Aqualina Seafood Bistro Opens In Manhattan Beach

It’s been a while since a new seafood restaurant opened in the Sheepshead Bay area. We’ve seen burger joints, German-themed bars, even French, uh, “cousin.” But the most recently opened establishments focusing on fish and other seafood are probably Clemente’s Maryland Crabhouse and Liman, both of which opened several years ago. Otherwise, it’s been all quiet on the fishy front, a strange fact given that Sheepshead Bay remains known as a seafood haven.

Well, the long streak has now been broken. Aqualina Cafe, a “crab and seafood bistro,” opened at 181 West End Avenue about three weeks ago, replacing Delfin Cafe, which was so utterly unknown to the world that it never even warranted a Yelp or other review-site entry in the short years it existed.

Anyway, Aqualina Cafe’s exterior is pretty unimpressive. But the building runs long and narrow, and the inside is much larger than one would expect. And they’ve definitely got on the seafood bandwagon, with all the delightful nautical tchotchkes that’s familiar to just about any seafood restaurant in America. As one would expect from a crab bistro, their menu is chock-full of various crab options, as well as a slew of other crustaceans and fish. They have lunch menus beginning at $12, too. Do I smell a future entry into The Bite?