From the guys behind the Almond restaurants comes L&W Oyster Co., a laid-back and fine-dining eatery all in one, with, you guessed it, plenty of bivalves. "Oysters are timeless, delicious, nostalgic and sexy,” said co-owner Jason Weiner. “These are also the characteristics that we strive to achieve with our restaurants, so in a sense, opening an oyster parlor was inevitable for us."

Owners Eric Lemonides, Antonio Rappazzo, and Jason Weiner call it a “bi-concept seafood restaurant,” meaning they start the day with a clam shack type of meal and follow it up with the more high class oyster and martini bar. Behind the dishes is Per Se and Ritz Carlton alum David Belknap, who whips up afternoon plates of lobster BLTs and bowls of classic New England clam chowder in 30-minutes-or less. Talk about a power lunch.  

On the dinner menu, you can order plenty of sustainable seafood dishes including shrimp “scampi” cavatelli, smoked bluefish fondue, and baked clams. Then, there are the oysters. The raw bar at L&W Oyster Co. boasts eight rotating types of east and west coast bivalves like the Mike Osinski’s Widow’s Hole, plus, littleneck clams, chilled lobster, and fluke crudo.

Opened in what used to be the Bar Breton space in the Flatiron district, the new L&W Oyster Co. is an open and airy space with floor-to-ceiling glass doors, wood and white luncheonette booths, banquets, and comfortable community tables in the center. During the day, they have paper napkin dispensers and placemats, and, come evening, linen and china. Luckily, no matter how you choose your oysters, they are still delicious and fashionable.