A Hudson River Cruise is a popular must-do activity in New York City, but the idea of cramming into a boat with hoards of ipad-as-camera toting tourists was not super appealing. On the recommendation of a friend who lives in New York, my boyfriend and I spent an evening aboard the North River Lobster Co, a floating lobster shack & bar on a boat that docks in Hell’s Kitchen.

The evening was so simple, but it remains one of my favourite experiences in New York City, which I recommend to everyone I know who is going to New York.

Hudson River Cruises with North River Lobster Co

Boarding the North River Lobster Co is free and you can stay on board as long as you like. Like any other normal bar, you just pay for your food and drinks. The boat has three decks, all serving food & drinks, but we managed to nab a table on the top deck. It helps to arrive early!

You’d expect that something this novel (and fun) would be crammed with tourists and offer overpriced, lacklustre food, but this wasn’t the case. A lobster roll is never going to come cheap ($22) but it was stuffed with lobster and was delicious. I didn’t see any other tourists on board – just dozens of New Yorkers spending a sunny afternoon on the water.

Finding a beautiful view is one of my must-do activities in every city I visit, and getting out on the water is one of my favourite ways to find a fresh perspective of a place.

Lobster Rolls, Cocktails & a New York City Sunset

We used their departure timetable to time our trip with sunset, which was spectacular over the water. The boat docks at Pier 81 in Hell’s Kitchen, and when we arrived the boat was still out on a previous cruise. Luckily, they have a bar on land at Pier 81 so we had a headstart on cocktails while we waited for the boat.

On board, they’ve got a variety lobster rolls, a full raw bar, light meal options like lobster bisque and clam chowder, and deep fried American classics like popcorn shrimp, mini corndogs, deep fried mac & cheese cubes and buffalo wings. Cocktail jars were $15, but refills were $12, which is a steal in Manhattan. I can’t get enough of seafood, so I had their signature lobster roll & shared a dozen oysters with David.

One of my favourite things about New York City’s food scene is that oysters are everywhere. When Henry Hudson arrived in 1609, New York City has home to approximately half the world’s oyster population at the time, and some of them were up to a foot long! I’m going to write another post and dig into why oysters are such a big part of New York’s food scene a bit more, and include my favourite spots in the city to eat them.

While we feasted on seafood and sipped cocktails, we watched the sun go down and the city light up. I can’t think of a better way to start a summer’s night in New York City.