Gitano Jungle Room

Gitano Jungle Room Restaurant Review:

About the restaurant & décor: Tulum’s sexy vibe is brought to Manhattan in the Mexican spin-off, Gitano Jungle Room. The original Gitano’s feeling comes stateside through the choice of foliage and lighting, including palm trees, a disco ball, and an upstairs outdoor bar designed to replicate the jungle setting of Tulum itself. In the main dining room, tables are comfortably set in a darkish space and the feeling is lively but not overwhelming.

Likes: You can pretend you’re back in Tulum, in a way.
Dislikes: The outdoor vibe is lacking.

Food & Drinks: A menu of Tulum favorites mixes with NYC-specific creations. Truffle quesadillas and grilled avocado with almonds, ponzu and worm salt show off their Mayan heritage as viewed by Danish chef Mads Refslund (Noma) together with chef Yvan Lemoine. Vegetarians have interesting choices like the pot-roasted cauliflower topped with mole. For a main course, the crispy duckling barbacoa is the way to go, and don’t be shy about not wanting to share it with your colleagues. Cocktails take center stage here, as they do at their original Yucatan home. Try an of-the-moment “jungle” concoction like the Golden God made with mezcal, passionfruit, chartreuse and CBD oil. If it’s chilly outside, the double hot chocolate, a chipotle-infused mezcal and coconut hot chocolate with black lava salt, is the libation to choose. After dinner, if the weather cooperates, head upstairs to the outdoor Jungle Bar for a taste of the authentic Tulum party scene.