I am bereft to report that Pinefish in Center City is now closed. I just saw them update their social media. As they are promoting the opening of a new restaurant, Fayette Street Oyster House in Conshohocken, they casually announced that the Philadelphia restaurant is now closed.

In fact, when you try to visit the pinefish.fish website, it redirects to https://fayettestoysterhouse.com/.

While I’m happy for the new location, it saddens me that such a vibrant and beautiful restaurant in Center City is now closed. We enjoyed an immaculate dinner experience there a few years ago and have always wanted to return. It just wasn’t in the cards for us. 🙁

Official press release…

Peter Dissin, the restaurateur behind Pinefish in Center City, has opened Fayette Street Oyster House & Grill at 128 Fayette Street in Conshohocken, most recently the home of Tierra Caliente. Dissin, who was also a consultant for Conshohocken’s Isabella when it opened in 2010.

The steak and seafood-centric menu will include many dishes currently offered at Pinefish, including crab cakes, pan-seared scallops, tuna with foie gras, whole fish, salmon with Parmesan cream, mahi mahi, octopus, fried oysters, sautéed Brussels sprouts, roasted cauliflower, crisp salads and much more. Dissin also plans to add a number of steakhouse steaks to the menu including New York strip, filet mignon, and a massive bone-in tomahawk chop. Happy hour will feature buck-a-shuck oysters, along with drink specials. In addition to eight rotating seasonal local craft draft beers, there will be an eight bottle Cruvinet for white and red wine storage, and a cocktail menu featuring six cocktails created by Lê from the celebrated Hop Sing Laundromat in Chinatown.

“It’s been quite a ride operating Pinefish for the past six years in Philadelphia, and now I’m ready to bring a larger offshoot to the suburbs,” said Dissin. “I have a lot of experience with restaurants in Conshohocken, and I think this is a concept that the area has been greatly missing. Much of the menu will be similar to that of Pinefish, but I’m really excited to introduce some new dishes and a variety of thick-cut Prime steaks that I’m sure will fill the seats. After a really tough two years as a restaurant owner, I have very high hopes and excitement for what’s to come with our opening this spring.”

While the 3,200 square-foot interior won’t stray too far from that of Tierra Caliente, Dissin has made some cosmetic alterations to give the new seafood restaurant a more contemporary feel, including brightening the space with teal-colored walls framed by whitewashed stacked stones and yellow chairs. There will be 70 seats inside plus another 14 at the bar, along with 30 exterior seats for outdoor dining and accordion floor-to-ceiling windows that bring the outside in. The restaurant will initially open for dinner, but Dissin plans on expanding the hours to include brunch and lunch by the fall. Complimentary valet parking will also be available.