The Times Square dining scene just got a major boost thanks to the newest outpost of beloved seafood destination, The Mermaid Inn.
This location, officially called The Mermaid Inn Oyster Bar, is the restaurant’s fifth and a culinary blockbuster given that owners Cindy Smith and Danny Abrams partnered with Jeffrey Bank, the CEO of Alicart Restaurant Group. Alicart runs nine restaurants across the city, including Italian institution Carmine’s (which also has a Times Square location) and Virgil’s Real Barbecue.
“If you’re coming to Times Square to see a Broadway show, it’s phenomenal to have [this] restaurant,” Bank says.The Mermaid Inn’s opening is the latest win for Times Square dining following the reopening of Broadway and Carmine’s last fall.
Smith and Abrams opened the first Mermaid Inn location in 2003 in the East Village. Since then, the restaurateurs have added locations across the city and gained a loyal following for the restaurant’s fresh, reasonably priced seafood—and the uber-popular oyster happy hour. The Times Square location, Mermaid Inn’s biggest location yet, marks an exciting step forward for the restaurateurs.
As the location’s name suggests, oysters are once again front and center. There are seven kinds available, and the Mermaid Inn’s famed $1.50 happy hour oysters, available every day from 4 pm to 5:30 pm, are served here, too.
The Mermaid Inn executive chef Michael Cressotti has ensured that all of the favorites are on the Times Square menu, including the stunning seafood platter with oysters, clams, and shrimp cocktail, as well as the lobster knuckles, prepared like French-style snails with garlic butter.
There are several new additions to the menu, too. The Shanghai-style spare ribs marinate for 24 hours before they’re cooked and topped with black vinegar, scallions, and toasted sesame seeds. Pan-fried calamari served with whipped feta and blistered cherry tomatoes is another highlight.
Diners can expect a host of new sides at this location, including a macaroni and cheese made with smoked gouda. Top it with vegetables, bacon, or lobster. This is also the first location to offer desserts; choose between a key lime tart, a brownie sundae, or soft serve ice cream that changes daily.
Spanning 15,000 square feet with space to seat 550 people, this is arguably one of the largest seafood destinations in the city. For now, just a little more than half of the seats are open with more set to become available early next year.
Diners can get up close to the action at a massive marble raw bar that seats 18. The restaurant also offers a private dining room with space for up to 110 people. Expect many of the same rustic-chic motifs that Mermaid Inn regulars have come to love at other locations, such as the exposed white brick walls, wooden tables and floors, framed photos depicting scenes from the water, and black accents throughout.
The Mermaid Inn Oyster Bar at Times Square is open Tuesday to Saturday from 4 pm to 11 pm, and on Sundays and Mondays from 4 pm to 10 pm. Don’t miss the happy hour that runs daily from 4 pm to 5:30 pm.
—Diana Hubbell contributed reporting.
—Tanay Warerkar is a content marketing manager at OpenTable
