Denise Bortolotti brings her Northern Italian sensibilities to her explorations of the Pittsburgh food scene. She values clarity over confusion and quite often chooses less over more—as long as what’s on offer is truly good. For this year’s How to Pittsburgh issue, she casts her net to look for the best seafood the ‘Burgh has to offer.

Where Are the Best Seafood Restaurants in Pittsburgh?

Morcilla

3519 Butler Street, Lawrenceville

No llegas a Morcilla, te entregas a ella. Intense. Golden. Soulful. It feels like old school Iberia: artisanal, conversational, delicious, alive. Seafood is not the main event, but it quietly takes over many of my evenings there; anchovies melting into buttered toast, scallops cut clean and bright, pulpo a la plancha resting on a rich, almost excessive potato fondue. The Montenegro Spritz: bitter, herbal, lifted with strawberry, keeps everything in motion… and then you have such a nice time that you forget to leave.

Fet-Fisk

4786 Liberty Avenue, Bloomfield

Nordic cuisine, at its core, is about preservation and seasonality: curing, pickling, fermenting what’s fresh in order to capture the best flavors. Simple ingredients are infused with complex layers thanks to these processes. Pickled mackerel with smoked beet and cabbage arrives sharp, structured, almost austere, and then, unexpectedly, it blooms on the palate. Oysters appear on a bed of ice, simple and pure in their salinity and minerality. Add inventive mignonette sauces to bring out nuances of flavor that delight you. Other surprises almost sneak up on you as you move through the menu. You’ll make mental plans to return before you’ve even hit the sidewalk to go home. Read more about Fet-Fisk’s feature on the New York Times Best Restaurants of 2024 list.

Off The Hook

908 Warrendale Village Drive, Warrendale

Breadth is the key word here. The selection of fish and seafood is broad and universally fresh. This breadth is complemented by depth in the list of sauces and preparation methods. The choices are all up to you. On a summer evening, you might order something simple, like a grilled fish garnished with lemon. It arrives exactly as expected, fresh and flavorful as if you were minutes from the coast. The wine list as well as the dessert options represent similar breadth.

Pusadee’s Garden

5321 Butler Street, Lawrenceville

Some places try hard to manufacture atmosphere. Pusadee’s builds it effortlessly… and then lets it spill out into the garden. But since the gorgeous building is so airy and full of windows, you can never be completely sure whether you’re inside or outside. Though the place is probably most beautiful in summer, the sculptural pines of the courtyard make even winter look poetic.

The contemporary Thai menu follows the same, elegant line: scallops, seared and delicate, lifted with citrus and herbs; giant prawn, meaty and slightly sweet, touched by heat; pappardelle with kee mao, wide ribbons in a glossy, spice-laced sauce, softened for balance. The Asian flavors and spices are there, but they never overwhelm. The heat stays measured and the herbs deliberate, playing a lovely game of flavor with the richness of meats and coconut milk. Order a Pure Shores to start off. Keep all your senses open. Enjoy the experience.

Gi-Jin

208 6th Street, Downtown

Gi-Jin strips everything back to its essential qualities: from space and menu to plating and the food itself. What remains is a sense of contemporary Japanese minimalism, but with warmth. The hand roll bar is a spot to observe and enjoy the choreography of chef, warm rice, crisp nori, and the finest fish. Each piece arrives exactly as it should. Even the gin list is focused and exact. The precision of all things here makes for a light, even luminous experience. You’ll leave feeling lighter and cleaner.

Monterey Bay Fish Grotto

1411 Grandview Avenue, Mt. Washington

There is something almost theatrical about it this spot: you sit above the city, and the skyline performs for you. Light shifts across the rivers, buildings dissolve into reflections. Monterey Bay understands this inherent drama, and leans into it with white tablecloths, beautifully plated entrees, and waitstaff in spiffy outfits. The crab cakes are exactly right, so start there. Consider a cocktail like the Orange You Glad I’m Gin, which cuts through any inner gloom with its brightness. At night, the central bar becomes its own scene: silhouettes, glass, quiet conversations that feel almost secret. Arrive early for an aperitivo or stay for a nightcap

Dish Osteria

128 S. 17th Street, South Side

Dish è sentimento e passione. Dish is, for me, like returning home. The room is small, the light warm, the tables close enough to overhear (sometimes) something you shouldn’t. Sit at the bar, no reservation, and let the evening unfold. Seafood pasta is a must. The Carpaccio di tonno, is clean and without ego. Sardines are exactly as they should be: rich with flavor. A Dirty Dish martini, or a Signorina Ciccia; perché no?

Penn Avenue Fish Company

2208 Penn Avenue, Strip District

There is bustle here, thanks to an active fish counter. Orders are called out, customers come and go. Penn Avenue Fish Company belongs to the Strip in an old-fashioned way: direct, unpolished, a little rough. The sushi is fresh, the swordfish salad excellent, daily specials delightful. Nothing is designed to impress you, necessarily. The focus is on feeding you well. And so you are impressed.

Mola

6018 Penn Avenue, East Liberty

Mola is controlled, clean, and exacting. The room is contemporary, restrained almost to a fault. Sushi and sashimi follow the same logic: precise cuts, balanced compositions, nothing left to chance. You notice texture, temperature, timing. Sip the Fiery Gimlet: lime and a flicker of heat cut through the clutter of your day. You relax and trust a place that trusts discipline over spectacle. And it works.

Story by Denise Bortolotti
Photography by Dave Bryce

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