Gemma

5 of us stopped by Gemma, requested a table outside (at 730pm, they were mostly vacant) for cocktails, we were told that we had to order food. Competely understandable, not a problem, but we made the mistake of saying that we would definitely order food, some plates to share. Was told by hostess and host that we were required to order "MEALS", defined for us as one appetizer and entree per person. I cannot imagine that this is really standard policy, but it wasn't worth discussing further, so we just sat at the bar. The bartender was lovely, kept the wine flowing (5 bottles) and we ended up having several appetizers and an entree. Food was actually decent - the value ok (other places that do it far better for the same amount or less). The Tuscan Beans had an amazing rosemary flavor with just a touch of olive oil, the orichette and brocoli rabe was cooked well, but the garlic was a little too bitter. A serving of olives was fabulous (who knew). The cheese plate and the seared tuna were both passable, not memorable. The artichoke salad was drowning in dressing, although the arugula salad was fresh and peppery. If you just want to stop by because you are in the area, go for it, but no need to go out of your way.

i dont know what all the complaining is about..went on a saturday night and waited 20min to sit..which is not long in the city..the waitress was extremely nice and very accommodating. the food was just right the portions were good and there was a nice scene..NO B&T no tourists...i look forward to going back..

While in NYC for a whirlwind business and pleasure trip this past wekend we had the pleasure of eating at Gemma. Being from out of town and wanting a specific Noho/Nolita - not soho experience, we chose Gemma. Not only for it's proximity to our Hotel aka the Bowery, but we liked the look of the place. Good crowd for a Sunday, service was very good, nice wine selection, the brown butter cream sauce on the rigatoni was to die for, and lets not forget the olive oil gellati. Great time good dinner....

My boyfriend and I went to an early dinner (around 7:00 PM) here and were seated immediately. The staff overall is quite friendly, save for a few individuals. We ordered the grape tomatoes and basil crostini, watercress and pear salad, funghi pizze, and spaghetti al pomodoro. The food was consistent and came out at a good pace so that we had didn't feel rushed during each course. It's definitely not the best place to get amazing Italian food, but pretty decent for what it is. However, our waitress was kind of absentminded (dropped some utensils and seemed slightly scatterbrained at times) and didn't check up on us during the meal, also was difficult to flag down to get our check. Otherwise, not the terrible experience that all the other reviewers here seemed to have.

Arriving at 9PM on a Saturday night, the place was jammed and we had an hour wait at the bar to get a table. Once seated, the service was efficient. Appetizers were the tuna crudo which was a VERY tiny portion and covered in rock salt. Also had a special salad which was a nice size and the figs with vinegar in it were great. Main courses were the branzino on a plank....it was nice, but also not a large portion. The other was the pork chop which was really great in taste and size. I would recommend it. All in all a nice scene but maybe next time, I would just go for drinks.

was VERY disappointing. Our waitress was very unfriendly and inattentive throughout the entire night. However, this seem to only have applied to our table. She was nice to everyone around us. The food was okay not the best,. We could have gotten a better bang for our buck at olive garden. At least they give us bread without us having to ask. The only good thing about the place was the setting .. outdoor seating BUT of course we had the worst table. Our horrible waitress' butt was in our face AND meal the entire time. They should place the outdoor kiosk further away from the patrons. Try another place!

My boyfriend and I had no idea where to go on a Saturday night at 9:30, so we just started walking and came across Gemma. It looked beautiful, warm and welcoming from the outside, and found this to be true once inside. The menu wasn't posted on the outside of the restaurant, but the hostess was extremely friendly and told us about the specials when we asked to see the menu before committing to dining there. The hostess informed us we could be seated right away at a table near the window, but that she had a much better booth available in the raised mezzanine-like section if we waited 15 minutes at the bar. I found the atmosphere to be borderline romantic since it was dimly lit with big dripping candles and gothic chandeliers. We ordered the 5 cheese plate and were surprised by the larger than average portions (try the truffle cheese!!!). It took a long time for the main dishes to come out, but there was a lot of bread brought to our table in the meantime. His eggplant dish was good although too small, but luckily my delicious seafood linguine dish had more than enough to share. I think the prices were excellent. I would definitely go back.