Review: Gramercy Tavern
Whenever someone asks me what my favorite restaurant in New York is, I always point them to Gramercy Tavern. Their tasting menus are consistently delicious, and I can confidently say that I’ve had some of my most memorable meals here. Gramercy Tavern boasts a well-deserved Michelin star, and I consider it one of the quintessential New York restaurants, and this time I’ll be reviewing their spring (May) Lunch Tasting Menu for their Dining Room.
After dining here a couple of times, I’ve noticed that the restaurant follows a pretty consistent pattern when it comes to structuring their tasting menus. It usually looks something like this:
- Raw Scallop (Crudo) Appetizer
- Appetizer (this course is excluded in the Lunch Tasting Menu)
- Fish/Seafood
- Pasta
- Duck
- Dessert
I really do like this sort of structure because it gives the chef the opportunity to showcase all his skills in different areas. It’s also nice to know that you’ll be sampling a bit of everything, which is ultimately what tasting menus are for anyways!
The lunch started off with some an amazing Home-made Biscuit with Goat Cheese and a delicious, complimentary amouse-bouche: Carrot Custard with Ginger and Fennel. The bread was unbelievably buttery and soft and the goat cheese was a nice change from the typical house-made butter. As for the carrot custard, I could have easily eaten an entire bowl of this, and had this been offered on the ala carte menu, I’m sure I would have. It had a delightful, mousse-y texture, and the flavor of the carrot really shone through.
Next up was the first official course – a cold and refreshing Clam & Scallop Salad with Sea Island Peas, Shiitake Mushrooms and Basil. The scallop parts were extremely flavorful, and this is one of the few times that I’ll say that I enjoyed raw scallops as much as cooked ones.
The second course was a Smoked Arctic Char with Asparagus, Rye and Black Rice. I’ve noticed that Gramercy Tavern likes to re-use black rice in its dishes, and this time it coated the fish quite well. I’m glad they gave a generous portion of the arctic char because it was very flavorful.
The fish was then followed by a Mushroom Tortellini with Nettles, Pecorino and Pickled Burdock. This was probably the least memorable dish of the afternoon, especially because I had to wait around 30 minutes before it was served. I will admit that the pasta itself was cooked perfectly though, but the sauce did not add a whole lot to the plate.
The last savory dish was the Roasted Duck Breast with Duck Sausage, Rutabaga, Black Radish and Mandarin. I loved eating every bite of this – the mandarin added a nice touch of sweetness and brightness to the dish, and the black radish and rutabaga were nice accompaniments as well. I did wish that the duck sausage was replaced by another piece of that succulent duck breast.
After the savory courses were finished, I was served a palate cleanser that was the perfect transition: a Sweet Pea Panna Cotta with Almonds and Mint. The panna cotta was refreshing and light, and I loved all the subtle flavors of the mint and almonds in each spoonful. If this item was offered on the ala carte dessert menu, I would have ordered it without hesitation.
And now, for my favorite course of the evening – dessert. Today’s was a Strawberries & Cream with Whipped Cheesecake, Candied Pistachios, Meringue and Nettle Ice. This now ranks as one of my top 3 favorite desserts of all time, and I was this close to asking if I could order another one. The fluffy whipped cheesecake was perfectly paired with the sweet, juicy strawberries, and the meringue and nettle ice provided a nice texture in the dish. It was the perfect way to end this meal.
And as the check was brought to the table, I was provided with some mignardises to finish off the meal – a Passion Fruit Chocolate and Rice Puff with Black Sesame Chocolate. Both were appreciated, but my mind was still on the Strawberries and Cream dessert…
All in all, the tasting menus at Gramercy Tavern are sure to delight your taste buds, and the Lunch Tasting Menu in particular is very good bang for your buck. At $65 for 5 courses (plus extra ones; as of May 17, 2016), the meal should be considered a steal. Please note that reservations can get taken pretty quickly sometimes, so it’s best to look into dinner reservations at least 2 weeks in advance and lunch reservations at least a couple days to one week in advance.
As a side note, Gramercy Tavern is decorated extremely beautifully with huge bouquets of colorful flowers everywhere (even in the bathrooms). As such a beautiful, classy restaurant, the dress code suggested by the staff is business casual, but I believe that as long as you don’t walk in wearing shorts and a t-shirt, it should be fine. I’ve come here a few times in jeans and a cardigan and was treated no differently than the other patrons. As you eat there, take a moment to pause and enjoy the surroundings – it truly does make for a marvelous dining experience.
The Dining Room – one of the most beautifully decorated spaces I’ve seen in a restaurant.