Seafood and fish may not come initially come to mind when thinking of the Cleveland food scene. We do however have plenty of great options. While we’re not close to the ocean and the offerings out of Lake Erie leave a lot to be desired, thanks to awesome seafood distributors like Kate’s Fish, Seven Seas Seafood, Farm House Foods, Catanese Classics, the Euclid Fish Company and others, restaurants in Cleveland can really get some great things to eat from the water despite our location. So we decided to round up the restaurants in town who serve seafood and/or fish better than the rest.

Acqua Di Luca 500 West St. Clair Ave., Cleveland Many consider the Warehouse District hallowed ground with respect to Cleveland’s dining renaissance. Now, 30 years later, Lola and Luca Sema are picking up the mantle by bucking trends, taking risks and doing their best to keep diners excited and well fed despite very difficult circumstances. The walk-in coolers are filled to the brim with top quality shellfish and fin fish. Those luxe foodstuffs are gilded with saffron, brown butter, Nebbiolo wine reductions and everything in between, making this a seafood and fish experience unlike any other in town. Photo by Douglas Trattner
Lobster Pot 2749 SOM Center Rd., Willoughby Hills Cooking a live lobster isn’t the most difficult task in the world. For something so decadent, so delicious, it really is remarkable that all a home cook needs to know how to do is boil water and set a timer. The real hassle, as anybody who has done the deed can attest, is everything else, from sourcing a fresh specimen to cleaning up the bloody mess afterwards. Fortunately, there are places like the Lobster Pot, where diners can enjoy all of the good while leaving most of the bad to others. Photo via Scene Archives
The Sauce Boiling Seafood Express Multiple Locations In University Heights, this spot has perfected the to-go seafood boil in a bag and has quickly become a beloved spot for locals. Getting your hands dirty is totally worth it for this deliciousness. Photo via The Sauce BSE/Facebook
Mizu Japanese Sushi Restaurant 10219 Brookpark Rd., Parma In Parma, you’ll find Mizu, one of the more popular sushi joints in town. If you want a sampling of some of the delicious sashimi served here, try the chirashi bowl and you won’t be disappointed. Photo via Mizu Japanese Sushi Restaurant/Facebook
Batuqui 17 East Orange St., Chagrin Falls and 12706 Larchmere Blvd., Cleveland One of the only Brazillian restaurants in town fits perfectly into the dining scene of Larchmere. Set in a 120-year old Victorian house, it feels more like you’re sitting in someone’s house more than it feels like a restaurant. They recently expanded to a second location in Chagrin Falls, in a similar setting to the original. Their seafood stews, like the mariscada, an ocean mixture including calamari, mussels, fish, crabmeat, shrimp and a touch of sweet plantains cooked in organic coconut milk and olive oil, served with rice and vatapa, are like nothing else in town. Photo via Scene Archives
Blu, the Restaurant 3355 Richmond Rd., Beachwood Svelte and sophisticated, Blu, formerly Moxie, is where you take your significant other to impress them with your good taste. The heavily seafood menu has recently been updated and is artfully presented by professional servers. Finish your meal with the baked hot chocolate and you are guaranteed to leave happy. Photo via Blu, The Restaurant/Facebook
Chez Francois 555 Main St., Vermilion If you’re looking for a romantic destination restaurant for a special occasion, bring your date to Chez Francois in Vermillion. Upscale French seafood and fish, like their sea bass filet, soft-shell crabs, seafood medley and other awesome oceanic dishes are served up with a great waterfront view. They’re also known for their excellent selection of fine wines. Photo via Scene Archives
Don’s Lighthouse Grille 8905 Lake Ave., Cleveland The unique atmosphere, bustling lounge scene, and reasonably priced food at Don’s make it a popular destination for generous portions of seafood. Located in Edgewater right across the street from the Lake, Don’s has been a staple of the near West Side since 1972. Their Portuguese seafood stew is a total knockout dish. Photo via Don’s Lighthouse Grille/Facebook
Hako 13603 Madison Ave., Lakewood Sapporo Sushi has been a downtown mainstay for 15 years. The small shop on the alleyway, beloved for its sushi, sashimi, rolls, noodle bowls and teriyaki dishes, rolled down the shutters for good on August 1. But fans of the owners and food won’t have to wait long to enjoy both again as they are relocating the shop to Lakewood. The new restaurant is called Hako, and it ran as a partnership with Jackie Kim, the owner of Ohashi in North Olmsted. The space formerly was home to Kim’s Aji Noodle Bar and, before that, Yuzu. In addition to nigiri sushi, sashimi and dozens of traditional and eclectic rolls, the menu features “pan sushi.” Popular in Hawaii, pan sushi is a more carefree style of sushi that features layers of rice, fish, roe and sauces, which are pressed and then cut into tidy squares. Photo via Scene Archives
Brennan’s Fish House 102 River St., Grand River This fish house used to be a hotel called the Richmond Inn, built in 1865 at the end of the Civil War. There’s a lot of history in this building, and artifacts are proudly displayed on the restaurant walls. The joint is currently serving up tasty fried and fresh fish. including perch and walleye caught in Lake Erie. Photo via Brennan’s Fish House/Facebook
Dinner at Marble Room 623 Euclid Ave., Cleveland Since Marble Room opened in the old National City Bank building, it’s been hard to find a more beautiful restaurant in town than the swanky Marble Room. The name says it all – the beautiful marble columns and intricately designed molding is absolutely stunning. And the steak and seafood are up there for the best in town. Get the ribeye and thank us later. Photo via Scene Archives
Goma 2079 East Fourth St., Cleveland There might be no better place in town to enjoy sushi right now than on East 4th Street. The setting, selection and quality of ingredients and preparation at Goma are stunning. From a flawless slice of yellowtail sashimi on up to a creative roll featuring crispy tempura-fried shrimp, the options are gloriously boundless. That shrimp roll contained crispy seafood, asparagus, rice and roe, with the spear and shrimp tail climbing high like a city skyline. Photo via Scene Archives
Pacific East 1763 Coventry Rd., Cleveland Heights and 28601 Chagrin Blvd., Woodmere Casual, comfortable and completely unpretentious, this popular Japanese restaurant serves some of the best sushi and sashimi in town, featuring quality ingredients, plenty of variety and wallet-friendly prices. An assortment of tempura, yakitori and teriyaki dishes serves as counterpoint. Photo via @XiaoBaiBai1024/Instagram
Jolly Roger Seafood House 1737 East Perry St., Port Clinton Arriving at Jolly Roger you’ll see plenty of out of town license plates in the parking lot and what seems like an endless line. People come from all over the United States for this Seafood House’s Yellow Perch sandwiches, caught in Lake Erie, which is within eyesight from the establishment. Order with a side of fries or onion rings to complete the delicious lunch. Photo via Jolly Roger Seafood House/Facebook
Pier W 12700 Lake Ave., Lakewood This Lakewood seafood restaurant has won Scene’s best of ‘Best Seafood Restaurant” countless times and for good reason. When it comes to the seafood game in Cleveland, the standard is set by Pier W and has been since it opened in 1965. If you’ve never had the brunch, you’re in for a treat. Photo via Scene Archives
Shuhei 23360 Chagrin Blvd., Beachwood An excellent variety of maki and nigiri sushi is the star of the show here — ordered à la carte or in combinations as either appetizers or entrées. Shuhei has been serving up sushi in a basement of a Beachwood office building since 1994, well before the sushi craze hit the country as a whole. Beyond sushi, diners can also select items from a large menu of delicious dishes like beef teriyaki, tori karage, seafood dishes and many more. Charming servers in traditional kimonos add a decorative touch. Photo via Shuhei/Facebook
Alley Cat Oyster Bar 1056 Old River Rd., Cleveland Alley Cat Oyster Bar in the Flats offers up the freshest seafood and equally delectable views of Lake Erie. Take in the scenery and kick back some oysters while planning out your summer getaway. Photo via Scene Archives
Parallax 2179 West 11th St., Cleveland Longtime Cleveland chef Zach Bruell’s salon is as chic as can be, with precise but unpretentious fare that finds its heart in classical technique and its soul in contemporary artistry. While there are a ton of options for whatever type of dish you’re looking for, the seafood and sushi are definitely a big draw. Photo via Parallax Restaurant/Facebook
Lobster and Pho 6901 Rockside Rd., Independence Why go to a restaurant that specializes only in Vietnamese pho, or Maine lobster rolls, or Cajun seafood boils, or Japanese tonkatsu when you can order all four (and more!) in a single sitting? Seafood, namely lobster, is the main draw. The first thing guests notice after crossing the divide is a double-decker tank filled with living, breathing sea life. The electric Cajun-Vietnamese spice blend in the boil elevates the lobster to heights unattainable by a simple steam and butter dunk. Photo via Scene Archives
Ginko 2247 Professor Ave., Cleveland “Keep it simple” is a mantra that is valued but often ignored. Not at Ginko, the Tremont eatery from Chef Dante Boccuzzi that has a monastic focus on raw fish. Here, almost all of the admittedly small subterranean space is dedicated to the sushi bar, where obsessively fresh fish is draped over lumps of steamed rice. Diehard sushi fanatics travel distances long and short to belly up to this bar for the city’s best tuna, yellowtail, uni, mackerel, eel and octopus, all of which is served up in a boldly designed setting. Photo via @GinkoTremont/Instagram
Sasa 13120 Shaker Square., Cleveland This sushi and tapas restaurant introduced the concept of Izayaka to Cleveland. Izayaka is a cross between a sit-down dinner and a night at the pub and this spot is the perfect place to share sushi and small plates, like their award-winning tempura fries and their Kobe beef meatballs. Their Sasa Fire roll is filled with lobster, crawfish, masago salad and Chinese broccoli, then topped with shrimp, spicy mayo and unagi sauce and then is brought out and lit on fire to make for one of the more fun dishes in town. Photo via Sasa/Facebooki8qw450-gfghdze56
Sushi 86 509 Prospect Ave. E., Cleveland One of the only sushi spots downtown, Sushi 86 has a very low key atmosphere that is typical for some of the best sushi joints around. 2020 was its 20th year in business and any restaurant that makes it that long must be doing something right. Photo via @Sushi86_Cle
Village Pump 103 West Lakeshore Dr., Kelleys Island Kelley’s Island is the perfect spot to hit up for a quick weekend getaway and Village Pump is the place to eat there. Famous for their Lake Erie Perch and lobster chowder, both dishes are must-orders at this seafood restaurant. And don’t forget to try the Brandy Alexander, a mixture of nutmeg, brandy, creme de cocoa and vanilla ice cream. Photo via @CARyan1968/Instagram
Lee’s Seafood Boil 2201 Lee Rd., Cleveland Heights The seafood-in-a-bag trend rolled into town with a bang, with multiple spots devoted to the concept opening in a few short years. You don’t have to explain why to the diners who crowd this small, boisterous storefront by the Cedar Lee Theatre. Digging your hands deep into a bag of spicy, saucy steamed seafood might be the most fun one can legally have in a restaurant. Photo via @BoilingSeafood/Instagram
Salmon Dave’s 19015 Old Lake Rd., Rocky River This smart seafood restaurant has built an enviable rep on its concise menu of straightforward dishes. These days, that includes Asian-themed items like kung pao shrimp, lobster fried rice, ahi tuna sashimi and a fantastic spicy seafood lo mein in addition to their simply prepared fish dishes like blackened salmon and sauteed gulf shrimp. Photo via Scene Archives
Cabin Club 30651 Detroit Rd., Westlake Big, juicy steaks, an annotated wine list, and friendly waitresses make this the place for expense-account types to unwind after work or to entertain on the weekends. And while the steaks might be initial draw, the section of their menu devoted to seafood is top notch, featuring tasty dishes like cajun shrimp pasta, twin Maine lobster tails and Alaskan king crab. Photo via Cabin Club/Facebook
Siam Cafe 3951 St. Clair Ave., Cleveland “This is some of the best Asian food in Cleveland. Whether you eat in or take out, the food is wonderful. The veggies always taste fresh and any dish I have had has been cooked perfectly. What’s nice is they are open late so after a show downtown, you can stop in for great service and amazing food,” Woody D. on Yelp Photo via @Mayepaz/Instagram
Blue Point Grille 700 West St. Clair Ave., Cleveland While the downtown dining scene and specifically the Warehouse District has changed countless times over the years, one constant since 1997 has been Blue Point Grille. A gold-and-cobalt swirl of sophistication, Blue Point’s dining room makes a fitting backdrop for its fine, fresh, and flavorful fish. Whether it’s the namesake Blue Point oysters, the lobster Bolognese, or the buttery Hawaiian ahi tuna, you’ll know what it means to be pampered and indulged. Photo via Scene Archives

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