For the seafood lover in your life or the person who just doesn’t need more things, a special order of oysters, lobster-roll kits, or, of course, caviar can be an impressive treat for the holidays (or any time).
While you could take them out to dinner at your local seafood restaurant, there’s something special and unexpected about having seafood delivered to their home. So many options are available now, from sushi-grade cuts to an entire box of stone-crab claws. I tried many of the options out there over the past year, and these are the best. I’m a New Englander who lives in a fishing village, and I have over a decade of experience traveling, eating, and writing about food, so my standards are high.
If you’re looking for other edible gifts, I also rounded up the best meat-delivery boxes to gift, and we have suggestions for cheese enthusiasts, coffee lovers, wine lovers, chefs, gourmands, and many more. And for other ideas for all the people on your list, check out our gift-guide hub.
For fresh-catch fanatics
For its fresh seafood boxes, Oceanbox sources directly from fisheries, with salmon, char, and trout from the North Atlantic and branzino caught off the Mediterranean coast. The fish is then hand cut and packed fresh at Oceanbox’s facility, and sent out the door for delivery. The company also offer a specialty frozen section. The tuna in my box was a deep, vibrant red with firm flesh and a delicate flavor, and the mahi-mahi was moist, tender, and buttery.
For lobster lovers
A highlight of visiting Maine for many is getting to eat lobster rolls, but if they can’t make it there, you can send them these lobster roll kits. Based in Portland, Get Maine Lobster will deliver meaty, deep-water Maine lobster meat that’s been flash frozen and soft buttery rolls to enjoy it on. I found the lobster perfectly cooked and super-fresh tasting. Almost as good as a trip to Vacationland.
For the person who craves variety
One of the oldest fish markets in the country, dating back to 1822, Fulton Fish Market is also the largest wholesaler in the U.S. This means it has access to a large variety of seafood, which it culls to create giftable bundles. This box of high-quality frozen seafood comes with large, tender sea scallops that practically melted in my mouth after a quick sear and cuts of mild, sweet halibut, which made me crave another delivery, along with center-cut salmon and wild-caught tuna.
For salmon devotees
A family-owned company, Wild Alaskan has specialized in sustainably harvested wild seafood for three generations. Wild salmon commonly has a richer flavor and a denser, more meaty texture than farmed salmon, and Wild Alaskan’s is some of the best I’ve tried. The box comes with portions of sockeye and coho, with sockeye having a strong flavor that’s excellent on the grill (I use a plank, it’s amazing) and coho being slightly more mild and best suited to gentle cooking methods. I liked poaching the meat in white wine.
For stone-crab enthusiasts
A famous southern delicacy, stone crab is found on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, and only the claws are harvested (as they grow back). Key Largo Fisheries processes the claws straight off the boat, and sells them on the spot, or ships them fresh during the season (October through May). The meat from the claws is more delicate than other crabs and has a sweet, briny flavor.
For your fanciest friend
Nothing says luxury like caviar, and this set from Browne Trading showcases some of the best velvety pops of brine available. The trio of 30 grams includes two types of Siberian sturgeon eggs, from Belgium and Italy, and hybrid Kaluga sturgeon eggs from China. The Giaveri farm in Treviso is the oldest caviar sturgeon farm in the world, and its 30-gram container is filled with dark, delicate, flavorful orbs with a melt-in-your-mouth texture. The gift set also comes with two mother-of-pearl caviar spoons.
For the caviar newbie
For someone just getting into caviar, a chic set from Roe, a caviar made from American white sturgeon, is a good entry point. Harvested from fish farmed in Northern California, the eggs are salted for a month after harvest, which results in a briny flavor with a nice buttery finish. The set comes in a wooden box and includes a key opener and caviar spoon. This caviar is best enjoyed on good potato chips with a dollop of crème fraîche (according to our very thorough testing).
For custom gifts
Founded in 2008 in Boston, Red’s Best works as a network for commercial fishers in the United States to sell its product. The product, which ranges from striped-bass collar to premade lobster bisque, can be picked up in Boston’s Public Market or ordered online. The selection is some of the best in the country, and we’ve never had a bad bite from Red’s. Gift a custom box of sushi-grade tuna, fluke, and salmon or a selection of crab cakes, breaded haddock, and salmon burgers, all ready to cook.
For harried households (or ones that appreciate shortcuts)
Nordic Catch works with sustainable fisheries in Iceland to catch and process fish and deliver it straight to your door. It even does some of the prep work, including marinating sushi-grade cuts that are ready to bake, sauté, or broil. Mild arctic char came covered with a truffle-pepper marinade that gave the fish a nice woody flavor and the fatty, firm salmon was rich with butter and lime.
For oyster aficionados
Based in the fishing village of Duxbury, Massachusetts, Island Creek has been farming its oysters since 2000 and is featured on the menus of some of the best restaurants in the world. The briny, mossy bivalves are also available to shuck at home. Send a 50-count (or more) box, and don’t forget to throw in a shuck set.
The Strategist is designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read about here. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
