While the rooftop bar is lovely, and seems like a nice place to have a drink, the night and atmosphere was ruined by rude security staff, illogical rules and a completely unnecessary line.
The rooftop bar is just that, a bar, no different to the one at Rocket, but Gallery are very obviously trying to be the new 'exclusive' kid on the block. After waiting in line for 15 minutes (in the cold), I expected that it must be the case that it was extremely busy. Wrong. The downstairs security let out far more people than he let in, and the rooftop (when I eventually got there) was mildly busy, but hardly necessary of a door line. I have no issue with waiting in lines if it is justified, but it was evident from the capacity, that Gallery is aiming to achieve an exclusivity factor by making people wait (to make themselves appear extra popular).
Once upstairs, the bar staff were friendly (please note, while there is no ATM you can pay by card with no minimum at the bar). However, once you have your drink, get ready to sit down and stay put. With a rather large group of people gathered to celebrate a friend's birthday, how ridiculous to be told by security to sit down if you were holding a drink, forcing people to sit, unable to hear conversation across the table because of usual bar noise. You're forced to either sit and drink, or leave your drink unattended to talk to people on the other side of your table (real safe right?).
Even worse, security refused to let us stand (even without drinks) to talk to people in the group, claiming we were blocking the entrance and the thoroughfare. Being a meter away from the entrance and on the far left side in the corner, this was hardly the case. We were also gratuitously bothered by security when standing in a group to say goodbye to our friend on her birthday as we were in the process of leaving. Not one, not two, but three security staffers berated us to move and sit down, even after we had told them we were leaving and just saying goodbye.
Cheese platters were also boring, overpriced and had not nearly enough lavosh to suit the amount of cheese (at $18, and they were small platters).
Lovely bar staff, but I would seriously be considering a change in security personnel, the current ones are rude and clearly knew very little about hospitality. Stop trying to be something you're not, Gallery, you're a rooftop bar with some bar food. Nothing special, not worth exclusivity (who lines up for a bar without a dance floor, really?), and in serious need of an attitude check. read more