Penny

Tucked into the East Village, Penny occupies a compact 31-seat counter perched above its sister restaurant Claud. The space feels like a breezy coastal escape where the hum of Japanese city pop mingles with exclamations of delight from guests discovering each new plate. Behind the long white marble bar, chefs orchestrate controlled chaos—arranging shellfish on ice, pulling golden brioche from the oven, and wrangling live lobsters back onto their shelves while servers slip past to retrieve bottles from a floor-to-ceiling wine room.

The seafood here is nothing short of revelatory. Start with the Ice Box, a curated tower of oysters, clams, mussels, and some of the finest raw shrimp in the city—Argentinian red shrimp that practically melt on the tongue. The oyster pan roast arrives under a dome of puff pastry that shatters into the silky shellfish broth below, while the stuffed squid conceals a gorgeous filling of swiss chard and tuna beneath its tender exterior. For a main event, the dover sole comes elegantly frenched and paired with bone marrow and shimeji mushrooms, letting the delicate fish shine against deeper umami notes.

Every detail at Penny feels considered yet effortless. The steamed brioche emerges warm from the oven with a browned, salted crust that pulls apart like cotton candy. The wine program runs deep—around a thousand bottles, mostly European—though the by-the-glass selections are equally impressive. Plush stools make lingering comfortable, and the counter offers enough depth for a full dinner spread, from those first raw bites through a whole lobster if the mood strikes.

This is the kind of place that rewards spontaneity. Walk-ins are welcome, and early or late reservations often open up day-of. Whether you’re celebrating something special or just chasing the feeling of a perfect summer Friday, Penny delivers. And when that miniature ice cream sandwich arrives—vanilla and balsamic strawberry tucked into slices of that same remarkable brioche—you’ll understand why the room fills with gasps of joy.