In honor of the upcoming World Oyster Day (August 5), we’ve curated a guide of destinations with spectacular seafood. World Oyster Day is the perfect excuse to indulge in incredible seafood while exploring destinations known for their fresh coastal flavors. Whether it’s oysters served seaside, creative dishes in seaside markets, or daily catch straight from the boat, these spots offer unforgettable bites. From hidden beachside gems to refined oyster bars, each destination lets travelers celebrate the sea in the most delicious way.
Below, we’ve gathered a list of foodie destinations that will help seafood lovers celebrate World Oyster Day (or any day) the most delicious way possible.
La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico
La Paz is the foodie capital of Baja California Sur, especially for seafood lovers who will find a wide variety of restaurants lining its vibrant Malecón. The city is known for its fresh fish, shellfish, and seafood prepared in a variety of styles. For an explosion of authentic Baja flavor, head to local restaurant, Mack-fisher’s, for some famous Baja fish tacos, made daily with locally caught white fish. Bordering the stunning Sea of Cortez, La Paz offers refined sea-to-table dining at restaurants such as NEMI, or venture to nearby Paradero Todos Santos and dine at Restaurant Tenoch, where you’ll find mouthwatering ceviches and fish dishes featuring locally sourced fish. Notable standouts include Casamarte Oyster Bar and Grille, celebrated for its West Coast Kumamoto oysters and signature Kanpachi crudo delicately served with their house-made Salsa Morita. For a piece of true La Paz flavor, street stand, Mariscos Del Tigre offers Baja’s famous Chocolata Oyster and hand-sized Ostiones de Piedra all within this beloved local secret.
In Pensacola, an invasive species is on the menu. Travelers looking for restaurants with a focus on sustainability can stop by Sake Cafe, one of the only places in town where lionfish is on the menu year-round. Lionfish is notably difficult to prepare, making it a unique dish for foodies to experience in Pensacola. To get more involved in sustainable fishing practices, visitors can also book an eco-tourism trip and learn to hunt lionfish to help remove the invasive species from Pensacola waters or participate in a lion fish shootout hosted by Ocean Strike.
Victoria, British Columbia
On the rugged coast of Vancouver Island, Victoria offers seafood lovers a wealth of fresh and sustainable bites to explore. At Finest at Sea, visitors can dine on 100% wild caught and sustainably fished seafood sourced mere miles away. This boutique-style market freezes their ingredients on the boat to optimize freshness and serves some of the best fish and chips in town. In the city center, enjoy fresh shucked oysters, lobster rolls and more at Shuck Taylors. Originally opened as a catering service, the beloved oyster bar has grown to serve sustainable seafood year-round. At End Dive, enjoy pescetarian fare that is 99% grown, caught, or foraged on Vancouver Island. Featuring ingredients from local Victoria businesses, including hand foraged seaweed from Daniki Tidal Wilds, this lively spot combines the welcoming ethos of a dive bar with quality seafood and produce for a truly Victoria dining experience.
Lucky guests at the Four Seasons Pennisula Papagayo Costa Rica can immerse themselves in an interactive sea-to-table experience, heading out with local fishermen to catch native fish like snapper, mahi-mahi, or grouper straight from the waters off the abundant Guanacaste region, then return to prepare their bounty alongside expert chefs using regional techniques. For those craving a deeper connection to Costa Rica’s fishing heritage, ConnectOcean’s Artisanal Fishing & Ocean-to-Table Experience offers an educational adventure departing from Playa Flamingo, where guests fish using traditional hand-line methods and learn about regenerative practices that protect the ocean’s ecosystems. The day will then conclude with an open-air cooking session led by a local restaurant, who focuses on exploring pre-hispanic cooking techniques to best braise region fish. This experience combines local artisanal fishermen, regional flavors, and regenerative fishing techniques to help ensure that native fish are not overfished and that a healthy balance is maintained between fish, chef, and seafood lover alike.
James Beard Foundation’s Platform at Pier 57 – Dinner: Ensenada x Hellbender A Mexican Seafood Collaboration
On Tuesday, August 5, at 6:30 p.m., James Beard Award Semifinalist® Chef Luis Herrera of Ensenada (Williamsburg, Brooklyn) and StarChefs Rising Stars Award Winner Yara Herrera of Hellbender (Ridgewood, Queens) will create an exclusive one-time-only menu showcasing Mexican seafood through passionate, soulful cooking and transcendent culinary artistry. Chef Luis Herrera is known for the bold flavors of signature dishes like charred oysters with hoja santa butter, evoking the feeling of lounging oceanside in Baja. Chef Yara Herrera has earned a reputation for her fearless, emotionally resonant approach to the plate, while creating playful interpretations of Mexican-American dishes.
- Seating options:
- Dining Table $210
- Internal Chef’s Counter $250
- External Chef’s Counter $185
For the menu highlights and ticket options, please visit HERE
The newly launched Long Island’s Seafood Cuisine Trail offers a delicious way to explore the region’s coastal flavors, connecting visitors with restaurants, markets and farms that serve locally harvested fish and shellfish. The South Shore route—stretching from Bay Shore to Montauk—features around twenty standout stops, including iconic spots like The Snapper Inn in Oakdale, Inlet Seafood in Montauk and Blue Island Oyster Farm in West Sayville. The trail promotes regional aquaculture, supports fishing communities and invites visitors to explore Long Island’s maritime heritage. A smartphone app (and web version) guides seafood lovers along the route, offering route planning, check-ins, and gamified experiences as they sample delicious local fare. With a North Shore extension launching soon, this trail is serving up both a culinary adventure and a celebration of the island’s vibrant seafood culture.
North Carolina’s Crystal Coast
North Carolina’s Crystal Coast offers a “dock-to-dish” dining scene, where over 100 locally-owned restaurants serve dishes crafted with fresh, regional ingredients that capture the essence of the coast. Restaurants like Amos Mosquito’s in Atlantic Beach and Full Circle Cafe in Morehead City heavily focus on sustainably sourcing their ingredients from local fishermen and farmers. The destination is also known as the “Napa Valley of Oysters,” and is home to over a dozen locally owned oyster farmers. Among these culinary gems is Seashore Oyster Company, a family-owned and female-run sustainable shellfish farm on the North River in Beaufort, which cultivates oysters and clams. You can also dine on local oysters at restaurants throughout the destination, including Prime Bistro and Catch 109 in Morehead City. In addition, the Crystal Coast is home to Marshallberg Caviar Farm, a female and family-owned, sustainable Osetra caviar producer. With 80% of caviar distributed in the USA being imported from Chinese farms, family-operated Marshallberg Caviar Farm aims to break the mold and sustainably produce Osetra caviar right here in the US. The farm is the largest sustainable sturgeon caviar farm in North America and uses a new, state-of-the-art recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) technology, making it able to raise its sturgeon without being dependent on an outside body of water.
Fort Myers Islands, Beaches & Neighborhoods, Florida
No trip to Fort Myers is complete without indulging in some delicious seafood dining on the water. Luckily, the destination is home to a wealth of incredible options, but none more famous than Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille. With two locations in Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel Island, the restaurant has been serving up classic seafood dishes since its opening in 2003. Waterfront views and live music make Doc’s a beloved spot for both locals and tourists alike. Visitors should consider their signature item, the Yucatan Shrimp, a perfectly spiced dish that makes for a must-try for seafood lovers. The recipe has even gained viral attention, with fans eager to replicate the signature dish at home. Additional outdoor options also serve up fresh caught seafood, including Coconut Jack’s in Bonita Springs, Dixie Fish Co., and Snug Harbor Waterfront Restaurant on Fort Myers Beach where guests can see boats unloading the fresh catches of the day straight into the kitchen.
Clayoquot Wilderness Lodges, Vancouver Island, Canada
Tucked deep in the temperate rainforest on the wild west coast of Vancouver Island, Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge is a luxury outpost where the dining experience is as immersive as the surrounding nature. Seafood is sustainably harvested and seasonally driven, with dishes like grilled local spot prawns, white fish ceviche, and seared albacore tuna served just steps from the ocean they came from. Executive Chef Ben Godin draws on global experience and a passion for foraging to create menus that celebrate the natural beauty of the region, from crab-topped Eggs Bedwell at breakfast to grilled sablefish sourced in partnership with Kyuquot-Checleseht First Nations. The daily changing menus also spotlight hyper-local ingredients rarely seen outside the island, offering guests something truly unexpected. Paired with the lodge’s wild setting and spirit of adventure, every bite delivers a true taste of British Columbia’s coastal bounty.
Huka Lodge, New Zealand
One of New Zealand’s premier luxury lodges, Huka Lodge pairs its riverside setting on the Waikato River with a refined, hyper-local culinary program. Executive Chef Ryan Ward draws from more than two decades of experience to create daily changing menus that highlight sustainably sourced ingredients from across the North Island. Guests can expect elevated presentations of local specialties such as Mount Cook Alpine Salmon, Tora crayfish, and pāua, often brightened with native herbs like kawakawa and horopito. Dinners begin fireside with a glass of New Zealand wine before moving to the elegant dining room, where meals unfold with grace and a deep sense of place.
Western Australia
As Australia’s largest state with a coastline spanning nearly 8,000 miles, Western Australia (WA) offers myriad experiences to savor the bounty of the Indian Ocean. Within the world-renowned Margaret River Wine Region, visitors can learn about the growing and harvesting of one of the world’s rarest foods – wild greenlip abalone. Rare Foods Australia is the only wild enhanced fishery in the world using certified sustainable practices to produce greenlip abalone. Heading further north, the Luxe Island Seafood Cruise offers breathtaking views of Rottnest Island during a four-hour journey where guests have the opportunity to help haul in a cray pot of live lobster. The pinnacle of the experience is a seven-course, long-table lunch featuring the fresh-caught Western Rock Lobster and seafood delicacies from across Western Australia.
Heading still further north up the coast to one of the Luxury Lodges of Australia, Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef is a gateway to the world’s longest fringing reef – Ningaloo Reef. In addition to incredible marine life experiences; disconnecting in this no-Wifi zone; and sleeping under the stars in 16 eco-luxe wilderness tents; Sal Salis guests can look forward to a five-star, chef-curated dining experience. The menus change daily and feature locally-sourced bush ingredients and seafood-forward dishes such as kingfish with basil oil; juicy prawns in a mild yellow curry sauce; and chili mussels.
Newport, Rhode Island – Discover Newport
“The Classic Coast” is a seafood lovers’ paradise for world-renowned local seafood including Rhode Island’s iconic stuffed Quahogs (AKA “stuffies”), lobster rolls, signature clam chowders and of course plenty of freshly shucked oysters. The “anchor” of Newport’s Waterfront, Bowen’s Wharf, not only hosts the annual Newport Oyster & Chowder Festival, celebrated annually in May, and Bowen’s Wharf Seafood Festival, celebrated Oct. 19-20 this year, but restaurants including 22 Bowens and The Landing along the wharf are cornerstones of the city’s seafood heritage rooted in tradition–connecting tourists, locals, chefs and fishermen to each other and Newport’s exceptionally fresh and tasty seafood. Just a short stroll outside of Bowen’s Wharf, Midtown Oyster Bar, has the largest raw bar in town serving native cherrystone clams, Scallop crudo, tuna tartare and local oysters. Despite lifelong rivalries between New England coastal communities’ clam chowder recipes, Newport serves both “clear” Rhode Island Clam Chowder and creamy New England Clam Chowder. Locals and tourists have been raving about the Black Pearl’s famous New England Style Clam Chowder since 1967.
Québec, Canada
Starting in Montréal, the St. Lawrence River runs about 500 miles along Québec’s eastern regions, and the river provides a treasure trove of seafood that locals and visitors alike can enjoy all year round. This includes the Bas-Saint-Laurent region’s smoked fish, Gaspésie’s Northern shrimp, the Côte-Nord’s scallops and lobster from the Magdalen Islands, which celebrated the 150th anniversary of the lobster fishing season this past May 2025. Every spring brings a welcome flurry of activity to the Islands, as locals gear up for the fishing season. The excitement peaks on the happy morning each year when the 325 lobster boats set sail from the Islands’ nine fishing ports.
Turneffe Island Resort, Belize
While the fishing program at Turneffe Island Resort is catch-and-release, lionfish are prevalent in the area, and they’re an invasive species. As part of the resort’s conservation efforts and guest education, the lionfish are speared during snorkeling excursions and the resort’s culinary team incorporates the fish into incredible dishes such as ceviche, burgers, and lionfish in coconut crumbs to name a few. Experienced guests are also permitted to hunt lionfish during snorkeling excursions and dives once they complete a training course. However, lionfish are just one of the incredible seafood dishes guests experience on the island. The Friday night Belizean BBQ is not to be missed where guests can try locally-sourced meat and seafood that’s been wrapped in plantain leaves and grilled to maximize the flavor. The proteins are prepared and served with authentic Belizean ingredients such as coconut oil and milk, oregano, garlic, onion, and cilantro, as well as onion sauce – a staple in Belizean households made from finely-chopped white onion, roasted habanero pepper, vinegar, lime juice, and cilantro.
Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef, by Journey Beyond – Western Australia
At Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef, by Journey Beyond, guests not only get to wake up to beautiful sunshine, turquoise waters housing the world’s longest fringing reef – Ningaloo Reef, and Western Australia’s stunning terrain, but they also get to enjoy some of the freshest seafood of the western coast of the continent. The eco-luxury safari tent resort ignites all of the senses with a five-star menu that celebrates scene and setting. Just as much a part of the experience as swimming with whale sharks and humpback whales – with acclaimed chefs who love to surprise and delight, dining menus evolve daily and feature dishes, such as delicate kingfish with basil oil, juicy prawns in a mild yellow curry sauce, and chilli mussels. Guests at Sal Salis can expect contemporary plates featuring fresh, seasonal produce, sourced locally with hints of the bush and ocean. Along the way, travelers will also get the chance to discover excellent Western Australian wines, regional beers and spirits.
