Gemma

My husband and I went to Gemma yesterday evening for an early dinner. The hostesses were charming and welcoming. Our waiter was attentive, energetic, and eager to help us. And the food was wonderful. It is just good food. It's not really made to impress or astonish, but it is reliable and solid. By the time we left around 9, the place was packed. I overheard the hostesses (still charming and welcoming, even with the onslaught of anxious diners) telling people that the wait would be about an hour. Maybe longer. I guess the trick is to GO EARLY! We went around seven and were seated right away and got our food promptly.

A friend and I decided to see what all the hype was about and we dropped in for an early dinner. The wait was long but totally worth it. The food was good and the service was impeccable. The sommelier suggested a delightful wine that perfectly complimented the meal. The manager was very friendly and seemed at ease although the place was packed.

Worst meal I have had in this city in a long time, the service was poor, the waitress could have cared less if one of us dropped dead at the table. She informed us they were out of the gnocchi, then they miraculously had it five minutes later, then the dish came out with rigatoni instead of gnocchi, her response was "sauce is king here, the chefs can do what they want with the rest". Not when you are paying a substantial amount for pasta and not knowing what may come out of the kitchen. Management was dismissive, the pasta was so undercooked it was inedible. Left the restaurant hungry which defeats the whole point of going out. Overall a really negative experience, I wouldn't waste your time (or the hour wait) go somewhere else!

I was told there would be a 45 min wait so I left my name and went to the bar. After an hour they told us it would be another hour!! Finally after waiting two hours to be seated, another 40 min to get someone's attention so that we could order and then 30 min to be served, the food was not good. We complained and they comped us for most of the dishes because everything was over cooked, salty and borderline inedible. If you stick to pizza at the bar you'll be okay, but don't bother with the rest of the menu or trying to get a table.

All very average except the good looking customers and nice, but loud, space.

I had the salmon and my wife had the sea bass. Both were ok, nothing to write home about. Waiter was not very friendly. Would only go back for an afternoon pizza.

After watching the construction of the hotel and the restaurant for MONTHS, I was very excited to eat there, especially considering the people involved in the operation. The atmosphere is great. The space is absolutely stunning. The service was great- a few mishaps, but nothing that really influenced our impression of the venue. The wine service was impeccable. The only downfall of the evening was the food itself. The diver scallop was a bit fishy and overwhelmed by the truffles. The chicken liver puree was topped with cheese- rich upon rich was too much. And, the topper was cherry tomatoes with the burrata caprese- a BIG no no. The pasta with broccoli rabe was okay- a little overcooked, but not too bad. Maybe after a few more weeks under their belt the food will get better. I hope so!