Brian Nagele
There’s nothing quite like eating a delicious meal while overlooking the water. With over 95,000 miles of coastline throughout the country, you don’t have to look very far for great waterfront restaurants.
Whether you’re traveling to New York, Florida, California, or elsewhere in the states, you can find great restaurants with waterfront views.
Here’s where you can find the best waterfront restaurants in the US.
Grand Banks Restaurant
225 West St. New York, NY 10013
Phone: 212-520-7855
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If you’re looking for a unique waterfront restaurant, you can’t miss Grand Banks Restaurant in New York.
You’ll find the restaurant in Lower Manhattan along the Hudson River. This waterfront restaurant is unique because you’ll dine on a historic boat on the river. It doesn’t sail around, but the atmosphere and views are stunning.
The cuisine at Grand Banks Restaurant is mainly oysters and other fresh-caught seafood. All their oysters are sustainably harvested, so you can feel good about eating the food here.
I highly recommend any of their oysters, but the menu also features caviar, appetizers, and larger entrees. I love their lobster salad.
La Mar by Gaston Acurio
500 Brickell Key Drive, 33131 Miami
Phone: 305-913-8358
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Right off the Brickell Key Bridge on Brickell Key is the beautiful restaurant La Mar by Gaston Acurio.
This waterfront restaurant in Miami is an elegant spot where you can get dressed up and feel like one of the most important people in the room.
It’s an elegant restaurant, and you won’t be sorry if you’re lucky to get a table outside.
La Mar’s cuisine features Peruvian dishes with a fusion of other cultures. You’ll see plenty of seafood on the menu, Japanese dishes, and more.
Some of my favorite things on their menu are the Argentinian veal heart, ceviche, and any of their Peruvian street food. The menu is ever-changing, but everything’s delicious.
The Slanted Door
Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA 94111, United States
Phone: 415-861-8032
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Just east of Chinatown in San Francisco is The Slanted Door. This delicious Vietnamese restaurant sits on the water near the Oakland Bay Bridge, offering fantastic views.
You’ll love the floor-to-ceiling glass windows that allow all patrons to take in the scenery.
The Slanted Door has some of the tastiest Vietnamese cuisines in San Francisco. I highly recommend coming here with an empty stomach so you can try several things.
For the appetizers, I love the shrimp and pork rolls. As for the entrees, some of my top choices are the lemongrass tofu and their noodle bowls.
99 Sea Level
99 Hollywood St, Bethany Beach, DE 19930
Phone: 302-539-0299
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Bethany Beach is the place to be in Delaware during the summer months, and when you’re there, you can’t miss a meal at 99 Sea Level.
You’ll find this upscale waterfront restaurant inside the Bethany Beach Ocean Suites. The decor screams summer with bright white and blue shades throughout.
99 Sea Level is a seafood restaurant that boasts a raw bar, a must-try when you’re here. They have a little bit of everything from warm appetizers, plates of pasta, salads, and non-seafood dishes too.
My two favorite entrees here are their seafood spaghetti with scallops and the lump crab cake sandwich. Don’t forget to try a side of their lobster mac and cheese!
Dave’s Gone Fishing
PO Box 1491, Montauk NY 11954
Phone: 631-668-9190
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Whatever the reason you’re visiting Montauk, Dave’s Gone Fishing needs to be on your list of restaurants to try.
This husband and wife-owned restaurant sits on the Montauk Docks and offers you some great water views. It’s a cozy restaurant, and tables are hard to get, so call first thing in the morning!
Dave’s Gone Fishing’s menu features seafood dishes from around the world. Most of the menu consists of small plates perfect for sharing.
I love this concept because you can try several things off the menu. I love their seared scallops, seafood linguine, and raw oysters.
The Coast Guard House Restaurant
40 Ocean Rd, Narragansett, RI 02882
Phone: 401-789-0700
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Most people skip over Rhode Island since the state is so small, but if you’re traveling there, you won’t get a better waterfront restaurant than The Coast Guard House Restaurant.
This local favorite has been operating since 1945 with no signs of slowing down. The atmosphere here is casual, but it’s still a great celebration spot with panoramic ocean views.
The Coast Guard House Restaurant is mainly a seafood joint, but they have plenty of options, so everyone will be happy with what they order.
They have a “from the land” section on their menu with chicken, beef, and other non-seafood dishes.
Oysters are the most popular appetizer here, but other dishes I love are the octopus salad, lobster tail cocktail, and crab cakes.
Lido Bayside Grill
40 Island Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139
Phone: 786-245-0880
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Lido Bayside Grill is on the beautiful Belle Isle in Miami, right before you hit South Beach.
This waterfront restaurant features excellent outdoor seating, so you can enjoy the views and Florida weather.
Overall, the restaurant is casual but in true Miami fashion, don’t be surprised if you see people here dressed to impress.
The menu at this restaurant is Mediterranean cuisine, but they have plenty of American dishes too.
Their fried calamari and truffle fries are the best appetizers to snack on with a cocktail while waiting for your meal.
The tuna ceviche from the raw bar is heavenly, but if you don’t like raw seafood, the lobster roll and beyond burger are fantastic.
Nobu Malibu
22706 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu, CA 90265
Phone: 310-317-9140
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Everyone has heard the name Nobu before. This famous restaurant has a location in Malibu that offers you those California coastal views you crave when visiting the west coast.
The restaurant is a modern space, and when you dine here, you have to try and sit outside. You’ll be able to hear and see the waves crashing while feasting on Japanese cuisine.
The menu at Nobu is Japanese-inspired. There’s a lot of fresh seafood and other famous Japanese dishes on the menu.
To start, the sashimi with dry miso is delicious. I love their lobster salad, but you must try their Nobu-style sashimi tacos. I recommend trying one of each, such as tuna, lobster, ribeye, and wagyu.
Mar’Sel
100 Terranea Way, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275
Phone: 844-242-0967
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To get to Mar’Sel, you’ll need to head to the Terranea Resort in Palos Verdes, California. You don’t have to stay at the resort to eat here, but you won’t regret staying on the property.
The restaurant is elegant, with dim lighting inside and some fantastic views of the California coast on the outside.
Mar’Sel’s menu features new American cuisine and a lengthy wine list that is worth looking at. Much of the ingredients they use are locally sourced and as fresh as possible.
If you want to feel like royalty, their raw bar market caviar is perfect to start your dining experience. As for the entrees, their lamb chops, veal chops, and halibut are impressive.
Sierra Mar
Post Ranch Inn, Big Sur, CA 93920
Phone: 831-667 2800
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Big Sur, California, is yet another great area of California. Nestled in the cliffside is Sierra Mar.
This restaurant is inside the Post Ranch Inn, and you must sit on the patio when you dine here. The terrace extends over the cliff, offering some stunning Pacific Ocean views.
It’s an elegant spot perfect for celebrations, dates, or a nice dinner.
Sierra Mar is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner services, so making time to dine here is easy. I was able to eat here for dinner, but whenever you can make time, you’ll be happy you did.
The menu features Californian cuisine; my favorite dishes are the duck and Dungeness crab.
The Gulf
Orange Beach, AL & Fort Walton Beach, FL
Phone: 251-424-1800; 850-387-1300
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There are two great locations where you can enjoy The Gulf. There’s one in Fort Walton Beach, Florida and the other is in Orange Beach, Alabama.
Regardless of which location you choose to visit, you’ll be greeted by colorful and laid-back restaurants on the water. The atmosphere at The Gulf is relaxed and exactly what you’d expect from a beach restaurant.
The Gulf is a seafood restaurant, so its menu is mainly fish and shellfish. They also have plenty of other dishes, too.
The smoked tuna dip is a great appetizer to enjoy with a cold beer or tropical cocktail. Other popular dishes on their menu include shrimp tacos, burgers, and the famous seafood boil.
Hog Island Oyster Co.
Ferry Building, #11, San Francisco, CA 94111
Phone: 415-391-7117
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Hog Island Oyster Co. is near Pier One in San Francisco. You’ll sit right on the water, near the bridge that separates Oakland and San Francisco, while taking in the stunning waterfront and city views.
The restaurant is reasonably relaxed, but it’s very popular, so don’t be surprised if there are a lot of other patrons there.
As you might have guessed based on the name, you’ll find plenty of fresh oysters on the menu here.
The oyster options change daily depending on what’s available, but I recommend getting the oyster bar mix which is a sample of several of the different oysters.
Besides oysters, you’ll see salads, chowders, and sandwiches on the menu. The clam chowder is fantastic.
Blue Moon Over Avila
460 Front Street, Avila Beach, CA
Phone: 805-595-2583
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Blue Moon Over Avila is right across from the Avila Beach Pier. This elegant French restaurant is the perfect combination of elegance and casual.
If it weren’t for the waterfront views, you might forget that you’re in California, not Paris. Inside is cozy, but the best seats are in the restaurant area on the patio.
You can enjoy breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner at this restaurant, and they’re particularly popular for brunch and dinner.
For starters, you can’t miss out on trying their escargot. You’ll see other menu items: salads, soups, risottos, and other entrees. The vegan vegetable Wellington is my favorite.
M.C. Perkins Cove
11 Perkins Cove Rd, Ogunquit, ME 03907
Phone: 207-646-6263
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One of the best waterfront restaurants in the US is in New England. M.C. Perkins Cove is in Ogunquit, Maine, a popular spot for tourists and locals.
The contemporary restaurant is right on the Atlantic Ocean and is filled with windows so everyone can enjoy the ocean views. It’s a relaxed restaurant but still perfect for special occasions.
The cuisine at M.C. Perkins Cove is considered refined American. The menu is filled with various seafood, a raw bar, and other American options.
If you know anything about Maine, they’re famous for lobsters, so anything with lobster is a great option.
I recommend trying the blueberry and gin cured salmon, the grilled swordfish, or the Maine chowder.
Scoma’s
1965 Al Scoma Way, Pier 47, Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco, CA 94133
Phone: 415-771 4383
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San Francisco has plenty of waterfront restaurants, but I couldn’t finish off this list without mentioning Scoma’s.
You’ll find Scoma’s as you explore Fisherman’s Wharf, and you have to try it. It’s a super casual restaurant that features a welcoming atmosphere.
You’ll be able to enjoy a meal and drink, looking out at the water and seeing all the fishing boats.
You might even see some fish you can order being pulled off the boats! Scoma’s is a seafood restaurant; almost all their fish come from the Bay or surrounding area.
The appetizers consist of oysters, shrimp, and truffle fries. Some of my favorites you should try are their pan-seared shrimp and scallops, the mixed seafood grill, and the linguine bolognese.
