The Mermaid Inn

Critics' Pick

96 Second Ave., New York, NY 10003 40.727112 -73.988688
nr. 5th St. See Map | Subway Directions Hopstop Popup
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Cuisine: Seafood
Price Range:
$$
Key to Prices and ratings
Upscale

Almost Perfect

Exceptional

Generally Excellent

Very Good

Good

Cheap Eats

Best in Category

Excellent

Delicious

Very Good

Noteworthy
Very Expensive

Expensive

Moderate

Cheap
Critics' Rating:
**
Key to Prices and ratings
Upscale

Almost Perfect

Exceptional

Generally Excellent

Very Good

Good

Cheap Eats

Best in Category

Excellent

Delicious

Very Good

Noteworthy
Very Expensive

Expensive

Moderate

Cheap
Reader Rating:
6.9 out of 10
|
15 Reviews | Write a Review

Photo by Ben Rosenzweig

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Official Website

themermaidnyc.com

Hours

Mon-Thu, 5:30pm-11pm; Fri-Sat, 5:30pm-11:30pm; Sun, 5pm-10pm

Nearby Subway Stops

6 at Astor Pl.; F, V at Lower East Side-Second Ave.

Prices

$18-$26

Payment Methods

American Express, Diners Club, Discover, MasterCard, Visa

Special Features

Dine at the Bar
Outdoor Dining

Alcohol

Full Bar

Reservations

Recommended

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Profile

This "clam shack built by a beatnik," in previous co-owner Jimmy Bradley's words, has a lot more going for it than littlenecks, however delectable at $7 a half-dozen. A New Englandy front room, a cozier rear, and an adorable garden fill nightly with East Villagers stuck in the city but hungering for the shore. Most bottles of wine are priced a miraculous $15 over cost, and dessert (chef's choice) is on the house. — Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld

Recommended Dishes

Lobster sandwich, $26

Food:	4

Service:	5

Décor:	5

Value:	4

We have been frequenting the Mermaid Inn since it opened. Sadly, the past six months or so have been a straight shot downhill. Menu items now include fried calamari (sports bar grub, anyone?), fried clam strips (reminiscent of what Hojos used to serve), and downmarket substitutes to formerly top-notch ingredients (fluke ceviche, hake, etc.). Moreover, former standouts like the grilled sardines, crispy skate wing, spicy spaghetti w/seafood are nowhere to be seen. Ordinary food rules the roost now, and the wine list has become overpriced. No wonder the place is filled up with clueless twenty-somethings rather than the formerly mostly adult clientele.

The Mermaid Inn

saddened to see standby go downhill

sdgwanderlust from 10004 | Posted on 7/27/09

Overall Rating: 103 (Not Recommended)


Food:	3
Service:	3

Décor:	7

Value:	2

I did not hesitate to suggest The-Mermaid-Inn when a friend had a hankering for lobster, as I've been at least 5-6 times, and their food has been consistently good. What followed was a little horrific (excuse the melodrama but given the excellent track record, it was quite dismaying to witness this)... We waited 25mins (had a rez, arrived on time). We had drinks at the bar to quell our annoyance- no offer of comping drinks. The lobster sandwich was comprised of teensy teensy lobster...bits... there's really no other way to describe it. Bits that were mashed in with a lot of filler unlike anything IÂ’ve been served before. Service continued to be abysmal: empty water glasses, and an a/c unit that dripped water down my back. This was a celebratory dinner, and I regret recommending this place over Mary's-Fish-Camp, Pearl-Oyster-Bar, Ed's-Lobster-Bar, and BLT-Fish. I would throw in Urban Lobster Shack and Black Pearl, but I've not been to either, and the latter is now closed. A non-existent Black-Pearl lobster roll would have been better than the one I paid for.

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