The Mermaid Inn

Cute and fun spot in the Greenwich Village. Really good for happy hour. Oysters are delicious!

The Mermaid Inn was a very cute, warm, trendy little place that has excellent food! Enjoyed both east and west coast oysters. They were fresh and tasty. The lobster roll was a sure thing – the roll was a bit heavily buttered for my taste but the meat was good. The food was not jaw dropping but it was happily decent. The drinks were also well made standards. Extensive wine list if you’re into that. No desserts made me sad, but they give you a free chocolate pudding to end your meal. It’s the thought that counts haha, but the pudding was rubbery. Overall it’s a cute place to eat oysters. The happy hour specials seem to be the best way to take advantage of this restaurant. Since the ambiance was good I dealt with the high prices (this is NYC of course!). If you dig oysters, visit the Mermaid Inn, you’ll leave happy.

I didn’t even get to eat here, but I was turned away by the rude with a smile hostess. There were plenty of seats available throughout the restaurant and my friend and I were told there were no reservations available for 2 until 10pm. Beyond seeing many tables open in the restaurant at the time, when I left, I went on opentable and was able to snag a reservation for two. There were actually several reservations available at 6, 6:15, and 6:30 for two. I guess they didn’t want our patronage. Not sure who exactly is the ideal patron of the Mermaid Inn — East Village. The treatment i received at the east village location serves in stark contrast to the warm welcome I received at the macdougal street location.

I have passed this restaurant on several occasions but never tried it, and it’s safe to say that I have been missing out. Though it appears quite small from the street, additional seating is available in the back of the venue in a cozy, warmly lit dining area. We enjoyed a nice Malbec and a delicious lobster roll. The bread was buttered and toasted to perfection, and the filling consisted of lightly-​dresses, perfectly seasoned chunks of fresh lobster meat. I’d highly recommend checking this place out!

Good fish tacos. I don’t remember what I got, which means it was probably okay. We came in time for HH, to which the waitress graciously allowed us to enter our orders in first before it was over. However, the same waitress who uncannily resembled Sandra Bernhard also ungraciously made a petty, rude comment to me about something really minute. Hey, lady, I’m in the business and your best friend. I know what it’s like but a big no-​no is being gratuitously rude to a customer. Thankfully I’ll take the high road here and just whine about it on a online medium like Unilocal versus handling it in person like a reasonable person would. Yay adulthood. We actually didn’t see much of her afterwards, though, so I’m assuming she was too busy/​good for us but the busboy did a great job refilling our waters.
P.S: Yes, I still tipped well because I’m a sucker. You’re on my poop list, lady.
Pro tip: Come for the HH oysters, because they do HH at table service, too (unlike most places where it’s just at the bar).

I loved the mermaid inn when I visited the spot by bleecker street. But alas, I was burned. I was burned so bad. Delicious smoked Gouda — but was it worth the burn? Nope. I wanted to write this review to warn all of you.

I LOVE this place! I had a date here on the last Friday in January. Unfortunately I was running a little late for a 5:30 reservation. I called and spoke to a lovely woman who assured me that she would hold the reservations and work with me to accomadate me when I arrived (about 10 minutes late)
We got a seat in the bar area which was fine with me, I was totally in their debt for not holding my tardiness against me!
For appetizers we had the mermaid house rolls, fried oyster and hush puppies. Awesome!!! Those rolls were so good! Hot, fluffy goodness melting in your mouth. Didn’t even need the butter. Hush puppies were great as well. I didn’t eat the oyster, but the boyfriend was quite impressed.
Dinner was the almost famous lobster roll, fried brussel sprouts and Sauteed spinach. So so delicious. Everything was prepared perfectly, portions so big we had to take leftovers home. I had the Dark and Stormy cocktail which honestly could have used less ginger beer and more rum. Don’t get me wrong. Tasted great, just not much of a punch to it for a Friday night.
After dinner we both received a complimentary chocolate mousse AND a fortune fish! What fun!
All in all a great night. I will definitely return.

This is one of my favorite places to eat. The lobster roll and fries here are AMAZING! They also have a great oyster happy hour with some of the freshest oysters around.
I’ll definitely be back here again in the near future.

Had an intense oyster craving and after much googling, I found myself sitting at The Mermaid Inn with friends, enjoying their oyster happy hour ($ 1 an oyster) and it made my day.
I went there with the sole purpose of eating oysters and the freshness of these oysters were amazing. Loved it, ate too much of it, would definitely go there again when the oyster craving strikes.

Went here last night January 28^th for dinner I can’t say enough amazing things about the mermaid in their staff their manager very professional and very accommodating to a vegetarian everything was amazing as always!!!

5 stars for the happy hour 5 – 7 p.m., 7 days a week. Hard to make during the week with a 9 – 5 but great on the weekends.

The lobster roll is actually the most delicious thing I have ever eaten; I think this every time I come here. The brioche bun is so soft and savory, the lobster itself is just moist perfection, the seasoned fries are a plenty, and finger-​licking good at that… I am a fiend for those lobster rolls, my god. I’ve truly enjoyed all of my dishes, drinks and apps here, and find that they’ve always arrived swiftly– sometimes surprisingly so!
I’m not much of an oyster pro, but it’s a treat to dine with folks who are foodies or big on oysters (is that a thing? It must be a thing.) since Mermaid has a great variety of really interesting-​tasting oysters. I had no idea there was such a craft to consuming them.
I love that they always give you a small, chilled cup of chocolate mousse pudding with whipped cream as a dessert on the house, as well as a cute little fish fortune game that underscores the subtly playful, happy ambiance of The Mermaid Inn– those freaking fish have always been oddly spot-​on to guessing my true mood.
I love coming back here, and I’ve never once had an experience that was anything but wonderful. If you enjoy seafood, this place is worth its prices.

The Mermaid Inn is one of my best friends’ favorite restaurants in New York. So, when I came up to the city for a New Years extended weekend, I was pretty excited to give it try. We went to Mermaid Inn on NYE so they had a pre-​fixe menu instead of their regular offerings. That being said, if their regular menu is a good as their NYE special, Mermaid Inn is a great spot for a night out.
The NYE pre-​fixe menu was five courses:
The first course was a tasty little amuse bouche of chesnut soup served in a little espresso mug. The soup was thick, rich, and packed with flavour. A great, simple start.
Next up was the appetizer. I went for the seared scallops which were served with cauliflower and raisin-​caper emulsion. The scallops were probably some of the best I’ve had in recent memory. The outsides had a wonderful, thick, brown crust while the inside was still tender and moist. The sauce was bright without overpowering the scallop flavour.
Next was a crab and sea urchin pasta. After the high bar of the scallops, the pasta was less successful. There was a lot of lump crab which was great, but with with came a few small pieces of shell that marred the experience. The sauce was creamy and delicate though.
For my entrée, I got the Miso Crusted Cod which was served with braised greens and a wasabi caramel sauce. The cod itself was cooked well — tender and moist which contrasted with the crunchy panko top. The sauce however took a little getting used to. The firm but otherwise very neutral flavoured fish tasted awkward with the sweetness of the sauce and the dry crispness of the panko topping. I think it could have used a stronger savoury or salty base to contrast the sauce better which ended up overpowering the fish. The greens on the other hand were good. I also got to taste one of my friend’s hangar steaks. While the cut isn’t overly tender to begin with, the steak was too tough to be enjoyable. That, coupled with the outside tasting overly blackened and charred, I probably would not order it.
Finally, dessert was a red velvet Magnolia cupcake. It was a bit dry and crumbly and the icing also wasn’t particularly notable. That being said, this isn’t Mermaid Inn’s fault by any means.
While the food had its ups and downs, something that my entire table agreed on was the excellent atmosphere of Mermaid Inn. While on the night we went, the ceiling was covered in an aggressive amount of paper and raffia streamers, the overall space is warm, cozy, and very intimate. It would be a great place to go for a date or a more special night out. Service too was very good and attentive, even with a full house. Finally comes value. The five courses came out to $ 75 without drinks, tax, or tip. By the end of the night, things rounded out to just north of $ 100 per person which was reasonable given the long dining experience (almost two hours) and the large amount of food. If you’re in the East Village, The Mermaid Inn is a great place to go.

You learn something new everyday.
What did I learn? I learned that I like East Coast oysters WAAAY more than West Coast.
What else did I learn? That I will always be obsessed with raw bars. Period.
Mermaid Inn set the scene for a great evening snack: dimmed lights, rustic nautical themed décor, great food, and the cutest man sitting across my way. What couldn’t I love?
The main attraction: the Oysters of course! I added several little necks for that briny balance, and yes, I was one happy camper. A little fun fact about East vs. West… if you’re trying an oyster from over yonder, the taste is pretty significant… significantly sweeter, yes, kind of like a watermelon jolly rancher sweeter. Don’t believe me? Take a trip to Mermaid and taste for yourself, you’d be pleasantly surprised.

Great location and love the ambiance inside the restaurant. Our server was awesome, very informative.
Mermaid Inn had limited vegetarian options (but of course because it’s a seafood bar), however gave this place 4 stars because although this restaurant generally serves seafood, they accommodated to my diet.
My meal consisted of sautéed kale, Mac & cheese, avocado aioli slider and a mushroom & Brussels sprout pasta. Everything was made to perfection.
Mermaid Inn also gives everyone chocolate pudding after their meal, along with a fish fortune. How cute.

For Happy hour Only.
— HH Food —
We ordered a little bit of everything from the happy hour menu.
The $ 1 oyster is a steal. Fresh, nice condiments, although one had a little sand on them (I want to assume it’s the way they were shucked?)
Fish taco was eh. Needed more flavor. But I liked the airy taco shell they used.
Old Bay Fries — just tasted old — salty and quadruple fried to the point it was a hard chip.
*The Only Must-​try* on the menu isn’t even a main but a side dish. The Bacon Brussels. If you don’t eat brussels you will with bacon.
— HH Drinks —
So disappointed they got rid of the Kentucky Green!
Cocktails are pretty good in taste and price.
Overall attentive, friendly service and a nice intimate spot for HH.

The bad:
–The dining room in this location is so dark that all three of my girlfriends and I had trouble reading the menu by candle light (and we’re young and don’t need reading glasses)
–I also did not enjoy not being able to see the food I was eating
–Very small portions for the price, I had to order a side of fries after I ate my meal to feel full, and that’s after I had soup and my entrée
–Took a really long time to get my side of fries
–Tiny tables crammed next to each other, you can hear conversations at tables next to you
–My striped bass was the thinnest piece of fish I’ve ever been served and the skin was so charred that it gave the whole fish a burnt and bitter taste. The sides did nothing to make up for it, they were lacking, I’d say they were garnishes rather than sides.
The good:
–East coast oysters were good
–Spiced pumpkin and carrot soup was good
–Trendy, warm atmosphere
–Good wine selection
I had mixed feelings about Mermaid Inn, though it’s a cool, trendy place to grab a drink, I would not recommend it if you’re looking for a satisfying meal — the portions are way too small, the food so-​so, and the prices way too high.

The happy hour goods are hilariously ant-​sized. Do not expect to get full, because this is food that is sized for very small children, models right before Fashion Week, or people who are stuffed after eating one bite of arugula. That said, the $ 1 oysters are a sweet deal — unfortunately, as someone who thinks they taste like ocean-​soaked mucus, the deal is lost on me.
My one Bar Harbor lobster roll has become a permanent fixture in my memory, and so when I see lobster roll listed on the menu, I tend to order it, with the full intention of eating half and squirreling the rest for a midnight snack or (wishful thinking) next day’s lunch. Mermaid Inn’s rendition comes on a toasted, buttery roll with Oyster Bay fries. If you hate celery and pepper, this might not be the roll for you, but I loved the textural contrast between the soft chunks of lobster and the crunchy celery. Other standouts at the table were: avocado and shrimp slider, fried Brussels sprouts with bacon, and the Gouda mac-​n-​cheese.
Dinner can be pretty pricey once you add in drinks, but I loved the candlelit atmosphere, and the complimentary crackers and chocolate pudding with your meal. As for the fortune-​teller fish, nearly everyone at my table was «passionate.»
NEXT TIME: I’d like to try Upstate and Pearl Oyster Bar before coming back, but that was one mean lobster roll.

I came for their infamous $ 1 oyster happy hour and missed it by 5 minutes. Their oysters were decent. Definitely not the freshest ones I’ve had in NYC and there was shell in almost every one. Fries and mac and cheese are good but you can’t really mess those things up.
I don’t really understand the hype and think people can get better food for the price elsewhere. Cute atmosphere though and drinks were great.

Their happy hours run every day from 4−7pm and I come here mainly for their $ 1 oysters and clams. I’ve also tried their shrimp sliders, fish tacos, clam chowder soup, and fried calamari which are all decent.
However, the oysters are a hit or miss — some days they’re fresh and some days they’re not. Depending on the catch of the day, sometimes the oysters are almost non-​existent — very small compared to other places. But I guess you can’t expect much from oysters only being $ 1. I’ve left completely unsatisfied before when food was not up to par and service was slow.
Once, the restaurant’s credit card machine broke when we were trying to check out, so we had to wait another 30 minutes before the system was fixed. However, they gave us another round of beers on the house to apologize for the wait. There is also a complimentary chocolate pudding dessert in a little tea cup to end the meal.
As Mermaid Inn is in East Village, expect the restaurant to be crowded during happy hour. The atmosphere is usually loud, so conversations can be difficult. Aside of the happy hour pricing, prices for their other items are not that cheap (ex: lobster rolls are $ 28) but maybe it’s because it’s a seafood bar.

Amazing! This place is simply amazing. I’ve been twice. Once for a happy our with a girlfriend and another with family and friends for my brother’s MBA graduation. Both times it was absolutely delicious. Everything I’ve tried has been supper tasty– from the raw oysters, to the mac n cheese, the shrimp sliders and soft-​shell crab dish. After each visit, I immediately start day-​dreaming about when I’ll return next. The ambience is nice and the prices are decent, especially during happy hour. I highly recommend this spot for a date with friends or a nice dinner celebrating something or just enjoying life.

Went here during happy hour for the $ 1 oyster special. Make sure you get here right as they open as there will be a line forming around 15mins before.
We were initially worried because all the seating out front filled up very quickly and we didn’t know there was additional seating out back. You can not beat the $ 1 oysters especially at a nice place like this. Super trendy place to meet up with a few friends for drinks.
We also ordered fried calamari which was very good. The only reason this place misses a 5 star review is the service was pretty slow and drink orders came out really slow and not together which put a damper on things. I understand that it’s busy but additional staff would help.
A nice unexpected touch was the free chocolate mouse pudding at the end. The fortune telling fish was also pretty cool. I will be going back!

Their Monday Happy Hour simply cannot be beat! All night: $ 1 oysters, shrimp seafood sliders, shrimp corndogs and tiny fish tacos! Deals on booze as well, with $ 8 cocktails. The «Gone with the Gin» is particularly refreshing.
If you get there before 7 you should be able to beat the crowd and secure a seat outside for prime 2^nd Av people watching.

3.75 STARS
Sunday 7÷12÷15
Dinner 5:00 pm
PROS:
— Seared scallops $ 15 (summer corn chowder & peppadew pepper relish) — only 2 pieces of scallops but very soft. I liked that it wasn’t chewy like the scallops at Les Halles. The corn chowder was sweet and paired well with the scallop.
— Linguini & Clams $ 24 (manila clams, pancetta, chili & basil breadcrumbs) — Delicious! Love the tiny clams. Sauce was just perfect. 2 Thumbs up!
— Fried Calamari $ 7.50 — pretty good. it’s crunchy and crispy.
— Gone with the Gin $ 8 Happy Hour Cocktail — (gin, grapefruit, rosemary, lemon) This is pretty good. I liked this more than the strawberry daiquiri. Tastes mostly lemony. There is just a slight hint of rosemary.
— Buzzards Bay Oysters $ 3.25 (cape cod, ma) — meaty and delish
— Service was pretty good. Refilled our waters without being asked and dishes were brought out in a timely fashion.
— I really like the Fortune Teller Fish they give out at the end. It’s something new. It’s not your usual fortune cookie but this is sort of interactive as you are excited to see how the plastic fish will move on the palm of your hands. The way the fish moves will reveal your mood.
THE OKAY:
— Happy Hour Oysters for $ 1 — When the menu says east coast oysters listed under happy hour oysters, it literally means only one type of east coast oysters — the BARCAT (chesapeake bay, wa) that’s usually $ 2.75 for one. It tastes alright. Kind of salty. My favorite was the buzzards bay because it was meaty and the flavor was good. I did try the mermaid cove, plymouth rock, buzzards bay oysters at regular price. Plymouth rock and mermaid coves were ok.
— Strawberry Daiquiri $ 8 Happy Hour Cocktail — (strawberry purée, rum, lime juice) It’s a sweet drink with a light bitter aftertaste from the rum. Eh it was OK. I liked Gone with the Gin more.
CONS:
— Bathroom was super small and unisex.

I am going to say that I will be back to try their other stuff… like have a whole meal…
Happy hour was good, but the oysters are quite small actually. East coast oysters I guess…$ 1 each. cant have such high expectations. My friend was not an oyster person and actually enjoyed the other dishes available (fish tacos and sliders etc). If you are expecting larger and juicier oysters I might try elsewhere like dead rabbit or places uptown.
I added the star mainly because there are so many cute perks about this place and the drinks were so good. I had the gin happy hour drink and it was amazing.
The compilmentary chocolate pudding at the end also was delicious… and the taiwanese fortune paper thingy they hand you. I have never seen it and was so amused for about a whole 10 minutes and it was totally worth it. best usage of time ever. Thus the 4 stars.

$ 1 oyster happy hours might be one of God’s greatest gifts to the people of earth. Unfortunately, far too many of these happy hours happen on weekdays at times all but impossible for any working class individual to take advantage of. Lucky for us we have Mermaid Inn.
Mermaid Inn takes this beloved concept further than anyone I’ve seen in my lifetime of eating shucked mollusks. You can indulge every weekday from 5−7pm (5-​midnight on Mondays) AND between the hours of 4−7pm Saturday and Sunday. That’s remarkable, folks. They typically also have a beer and wine happy hour option to accompany these stellar oyster deals.
If you’re not an oyster person, have no fear. There are many other seafood delights to choose from. But really, the star of the show is quite clear.
Slurp.