Your new favorite rooftop restaurant
Rooftop bars and restaurants are the unspoken backbone of NYC dining. There is nothing quite like going to a rooftop restaurant with a group of friends on a beautiful summer evening. And one hidden gem we tried recently was a place called Gallow Green located on top of The McKittrick Hotel. With a variety of foliage and greenery lining every inch of this outdoor restaurant, Gallow Green is the perfect place if you are in the mood for amazing ambiance as well as delicious food. And to make things even better, Gallow Green has now added a variety of brick oven pizzas to their menu which are available exclusively on Fridays and Saturdays each week. And we were lucky enough to sit down and try out their new menu items which made for one of our favorite tastings yet.
Gallow Green has some of the most interesting cocktails that we have seen. For context, Gallow Green sits atop of the space that hosts a variety of incredible theatre shows, one of which is the infamous Sleep No More. With that, many of their cocktails are inspired from shows that are performed here. To start, we tried the Sleep No More cocktail along with the Gallow Green cocktail. The Sleep No More cocktail is made from vodka, elderflower, butterfly pea flowers, citrus, and cider. The drink was visually stunning and had a wonderful fragrance with the lavender garnish it came with. When we took our first sip we were met with a delightful sweetness that married perfectly with the subtle floral note in the drink. And with the splash of cider in the drink gave a bit of added brightness that keeps you going back for more. The Gallow Green is made with bourbon, graham cracker, ginger, citrus, and blue curacao. This drink was a standout for sure. The bourbon’s natural flavors didn’t overpower the rest of the ingredients and the drink was light and refreshing. The addition of citrus played well with the bourbon too and added a wonderful brightness to the drink. Paired with the graham cracker added a nice subtle sweetness that added balance to the drink overall.
For starters, we tried the Lobster Roll made with a lobster salad that sits on top of a split-top potato roll and is served alongside Old Bay potato chips. When we had the first bite we immediately noticed how fluffy and pillowy the roll was. And paired with the juicy and sweet lobster salad made for such a great bite. What was even more impressive was how the roll was not at all soggy from the salad which made it a great vehicle for the lobster. The combination was a great pairing, having very simple flavors come across in the best way. And if you’re feeling a little adventurous, you can even add on some of the crisp chips that come on the side to add a bit more texture to each bit.
And to finish our meal, we had to try some of the new pizzas that they are featuring on the menu. We went with a classic Margarita pizza along with one of our favorite types of pizzas, a Prosciutto pizza.
The Margarita pizza was made with bianco tomato sauce, basil, parmesan, and fiori di latter mozzarella. As simple and traditional as this pizza sounds, this was actually a big standout for us. The sauce was exceptional, being so light and had a rich sweetness that wasn’t too overwhelming. The bottom of the pizza was crisp without being burnt, and had that charcoal smokey taste that you love to get with brick oven pizza. And the cheese on the pizza was light and didn’t have so much moisture where it made the pizza soggy which was great. The mozzarella was nice and savory and paired with the salty parmesan made for a great bite. And to finish, the crust on the pizza was crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside which made it so delightful to eat.
To follow, we had the Prosciutto pizza. This was made with arugula, burrata, parmesan cheese, prosciutto, and extra virgin olive oil. To start, I am usually a little cautious when ordering Prosciutto pizzas that are made with burrata only because the moisture of the cheese usually makes the pizza soggy. With that, we were really surprised to see that the pizza in front of us was not soggy to the point where all the ingredients fall off when you pick up the pizza. The burrata and the parmesan play well together where the creaminess from the burrata mellows out the saltiness from the parmesan. The prosciutto also has a savoriness and saltiness. And the arugula lends a peppery taste that marries beautifully with the flavors from the cheeses and the prosciutto. The dough and crust on this pizza were the same texture and consistency as the Margarita pizza which made this one as enjoyable.
To finish, we thoroughly enjoyed the food at Gallow Green. The décor of this restaurant was beautiful and a perfect place to impress a date or go out with some friends. Chef Pascal LeSeac’h has created a wonderful menu full of tasty offerings. The food was really lovely and the pizzas that have recently been added are a must have to eat. A traditional brick oven pizza is a perfect item to have for any dinner so be sure to check out Gallow Green (especially on Fridays or Saturdays) when you have a chance.
