Best Waterfront Dining in New York

In the restaurant business, location can make or break you. Unfortunately, the food doesn’t always live up to the setting it’s served in.  We want to seize the warm weather this season, so we’ve rounded up our favorite waterfront spots with not just a great view, but great food. For starters, there’s Tom Colicchio’s Riverpark with a charming terrace overlooking the East River, along with the smart, seasonal cuisine he’s famous for.  If you’re craving something laid-back, try Rockaway Taco, located on an oceanside boardwalk.

Randazzo’s Clam Bar
Address: 2017 Emmons Ave. near E. 21st Street (Brooklyn)
Phone: (718) 615-0010
The menu at this seafood joint has hardly changed in over fifty years and that’s exactly the way the locals like it.  If you haven’t been to Randazzo’s, it’s worth a field trip to Sheepshead Bay for family-style portions of perfectly al dente pasta, loaded with shellfish and plenty of the restaurant’s signature red sauce – the quintessential, South Brooklyn condiment.  Terrific for dipping fried clams, calamari or any other shellfish, Randazzo’s has managed to keep its oregano-rich tomato gravy a secret for four generations.  And as the name suggests, Randazzo’s offers several renditions of clams, including raw, baked, fried, and zuppa as well as Manhattan and New England clam chowder.   Of course, the ideal place to enjoy seafood is on the waterfront i the outdoor dining area, where you can also sample steamed lobster, mussels, crab cakes, or soft shell crabs.

Riverpark
Address: 450 E 29th ST. near First Avenue
Phone: (212) 729-9790
Tom Colicchio gets a lot of air time on Top Chef, but he is a chef and restaurateur first. In fact, he has nearly a dozen successful restaurants, plus the growing ‘wichcraft sandwich chain. His most recent Manhattan venture, Riverpark (pictured above) boasts East River views and a charming outdoor terrace to enjoy it.  The best part about is Riverpark is that dinner is what you make it because you can you can order from the formal dinner menu with offerings, like diver scallops with a bacon-ramp vinaigrette or from the more casual bar menu with homemade potato chips, grilled cheese and even fried chicken.  Start with the “West Of Manhattan” cocktail, uniquely flavored with cocoa nibs and chile bitters and ease into dinner on the east side of town.

Hudson River Café
Address: 697 West 133rd St. at Riverside Drive
Phone: (212) 491-9111
The stretch of Harlem under the West Side Highway is transforming into a foodie haven thanks to recent additions, like the Hudson River Café. This four-year-old restaurant is perfect for groups, who can choose from three, spacious dining rooms .  The best seats in the house are on the outdoor patio with a view of the Hudson River.  The Latin menu features lobster or shrimp ceviche, steamed mussels or beef empanadas.  But while dinner here is great, the $21 weekend brunch is an even better deal.  You can still experience Chef Ricardo Cardona’s cooking, such as crab cakes and eggs or huevos rancheros, with unlimited mimosas to boot.

Ignazio’s
Address: 4 Water St # A (Brooklyn)
Phone: (718) 522-2100
Why wait in an hour-long line for Grimaldi’s pizza when there’s another great pizzeria right around the corner?  Ignazio’s may not have the Grimaldi’s famous coal oven, but its gas oven gets hot enough to give the crust a fine char.  There are several advantages to opting for Ignazzio’s, which includes a knock-out a white clam pie seasoned with lots of lemon and parsley, prosciutto-stuffed artichokes, Estelle’s meatballs and views of the Brooklyn Bridge and East River Promenade.

The River Café
Address: 1 Water St. (Brooklyn)
Phone: (718) 522-5200
The Brooklyn Bridge-adjacent River Café offers one of the most iconic views of the Manhattan skyline, especially when you dine on the floating barge or the garden-like Terrace Room. And the chefs at this luxurious spot are no slouches, serving refined dishes like foie gras with a coffee and almond crust and grilled dorade with poached artichoke hearts. Between the setting and the food, it’s no surprise that the River Café has been a New York institution more than three decades.

Rockaway Taco
Address: 95-19 Rockaway Beach Blvd. (Queens)
Phone: (347) 213-7466
It’s well-worth the hour-long train ride to Rockaway Beach for the tacos at this beach shack with an outdoor patio that looks out onto the Atlantic Ocean.  Chef Andrew Field’s serves San Diego-style tacos, filled with beer-battered tilapia, carne aside or chorizo along with radishes, cabbage and cilantro.  And for vegetarian beach bums, there’s a crispy tofu taco that’s flavorful enough to satisfy meat-eaters as well.

Crow’s Nest at the Water Club
Address: 500 East 30th St.
Phone: (212) 683-3333
The Crow’s Nest is like the boisterous cousin of the straight-laced Water Club restaurant, filled with picnic tables instead of white cloth-clad tables. This outdoor deck overlooks the East River and is a great happy hour spot thanks to classic cocktails like Mai Tai and pitchers of Sangria. For grub, keep it simple with the raw bar’s shellfish or a burger.

Central Park Boathouse
Address: E. 72nd Street near Park Drive North
Phone: (212) 517-2233
New York’s dining scene is constantly developing, but the lakeside dining at the Central Park Boathouse will always be a special experience. The Boathouse has four settings to choose from, from the more formal Lakeside dining room and banquet halls, to the casual outdoor grill and express café. Whichever room you choose, we recommend arriving early so that you can take a spin around the lake on a rowboat.