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Home > Restaurants > Degustation Wine & Tasting Bar

Degustation Wine & Tasting Bar

Critic's Pick Critics' Pick

239 E. 5th St., New York, NY 10003
nr. Second Ave.  See Map | Subway Directions Hopstop Popup
212-979-1012 Send to Phone

  • Price Range: $$

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  • Reader Rating:

    8.9 out of 10

      |  

    10 Reviews | Write a Review

  • Cuisine: French, Spanish/Tapas
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Photo by Jeff Mermelstein

Hours

Mon-Thu, 6pm-10:30pm; Fri-Sat, 6pm-11pm; Sun, closed

Nearby Subway Stops

F, V at Lower East Side-Second Ave.; 6 at Astor Pl.; N, R, W at 8th St.-NYU

Prices

$9-$17

Payment Methods

American Express, MasterCard, Visa

Special Features

  • Bar Scene
  • Dine at the Bar
  • Hot Spot
  • Notable Chef

Alcohol

  • Beer and Wine Only

Reservations

Recommended

Profile

Jack Lamb, the suave, super-dapper, pocket-square-sporting, Hog-ridin' gastropreneur—whose culinary fiefdom includes Jewel Bako and Jack's Luxury Oyster Bar—has been known to behave somewhat like a fickle schoolgirl when it comes to opening and closing restaurants. The sixteen-seat space that was previously Grace's Kalbi Bar and before that Jewel Bako Robata has seamlessly become an elegant tapas bar (or "Franco-Spanish-inspired small plates" restaurant in Lambspeak), where Wesley Genovart, a Perry St. grad who looks to be about 12, fusses over his bite-size creations in plain view of diners seated side-by-side at the food bar. With its reverential service, its frequent changes of silverware, and assorted other flourishes, this isn't your ordinary toothpick-flying, sangría-flowing tapas bar. Genovart's menu makes use of such currently fashionable A.W. (After Wylie) cooking techniques and ingredients as sous vide and xanthan gum. But nothing tastes forced or contrived. Flavors, for the most part, are bold and harmonious, and often so rich that the smallish portions make perfect sense. — Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld

Tasting Menu

A five-course tasting menu is available for $50.

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New York Magazine Reviews

Featured In

8.9 "Highly Recommended"
Average Reader Rating
on a Scale of 10		 Write Your Own Review
90% Would you go back?
88% Would you take a date?
0% Would you take kids?
22% Would you go on business?
88% Would you go on a special occasion?
Food: 9.3
Service: 8.6
Décor: 7.6
Value: 8.8

Best tasting NYC

LilyJ from 11374 | Posted on 9/21/09

Overall Rating: 10 (Highly Recommended)
Food: 10
Service: 10
Décor: 9
Value: 10

I was treated for my birthday last weekend, and I am comfortable claiming it the best dinner I've had in the city. The 10-course tasting is independent of the menu, but whatever you order, it's a foodie's dream to sit within 2 feet of the grill and plating areas. The combinations were creative and surprising, and I more than once unabashedly scraped my plate to get every bit of the enormous flavors. While these are billed as "tapas", more often than not, the portions were perfect for the 5 or 10 tastings (highly recommended!) and even generous for some plates, like the mouth-watering sweetbreads over chantrelles and a tomatillo corn salsa w/ fried okra. Degustation was upscale in its food and service, while remaining low-pressure in ambience. The best part of the dinner was being told that the chef had “received a giant squid from California [that day]” and then see Chef Genovart come over with his iPhone and show us a picture of the comically large squid – and then get to taste it in its exquisite glory. The dinner was equal parts delicious and interactive, and I wouldn't change a thing!

Excellent!

delikado from 10019 | Posted on 7/7/09

Overall Rating: 10 (Highly Recommended)
Food: 10
Service: 10
Décor: 9
Value: 9

My meal at Degustation has become one of my most memorable dining experiences in the city! My boyfriend and I chose to go with the 10-course tasting menu, which was a great choice because it allowed us to sample a lot more of the menu (which all sounded too good to pass up) without filling us up too much. The space feels very intimate, and encourages food ogling!

Read All 10 Reviews >>

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