The 5 Best Restaurants For Seafood Around Summit County

Serving ocean fare in the Colorado high country presents an intriguing contrast: diners are surrounded by peaks while ordering oysters, shellfish and fish associated with waters hundreds or thousands of miles away. The range is broad, too. Raw preparations highlight freshness and texture, while grilling, searing, frying and wood-fired cooking can transform the same broad family of ingredients in completely different ways. Best of Summit readers can explore that variety at restaurants across the county, from dedicated fish houses to sushi counters and contemporary American kitchens.

5th Avenue Grille

5th Avenue Grille incorporates fish and shellfish throughout a menu that combines steakhouse cooking with globally influenced flavors. Signature Bang Shrimp features hand-breaded, deep-fried shrimp with honey gochujang and sriracha aioli, while the restaurant's Ruby Red Trout comes char-grilled with sun-dried tomato and spinach farro risotto, asparagus, blistered tomatoes and sage cream sauce. Togarashi-seared tuna takes another direction, pairing rare tuna with coconut-cilantro rice, pickled chiles and onions, cucumber, avocado and yuzu ponzu. Diners can also add grilled shrimp or salmon to salads and other dishes, and the tavern menu extends the selection with a shrimp po'boy and fried fish tacos.

South Ridge Seafood Grill

South Ridge Seafood Grill makes its specialty the centerpiece rather than a supporting part of the menu. Starters span house-smoked trout dip, Prince Edward Island mussels in Thai red curry-coconut broth, New England-style clam chowder, oysters and chilled Gulf shrimp. Diners looking to sample several varieties can choose a chilled shellfish platter assembled with shrimp, oysters, crab, lobster, mussels and additional accompaniments. Large plates continue the range with Alaskan cod fish and chips, grilled Rocky Mountain red trout, Verlasso salmon, Alaskan king crab and a grilled Maine lobster tail served with linguine. Teriyaki-glazed ahi and a Dungeness crab and shrimp cake add still more preparations to a menu designed around seafood in many forms.

The Carlin

The Carlin centers its main-floor restaurant on American coastal cuisine, an approach that stands out against its Breckenridge mountain setting. A raw bar and wood-burning oven serve as cornerstones of the kitchen, with oysters occupying a prominent place in the restaurant's identity. The open-kitchen concept allows coastal dishes to share the dining room with a dedicated bar and cocktail lounge, while wood-fired cooking gives the kitchen another technique for building flavor. The Carlin expands beyond the restaurant level as well, with Tavern Underground downstairs and four guest rooms upstairs, creating a multilevel hospitality concept built around dining, drinks and lodging.

Nozawa Sushi & Hibachi

Nozawa Sushi & Hibachi approaches the category through Japanese and Asian fusion cooking, with sushi providing a direct showcase for fish and shellfish. Its chef specialties demonstrate the restaurant's range: the Sesame Crust Tuna Roll combines spicy tuna and avocado with lightly seared black sesame tuna sashimi, while the Rainbow Dragon Roll incorporates freshwater eel, avocado, cucumber and shrimp tempura. The Blue Crab Fantastic Roll combines eel and avocado with marinated blue crab and a chef's sauce. Nozawa complements its sushi program with hibachi and a broader selection of Asian dishes, allowing seafood to appear in both raw and cooked preparations.

The Blue Fish

The Blue Fish offers an extensive selection of sushi, sashimi and cooked dishes at its Breckenridge restaurant. Its cold plates include the Blue Fish Tower, built with a choice of salmon or tuna tartare, snow crab mix, avocado, sushi rice, caviar and wasabi cream sauce. The menu also features salmon sashimi with truffle citrus sauce and yellowtail or salmon paired with jalapeño, cilantro, sriracha and ponzu. Nigiri and sashimi choices include tuna, yellowtail, Japanese snapper, ocean trout, salmon, eel, octopus and shrimp. Specialty rolls add combinations such as lobster tail, snow crab, scallops and shrimp tempura, while hot selections include shrimp tempura, fried calamari, shrimp dynamite and lobster ramen with a whole lobster tail in seafood broth.

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