I love me some French bistros & brasseries. I cant get enough of the charm they exude. I am a longtime fan of the wonderful ones we have in NYC like Lafayette, Balthazar, Minetta Tavern & Buvette. Add La Gamelle to that list. This stylish French bistro opened a year ago and I had the ultimate pleasure of dining there last night.
The space is stylish and warm. The lighting is dim, there are low hanging light fixtures and lots of wood. The tables are covered in white butcher paper and the floor is sheets of white tile. There is a long vintage bar in the center separating the dining rooms. On Thursday-Saturday you can find live music in the long and spacious restaurant. In the summer you can sit outside and sip rose champagne on their patio.
The menu is packed with familiar, favorite French bistro fare. You can start with a raw bar platter of oysters and plump clams. The escargot are heavenly, as anything drenched in that much better and garlic should be. The roasted octopus was charred perfectly and served with a great mix of olives and tomatoes. Our entrees were cooked to perfection. We ordered duck and steak frites, both were exactly medium rare and seasoned impeccably. Finally, we had the burger which is one of the best in the city. It is a massive 10oz patty smothered in gruyere, black truffle mayo, caramelized onions, and mushrooms. I will dream of it tonight.
The restaurant has received mixed reviews for its food and I humbly disagree with anyone who has something negative to say about this place. I thought it was warm and welcoming with great food. The staff made us feel like we were at home, and they kept the champagne coming. I highly recommend going. Here’s what we had:
OYSTERS & CLAMS- mignonette, cocktail sauce
ESCARGOTS - snails in garlic parsley butter
FRIED OYSTERS w/ remoulade
ROASTED OCTOPUS “CITRONETTE"
MOULES FRITES – curry broth
DUCK CONFIT - “pomme rosti", mushroom jus, frisée
STEAK FRITES - served with béarnaise or beurre maître d'hôtel
10 OZ BURGER - gruyere, black truffle mayo, caramelized onions, bacon, mushrooms, pomme frites
