Punch & Judy
(212) 982-1116
26 Clinton St
New York,
NY
10002
40.7205
-73.9841
Neighborhoods: Downtown, Lower East Side
Last updated 4.01.09
What People Are Saying About Punch & Judy
The Editor
Contributor
Citysearch
The Scene
Owner Constantine Mouzakitis spent years in the family wine business before opening this sophisticated den, where classy couples chat in red vinyl theater chairs from the 1930s, or drape across couches in the back room. Full-bodied wines, tranquil music and a fog-like darkness make it a sultry place to end the evening. (Did we mention the chocolate fondue?)
The Draw
Sample the flavors of hidden-gem vineyards in Australia, South Africa and the rural fields of France, where locals usually sop up most of the vintage stuff before the public gets a chance. Cheese plates, Mediterranean platters and aromatic bread baskets with flavored butters and oils make it easy to dine European. And that chocolate fondue? One of the city's best arrives with fresh fruits, peanut butter cookies, slabs of cake and candied cashew-covered bananas. That's dinner in itself.
User Reviews
emceebard
February 17, 2007
I refused to go here for about 2 years. The lady and I had a really bad experience (waited for 30 minutes without menus/water, while the too cool staff chilled at the bar and talked to the too cool regulars). So we walked out, swearing to never return. But last week we found ourselves on Clinton in the middle of a snowstorm and decided to try again?we had walked into a few places, bar window shopping if you will, and walked out when we saw that nobody was there. Why don?t people drink during snowstorms? We found the spot empty as well, but we were cold and wd-50 seemed like a weird choice, so we settled on our long-scorned friend. Fortunately, this visit was much more successful. We settled on glasses of wine (white/red split) instead of a bottle. I found the list was nice, but they could have offered more by-the-glass options. The bartender/server was nice too, and way more Midwest-friendly than Midwest-surly. For food we settled on the cheese plate, which was a basic combination of sliced hard chesse (Manchego, provolone, something else) served with sliced French bread. Simple and tasty. We also ordered the shredded corn beef sliders. Recently I have been disappointed with bar sliders (why are they so damn trendy?). The bun always seems to be stale and the patty (beef, veal, lamb) just isn?t cooked right (nor hot). But shredded corn beef? A nice idea, for sure, but I wasn?t expecting much. I had originally ordered the braised short ribs, but they were out. Always a disappointment. So I went with the next thing on the menu (under pressure, for sure) and had instant buyers remorse. But when the dish arrived, I was pleasantly surprised. The corned beef was tender and certainly Katz-like and the bun was soft. There was some kind of condiment, maybe a spicy mustard, which worked well. Overall, a nice dish. So the spot has risen from the dead. Much credit to the new owners for bringing it back. Music was good too.
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1251nyc
September 27, 2006
The food was great, and cheap for how much you get. Fantastic drinks try the lemonade one and bartenders are friendly. Great music too check it out.
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johnddong
September 15, 2006
Cute little place....but went there on a Friday night and it was empty! Bartender was friendly though. I have to say, this place should not be categorized under wine bar......especially since they only had a few different types of wine on their menu. Don't recommend this place at all if you're looking to be in a happening place or looking for an extensive wine list.
read full reviewThe Details on Punch & Judy
Know Before You Go:
In addition to bottles and generous carafes, close to 20 wines are available by the glass.
Category:
Restaurants, Bars & Pubs, Nightclubs, Wine Bars
Payment Methods:
American Express, Visa, MasterCard
