Shaw’s Crab House is a nice-enough old-school restaurant — a place to appreciate the sound abatement of tablecloths and carpet, gorge yourself on free bread, and order a lobster for your birthday. But it’s the Oyster Bar, just across the hall and a world away, that has all the charisma. It’s like eating in New York’s Grand Central Oyster Bar, but better. Bliss is sitting on a chrome swivel stool at the curvy bar close to the shuckers, particularly during the late-afternoon happy hour, when the oysters are only $2 each. The menu is built to meet your appetite, so if you want a fillet of seasonal halibut, a bowl of clam chowder, or some tuna crispy rice, you’re covered. At some point, steer that appetite toward the signature seafood salad — one of those chopped jobbers with hard-boiled eggs, hearts of palm, hard tomatoes, black olives, and so much seafood: crab, shrimp, even chunks of lobster. The bustle of the room and the generosity of the portions somehow make the food taste that much better.

Price: $$$
Address: 21 E. Hubbard St.
Website: shawscrabhouse.com