The Best Fish Markets in New York

Mermaid’s Garden, 644 Vanderbilt Ave., Prospect Heights; 718-638-1910; mermaidsgardennyc.com

This inviting Brooklyn market is known for small-boat, traceable seafood that you don’t often see on restaurant menus. Think Maine smelt, available around Christmastime, and Rhode Island tautog, in stock in summer or autumn. Co-founder Mark Usewicz is a French-trained chef, and he’s responsible for the store’s ever-changing menu of prepared foods, including plump steelhead cakes and insalata di rinforzo (a tangy Italian salad), as well as pantry goods that suit any budget. On the higher end are tinned delicacies, like whelks (sea snails) in Camelina oil from Quebec, kelp chile crisp, and single-barrel-aged miso. Regulars often sign up for the shop’s weekly fish share, which features a rotating cast of fresh mid-Atlantic and New England fillets, including delicate American plaice and squid that has arrived directly from Rhode Island. The most popular spot in the shop is likely the case of pristine whole fish and prepped seafood. Nate Adler, owner of Gertie, says Mermaid’s Garden is unparalleled in New York, noting that it almost always has fish collars, a part of the fish that’s often thrown away but tasty and inexpensive. And Elyssa Heller, the owner of Jewish-comfort-food restaurant Edith’s, adds that during Rosh Hashanah, the shop has fantastic gefilte fish. Wine Enthusiast editor Rachel Tepper Paley recommends the panko-crusted fish sticks.

Aqua Best Seafood Market, 276 Grand St.; 212-285-1422; aquabestnyc.com

Run by brothers Steven and Freeman Wong, this unassuming Chinatown market supplies fish to fine-dining stalwarts including Cervo’s, Le Bernardin, and Cote, but anyone can stop by to pick up a piece of fresh branzino (one of its best sellers) or filleted-on-the-spot red snapper. You can see some of the inventory swimming in a mesmerizing display of fish and lobster tanks at the back of the store. Staff swiftly and expertly break down the fish at butchery stations across from a grid of icy oyster trays — the Blue Points are sourced from Long Island. Takanori Akiyama, executive chef at the East Village’s Tsukimi, often buys spotted prawn, Dungeness crab, and king crab here. And Kjun chef Jae Jung appreciates the staff’s willingness to place special orders; they helped her track down fresh Louisiana crawfish for a pop-up. Chef Christine Lau says the real treasure at Aqua Best is the lobster. The Wong family business started out specializing in lobster, and over 30 years later, she says, it still does. “Go there for lobster, and if you’re lucky, you’ll also find live Alaskan king crab.”

Lobster Place, 75 Ninth Ave.; 212-255-5672; lobsterplace.com

Despite weekend swarms that might suggest “tourist trap,” Lobster Place — a narrow shop on the ground floor of Chelsea Market — has a fleet of loyal regulars who stop in for red snapper and Arctic-char fillets or to perch at the counter of the in-house Cull & Pistol Oyster Bar. For Sawa chef de cuisine Soroosh Golbabae, the market has become a go-to for both his restaurant and his home cooking. He says the staff understand technical requests (like hamachi in small batches for a pop-up, a difficult fish to find “unless I wanted a very high volume,” says Golbabae), and he likes the approachable vibe. “You go in that store and you don’t think that you’re in the middle of a crazy city,” he says. “You feel like you’re in the Bay Area.” When he finds himself debating whether to go in person or order online, he remembers he’ll get to throw back oysters while perusing the fridge for prepackaged goodies like Paramount Caviar salmon roe. Instantly, he’s persuaded to leave the house. Cookbook author Rupa Bhattacharya says she never ate better than when she worked upstairs from the family-owned shop. For weeknight dinners, she often picked up Spanish mackerel and fresh Maine uni trays “to make uni spaghetti after a rough day.”

Greenpoint Fish & Lobster Company, 114 Nassau Ave., Greenpoint; 718-313-1913; greenpointfish.com

Window displays of clams and whole fish entice passersby into this charming shop, which doubles as a small (and popular) neighborhood restaurant. All of the fish that gets cooked there is available for sale raw. Helmed by fifth-generation fishmonger Vinny Milburn, the store stocks oysters from North Haven, rare deepwater shrimp from Montauk, and steelhead trout from the Hudson Valley — all subject to seasonality and availability. Fans cite the knowledgeable staff as a big draw. Egg Shop restaurateur Sarah Schneider, owner of Gus and Marty’s, says a staff member walked her through how to grill calamari. “They just made me feel that it was something worth trying. Now I’m not scared to do it,” she adds. On occasion she grabs a whole black sea bass or a few swordfish steaks, which she says are “as close as you can get to Gosman’s in Montauk.” Sungold chef Michael King uses the store’s wholesale service for his restaurant, but as a “civilian,” he likes the cold-water East Coast oysters.