Great service. Efficient and yet very friendly and accommodating. Great menu choices. Happy Hour menu is perfect. The outdoor space is not crowded, but quite roomy and spread out. And that's why we are "regulars". KN read more

The food was delicious and the service was great. The prices were a bit high ($45 for halibut) but this is the new norm at restaurants. This is why I don't dine out as much as I used to. read more

5 across the board! Every course was phenomenal and the service matched! They have gained new patrons... we can't wait to return and try more dishes! read more

Great food. Amazing drinks. Fun atmosphere. Wonderful staff. If I lived closer, I would be there every week!

Very nice, comfortable atmosphere. Superb wines by the glass, excellent Sancerre, citrus refreshing perfect acidity, reasonable bottle price. Fat juicy mussels in a white wine sauce, delectable!.black squid ink linguine with shell fish read more

The food was amazing and the staff went out of their way to make the night special! We had a stroller with us and they were more than accommodating! read more

José was the man! Best waiter I've had in a long time. The food was excellent and the service was phenomenal. 10/10. Will definitely come again. read more

Excellent soup, salad, and salmon. The early bird special for seniors is a great deal. Service was spot, and the restaurant is very nicely decorated and comfortable. read more

The Shell is a relatively new neighborhood restaurants that we visited many times. The food and service is great and it is or #1 choice for special occasions and casual dining. Our last visit we had Jose as our server and he was exceptional at explaining the menu, the day's specials and making suggestions. Everyone in our party was very impressed and enjoyed their food. The overall experience is top notch and Jose deserves a raise. read more

As others have mentioned, the service here is wonderful, however the food left much to be desired. The lobster ravioli was very dense and chewy, sauce was bland and the lobster pieces on top were overcooked and flavorless. The tagliatelle with mushrooms had a slightly better flavor, but the pasta was average and the sauce was gluey. I tried to ignore the lower rated reviews, but unfortunately they were spot on. read more

Excellent experience. The salads were good but the seafood is the main attraction here, with sparking clams and oysters from the raw bar, a really fresh grilled branzino special, and really flavorful mussels and garlic shrimp. Even the oil for the bread was really good. The table next to us ordered chicken and steak. They also have a few pastas with no fish or meat. If you have room, the bread pudding has raisins, orange zest and really nice ice cream. Very well done. A nice wine list with a Sancerre to go with your oysters and a full bar and interesting cocktails too. We were seated outside and were lucky enough to have a warm breezy day with no rain. There are umbrellas for some outdoor tables, but you may get stuck under the sun or in the rain. Our server Jorge was amazingly attentive and The Shell is now added to our list of regular places. Looking forward to round two! read more

Food was fantastic. Service and pacing could have been a tad better but thoroughly enjoyed it. Place was styled well, had a good vibe.

Another relative newcomer to the UWS restaurant scene, the Shell specializes in seafood with just a few non-seafood options (steak, chicken, olives as an appetizer). The bones are the same as the Blockheads Burritos it replaced, but the decor is now vaguely nautical -- slightly evocative of a large chain hotel lobby, but pleasant. We came, in part, for the enticing looking happy hour menu featuring $12 plates: six oysters (Blue Points on our visit; 12 were $22); littleneck clams; salad topped with salmon or tuna; olives; and mussels. HH cocktails were $7. The Blue Points were large and meaty, and very nicely shucked, but oddly far less saline than BPs usually are. I wonder if the liquor was somehow diluted before serving. In general, BPs are not known for nuance -- they're kind of like the meatloaf of oysters, large and satisfying, an everyperson's oyster -- but they fit the bill and were enjoyable with the lemon, mignonette, cocktail sauce, and horseradish accompaniments. No separate plate was offered for the shells, but no biggie. We used our bread plates. The HH mixed green salad with salmon was, as other reviewers noted, pretty wimpy on the salmon. But the mesclun was well dressed, the salmon of fair quality and nicely pan fried. I wasn't mad. A plate of olives were on par with what Zabar's sells in its olive bar. The Pardner liked his lobster ravioli ($26) -- which, we were told, were housemade. The most standout dish we tried on this visit was the side of sauteed spinach ($10). It was truly well made, lightly sauteed to leave some texture, with toasted garlic sprinkled atop. Simple and perfect. Cocktails were quite enjoyable, made with enough alcohol to make me happy. Our server, who said he also functions as a bartender most evenings, is the mixologist mastermind behind all cocktails on the menu. The ones we tried tended towards being fruity, a That's Spicy Cocktail far heavier on the strawberry than the spice. A Shallow Hall was more pleasantly bracing, with a refreshing touch of cucumber and lime. Our server made a somewhat big deal of allowing us to order off the HH menu though we were not at the bar, though that restriction is not listed anywhere. But he was very accommodating of our little one, well intentioned and nice. There's lots of outdoor seating that we're eyeing for a return visit with the pup when the weather takes a nicer turn! read more

Great seafood and pleasant staff. Nice atmosphere with indoor and outdoor dining. I love the patella.

Outstanding! Wonderful food and service to match. The house salad, which we shared, has a yummy sweet dressing. The chili oil for the bread has a great kick. My pasta with shrimp had plump, sweet grilled shrimp in a delicious creamy sauce. My friends raved about the branzino and the perfectly rare tuna. Not cheap, but worth every doll read more

Food---5 star Service---5 star Ambience---5 star inside and outside What a fabulous neighborhood find on the UWS. Support this wonderful, friendly, and creative cuisine establishment. We'll be back! read more

The Shell Restaurant - Branzino at its finest. - Seafood Near Me - New York, New York

First time at Shell restaurant and everything was perfecto from the greeting at the door , to our amazing waiter Jose, he took his time to explain the menu and recommend what was delicious to eat.. he took good care of us , made us feel right at home.. the restaurant was so cute. read more

Came here with family of 6 for Restaurant week deals. Food was great , the service was very good. They are attentive and accommodating and made the dinner service very relaxing and enjoyable. Good job Jose and the staff ! read more

A welcome addition to the neighborhood! Can't speak to the interior as I never actually saw it - we sat down outside right away on one of the first sunny days of spring and shared a fantastic paella and scallops with a surprisingly good Bourgogne Blanc for the price. Service was great, and the place was busier than I would have expected on a mid-week day, but perhaps the sun got folks out of the house. I'll be back soon! read more

What a pleasure to find a well priced fresh seafood restaurant on the upper west side with wonderfully attentive, wait staff! I hope to become a regular! read more

We loved everything we ordered. They were full, so my husband and I sat at the bar and we ordered four appetizers and drinks. Everything was delicious and I would come back and order the same exact thing. We ordered the shrimp with garlic, the octopus, the lobster salad, and the muscles. They had nice fish fillets, such as halibut and red snapper on the menu. I'll have to come back again and sample those. The service was friendly, and we will happily come back again. . read more

The Shell Restaurant - Lobster salad - Seafood Near Me - New York, New York

Happy hour not so happy. 16 dollar Classic Caesar Salad with salmon and look at the size of the salmon. To be fair, tasty salad and salmon but not worth it. They cut a salmon in half and served it for happy hour. Just don't offer it for happy hour. It was joke. Haven't tried anything else on the menu read more

The Shell Restaurant - Happy hour 16 dollar salmon with Caesar Salad - Seafood Near Me - New York, New York

Wonderful food! Great Ambience! Service was good. We loved it, location is fun! Excellent menu - very recommended

Dined earlier this year. The food was wonderful and the martinis were large and outstanding. Returned this week and at first they said the $55 prix fixe was not available but relented when I showed them their website. The food was still good but unfortunately the portions were smaller. The same was true for the drinks. Although disappointed we will try again and hope it was just a bad night . read more

The Shell is relatively new to the UWS. After reading the excellent reviews over time and studying what seemed to be an interesting menu, my Son and I decided to dine there last evening. My Son enjoyed it more than I did. From start to finish, I was disappointed. The restaurant inside is relatively small, but comfortable with a pleasant layout. However, for the amount of people there, the noise level was high. The acoustics need some improvement. Jose, our waiter, was pleasant and accommodating but, with a heavy accent, very difficult to understand. The meal started with 4 pieces of crusty bread and a spicy dipping sauce, which was good. We ordered a bottle of 2022 CA Fume Blanc wine, mainly because it was the least expensive offering ($55). It was okay but nothing to write home about. My Son ordered the scallop appetizer and Maine lobster ravioli. I had a taste of the scallops, and they were good. I ordered WA state oysters, which came with 2 dipping sauces. They tasted fine, but were somewhat slimy and not worth the $27 for 6. I also ordered Maine lobster ravioli. The ravioli and sauce were fine, but the lobster was tough and difficult to chew. I'm certain it was previously frozen and then thawed out. This often ruins the texture. The lobster ravioli I had at Pappardelle a while back was much better. For dessert we both ordered the "raspberry" creme brulee. This sounded more interesting than it actually was. To call it "raspberry" creme brulee is a misnomer. This was an unusual tasting creme brulee with 1 raspberry in the center. Also the crust had been flamed too long and was too crunchy. We ordered Jamaican coffee, which they didn't have; so we settled for Mexican. (The bar is very sparsely stocked.) This was one of the worst Mexican coffees I've had. It had an unpleasant and strong coffee taste with very little whipped cream, and you couldn't even taste the Kahlua. What I make at home is much better (and cheaper). Overall, for what you get, this restaurant is overpriced. I have no intention of returning. Many more restaurants to try. read more

Jose was our server was amazing from start to finish literally opened the door for my family and I . We had 2 dozen perfect oysters (if you're worried about the travel for the west coast guys they were also phenomenal) . My mom had the amazing branzink and my grandmother wife and I had the lobster ravioli definitely the best one I've had in recent memory. The drinks... so good. I would recommend for any occasion. read more

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Celebrated my daughter's birthday , they're very accommodating with my rsvp. First time going & will definitely return again!

The food was amazing, the staff was attentive and courteous, and the atmosphere was lovely. It was a wonderful dining experience for our party of four! read more

Excellent meal and wonderful service. Highly recommend this neighborhood restaurant. Nice ambiance!

Service! Skilled waiters! Food, superb fish! Ambiance Consideration for allergies and made it soecial for birthday read more

Had a great dinner at the Shell on the Upper West Side. The food was great but the service was even better! Jose was delightful and will ask for him on my next visit here. Had oysters to start and then the chicken dish. So good and so much food! read more

Really excellent food and service. We had the seared scallops and grilled octopus as starters, perfectly seasoned and cooked, accompanied by a nice polenta. The octopus is the best on the Upper West Side. Our main courses were the perfectly cooked pan-seared halibut and the squid-ink linguine with mixed seafood (amazingly fresh clams, plump mussels, calamari, and shrimp in a spicy and garlicky brodo). Green salad to clear the palate, then a light house-made tiramisu and espressos. The service, both from the host Valerio and our waiter José V., was warm and very attentive. This restaurant was a real find! read more

We've been to this restaurant twice. Both times we had the prefix and really enjoyed it. $45 prefix is a great deal with quality food and nice portions. It's really more food than I normally eat, but it's so good. Service is very friendly and they are happy to modify an item if you have dietary restrictions if you like seafood this is the best place in the neighborhood, my husband had the steak and he enjoyed it too. It was just one of the few local places in the neighborhood that actually knows how to cook a steak rare. read more

Walked in for happy hour and stayed for dinner. I must say everything was delicious. So good I had to call my son so he can join me. Excellent and friendly service. Nice music playing in the background with a beautiful atmosphere. Definitely will come back again. read more

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Outstanding! Came for happy hour and had oysters and clam that were just super fresh and wonderful! Had the Bourgogne blanc for happy hour that was delicious. My wife had the shrimp cocktail that had plump shrimp and was delicious. Service was also great. Had the tiramisu that was also creamy and great! Wonderful to have such a wonderful spot in the UWS! read more

Food was amazing and service was even better!! José was an amazing waiter who always kept our bread bowl full and our smiles on our faces! :) Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a good night out!! read more

The clams are SO good, ask for 17 extra sides of bread because you will want to lick the bowl clean, and it's best to keep it classy and use bread. read more

Jose and the entire staff at The Shell were absolutely fantastic! The service was impeccable, the food was delicious, and the atmosphere charming. We will definitely be returning! read more

I can't say enough about how pleased we were with our dinner. The food was delicious! We had the halibut and red snapper for main dishes and sides of roasted Brussel sprouts and truffle fries. The wine pours were substantial and combined with the atmosphere and gracious servers, I'd say it was a perfect experience! read more

Went here the other night (Sunday) with a reservation but we didn't need it. Food was very good. We shared a burrata - highly recommend- sizzling shrimp - it was just ok, a bit too oily for me - and the special which was a whole branzino - which was very good but a bit small for the price. Prices were on the high side in general. Place was relatively small, nothing fancy and gave off a coffee shop vibe. Overall would come back again. read more