Hungry fishermen are known to bend down by the waterside to let minnows, eager to escape life in a small pond, leap into their open mouths. Dine on a fish that made it to the big city with today's Groupon: for $25, you get $50 worth of gourmet sea fare and raw goods at Seastar Restaurant and Raw Bar, which Seattle magazine readers recently picked as the city's Best Raw and Oyster Bar. Your Groupon is redeemable at both the Belltown and Bellevue locations. This Groupon is valid for dinner only.

When not scouring the seven seas for the white whale that stole his girlfriend, Seastar chef John Howie scours the salty local waters to supply omega-3-deprived Seattleites with a fresh menu of (mostly) finned finds. Sidle up to the raw bar and drink in a half-shell or 12 of the day's oyster catch (market price), or sample the scallop ceviche in its mango-kiwi relish ($10) for a chemically cooked concoction. If you prefer your food cooked, you’ll find plenty of elegant entrees on Seastar's dinner menu, such as the Dungeness crab with a sweet corn risotto ($26), the prosciutto-wrapped scallops served over a watermelon carpaccio ($26), and the potato-chip-crusted halibut in a lemon-thyme vinaigrette ($34). Pescaphobes can instead conquer a carnivorous craving with a plate of the fire-grilled prime sirloin, served with garlic-seared portabella mushrooms, roasted red potatoes, and Maytag blue cheese ($29), while herbivores can hone in on the artichoke ravioli ($20). Because the best things come in threes, like Stooges and celebrity deaths, close with a dessert trio ($10) of crème brulee, passion fruit panna cotta, and white chocolate coconut cream pie.

Both Seastar locations serve up their fishy feasts in sleek and contemporary dining spaces, and offer striking sommelier service to assist budding oenophiles as they navigate the treacherous grape-waters of Seastar’s extensive wine-dark sea. Treat friends, family, or the beautiful figurehead from your Spanish galleon to a helping of the high seas with today’s Groupon to Seastar. Call ahead to make a reservation.

Dine-in only.

Reviews

Zagat gave Seastar Restaurant and Raw Bar a score of 26 for their food, the highest score among all Seattle seafood restaurants. Seastar was voted Best Seafood, Best Service, and Best Oyster/Raw Bar in 2010 by Seattle Magazine readers, and was an editor's pick for Best Salmon. The Seattle Times gave Seastar three stars. More than 110 Yelpers give Seastar Restaurant and Raw Bar in Bellevue an average of four stars, and more than 150 OpenTable reviewers give the Seattle location an average of 4.3 stars. Seventy-nine percent of more than 400 Urbanspooners recommend the Bellevue location:

• Seastar is an ambitious restaurant with a big menu offering a few safe bets but enough creativity to be a crowd-pleaser. The lure is seafood, but neither carnivores nor vegetarians will go hungry. – Providence Cicero, Seattle Times
• Amazing food, and wine. A great place to celebrate! – OpenTable.com reviewer who dined on 07/24/2010 at the Terry Ave. location
• I have been to the Seastar many times and have never been disappointed. The staff is friendly and professional, the menu is diverse (seafood) and the food always satisfies. – Phil, Urbanspoon, on the Bellevue location