Blue Pearl

A few doors from Seppe on the Navy Pier waterfront, Blue Pearl is Stapleton's dressed-up seafood room: an oyster bar, sushi, a dining room with panoramic views of the harbor and the Manhattan skyline, and event spaces upstairs and next door. It opened in 2024 and has become the neighborhood's choice for birthdays and anniversaries; at the center of the dining room is The Pearl, a lit twelve-seat table with a rotating tray for sharing.

Start at the raw bar, where East and West Coast oysters come with house-made mignonettes, and add crudo, a sushi roll or a seafood tower. Lobster is the splurge. Leave room for the taro crepe cake, lavender-hued layers with a drizzle of wildflower honey. Brunch runs on weekends, and there is a weekday social hour at the bar. Ask for a window at golden hour; the walk back toward the ferry along the water is part of the evening.