Banks Fish House

I want to show you one of Boston’s biggest, best, and most beautiful seafood restaurants: The Banks Fish House on Stuart Street in the Back Bay.

This is a high-end, New England inspired seafood spot. And it’s from the same team behind Grill 23, which is one of the city’s premiere steakhouses. But this time, they’re going for an upscale New England fish house experience and they’ve really hit it out of the park.

The Banks opened up in the Summer of 2021, and it’s been a big hit since day one. And you can’t beat the location, right in the heart of Back Bay, across from the Hancock Tower. And you’re gonna be impressed, not just by the food (which is incredible by the way). But just check out the space itself.  This is a massive, two story restaurant, almost 15,000 square feet in total.  There are multiple private dining rooms, 2 full bars, 3 fireplaces. Up on the second floor, there’s a dining room with an open kitchen, a big horseshoe bar, and floor to ceiling windows so there are just unbeatable views of Boylston Street and the Trinity Church.

It all makes for a great spot for a power lunch, or after work drinks, or just a nice night out on the town filled with delicious food. The menu focuses on seafood of all kinds and in all forms. Think  classic New England fish shack, but taken to a luxurious level. Whenever I’m eating seafood, I like to start with something from the raw bar. And if you want to go big, go for the Grand Banks Platter. This is a two tier selection of assorted shellfish. So it’s loaded up with lobster, clams, shrimp, mussels, oysters of course, and crudo. Now that’s how you get a dinner party started.

And for all you chowderheads out there, of course they have a New England Clam Chowder on the menu. I’m talking next level chowder, nice and creamy, made with Berkshire pork belly, and drizzled with chive oil. It’s served with a fresh baked dinner roll and a spoonful of crackers.

And if you want those same classic chowder flavors, but presented in a whole new way, check out the Chowda Flatbread. Seriously, this is crazy good.  It’s super thin and crispy, topped with a creme fraiche base, along with smoked bacon, plenty of fresh-shucked clams, plus tri-color potatoes and oyster crackers right on top of the pizza!  I’m predicting it now, Oyster Crackers are the new pepperoni.

Another dish with a major wow factor is The Banks Lobster Bake. This is the ultimate New England seafood experience, featuring an impressive platter that has lobster, clams, mussels, shrimp, potatoes, and corn. And it’s served with some grilled bread so you can sop up all of that delicious sauce.

Some other entrees we’d recommend include the Halibut, it’s cooked vert delicately and beautifully, served over a French style potato and leek sauce, along with with some clams, roasted pearl onions. There’s a mouthwatering Grilled Tuna, cooked just the way I like it. That comes with a honeynut squash puree, a little kale, and garlic chili crunch. So this dish is beautiful to look at, it’s full of vibrant colors and it's really delicious. Here’s a dish you’ve probably never had before: Squid Ink Tortellini. The squid ink gives the pasta that distinctive, deep dark color. And it’s served with some clams, sweet potato, crispy speck (which is a lightly-cured Italian style ham), all in a fragrant onion broth.

For all of your carnivores out there, there’s no need to panic. Because as I mentioned, the team behind The Banks Fish House also operates Grill 23 Steakhouse. So the filet mignon here is top notch. It’s super tender, extremely high quality beef, presented with some mushrooms, creamed leeks, and spinach mashed potatoes.

Now when it comes time for dessert, you don’t even need to look at the menu. You just gotta ask for the Banana Cream Pie. I just want to literally dive right into this thing right now. It is a classic banana cream pie that’s super fluffy and rich and sweet. It’s made with a buttery Bananas Foster sauce, along with some bruleed bananas with that crackly, caramelized crust. This is one of the best desserts in Boston and it has a real cult following.

So if I haven’t made this clear already, you should definitely be making a reservation at The Banks Fish House very soon, if not immediately.