Favorite Seafood in DC

[meinNYC]

DC Coast or Oceanaire, or Legal Seafood, McCormick and Schmick or someplace totally different? Chime in on your favorite, preferably downtown or Penn Quarter. Thanks

[CIAinDC]

DC Coast is great... When I ate there I thought the food was very interesting and the menu (food and wine) very well laid out.

[mnadel]

I would add D'Aqua. Pick out a whole fish and get it salt-baked. Delicious. It's not yet so busy; you can still walk in there on Friday night without a reservation.

[JAC13]

For seafood (which is my favorite food), I really like Pesce, Hanks Oyster Bar, and BlackSalt. All three are solid. I havn't been to DC Coast in a long time but they just got a new chef that I know is great from another restaurant so its on my list. I find McCormick and Schmick and Oceanaire to be boring and just ehhh. They never wow me and that is especially troubling in the case of Oceanaire, which is very expensive for what it is.

[brianV]

Black Salt is far and away my favorite as well, and well worth the not so expensive cab ride. I'd only caution that it can be a challenge to get a cab back, although they will call one for you (I ate there quite late once and had a terrible time getting a cab however). There is bus service that will get you back to a metro stop if worst comes to worst. But if I were you, I'd take the risk. The seafood is that good.

[homesmax]

upscale: blacksalt ( don't miss fried ipswich clams w madras aoili)
downscale: hanks oyster bar (for oysters, duh; also peel n' eat shrimp)

[meinNYC]

How far is Black Salt from the Lafayette Square area? Few subway stops is okay, a real pilgrimage is not.

[katecm]

It's not Metro-accessible. It's in a very residential part of town, and would require a cab ride.

[DanielK]

Black Salt is not metro-accessible. It's out by the Georgetown Resevoir. But it's only 3 miles from downtown, so a relatively inexpensive cab ride.

Oceanaire is excellent, especially for a chain - and right downtown. Kinkead's is also excellent - Foggy bottom area. I'm also quite partial to Pesce, a block west of Dupont Circle.

[cleveland park]

I´m also partial to pesce. But isn´t D'aqua in penn quarter? A few trusted friends ventured there and really enjoyed the fresh seafood.

[jaydreb]

Agreed. If you want to stay Downtown or Penn Quarter, then I would recommend Oceanaire, D'Acqua or DC Coast.

Blacksalt is excellent, but not really convenient to downtown unless you want to take a cab.

[aburkavage]

BlackSalt's numero uno on my list right now.

[katecm]

I'd steer clear of Legal and McCormick and Schmick's if I were you. They're mediocre chains.

Oceanaire, of course, is also a chain, but is excellent. Fantastic raw bar.

DC Coast would be less expensive than Oceanaire and is lovely. Check out the menu online. While Oceanaire follows more of a steakhouse menu (pick your fish and how it is cooked, then order side dishes), DC Coast will be a more inventive menu.