Gotham Bar & Grill
(646) 403-3449
12 E 12th St
(at Between 5th Avenue and University Place)
New York,
NY
10003
40.7343
-73.994
Neighborhoods: Downtown, Greenwich Village
Hours:
Mon-Thu 12pm-2:15pm
5:30-10pm
Fri 12pm-2:15pm
5:30pm-11pm
Sat 5pm-11pm
Sun 5pm-10pm
Price:
$$$$
Last updated 6.24.09
What People Are Saying About Gotham Bar & Grill
The Owner
Gotham Bar & Grill
Owner
Celebrity Chef, Alfred Portale invites you to experience fine dining at his classic New York restaurant, Gotham Bar & Grill. Located in historic Greenwich Village on 12th St bet 5th/University, Gotham Bar & Grill serves internationally acclaimed Contemporary American Cuisine made with fresh organic ingredients from local farmers in an expansive, stylish dining room. Sample the award winning wine list consisting of over 550 wines. The in-house sommelier will pair your meal with the right wine to enhance your dining experience. Full bottles, 1/2 bottles & large format bottles are available.
Known as one of the best values in the city, visit during lunch for their Prix Fixe for only $31 from 12-2:30. Pair the lunch prix fixe with the lunch Wine Prix Fixe to sample magnificent wines by the glass for an additional $31. Dinner reservations accepted until 10pm Mon- Thur & until 11pm Fri/Sa
The Editor
Justin Hartung
Citysearch
The Scene
Though the lofty dining room of this fine-dining staple has recieved minor tweaks over the years, the general aesthetic remains the same. A base of Grecian grandeur--columns, marble railings and a garden view through tall windows in the back--gets layered with nods to the neighborhood's arty history, including the famous cloth pieces that hang from the ceiling like elegant pastry bags. The service is impeccable, and makes everyone from power-players to once-a-year splurgers feel equally important.
The Food
Alfred Portale's dinner menu is divided into three courses, anda melange of flavors is skillfully combined without overkill throughout. The creamy flavor of bay scallops withstand their avocado, coconut and watermelon radish accompaniment, and somehow king crab, Meyer lemon and butternut squash make natural dish-mates in a perfectly cooked risotto. If miso-marinated black cod lacks depth, the wonderfully simple ricotta cheesecake dotted with huckleberries proves that not every dish needs such intricacy.
Hits: Gracious service and a reliably tasty menu prove why Gotham has endured in the fickle restaurant scene.
Misses: A few of the decor elements--including the studded columns and exposed ceiling pipes--feel stuck in the 80s.
User Reviews
LeeLee74
February 25, 2009
My Husband and I went to Gotham for Valentines day. The meal was amazing every bite was savory, we were disappointed when the meal was over. I wish the resturant itself had a little more character but other than that the experience was tops.
read full reviewgrouchomarx
August 01, 2008
We ate there a few months ago for my boyfriend's birthday. We were on time for our res and seated promptly. The dining room has great lighting and a nice ambience, with beautiful white drapey things hanging from the ceiling. It's a little loud but auite manageable. We started with excellent house cocktails which are all very old school and for serious drinkers - no fruity watered down concontions and lots of bourbon based drinks. We ordered a nice bottle of rose champange for the meal. Wine list is pricey. The menu offers 3 savory courses and dessert, we figured there must be a reason for this so we went for 3 savory courses. All the food was very delicious, including ceviche, lobster, berkshire pork. All were wonderfully tasty and artfully presented. However portions are rather large and I was literally about to explode by the end. We didn't even have dessert which is unheard of for us. Service was professional and friendly. We saw Alfred Portale greeting some tables in the dining room. We were not among the lucky ones but it was nice to see him there. The place is enduring for a reason - excellent food, well prepared, beautifully presented. My only complaints: 1) tables are close together and it's an uncomfortable situation to go to the restroom - you need someone to pull the tabel out for you and if you don't wait for that to happen, your butt will be in your neighbor's dinner (and I'm not fat), and 2) the price! jawdropping prices, and I've eaten everywhere from Daniel to Eleven Madison Park but whoa, that $48 lobster makes your pause for a moment. It's a place for people with stacks of money who don't want to get dressed up but want 5 star food and great service.
read full review
rachelz3
July 21, 2008
Lunch during Restaurant Week, second year. Hostess doesn't greet us. Arrive 5 minutes early for reservation, empty room, made to wait the 5 minutes. Returning then to the hostess, a male host tells her "we have another minute, (make them wait)". Seated, our server tries to push drinks on us, condescending to our tap water order. I was in the mood for wine. Server brings a wine list, I asked him about wines by the glass but he cut me off and walked away mid sentence dismissing me with: "we have so many (read it yourself, don't waste my precious time)" . I finally got his attention to ask "how many wines by the glass do you have that are red and Italian?" Oh he says, we have two, a Chianti and a Rioja. I opened the wine menu and confirmed that a Rioja is Spanish, not Italian. For this kind of superior attitude, he should at least know the difference between continents, and further, the Italian wine is probably not a Chianti. In any case, I was put off the wines. The Restaurant Week menu is not only diminutive but also I am fairly sure it is identical to last year's. I get it that Restaurant Week is discounted, and many people tip only the percentage of the cheap prix fixe price, I am sure they would much rather have people paying full price and buying liquor and leaving big tips, but they sure as heck are not going to get there with snotty abbreviated service. I would have ordered wine and full entrees from their main menu but insulted, I ordered the minimum. The food was nice- I choose that word intentionally. We ordered melon salad, gazpacho, steak (2, as the other choices were boring cod and cheap gnocci), panna cotta and chocolate cake. We asked to share and they looked at us like we were from Mars. The cake was especially lovely and light consistency with dark chocolate- but overall: The Food is not good enough to compensate for the miserable condescending attitude and LOUD dining room. Try Union Square Cafe.
read full reviewThe Details on Gotham Bar & Grill
What to Drink:
Before digging into the massive, international wine list ($38-$1,750), a great pre-meal option is the potent Whiskey Smash ($14), a mix of lemon, mint, simple syrup and whiskey.
Where to Sit:
The restaurant encourages last-minute and solo diners to eat at the bar with a substantial list of half-bottles of wine.
Prix Fixe Menu:
Monday through Friday, lunch is a good value at $31 for three courses.
Group Dining:
The space can be reserved for private dinners of up to 140 people.
Category:
Restaurants, Bars & Pubs, Taverns
Payment Methods:
American Express, Visa, Discover, Diners Club, MasterCard
Restaurant Special Features:
Local Favorite, Quiet, Lunch Spot, Special Occasion Dining, People Watching, Business Dining, Dine At The Bar, Notable Wine List, Bar Scene, Prix Fixe Menu
General Info:
Cuisine:
Message from Gotham Bar & Grill
- Notable Wine List
- Contemporary American Cuisine
- Celebrity Chef Alfred Portale
Celebrity Chef, Alfred Portale invites you to experience fine dining at his classic New York restaurant, Gotham Bar & Grill. Located in historic Greenwich Village on 12th St bet 5th/University, Gotham Bar & Grill serves internationally acclaimed Contemporary American Cuisine made with fresh organic ingredients from local farmers in an expansive, stylish dining room. Sample the award winning wine list consisting of over 550 wines. The in-house sommelier will pair your meal with the right wine to enhance your dining experience. Full bottles, 1/2 bottles & large format bottles are available.
Known as one of the best values in the city, visit during lunch for their Prix Fixe for only $31 from 12-2:30. Pair the lunch prix fixe with the lunch Wine Prix Fixe to sample magnificent wines by the glass for an additional $31. Dinner reservations accepted until 10pm Mon- Thur & until 11pm Fri/Sa
