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GiGi Restaurant & Lounge
Categories: Restaurants Canadian (New) Restaurants Latin American Canadian (New), Latin American [Edit]
319 Market StPhiladelphia, PA 19106
Neighbourhood: Olde City
(215) 574-8880
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 11 am - 2 am
Sun 10 am - 2 am
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
101 reviews for GiGi Restaurant & Lounge
Review Highlights
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"A great time i deffinetly recommend this place." In 4 reviews -
"All the food came out fast and my server Gina was cracking..." In 4 reviews -
"but for brunch I was satisfied." In 9 reviews
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101 reviews in English
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Review from Marc C.
Philadelphia, PA
2/11/2012
After seeing such varied reviews here, I was a little unsure about what to expect. But my own experience at GiGi was great. I came here using a LivingSocial voucher, giving us a main course and dessert with wine.
First of all, the service really was terrific. The person taking my reservation was friendly and despite arriving 15 minutes early, we were seated straight away. Our server, Trevor, was extremely friendly and attentive. If only more Philadelphia servers were as good.
I ordered the mushroom ravioli, which I highly recommend if you like mushrooms. The filling was delicious and the accompanying peppers and asparagus complemented the flavors nicely. My dining companion had the salmon, which was fine, although a little dry. The red velvet desert was very tasty and the cheesecake was decent although not particularly interesting.
Overall, the excellent service combined with the fantastic mushroom ravioli made this a good visit for me. A few of the dishes might be a little bland, but if you pick well, you should have a fun visit in this relaxed environment. -
Review from DJ M.
Feasterville-Trevose, PA
4/6/2012 3 photos
Gigi's is in a tiny space, where the tables are all lined along one wall, the massive curved bar takes up the other third of the floor space. The hubs and I entered an empty restaurant for brunch-lunch around 11:30, they open at 10:00. We were quickly greeted and asked to sit wherever we wanted, which was cool and we chose the window table, as I am an avid people watcher.
Our server let us know that she was new, ( she was the only server on ), she was personable and enthusiastic, so we assured her that we were new to Gigi's as well, so no fear. Two managers were on the floor so she certainly had back up if she needed it! Another couple came in and ordered before we did Our first downfall was reading the menu on their web site for brunch-lunch and knowing what we were going to order before we even entered the restaurant.
Well all of the pictures of ricotta pancakes, eggs benedict in various forms, feta cakes that you read on their on line menu and see in their Yelp profile are no longer. I was drooling for crab benedict with bearnaise sauce, but they had nothing even close on the menu. So I ordered the filet mignon pizza, our server told us that was an excellent choice and a house specialty, as well it should be at $28.00 for an individual pizza.
Michael also had to change his mind last minute and ordered pancakes, which came with bacon and home fries. I had also ordered the quiche of the day, planning on taking it home as I adore quiche and our server returned with the menu and said, where do you see quiche, I said it is on your brunch-lunch blackboard outside. She goes to the kitchen, the chef tells her no problem, he will make it for me! I'm thinking and then saying, he is going to throw together a quiche now? She said yes, it won't take long.
Ha! And Ha! And Ha! Again! Well, the managers checked back on us often enough because we sat and waited and waited and waited for our food, actually for over one hour! About ten minutes before we did end up getting food, a large party was slowly coming in and filling up the last twenty seats or so and the couple who ordered before us and who had still not got their food joined them.
Well after one hour, we received our food? Not! Michael got ice cold pancakes, butter was as hard as a rock and would not even warm up to the pancakes. I will say the pancakes had flavor and would have been good had they been even lukewarm. The bacon, two pieces were folded in half, I think they may have quickly been thrown into the deep fryer. The home fries were very good and plenty of them with tricolored chopped peppers, no onion though.
My $28.00 8 ounce filet mignon pizza was a disaster! First of all, if 4 ounces of filet was on the pizza I would have been surprised, secondly the pizza crust was one that you would buy in the frozen food section of your local grocery store, third it was raw, I mean cold, uncooked dough raw! Now get this, the quiche that we were waiting for never came, instead he made an omelet with more home fries and the omelet was not good and they redelivered it three times, when I told them we never ordered it! It was loaded with whole cherry tomatoes and the eggs were burned, no fluff here folks and please dice the tomatoes, who needs all of those seeds?
The managers pulled the special board from the sidewalk, we were so hungry during our well over an hour wait for food and asked if we could have bread or if some of our food came up, please bring it out and were not only assured they would do that, but were told they were making us fruit cups with yogurt in the meantime. Tease, cause we got nada! No bread, no food, no fruit cups.
I noticed the young couple that ordered before us got their food well after we did, at least they had a huge group of friends and family to catch up with while waiting, but I would hate to see how long it took for that large party to get their food and if it was even close to being right. We brought most of the food home. We also had a $45.00 gift certificate and they had the nerve to hand us a $7.00 check for the remaining balance. Michael tipped our server and said, I'm sorry, but I do not feel obliged to pay this check. At that point and with no compensations or explanations, come on! Give me a freaking bloody Mary or something to make me semi happy!
As much as I would like to abolish the use of negative superlatives in a review, Gigi's screams for them. With so many great places to dine in Philadelphia, I see no reason to dine here. After reading the other disgruntled reviews, Gigi's has an awful lot of work to do if they hope to make a name for themselves. The dining area of the restaurant is clean, however the restrooms need some TLC, like in a bottle of bleach and a scrub brush on hands and knees. -
Review from Kevin W.
Philadelphia, PA
4/2/2012
$14 for a Stella and a mixed drink - and the bar was empty - ON A FRIDAY NIGHT?
Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice.......................................... -
Review from Colleen C.
Cherry Hill, NJ
5/6/2012
I bought a KGB deal - $20 for $50 and let me tell you it wasn't worth it. The service was terrible, the food had potential but wasn't great and when we brought it to the attention of our waitress that our fries were chewy - yes chewy - she looked at us and said "oh I wonder of they were undercooked" and that was all. They clearly aren't trained to handle issues properly which falls on management. This place won't survive. The table net to us was complaining about how long things were taking and finally the husband had to leave - the wife stayed and asked for their desserts to be packed to go since he had to leave. Don't waste a dime going... BIG disappointment!
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Review from Jennifer T.
Philadelphia, PA
2/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
I never thought that I could have such a horrible experience at a restaurant!!!!
My girlfriends and I had been to Gigi's before and we've always had a good experience, but our dinner last night was just a NIGHTMARE. First of all, I made dinner reservations for 8:00pm, but we didn't get seated until 9:15!! We asked the hostess if they had over booked, and she claims that OpenTable was at fault. She apologized, and said that she was trying to accommodate everyone....Umm...she could have CALLED me and told me they were over booked. There were so many people who had made reservations and were waiting for a table to free up. For a restaurant of their size to try and squeez that many people in a small time frame is NOT accommodating. I would have understood if she would have called earlier to say that it was a computer glitch...we could have made other dinner arrangements.
Next, once we were seated and ordered, we were willing to look past the long wait because we were excited for the food. To their credit, they did bring the food out fast...but that's about as far as I'm letting that credit go because the food fell way below expectations. French onion soup was SALTY...crab cakes were SALTY...Salmon was BLAND....Pork Chops were TOO SWEET and rice was UNDERCOOKED (and hard). Everything else was just "eh".
Also, when the server brought out the food, he knocked over my friend's drink all over her lap. He apologized briskly and didn't even offer to replace her drink!!!! We had to ASK for another drink!!! We were so shocked at the service and and quality of food!! I have never been to a restaurant where we DELIBERATELY left our leftovers (yes, we did). This was NOT the reason why we came back to Gigi's and I have a feeling we will not be going back!!
Their ONLY saving grace the entire night was one of their bartenders, Bryan. He was SOOO nice and apologetic for our long wait time and was an awesome bartender.
Other than their bartender...sorry Gigi's....you've got a lot to make up for. -
Review from Brigid R.
Saratoga Springs, NY
5/7/2012
My husband and I were staying at 4th and Chestnut on our wedding weekend and wanted to grab a quick bite to eat before we left town. We stumbled upon GiGi and decided to give it a shot. When we walked inside there was a bartender but no waitresses or hostess to be found. The bartender didn't acknowledge us so we just grabbed a table. A few minutes later a waitress came by and looked startled to see us there. We ordered our drinks (water) and received them a few minutes later and ordered 3 appetizers for our meal. Then we waited, and waited, and waited. Our waitress came back about 40 minutes later to say our food would be right out and that they had "so many orders"- it was a Sunday night and there were only 4 or 5 other tables so we weren't buying that excuse. We ordered hummus, spinach dip and bacon mac and cheese- simple dishes that should not take 45 minutes to make. At that point we were starving, irritated and thirsty since our waters sat empty for over 20 minutes. Ten minutes later and our food still wasn't "right out" so we left and went to National Mechanics where we had a lovely meal with great service and were able to enjoy our last night in Philly!
Don't bother going to GiGi unless you have 2 hours to spare for a meal. -
Review from Ashley A.
Philadelphia, PA
4/20/2012
we got a deal from travelzoo which was 2 tapas, 2 entrees, and two drinks for $50. They had scallops on the menu supposedly with watermelon...but it came out with cucumber. We also got shrimp scampi, which seemed like it was cooked by Lane Meyer's mom. It had about 50 Kalamata olives and steamed tomoatoes and no flavor.
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Review from Alida P.
Philadelphia, PA
2/10/2012
Mi Gente de Yelp,
Thank you for giving your reviews of this place. I preface my review with that because I sure did come onto Yelp to check out potential Restaurant Week places to meet my girly downtown for our usual get together.
My girly suggested one of two places to meet up, and Gigi's was one of them. Four courses was the main attraction, especially during Restaurant Week. I mean, who doesn't want to maximize their dollars these days? What I learned is that Gigi's is a "hit or miss" kinda spot. Even my girly said so. So, thanks to your reviews, I knew what NOT to order (no to the prosciutto!), and Gigi's it was.
We didn't have a reservation, but luckily there was a bar and we were able to just hang and people watch (especially the really cute bar tenders!) as the Host told us there was some Eye Candy at the bar, and that we would have a good time. "True, true" Host Dude!
After asking cute bar tender #1 what were his suggestions, I ordered the Manhattan Crab Soup (not too bad), the Spinach, Artichoke, and Crab Dip w Pita Chips (that was yum-yummy! A lady next to me said I looked like I was enjoying it so much that she ordered herself one), the Lobster Ravioli (I really liked the light creamy sauce that it came with), and for desert, the red velvet, of which i took a nice chunk home in a box being so full, thanks to cute bartender #2.
The atmosphere was a little dark for my tastes, but since it had a bar I'm not complaining much, j/s. It was smaller than I expected for some reason... the tables looked crowded up and when people started coming in later on it was feeling tight on the way out.
Even tho my visit was an actual hit, I'm giving Gigi's 3 stars because: I'm not sure if I would go back again, except for maybe the happy hour and the spinach dip?, although the food was good, it wasn't rock my socks off (but definitely Restaurant Week worthy), and no parking vouchers? That's supposed to be a perk for Restaurant Week and the excuse that "they don't give those out" just kinda sucked. -
Review from Stephanie C.
Boston, MA
1/25/2012
What a fun and relaxing place! The bar and dining room are separated, so if you'd like to come in and watch the game (or people watch) with a cocktail there is a spot for you, or if you'd like a quiet dinner, there's a place for you, too! Bartenders and staff not only made a great drink (much stronger and tasted better than other places on Market) but were nice to talk to and made me feel comfortable. The lighting and atmoshpere relaxes you immediately and makes you want to stay for that second (or third, or fourth) round. While Gigi definitely has a swanyk flare to it, there is no pretentious expectations of what to wear, say, or order.
I was in Philly for the weekend, and this was the last place we visited before heading home. I wish I had found it on day 1, because it is ABSOLUTELY worthy of a second visit. -
Review from Rita C.
Philadelphia, PA
1/11/2012
I went here with a friend after purchasing a deal on Living Social that included a bottle of wine, choice of 2 entrees or 4 tapas/salads, and 2 desserts. I was pretty surprised that we got a decent bottle of Chianti, which wasn't the lowest priced wine on the wine list - it was not bad.
For food, we decided on the tapas because we'd get to try a variety of things: jerk chicken skewers, cheesesteak empanadas, chicken dumplings, and the braised pork taquitos. Not one of these tapas blew me away whatsoever - the flavors were just not there. The most disappointing dish was the jerk chicken skewers with the dijon aioli - absolutely no flavor and the aioli was a joke (tasted like mayo and plain greek yogurt).
For dessert, we ordered the cheesecake and red velvet cake. The cheesecake tasted like it was taken right out of a box however the red velvet cake wasn't too bad and had a hint of strawberry flavor.
I know a lot of people posted about how bad the service was, but we had a totally different experience (maybe because it seemed we were the only ones in there actually ordering anything from the kitchen). Our server, Frank, was very friendly and on point. Also, the food came out pretty quickly (even though it was blah).
Other than the awful tapas, I have two complaints:
1. What the hell is going on with the musical selection you have here? When I walked in, Frank Sinatra was blaring - fine by me. By the time we were finishing up, it was a TLC dance party. As much as I enjoy a little old school TLC, I'm not really sure what you're trying to get at here with the random change of tunes. Oh, and what's up with having the hockey game turned up over the already loud music? I don't get it.
2. The 20% tip was automatically included on the bill as a "service charge." Don't get me wrong, I'm not cheap and I will typically give a 20% tip, but to automatically include it seems like bad restaurant etiquette.
I will not be going here again...there are too many good restaurants in the area that perform way better than Gigi's. -
Review from Areeb M.
Chesterfield, MO
3/21/2012
We waited over an hour for our brunch despite our waitress telling is the good was "almost done" every ten minutes. On top of that they messed up one of our orders, and the good itself wasn't even that good. Terrible experience.
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Review from Joe D.
Philadelphia, PA
10/18/2011
This place sucks. Upon arriving, we were told that we had to sit outside due to an unexpected, last-minute private party. This is after we made an Opentable reservation, so they could have notified us of the situation prior to our arrival. We ordered a calamari appetizer, which was way overcooked and had little to no taste. We then ordered the paella for two. Bad move. The rice was mushy and bland, the seafood had an unpleasant fishy taste, and the whole thing was served in a hot liquidy broth. It was more like soup than paella, and a bad tasting soup at that.
Top top it all off, I ordered decaf coffee, and was told that they had one coffee pot and only regular was available.
With bad food and bad service, they might consider focusing exclusively on the "lounge" portion of their name. -
Review from Rusty T.
New York, NY
10/10/2011
absolute worst service i have ever experienced in a restaurant.
I know we all have our off days - but we literally ended up walking out because the service was so bad.
We had a group of 6 - were seated in the empty restaurant after having to wait 5 minutes and talk to 3 people. We were given 2 menus and told they were out but would bring more (more menus never arrived)
After waiting 10 minutes, we ordered drinks, after another 10 minutes we were told they were out of what we wanted so some ordered new drinks.
Another 10 minutes the second order of drinks came, along with some water, but still no sign of the first drinks ordered.
Another 10 minutes - the first drink ordered (a beer, btw) finally arrived. We decided to cut our losses and get out of there so asked for the check.
Another 5 minutes, the check was wrong. We gave them cash and left.
Their only reason they gave us for the amazingly slow service? Apparently they were out of "everything" in the kitchen. I think we made the right choice by moving on! -
Review from Mike R.
Vista, CA
10/1/2011
Ended up her on Friday 9/30/2011. Bartender was a shithead. We were ordering the drinks through the night and he could not be bothered to give us water because "he only had cups for alcohol". Get out of here. It took 30 minutes to get something that could hydrate us.
It seriously killed my opinion for the place, which was otherwise pretty sweet since they had a decent selection. But this service was so bad that I will never go back. -
Review from Molly C.
Philadelphia, PA
9/15/2011
To preface, this is my first Yelp review. I rarely have negative things to say about a restaurant, but Gigi changed that for me.
My friend and I went to Gigi for Restaurant Week. The menu looked excellent and we were really excited. We made an 8:00 reservation and arrived on time. At 8:20, we were still waiting at the bar. The hostess suggested we just eat there, as it would be another 20 minutes before a table opened up (even though we had a reservation). We decided to stay at the bar and proceeded to order dinner.
I ordered soup, but was informed they were out of it, so we both went with the tomatoes and mozzarella. It was nothing special, and we both just ate the cheese.
We waited another 20 minutes for course two: cheeseburger sliders and crabcake sliders. The crabcake sliders were very salty and lacked crab.
A half hour later, around 9:30, our entrees arrived. I ordered the scallops and my friend ordered the pork. Both were terrible. The scallops were tiny, dry, and smelled extremely fishy. The accompanying "corn salsa" tasted like canned Mexican corn. My friend's pork was dry and orange (!!). We tasted the dishes, considered the time (9:45) and asked to take them to go. The restaurant week menu comes with dessert, which we also asked to take to go. After receiving our boxed entrees, the waiter informed us they were out of the desserts (both of the ones we ordered). Needless to say, we left quickly.
We each spent about $50 for incredibly slow service and poor quality food. I would not go back to Gigi and would not recommend to anyone. Honestly, I am still regretting the fact that I even paid for that meal, as i could have used that money to go to a far better restaurant, for the same price. -
Review from Jules R.
Elkridge, MD
8/15/2011
I was rotating between giving this place one star and two stars. I'll be generous and go with two.
I ate at Gigi's on a Friday while in town for business since it was close to the hotel that I stayed at. I was attracted inside by a sign outside advertising a lunch special: $10 for a philly cheesesteak, fries and a drink. I figured, "Hey I'm in philly... I'll try a cheesesteak!," so I went inside.
The service was mediocre at best. My server was friendly at first and told me all about the bar specials. When I told her I'd just have the lunch special, the service went downhill from there. She brought my food and never stopped by to ask how it was or if I needed anything. I had to flag down another server to get my check.
The cheesesteak itself was ok... I've experienced much better both in Philly and in Maryland where I am from. Maybe it would have been better if I didn't have to wait nearly 25 minutes for it! The restaurant was not all that crowded, and I had a wait like I would if it were packed. I'm a patient person, but how long does it take to make a cheesesteak with fries? The fries were pretty good.
The bottom line... I did not like having to wait almost a half an hour for a cheesesteak with fries, and then have to flag down another waitstaff to ask my waitress for my check. Once the waitress brought me the check, it took her another 10 minutes to come pick it up and swipe my card. I ended up being at Gigi's for over an hour, and all I ordered was a darn cheesesteak.
If I'm in the area, I will definitely try somewhere else next time. -
Review from kelley m.
Redondo Beach, CA
8/14/2011
We went here for lunch on a Sat afternoon. We were seated immediately by a friendly hostess and that was the highlight of our experience. After waiting and waiting to be served I went up to the bar and was immediately told we would be helped by what appeared to be the manager. The hostess brought us water but that was it. No service. It would not be so bad but we were inside and all the wait staff had to pass us every time they went back to the kitchen. You would think someone besides the hostess would notice.
Worst service Ever -
Review from Lauren H.
2/12/2012
My expectations were low based on previous reviews, but fortunately GiGi was better than I expected. The food was hit-or-miss: the wild mushroom ravioli was flavorful with a nice texture, but the salmon, which was served over flavorless white rice, was dry and bland. The red velvet cake and cheesecake were both average. The food was slow coming out of the kitchen, but the servers were very friendly and accommodating. My advice: go during the summer, sit outside and grab a couple drinks, then head somewhere else for dinner.
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Review from John S.
Philadelphia, PA
3/18/2012
Should have read the bad reviews before visiting this place. After the service my friends and I received, i'm surprised they are in business. Went in on Sunday for the brunch around 11:30. Place was pretty empty - but we still decided to try it out. We had to go find someone in the back to seat us after waiting for a couple minutes with no one visible. The server had no clue what she was doing, I'm pretty sure it was her first day on the job. The food was cold or undercooked and from the time the first plate came out for a table of 4 to the last so we could all start eating at the same time was about 12 minutes. When they were out of items, no empathy, just what else do you want. Please make sure that if you're looking for good food or service, you go somewhere else. If you're looking for a place to treat you poorly and not know what they're doing, then go to GiGi's.
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Review from Cameron C.
Ardmore, PA
2/15/2012
Food was good a bit overpriced , service was good , but atmosphere was but lacking ...
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Review from Christine g.
Philadelphia, PA
1/3/2012
The food was okay. We ordered 5 tapas between us - portions were huge. The salad was pretty good, Mussels were decent, hummus platter and artichoke dip were all solid, but nothing special. The were out of quite a few things that we wanted, which was disappointing. The service was pretty good, but we were the only people in there. I probably won't need to go back there.
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Review from David S.
Oaklyn, NJ
12/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
Bad service, food took forever. Bill was priced wrong.
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Review from Angela J.
6/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
Brunch review......
After a long night where daylight happened before my head hit the pillow, Gigi was the perfect brunch stop after three hours of sleep.
We sat outside, there was immediate seating which was nice, sometimes brunch places are so packed, it was nice to not have to wait. Our waitress brought water right away, and I ordered the $5 Ketel One Bloody Mary...not a bad deal on a Sunday. However, it was fizzy! Something with their mix, must be one of the spices, gave it a fizziness that wasn't the greatest. It tasted good, just fizzed on the tongue.
My breakfast burrito was a little dry, it needed some cheese, or more guacomole or something, but the flavors were delicious. The homefries were nicely seasoned and served with sauteed onions. My friend ordered an omelette which looked delicious.
All in all, good brunch, friendly wait staff, and the only disturbance was the Duck Boat tours that drove past us a few times... -
Review from Michael E.
Collingswood, NJ
6/2/2011
Gigi suffers from an identity crisis; don't get involved. There are too many other great eateries in the neighborhood to put up with Gigi's sub-par food and dingy atmosphere.
My girlfriend and I went here on a Living Social coupon ($45 for 2 entrees, 2 desserts, and a bottle of wine). We ordered "cornbread/meal dusted" calamari from their "Tapas" menu, though it wasn't included, and I can honestly say it was the worst calamari I've ever had. Perhaps at one point in its existence this calamari was worth $9, but that was probably months ago, before its long vacation in GiGi's freezer.
We both ordered steaks, I had the ribeye and Kate had the filet. Kate's was pretty alright (mind you the menu price was $29, I think . . . we had to pay a $6 up-charge; not terrible). It came with Lobster Risotto, which had a nice flavor but was no where near cooked. My ribeye was pretty gross - coffee crusted = lots and lots of coffee flavor to overpower the lack of kitchen prowess. I ordered it medium rare - it was well done (as in overcooked, not good). Came with mashed potatoes . . . from a box. Also, when our server was serving our entrees, he dropped some of the onion rings off of my plate; he picked them up but never brought out more onion rings. Bad form.
Then I found a fly in my wine. Then they tried to auto-grat our check 20%. Get out of here. This place is bleeding money. It won't be long before the ownership/management changes hands. One of Philly's worst. -
Review from Steven B.
Updated - 6/15/2011 7 Check-ins Here
Stopped in for lunch today with some coworkers. We sat near the window open to the street and it was very pleasant.
We were presented with a fairly impressive menu but the problem is with the execution. I had a cheessteak hoagie that was cool instead of hot and had a strange aftertaste. This is not the first time I have had below average food here.
GiGis is in the heart of Old City. You have literelly dozens of choices for lunch. Go elsewhere.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/11/2010
I'm doing some work about fifty yards away so I thought I would stop by. Sauntered on in about 45… Read more »
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Review from Trang N.
We stumbled upon Gigi for Sunday brunch when we realized the place we were going to didn't have outdoor seating and it was just too gorgeous outside to not take advantage of it!
The hostess was kind of enough to pull out a table and set of chairs to seat us, as all the other tables were occupied. An older couple behind us weren't so happy, as it seemed that they were waiting for a while.
I ordered the Eggs Florentine and my husband ordered the Gigi special. The food was good and being able to sit outside and take in the sunshine amid the relentless winter was the best, it's amazing how quiet olde city is Sunday morning! Our waitress was very attentive and continuously replenished our brunch cocktails long after the table was cleared.
I went inside to use the restroom and there was not a single soul in there. I wonder if the other patrons were lured in by the outdoor seating like we were?
Anywho! Two thumbs up, the food was decent and the service was quick, good enough for me today! -
Review from K D.
Haverford, PA
1/15/2012
The first issue I have with Gigi's is their website. I went here last night after looking at their website (not at yelp) and expected a fairly upscale, nice restaurant. Along the lines of Alma de Cuba. It turns out Gigi's is a sports bar. Which is fine, but just don't market yourself as "fine dining." My other issue is the service was ridiculous. We had a 7pm reservation and didn't get seated till 7:45pm. (We got a round of free drinks for the inconvenience, at least.) We didn't get our food till after 8:30pm. We also had all the problems everyone else had with no menus, no silverware, having to flag down our waiter just to request water, the tv's competing with the loud music, etc.
It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't what we were expecting at all. The food was okay . . . nothing that warrants a second trip. The waitstaff was friendly; the wine pours were generous . . . but still, it was "eh." -
Review from Stan C.
LAFAYETTE HL, PA
11/9/2011
Read every 1-star review and you'll understand why we'll never go back or speak of this place again.
The waiter tried his best, but he had to make excuses for the kitchen the entire night.
And the food? ~~YUCK~~ -
Review from Brian C.
Philadelphia, PA
1/13/2012
Used a Groupon (8 for 20) for tapas before a show. Reviews on Yelp were troubling, so we went with a wary mind. There was a restriction for older 4-course vouchers where upcharges where imposed, which admittedly is weird, but no restriction on ours. I agree that the place doesn't know what it wants to be, but it's clearly not a fine dining experience. It's a "hip" bar with better than average bar food, a bit overpriced.
I can only review on the tapas, of which we had four. The jerk chicken skewers, crab cakes, scallops and pork taquitos. Each was good, with the taquitos being the best by far. We each had a half price glass of wine (during happy hour). Our server Frank was great with recommendations, explanations, speed and wit. -
Review from Akila C.
Saratoga, CA
8/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
The service was not too shabby, but after reading the reviews on Yelp before entering the restaurant/lounge I was definitely skeptical.
This place is an all around tapas restaurant, with other basic entrees.
We ordered the "Deep fried jalapeno Ravioli" which was very strong tasting.
The Hummus plate was delicious, and the greek salad was surprisingly made with a pesto type of dressing, which still was A-OK.
The pomegranate sangria kind of tasted like Bath and Body Works Lotion, and didn't have enough fruit, so I definitely do not recommend ordering one.
All in all, OK experience, wouldn't make it a second one! -
Review from Kaitlin L.
Philadelphia, PA
3/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
I recently used my Living Social certificate at Gigi: Dinner for two, including a bottle of wine and 2 desserts.
The staff was very nice and accommodating. They described what exactly was included in the certificate and what we were responsible for (tax and tip). Although pleasant, they weren't exactly the most swift of staff; despite the restaurant being mostly empty, it still took over an hour and a half to be seated, served, and receive the check.
The food was fine. The one slightly odd thing was I ordered the coffee rubbed rib eye and was not asked how I wanted it cooked. No biggie, but it came out pretty darn rare. It made me slightly nervous so I actually didn't eat the center (mind you, this is also my fault, I could have let them know medium-rare was more my thing). Overall, the food was tasty enough.
It wasn't terribly memorable though. Nothing really swept me off my feet to the point that I want to return. It might be a nice spot for a happy hour in the future though. -
Review from Kristina C.
Philadelphia, PA
6/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
This was my second time eating at GiGi, my first time was during restaurant week - food good, company good, service really bad. But I always give second chances and I am glad that I did!
We went for Sunday brunch this time and I have to say my experience was much better. After a really weird, and long night, I really needed some good food. So we got to sit outside which was very nice for the people watching. Especially because it looked like a couple buses of people got dropped off every 30 minutes or so and walked by. Love tourist watching....lol!
They have a really good selection on the brunch menu from omelets, to sandwiches. They also had goo drink specials for Bloody Mary's which were $5.
The ham and cheese omelet with home fries were delicious! Everything was very tasty and seasoned home fries always hit the spot. -
Review from Clifford Q.
Philadelphia, PA
11/14/2010
MISSING CREDIT CARD - Taking advantage of a beautiful day, we decided to take a table outside. Service was slow / food was not as ordered. We were so happy to be sitting directly in the sun we chalked it up to a bad experience UNTIL - The waiter returned our bill after I had presented him with my CC and when he returned it the CC was missing. I went inside to question it - NO MANAGER and no one seem to be concerned that in the middle of TOURIST heaven my CC was missing.
After about 15 minutes of waiting and questioning every person who waled out of the kitchen, I asked the waiter to check his pockets - He replied i know I put it in the bill fold and then under my arm - I then served another table and then handed you the check. I / he then went to the table he served just before presenting me with the empty bill fold and sure enough it was on the sidewalk under their table.
I am not sure why no one bothered to do this when i first reported it missing. Another waiter then offered to give us a gift certificate for a return visit. Are they for real? Why would we go back. They should have offered this meal on the house and be done with it.
I must I was totally wrecked for the rest of the day with that knot in my stomach thinking about the 15 minutes when I though that someone was walking around with my CC. -
Review from K A.
Drexel Hill, PA
9/23/2011
Is this place under different management or something? I first went to Gigi about 2 years ago after work for drinks and Tapas and everything was fine, decent food, service and drinks (I probably would have rated it 3 stars back then). Now, they're lucky to have 1 star from me.
I went for lunch a few weeks ago while a friend was in the city for Jury duty. She had an hour for a lunch break and wound up not even eating! After sitting for at least 20 minutes waiting for a waitress, we had to get up and flag one down ourselves, apparently no one knew who was supposed to be waiting on our table! After being told they were out of chicken (seriously?), we placed our orders and waited at least another 25-30 minutes before the sub-par food came out.
The side porch they have is dirty and smells because they have all their gross garbage cans overflowing out of the back door and old tables and chairs stacked up as storage in the alley.
Gross, will never be back here again!!! -
Review from Steven M.
Philadelphia, PA
10/16/2011
I agree with other reviewers: worst service ever! Got there at 11am for brunch. Only 2 other couples and it took 40 minutes to get out food -- and it was cold. After we finished, no one came to clean up and/or see whether we wanted something else.
On top that, the food was bad: the burger was burned, the guacamole was brown and the pancakes were just bad. Never again! -
Review from Jennifer G.
Lansdale, PA
8/24/2011
Went for an ealy dinner Saturday evening; were seated outside by friendly server. Table needed to be cleaned, and it was on request.
Cheesesteak empanadas and the hummus plate apps were very good. My crabcake entree with corn relish was also very tasty and a nice balance of flavors. My friend's entree, chicken & lobster, was good and bad. Good flavor, plenty of portion. Too much sauce, too sweat, and should have been served over or with a rice pilaf.
Also, we didn't understand how this dish came with just crab claw meat, because there were no lobster tail items on the rest of the menu. -
Review from Matt C.
Philadelphia, PA
9/21/2011
We went to GiGi for a Friday during restaurant week. We had an 8pm reservation, we did not receive our Main course until after 11:15pm! Each course was spaced more than an hour apart. The waitress was very nice in trying to explain the delay, and offered us 10$ coupons in hopes of smoothing us over, but that wasn't going to work.
There is NO reason for this type of service, especially during "restaurant weeK". I will not return. -
Review from Timothy S.
Upper Darby, PA
11/26/2011
Went to Gigi after scoring a deal on KGB not exactly sure why all of you uptight yuppies talk so much trash on this place...
Ok made the reservation on opentable me and my girlfriend were shown to our seat instantly the server (frank) was right over to the table within 90 seconds had two bowls of French onion soup (very good) then for main course I had the filet mignon with risotto and asperagus (excellent!!) she had the scallops with a corn veggie type blend she liked it then finished it off sharing a piece of red velvet cake (yummy!) the bill was $85.36 ok it's a little on the expensive side but you get what you pay for .....
The actual restaurant is set up quite nice of the beaten path of old city 2nd st between 3rd and 4th right on market they have a nice dining set up outside (we dined inside) they have a full bar and the deco is nice bottom line it's pricey but the food is excellent the service was excellent they do a very good job at serving the public obiviously most of the other reviews are from drunken college students that are so used to the bars down the street that charge $15 a drink! Go down the street then an act that way this deserves five stars! -
Review from Jason T.
Philadelphia, PA
9/9/2011
Slow service, poor food...this place is a tourist trap and should be avoided at all costs
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Review from Jenny T.
Philadelphia, PA
1/15/2012
When I first tried GiGi last year it wasok but since then the meu has changed (keeps changing) and the food takes forever! The service varies by waitress.The last time I was there the server new practically nothing about the menu items or specials. Its pretty much unpredictable.Good luck!
