The newly opened Grand Banks isn’t your average oyster bar.For starters, the restaurant — the latest from Diner and Marlow & Sons cofounder Mark Firth— plans to sail south during the winter, Moored at Pier 25 in Tribeca, Grand Banks is built into the historic F/V Sherman Zwicker, a schooner that launched in 1942, fished the North Atlantic, and sailed to South America to trade goods. Now, it serves delicious oysters, cocktails, and beer, and is already wildly popular since it opened in June.
check it out.
Grand Banks is anchored in the Hudson River, at the end of Pier 25 in Tribeca. The ship is 142 feet long, making it the largest wooden vessel in New York City and one of the largest on the East Coast.
The ship has great views of Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty, as well as New Jersey (if you’re into that type of thing).
You’ll also get a prime view of the Freedom Tower.
There is a full-service bar, which offers nautical themed cocktails, as well as beers from Red Hook’s Other Half Brewery Company.
There’s also a smaller, metal-topped oyster bar where the oysters are shucked, prepared, and served.
The oysters are all sustainably sourced from various areas around the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, and trust us, they are delicious.
Executive Chef James Kim, who selects and prepares oysters for guests, is a master of his craft. In addition to oysters, there’s a selection of small plates like fried squash blossoms and smoked crudo.
There’s a dumbwaiter at the rear of the oyster bar, which shuttles dishes to the deck from the fully operational kitchen built in to the hull of the ship.
Arguably the most impressive thing about Grand Banks is that it’s a real restaurant built inside a 72-year-old wooden ship.
The hold of the ship also has an educational exhibition space, a built-in cold storage, the ship’s original refrigerator, and, of course, bathrooms.
We asked if the waves and rocking boat were even an issue. Owner Alex Pincus told us, “Our crew is used to it and our guests usually get excited by it. I do think the rocking adds to the feeling of escape.”
Droves of people lined up to board the ship when it opened at 4 p.m. As soon as the gates opened, the bar was quite busy. Grand Banks is open from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. on weekdays, and noon to 11 p.m. on weekends.
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