Gramercy Tavern
Category: American (New) [Edit]
Neighborhood: Manhattan/Gramercy-Flatiron42 East 20th Street
(between Broadway & S Park Ave)
New York, NY 10003 (212) 477-0777
- Nearest Transit:
23rd St-Park Ave S (6)
23rd St-Broadway (R, W)
Union Square (4, 5, 6, L, N, Q, R, W)
- Price Range: $$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Dressy
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: No
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
134 Reviews for Gramercy Tavern
I think I love this place. I say 'I think' because I have only been here once and because we just got a cheese plate and a few glasses of wine. I thought the atmosphere was delightful and chic in an easy non-fussy way. The food looked fantastic and the crowd was fairly young -ish and attractive. I would dress up a little... heels (of course heels...it's new york for god sakes!), a simple dress, and minimal but statement jewelry. perfect! Even with my lack of knowledge about this restaurant (not tasting the food) am already sold.
Are you into a multi-cheese filled exploding meatball the size of a baseball? You are?! OK! Then you had better get your ass to Gramercy Tavern because you will not be disappointed. It is a signature dish of theirs and I've probably never seen my boyfriend as happy as he was when he took his first bite.
I have only eaten in the Tavern room and never in the back for the tasting menu (which I am dying to do at some point and hear is heaven on earth) but I thoroughly enjoyed every single bite I have had to eat here.
Delicious food, wonderful service, great atmosphere, and something on the menu for just about everyone. An absolute must.
LOVED it!
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Never before have I had to wait on a line a few minutes before a restaurant opens for lunch, but after my experience at this "tavern" of sorts I could understand camping out for a considerably longer period of time.
We were kindly seated immediately while the restaurant was quickly filling up, and were presented with a hockey puck of butter, a smattering of salt, and a big piece of thick bread. Cocktails would soon follow.
I decided to have the Peach Basil Fizz, a delightful concoction of Wild Turkey Bourbon (eh?), peach nectar, soda and a huge, fat piece of basil. It was none too sweet and very light and refreshing-a perfect aperitif that ended up lasting me the entire meal. My friend's cocktail, with elderflower liqueur and orange blossom, didn't last nearly as long, but was still clean, sparkly and aromatic.
For appetizers, we went with the chilled zucchini soup and the cauliflower. The soup, dark green and topped with little rounds of yellow squash, was smooth and creamy but without the slightest hint of cream. It was cold and...unfortunately I can't think of a synonym for "refreshing."
The cauliflower, presented on a plate like gargantuan white brains, were covered in almonds and looked and smelled particularly delicious.
For entrees, I had the pulled pork sandwich while my friend had the surprisingly light and yellow seafood chowder, which she loved. My sandwich was tremendous, allowing me to only consume half of it before getting ready to explode. A pile of pork is nestled between two crusty, chewy buns, staring down its eater while taunting it with its juicy fattiness. Luckily, a plate of pickled swiss chard, carrots, red onions and searingly hot jalapeno peppers cut into it like ice; the accompanying coleslaw was unlike any you'd find in a deli: crisp and light, it too balanced the heap of pig between bread.
Naturally, dessert had to be consumed.
My friend had the lemon cheesecake, which came on a plate in a small, cylindrical form topped with a gelee suspending blueberries. Whole, surprisingly big blueberries, and a sprinkle of pinenuts, came alongside, with a scoop of blueberry sorbet to cool things down even further. Though delicious, her only complaint was the lack of more pinenut flavor.
Because I am me, I HAD to get the chocolate bacon tart because it sounded too good to be true. It was good, yes, but not as spectacularly weird as I had hoped. About the size of a teeny cupcake, it had a nice crust and a smooth, rich chocolate filling topped with a tangy creme fraiche and bacon bits which, unfortunately, added absolutely no flavor to the ensemble. The swirl of chocolate caramel on the side however, now that was nice.
Overall, pleasant service, slightly disappointing dessert, but an otherwise fantastic meal will require multiple visitation rights.
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One of the best meals I've ever had definitely goes to this restaurant. I guess there's a reason why they won that James Beard restaurant of the year award! My boyfriend took me here for our one-year anniversary. Although it's not the most romantic restaurant (pretty decent amount of groups dining here), this restaurant definitely did not disappoint.
Service was great from the start. We even were surprised with a complimentary glass of sparkling wine to celebrate our special day. We decided on the summer tasting menu, which was definitely a great choice. So many memorable dishes like the citrus artic char, perfectly smoked trout, and delicious rack of veal, only to end with the wonderful medley of heavenly desserts. I'd have to say the main dessert with made with chocolate, hazelnut and mocha was definitely the BEST dessert I've ever had. The best part was that they sent us home with a little wrapped up gift of coffee cake to have the following morning... to remind us of the wonderful meal we had the night before.
I have never used this word to describe something, but Gramercy Tavern is...sublime. The atmosphere is casual but upscale, service is flawless (waiters are just personable enough but not annoying) and the food - WOW. My Ginger Tonic, mushroom lasagna and German chocolate cake were all absolutely, wonderfuly perfect. LOVED the decor too, especially all the fresh greens and flowers. Gramercy Tavern really is a must-do when in NYC, and for those who live in NYC and can experience this little piece of heaven anytime they want... Well, I. Am. Jealous.
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This is a great restaurant. I went for lunch, had beautiful zucchini soup with curry, scallops with beets, and a very unusual dessert, a Chocolate Bacon Tart. If you put Chocolate and Bacon in the same sentence my taste buds go into hyperdrive,but in the same dish?? It was fabulous, even a little cream and bacon crumble on top, and a caramel drizzle on the plate. Everything was superb and price wasn't bad. It was dramatically better than my dinner the night before at Gotham Bar and Grill where the food was a bit boring and over-priced.
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To be honest, it is tough for me to offer enough praise for Gramercy Tavern. While not the best food of my life, it was close, and in terms of overall experience it was certainly the most impressive.
After a tragic/unexpected death in the family, my sister, mother, and I opted to get away to NYC and on short notice managed to get a number of great reservations including a table for three in the peak of lunch hour at Gramercy. Having heard rumor of the wonderful setting, great food, and all-star service I'll admit we had high expectionations....forunately GT filled them all and added a few extra.
Arriving just on time, walking from the Chelsea Galleries, we were sat immediately and our wonderful server Emily poured water while the bread man delivered the best olive rolls ever (and some pretty solid sour dough and white rolls as well.) As my mother wanted the steak and my sister and I wanted the tasting menu, this was accomidated without question. While we waited for the first course we browsed the beautiful hard wood interior, elderly and well established diners, and flow of the restaurant. There is a reason the place is booked full each day.
Approximately 10 minutes after seating the first course of the tasting arrived in the form of a Calamari & Carrot Salad with Toasted Pine Nuts and Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette. While I'm generally not a lemon fan, the dressing was superb and the calamari was flawlessly prepared. Creamy and rich pine nuts and crispy carrot sticks contrasted sharply with the dressing and squid creating an inspiring oral medley that made even my mother, a non-fish eater, say "mmm." As good as the salad was, each of the following dishes bested it by miles.
Course two (along with new plates and silverware) consisted of a Scallop Minestrone with Asparagus and Green Garlic that can be simply described as perfection. Crisp yet cooked asparagus, perfect snap peas, and a green garlic broth provided the perfect compliment to the barely-cooked yet perfectly tender scallop and the entire dish was consumed in a slow "wowed" fashion as each bite brought out subtle nuances of the salty scallop against the amazingly textured background.
Course three...lets just say that this may be my favorite fish dish I have ever experienced, even better than the butter poached skate from EMP the day before. Hot Smoked Sturgeon with Leeks, Potatoes and American Paddlefish Roe arrived as three small yet perfectly poached steaks served over a soft and buttery bed of potatoes and leeks with crispy cooked potatos along side and perhaps 1/2 oz of roe spread throughout the dish. Having never experienced Sturgeon in all my years of fish consumption, I was pleased by the trout-like texture and amazed by the hearty beef-like flavor. Like the Minestrone, each component came across in its own wonderful way and made me want to stand up and pronounce chef Anthony my new hero. Like the Minestrone, this dish was so amazing that extra bread was requested to soak up every drop from the plate.
During course three and four my mother was served her dish of Roasted Sirloin with Short Rib Ravioli, Snap Peas, Spring Onions and Green Garlic. While I do not consume beef, I was told by my mother that this was one of the best pieces of beef she'd ever consumed and that the Ravioli was as good of quality as that at Babbo (if this is true, it is an AMAZING compliment.) As the portion was quite large, the dish easily lasted mom through both our mains and she was quite contented and full after the main and dessert.
Course four of the tasting consisted of Rack of Pork & Braised Belly with Baby Turnips and Adirondack Blue Potatoes. Having recently been turned back on to pork by chef Chang's dishes at MomoFuku, my sister loved this dish a great deal aside from the Belly which she believed to be too fatty. Myself? Lets just say that the Pork at Gramercy is every bit as good as the best pork I've ever tasted and far less 'ham' in texture than that at Babbo (I'm not sure which I prefer, honestly.) The Belly was unique in its incredible level of fattiness, but when paired with the crispy turnip and Blue Potatoes it was a great combination of salt/sweet/crisp/fat. While not as good as the Sturgeon, still a stellar main that I'd highly recommend.
For dessert we were given the option of the tasting menu dessert or one of Nancy Olson's other options. Looking at the menu and seeing "cookie plate" I knew what my sister would be ordering and glancing further down the words "Chocolate Bread Pudding" instantly grabbed my eye. For mom's selection it was the Rhubarb Meringue Tart with Vanilla Bean Buttermilk Ice Cream.
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My, my, my.
I can't believe I didn't review this glorious establishment before.
But after my mom and grandma returned from New York City with a Gramercy Tavern tasting menu under their belts, I had to relay my experience.
Danny Meyer, how I miss the joy of having you in my life.
The enchanting Sara Y. and I made reservations here in late September for a last-hurrah dinner before I left NYC for good, a celebration of my departure from a job at a hip-hop magazine and return to the real world. I walked in, sweaty and lugging a huge box of old office supplies, the plug from my desk lamp dragging behind me like Linus' blankie.
With all appropriate politesse, they offered to put my "things" in the coat check, and I sat down to gape at the Tavern dining room for a few.
Now, I don't really know what "haute barnyard" means, but I suppose this is the height of it. The height of haute. Heh. Oh, French.
We walked past Gramercy's gorgeous open kitchen -- I can always get behind a restaurant willing to bare its most private parts to its patrons -- and I also seem to remember a glorious selection of cheeses laid out on a marble slab on our way to the table. I wasn't into that back then, though. Alors, pas de fromage.
We were seated in the main dining room, which feels more like a hunting lodge than a restaurant, and constantly fawned over by server after server. The bread tong-er, the water filler, the sommelier...the butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker.
The staff seemed to know the perfect times to whisk by our table; lulls in conversation were always filled with a little banter from our server, a polite nod from a silent passing busboy.
Sara and I both ordered the vegetable tasting menu with wine pairings. Brilliant. The pinnacle of the meal: Corn chowder poured tableside over a lump of the most gorgeous lobster I've ever seen. I don't even LIKE lobster. The wine pairings were explained to us in detail as they arrived at the table, and each complemented our food perfectly.
The Danny Meyer experience always ends with a little package of breakfast goodies brought to the table, something sweet to wake up to. I never eat them (wtf?) but it's such a delightful gesture, I always have to mention it.
The crushingly sad lack of Danny Meyer in my life now that I live in Chicago is part of the reason I bother missing New York at all.
Gramercy Tavern, come to Chicago and visit me.
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Went there for lunch... Absolutely perfect.
Service--5 stars
Food--5+ stars
Atmosphere-- 5 stars
1) Calamari Salad--Perfect. So tasty.
2) Foie Gras Torchon with strawberrie... nothing would have made it better.
3) grilled octopus-- so tender so flavourful!!!!
4) Panna cotta dessert was the Best!!!!!
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This place blew me away! I had the lunch tasting menu. I never have liked calamari; but the carrot and calamari salad was awesome. It just got better after that. The highlight was the hot smoked sturgeon with leeks, potatoes and roe. the fish was so flavorful, and the sauce complimented everything beautifully. The chocolate tasting dessert at the end just put the meal over the top.
Beside the service was great. I am not used to having new utensils after every course: but I got used to it. I spilled a little of one of the sauces on the table and the waiter came back with some linen to cover the spot LOL. What a great place.
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The first time I went to Gramercy Tavern was for lunch after my college graduation and the waitstaff had "Congratulations" written on the cookie plate at the end our meal. The spring pea soup was poured in unison by three servers. The sommelier wrote down the exact name of a dessert wine we ordered. That's the kind of place Gramercy Tavern is. It's a special occasion place. On the other hand, it's also great for business lunches if the leash on your corporate expenses haven't been tightened too much yet. Don't rush your meal here, you want to savor the kind and thoughtful service, the delicious food, and the well-chosen wine list (with a surprisingly broad range of price points).
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I came here with my mom during a trip to NY after college graduation in June 2007. Because I'm writing this review one year after my actual meal, I can only sum up my experience with abstract descriptions left in my memory -- tasting menu, great flavors, interesting and tasty dishes, excellent customer service, comfy interior, Michael Chiklis at the next table.
The cool thing is the night my mom and I ate here was the day Frank Bruni's 3-star review of Gramercy Tavern was published. It was awesome to see the whole kitchen staff partying and having fun. The owner, Danny Myer, even came by our table to say "hello" and ask about our meal. He later sent a card back to California thanking my mom and I for dining at Gramercy Tavern and congratulating me on graduating. Talk about customer service and a great memory!
Now that I live in New York, I can't wait to return.
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Ginger tonic here is...wow. This place is a must when in NYC.
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It was just a fabulous meal, the service, the decor, the food.
The entire experience was just amazing. It's not the knock your socks off amazing, it creeps up on you, and by the end of the night, you realize you've experience excellent service, food, and ambiance.
We had both the summer tasting menu and the vegetable tasting menu. The service was wonderful, I mentioned once I didn't like potatoes, and he waiter took care to remove all potatoes from my order, including the gnocchi. With the vegetable tasting menu, they were able to make everything vegetarian (remove razor clams and terraine from the asparagus terraine). I mentioned I don't eat nuts, and they were careful about all nut products.
Summer tasting menu:
Citrus Cured Arctic Char (Lemon Confit) - so good - very light flavorful
Smoked Trout (Cippollini Purée and Pickled Onion Vinaigrette)
Grilled Sturgeon (Leeks, Potatoes and American Caviar) - so so
Duck Confit (Potato Gnocchi, Honshimejii and Quail Egg)
Rack of Veal (Morels and Asparagus)
Tasting Dessert
Vegetable tasting menu
Asparagus Terrine (Fresh Goat Cheese and Pickled Ramp Vinaigrette)
Nettle Soup (Pea Shoots)
Celery and Lemon Risotto (Razor Clams)
Warm Salad of Vegetables and Farro
Mushroom Ravioli (Wild Mushrooms and Aged Balsamic)
Tasting Dessert
The food was good, but not amazing. The reason I give it 5 stars is the ambiance, and overall experience.
And thanks to GT, I've learned I have a new allergy. It was something in the rhubarb tasting dessert, because they give you a little take house muffin/cake, and I totally was allergic to whatever was in that, and it contained rhubard as well. I learn something new every day.
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Finally went to Gramercy Tavern, after a good year of trying to find the right time. Friends from LA were in town and made reservations this past Monday so took care of my indecision for me. I was seriously undressed in sneakers and jeans, but luckily they sat us since we had reservations (though the manager or host did give me the stare down).
The atmosphere and decor is geared more towards the stuffy side, but wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be. Although the restaurant was filled with older suits there were a bunch of younger professionals inside the restaurant. As far as the food goes, you have three choices in terms of the type of prix fixe menu, the standard 3 course for $82 or the seasonal tasting menu ($116 or something) and a vegetarian one for $88. We all went with the standard menu and I chose the grilled octopus appetizer, which was nothing note worthy, though the portions were fairly small. For the entree I got the halibut, which was again fairly good, but not great. My friends got the pork with foisgras, which I tried... and liked more than my halibut. I also sampled some of the lobster, which was also very good.
I think where Gramercy Tavern excels and differentiates itself from other high end restaurants is the desserts and service. We all chose something different. Our server suggested the warm chocolate bread pudding, which I found to be surprisingly good, but too filling. We also ordered the pineapple upside down cake, chocolate tart and the coconut tapioca. The latter was probably the consensus favorite in it's originality and taste. About the service, as it seems all of the reviewers have mentioned, it was far and above the best service I've ever had. Thorough would be an understatement, which I hear is the calling card of a Danny Meyer restaurant. Servers were always omnipresent yet not visible and lurking (like it is at some restaurants). The food runners came in unison with each course of our prix fix meal. Definitely worthy of a Michelin star.
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We were instantly greeted with a smile. So relieved because this was our first nice restaurant we were eating at in NYC. I had some preconceptions, but when I saw the smile of the host, all preconceived assumptions went away.
We did have to wait about 10 minutes before we were seated for our 10 pm reservations, but that was okay. We had their menu's to look over to keep us occupied.
We were seated by the most friendliest waitress who started us off by giving us a card to which we found our our friends and siblings bought us a bottle of white wine there as a congratulatory gift for our wedding. So sweet!
I ordered the smoked trout and smoked lobster upon recommendation of the waitress because heck I was on vacation and didn't want too much thinking. Boy, was her recommendation right on the spot! Loved the trout as it wasn't too smokey and it was very tender. The lobster was good especially with the broth it was in. Very creamy and buttery and oh so sinfully delicious.
We shared a pineapple upside down cake and the chocolate bread pudding. Supposedly, the bread pudding is what most people order. It was good, but the pineapple upside down cake was even better! We loved the pineapple ice cream with the slices of fresh pineapple surrounding it and the cake was moist and just right in the sweetness department. Perhaps we enjoyed the pineapple cake much more as it was a bit of a palette cleanser for us. It was very refreshing to the taste buds.
Our waitress was so kind enough to give us complimentary glasses of a dessert wine in celebration of our minimoon. It was unfortunate that I was so stuffed at this point that I couldn't enjoy it. I had but all of one sip of it. I know...what a waste, right?
We were also given some chef's surprises of chocolate and peanut butter truffle, jellied candies and mini cookies. Oh yeah, we were given a couple of coffee cake muffins on our way out that we enjoyed on our way back home. They were still good and moist.
Highly recommend this place. The service is impeccable and the food is great!
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I came here with my girlfriend for lunch during our trip to NYC. The atmosphere and decor was very posh. The waitstaff was very attentive as well. I had the black sea bass and she had the smoked salmon appetizer. Both dishes were delicious considering the small portion! We also had the sampler dessert and it was a perfect compliment to our meals. This was a perfect lunch after a morning full of SOHO shopping. I new NYC had good restaurants and this is definitely one of them!
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Talk about a power lunch scene. I think I was the only gentleman in the entire dining room who wasn't wearing a shirt and tie (this includes the waitstaff).
I was expecting to have a decent lunch followed by a stiff price gouging as the hype surrounding this place seemed almost insurmountable. After all, this was THE legendary Gramercy Tavern! A New York institution!
The exterior was austere and not nearly as daunting as I'd imagined. Interior was clean, business-like, and functional but surprisingly warm and inviting.
Menu is no-nonsense. Fresh ingredients, familiar items, but with just enough of a twist to raise your eyebrows.
Wifey ordered a lemon risotto that literally knocked my socks off. I was stunned by how good it was. Moved on to a pappardelle with beef ragu that moved me to tears. I hadn't been this emotional since George Lucas killed the Star Wars franchise.
Service was professional but never intrusive, and prices were reasonable considering the quality of ingredients.
Folks, Gramercy Tavern is one place that lives up to the hype.
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Whenever I stay at the GPH, I always try to make my way over to the Tavern. Great staff, service, food and drinks.....if close by do it!!
Echoing what everyone's already said, this place has incredible service. I mean, seriously. I have never met waiters who are more on-top of their game. I think they all went to etiquette school. It's unreal.
Food is fantastic if you're into the whole New American thing. They go a little too heavy on the odd meats for my taste. If I were into this genre of food, I'd probably be giving Gramercy Tavern 5 stars. I'm just not into it, but that's just me.
The service, though, is divine. I can't say it enough.
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I love Gramercy Tavern. I took my mother here for her birthday a few months ago in the back dining room and the service was just impeccable. The waiters were extremely helpful with selecting wines with the tasting menu and when it came time for dessert, without having asked the plate read Happy Birthday Elizabeth. I hadn't even told my waiter her name, he'd just been so attentive that he remembered it when my group was talking at the table.
I went here again with my mother for lunch this past Sunday and I have to say, another great time. Though I didn't totally love my lasagna, everything else was superb. When we were leaving the restaurant it began to rain a good deal so the staff offered us complimentary umbrellas - and they weren't the rinky dink $3 variety you pick up off the street.
This restaurant really goes above and beyond to create a great atmosphere. I highly reccomend!!!
Executive chef Michael Anthony has helped revive this New York classic. It's as close to farm-to-table dining as you can get with a mid-sized restaurant.
Warning, eating on the Tavern side you will find yourself feeling like you're on a "meatastic" adventure. How can you not order: the famed meatball (fontina cheese center over potato puree), house-made and smoked kielbasa and pastrami, and the chicken liver patee? Before you know it there's not a single-vegetarian plate on your table, and as a "delicate" young woman I suddenly feel like a hearty, burly man!
Kudos to sous chef Chris Bradley for the kielbasa and pastrami - hoping he'll start serving those from a street cart in Soho one day soon.
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Wow. Amazing food. First, let me say that I hate going to nice restaurants that are stuffy and pretentious. Gramercy Tavern was not like that at all--at least in the tavern section (haven't had a chance to eat in the dining room yet). The waitress was extremely professional yet fun at the same time.
We got the grilled octopus and a special lamb sausage for appetizers. The sausage was just okay but the octopus was amazing. I've never had octopus that was so soft and juicy and not chewy at all. I would go back just for the octopus.
But fortunately, the octopus was not the only great thing on the menu. I got the Arctic Char--lobster, mussels and sunchokes (?). I had never heard of Arctic Char before; I guess it's similar to salmon. In any case, it was delicious.
I got the White Chocolate Macadamia Mousse for dessert with rhubarb sorbet. My mouth is watering just thinking about how good it was.
Draft beer selection was a small but excellent selection of independent brews.
Overall, I thought it was a great value considering the quality of food. Entrees in the upper teens, low twenties. Most appetizers and desserts under $10.
The BEST service I have ever had! our waitress was amazing. she knew exactly what I wanted even before I knew I wanted. we ordered a salad and they brought an extra plate (ok, not that extraordinary, but that was only the beginning). My girlfriend ordered a drink that was a little too strong, so she (without us asking) brought simple syrup and a stir stick, she held the stir-stick with a paper napkin. For the desert, we were looking between the rhubarb crisp and white chocolate mousse; we decided on the Rhubarb crisp in th end, however since we were struggling to decide, our waitress gave us both - again without us asking! she was so nice and helpful that my gf wished they were sisters. service was impeccable and was the perfect toper to my gf's birthday (which did not tell them until after we paid and wanted to show our graditude to our waitress)
Now to the food, which was very good. I had the pork chop. perfectly cooked thoroughly but still juicy with a crispy outside.
The desert was a rhubarb crisp, tart with a crunchy top and a scope of vanilla ice cream and one scope of pistachio ice cream. the other desert was a white chocolate moose, with rhubarb sorbet and a macadamia crisp.
They food was great..the service was even better.
AMAZING
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I have 3 words to describe the Gramercy Tavern...Awesome, awesome, awesome !!!!
The food and service is amazing !!! We had the short ribs which were to die for, lobster main course which was amazing, and the parapella with a beef stew was my favorite item. Everything was served to perfection !!
For dessert, we had the apple tart with sour cream ice cream which was good. The most amazing dessert was the chocolate (and I am not a chocolate fan) and ice cream. This was one of the best desserts I have ever had !!!
In between courses, Gramercy serves little dishes (and I mean little) such as sausage with pistachio, lemon meraigne, and chocolate..All were amazing..
Finally, you get a muffin (ok, really it is coffee cake) to take home for breakfast the next day !!
This place ranks above Aqua in SF and would recommend to anyone looking for a great dining experience for a special occassion. The drinks were good as well. I had a Ginger tini and it was just right...
You won't regret it !!!
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I liked Gramercy Tavern a lot. The service was phenomenal and the decor had the old New York charm to it. For me, the menu wasn't my favorite ever. I'm a traditional gal when it comes to my meat...the only thing I could choose here that didn't freak me out was the chicken. It was delicious as to be expected.
In fact I believe that everything here will not dissapoint.
Very romantic, yummy food, a teensy bit boring, super expensive - an older crowd (and maybe "old money") might like it more than I did.
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Had the 5-course lunch here and was thoroughly impressed. First of all - not something you'd usually associate with a restaurant of this caliber - but very reasonable prices! $55 5-course tasting menu that doesn't skimp on the portions and actually gets you full, now that's quite a find already. Not to mention the drink menu lets you get by with $8 beers and $10 glasses of wine, no need to splurge on that $200 bottle if you don't want to!
The food, of course, as has been said countless times here, is spectacular. Sable fish was some of the most tender fish I've ever had, pork chop was great, and even the squid salad to start was very interesting and unique. You definitely have to try this 'New American' cuisine, I'd say it's easily on par to the best French you'll ever eat (if you're into that), if not better. Service was perfect, atmosphere very comfortable, 5 stars all around for this gem.
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I went here for lunch last weekend (no reservations, and we didn't have to wait) and was bowled over by the tastiness of the food and the impeccable service. This is one of those places where your water glass is filled before you think to ask and your straw wrapper disappears moments after you put it down. The food was beautiful and delicious. I had the meatball entree -- it was one large, glorious, perfectly-seasoned beef/pork meatball, cut in half, the inside stuffed with a little fontina cheese and surrounded by the most silken whipped potatoes. If it wasn't such a classy place, I would have been tempted to lick the plate.
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Review for the Apple Crisp Dessert in the Tavern Room: EXCELLENT!!!
I dined here tonight specifically for the "apple crisp for two" in the Tavern Room. This dessert is not offered in the main dining room. It was off the charts! Perfect for two people who love desserts. My gf and I devoured the entire thing. The table next to us shared the same dessert, but among four people. We looked like pigs compared to them.
The apples were cut into just the right sizes. Many crisps/cobblers contain apples sliced like how you would slice an apple normally, but these were cut just a tad bit smaller. The apples weren't drenched in butter and sugar either, so the dessert wasn't too sweet. The crisp topping was puuurffect. On top of this there were two flavors of ice cream on top (buttermilk and cinnamon) which complemented the crisp wonderfully. Then there was a touchof caramel. Absolutely delicious!!!!
Although I waited an hour for this table, it was well worth the wait. I'll be coming back just for the dessert (although the rest of the food looked good too)!
Oh I also got the sparkling apple cider which was wonderful.
Dessert lovers should def try this dessert!
P.S. I echo what all other reviewers say about the service - top notch!
Hands down one of the best restaurants in the city and possibly in the country. Amazing tasting menu with incredible wine pairings, (They once paired a course with a beer. Fantastic!) Always dependable and wonderful setting. You should see the place during the holidays. They have never left me unsatisfied.
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Don't think I can say anything that hasn't already been said. Gramercy Tavern is a classic for a reason. It's not just a meal. It's an experience from the moment you walk in, get greeted warmly by the hostess and get seated. When the dishes start arriving, everything from service to the actual food could not be better planned/executed. I remember the peek toe crab as being just one of the most perfect combinations of sensations, the sweetness of the crab offset marvelously by the accompanying soup. The wine list is appropriate for an establishment of this stature. Bottles are opened as though they were long lost friends the sommelier is getting reaquainted with. And my favorite part is always the muffin you get sent home with.
Some might find this too stuffy but this is the perfect place for that special dinner.
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I was living on pate, foie gras and liver this whole weekend. This place has the best service ever...this really is a 5 star. If you asked them to, they would have hand fed you. My 2nd course was duck breast and it had so much flavor and super juicy. It was smokey, sweet, savory, tender....just yummmyyy.
I also LOVE cheese and they had a huge cheeseboard...it was just plain fantastic. Our waiter was great..i love it when you can have just have decent conversation with them....it makes the dinner so much more pleasant. I really wanted a glass of wine, but i was soo exhausted. NEXT TIME.
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An amazing restaurant with an equally amazing beer menu. This is a find for the ages. Possibly my new favorite restaurant in NYC.
There are two actual places to eat here, the tavern and the restaurant. The tavern is a la carte and a bit crowded and noisy; the restaurant is more intimate and prix fixe. We did the restaurant, but it was nice to see that there is an option for walk-ins in the tavern.
Beer-wise, we had Southampton Secret (a great altbier), Sierra Nevada Schwarzbier (I didn't realize they even had a schwarzbier, but it was great), and a Sixpoint IPA. They also have plenty of great wine and dessert wine selections, of course.
I had a seafood tagliatelle appetizer and striped bass for the main course, with an amazing coconut tapioca thing for dessert. All great.
Love it, love it.
Walking in anywhere these days can be such a humiliating experience. The host mumbling under his/her breath about what kind of idiot would show up without booking a table. No attitude here, the host quickly worked some magic and seated us at a great table.
The service was polished and delivered with a smile. Never at one time were we made to feel rushed. I knocked over a wine glass onto the floor, and was before I even had a chance to feel like a complete buffoon, the mess was cleaned up and the dinner kept rolling without a hitch.
I can go on forever no how great the food is here. But you already know that ...hence the five stars.
4.87 stars, but round up to a 5.
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Heather H. raves about this place and I thought I had to witness its greatness myself. The food definitely lived up to Heather's ravings. My mouth was watering starting with the beef ragu, peaking at the sirloin with Brussels sprouts (best Brussels sprouts not fried in bacon fat I've ever had!), and ending with warm chocolate bread pudding. 'Mmmm mmm mmm' was the extent of my conversation at the table that day. Unfortunately, I had to go to work so I drank a bit of coffee...BEST COFFEE EVER!!! Yrgacheffe coffee with cinnamon, cardamom, and orange was a great finale to a three hour lunch. Service was subpar....but Heather assured me it was an off day. So I give Gramercy a full 5-star rating b/c, darnit, the food deserves it!
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it was amazing, the stars must have all been aligned. we walked in at 7:30 on a friday night and was sat right away at a table in the bar (which is what we wanted, and we had no reservation).
the menu looked great and we decided to split 3 appetizers and an entree. we also ordered a nice bottle of white wine. our server, jason, was great! he was really personable and down to earth and great about answering all our questions. we ordered the chicken liver mousse, beet salad with lemon vinaigrette and the cauliflower with almonds. everything was delicious, but the cauliflower was amazing! it was so tender and soft, just melted in your mouth, and i loved the crunch from the almonds.
for our entree we ordered the pork chop with turnips and sweet pea puree. omg! it was amazing!!! the pork was SO good. it had been brined perviously to being cooked and so had so much flavor through and through. i think they seared the outside, cause it has this seared, crunchy, crispy crust on the outside, but inside is so tender and juicy. agh, i'm drooling just thinking of it.
then, even though we were full, we decided, just for kicks to ask our server what his fave entrees were. he told us it was the pork and this meatball that's stuffed with fontina cheese. we then asked him to describe it to us and it sounded so good we decided to order that too!!! ok, no remember, we've already had a full meal, but this meatball was still sooooo good. soft and juicy with melted oozing cheese in the middle, delicious potato puree on the plate and the the braising liquid had been reduced and also poured over it. SO good.
somehow, we had saved room for dessert. and again, we turned to our great server jason for recommendations. he told us the german chocolate cake with milk chocolate coconut ice cream, or the white chocolate macadamia nut brittle mousse with ruhbarb ice cream were his faves. we couldn't decide so he said he'd surprise us. well, he surprised us with both!! he orderd the cake for us, and sent us the mousse on the house, thanks jason!! once again, gramercy tavern pulled through with amazing desserts. ahhh, one of the best meals i may have ever had...
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