The Gilroy

1. This is a date spot.
2. This is a date spot.
3. This is a date spot.
Now that that’s out of the way:
I was here with a girlfriend post-​dinner on a Friday night around 11pm (we didn’t get the date-​needed memo) and it was about ¾ full. It’s really cute inside and they have a pretty extensive beverage menu — in terms of wine, beer and cocktails. I ordered the Irish Penicillin and my friend had a glass of wine. The wine was good, but my cocktail was amazing (order it if you like ginger).
They were very attentive, from giving us our choice of the available seats and seating us quickly to making sure that our water glasses were constantly filled (a pet-​peeve of mine — I drink a lot of water!). When we asked for an extra glass so I could pour some of mine into it for my friend to taste (she was a little under the weather) they brought the perfect one within a minute.
I’ll be back to try the food and to sit outside when it’s warmer out — they have what looks like really cute seating outside, possibly making it the ULTIMATE date spot, TBD, that I definitely want to try out (maybe on a date next time?!).

It’s pricey for the quality of drinks but that’s New York for you these days ! Biggest let down was the music, didn’t suit the place at all ! I realize everyone has their own taste in music but it didn’t suit the vibe but maybe they had a different vibe in mind ! The name the Gilroy suggests something different to me !

Amazing cocktail creations, skilled mixologists and great atmosphere.
They have an extensive drink list, but I wanted something different; so the bartender said he could make me a custom cocktail based on what I wanted — and he did. An amazingly delicious cocktail.
Service was friendly and bartenders were impressive to watch.
Highly recommend as a place to go for great cocktails with friends or a date.

We were excited to visit the Gilroy this past Friday evening. The night started out well-​we were greeted warmly when we arrived and found a quiet table for two in the corner of the front room. Tried 2 different versions of the negroni and both were excellent. The tuna tartare, the sliders and the lamb stew were delicious. Our one complaint was the service-​it was very slow and a second drink order was never delivered. Not the servers fault-​he was the only one working both the front and back areas. Management needs to add staff earlier in the evening to cover the weekend crowd.

The drinks are wonderful! Some of the best cocktails on the upper east side. Plus much less of a wait for a drink than most cocktail bars.
The bartenders are personable and fun to talk to.
The food is always great. Amazing oysters, loved the sliders, and my only complaint was that they got rid of the beef Wellington which was so good.

Nice little ambience in the UES. I went on a Tuesday night with a buddy of mine for a quick cocktail. Our waiter Jamie was attentive, but not hovering. The bartender made a vodka martini up with a twist for me and it was on point. Crisp, nicely chilled glass, with a fresh lemon (I have to say I’ve had bartenders before put what were clearly old lemons in the drink and it just sullies the taste). I will definitely return again, as my buddy lives in the neighborhood and Gilroy is slowly becoming his local.

What a great gastropub on the UES. I have enjoyed dining twice and the food is delicious. The service and servers are very good. The ambiance is fun and festive.

Pleaseeee go and see this place while its still gorgeous outside. There’s a small outdoor sitting area and then a few cocktail tables, and a community table inside. This is a perfect spot if you’re looking for a quiet yet active atomsphere.
The colorful named drinks remind me of a speakeasy. I tried the «Don’t judge me» and chuckled at the waitress when ordering. There’s a few choices of appetizers, or aka gourmet bar appetizer menu. I believe I had the perogies, which lacked a bit of flavor, but had an interesting presentation since it was topped with onions and herbs.

The is a great bar here full of very knowledgeable and skillwd mixologist. They specialize in Negronis and variations on that drink. There cocktails are amazing, if a bit pricey.
I have not had the food but come regular for cocktails.
A+

I’ve been here several times since my first visit here, which was lackluster. I am now quite happy to report that my opinion has changed significantly.
My first review was poo-​pooing (is that a verb? now it is.) on the service here. It really was abysmal. This last trip, it couldn’t have been better. People were doting on us like we were royalty and our drink orders were fulfilled quite efficiently. And this was a Friday night vs. my first visit, which was a weeknight – strikes me as odd but I’m not complaining.
As for the drinks: I rarely order the same cocktail twice. I always want to try everything on the menu, so in my world, there’s no place for redundancy. HOWEVER – when a drink is really really good and I finish it really really fast, I make an exception. In this case, it was the «Heart of Gold»: Old Forester Bourbon, Maple, Grapefruit bitters, Smoked bacon salt. SMOKED BACON SALT! Honestly, I could’ve done without the rest of the drink. Just give me a gallon of that salt or give me the secret recipe because it’s something I need in my life. If you’re a whiskey fan (I’d say «if you’re a bacon fan» but honestly, who isn’t one?), get this drink immediately. You will not be disappointed.

I’m a tequila girl. I’m a classy ass tequila girl. Lol. Is that possible? Anyways… Gilroy has a tequila coconut salt infused concoction called The Blue Steele. The best drink ever. Keeping it classy with some tequila. Just look at the pic. I was in love. There are so many other drinks to try but I was like one of those strange New Yorkers in love… Lot more to taste but why when u have something so good??? Try the blue steel folks.

Had a great night tasting the cocktails at the GIlroy!!! I cannot speak towards the food, but the cocktails were excellent and diverse. Staff, service and bartenders were on point and speak easy vibe was fun!
My favorite cocktail of the night was the Heart of Gold!
I will definitely be back to try the food especially after they told me the kitchen is open till 4am.

This is a very posh speakeasy cocktail bar. Elegant design and flare. Dark wood, trendy yet classy bar seating. Blending the perfect elements to create a unique experience reminicent of the 1960’s. My friend boasted heavily of the Moscow Mule and ambiance here and my experience met my expectations.
I am no fan of the UES but this place is worth visiting for. Bartenders are professional and talented. Drinks are served meticulously. In proper drink ware and garnished to perfection. This is adequate enough for a 1^st date. I would not bring a large party. They serve food here also, I browsed the menu but only came for a cocktail.

After many attempts to come here since opening, I finally made it… and boy was it a disappointment! We came early tonight (Friday) and were sat right away. The place was empty though filled up within 15 minutes. We had originally been sat in the back area but decided to move up front where there was more of a lively atmosphere. It took literally 18 minutes for someone to come take our drink order… not a good start! The person was super nice but as another person said, it was hard to differentiate who was the server and who was the host. The drinks came and they were very very good (only reason I’m giving this place 3 stars)
The food we ordered was the meat/​cheese plate, Short Rib sandwich, and the pear/​Gorgonzola flat bread… the charcuterie plate was good, not a ton of meat and cheese for the price but enough for two people.
Flat bread and Short rib was not good. Very bland and almost felt undercooked. The flat bread was luke warm and very little flavor. Short rib was a good portion size however also very bland, maybe some caramelized onions could have brought the flavors out. We told the (I think) waiter that we were disappointed, nothing was mentioned or addressed with us… not even an «I’m sorry to hear that» At one point another server spilled two red wines on a table (of course not on purpose)…the other server literally said «I’m gonna let them handle this» as the girl at the table next to them got drenched in red wine… not great hospitality… needless to say, we left and had our last few drinks at Five Mile Stone down the street where they take great care of people!
Drinks — 4 stars
Service — 3 stars
Food — 1 star

The Gilroy is a newly opened cocktail bar deep in the UES — a bit of a trek for me, but the reviews were good and the friends were near.
The staff is amazing — friendly, talkative, hospitable. We chatted for a bit, and they went out of their way throughout the night to make sure we were well taken care of.
The cocktails were great too. Simply a great spot.

There is a lot of potential here, but clearly the place is suffering from some growing pains. There are essentially two rooms, the front area has a bar and high tops, and the second room has tables. We made a reservation but were seated at a long, high top table. The table was extremely skinny, which made it difficult for my fiancé and friend to eat. It was also difficult to tell who was the host and who was the wait staff, and everyone seemed tentative to take our order.
My recommendation for the restaurant: seat everyone with reservations in the back room.
Despite the complications with service, the atmosphere was fun, food was surprisingly good, and the drinks were solid. I plan on coming back in a few months once they smooth out the kinks.

We walked through the cold freezing night because my friend wanted to show me this place, and by the time I got there I was a fussy whiny girl. Its a bit awkward waiting since we had to stand by the entrance and the place is completely packed. We wanted a table which meant longer wait!
We finally got seated after an hour of waiting. I just have to say it was worth the wait and all of my whining to my friend. We ordered a bottle of Malbec, Bison sliders to start off since we were 2 broke bachelors. The waiter was lovely lady and served us promptly and with such grace even on such a busy busy night.
The Malbec was delicious and the ambiance enhanced the experience even more. It made it intimate and comfortable to be just your silly self. The Bison sliders were juicy and went perfectly with the wine. It left us wanting more for sure. We had such a great time we decided to treat ourselves and ordered the Beef Wellington.
The Beef Wellington was our first and it was amazing! Looked so cute being so small and so expensive but when you cut into it and ohhh the color of the meat. It was delicious.
I am sure all of the food is good, and we will definitely be back to try their fresh cocktails and other dishes as well.
My friend said his visit during the weekdays were must quieter with live bands playing :)!

The Gilroy
NY: Manhattan: UES
10pm Saturday 20^th December 2014
Four Stars
It was pretty cool place with good cocktails. I had the Colonial. We were in a back room celebrating a birthday party. The waitress was a bit slow and bit forgetful but it all worked out. The Flat Breads were crispy and overall decent finger food. It was pretty crowded by the end.

I’ve been meaning to try The Gilroy for weeks now, and am so happy I finally did. I came here in a group of four on Saturday around 10pm. We were seated quickly for dinner and ordered several of their delicious cocktails. They are perfectly balanced, not too sweet, just enough quirky things without making the drink completely overwhelming.
The food is delicious as well: we all shared the margarita flat, the croque monsieur, and the mac and cheese, which was easily my favorite. We had a great time in a little corner table at the back. The ambiance is great for a date, although it’s very loud. Am excited to come back!

What a perfect little bar on the Upper East Side. The Gilroy exceeded every expectation I had this sunday. They specialize in craft cocktails and they have a concise yet eclectic menu of delicious gourmet fare.
The Drinks: I had a Moscow Mule wich was made with fresh ginger and not ginger beer and appropriarrtely served in a copper mug. The moscow mule here is outstanding, crisp, strong and refreshing. Their use of real ginger separates their mule from most that I have tasted. My Friends had their Mint Julep, Again this cocktail was served in the proper Drink-​ware (mint julep cups). They said the julep delicious as well. they earn high marks here for paying attention to detail with their drinks and serving top notch craft cocktails at the same price many places sell generic drinks for.
The Food: Our party tried a few items from their brunch menu. To start we had oysters. This was my first time willingly trying oysters and as i expected I don’t like them, no fault to the restaurant here, the rest of my party said they were A1. We also tried these little panini type sandwiches that were very good, great crispy exterior with a tasty ham and cheese interior. The last thing we tried was their waffle with a berry topping that was so good I could eat it by itself. I must say I was surprised with the quality of the food here and will definitely be back to try more of the menu.
The more I think about my experience at The Gilroy I realize that everything I remember about this place was top notch. The cleanliness of the restroom, the bartenders charming personality, even the owner Josh who as EXTREMELY hospitable to my party, all of these things contributed to a surprisingly pleasant experience. The Gilroy easily earns 5 stars from me because everything here is done right.