Tucked inside the stylish Manner Hotel, The Otter is a restaurant worth walking through a lobby for. On the menu, seafood reigns—the Otter Dirty Martini is made with salted brine and oyster, and even the rolls come with butter that tastes like bouillabaisse. Surf and turf with a New York strip and sea scallops or gulf shrimp can be had for about a hundred bucks, but we'd rather make our way through the raw bar's delights, then order a few fish tacos or a plate of littleneck clams served with lemon, garlic and meltaway-thin fideo.

Off the beaten path—but still right in the middle of Soho—it's an easy table to score. The Manner Hotel is upscale, so expect some eyepopping outfits along with the regular downtown denizens cracking open their lobster claws.

Start with the seafood platter of oy

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