Lure Fishbar
Lure Fishbar is a New York seafood restaurant brand known for its yacht-inspired SoHo setting and menu of raw, grilled, and prepared seafood.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Lure Fishbar is a seafood restaurant brand founded in 2004 by restaurateurs John McDonald and Josh Pickard. Its original restaurant opened in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood in a space previously occupied by Canteen, another restaurant associated with McDonald. The concept combines a seafood-focused menu with a deliberately nautical interior, most notably a yacht-inspired design that has become central to the restaurant’s identity. The restaurant’s menu spans raw and cooked seafood. Reported offerings include sushi, raw fish preparations, grilled fish, seafood pasta, and American-style desserts. Lure Fishbar has also served dishes influenced by dim sum, indicating a broader approach to seafood dining rather than a narrowly traditional fish-house format. The brand’s positioning sits between an upscale neighborhood restaurant, a contemporary seafood destination, and a nightlife-oriented dining venue. Lure expanded beyond its original SoHo location in 2013, when a second restaurant opened in Miami, Florida. The brand has subsequently operated additional locations in New York City and Chicago, although the available reference material does not specify their opening dates, addresses, or current operating status. Its geographic footprint therefore remains centered on major U.S. dining markets rather than a broad national or international chain model. In 2016, Preston Clark was appointed executive chef. His appointment represented a notable culinary leadership development for the brand, which has received attention for both its seafood menu and its restaurant design. Lure Fishbar has been positively reviewed by publications including New York Magazine and The New York Times. It was named among Tasting Table’s Best Seafood Restaurants in America in 2022, appeared on Eater’s list of Best Seafood Restaurants in New York City in 2023, and was included in Gayot’s Best Seafood Restaurants in the New York Area for 2025. In 2025, The Infatuation ranked the restaurant’s lobster roll twelfth on its list of the best lobster rolls in New York City. The restaurant became the subject of a widely reported location controversy in 2024 after reports said that fashion house Prada was seeking to take over the SoHo space occupied by Lure Fishbar. Public figures including filmmaker Ken Burns and models Cindy Crawford and Heidi Klum publicly campaigned against the restaurant’s removal. Vanity Fair subsequently reported that there were no ongoing discussions to remove Lure Fishbar from the location. The episode demonstrated the restaurant’s visibility within the SoHo cultural and dining scene, as well as the attachment of prominent supporters to its continued presence. Lure Fishbar remains an active seafood restaurant brand with a New York-origin identity, a small multi-city U.S. footprint, and a positioning built around seafood, distinctive nautical design, and destination dining.
History
Lure Fishbar was established in 2004 by restaurateurs John McDonald and Josh Pickard. The first location opened in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood, occupying a space that had previously housed Canteen, another restaurant connected with McDonald. From its beginning, Lure was differentiated not only by its seafood menu but also by its yacht-inspired interior, which gave the restaurant a strong visual identity and reinforced its maritime theme. The restaurant’s culinary offering has included raw seafood, sushi, grilled fish, seafood pasta, and American-style desserts. It has also served dim sum-style dishes, reflecting a flexible contemporary approach to seafood rather than a single regional cuisine. This combination of menu breadth and theatrical interior helped position Lure Fishbar as both a dining destination and a recognizable SoHo venue. The brand began expanding outside its original Manhattan location in 2013, when John McDonald opened a second Lure Fishbar in Miami, Florida. Reference material also identifies additional locations in New York City and Chicago, establishing a presence in several prominent U.S. restaurant markets. The available sources do not provide complete information about the opening dates, addresses, ownership structure, or current status of every location. A significant culinary leadership milestone occurred in 2016, when Preston Clark was appointed executive chef. Lure Fishbar later continued to receive favorable attention from restaurant and food publications. New York Magazine and The New York Times have reviewed the restaurant positively. Tasting Table included it among the Best Seafood Restaurants in America in 2022, while Eater named it among the Best Seafood Restaurants in New York City in 2023. Gayot included it in its Best Seafood Restaurants in the New York Area for 2025, and The Infatuation ranked its lobster roll twelfth among New York City’s best lobster rolls in 2025. In 2024, the restaurant became involved in a public dispute over its SoHo premises. Reports stated that Prada was seeking to take over the space occupied by Lure Fishbar. Several public figures, including Ken Burns, Cindy Crawford, and Heidi Klum, supported a campaign opposing the restaurant’s removal. Vanity Fair later reported that there were no current discussions to remove Lure Fishbar. The controversy highlighted the restaurant’s cultural profile and the importance of its original SoHo location to its identity. Lure Fishbar is an active seafood restaurant brand with an origin in New York’s SoHo district, a multi-city U.S. presence, and a brand image built around nautical design and contemporary seafood dining.
- 2025
Further seafood and lobster-roll recognition
[1]Gayot lists Lure Fishbar among the best seafood restaurants in the New York area, while The Infatuation ranks its lobster roll twelfth among New York City's best.
- 2024
SoHo location controversy
[1]Reports that Prada might seek the restaurant's SoHo premises trigger public support for retaining Lure Fishbar at the site.
- 2023
New York seafood recognition
[1]Eater includes Lure Fishbar among the Best Seafood Restaurants in New York City.
- 2022
National seafood recognition
[1]Tasting Table names Lure Fishbar among the Best Seafood Restaurants in America.
- 2016
Preston Clark appointed executive chef
[1]Preston Clark takes on the executive chef role at Lure Fishbar.
- 2013
Miami expansion
[1]A second Lure Fishbar location opens in Miami, Florida.
- 2004
Original SoHo restaurant opens
[1]John McDonald and Josh Pickard open Lure Fishbar in SoHo, New York City, in a space previously occupied by Canteen.
Products and positioning
An upscale, contemporary seafood restaurant brand combining raw-bar and cooked seafood offerings with a yacht-inspired dining environment.
Seafood
Raw bar and sushi
Lure Fishbar serves raw fish and other raw seafood preparations, including sushi. These offerings form a core part of the restaurant’s contemporary seafood identity and complement its cooked fish and shellfish dishes.
Seafood
Grilled fish
Grilled fish is among the restaurant’s principal cooked seafood offerings. It represents the brand’s more traditional fish-house component while being presented within Lure Fishbar’s modern, yacht-themed restaurant setting.
Prepared seafood
Seafood pasta
Seafood pasta broadens the menu beyond raw-bar and grilled preparations. The dish category illustrates Lure Fishbar’s contemporary American restaurant approach, combining seafood with familiar pasta-based dining formats.
Seafood sandwich
Lobster roll
The lobster roll is one of Lure Fishbar’s most publicly recognized individual offerings. The Infatuation ranked it twelfth on its 2025 list of the best lobster rolls in New York City.
Dessert
American-style desserts
American-style desserts are served alongside the restaurant’s seafood menu, providing a conventional concluding course within the broader contemporary American dining format.
Seafood and small plates
Dim sum-inspired dishes
Lure Fishbar has also served dishes in a dim sum style. The inclusion of this category indicates that the restaurant has periodically incorporated broader Asian-inspired formats into its seafood-focused menu.
Marketing campaigns
- 2024Save Lure Fishbar campaign
New York City
After reports said Prada was seeking to take over Lure Fishbar’s SoHo premises, public figures including Ken Burns, Cindy Crawford, and Heidi Klum campaigned against the restaurant’s removal.
Outcome. Vanity Fair reported that there were no current discussions to remove the restaurant from its location.
Brand decisions
2013
Expansion into MiamiStrategyBackground
Following the establishment of the original SoHo restaurant, the brand expanded into another major U.S. dining market.
Action taken
John McDonald opened a second Lure Fishbar location in Miami, Florida.
Aftermath
The move extended Lure Fishbar beyond its New York origin and was followed by additional locations in New York City and Chicago.
Recent events
- 2025
Lure Fishbar recognized by Gayot among the best seafood restaurants in the New York area[1]
Other
Gayot included Lure Fishbar in its Best Seafood Restaurants in the New York Area list.
- 2025
The Infatuation ranks Lure Fishbar lobster roll among New York City's best[1]
Other
The Infatuation ranked Lure Fishbar's lobster roll twelfth in its listing of the best lobster rolls in New York City.
- 2024
Prada reported to be seeking Lure Fishbar's SoHo space[1]
Other · Campaign
Reports that fashion house Prada was seeking to take over the space occupied by Lure Fishbar prompted a public campaign supporting the restaurant's continued presence. Vanity Fair later reported that there were no current discussions to remove the restaurant.
- 2023
Lure Fishbar included among Eater's best seafood restaurants in New York City[1]
Other
Eater named Lure Fishbar to its list of the Best Seafood Restaurants in New York City.
- 2022
Lure Fishbar receives national seafood recognition from Tasting Table[1]
Other
Tasting Table named Lure Fishbar among the Best Seafood Restaurants in America.
Sources1 sources
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