THANKS TO increasing availability and accessibility of great seafood across the U.S., seafood towers are having a moment. “In addition to traditional elements, such as shrimp and oysters, you can now get things like gooseneck barnacles, live spot prawns, ruby red shrimp and live sea urchin, to just name a few,” said Boston-based chef Ken Oringer, who has featured seafood towers at all of his restaurants, including the recently opened Faccia a Faccia. “I love that they can be as  creative as you want or as traditional as you want. There’s a lot of fun to play.” These seven towers at restaurants across the country reveal just how much fun chefs are having with their raw bars right now. 

An extravagant array at Manhattan’s Caviar Russe

Photo: Alex Staniloff

1. LUXE: Caviar Russe, New York 

Chef Edgar Panchernikov’s over-the-top treatment features caviar and all its accoutrements, along with oysters, shrimp, lobster, king crab, hamachi, fluke, sea trout and bluefin tuna. Sea urchin is an optional add-on. Among the dazzling selection of accompaniments: crème fraiche, blini, potato coins, toast squares, chives, cocktail sauce, mignonette, aioli, soy sauce, ponzu, ginger and clarified butter.

Elegant seafood-tower architecture at Nomad Library Restaurant at Nomad Las Vegas

Photo: MGM Resorts International

2. COMPOSED: Nomad Library Restaurant at Nomad Las Vegas 

Executive Chef Hansen Lee’s tower of raw composed seafood includes bay scallop ceviche with jalapeño, roasted pistachio and yuzu vinaigrette; oysters in “cucumber snow,” a frozen mignonette; lobster salad with Thai chile vinaigrette, avocado mousse and caviar; hamachi dressed with cucumber, charred red onion, radish, espelette; and uni with apple gelée.

A cheffy take on the tower at Faccia a Faccia in Boston

3. CHEFFY: Faccia a Faccia, Boston 

At Ken Oringer and Jamie Bissonette’s newest restaurant, the seafood tower changes daily but count on specialties only a chef can offer, such as live sea urchin with caper leaves, lemon olive oil and sea salt; live scallops with endive and black truffles; hamachi with fig-leaf oil and pickled plums; and oysters with Asian pear-yuzu relish.

The drama of dry ice at Oceans Prime (locations around the country)

4. SMOKIN’: Ocean Prime, multiple locations 

Dry ice brings a bit of theater to the seafood towers at all 17 Ocean Prime locations from coast to coast. The customizable assemblage includes oysters, crabmeat cocktail, shrimp cocktail, lobster, king crab legs and stone crab claws. 

An entirely plant-based tower at Crossroads Kitchen in Los Angeles

5. VEGAN: Crossroads Kitchen, Los Angeles 

Chef Tal Ronnen ‘s seasonal plant-based tower has been a vegan favorite for seven years. Served seasonally, lobster mushrooms are tempura-battered to resemble calamari; oyster mushrooms mimic actual oysters in a Rockefeller preparation; shiitakes provide the stuffing for “clams casino;” hearts of palm are the centerpiece of a “crab Louie” salad; and thinly sliced smoked carrots represent “lox.” It all comes with a kelp caviar service and shots of tequila or vodka.

A tower with Thai flavors at Thai Diner in Manhattan

Photo: Alex Muccilli

6. WORLDLY: Thai Diner, New York City

The signature Suvannamaccha’s Offering is served on ornate Thai prayer-offering platters. It includes oysters, shrimp, crab, mussels, scallops, octopus and squid with Thai sauces and other accompaniments. Diners who upgrade to “Khun Big Shot” also receive Goldwasser shots, lobster and caviar served with coconut crème fraiche and roti. 

At Seabird in Wilmington, N.C., a tower of seafood drawn entirely from local waters

Photo: Lindy Shoenborn

7. HYPERLOCAL: Seabird, Wilmington, N.C. 

Chef Dean Neff’s seasonal tower currently incorporates pickled shrimp, smoked tuna with harissa aioli, clams, oyster escabeche, crawfish, crab salad, raw oysters, raw tuna with sweet potato, pickled sardines and smoked gray trout pâté, all sourced from nearby waters.