Gorilla
This is a party-hipster-bohemian-bar/restaurant
with high pace, loud music, young staff and crowd and great food. If you are
aiming for a quiet night out on a romantic dinner, you are definitely in the
wrong hood. All the restaurants in the meatpacking district have the same
theme. This restaurant is no exception. A young guy with a huge beard seated us
in the middle of a very crowded restaurant at 10 pm (the only available time).
We sat next to a couple of men, who were just about to leave. We asked them how
many dishes they have had. They went for the 15 dishes snack menu, and they told
us it was way too much. We went for the 10 course snack menu instead. I was no
way near able to eat all of the food, they were serving. I did try though.
Everything tasted really great. They were somehow able to combine fine dining
with innovative meals. The service weren’t great. There wasn’t enough waiters
for the fully booked restaurant, or perhaps the waiters weren’t experienced
enough. The cocktails weren’t that fantastic either. We just had to talk (yell)
really loud to each other because of the loud music. And the chairs weren’t
very comfortable either. But the food, the music and the atmosphere were really
great. Hence if you can life the minor flaws this is a really awesome place.
They have kept a lot of the original interior from the old slaughterhouse.
There used to be a nightclub before Gorilla opened, and they have tried to
combine the restaurant with a bar environment, which they are doing quite well.