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I took my husband to Gilt for his birthday, expecting a very special experience after reading the reviews here. It was a nice space, but the food was very expensive and not worth it. It was all this very teeny tiny artistic stuff, which can be lots of fun if it tastes good. But this did not. The flavors were weird and I barely ate anything except my bread. The service was also very dour, lots of dreary guys just going through the motions. If you are looking for a truly wonderful New York dining spot, try Daniel. You won't be disappointed as we were with Gilt.

We celebrated an anniversary and it was the perfect place. The atmosphere is amazing as well as the service (and not stuffy or pretentious at all). The bread choices are great and it is tough not to fill up on them. Every dish was a piece of art and delicious. The service was impeccable and took the time to explain each element of the dish in fine detail as well as answer any questions. It is not a mistake that Gilt is Michelin star rated. I highly recommend for any special occasion.

We've been staying at the NY Palace for years but never had the opportunity to try GILT. On Friday evening, my husband and I took 4 guests for dinner and truly had the lovely evening. We actually didn't know if was a prix fixe menu but that made no difference in the end. Each of the appetizers was more beautifully displayed than the next. The entrees were presented even nicer. Dessert was incredibly delicious and our waiter brought an extra so that we'd have the chance to taste all the offerings! Each and every staff member made us feel welcome and appreciated throughout the evening. I would not hesitate to go back and urge others to experience a most delicious and pleasurable meal!

Upon entrance, one is impressed by the igloo embraced bar that leads to a narrow opened door of the restaurant. It's as if you were waking into a special room with an ambiance of warm red lighting, high ceiling & wooden walls. The space is not big although tables line both sides of the narrow space while two side tables allow for a more intimate feeling with a curved seating. We were lucky to get one of those tables. The 5 varieties of breads in taste and texture were deliciously fresh, crispy and creative. The butter was nice and creamy although a bit to hard to spread. The complimentary chilled pea soup was an unbelievable green color topped with a crispy mushroom. The 3 course pre-fix included a warm foie gras, with a crispy outside and melting inside. It was very delicate, almost too delicate in taste as you felt the fat more than the liver taste. However, when complimented with the black olives it was great. My husband had the sweetbreads which were soft and good. The main entrees included the delicate and moist black cod in tandoori spices laid on black lentils. It was nicely prepared but didn't impress me much in the choices of ingredients. The venison was actually a small portion prepared in two different ways with two different sauces - sweet and carrot. The presentation was like a modern work of art on a white canvas plate. The desserts sounded better than they tasted to me. The coffee mousse was also presented as a modern sculpture but lacked in strong, rich coffee taste. The banana panna cotta was very generous in size paired with banana bread and orange flavor. It was good but not as impressive as the breads which set a high standard of expectations from the beginning of the meal. Service was good although inconsistant when presenting dishes, because my husband's dish would be described but not mine. There was no sense of hurry but complete attention to our needs. Overall, it was a beautiful experience - tasty dining while observing the kitchen through a slightly opened door above the main dining area. The only negative would be that it gets loud, I'm not sure whether due to the acoustics of the room or the diners.

My boyfriend and I had a great time at Gilt. When we arrived our table was not quite ready so we waited at the bar. It was really gorgeous. It was nice to see so many people dressed up as I feel many people in the city don't dress up as much anymore. After a drink we were taken to our table. The space is very beautiful and romantic. We both felt this was one of the best places for service. We go out often to some of the best restaurants in the city and sometimes the service is lacking but not here. They had a extended wine list. We went with the regular menu. We tried the scallops and the rabbit terrine. Then followed that with the wagyu beef and squab. I enjoyed the leek and potato bread to start as well. Everything was well plated and portioned. I would recommend this to anyone. Well done.

We celebrated my husband's birthday by having dinner at Gilt on Jan. 24th, and it was truly a wonderful experience. The food was so creative, and artistically presented with many 'extras' served to us. Even the bread selection was unique with 5 choices, and we were encouraged to try more than one. Service was outstanding and not pretentious. My glass of red wine was expensive at $25, but worth every penny. We were very pleasantly surprised to have an extra dessert presented (discreetly) with 'Happy Birthday' written in chocolate across the bottom of the plate. We highly recommend this restaurant to anyone wanting a memorable fine dining experience, and especially when celebrating a special occasion.

Let me acknowledge up front that this review of Gilt can only truly apply to a once-a-year dining experience: Thanksgiving. It is the only experience I have had there, and, presumably, it is not representative of the menu on a typical night. That said, based on this meal, I won't be back. The $110 per person 5-course tasting menu was very traditional, which is fine, but it was also very, very dull, which is not fine at all. The meal consisted of a few nothing-special appetizer courses, followed by a nearly flavorless medallion of turkey perched on a small dollop of generic mashed potatoes and few croutons of uninspired stuffing. Crouching on the side of the plate were three small and unappealing chunks of broccoli. As for the dessert: I can't remember it, which probably says all that needs to be said about it. In all, the total experience struck me as a Thanksgiving meal grudgingly assembled by someone who just doesn't like Thanksgiving. Very disappointing.