The epitome of a 3.5 star restaurant. Solid. My wife did love their ragu! Service was ok

Food was good but the portion sizes were really small for the price. A few people mentioned how it was small and that they were still hungry. The had 2 zero proof cocktails - I got the Negroni. It was okay. I've had better. Ambiance was nice inside read more

Gemma - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

Stopped in for an early dinner before seeing a theater show in the area. Great, farmhouse location attached to the Bowery Hotel with rustic exposed wood beams and cozy tables/booths. We had the crispy artichokes & potatoes and arincini to start. I'm not a fan of artichokes but would definitely order these again. For mains I chose the the Stracci pasta dish with butternut squash and mushrooms - was not a heavy dish which was a nice surprise. The Caci e Pepe was al dente and just enough sauce, perfect. Ended with an affogato - would have loved it to have been real gelato, but it seemed icy and as smooth as it could have been. For some great Italian in the Bowery, give this place a try. read more

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Had brunch at Gemma while visiting friends last weekend in New York. While the ambiance was cozy and warm, some of the seating felt a little cramped. Our waiter was really quick to coming to take our order and overall was very friendly. I had the blueberry pancakes, which was the perfect balance. The pancakes were fluffy and slightly sweet, combined with the blueberry compote which was a little tart. It is served warm with a small serving of vanilla butter on top! Definitely delicious and I would get again next time. read more

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My friend and I had dinner here after starting with some cocktails at the bar. We were seated immediately as we had a reservation, at a very tiny table but when in the city this is often expected. Our servers were a little slow at the start but really turned it around (there was a private party also happening that I think had everyone a little extra busy until they got into the swing of it.) We started with a bottle of red and the meatball and fried burrata based on the servers recommendations and both were amazing. For our meal we split the mushroom pizza and the cacio e Pepe. The mushroom pizza was good but the cacio e Pepe was incredible and I will be dreaming about it for a long time. It's a cute Italian vibe inside and even though tight at times, a very cute and delicious spot overall read more

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Decent. Three stars on Yelp means "OK" and this was place certainly that but I wouldn't quite push it to four. Solid cocktails -- and boy does the adjacent hotel lobby bar pop -- followed by solid meatbealls as the starter and good-but-no-more-than-that cacio e pepe. If you're a hotel guest at the Bowery Hotel looking for a quick meal in a comfortable space with good service, then yes, come here by all means. If you want high quality Italian, I think there are many other options. read more

Good service, nice sidewalk patio. $17 Dolce Vita cocktail was strong and tasty (passionfruit lime). Unfortunately the food was just ok for the price - the fish of the day ($42): bass was lukewarm, greens oversalted, potatoes were excellent though. read more

Gemma - fish of the day (black sea bass) $42 was meh, dolce vita cocktail (passionfruit lime) $17 was nice - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

went for my birthday in November and loved everything about it. The space is elegant and has a beautiful"gilded age" look. Dark wood throughout with gorgeous chandeliers. The food is scrumptious! I had NY strip steak and it was by far the best I ever tasted! My family had seafood, pizza and short ribs. We had tasty cocktails and the servers were all friendly, knowledgeable and engaging without being overbearing. I look forward to returning. read more

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Had a fantastic gluten free Italian dinner here, found through TikTok recs. They upcharge $8 for GF table bread, but it's good multigrain and went really well with the Burrata app. The Cavolo Nero salad was also great with finely chopped kale, quality anchovies and lots of grated parm. For entrees - I recommend the seafood Risotto! My friend said the Pappardelle (not GF) was also amaze. Kinda pricey but expected for NYC Bowery. Crowd really picked up around 6:30 even though it was a Tuesday. Aaand... Organic rosé! read more

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Taking a star off because it's overpriced, but I adore the menu at Gemma. The food is superb and so is the atmosphere. A location in The Bowery Hotel can't be beat. read more

Terrible food, decent vibes. This is one of the worst "Italian" places I've had in nyc. Apps were mid, pastas and main courses were terrible, not authentic, no flavor. They need a new chef. A crappy dinner would be better than this place. So disappointed read more

Got the gnocchi and it was truly incredible!! I think the best gnocchi I've ever had! Great bread and service as well :) read more

Gemma - Gnocchi - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

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Interior of the restaurant is unique and felt gothic-like. Lots of seating so you are able to just do a walk-in. I enjoyed my pasta and they have a vast menu! read more

The service here was really awful, as when my group asked for the check, we had to wait a good 10 minutes before asking again, this took a good 5 minutes. Not to mention they're stingy with water, as we kept running out and kept asking for more. And the waiters seemed very annoyed at us and ignored us many times. The food was terrible, I honestly don't know how they still have 3.5 stars... the dish that I asked for tasted like cheese, just plain regular cheese, and the dish didn't even contain cheese. Not to mention their rice tastes horrible. Thinking about the food makes me wanna throw up. The Ambiance was complicated... I didn't see much of the Old Italian style. If you want Italian, please go anywhere else then here. read more

Gemma is an upscale Italian restaurant connected to the Bowery Hotel. While there, we got a prosciutto pizza and mushroom ravioli pasta(was a daily special). Both were top notch and up there for some of the best Italian food we had had. The atmosphere is nice but with a slightly more casual and warm vibe when compared to other top scale Italian restaurants. I definitely would like to come back here in future trips. read more

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Gemma was a disappointing experience from start to finish. The first issue came when an entirely different dish than the one I ordered arrived at the table. Instead of simply correcting it, the waiter insisted that it was what I had ordered, and the manager later echoed the same point. It turned a simple mistake into an unnecessary back-and-forth. The salmon was even worse. I ordered it medium, and it arrived essentially raw throughout, barely seared on the outside. Not undercooked in the center -- raw. For a restaurant at this price point, that should never leave the kitchen. What stood out most, though, was the response from management. Rather than trying to improve the experience, the explanation was essentially "we're all human." Of course mistakes happen, but hospitality is usually measured by how those mistakes are handled. In this case, there was very little accountability and no real effort to make things right. NYC has too many excellent restaurants to spend money at one where the service becomes argumentative and the standards in the kitchen feel this inconsistent. read more

This place is VERY cute. Interior is 10/10. Drinks were solid. Unfortunately everything else was pretty disappointing. Service is honest to god terrible, everything is so disorganized. It's impossible to walk because the tables are so close together. Food was mediocre at best, though portions were pretty big. Wouldn't recommend unless you're in the area read more

Gemma - Tuna tartare - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

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It's a cute place with outdoor seating but we didn't have the best experience. the food and the bar and the service were off. The food was bland. Beet salad with ricotta was completely flavorless. Pizza was ok but came out cold and we didn't have enough plates and utensils. The tuna salad was awful, the tuna was hammered, the potatoes underdone, it was flavorless and everything needed more salt and seasoning. We got sparkling water but not enough glasses. Cocomero riff on margarita was awful and the server spilled half of it clearing the table without even offering an apology or a refill. Kids pasta was swimming in butter, French fries were good but tiny portion. Completely underwhelming experience, only the bill was tremendous. read more

Gemma was my favorite restaurant. I've had weddings here, private parties and stayed at the hotel as a native NY'er. I used to recommend and take all my friends to Gemma. That stopped in December 2024. I took my family out for dinner and the table next to us decided to shout, yell, scream, curse, be racist and ruin our holiday dinner for my whole family. The manager did nothing to escort the table of 2 next to us away, or move us and there were tables. We asked if anything could be done. I almost called the police when the other table started banging on our table with their hands on something other than alcohol. All of our orders were incorrect, no allergy information was listened to in the kitchen or the fact that there were vegetarians being served meat, food was undercooked, we were given the wrong dishes the whole night. We ended up having to leave because the people were out of control! Nothing was done but the police showed up right as we left and dealt with this mentally ill person attacking all the patrons inside the restaurant. This was my Christmas Eve with my whole family. I haven't returned since and I won't again. What happened?! read more

Was very busy and loud, as expected for a Friday night - but was pleasantly surprised to be sat quickly. However, it was difficult to get our server and we felt as though we were being tossed to the next wait staff but having to wait for our server to actually order or make a request. I think the Focaccia served for the table was the most memorable - perfectly soft and just oily enough to wet our palate for more food. The Seafood Risotto was also very flavorful and had plenty of seafood from squid, clams, and mussels. I enjoyed the Taglioni as it was very fresh and light, but I think the pasta settled a bit making it very dense and hard to separate. read more

Gemma - Tagliolini, Branzino, Eggplant Parmesan, Risotto seafood - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

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This was an excellent brunch spot in a nice hotel. We had 3 adults and 1 kid in a spacious booth. Our servers were excellent - all helping each other bring items out and taking things away. I had the eggs in purgatory (baked eggs, tomato sauce, onions, olives, capers, thyme, parmigiano) which was delicious! Not super filling but packed a ton of flavor. Others in my party had the blueberry pancakes, egg sandwich, and eggs a la Gemma. We opted for their smoothies and these were delicious as well. We all enjoyed our meals but what really stood out was the amazing service. Prices are on the higher side but what did you expect in this area? Would definitely come back while visiting NYC. read more

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Gemma is located in the Bowery hotel, accessible from the street and let me tell you that the vibes are immaculate. Perfect for date night or dinner and drinks with friends. Warm and inviting tones with candles and chandeliers, somehow romantic but not so much as to not be able to gather with friends. And the exterior floor to ceiling windows open in the warmer months. In order of what it does best 1) ambiance 2) drinks and 3) food. The back ardenti drink is delicious if you're a tequila fan. As for the pasta, many of our pasta dishes seemed like they could've been left in the water a bit longer, the noodles were just too hard for our liking. Overall good spot with solid food and good drinks. Would book again for a group outing! read more

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Our dinner at Gemma was spectacular. Great food, decent sized portions (and definitely recommend splitting a pizza), expansive bar area, and warm ambiance. It was chic and cozy at the same time. Perfect for date night or gathering with friends, but would highly recommend making a reservation in advance. We visited on a Saturday night and it was packed. With so many other options in the area, this was definitely a good sign of a great experience to come. Loved how "on-brand" everything was - from the menu, to the glass water bottles, sugar packets for your after dinner espresso, and on the receipts. All Gemma everything! read more

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I had the gnocchi and it was incredible! Big portion, creamy sauce. YUM! I'd recommend getting a side of vegetables because there are none in the pasta itself. That and a glass of Chianti made for a delicious meal! read more

Gemma - Gnocchi and Chianti, Rufina Riserva, Renzo Masi, 2016, Tosacana - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

Loved the food and service. Stayed next door at the Bowery hotel and this was better than the hotel bar. I was happy to have it right next door. Get the Fritto misto with marinara, not aioli - pro tip read more

Great outdoor vibe with a relaxed atmosphere. The service is super friendly and attentive. The food is decent--not mind-blowing, but good enough to keep coming back for the overall experience. read more

Gemma - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

I used to really love Gemma, but it has seemed to have gone down hill in recent years. The interiors are lovely but the restaurant was super empty in the morning at breakfast. My husband and I had breakfast here on Friday morning because we were staying at the Bowery hotel. Service was fine but not overly attentive. I ordered a bone dry almond milk cappuccino that came decidedly wet. For breakfast I ordered the fruit and yogurt bowl with granola which was perfectly serviceable but nothing to write home about. My husband said that the breakfast sandwich was also fine, but we didn't come back for breakfast on Saturday or Sunday morning. read more

Gemma - Fruit & Yogurt Bowl, add Granola - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

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I had a large group brunch at Gemma. The staff was friendly enough but I didn't love the brunch setup- they had us at one very long table so it was difficult to talk to anyone but your immediate neighbors. We shared several large plates. As a vegetarian I had the avocado toast and blueberry pancakes - both were tasty but I wish the pancakes were served hot. read more

Came here for a celebration. The food was decent. Wasn't bad. I would come back to try other things. The calzone dessert is a little on the heavy side. The food took awhile to come out. Nothing special about here. But didn't have a bad experience. read more

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Really rustic, cool old school looking Italian spot. Menu is kind of small but everything we got was very good. Got the cacio e pepe, pesto pasta and burrata to start, all yummy. Wine was good too. Recommend and wasn't crazyyy expensive, but wouldn't put in my top Italian spots in the city. read more

Always delicious, seasonal food. They have gf options and sitting outside is lovely. The interior is beautiful and the drinks are great.

Lovely, cozy vibe. We had a fairly large party on a Monday evening, and they were wonderfully accommodating (although I wasn't able to book for a party of 8 online, had to call). The restaurant wasn't overly crowded, which is what made the very slow, spotty service a little confusing. We asked for some bread right away, and when it didn't come with the drinks, we had to ask again. The bread is absolutely delicious, though, when it did come! It took forever for them to come back for our food orders after taking and delivering our drinks--we had to flag several people down again. Same thing happened for dessert. But, the positives are the food, of course. Everyone was quite happy with what they ordered. The grouper special was delightful, I had the crab tagliolini and it was delicious. Perfectly al dente black squid ink pasta, and enough crab meat to satisfy, with fresh green onion. The service was slow, but everyone was nice, at least! read more

A friend recommended Gemma, saying she liked the food and the look of the place. Strong marks for ambience and the gothic atmosphere! It would be a fun spot to grab a drink and just enjoy the candles and chandelier. We had the Gemma Salad, which was quite hearty, had lots of texture and colour. I had the Verdure Pizza. The lemon and parmigiano complemented each other well. I love a restaurant with a dedicated dessert menu! The Torta di Cioccolato was beautifully plated and great way to end a lovely meal. read more

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Gemma is a great dinner spot! The food is good and reasonably priced, and we got GREAT service. The squash salad was my favorite! read more

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Went for dinner on a Saturday night. Staff was friendly. Food was average but still pretty good. Loved the ambience. read more

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2 stars First and last visit. The seafood pasta was undercooked -- not al dente, just hard. The waiter offered to replace it but didn't even apologize or offer a simple gesture of goodwill. I switched to pizza, which was fine, but the whole experience felt disappointing for a place with such a nice atmosphere. read more

I liked their food, although the brunch menu never changes. After bringing a group of people every few weeks for two years, the staff in charge of tables were unbelievably rude to me last December. Needless to say, they lost our group's business. There are plenty of restaurants to choose from. If you have a large group, avoid Gemma. read more

I didn't have high expectations for this place given I followed someone there without looking the restaurant up in advance but it was surprisingly tasty! Pasta was good and the cocktails were good too. Plenty of tables available. Would come back. read more

Given the saturation of great Italian food in NY, it seems easy to pass on a hotel (#1) restaurant like Gemma. It's been a fixture in the East Village dining scene, which has steadily maintained a reputation for decent (#2) food in a fairly nice ambiance. Even prior to the pandemic, their outdoor dining setup was one of the more popular destinations for the urban al fresco feel. However with the addition of the cover and expanded space, it's become that and more. Not enough credit is given to the interior, which does a good job at capturing the rustic, intimate vibes with a bit of old world Italia. It can feel cramped at times, despite the ample group table options, so I would stick to small'ish parties when at all possible. The food varies from average to solid overall. I've always felt their selection of pastas were the biggest winners, in particular the cacio e pepe or gnocchi in truffle cream. Their polenta fries, pappardelle bolognese are also a hit and I think highly of their octopus when available. However, despite the popularity of their brunch, I can't help but find it unmemorable. The same also applies to their pizzas and most of their appetizers. As always, the service varies. I've had some excellent experiences during their dinner and some subpar ones during the brunch. It's not enough to dissuade me from ever coming back of course, but I am glad they've remained active and relevant after all of these years. _____________ (#1) The Bowery Hotel (#2) But not great. read more

My boyfriend had his birthday dinner here recently and it was great! We had some really good drinks and the Tuna Tartare was a delicious appetizer that most of us ordered and loved. I had the seafood Paella which was really really good and everyone seemed to really enjoy their dishes. The service was decent and nice but nothing special. Nothing went wrong and they were very nice but they weren't as attentive as I would want. The restaurant itself has a lot of wood and welt very warm and cozy but the style was not my favorite. Overall this place has really good food but I'm not rushing to go here again. read more

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