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The Mermaid Inn
96 Second Ave., New York, NY, 10003
nr. 5th St.
212-674-5870
| 6.9 | "Recommended" Average Reader Rating on a Scale of 10 |  |
A Faint Shadow of its Former Self
choosyeater41 from 10003 | Posted on 11/20/09
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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.
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saddened to see standby go downhill
sdgwanderlust from 10004 | Posted on 7/27/09
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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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GREAT service!
anonymousgirl from 90031 | Posted on 6/11/08
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I never write these kinds of reviews, but I was so shocked by the review below mine that talks about the poor service, that I felt like I had to set the record straight. The service here was amazing. I had a large group and though they were totally packed, they went out of their way to try to find us a table. We had a great time, loved the food, loved the decor, and couldn't have asked for better service. I may not be as *important* as the person who wrote the below review, but I will certainly recommend this place to my friends and hope that this review will help others to find this gem in the city.
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great find
MissMadd from 10039 | Posted on 10/17/07
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My husband and I stopped in the other night for the first time, wow. Everything was great and the service was spot on. My husband is a fisherman and was impressed by how fresh the fish was. This place will definitely be on our places to go list.
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Only if your not very hungry and specifically want the mussels
Amelia_Ali from 02186 | Posted on 8/19/07
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I took my grandmother and mother to this restaurant as a celebration for my first job after graduation. I was thoroughly dissapointed. First off, it's too noisy, practically screaming. The place is also very packed, and the waitress was prissy. Also, we ordered the tomato and avocado salad. and the menu doesn't lie. It is what it says but don't go if your very hungry. Mom ordered the Mahi Mahi, which was bitter, and so small a portion for $24, we wondered if the waiter had eaten half her fish, the same happened with the salmon. Grandma had the famed lobster sandwich, which could have well just been a tuna salad. There was nothing distinct about the flavor besides the mayonnaise. Basically if you judge a restuarant by whether you could recreate it better in your own kitchen...I GURANTEE, your better off buying fresh fish at the market and cooking up some steamed asparagus. This place wasn't worth the hype.
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Not Impressed
ctiger14 | Posted on 10/24/05
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To say that this place is cozy is accurate if you are a real estate agent. To me, I'd say it's cramped or too small. I would have liked to see a larger variety on the menu. It's as if they are more interested in keeping a well stocked raw bar then they are with a full menu. That's fine if that is the intent, but that's not what I was after. I had a $22 Lobster Sandwich, which was good, but not $22 good. The selection of wines was nice though and the food that the rest of my party ordered was good, but not up to what one might expect for the price. A thimble of chocolate pudding at the end of the meal did not overcome the disappointment. The wait staff was attentive and knowledgable about the menu though.
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Yummmm
kitten | Posted on 10/21/05
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I loved the Mermaid Inn! The food was wonderful, the space is beautiful and cozy, and the prices are right.
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not bad
big_pickle | Posted on 10/18/05
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The menu fits entirely on one page. We had the crispy trout and the grilled red snapper both of which were surprisingly quite good. The complimentary chocolate pudding dessert was a nice surprise but I would have rather had something else. Also the crab appetizer portion is embarrassingly small. Only one sore point: our waitress was obviously peevish that we didn't order wine (which I assume probably has a high profit margin).
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Escape from New York
pumkin237nyc | Posted on 5/9/04
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I loved this restaurant. I took two of my friends from Seattle and we all agreed that the service, food and ambience was fantastic. I felt like I was experiencing a retreat from NYC. Definitely try the smoked mussels. It was a first for me and they were delicious.
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Thanks for coming!
princessy | Posted on 10/24/03
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Definitely won't break the bank and everyone makes you feel like they're genuinely happy that you came. All seafood items were fresh, delicious, and different. Even the pan-roasted codfish was not you everyday standard, and i loved the seared scallops on watermelon salad! Old Bay on the fries added a twist to the familiar. Wine (white from Austria) was also unlike most others-- definitely not a sweet Riesling. And the free chocolate dessert pudding in espresso cups was another bonus, that added to the feeling that they were just so glad to have you there.
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