For decades, I’ve been taking out-of-towners and local New Yorkers to the historic Lightship Frying Pan, the floating eatery in the water west of 26th Street. The lightship moved from Pier 63 to Pier 66 and added the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Float Transfer Bridge to give access to it. The Lightship Frying Pan — and the John J. Harvey retired FDNY Fireboat that sits next to it — are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Each summer, the service aboard changes. I loved the year they offered table service after ordering with a QR code on the table that ID’d where you sat. They returned to ordering at the bar and getting a buzzer to inform you that your order was ready. Yup! You must pick it up with all your utensils and condiments.

This year, they offer reservations for their sundeck atop the lightship, where there’s table now service. Enjoyed that!

I went multiple times with various friends and relatives. The food is fine, but you go more for the atmosphere: sitting aboard the ship on the water with a summer breeze.

Some mentionables include the Sunset Sangria ($14), made with white wine, peaches, mango, blueberries and ginger, with a red wine float and their chilled Cape Cod Lobster Roll with coleslaw and fries ($32). That roll was offered on the sun deck from a Restaurant Week 3-course dinner for $45, which included the lobster roll, an appetizer of hummus, plus an ice cream sandwich.

If you haven’t been,  I highly suggest a visit while the weather is still good for outdoor dining.

Lightship Frying Pan
Pier 66a (West 26th Street & Hudson River Park)
New York, NY 10069
(212) 989-6363
fryingpan.com/