oyster Bar alot but it started losing it’s charm and good delicious food. One main issue is the bad smell inside the restaurant.
The quintessential American experience in seafood since 1913. Iconic gourmet chowders and pan-roasts, and a variety of salt-water bivalve molluscs at a relatively competitive price.Not only does it serve a prime quality culinary experince, the Grand Central Oyster Bar & Restaurant is an architectural historic landmark in its own category worthy of a visit.Its newly revamped business strategy serves as a socio-economic model for an industry in which its players traditionally change hands or shut down relatively often.
Great seafood collection ranging from oyster to shrimp to calamari and so on. The atmosphere is equally superb.
Iconic. If you’re there during happy hour head back to the saloon and get some great food and drinks at a reasonable price. Do not only come during happy hour though - food is top notch. Don’t forget people... you’re in the city - enter this place, find a seat at the bar, and order all with confidence - this isn’t Red Lobster!
Great happy hour, though you have to sit in the lounge or bar area (so limited seating). The raw oysters ($1.35 each) and clams ($1 each) were great, so were the fried pursuers and calamari. The server has a lot of tables so service was a little slow. Without happy hour, the bill can add up quickly, though.
Lovely setting and you have to keep on reminding yourself you are fine dining at a New York Railway Station.! Huge seafood selection along with a comprehensive Wine list..
Food was ok. 3.5 stars. Overpriced.
Beautiful and historic restaurant but that’s where my compliments end. I went there with seven coworkers from out of town and it was a bit of a letdown. We got there at 4:30 on a Thursday to plenty of empty tables and the service was awful, we sat there for a good 15 minutes as we watched other tables get served before us. Once we finally got served we mentioned that we needed separate checks and the waiter did not understand, after our meal one of my coworkers had to stand with the waiter and a manager to clear up the receipt and separate the check. If it wasn’t for our coworker we may not have made our 7:00 play on Broadway. The only thing I can say is that I ate at the famous Grand Central Oyster Bar but if you are going to eat there make sure to have patience and at least five hours before any scheduled events.
If you love oysters and other seafood, youll love the Grand Central Oyster Bar. Wide selection of Oysters from both the US and overseas, served fresh and well shucked. Other items on the menu include soft shell crab burgers, popcorn shrimp and many freshly caught fish options
Very very spacious oyster bar with a wide selection of seafood. Their menus vary day to day which means there are catch of the day specials to look forward to. Waiters are attentive and quick to respond to whatever you need. A wonderful hidden gem when you are in the mood for seafood.
Gorgeous Restauration, Selection of Oysters is realy large, staff is very attentive and courteous, the atmosphere is fantastic. Oysters as Starter, second course a Lobster, together with whitewine. Perfect. We highly recommend this Bar and wll be back
Service was good.Fries were old they had black spots all over themthe cod fish was good until I got to the center of it,it was uncooked,cold.I orderedFish and chips which is not served with coleslaw they wanted an additional 7.00 for the coleslaw. My friend wanted a vegetable instead of French fries, the water said hed have to charge her an additional 8.00 n still remove the fries.Grand Central Oyster you can definitely do better.Great location but the food is not!!!
Had New Years Eve dinner here with a friend while waiting for the midnight festivities. They have a decent menu and the food and drinks were to our satisfaction. Service was friendly but not quite efficient it was obvious that the staff were all in a hurry to be somewhere. Prices are understandably mid-range considering the location of the place. Had a bit of issue with cleanliness. The aisle between the kitchen and dining area was sticky with dropped foodstuff and the restroom was far from spotless.
Decent Happy Hour menu, though very limited seats where you can actually order from it. You can enjoy the happy hour specials in either the lounge or at the bar in the saloon area. The bartender was pretty slammed but he was great. The raw bar must have also been slammed as it took a really long time for us to get our oysters. Still a pleasant experience overall!
The food is very good but service is poor. Servers were not good. We asked for some more bread but they told us, they don’t have no more. And when we ask for the check, the waiter just drop it by the table like throwing it.We liked the food very much but I hope the service will be improved.
Great place to go for oysters and wine. Very large oyster selection with fast service. Waiters are very attentive and knowledgeable about the seafood selection. I would recommend this place for a meet up before you need to catch a train.
Cafeteria quality food and service at fine dining prices.Unless you’re desperate and this is the only option open, there are plenty of restaurants near Grand Central that offer much better quality food at lower or similar price points. I spent the first 10 years of my life on an island and love fresh seafood, this is one of the worst seafood meals I’ve ever had in my life. I only finished my food because I remembered my grandpa used to tell me not to waste food, think of the starving children in the world.Service was succinct and my server literally walked away after telling me about one oyster. Did not wait for my response, take my order or return until 10 minutes later, after I flagged him down again. Probably should have been a sign to leave at this point, but I was starving after getting off the metro north. As it was, I just picked one based on his only suggestion and two more based on what I guessed they’d taste like.The price of oysters is on par with The Sea Grill and Ocean Prime. The quality is less than 20% of the other two places. There was green algae on one oyster as you can see in the picture. Tons of shell chips in each oyster.The salmon is literally the worst piece of fish I’ve ever tasted. I love sushi, so I didn’t mind the medium done part. However, I’ve had similar medium salmon at other restaurants such as Morton’s and the fish was hot on the outside and had that hot fresh from the broiler slightly crisp taste on the char pattern. This one was more rare than medium. Overall just barely lukewarm and soggy but on an exceedingly hot plate. I’m not eating the plate, it’s the fish that mattered. I had to cover the fish and the accompanying mushy veggies in salt before I can eat any of them.Suffice to say, I will not be back. Eat at your own risk.
The place is super cool and the service is really good.The oysters and scallops were 5 star. However, the shrimp was one of the worst I had in my life.It is worth a go.
Very busy. The servers looked overworked and had a grumpy and rude attitude. Seating was a disaster. I wanted to leave no tips but then felt sorry for the overworked servers. The oysters took forever (more than 30 minutes) to arrive. Hello owner people come to your restaurant for oysters! Wait 30 minutes for an appetizer? Almost everything we ordered was sold out by 8. The food was fine but wasn’t amazing. And at this price, I would rather go to the Chelsea Market if you want really good seafood.
Delicious food and great staff. Highly recommended.
Its a beautiful restaurant. I was a little overwhelmed at first with how many daily options for oysters there are to choose from, but our server was great at helping us select the best ones! He was very patient with our indecisiveness, and we will definitely stop in again the next time we are in Grand Central!
Bad service in both bar and restaurant area, fish was mediocre (no flavor, had to add salt and pepper), ordered a soda that I never received. The waiter never (not once) came to check on us or ask if we needed anything.The manager did not apologize after I addressed the poor service experience (I walked up to him to remove the soda we never received from our tab and paid my tab in front of him and his computer).I would have expected a certain level of professionalism from this establishment, but we received no care about our food or issues with the service. We have received better service from a national sandwich shop with young employees.Not worth the trip or time.
Just wanted to say that our waiter Mary (I think her name was) helped us not only with our meal, but gave us loads of tips on how to get around smoothly in New York.The oysters were perfect, and so was the half grilled chicken with fries. Lovely atmosphere!
Plenty of seats. Smells like an ocean. Reasonable price. Servers were swamped. Lobster was good!
Had heard so much about this place, we reserved a table but I think the place to be was at the bar. The shelfish platter was good for a bit of everything.
The interior and atmosphere is indeed great. Feels like an iconic place. But on my opinion clam chowder was very average. Selection of oysters was decent on the menu, they did not have half of what I order though. Service could have been better, takes ages for a waiter to come.
The atmosphere is so great, because it’s historical building ,over a hundred years old.They have not only oysters, but also fish dishes, like cooked with butter source.The counter seats would be highly recommended, you can be like a NewYorker.
Dining at Grand Central Oyster Bar truly is an experience--one that you will not get with a to-go order. Service was fast and efficient--befitting the high-energy nature of an oyster bar catering to rail commuters whom are moving about in the fast lane.. The Blue Points were on-point (pun intended) and the oyster pan roast was definitely one of the more unique dishes I had ever had and will definitely have again.I do wish weekend hours would resume at some point since my commute to and from work takes me nowhere near Grand Central, so for me to swing by on a vacation day is the only chance I get to get my Grand Central Oyster Bar fix. A must-try classic indeed.
Huge and spacious oyster bar located inside the Grand Central Station (with different kind of rooms) where you can find a big, great and various choice of many different fresh oysters amongst others!Its liked and popular with tourists as well as with local people who enjoy some afterwork drinks & food.For that it can be a little bit crowded & noisy.But the food is tasty and delicious anyway.Its always worth a visit. Come in and find out if you like seafood!
Always a nice place to visit with good food. Especially like the little bar room. Quieter.
Friendly staff with great recommendations of seafood especially selection of Oyster. Back for few times already. Reasonable price and convenient (I didnt even have to get out from GCT!)
Service is awesome. A pearl in an oyster! Food was great and election of fresh seafood. Great experience in a neat setting - Grand Central Station!
Oysters were really nice. Only the staff could be a lot more happier. I brought a friend who was trying oysters for the first time. So when we said it was his first time and he wanted just to try one, and after that make a decision to take more or something else, the waiter had a really annoying face.
As a native New Yorker I couldn’t believe that I’ve never sat at the counter at the Oyster Bar. I finally did one afternoon and got immediate service with a terrific waitress. I ordered a bowl of New England clam chowder which came with a roll and crackers and butter for $8.95. It was absolutely delicious and I couldn’t even finish it.The stools have backs to them which is a must for me. Plus I had a great view of the restaurant.I will go back again and again and again!
A must try for nostalgia sake. The Manhattan chowder was very good and the seafood platter, abundant.
Ive been wanting to eat here for 30 years. After all that time, was it worth the wait?Unequivocally, yes.We only had an hour, so limited our dining choices to the simpler fare. The cold poached mussels were excellent, with a nice subtle smokiness. I asked the server to provide a selection of oysters, and wasnt disappointed. On that plate was the best oyster Ive ever had.The service was excellent, with several people coming by to provide bread water refills and the server keeping us updated on our order and attentiveness.This is one of those places with such character and history that one must make this trip.!Salúd!
The oysters were good and the pan roast was tasty, but the service is lacking. We came for lunch and it took an hour just to get the oysters.
Ive had few problems with this place.1. The servers were incredibly rude when we were trying to confirm our reservation. They kept trying to turn the fault on us for the reservation failure. Turns out, they gave our table to some other asian family. They said sorry and we moved on.2. I had high hopes for the oysters, considering its an oyster bar. The Wellfleet oyster (MA), one of my favorites, was fishy. Not briny or salty but just fishy, like its been fermenting. Ill update the review if I get food poisoning tomorrow.3. The stew (combination) was good but couldnt help feeling a bit short changed with the contents. Flounder came out bland. Fried shrimp was okay.4. There are so many servers/uniformed employees walking around. But it takes forever to get anything. Waited around for 15-20 mins for the check.
The ugly colorful logo and the confusion of who our server was is the only flaws in this amazing classical railway seafood bar. Incredible variety of oysters and for guys just working with opening them up. Super fresh in a unique atmosphere!
Amazing fresh seafood and the clam chowder is to die for and only $8.95 for a gigantic bowl. Ask for Mindy! She is really sweet. Even mixed my horse radish and cocktail sauce by hand to make me the perfect amount of spice for my oysters and clams Yum!! Tell her the Blonde sent ya! Leaving good Karma everywhere I go!
This was my second time dining at the Oyster Bar. Both visits were for lunch. I ordered the half chicken with veggies and potatoes and my dining companion ordered lobster with a side of cole slaw. I noticed that our server seemed distracted while taking our orders and wondered if it would result in a mistake in our meals. Unexpectedly, my companions lobster was delivered without the side of cole slaw. We mentioned it to the gentleman who brought our plates and we received the cole slaw a few minutes later.The food is good and I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the chicken meal at such a reasonable price. Other restaurants would charge $15-20 for the same portion size.I only give this place three stars because the employees dont seem very pleasant. The server didnt crack a smile. The person who refilled our water had a look of annoyance on his face. If you want good food, go here. If you want pleasant service, go elsewhere.
This New York Dining Institution served up a pretty good bit mixed review meal The clams casino, one of my all time favorite dishes there, was delish! My boyfriend had some kind of a shellfish spaghetti combo over vodka sauce. The shrimp tasted okay. I didnt love the vodka sauce. I had the filet of sole special. The filet of sole was delicious but the mashed potatoes had a weird after taste and the string beans were barely cooked and had zero flavor. We had flan for dessert. Definitely skip that too. Zero flavor. All in all it was an okay experience.
You just can’t go wrong here. The cocktails, the ambiance, the soft-shell crabs... and, of course, the oysters all add up to a timeless trip back to the early 1910’s.
Excellent selection of oysters. Great place for a fancy lunch or dinner if you transiting through Grand Central
An old favourite - vast range of seafood with a good raw bar served in a period setting. Service is quick and, with the room being a tiled vault, it can get noisy when its busy. The scallops I had for my entree were excellent - perfectly cooked and melt-in-the-mouth fresh. Creamed spinach was a bit heavy, though extra side dishes are not really necessary as portions are generous.
Service was slow eventhough the restaurant wasnt wildly busy. The food was overpriced based on the meal I got and could use some proper seasoning. I barely ate half before I let it go because it was a disappointing meal. The oysters were decent . Its a place I tried once but would not return to. My friend and I were dissapointed in our meal as well as how much money we paid for subpar service and food.
I liked the fried oysters. My wife liked the raw oysters and the crab cakes. Its a unique setting.
Great services, but the food was a let down. The special smoked salmon was just paper thin sheet of salty, lightly smoked salmon with a dozen capers sitting on a lettuce leaf. Served with toasted white bread. No kidding, plain white toasted bread. Likely only an ounce of salmon was served. Crab cakes were also too salty, no one finished their crab cakes. Oysters were good, but not special by any means.
Very nice seafood, a bit expensive but very good service and atmosphere. If you have room for dessert the keylime pie was incredible!
Oyster Bar never disappoints. Had chowder, 1/2 dozen oysters and a nice sauvignon blanc. What could be better?
Excellent muscles, service and atmosphere. I dont understand the negative reviews for this place, it was so good we went back a second time during our stay. Another bar nearby (Docks Oyster Bar had good reviews but we are there and can say the oysters were a massive disappointment and very overpriced). Would recommend GC Oyster Bar to anyone.
Im not sure what else to say that many other reviewers havent already said. This place is awesome and on point. The oysters where outstanding, my wifes meal was delicious, and the service was flawless. Just outstanding.
Good place to hang out before catching the train. Otherwise, food is subpar. Excellent service though.
The fresh and delicious oyster and the soft, big chickens that are tasted with sauce, and the crab chews on the shell are very delicious.
It was a great dinner. Food was so fresh and delectably prepared. The ambience was cozy and the architecture was beautiful. If youre staying at the Grand Hyatt its a great short walk, so cheers! Our waiter completed the night.
Once per year (at least), is a TO DO THING! fresh fish from east / west coast and much more! Manager and staff are great even when very full!
Fantastic menu if you like seafood! So many choices, its insane. Food was good and staff was friendly! Highly recommend!
Great ambience. Institution. Good seafood & fresh oysters. Vast selection, huge menu. Big place. Bit pricey!
Great service, as we had a friendly bartender. We got a couple of drinks and apps as we waited for our train. A bit pricey but beautiful atmosphere.
Great food and fast polite service
Hard to believe that I just had a meal in a railway station that was not only exceptional but correctly served. Why cant we do it in the UK? After all we invented railway technology. No comment.
Largest ever lobster I have seen yet. The food was great, service was pretty good and the historicity of the place adds up. May be bit pricey, but in NYC its acceptable. Highly recommended. A must place while in NYC.
Excellent Lobster roll. Wife had coconut shrimp and by far the biggest shrimp we have had in a long time!!!!!
My server is the reason this isnt 3 stars. He was phenomenal. The fried scallops were delicious, but the waffle fries (photo attached: waffle fries looking burnt on the left) were abysmal until my server brought me a FRESH plate of fries to go with my meal. The tempura batter shrimp are beyond perfection, however.
Best iysters and largest selection in NYC. Always fresh, sitting at the bar is an epic New York experience.Must try the stews ,each bowl crafted to order, the oyster stew is the greatest.The staff is friendly and the ambiance is quintessential Old Manhattan.
I do love this classic NYC gem. Can it be touristy? Definitely. But you can’t argue that eating at the Grand Central Oyster Bar is like sitting in a piece of history. It ain’t cheap, but you can have a satisfying lunch with a frosty beer for a very reasonable price —lunch sandwiches are great as is my favorite, the oyster pan roast.
Timeless, must do experience when in New York. Ordered Fresh Oysters with a Bloody Marys. Loved it. Some many different varieties to choose from, very fresh.
My dinner here tonight was really disappointing. I’ve been here maybe 5 times before and I live and grew up near by. The oysters Rockefeller were cold and had clearly been sitting under a lamp for a while. I also had a striped bsss special that obviously had not been cooked to order. The only dish that did not disappoint was the fried clams. I can get fried clams elsewhere.On top of all of that the service was bad. I had a good meal here just a few weeks earlier. Thus 2 rather than 1 stars.
Thank you, Oyster Bar team, for yet another wonderful evening! We are so very happy to see you back in operation after the pandemic closure, and can’t wait to celebrate with you when every seat is full again. We live far away but treasure our visits from 25+ years. The menu and service tonight were as good as ever, and the beautiful, bustling location can’t be beat! Love you guys.
Sat at the small bar and had such a great experience! Oysters, clams and lobster roll were fantastic!
Excellent service and delicious oysters! Made for a great date outing and was not crowded when we visited, at 2pm - for anyone like us looking to avoid crowds.
There’s something nostalgic about this place, it feels like you’re in a movie in the 90s whenever I go there. The oysters are fabulous and the wine goes very well. Also, if you’re feeling under the weather the Manhattan chowder is a great picker upper.
Delicious fresh oysters, I recommend the Maine oysters very highly! Superb giant prawns (I think they’re the jumbo shrimp on the menu), fresh lobster was a little over cooked for us. The staff couldn’t do enough to help and as it was a birthday meal (I’d let them know in advance) the manager sent over a complimentary dessert! What a gentleman!
My friends and I went there while visiting NY for a long weekend. I used to live in NY for four years and have had many experiences in NYC. This is one of the worst displays of service I have ever experienced. The server was very absent, and the restaurant was not so busy to where this was warranted.At one point, I got up, grabbed a water pitcher, and poured water for my table myself. No server stopped me or even recognized that this should not be occurring.Would I go back? Yes but only because the venue is awesome and I saw other tables that seemed to be receiving quality service. If I had chosen this establishment to have a business meeting, I would have been embarrassed.
Amazing experience here to order the fresh oysters. But the service was little late...
If you’re looking for a spot with a ton of quick bites before checking out a show on Broadway, then you can’t go wrong with snagging a seat at the bar at around 5pm before the crowd hits. The Happy Hour is a pretty good deal so we decided to fill up with a dozen of the best priced oysters on the menu. I’m not an oyster expert by any means, but I was very surprised at how meaty they were for the price. Also had the jumbo shrimp cocktail which came with a side of these amazing crackers that tasted like everything bagels.Marcelo our bartender was a legend and poured us some very strong martinis. It was actually my birthday which my wife happily shared with Marcelo. As we grabbed our check he had the whole bar sing happy birthday alongside a slice of complementary cheesecake. Had a brilliant time here and will be coming back soon for sure.
This little hidden treasure is a great place for shellfish and other types of seafood 🦞. You have to see how they make the soup. Its a wonderful experience and I highly recommend it.
Ive always loved this place. Oysters were the best appetizers and followed by the pan roast makes it unique and wonderfully. You fall in love with historic atmosphere. I love the after dinner drink to top it off. Forever coming back.
Very nice tuna, 100% fresh oyster, fast and kind service. Must see and taste in Grand central station ;).
A New York classic, patronized by tourists, commuters, and midtown office dwellers. The stars are of course the oysters (go for the Canadians!) but the bar is first rate in traditional cocktails - my go to is a gin martini, dirty. I prefer the counter to the full tables, but the full menu is available in any seat in the house.
Ah the aura of an old New York landmark. The oysters were right off the boat. The servers are so efficient and so New York. We love sitting at the u shaped bar area. The lady rest room attendant was the when it opened.
I was here on November 8th. I ordered oysters. When I sprayed oysters with lemon, a red fat worm got out of the oyster! its disgusting! the waiter removed the worm and told me to eat it! no more coming back! The waiters are disrespectful to customers, the menu waited 15 minutes! if you want to feel like а moron come to this place !
Dinner menu has too many items and the wait staff were not helpful with explaining the items. The oyster variety was fresh but the food was average and presentation was less than average
I would never ever recommend this restaurant. We were kindly greeted at the door, but took 10-15 minutes for a server to greet us. Our server was absent from the table and extremely forgetful. We had empty waters almost our entire meal and the food (other than the raw oysters) was nothing to write home about. After dropping the check, our server was at our table more in those last 5 minutes than the entire time we were eating.
A great oyster bar that wont break the bank. Absolutely wonderful.
Great oysters , dont come here for service , dont come here for fish , dont come here for any other food , come here if you want to understand and taste Oysters , the place is really the best for these creatures , I loved them before but here i truly developed taste buds for this magnificent food .No where else you will find variety and regions as you will find them in Grand Central Oyster Bar .Posting menu , prints daily too , check it out .Best
Go where NYrs go for lunch or evening meals, focused on seafood. Not especially quiet or intimate but theres something comforting and nostalgic about this Grand Central Station restaurant.Oysters arrive from the four corners of the earth, and wait staff seem to be choreographed in their efficiency. Get out of Times Sq, come to sanity, busy yet civilized, enjoy delicious food!
Amazing food! Had oysters and a stew. The whole fish was the best looking dish our table ordered.
Food was fine but I must have been unlucky as the oysters I originally wanted, 2 selections, were off the menu. Also the 3 Pilsners I wanted were unavailable.Apart from that good food at reasonable prices.
Great food, although it’s one of those places that values texture over flavor. Everything was spectacularly cooked though and our waiter Evelyn was the bomb dot com!
Really nice for raw bar and more! The staff wasnt very excited but thats ok. The food was awesome!
We had a guided tour and it was worth every penny. Cost 50 dollars and well worth it. Very informative guide.
Good menu, a little slow on the service in the diner section. Oysters were excellent but the prawns a little dry. Well worth the visit for the experience.
Amazing seafood with a big selection
Excellent food and service. The lobster roll was as good as Ive ever had.
Original Dutch herring, comes cutblime they do it over in the Netherlands. Enjoy them with some chopped onion and chive. Landmark building with lots of tourist just outside to whisper in the arch ceiling. Price level is high.
Pretty good variety of oysters here. Good service as well. Recommended to dine here.
We set at the bar, were sitting for 15 min , people running around at the bar ( one bartender) Nobody served us, not even look. We left. Not recommended to anybody including disappointment
Great menu. Staff were OK but didnt get our lobster we ordered with our shared platter or horseradish when we asked for it. Oyster were GOOD though....well worth the visit if you like oysters
This place was a delightful surprise. I have been in NYC all my life and never heard of it. The name is misleading for a person like me that avoids oysters like I try to avoid Covid, lol. Truthfully, they have an array of delicious options for most carnivores.I ordered a shrimp meal and didnt think it would be filling. I was wrong. And I didnt even eat the accompanying squash--because 🤢 (Im still 14yo at heart, lol).The prices range from $$ - $$$, so bring enough coins (not crypto, HODL) to pay for ya meal and the tip.Wait staff is pleasant and on it.Oh dont play yaself. Make a reservation or you may be forced to sit at the bar or the gulag (Im exaggerating, but its Covid times. I want my own table)Enjoy
A real gem. Treat yourself to a drink and a bowl of clam chowder! Great waitstaff who are very knowledgeable about a pretty extensive menu and wine list.
One of the best restaurants in New York City.If youre a tourist this place is a must. If you are local you always come back!
The Grand Central #Oyster #Bar & #Restaurant is a #seafood restaurant located on the lower level of Grand Central Terminal at 42nd Street and Vanderbilt Avenue in #Manhattan in #NewYork City. It opened along with the terminal itself in 1913 and has been in business ever since. As its name suggests, it specializes in seafood. It has become over the years one of the landmarks of the New York culinary scene, visited by the famous and obscure alike.Its architecture features the vaulted, #Guastavino tiled ceilings common in the era of its construction. The archway in front of the restaurant is also famous for an acoustical quirk making it a whispering gallery by which someone standing in one corner can hear someone standing in the opposite corner perfectly no matter how softly they speak.In 2016, Zagats gave it a food rating of 22/30, meaning Very Good To Excellent.
Famous oyster bar, fresh and delicious oyster, the clam showder didnt wowed me, but overall is an experience while visiting grand central Station.
Came here for a late dinner. My friend and I started off with Bloody Marys and split the following: six oysters; marinated squid with avocado, green beans and shredded carrots; and kale lollipops. Everything was tasty. The portions are huge so we couldnt eat everything we ordered. Were definitely coming back for happy hour.
We wanted to love it, but unfortunately the food and (lack of) service let this place down. Come to take a picture and find better food and service elsewhere. We had chowder (average) and a platter of oysters, which were covered in shell bits. Service was very slow and apathetic.
I had always wanted to go here. It did not disappoint. Super atmosphere & food. Our waiter, Ty made us comfortable & was very knowledgeable. Definitely coming back as soon as I am able.
New England clam chowder is awesome!!Oysters; 6 of kusshi and 6 of blue point, I love both!!
The crab cakes were delicious!
Great service and quality fresh fish. Marcelo, Robert and Ty are the best and there is always a fun, interesting crowd.
Great place to eat at Grand Central Station. The seafood was terrific. Loved the ambiance.
Amazing sea food; cozy place & hyper active staff. Highly recommend it.
Stopped for the she-crab soup at the to-go window, but no luck. Chef said itll be coming back soon. Ive always loved GCOB, never disappoints.I had to settle for the excellent New England Clam Chowder 😉Oysters and raw bar next time...Missed you Oyster Bar
Phenomenal selection of oysters. Delicious drinks and a bartender (Ty) who is one of the greats! We had a blast here and will definitely come visit from Massachusetts again soon!
My husband and I ate there on 108/21:Awful, awful experience. Food is inedible and service is disastrous. Skip the Oyster Bar for at least a year until they get their acts together!!! They never gave me back my credit card and I called multiple times and no one answered the phone. I went there on 10/9/21 to get my credit card back and they were closed and no one knew why!!! If the restaurant manager is reading this review please call me back. I left my phone number multiple times!!!!! Elizabeth
Reading the other reviews here, I can only imagine we were unlucky.... At no point was I made to feel welcome by our waiter, who was over worked, rushing around and just rude. He would run over and bark mumbled messages at us and run off with out asking us what we wanted, so we would have to call him back over. Drinks took 20 mins to come on three occasions and our food took over 60 mins...
A bit disappointing this time. Awesome oysters but the main plates were father bland. Maybe the covid induced hiatus has them abit out of practice. Will be back to check the food. The environment where it is located has a lot of history and uniqueness. Worth a visit
A favorite stop whenever we visit the City. Oysters are always wonderful followed by their famous pan roast seafood stew.
Had a very delicious meal here and the service was great!
Overpriced mediocre banquet quality seafood. Half hearted checking of COVID documents at door. Couple next to us kept coughing and hacking thru the entire meal. Waiter was oblivious. Couldn’t wait to get out.
We had been looking forward to go there for long time, but were really disappointed.They made us wait 40 minutes to order our menu at the table. I asked many times but they totally ignored us until I directly claimed to a chief of staff. Of course, they made us wait more for the ordered dishes. Unbelievably rude service and no one apologized us.
Ordinary service and even more ordinary fare. $35 for a single leg of grilled octopus on an undressed bed of lettuce and a quartered tomato. Seriously?
Love this place. Friendly people and great oyster soup
Excellent seafood! Well worth a visit if you’re around. And like seafood ofc.
The best Oysters and The Interior Design is an experience that you can live just there.
First time for everything. Visiting NYC from Maine, and excited to see and sample these Pemaquids and Nautilus. Excellent!
Total reviews rating 4.2
199 Reviews for Grand Central Oyster Bar 2023:
Review №1
2022-01-21Came year after 15 years to enjoy the oysters again. Some changes to the oyster bar but largely intact. Chives are not as many oyster types as it used to be due to Covid. More cooked food selections and have probably 8 different types of oyster to offer. Oyster ranges from $2.85 to $3.85 per piece. From east to west coast , I prefer the New Brunswick and the Washington coast . Briny and lots of sea water mineral taste . Wine selection are quite a range with selection of many American wines . I ordered the clam but it was not great. Sitting on the 50s type of chair to enjoy a simple oyster lunch! Yummy …
Review №2
2022-04-05Great selection of east coast oysters! I prefer east coast because they are less briny. New England clam chowder and calamari were also great dishes. Not the best I’ve had but the calamari had a very light and crispy batter. Located downstairs in grand central in the dining concourseService was attentive and fast. Don’t think I’d come back though as it wasn’t memorable enough for me!
Review №3
2021-12-10Fantastic food and service. The place was packed when there on a Tues early December 21. Had the fried clams appetizer and blackened grouper. Terrific! Our server was able to seat us relatively quickly without a reservation and a full house. Always great seafood. Thumbs way up.
Review №4
2022-07-12Great place, fresh seafood. Located in grand Central Station. Nice restaurant (main dining) and also nice bar (separate area). Fresh salad and great oysters. The clam chowder was very good as well.
Review №5
2021-12-14I found this little gem underneath Grand Central Station. The architecture is beautiful and it’s a huge restaurant with a main dining area, bar, and then smaller more intimate’Saloon’ area. If you love seafood, this is a place to go! It has an extensive oyster selection (I asked the waiter to choose for me which ones to try). Seafood pasta dishes are available as well so you don’t have to be an oyster lover to eat here (but it certainly helps!). There’s so much to explore at Grand Central Station and this restaurant should be on your list!
Review №6
2022-05-28I don’t have a ton of experience with oysters so I can’t speak with that context but I loved everything I had!The seafood platter was great and a good size for two (although I could’ve eaten it by myself tbh). The chef chose 4 (two East Coast, two West Coast) types of raw oysters for it. It also came with two shrimp that were super thicc 🤌🏽 The steamed and buttered potatoes were tied for my fav, with perfect salted skins. My other fav was the Oyster Rockefeller, which was with creamed spinach and cheese, I think? I honestly have no idea but it was perfection ✨ The calamari was cute, the coleslaw was giving a little something, and the cosmo was super strong for no reason.
Review №7
2022-02-25The seafood was nice but its def a place you go to for the atmosphere, not the food. I enjoyed the oysters and the shrimp I had, would not recommend the dessert (cheesecake)
Review №8
2021-11-14Definitely an authentic place. Seems to be a true New Yorker hanging out spot. Quite a selection of various oysters and fish. I would not say it is a wow experience in terms of the taste and presentation, it is quite average. I had higher expectations. But hey, probably worth checking out for yourself once.
Review №9
2022-03-05Wide variety of oysters with excellent taste. Asked to order a sampler pladder and received a wide variety of oysters that was given a description by the waiter. Great cocktails and homemade cheesecake topped off the night.
Review №10
2022-05-30Friends: let me tell you: I don’t even really care about oysters. But these ones sang me a song reminiscent of that weird scene in the original Alice in Wonderland. They were very fresh. AND I got the RED Manhattan clam chowder…. So good a small tear fell from my eye into the soup which affected the perfect harmony of flavours…. Please enjoy….