The East Village raw bar that drinks serious
East Village · New York · Raw bar and seafood · Visit Website ↗
Updated April 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · March 23, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Penny’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Penny hits differently than you'd expect from a walk-in seafood counter in the East Village. It reads like it was built by someone who actually loves wine — because it was: Chase Sinzer, who took home a Michelin sommelier award, is behind this thing. Expect Jura, Sherry, Burgundy, and Champagne doing the heavy lifting alongside your oysters.
Penny runs a 100-175 bottle list that punches well above its weight class for a neighborhood raw bar. The Jura section alone — with Ganevat and Labet both represented — is enough to make a wine nerd do a double take. There's serious Burgundy (Dominique Lafon), a compelling Rhône presence with Jean-Louis Chave Saint-Joseph, and a Spain section that actually ventures somewhere interesting, with Ramiro Ibáñez's Cota 45 Palomino from Jerez sitting next to Angela Piedra Verdejo from Rueda. The throughline is a preference for producers who farm carefully and make wines that work with food — and specifically with raw, briny, oceanic food.
With 18-28 options by the glass, this is one of the stronger BTG programs in the city for a restaurant of this size and format. The rotation skews toward high-acid, mineral-driven whites that flatter shellfish, which is exactly what you want when you're working through a plate of East Coast oysters. Don't expect to find the same pour twice in a month — this list moves.
Angela Piedra Verdejo (Rueda) — null
Verdejo from Rueda is chronically underpriced relative to what it delivers — clean citrus, a saline snap, and enough texture to hold up to a lobster roll. At a list like Penny's, it's almost certainly the most food-friendly bottle you'll find for under $60, and it belongs in more hands.
Cota 45 Palomino (Ramiro Ibáñez, Jerez)
Most people see Palomino on a list and assume it's a sherry — it's not, or at least not in the fortified sense. Ramiro Ibáñez is making still, unfortified Palomino that's electric with raw seafood. It's salty, oxidative in the best possible way, and pairs with a plate of clams like they were made for each other. Most tables will skip it. That's their loss.
Generic Champagne producers (various)
The Champagne section, while present, is the one spot on the list where the pricing feels a bit reflexive rather than curated — big-house bottles at restaurant markup rates that you can find anywhere. The rest of the list does more interesting work for your money. If you want bubbles, ask the staff what's pouring by the glass instead.
Labet (Jura) + Oysters
Labet's wines from the Jura carry an almost oceanic salinity and a oxidative depth that mirrors the brine of a cold East Coast oyster without steamrolling it. It's one of those rare pairings where both the wine and the food taste more like themselves.
The Bottom Line
Penny is the rare seafood counter where the wine list is the reason to go, not an afterthought. If you're anywhere near the East Village and you care even a little about what's in your glass, make the reservation.
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Il Buco has one of the most compelling Italian wine lists in New York City — deep, principled, and staffed by people who actually care. The markup is real, so budget accordingly, but this is a room worth splurging in.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown · New York · Steakhouse
STK Downtown is a place where people order Champagne to celebrate, not to drink — and the wine program is built accordingly. If you're here for the vibe and someone else is paying, pop the Dom and enjoy it; if you actually care about what's in your glass, you're in the wrong room.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Midtown · New York · Upscale Seafood & Steakhouse
Three happy hour wines do not a wine program make. Ocean Prime is a place you eat well and drink safely — but if wine is a priority, this list will let you down before the bread basket arrives.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Occasional
Acceptable
Midtown · New York · Steakhouse
STK Midtown is a great place to see and be seen, but the wine list is there to pad the check, not to excite you. If you're here for the experience, lean on the cocktails or grab a glass of Bonanza at the bar — don't expect the bottle list to reward any real curiosity.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Midtown West · New York · Russian-American
The Russian Tea Room treats wine as an afterthought dressed up in Champagne flutes — five famous labels at punishing prices with no range, no by-the-glass program, and no apparent curiosity about wine beyond what looks impressive on a table. Go for the spectacle, order the caviar, but don't come here expecting a wine list.
Grocery Store
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New York · Restaurant
David Burke Tavern's list is a Chardonnay lover's comfort zone with a solid sparkling section propping up the top — but the narrow focus and steep pricing mean you're paying for familiarity, not discovery. Send a friend here if they want California whites and a glass of Champagne; send them somewhere else if they want to explore.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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