GEM

I was here for the Saturday Night Dance Party and Came vack for Brunch the following day. Place is a cool. spot you could pass it if you aren’t paying attention as it isn’t as in your face as other places you might go out to. A lot of girls were here and the music is assorted but mostly dance music.
Brunch is for Holuday weekends on Sunday where people are off on Mondays and probably the only crowded spot for a Sunday in the Day.
Lobster roll was a little small and the bottles are pricey but the quality of people are better than a typical sloppy NY club.
Dance floor is Tiny and you might not get in if you don’t have VIP but the vibe is very good.
You get what you pay for this is a classy place where you don’t have to get overly dressy. Wear clothes that fit you and don’t look like a scrub/​dirtbag. I would reccomend a button down though.

The club/​bar is awful. Bouncers are dishonest and useless, in particular «Joe».

Went here with all my girlfriends Saturday for dinner to celebrate a promotion. Only drawback was the fact that it was pretty dead when we came in for dinner– but it somehow provided for an intimate environment. We had great service from Lindsey, who even gave us a complimentary champagne toast since we were celebrating. The dinner menu is HALF off on Saturdays, which was an awesome surprise. The food & drinks surpassed our expectations. A+ service from Lindsey and overall awesome experience! Will definitely be back soon

Cool experience. Came here last night and had a great time. Drinks were definitely overpriced considering it was a cross between a bar and a club. Layout was interesting since dj is in the back room. Beware you need a vip bracelet to get in.
Music was saving grace. The dj killed it.

Paid $ 28 for a scotch neat and an avion tequila neat. I would’ve never ordered had I known they charged this much. This is a rip off. Two shots of their liquor pays for an entire bottle. One bottle has about 21 shots in it. You do the math. There’s no point in charging that much. I will never be back.

We came here for a brunch with about 20 people. It was on a Sunday afternoon, and the place was pretty dead. In terms of turning a night club into a brunch spot, they do make it look classy and feel chic, but it still feels like a nightclub. And if I had come here ever for the nightclub, (which i haven’t), I am not sure I would want to eat here. They had fun music, and fun sunglasses for everyone at brunch, but that just made it feel more like we were in Miami at a club.
The drink menu was really fun, and someone in our group got a big champagne bowl with sparklers. It was exotic! In terms of food, maybe come for the drinks, and get some food while you happen to be here, but the food was just average. Especially for the price, the food was not worth it. We got a lot of options at the table, with fries, salads, pizzas, breakfast pizzas and french toast. The presentation was great, and the servings were great, i just didn’t find the food that tasty. In terms of brunch, it is a fun vibe, with a «club feel», and awesome drinks, which what more can you ask? If the prices of the food was lower, it might be more worthwhile for the fun of the drinks and atmosphere.

Came by Wednesday night to try out their $ 1 oysters and $ 5 lobster rolls while expecting a line out the door, but that was not the case at 7pm. Reservations might not have been necessary as there were only a few other tables and a small function happening.
I ordered 2 oysters, 1 lobster roll, the Delano Daiquiri, and Grilled Chicken Costoletta. We also got the Tuscan fries to share at the table.
Oysters were from Island Creek, so it was sweet with some brine. They went down really well. The lobster roll was on a toasted hot dog buns and the lobster filling wasn’t too impressive but good enough for the price. I really enjoyed the Delano as the rum want overpowering or lost with the mix. The chicken was really good! Very juicy and not overcooked. Sadly the accompanying greens were over dressed for my taste. I should have asked for it on the side. The fries were good for snacking especially with the ketchup.
Overall the ambiance of the restaurant was chic, though the music was blasting. Too loud for a date but great for a night out.
Service: ³⁄₅
Cleanliness: ⁴⁄₅
Food: ³⁄₅
Overall: 3.5÷5

Gem is exactly that… Its a Gem! Its a great place to wind down after work on Friday and have great drinks and a complimentary buffet! Everyone here is always personable, professional and nice! Stephanie and Louie are an awesome bartending team with a whole arsenal of drinks up their sleeve! My glass is usually filled back up before I know its empty! Their «feel at home» and real personality is to not go without mention and are always ready for a good laugh. I have no problem tipping them well and you wont either! So if your looking for comfortable classy atmosphere and outstanding bartenders, all without the high price, then Gem should be first on your list.

Gem is located on Province Street, off a bit from the main drag of Washington Street in Downtown Crossing. As a landmark for those somewhat familiar with the area, they are on the same block as Sam LaGrassa, land of huge sandwiches and terrific potato salad.
And now back to our normally scheduled program…
As we made our way into Gem, we found ourselves at the foot of a flight of stairs, and a cash machine, should you need it. Having successfully ascended the virtually winding stairwell, we found a long bar area to our left, and a cushy looking dining room to our far off right.
We opted for a table to our right as we had gone to Gem for an early dinner, and ended up finding ourselves the sole occupants for our entire meal. The space had windows on two sides and were filled (yet not overly stuffed) with 9 tables, 4 of which were set for parties of 4, and the remainder for parties of 2.
Our waitress was quite friendly, informative, and kept my water glass filled. She brought over some sliced bread and olive oil with vinegar to much on while the kitchen got cracking. As it was a Wednesday, she had told us that our appetizer order of meatball sliders (Kobe beef, aged Pecorino, buttered buns) which normally go for $ 9 and arrive as a count of 2, would be but $ 3 apiece. They were indeed literally meatballs nestled inbetween a bun. Being meatballs, they were a bit more tender than I like my hamburgers, so I wasn’t crazy about them.
Entrees were a bit better.
The Grilled Chicken Costeletta — flattened chicken, lemon & olive oil citronette, grilled asparagus & sweet onions $ 22 filled the plate and consisted of two chicken breasts, but was literally a chicken on salad dish. The portion was great, but the chicken a bit dry and not very flavorful, and the salad overly dressed and flavored. But the asparagus were plenty and great, and if you eat the chicken in the same bite as some salad, it actually sort of evened out.
The Seared Chilean Sea Bass — garlic spinach, sweet corn enriched with mascarpone $ 33 was good portioned for a seafood dish in a restaurant, but rather puny looking beside the other entrée. I was a bit nervous about ordering this since without perspective, the other Unilocal photos of this dish looked teeny-​tiny, but to my relief, it was not so.
The two of us ate everything (but the bread) and were utterly full. No dessert for us!
For this size of an establishment, particularly since they encourage the club scene at night, I’m sort of surprised that I saw but the single one person ladies’ room on the bar side. Unless there was another facility hidden somewhere in another corner?
*** ⁹⁄₂₀₁₅ ***
Hmmmm… noticed their website has been slimmed down to very little info. Then realized that their hours listed on Unilocal has shrunk down to just Saturdays! Good thing I noticed this before I tried to head on over there on a weeknight.

I’m surprised I’m giving a 5 star to this place but where it counts for me, it deserved it. We had a guilt city coupon for this and went on a Sunday during a snowstorm. We got an antipasti that was tremendous and possibly the best I’ve ever had. The yellow tomato flat bread pizza was also outstanding. Steak and cheese sliders were also very good which is surprising because I think most places screw something like that up. The meatball sliders were bland which I kind of expect I never really think this is any good at places.
Draft beers (Stella, harpoon, Guinness etc) are $ 3! That’s basically half price of anywhere in the city.
Couple negatives were the music was absolutely blasting for a 330pm lunch. I’m 31 and we were the oldest people in there by 5 years. It is basically a club for spoiled rich kids.
One caveat with my review: the waitress said the owner was there as well as the head chef so no doubt they were putting the their best foot forward and my experience is probably not the norm

Just got back from Valentine’s Day dinner at GEM. We love GEM and have been several times. We’ve never been disappointed.
Tonight, however, we were.
After braving the snow and cold of the four recent storm, we arrived. We both enjoyed our food and drinks (I recommend the Bangarang martini). When we asked for the check, I handed the waiter a Travelzoo voucher. It cost $ 30 for $ 60 worth of food/​drinks. We always try to get one before coming to GEM because we are young and it’s an expensive place, but it’s our favorite. He took it and went to bring us our check.
The manager came over shortly after and told us (with the fakest tone and smile I have ever seen), that we couldn’t use the voucher because it was a holiday.
To be fair, it did say on the voucher that they are not valid on holidays, and we hadn’t noticed. However, we had called two weeks ahead of time to make a reservation and had asked if the voucher is accepted on Valentine’s. We were told it was.
When I mentioned this to the manager, he asked me who I spoke to. What a ridiculous question. Who asks who they’re speaking to when they make a reservation. I decided not to press the issue, and I paid the bill and left.
I’m really upset that we had asked ahead of time and assumed everything was fine. It kind of ruined the night. My boyfriend was furious and wanted to fight a bit harder, but I just ended up paying full price.
We won’t be back. It’s up to them if they want to accept it or not, and they could have done so after we told them we had been told we could use it. They could have just made it right. Instead they proved $ 60 was worth losing a customer.

Food is immaculate but that’s not the only thing that is spectacular about this place. One of the host/​manager Colin really made the night special. The gentleman had high knowledge of the menu and went out of the way to make sure we were happy. $ 1 oysters Wednesday and Thursday’s. I heard Sunday’s here are wild. Gotta try.

I’ve been to Gem twice so far. The first time was for dinner when they first opened. I don’t recall much about it, however, I do remember that nothing on the menu was really popping out at me.
I went there today for a friend’s birthday brunch. I liked the idea of a clubby brunch for something different, but the music was extremely loud. I couldn’t even hear what my friend sitting right next to me was saying to me. We all made a joke of it and literally were texting each other from across the table because nobody could hear what anybody else was saying. Before we were finished with brunch, most of the tables were taken away and turned into a dance floor. Before we even got our check they were breaking down our table and changing it into a bottle service table. And within minutes after that the manager came over to us and told us we would have to leave the area shortly as it was reserved for a group that bought a bottle. I get it, but it was a bit rushed.
As for the food tonight, hated it. I got a tomato mozzarella Panini. It was one slice of mozzarella melted on bread with two soggy tomatoes.
I don’t think I’ll be back.

Passing by, and on a whim, I came in on a Sunday night where the bar area appeared to be rented out for a semi-​private party. Knowing that, I’m surprised they let me in off the street, no questions asked; must be my excellent choice in scarf. I command respect at trendy joints like this.
It seems that GEM is one of those places that dramatically transforms between day and night, from a restaurant to a nightclub. Apparently on Sunday nights, that transformation occurs a bit earlier than I would expect. At 6:30pm I wanted to grab a table for a bite and a drink (and I did) but I felt wildly out of place doing so, as the place was decidedly doing its nightclub thing.
It’s rare that I get to witness such a roller coaster of polarizing pros and cons. The space here is fantastically decorated. The «quiet room» (not so quiet with club music blasting) was extremely charming. Ornate, deliberately aged lamps, tables and chairs against bare brick reflect the place perfectly: playing at upscale in a way that is intentionally incomplete.
What wasn’t so charming was that the quiet room smelled like bleach, and the bar area smelled like stale breath and sweat. If you’re doing the whole night club thing, invest in some serious ventilation.
I got the meatball sliders as a snack, and they exceeded my expectations. I ordered a cider on draft and was amazed to find it was only 3 dollars. THREE DOLLARS! I was expecting everything to cost much more; the rougher edges of an experience can be overlooked if the price is right. My visit here was somewhat confusing and likely not representative of anyone that researches the hours and events here ahead of time. All that said, I’m likely to return.

To make a long story short, this club is a complete waste of time and money.
To elaborate, I spent $ 30 on a ticket for an event night with a group of friends. Usually I wouldn’t pay that much for a cover in Boston, but the promise was that there would be a great DJ and a dance floor. When we got there at 10 the dance floor was closed off and we had to hang out in the bar area. Around 10:30 they opened the back room where the dance floor was and we had to wait in line. They let in everyone in my group except for 2 of our friends and when we politely asked for them to be let in they told us they would let them in at 11:30…an hour after our friends got in. The bouncers thought they were God’s gift to the world and were extremely rude and obnoxious. I can assure everyone that our group of 20 will never be going back there. A word of the wise to this manager… get it together because this place is the furthest thing from a «GEM».

I mainly sought this place out because of the $ 1 oysters and $ 5 lobster rolls on Wednesdays. I came with my two best friends and we each ordered 2 dozen oysters and 2 lobster rolls. The oysters were nicely shucked but I think because they were busy they forgot lemons and forks. Make sure you count your oysters! I ordered a dozen and was actually given 10. The service was awesome though because when I confronted the server about it he went into the kitchen and brought back the missing oysters and apologized for it. There was also a very pretty woman in a corset who was also very friendly and helpful.
The lobster rolls are fairly small compared to regular lobster rolls you would get if you went to a seafood joint. It wasn’t super stuffed with lobster meat but had enough chunks in there where it made the $ 5 worthwhile.
My friend and I also ordered the sangrias, which were $ 6 each. Not bad but I’ve tasted better. I gulped it down in the first few minutes of sitting down, but that’s not saying much because the glass was fairly small.
Overall not a bad place to check out if you’re around the area or an oyster lover. Not the best place for a date however because it was pretty loud and you can barely hear your own voice.
Oh and we were also given complimentary lemon drop shots which was very nice.

realllyyy!!! when you pay for a VIP table… you do not expect to get some dumb ass wanna be rich college kids spraying champagne all over you and a bachelorette party next to them! pretty sure those stupid losers would be escorted out in a fine establishment which this place
CLEARLY is not!!! NEVER AGAIN!!!

I’ve always hesitated about eating here because of the crappy Unilocal reviews but when a Travelzoo voucher popped into my email box, I decided I could take the risk with the coupon. And I was really glad I did.
The two of us arrived early, at 6 pm on a Wednesday. We were the only other diners there. There was pulsating albeit soft club music in the background — a bit incongruous given the early hour. We ordered off their spring menu which they had just rolled out: seared tuna with orzo, tomato, and artichoke; grilled flattened chicken with lemon; sea bass; homemade cannoli; and chocolate torte.
Every dish was delicious. Every one.
I’ve eaten at a good number of places throughout Boston. Island Creek Oyster Bar: Massively overrated. Citizen Public House: Awful. So you can’t necessarily trust the hype.
And with Gem: You can’t trust the haters.

My review is based on attending a private birthday party that started at 1pm.
The facility was like a more cool and hip version of cheers, friendly bar tenders, very helpful wait staff and better than average bar food which was also classed up beyond burgers and fries.
The DJ made the right calls and moved the vibe along not leaving anyone of the very diverse crowd behind. Our group consisted of locals, travelers from across the U.S. younger and older friends but mostly the 30s crowd yet all were taken care of and found the bar selections more than adequate.

This is for the restaurant only. I remember coming to this bar when it was Kennedy’s and was excited to see what the new space was going to look like. It was ok. Remove the wooden tables and stools, bar lights, replace with leather chairs and banquettes, and mood lighting and you get Gem.
In my opinion, the food was okay but definitely over-​priced. There are cheaper and better tapas places around but hey, we had a LivingSocial coupon, so why not check it out.
I would come back for the burratta crostino (YUM). Warm crostini, soft mozzarella, and tomatos. But that’s the only thing of 5 dishes that stuck out to me, and I can make it at home.