23 AUG 2019: With summer in mind – and glass in hand – we at Travel Industry Today, continue our seasonal series on some of the planet’s best bars, patios and rooftop venues to enjoy during the (hopefully good) weather.
Who doesn’t like oysters, especially when they’re raw, with a tad of Tabasco? (“Slimy but satisfying” to swipe a line from The Lion King). Well even if you’re turning up your nose, New York’s Island Oyster restaurant is worth a visit.
Situated on Governor’s Island in New York Harbour directly overlooking both Brooklyn and the more iconic lower Manhattan skyline (with nearby views of the Statue of Liberty), the newish restaurant is a seasonal retreat that has the feel of being apart from the city – not the least because of the lushness of the island and because it requires a ferry ride to get there.
Tropically themed, the 3,000-sq.-m. venue, which opened in 2017, contains a beer garden, waterfront bar, separate white-marble oyster bar and four large, and communal mahogany tables for sipping craft beers or warm-weather cocktails alfresco.
But, aside from the panoramic views, it’s all about the oysters here. Brothers, sailors and restaurateurs Alex and Miles Pincus (Grand Banks), mine the harbour’s heritage as a hotbed of oyster production, and serve up both local and imported shellfish, including from Malpeque Bay, PEI, as well as other seafood dishes like fish tacos and lobster roll. For landlubbers, there are salads, sandwiches/burgers and jerk chicken.
When done – or before – visitors can also explore the island, by bike or foot.
Island Oyster is a five-minute and $2 ferry ride from the Battery Maritime Building at 10 South St. (just to the northeast of the Staten Island Ferry Terminal) in lower Manhattan. Ferries operate on the hour from 10 a.m. during the week and on the half hour on weekends.
Opening hours are Mon.-Thurs., 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.; Friday, 12 p.m. – 10 p.m.; Sat., 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. and Sun., 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. A limited number of reservations (for up to nine people) are taken daily, but the restaurant is devoted to catering to serving walk-in clientele.