29 Best Seafood Restaurants near Essex

“I celebrated my birthday at the Seal tonight. We haven't been in a while. I had the Short Rib Ravioli, Mom had the Serloin Steak, my wife had Tuna and our son a grilled cheese. Everything was delicious! Our server said she was new, but did a great job. We finished with warm Carmel apple pie! It was the perfect ending to a great night!“

“My husband and dined here for the first time last evening. We both savored the experience. From the moment you walk in the door, you know that you are in for something unique. The cocktails, especially the white Negroni, were excellent. The food was top tier. I had one bite of my husband’s halibut and fell in love. I opted for several starters. Oh! To be a mussel luxuriating in that broth! Ceviche portion was HUGE and clean and fresh, lobster risotto was so creamy and warm. I wanted the entire dessert menu, but selected the frozen soufflé, which was light and dreamy. An night out like no other! Thank you chefs!“

“The lobster rolls here are the best! The staff is excellent and the ferry boat ride is fun!“

“Such great service but even more so, the chefs are incredible with their creativity and delivery of unique and delicious food. Liv's is an oasis away from home....they do so much to make dinner special every time. Thank you all.“

“Always a great experience if you’re dinning in or having takeout. Highly recommended!“

“Huge portions, friendly staff, great experience!

Parking: Plenty of room in the big parking lot that wraps around back.

Kid-friendliness: The kids at the table next to us had plenty of choices! They seemed very happy!!“

“The best place in Coastal Connecticut“

“Excellent food. Owner on site regularly. Buttermilk fried chicken is excellent. Great specials. A local favorite.“

“Food was amazing and service was great!“

“Randy had clam fritters that he said were delicious and I had clam strips that were lightly breaded. The breading was thin and fluffy and tasted great. The restaurant is so clean and bright with seating outside too. We will return.“

“We had 4 PM reservations we were seated promptly and waited a half an hour or 30 minutes before anyone came to take our cocktail order. We later were told the reason for that was it was shift change. No one told us that they just left us sitting there being ignored! this is not the way to begin an evening! However, when our server Darcy did arrive, she provided us with impeccable service and apologized for the wait and said she'd notify management of the wait we had. She saved our evening as we were there to celebrate my birthday! Darcy also took care of our first round of drinks. Thank you Darcy!“

“everything was good except the Rhode Island clam chowder , they need to put real clams in instead of ground up tiny specs very disappointed yesterday in the chowder all we got was broth and potatoes with tiny bits of clam“

“Great food, great drinks, great service! Fun atmosphere! Never disappoints!“

“It was a pleasure working at The Gelston House this weekend! The staff were so accommodating and friendly! We highly recommend their event services and dining experience! 5 stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️“

“I love this place! Thank you, Stephanie for all these years ❤️“

“My sons & I started coming here close to 4 years now…absolutely the best Pizza on the shoreline hands down! Lovely atmosphere. The owner Luigi 🇮🇹 has always been so warm and friendly and the staff as well -all around fantastic food & service! Five stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️“

“Stopped in and had the best chili dog I’ve ever eaten in my life! Perfection!“

“So happy they are here! The foos is always good and the servers are always friendly and welcoming!!! Thank you for bringing a great restaurant to this town!!!“

“Excellent!! Crab cake appetizer was the "best I've ever had" according to my son. There were four of us and all were very pleased. I've been twice and looking forward to going back. This restaurant is definitely the place to go when you want to take your time between courses and enjoy the food and people you are with. I like the 20% service charge(tip) added to bill. Keeps paying thoughtless as service is excellent. 5 stars on everything!“

“My boyfriend and I came here for our anniversary and were absolutely blown away. We tend to end up with less than stellar dining experiences and service, but the Brushmill was outstanding! The service was impeccable, they congratulated us on our anniversary (which was a note on the reservation) and gave us a complimentary Prosecco toast to start the evening. Our server was top notch, we never found ourselves in need of a thing. We started with drinks after the Prosecco toast- a mint greyhound and a tequila old fashion, both of which were well balanced with beautiful presentation. For the appetizer, we got the scallops…. Out of this world! Our server commented they were his favorite, and after trying them it’s no surprise! This may have been the best scallop dish I have ever had. If you go, GET THE SCALLOPS and thank me later! For dinner I had the pasta dish and added chicken to it and my boyfriend had the steak frites. The chicken was juicy and perfectly seasoned. The brown butter sauce was light and flavorful at the same time and the hazelnuts in the pasta dish paired beautifully with the brussle sprouts and sage. My boyfriend’s steak was cooked perfectly and melted in your mouth. The amazing meal and service were complimented by the absolutely beautiful building. We both love the rustic industrial vibe, pairing the history of the building and the elegance of the atmosphere perfectly. We will definitely be back and telling all our friends about this hidden gem. Thank you for being a stupendous addition to our evening.“

“Had the special - Chicken Cordon bleu… didn’t expect anything amazing but it was amazing. Surprisingly, but beautifully, crispy on the outside with a slight sweet flavor. Chicken was perfectly cooked, not dry, with appropriate proportions of cheese/ham. Service was extraordinarily friendly. Topped it off with a nice Port wine and they had a decent selection available. Will be back.“

“Very good. Best Fried Shrimp I’ve ever had! My onion rings soaked up too much oil though, my dad got the curly fries with his meal and those came out very good. Clam chowder was very good too, not the best I’ve ever had, but a very good bowl! I think they have a decent lobster roll, my brother got it and enjoyed it, but it looked like it should have had more lobster for a $35 roll. Prices are out of control over the past few years, but i understand owners have to cover costs. Overall food was good. Very friendly staff and clean picnic tables. Ice cream was great as well. Would stop again next time I’m back in Old Lyme.“

“My brother bought our mom and I lobster rolls Had it for dinner was so fresh and so tasty Highly recommend Stop by and try for yourself 5 Stars“

“Very good chow and good service, 5 stars!“

“Been shopping at this fish monger since 1999, from org. owners.Fast forward, Lisa F. bought business (guessing 2004-2006) I have NEVER had an issue with any fish or side etc. purchased including to present! My favs: Ahi tuna, Niantic oysters, Wellfleet oysters, sea scallops, swordfish, grouper, clams, sea bass, oysters rockefeller, carolina slaw, to name a few!
Lisa F. added a larger variety of fish products and sides! Chef Jerry created fantastic recipes (Carolina Slaw) amongst others! NYT review said "Any fresher you'd have to catch it yourself" Fast forward to mid 2004, Lisa said she was retiring (OH NO!) But ironically, sold the business to LISA and MIKE K., whom she introduced me to! Basically telling them, Mark supports your businesss all year long! please take care of him! Which they have! I might be long winded!, but NO ONE IS BETTER THAN ATLANTIC FISH IN OSB! PS: Lynne has been there NOW P/T FOREVER! Tell her Mark sent you in!“

“5 of us went for lunch yesterday, Haley & the kitchen knocked it out of the park. None of the other guys had ever been before,all said they'd be back. So laid back, not at all stuffy. Don't ever change.“

“Great homemade food, amazing wait staff. Would highly recommended this restaurant.“

“Love the Deck and LOVE the fact they pay attention to not serving those under age. More establishments need to be aware of this and enforce it! The Deck is a wonderful place! Great bartenders, great service, great food, and great overall atmosphere. Other patrons are always friendly and just there to enjoy themselves and have a good time! Definitely recommend this place if you are looking for a laid back place to enjoy a drink. Plenty of space to move about and plenty of parking as well!“

“Stayed here for a family vacation the amenities were amazing they have a Starbucks inside of the spa and the spa itself was a treat to be there for it was a very relaxing place to spend a vacation I would recommend it to all my friends and family“