Overview
Unpretentious yet refined, it's hard to imagine a better rendition of the New England seafood shack.
The Mermaid Inn does New England so well, it feels as if the restaurant had been lifted in toto from Martha's Vineyard and dropped onto 2nd Ave. The look is crisp and clean, perhaps one part Pottery Barn and two parts seaside oyster shack. But the reason you'll have to wait for a table is the food. A chilled lobster pea soup - that interrupts conversation, a perfectly executed lobster roll with bay fries, a Dorado dripping with flavor, all conspire to create an unforgettable meal. Add in attentive service, congenial yet disciplined, and you have a near guarantee of a memorable meal.
Why you should go
- The decadent pleasure of an enormous slab of lobster on a roll with bay frieds
- Somehow manages to be classy enough for a special occasion and relaxed enough for jeans.
What you should know
- Make reservations, but failing that get on the list, and grab a beer nearby, they'll call your cell when a table is available.
- Ask to sit up front. The back room can be noisy and the decor a bit chintzy in sharp contrast to the front.
- The soups are inspired, loaded with seafood, and a bargain at the price.