damnlines.comdamnlines.comChelsea Market's landmark seafood hall and fishmonger, with the attached Cull & Pistol oyster bar offering full table service for raw-bar platters and lobster rolls.
No camera at The Lobster Place / Cull & Pistol Oyster Bar yet — these are the closest live lines we cover.
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Tasting Table's Chelsea Market guide singles out The Lobster Place, alongside Los Tacos No. 1, as a vendor that 'can have long lines even during off-peak hours,' and notes it takes no reservations — meaning the market's fishmonger counter, sushi bar, and raw bar all run first-come, first-served. Tasting Table describes the layout as multiple stand-up counters where customers can 'pick up some fish to take home from the fishmongers before grabbing a seat,' which keeps turnover relatively quick even when the line to order looks long.
For a sit-down alternative, Tasting Table points customers to 'head over to Cull & Pistol oyster bar for a larger assortment of dishes' with full table service rather than counter ordering. Cull & Pistol's own website confirms this distinction: it operates a 'Reserve a Table' booking option directly on its site, and the restaurant also maintains a listing on OpenTable — so diners who want to skip the walk-up counter lines at The Lobster Place can book ahead for the oyster bar side of the same space.
Patterns as reported by press and regulars — not measured by damnlines.
Reservations: The Lobster Place market counters: walk-in only, no reservations, per Tasting Table. Cull & Pistol oyster bar: reservations accepted via the restaurant's own site and OpenTable.
Walk-ins: Yes at The Lobster Place's counters; Cull & Pistol also accepts walk-ins but reservations are recommended at peak times, per the restaurant's own site.
The Lobster Place market: daily 11am–9pm, per Chelsea Market's official directory. Cull & Pistol oyster bar: daily 11:30am–9pm, with half-price oyster happy hour Mon–Fri 4–6pm, per the restaurant's own site.
The Lobster Place 'can have long lines even during off-peak hours,' according to Tasting Table's Chelsea Market guide, since its fishmonger and raw-bar counters take no reservations. Cull & Pistol, the sit-down oyster bar built into the same space, lets diners book a table ahead through its own website or OpenTable to avoid the counter wait entirely.
The Lobster Place's market counters do not take reservations, per Tasting Table's guide. Cull & Pistol, the adjoining full-service oyster bar, does take reservations — both through a 'Reserve a Table' form on its own website and via a listing on OpenTable.
Yes — The Lobster Place's fishmonger, sushi bar, and raw-bar counters are walk-up only, and Tasting Table warns lines can form there even off-peak. Cull & Pistol also accepts walk-ins, though booking ahead through its website or OpenTable is the way to guarantee a table.
The Lobster Place is the counter-service seafood market and fishmonger inside Chelsea Market, while Cull & Pistol is the attached full-service oyster bar, per Tasting Table's guide. Tasting Table describes going to The Lobster Place to buy fish or eat at a counter, versus heading to Cull & Pistol for table service and 'a larger assortment of dishes.'
Sources: Tasting Table · Cull & Pistol official site · Chelsea Market official directory · OpenTable