Located in Manhattan and part of the Danny Meyer restaurant empire (Union Square Café, Tabla, Eleven Madison Park), Gramercy Tavern is a wonderful, uniquely American restaurant. Unfortunately, to savor the wonders of Gramery Tavern, you must obtain a reservation, which can be a daunting task. To do so, you must be prepared to play the “reservations game”, which requires you to call the restaurant exactly twenty-eight days before the day you wish to visit, so that you can obtain a reservation at a desired time. I called four Saturdays before my desired date beginning at around 9:30 a.m. and, after someone finally picked up the telephone around 10:00 a.m., I was able to secure an 8:30 p.m. reservation. On another occasion I did not get through until 11:30 a.m., and was left with a choice between 6:00 p.m. or 11:00 p.m. for a Saturday night. Despite the hassle, the staff answering the phone could not have been more courteous, and there was not a hint of condescension often found at restaurants of similar popularity.

Four weeks later, when you actually visit the restaurant, you will have forgotten all about the reservations hassle. When you enter the restaurant you find yourself in the Tavern area, which contains a small dining area and large bar. Hanging above the bar are several large colorful pieces of art, which quickly eliminate any pretense of formality. The Tavern offers a simpler menu from that in the main dining room, as well as lower prices. If you do not have a reservation in the main dining room, you can try to snag a table in the tavern.
My dining companion and I arrived promptly for our 8:30 p.m. reservation and were advised that our table was not yet ready. It was suggested that we wait at the bar. Fortunately, the restaurant offers a wonderful wine list and addictive roasted nuts. We ordered two glasses of wine and immediately after being served were notified that our table was ready. Our drinks were taken and brought to the table, and the bar charge was conveniently combined with our restaurant tab.

The dining room itself is large, but is separated into several areas, which provides a more intimate feel. The standard menu is a three-course prix fixe of $62. The menu is not large and offers approximately six to eight appetizers and six to eight entrees. Also offered are various tasting menus, which change nightly. What struck me about the menu was its relative simplicity. This is definitely not a fusion restaurant, but instead seems to offer somewhat traditional fare impeccably prepared with the finest ingredients. On my most recent visit we both chose the Winter Tasting Menu for $85, which included additional courses over the usual three.

Our meal began with Diver Scallops served in a vanilla sauce. The scallops were extremely fresh and contained not a hint of metallic bitterness so commonly found in scallops. The vanilla sauce seemed an odd companion but offered a wonderfully different taste sensation. The sweetness of the sauce was subtle and did not overpower the scallops, as I feared it might. Another fantastic dish was a large slab of bacon braised with Swiss chard. The bacon, devoid of any visible fat, was so intensely pork flavored that it tasted incredibly rich, yet not fatty. I imagine the intensity of flavor was achieved through slowly cooking the bacon, allowing the flavors to truly set in. This dish was the highlight of the meal. The next dish was venison sliced thin, cooked medium rare as ordered and incredibly tender. This was a simply prepared dish that did not disappoint.

Dessert, included in the fixed price, offered a variety of sweet and rich dishes, the first of which was a selection of sorbets. The most memorable dessert was one that I can best describe as a chocolate soufflé. The soufflé appeared at first to be nothing more than a half-dome shaped chocolate cake. However, after piercing the outer chocolate layer, we discovered an inner core of rich, warm velvety chocolate, which came pouring out. This was an extremely decadent dessert. A cheese cart offering many artisan cheeses is offered as well, although I did not sample it myself. Finally, after the dessert, a tray of cookies and brownies were brought out. Being too full to enjoy them, we gladly took them back to our hotel room and had them for breakfast.

Looking around the restaurant during our three and a half hour dinner it was clear to me that the best thing about this restaurant is how it can excel on so many different levels. One can dine on simple roasted chicken or braised rabbit or choose an extravagant truffle tasting menu. It was clear that for some Gramercy Tavern on a Saturday night was just a typical night out on the town, while others seemed dressed to the hilt and clearly out to celebrate a romantic occasion. Regardless of their reason for being there, all seemed to be well attended to, comfortable and happy.

SERVICE
The staff at Gramercy Tavern must be well trained, as it is an incredibly welcoming group. From the people who answer the phone to the waiters, there is a feeling that they are happy to serve you, rather than doing you a favor. Our friendly waiter was extremely knowledgeable about the menu and was able to answer several questions about the tasting menu. While service is attentive and friendly, it is still somewhat formal. We were attended to by several different people, one who took our wine and food order, one who brought our dishes and one who observed our status to determine when to bring out the next dish. All was done in an unobtrusive manner. I commend the restaurant for offering service that is both friendly and professional.

WINE
Gramercy Tavern offers a fantastic wine list. There are many offerings by the glass, and all regions are represented. In fact, there is a wide range of offerings from less traditional regions. The glass list included numerous wines from Austria, Germany and Spain. The list itself is divided into categories, rather than by region or grape type. Many bottles are offered in the $35-$60 range. We selected a Rioja recommended by our waiter. The wine, decanted at the beginning of our meal, was just hitting its stride as our meat courses began to arrive, and we were happy with the recommendation. A selection of dessert wines is offered as well. Markup is very reasonable for a restaurant of this caliber (slightly less than twice retail).

FINAL WORD
Gramercy Tavern offers food comparable to the finest restaurants in New York, yet offers them at a relatively reasonable price. While the menu is not the most dynamic, it offers a wide variety of choices, all prepared with the finest ingredients. It is for these reason, as well as the attentive and friendly service, that Gramercy Tavern is my favorite restaurant in New York (and the world), and well worth a visit (if you can get a reservation).

Gramercy Tavern
42 East 20th Street (Between Broadway and Park Avenue South)
New York, NY
Phone: 212-477-0777

Reservations required for main dining room
Attire is dressy casual to formal




Recommended: Yes