Raw bars on Long Island

Long Islanders tend to regard raw bars—fresh, local oysters and clams on the half shell along with lightly cooked seafood—as their birthright. And so you’ll find raw bar offerings on the menus of all sorts of restaurants, from swanky steakhouses to humble clam shacks. Get ready to roll up your sleeves and indulge.

NASSAU

Anchor Down

1960 Bayberry Ave. (at Open Bay Marina), Merrick

Anchor Down is open year-round, offering martinis, seafood towers and more. On weekends, the kitchen will shuck hundreds of oysters, sending them out with a red-wine mignonette made by the tub. You may need a lobster roll, too. More info: 516-544-4334, anchordownny.com

Clam Bar At Bridge Marine

40 Ludlam Ave., Bayville

This blink-and-you’ll-miss-it collection of covered tables plus an outdoor bar is tucked into a marina just over the bridge from Oyster Bay. Many boaters tie up to the floating dock for some of the freshest clams around, dug from the nearby harbor and ordered at the counter. More info: 866-628-8689, bridge-marina.com

Jeremy’s Ale House

239 Woodcleft Ave., Freeport

Jeremy’s may be the most low-key place overlooking Woodcleft Canal, but its clams take a back seat to no Nautical Mile restaurant. Order at the bar and be prepared to bus your own table. More info: 516-623-0204, jeremysalehousefreeport.com

Juniper

990 Corporate Dr., Westbury

Order tuna tartare, oysters and crab and shrimp cocktails from the raw bar menu at this relatively new New American spot. (It’s on the ground floor of the Vanderbilt, a high-end apartment complex.) The seafood platters also include crudo. Also: gin-forward cocktails, a satisfying bar menu, and accomplished mains that include a half chicken and Faroe Island salmon. More info: 516-820-1200, juniperlongisland.com

Peter’s Clam Bar

600 Long Beach Rd., Island Park

Almost every table has a breeze and a view at Peter’s, which has been serving seafood raw and cooked since 1939. The requisite fresh littlenecks, cherrystones and oysters all populate the raw bar. More info: 516-432-0505, petersclamhouse.com

Point Lookout Clam Bar

99 Bayside Dr., Point Lookout

This mellow spot along Reynolds Channel is pure Long Island. Go at sunset for clams on the half shell and shrimp cocktail, then move on to a fried combo platter or sushi from a Japanese-trained sushi chef. Take something home from the fish market, too. More info: 516-897-4024, pointlookoutclambar.com

Popei’s Clam Bar

384 N. Wantagh Ave., Bethpage

The vibe is neither maritime nor Italian, but this bustling clam bar has been turning out fine clams on the half shell for 40 years. Also: baked clams (oreganata or casino), pasta with clam sauce (red or white) and zuppa di clams (with shells). More info: 516-822-9169, popeisbethpage.com

Rothmann’s Steakhouse

6319 Northern Blvd., East Norwich

Maryland lump crabmeat and Maine lobster meet oysters, clams and shrimp at this venerable (since 1907) Long Island steakhouse. There is excellent sushi and sashimi too, along with the requisite porterhouses and tomahawks. More info: 516-922-2500, rothmannssteakhouse.com

Sea Bar

7 Great Neck Rd., Great Neck Plaza

At $45, the seafood plateau here is one of the Island’s best bargains, loaded as it is with a dozen oysters, a half dozen clams, steamed mussels, jumbo shrimp and crawfish. More info: 516-441-5708, seabar.life

Waterzooi Brasserie & Oyster Bar

1029 Port Washington Blvd. Port Washington and 850 Franklin Ave. Garden City

At this Belgian brasserie, the raw bar offerings include East and West Coast oysters, littlenecks, lobster/crab/shrimp cocktail. Or make a splash with Le Grande Plateau ($225), which also includes lobster, jumbo lump crab, ahi tuna tartare and Bloody Mary oyster shooters. More info: waterzooi.com

SUFFOLK

Bell & Anchor

3253 Noyack Rd., Sag Harbor

This low-key yet sophisticated place lies at the edge of a working marina, and seasonality and relationships with producers are paramount. Raw bar offerings include local clams, oysters from both East Coast and West served with cocktail and mignonette sauces, and a bacon oyster shooter. More info: 631-725-3400, bellandanchor.com

Catch Oyster Bar

63 N. Ocean Ave., Patchogue

Daily lots of oysters are listed on the chalkboard. Segue from raw oysters into steamed littlenecks or the house lobster roll. More info: 631-627-6860, catchoysterbar.com

Clam Bar At Napeague

2025 Montauk Hwy., Amagansett

At this casual, ever-popular roadside spot (translation: you may have to wait for a table), you’ll find clams and oysters on the half shell, steamers, lobster rolls and more. Open Apr.–Oct. More info: 631-267-6348, clambarhamptons.com

Claws Seafood Market

20 Main St., West Sayville

The patio of this fish market functions as a clam bar/crab shack, and you’ll find a full raw bar, steamers, mussels, lobsters and Maryland-style hard-shell crabs. More info: 631-256-5900, clawsseafoodmarket.com

Inlet Seafood

541 E. Lake Dr., Montauk

“From our boats to your table” has been this restaurant’s mantra ever since six local fishermen banded together to open it as a side hustle in 2006. Not surprisingly, exceptionally fresh shellfish, along with fluke and whatever else they happen to be catching are the stars of the menu. The place has an exceptional outdoor set-up on the edge of Montauk Harbor, with picnic tables and cornhole below and café tables above on a generous second-floor veranda. More info: 631-668-4272, inletseafood.com

Kingston’s Clam Bar

130 Atlantic Ave., West Sayville

Clams or oysters on the half shell, shrimp cocktail, even tuna poke taste better when your table overlooks a gaggle of moored boats and Great South Bay beyond. More info: 631-589-0888, kingstonsclam.com

Little Creek Oyster Farm & Market

37 Front St. (down Bootleg Alley), Greenport

Ian Wile and Rosalie Rung, the husband-and-wife team behind this harborside hangout offer a number of local oysters, which you can shuck yourself ... or not. More info: 631-477-6992, littlecreekoysters.com

Nicky’s Clam Bar

99 Maple Ave., Bay Shore

Raw bar offerings include clams (littlenecks, topnecks and cherrystones), oysters, jumbo shrimp cocktail and lump crabmeat cocktail. You can also enjoy fried whole belly (Ipswich) clams, shrimp salad and more while watching the ferries chug to and from Fire Island. More info: 631-665-6621, nickysclambar.com

Noah’s

136 Front St., Greenport

The accoutrements for various raw bar offerings include lemongrass mignonette and lemon aioli. You may want to work in an order of crab-stuffed deviled eggs as well. More info: 631-477-6720, chefnoahs.com

Restaurant Prime

117 N. New York Ave., Huntington

Surf equals turf at this grand waterfront landmark. The raw bar always includes a measure of Long Island oysters. More info: 631-385-1515, restaurantprime.com

Salt & Barrel

61 W. Main St., Bay Shore

There are typically a dozen oysters to choose from here, and they’re shucked to order at one end of the stunning bar. The cooked seafood dishes are polished and eclectic, and the cocktails are works of art. More info: 631-647-8818, saltandbarrel.com

Virgola

5 Village Green Way, Patchogue

There are three seafood towers here, of increasing size, and the largest ($125) comes with two kinds of fish roe and salmon crudo. Almost everything may be ordered à la carte as well, and there are usually four or more types of oysters on offer. More info: 631-714-5000, virgolausa.com