Gem Reviews

19 year old Chef Flynn McGarry's new restaurant is amazing (just Google him). Modeled after the way in which he used to serve customers in his Californian home restaurant, Gem's tasting menu starts out in a small intimate lounge with appetizer dishes such as smoked trout roe with sunflower sprouts and wellfleet oysters with fresh tofu and potato skins. It then moves on to the dining room where the 12-14 course meal continues on with dishes such as agnolotti filled with grilled chicories, ricotta and brown butter and the lamb feast consisting of loin with vadouvan bagna cauda, shank braised in warm spices and apple cider and grilled sunchokes with sunflower seed and chili salsa. Everything was delicious and the service was impeccable. Of course, you will have an opportunity to meet the chef as he's an active participant in the course service.

Flynn is not kidding around. Everything is overseen with care and love. The team and the service as well as the experience and the miraculously evolving menu are A+

A very significant restaurant to retem When you enter it feels like you're a character in La Boheme I liked the beet with its stem A signature dish ready to emblem It's not creme de la creme but it's definitely a GEM

This imaginative chef and his sister the wine steward have won the hearts of my wife and I with creative, beautiful and super tasty meals. The combinations that he finds between the sea and the land are fireworks for the tastebuds. I hope you will enjoy it as much as we do.

Saw a documentary on Flynn McGarry and felt compelled to visit. Chose the earlier of the 2 sittings (6pm & 9pm nightly). A very unassuming building, greeted by name at the door, very casual and stylish fit-out with open kitchen. Just the right amount of attentive service, a varied and suitably surprising 12 course degustation (nothing pretentious, just very tasty - just right) and Chef McGarry operates an open kitchen and attends each table a couple of times during the service. An extremely memorable and enjoyable evening - highly recommended.

Overall a very good experience, considering the age of the chef and how is keen and committed to conducting his ideas. The restaurant proposes a seasonal menu, and the winter menu is inspired by Portuguese dishes prepared with seafood from the northeast. The suggested pairing with Portuguese wines it's for sure not for everyone: the wines are very interesting but far away from the "cliches". It does not deserve yet the excellence because the chef is just at the beginning of his career and, for sure, the best is yet to come! Last, the price: 155$ per person + taxes and tip and if you want the wine paring, 55$ more (+ taxes and tip) - as written on the website, so...no surprises! It's up to you to decide if it is worth it, but always remember you are tasting a food experience in NYC!!! Very last, wine list: it needs some improvements - I know a huge cellar is an investment so, let's give him time!

My partner and I took my mother her for her birthday and the three of us couldn't stop smiling throughout the entire meal. Located on the Lower East Side, the location is really casual. You almost feel as if you're in a friend's place. The seating works out so you really don't notice the other diners. The staff was laid back but attentive and helpful - they all seemed to be enjoying themselves. And the food was incredible. Although we were sad to finish one dish, we eventually realized that the next one would be equally great - or, even better. Really fresh food and so creative. And the little things lingered in our minds: A ramp tortellini filled with pistachio or a light but delicious onion broth we finished with some homemade focaccia. Loved it.

I saw the documentary of Flynn McGarry, and felt compelled to visit. First the setting. I love the fact that there are a limited number of tables, and everyone has the same menu. The restaurant has only two seatings and it works well, there is enough time and space to truly enjoy everything. We had the tasting menu accompanied by a very adventurous wine pairing. My expectations were very high, and I must say Flynn's palette didn't disappoint. I have become accustomed to having less ingredients and tasting every element separately. Flynn is all about harmonious blending. Its a modern cuisine with clear Asian (Californian) influences. Dishes would have many elements, and it would become a blended harmonious taste experience. I love the way he uses flowers and unusual plants for his seasoning. And the presentation of every dish was outstanding. If I'm being fiercely critical, and comparing him to the very very best (like Nerua in Bilbao or The Frog in London), I felt that the 12 courses varied in excellence. Some combinations worked really well (real triumphs were the braised artichokes, the pork trotter crepe and orange with bottarga and fresh cheese were truly outstanding) but others were beautiful crafted but didn't hit the same highs (i only tasted nduja, no morel). All in all, I'm glad I visited, and will return with every new menu. If you are a foodie, I believe this is one chef you want to follow and visit often. I personally would love the menu to have a better rhythm, and I would love Flynn to pare down to perhaps only 6 or 8 of his very best courses (or offer a 6, 9, 12 course option). Special mention to the sommelier, I thought she was outstanding.

Went back to Flynn’s gem. More focused and better for it. Remains a culinary adventure that will challenge your taste but. Cold apple sauce with garlic soup and dried capers that tasted like croutons. Beets with curry and Darjeeling. Both amazing combinations that worked extremely well. Carrots with razor clams and fig leaf oil a bit too sweet for my liking. Aged duck with XO sauce and mushrooms was terrific and beautifully presented. Quince with pine, rose and vanilla for desert was perfect. And very uncommon wines from Austria, Switzerland, even some ciders too. Must eat restaurant in New York.

This site used to be Café Henrie, a quirky venue in which I had breakfast about a year earlier. It closed in late 2017. Flynn McGarry, the "Justin Bieber of food", is 19 years old. But in an interview with Fast Company he says he is tired of lazy comparisons to Justin Bieber and Gem is his way to finally prove to the doubters that he is serious about a career as a chef… "The only way to solidify my career is to do something permanent. If I take something as a restaurant and make it essentially myself, maybe the focus will be more on that." Gem is apparently his mother, Meg, backwards. The restaurant is divided into two rooms, you enter into the “living room” and are taken through to the “dining room” where dinner is served, the kitchen is open to the dining room. A buzzy atmosphere, music perhaps a little too loud for my personal preference but not excessive. Dessert was served back in the “living room”. (This was an evening meal, during the day the “living room” apparently operates as a coffee shop with snacks.) The food was very good but not great. Vegetable heavy and not a lot of protein in a 12 course menu – shrimp, mussels, squab – shades of Blue Hill at Stone Barn even down to the “aged beet” made like beef, but some interesting combinations. And not particularly large servings. At $155/head for food this is not a cheap meal! Service was good and usually involved the chefs – Flynn McGarry himself served several of the dishes. An enjoyable evening but in hindsight, to be perfectly honest, more for local convenience and novelty value. Did it meet expectations? Perhaps my expectations were set, unfairly, by the story but no it did not. Would I go back, no. Of course, I wish Flynn McGarry all the best for a bright future – what he has achieved so far is extraordinary. As I write this report, the NY Times has just awarded Gem 2 stars (very good) with the headline “At Gem, a Teen Wonder Plays in the Big Leagues”.

GEM certainly lives up to its name. This restaurant, run by the very young chef Flynn McGarry, should not be missed! The 12-course tasting menu was excellent - such a fun, surprising and absolutely amazing experience. All dishes were creative, beautifully presented, delicious and with surprising twists. And the wine pairing matched the dishes both in taste and the surprising twists (orange wine and sake to mention a few of the bolder choices). We really loved the friendly and unpretentious atmosphere and the relaxed setting. Service was impeccable – friendly and knowledgeable. Our only very minor complaint was the pace of the servings. At times it felt a bit rushed with no pauses between the servings. We had the first seating for the night though, and presumably the second seating might be a bit slower when there is no time limit. But considering that all dishes served were amazing and surprising, raising your expectations with every dish, we might very well have complained if we had been kept waiting for them… A very pleasant thing is that hospitality is included in the fixed price, making it a truly fixed price of $180 for the whole menu. So much value for the price, very well worth it! All in all, we highly recommend this restaurant! We cannot wait to come back to see what new kind of innovative dishes this young and bold chef will come up with onwards.

It is hard to believe how a restaurant can achieve such a high standard in such a short period of time with such a young team. The service was impeccable, the food highly innovative and superbly presented (and this is true for every single one of 12 courses) and the whole time we still felt like in a family kitchen. The unpretentious style and personality of the chef and the entire team sets this restaurant apart from so many Michelin starred restaurants, though the food quality and presentation easily matches the requirements. Even our 16 year old younger son, who normally hates fine dining restaurants, loved this place and this is by far the best compliment we could think of.

My husband Stu and I dined at Gem last weekend and talked about it for days afterwards. We were greeted with a splash of rose champagne for me and the most delicious strawberry soda for Stu, who doesn't drink alcohol. The dining room is relaxed, cozy and attractive with fun 50's style touches. We loved the soundtrack but wished the volume were dialed down a bit. The tables for 2 are really one table divided but the couple next to us were really nice and we enjoyed interacting with them. You don't have to converse with other guests f that's not your thing. Service was excellent, attentive and personable, and Chef Flynn was a delight. As much as we value service and atmosphere, it's the food we come for, and it exceeded our expectations. Of a 12 course menu, 4 courses were fish or seafood, 6 were vegetables finishing with a beef course and dessert. In our opinion it was perfect! We were satisfied but didn't feel stuffed. We started with clams prepared 3 ways. I have never seen Stu eat clams, at most he'll have an obligatory taste and leave the rest for me, but he ate and enjoyed all of them . Great start. There wasn't a bite that we didn't savor, however, if forced to name favorites I'd have to call out the broccoli rabe and caramellized tortellini in brodo, the slow roasted sunchokes and the astonishing carrots and truffles with fermented barley. I'd eat that dish every day. I'm not a big cabbage fan but chef's roasted cabbage with oyster and kale emulsion was a revelation. The beef was tender and flavorful with a luscious sauce. If I skip a course it will usually be dessert, but that was wonderful also. The wine pairing, 8 glasses, which included cider, was good if not inspired. It's not cheap but it's a good value for the quality. A great evening that we hope to repeat.

Very overpriced and they most unusual food combinations ever Did not enjoy at all No feedback was asked of dishes and owner/chef when he seen that our plates were going back with food at all courses asked if we wanted to leave halfway through the meal ????

Flynn McGarry deserves all of the accolades he receives. Besides being incredibly talented, I appreciated his warmth and his in-person care for his restaurant. Every single person on staff was positive and kind; which added to the beautiful atmosphere. I could gush about the ambiance: Minimalist and cool without being cold. This tasting menu was a culinary adventure from start to finish. Definitely go for the wine pairing as each flavor was highlighted by a sip of the appropriate wine. I think Gem would please any palate and nothing on the menu was too weird or challenging for a simple eater. I would characterize my palate as sophisticated and the flavors on McGarry's menu were complex and interesting. It was delicious and filling. Seasoned to perfection. I am excited to share this Gem with my friends.

We had a beautiful evening at GEM that is the restaurant by the young and very successful chef Flynn McGarry! We ate a 12 courses tasting menu were all dishes was really good! We thought that some of the dishes was to pretentious, but over all it was great! Fixed price of $150 for 12 courses, nothing to say about.. well worth it! It’s only place for 16 guests so you get a very familiar feeling!

The name is so appropriate....it is truly a gem. Flynn McGary is a young master of the culinary arts! At the age of 19, he is creative beyond his years....a master of the taste buds. Cooking is clearly in his blood. There are two seatings in his restaurant, 6 and 9. It is a 15 course tasting menu and you should let them pair the wines for you. Flynn's dishes along with Darrel's wine pairing are brilliant....she is a wizard with wine and he is brilliant with food. You will thank me for this recommendation.....something you will always remember. Go and have a party in your mouth!

I was intrigued to try the food prepared by a young chef in NYC. The 12-course tasting menu was excellent. Found this little gem from insider review. The restaurant was not fancy at all, but the food was fancy indeed. I met Flynn McGarry the young talented chef at the resto, he was very shy, but the food was bold. An improvement: the pairing wines. Out of 5 samplings, 2 were best the rest were so-so. All in all: worth every penny! DDavas

Gem changes its menu with each Season and the summer season this year is all vegetarian. We went with 5 omnivores and all of them exclaimed that they were totally satisfied with an all vegie menu. Even though the price is high for the set menu (no a la carte) all my guests said the food was so amazing that they will come back and happily pay the price.

We manage to squeeze a booking out of the restaurant on a short trip to the city, and as such we had to sit outside which was a shame as the inside looked perfect. However we were kept company by the chef and his friends and it doesn’t matter where you are when you eat food like this. Well looked after by both chef and staff, this was a NY experience everyone should have. Truly fantastic. Extraordinary combinations of flavour from a truly creative genius. Not ashamed to eat the meat off the bones not wanting to waste a morsel!

Very creative cooking by an inspired brother - sister team. Great wine list from the sister (slightly older) combined with a very imaginative palette from the 22 year old brother makes this a restaurant to seek out and make a special trip for.

We had a family dinner for our sons 30th birthday last night. The restaurant is calm and not pretentious at all. We did the wine pairing with the 10 courses and both the food and the wine were incredible. Flynn is very much visible in helping to bring out each course and explaining what we were about to be eating. His sister explained each wine as it was paired with the food. It was a really special night for our adult sons and my husband and I. The dinner is an experience to remember!

Chef Flynn McGarry and his staff do not need my accolades . . .and, although our meal (including the service and the wine were perfect . . .a word not often used) that isn't all we took away from our visit. When we asked Nora, our server, how much prep it took to produce the "broccoli rabe tortellini", she replied, "All day . . .but they [the four in the kitchen] do it all together." And, at the end of the meal, when we complimented the chef, he immediately turned to the three cooks in the kitchen and said, "We do it together." A lesson we can all learn . . .

There is no need to introduce Chef Flynn McGarry to the foodie community, those who are interested in the history and evolution of this amazing guy should watch the documentary Chef Flynn. We, however, rather not dwell on his past as a "teenage chef" because Chef Flynn is a complete and fully-fledged Maître Cuisinier in his own right, in a perfect command of his restaurant serving one of the most innovative and original meals in the city. Pete Well, a very discerning and often unrelenting food critic for the NYT wrote, "“[Flynn McGarry’s] cooking is nuanced, his plating is often lyrical and the flavors, at least this spring and summer, have been delicate, subtle and very fresh. The vegetables and fruits he uses in profusion look and taste as if they had dropped off the vine right on to the hand-spun, earth-toned ceramic dishes.” But not only the magical, inviting, and mesmerizing food is what makes Gem a must-to destination for every amateur of haute cuisine. The atmosphere, the ambiance of the restaurant doesn't convey the sometimes (if not always) arrogant attitude one feels at NYC star-studded establishments. Not only you feel the down-to-earth cordiality of the Chef himself and his entire équipe, but the splendid meal there would run you only a third compared to the the city "heavies" (such as Per Se, EMP, or Le Bernardin). We wish Chef Flynn tons of success and will patiently wait for April to sample his new spring menu. Easily 10 stars out of 5. A typical meal at Gem will consist of 12-15 courses over the span of about two hours. The meal is broken into a few parts consisting of small bites, composed plates, and a few family style dishes. Gem's unique beverage pairing is available for $125 per person, as well as a full wine list. Hospitality is included in the price of the experience. This meal is non-refundable. Prepaid reservation for parties of 2-4. $180 per person.