My friend and I were lucky enough to snag a Friday night reservation at Penny. I was seated right away and looked over the menu. They have a huge wine list if you want to go the bottle route or they offer several wines by the glass. We decided to go the glass route, so I went with a German white (which was natural and had a nice, dry flavor). Foodwise, the waiter recommended 5 plates, so we did the Ice Box, Brioche, Squid, Tuna Carpaccio, and Scallops. All the items were fresh and tasted great. The flavors were simple, so it allowed the seafood to really shine through. The Scallops were our standout of the night. Ambiance is very nice and cozy. The restaurant is only a bar (no table seating), so it lends itself to groups of 2 (maybe 3). Though you're sitting near others, it's not overwhelming or noisy. Service was great too. Our waiter was friendly and attentive. You also get to watch them prepare the food right in front of you which is great fun! My reason for a 4 star review is the price vs. portions. It's extremely expensive for the amount of food you get. The ice box is portioned for two and is basically 1 oyster, 1 clam, 1 shrimp and 1 mussel per person for $40. The scallop serving was 2 scallops cut in half for $48. Though the food was excellent, I left there still a bit hungry having spent over $100 individually. Overall, I'm glad we came in to try the delicious dishes and enjoy a fun atmosphere. Penny is definitely a great for a celebratory dinner!

Amazing meal at Penny - service, wine list, food, all incredible. Seating is bar style centered around the kitchen. The bread is phenomenal - light, fluffy, slightly sweet, served with anchovy butter. Other highlights were the stuffed squid (cooked perfectly), and the scallops and morels which was light but still rich with an amazing sauce.

The service and food are top tier. The staff are very attentive and pay attention to small details. The utensils and water are changed often while dining. The staff even gave a sip of sparkling sake for our anniversary! The sesame bread is reminiscent of Japanese milk bread. It is crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. The salt flakes on the butter add a very nice touch. I would come back for this bread alone! The ice box plus consists of clams, oysters, mussels, shrimp, razor clams, scallop and a crudo of the day which was stripe bass. There are three sauces - garlic aioli, cocktail, and shallot mignonette. Favorites were the shrimp, scallop, razor clams, and clams. The shrimps were very plump and fresh. The scallop was juicy and had nice citrus flavors with a kick. The razor clams were seasoned well and had some wasabi that worked well. The clams were really fresh. The ice cream sandwich isn't too sweet - there is a mix of cold, sweet, saltiness! The bread is light and fluffy and the strawberry jam is a nice touch. It is worth a try!

So glad we finally got to Penny! It is a deep skinny space with only bar seating. Open kitchen which is cool to watch all the makings. The oysters were some of the freshest/cleanest I've had, delicious along with the shrimp! Our servers were attentive and nice, suggested the carrots that were tasty. The stuffed squid was delicious as were the scallops and mushrooms that we could have eaten so many more. If you are a seafood lover go!

I managed to get a reservation at one of the hardest restaurants to get into other than Tatiana's. I had a 5pm reservation when the places opened up so I had to leave work early to not missed this reservation or they will charge $50 for cancelation less than 24 hours or not showing up. When I arrived, the restaurant is located on the 2nd floor about Claud. The place was small and there were only seats in the bar. There are places where you can hang your coat and belongings. My server was knowledgeable and great. I noticed that they do change their menu from time to time based on the reviews I have read. Nevertheless the dining experience was quick. For my meal, I started off with a glass of the Muscarat. I ordered the sesame Brioche with Salted Butter, confit oysters and stuffed Squid. The brioche met the expectations that I've read in reviews. It was reminiscent of the bread I had at Crown Shy. I do recommend the bread especially dipping the confit sauce and harissa vinaigrette. The confit oysters were great and a must order. It comes with 4 oysters, seasoned crackers and Creme Fraiche. The Creme fraiche was thick and tasted amazing when I spread it across the cracker then topping it off with the oyster. The stuffed squid was also worth ordering. The squid is stuffed with tuna and swiss chard. The dish had a little kick but it was deceivingly filling. I was starting to get full but just enough to indulge in their infamous brioche ice cream sandwich. This dessert was a pick me up after consuming the bread, seafood and wine. The brioche beautifully absorbs all the the flavors and textures of the ice cream with strawberry. This is worth experiencing just once. I'd like to return with a friend to try their ice box.

Came here for an early dinner at 5:45 and it was packed inside! The menu is pretty small but everything we had was pretty solid all around! You do have to like seafood to come here! But I liked that they had a good mix of raw and cooked seafood! I will say the portions were pretty small and the bill will definitely add up quickly if you're super hungry and trying to stuff yourself! My favorite thing was probably the baked razor clams and the sesame bread! It's like Japanese milk bread so it was incredibly soft inside and so warm! All the searing is bar style so if you're going wine big group I don't know how great the experience will be as you can only sit side by side! Definitely a nice spot for a little date or a solo meal as well!

After just one visit, I fell in love with Penny and I'm eager to return. Since Penny is on the same squad as Claud, I knew I had to give her a try because I adore Claud. This is the place to go if you want a great glass of wine and some delicious seafood at the bar. We had the Ice Box, which contains oysters, countnecks, shrimp, mussels, and crudo, on our first visit. The ice box is well worth the $39 price tag. Along with the confit oysters, we also ate the sesame brioche with butter and anchovies. We tried the chocolate mousse and ice cream sandwich, both of which were delicious, so I wouldn't miss dessert here. Everything is quite straightforward but incredibly tasty. This is a terrific place for sharing dishes. You can also savor a delicious dinner at the bar by yourself. Penny is simply fantastic all over. While I adore Claud as well, I might possibly like Penny more. I will most certainly return.

Bread goes crazy. Oysters confit sleeper hit. Everything was solid - stuffed squid was herbal, earthy, and delicate at the same time; octopus and potato salad was pleasantly acidic, balanced, and substantial. Ambiance is nice, classy and elegant yet still casual. Service is impeccable - super friendly and attentive staff. Wine program on point. Can't wait to come back to eat 5 servings of bread and oysters confit.

A delicious, unique seafood experience in downtown New York City!! Penny was on my friend's list of restaurants to try so I made sure to set a reminder to try for a reservation on Resy: A limited number of reservations are released one week in advance at 9am!! They also take walk-ins but we didn't want to rely on that for a Friday night. All of the seating is at a bar. Once we settled in, a super lovely server greeted us. We tried to order martinis but found out the restaurant only serves beer & wine - which was fine because the white wine was superb. We ordered the Ice Box and it was splendid. All of the meals are actually made right at the bar - unless it's a hot item, and it's made in the back. If you love seafood and have the budget, don't hesitate to check this place out!

Everyone here is dressier than your Bible-thumping grandma on Good Friday, but don't let that visual snobbery deter you from a satisfying seafood experience here. First, be prepared to spend. This is Manhattan seafood, after all--you're going to pay for quality. With that out of the way, start your meal with the Sesame Brioche + Butter + Anchovies. The bread with melt in your mouth, and the anchovy spread is creamy, briny goodness. Next, splurge and get the Ice Box PLUS--you'll get more portions and more diverse offerings. We gorged on periwinkles (a pain to dig out, but satisfyingly chewy), tender lobster and shots of vichyssoise in addition to the raw items included with all Ice Boxes. The Dressed Razor Clams were wonderfully seasoned, and the Confit Oysters were perfectly cooked. However, my favorite dish (aside from the raw seafood) was probably the Trout + Lovage. Not everyone can cook trout properly--this was tender and flaky and accompanied by a fantastic sauce. Look, I'm running out of adjectives and my keyboard is getting covered in drool remembering our meal here. Just come. Spend like it's the apocalypse. Worry about the consequences later.