Restaurant Review: Lionfish

307 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach; 561/639-8700

They may be exotic and prevalent in aquariums, but lionfish are venomous invasive species that are wreaking havoc on our Atlantic and Caribbean reef ecosystems. Fortunately, this Atlantic Avenue restaurant is doing something about it. Its menu features this white flaky fish in a variety of preparations, including whole fried and as a bright ceviche. Since it opened last fall, this first outpost of the San Diego-based restaurant has become the place to be seen on the Ave with its weekly happy hour and lively weekend brunch.

Focusing on sustainable and locally sourced ingredients, Lionfish’s seafood-centric menu is diverse, while its coastal décor is both stylish and comfortable. We started with the Atlantic Buzz ($15) and Low Tide ($15) cocktails. The former is tequila based with a refreshing hint of spice from the smoked poblano liqueur while the latter, served in a fancy coupe, had a lovely tart sweetness to it from the lychee and St-Germain.

Dishes here are made to be shared, and we took advantage of that by ordering several. We started with the Lionfish Ceviche ($22) with bright citrus flavors. For more spice, we ordered the tender Grilled Octopus ($22) tossed in fermented chile, crispy garlic and a cilantro aioli. The paper-thin raw tuna slices on the cracker-like Tuna Pizza ($21) were not overly seasoned, thus allowing the freshness of the fish to stand out. Our favorite appetizer was the Mini Maine Lobster Rolls ($26). The four bite-size warm brioche buns with tender butter-poached lobster were satisfying without being overly filling.

For entrées, we tried the New Bedford Scallops ($39), perfectly pan seared, not overly firm and with a rich flavor accentuated by the roasted onion broth. As for the specialty rolls, the Surf and Turf roll ($26) and Bezerk roll ($19) intrigued us. The former, with a Maine lobster, avocado and grilled asparagus filling topped with seared wagyu and crispy onions, had a wonderful balance of crunch and delicate softness, while the latter’s tender shrimp tempura and salmon belly pieces had a warm, briny flavor.

It might be hard, but save room for dessert. We indulged in the famous Key Lime Pie Bombe ($15) that was not a pie at all but more of a mint green tartufo bursting with Key lime zest nestled on graham cracker crumbs. It tied for our favorite dessert with the Churro Ice Cream Sandwich ($12) that came with a sizeable scoop of vanilla bean ice cream in between two warm churro buns dusted with chocolate and cinnamon.

So next time you want to feel altruistic for simply eating out, slip into a cozy teal banquette at Lionfish and help save the reefs by delighting in a lionfish ceviche.