Gather55

Came here for Valentine’s Day dinner and the food was amazing. Our server greeted us immediately and gave us a while history on the restaurant’s main objective. This was our first time experiencing this restaurant and the ambiance, the music in the background, and whole vibe was on point. Nice place for a date night. Definitely a spot I will be back to soon.

My most recent experience at gather55, I made reservations for my birthday dinner, when half my party blew me off, I was upset..but Andrea rescheduled for the next day so I can still celebrate my birthday. Not only did we have an amazing night full of laughs, stories and good memories..the food we all got was absolutely amazing!! Put together with care and made with love. We all left with leftovers too! We left satisfied and ready for bed lol Thank you to the staff that treated me and my guests with such respect and love. Andrea and Crystal were my servers, crystal sang happy birthday to me and made my night even more special, and I got to keep some beautiful flowers 🌹 I'll be back in March for my 11 year anniversary with my husband!!!!

We went on a Thursday night, six old friends and had a wonderful meal and easy conversation. We could hear each other without shouting! The restaurant is beautiful, spacious and spotlessly clean. Every meal was healthy, delicious and beautiful. Plus there was plenty of parking.

I’ve been curious to check out Gather55 since I first learned of their unique concept, and I’m so glad my fiancé and I were finally able to visit! The food from guest chef Tom Kaldy was delicious, and we liked that they had a mix of dishes from past guest chefs which featured a wide variety of flavors. Their prix fixe price is reasonable, and it’s nice that the servers don’t accept tips, but rather donations for Hands on Hartford. Such a cool way to try different dishes from top CT chefs while also supporting this awesome non-profit. We were the only diners for dinner that evening while there was a private event in their main dining room, but the servers did a great job giving us a nice ambiance.

It was our first time eating here, it was all around outstanding. The ambience was perfect for a date or a group and I loved the soundtrack of the evening. Our server, Andrea, was excellent and the food was tasty and unique. Highly recommend!

This restaurant has a great mission for helping those in our community. The food was a plus and the service made the night a delight. The food was outstanding. We started with the hummus and bolognese. The bolognese was top quality. The ricotta was creamy and light, the pasta was aldente and the sauce was perfect. I love a good bolognese and this dish did not disappoint! The hummus was creamy and delicious. It was served with pita, but also an array of spring/ summer vegetables. It was the first time we have seen it served like this, but it was such a delight. It was a great accompaniment to the hummus. For dinner we ordered the chicken and pork. The chicken was served on pureed eggplant and served with summer tomatoes. The chicken was tender and flavorful. Very filling. The pork was beautifully done, crunchy and tasty. It came with an arugula salad that was perfect! Lemony tossed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It was one of my favorites. Dessert was good with a lemon cake and a flourless chocolate cake. Both were delicious and a perfect end to our meal. Ok. So here's the deal. Remember, this is a benefit to our community, so it ended up running around 145.00 for two for three courses. They add on 20 % as part of their mission. This included two soft drinks and we left extra money to donate to hands on Hartford. This is a great place with excellent service. If you are looking for a different experience in a beautiful historic building, go visit. You won't be disappointed.

I had been wanting to try this restaurant but would forget about it. When I saw an article in the Local paper about a chef from Mystic being the guest chef for April that got my attention. I made a reservation for Thursday night and we brought our own bottle of wine. We had appetizers, entrées and one dessert. Everything was wonderful and our server, Lorenzo was so knowledgeable and engaging.

Great restaurant with a "pay-as-you-can" concept. It has set courses $40/55 for 2/3 courses for dinner with dishes made by great chefs all across Connecticut. The restaurant sets aside a number of tables for the folks who cannot afford to pay full price of lunch/dinner. It's a part of the "Hands on Hartford" organization. The food is great and the service and atmosphere are amazing. I wish there were more restaurants with this concept.

Pay-what-you-can restaurant from the Hands on Hartford charitable organization that aims to bring together Hartford residents of varying socioeconomic backgrounds. During breakfast and lunch hours Monday-Thursday you can either pay the recommended full price of each item, more, a minimum price, or something in-between. For dinner there is a 2- or 3-course fixed-price menu, where 20% of reservations are set aside each evening for people who are unable to pay. People who are not able to pay also have the option to volunteer their time in exchange for a meal Dishes are all designed by a rotating host of professional chefs, and each month there some dishes are replaced by new ones I came here with my family and we had an incredible meal. The waiter was extremely friendly, the sangria was amazing, and all of the food (including the complimentary bread & butter) was delicious. The portions were big too! It actually ended up being a great deal even paying the fixed-price dinner!

First of all we were not sure what to expect from the outside but we were pleasantly surprised upon entering. We loved the ambience, we love old buildings repurposed. Constant we had the most delicious sourdough bread with maple sesame butter...yummmm I could have just had spoons of the butter. Then we shared the bolognese and it was so tasty. The pasta was cooked perfectly. For the main course I ordered the Pork Chop Milanese and it was so good. My husband had the Coq Au Vin which was the signature menu item from the guest chef of the month. He said it was the bomb! For dessert we shared the Hazelnut Creme Brûlée and it was one of the best crème brûlée's we have ever had. We can't wait to go back.

Dinner here was yummy! Totally wanted to support this pay as you go model and loved the featured chefs ! The overall experience was nice ! All in all the food was good, flavorful, and intriguing. The app was amazing.. some carroway crumble with whipped ricotta and beets. Odd combo but delicious! Dessert was a budino - just perfect. The main entree was a surprise to me but also yum! It said celery root steak....so I expected meat...nope quite the opposite! It's fixed price fine dining for 2 or 3 items. Parking was easy and ample. Go , support, and next time I'll bring books.

Gather55 is a social enterprise located in Hartford near Parkville Market and Witchhouse Tattoo. They have an amazing model where you can either pay full price, pay what you can (minimum $2) or volunteer for 30 minutes. All of the staff I interacted with were extremely welcoming and friendly. The service was a bit slow; it took 40+ minutes for my table to receive our food, but it was very busy and I assume a lot of the staff are volunteers. Even at full price, the food is very affordable and the portion sizes are generous. I enjoyed my pancakes a lot. They were crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside and not too sweet.

I was extremely impressed with our evening here. First of all, there are only a few tables, and the room is pretty large, so there is ample space between you and other parties. There was a big group of about 8 sitting at the next table from us, and they were laughing and chatting loudly, but my husband and I were still able to have a quiet conversation. All of the staff were professional and friendly. We had questions about the menu and the waitress was very knowledgeable. The food was excellent. I took a chance and had pickled beets with ricotta (I had no idea if I like beets or not, but they were good). I had trout for my main course and something that I don't remember the name of for dessert. I ended up taking half of my trout home, because the portions were pretty large. I will 100% come back here.

I have taken out lunch from here. Pay what you want concept is pretty new to me. I paid the full menu price. The restaurant does a good job in helping the community. When I was there, I met a reporter who travelled from the next state to study the concept. A lot of people I saw inside the restaurant were very poor. The staff seem to be volunteers. What they lack in experience, they make up in the pride they take in the cause. Curry chicken was an excellent entree. It looks very colorful, tasted good, was nutritious and the ingredients were fresh. G55 burger was decent. Side of fruit bowl was a nice touch of nutrition. You will love Hibiscus sun drink if you love the ginger punch and the sorrel. PB + Janet was a good shake with peanut butter protien and the goodness of the fruits. It was less sweet though.

Wow, Tell me where you can get a 3 course meal for under $50. Gather55 features some of the top chefs from area restaurants. From the likes of Billy Grant, Jeff Lizzotte, Kristin Eddy & Chef Prasad. So you're getting a high quality meal at a steal if you ask me. The menu changes monthly. You have a choice of 3 different appetizers, 3 different entrees and 3 desserts. On this visit my choices were the Pan fried soft shell crab, Pork chop Milanese and the Malabi all were absolutely delicious and I left with leftovers these are regular sized portions just like you would get if you went to each of these chefs restaurants. I think you should really try them out they are open for reservations Wednesday through Saturday. This great 3 course meal is served at Hands on Harford which does a great serve to our local community.

So happy and thankful that I was there for the new Spring Menu! Last night we were able to gather and try some delicious food for an incredible price. If you look up the restaurant you can find so much information about this concept.Every month you have new chefs coming and preparing amazing meals to benefit the Hartford community. Wasn't sure what to expect but I was so impressed as soon as I stepped in.Beautiful building with high ceilings and incredible artwork. The hostess welcomed me right away and brought me to my table where my party was waiting. Make sure you make reservations in advance because the seating area is very limited and check the hours online. All of our dishes were incredible and delivered on time . The food was so delicious and the chefs for last night came out to say hello and to ask about our meal . I ended up having the classic pasta bolognese for my first course! I know, I couldn't believe it either but it was served hot and probably the best bolognese I had in a very long time! For my entree I attempted to have the pork chop Milanese. I had never seen such a generous size of pork chops in my entire life. Served with arugula ( again very generous) and a very light dressing, perfect for spring. I couldn't finish because I was so full from the pasta and wanted to save room for dessert. I had to go with the tiramisu and was very happy with my choice! Light and fluffy with just enough coffee liqueur and cacao powder. If you ask me, the food tastes even better when you know it's helping so many people! So lucky to have a restaurant with this kind of mission right here in Hartford, Connecticut.

Fabulous creative dinner dishes created by local celebritiy chefs like the celery root steak, a fabulous and surprising entree, grilled. Bok Choy with shiitake mushrooms , and exquisite Bolognese. Interesting desserts cinnamon ricotta pie, campfire cake ( think gigantic high end s'more) and an amazing staff . The ambiance is great.. original art, linen tablecloths and fresh flowers.. The greatest part is the heart of the mission Gathering economically diverse communities around food with a pay what you can program run by Hands on Hartford, a venerable NPO. A must do for all !!

I should have written a review weeks ago for their daytime menu, but after also enjoying their evening meal I HAD to get to Yelp ASAP! The daytime Gather55 cafe is an amazing place. The restaurant has a pay-what-you-can model which means everyone can join and dine in dignity! I paid full price happily and got an amazingly large, fresh, well-adorned Greek salad. The next time I visited I got their pancakes, bacon, and fruit. Again, so tasty and wonderful portions. The staff is out of control awesome and I learned that there are volunteers there every day giving their time as servers. How cool is that? On to our meal last night. My husband had what he calls 'the best bolognese I've ever had' as his starter (the man has had a LOT of bolognese in his day) and I ate a VERY tasty chicken piccata dish which gave me all the warmth of an authentic german meal with perfect homemade pasta. I also loved the cioppino and I am not even a cioppino person but something called me to it! Apparently the evening menu has been created by these badass local chefs - we are talking James Beard nominee-level people. We left a tip that doesn't go to their servers but to help fund the kitchen, pantry, and Hands-on Hartford programs. Don't worry, the servers said they are very well taken care of. Left satisfied and feeling like we did just a little good... One dock for the Butternut bisque only because it came out a little colder/thicker than we would have liked. Otherwise, just fabulous! Will be back...many times!

i had heard good things about gather55 . i love their mission . we struggled to understand gluten free . the apps were ok the dinner was meh. the pork was way over cooked and the chicken was not very flavorful the olive oil desert was thick and bland overall i will not be back

Ready to be totally amazed? Have you tried this new type of dining yet? Gather55 is an inclusive "pay what you can" concept and Hands On Hartford community initiative in Parkville on Bartholomew Street. (The old Spaghetti Warehouse) For $42, you get a three course prix fixe menu featuring top chefs from across Connecticut. Think Chef Emily Mingrone, Tyler Anderson and Billy Grant @chef_billy_grantiii. Coming up in February, Xavier Santiago. We tried: Classic Pasta Bolognese (Billy) Apple Mustard Glaze Salmon (Tyler) Pork Chop Milanese (Billy) Braised Lamb Tagine (Emily) Beets and Burrata (Emily) Kale Salad (Tyler) Pumpkin Spice Latte Soup (Tyler) Tiramisu (Billy) Warm Oatmeal Cookie (Emily) You just can not go wrong here. Plenty of parking. Seating was ample. That might change when more people find out about how awesome this spot is though. Go now :)

Gather 55 is by FAR one of my favorite dining experience in Hartford! Every single thing on this menu is to die for. I have never had a better dining experience- food was delicious, service was IMPECCABLE, and ambiance was gorgeous. I highly recommend the beets and buratta, pork milanese, and the crab cake. However, you cannot go wrong with a single item here! I love that the menu rotates monthly so there is something new and delicious to try.

Excellent first experience at this very worthwhile and important spot near Hartford re-emerging Parkville neighborhood. A price fix menu curated by well known area chefs, you get three ample courses for $55; the five of us sampled almost all of the offerings. Loved the grilled bok choy, chicken cacciatore, celery root "steak" and pork Milanese and ricotta cake. Ample wine pours, educated and committed servers. Great meal. We hope to bring others to support this cause and community soon

Third time is a winner...actually all were winners but the choice of menu items from four chefs was super! My favorite of the evening was the Soft Scrambled Egg (from chef Xavier Santiago) Grilled sourdough, garlic butter, romesco, almonds, sour cream. What a dreamy situation. The Braised Lamb Tangine (by chef Emily Mingrone) was a great zinger with basmati rice, vadouvan cream, cilantro and mint. I can still taste the dessert by Chef Santiago of a yogurt creme brulee with mixed berries, basil granola crunch. What a wonderful evening with a full house. I will be back next week on Friday to try some of the other offerings and can't wait.

Very good food and excellent service in nice setting, spacious and pretty, all for a good cause.

Simply put they don't know or seem to care. You may get lucky and get the waitstaff and kitchen on a particular evening so you get served and food within a couple of hours. If you have any other option take it or good luck!

I've been wanting to eat here for the past few months and finally got a chance. It was even better than I expected. First, the concept is fantastic--rotating chefs (now I have to eat here once a month just to explore the new menu) and having the gratuity go to the pay what you can program. Love it! I would have eaten here just for that but to top it off the food was amazing! Everything, I mean everything was delicious. We had the beet salad, the crab cake, the pork chops, the salmon, and the bread pudding and oatmeal cookie. Needless to say we were full, in heart & stomach, but we just could stop eating. Every single bite was just delicious. Can't wait to go back. Regrettably, I only have pictures of the bread and appetizers, when I still had some control over myself. That control slipped quickly with each subsequent dish.

The food was delicious; the attention to detail and service...phenomenal. Will definitely go back.

We had a wonderful meal last night! The atmosphere is great and the service is fantastic. We were a party of 4 "sharers" so we got to try almost everything on the menu. The menu is small but diverse, and all of the dishes are thoughtfully prepared and plated. We were really pleased with the whole experience; this meal was a Christmas gift for my mom, but we all got to enjoy it!

My wife and I had a wonderful evening at Gather55 tonight. Andrea, our server, was polite and lovely to interact with throughout the evening. The food was great and the organization that runs it is doing some amazing work for the community. 100% recommend for the food and ambiance. Great spot!

I love everything about this new eatery, from the ambiance to the mission all the way to dessert. As vegetarians, we were not sure about this special menu of limited offerings, but Gather 55 did not disappoint. My kale salad must have been massaged and marinated, it was so tender and delicious. My husband raved about the hummus with fresh vegetables as an appetizer. Our entrees were a potato curry dish cooked to perfection in a tomato based sauce. I boxed up quite a bit of it to go, in order to enjoy my cookies with maple frosting for dessert. This is a classy joint with tablecloths and flowers. Perfect for a special occasion. I love the fact that the mission of Hands On Hartford is "caring in action". I'm proud to support "Gather 55" restaurant, and will return again, with friends.

The food is exceptional ! The staff is warm and engaging ! And the community service they provide from the money they make in the beautiful restaurant is absolutely remarkable! If you have not been there yet don't wait ! Get there soon ! Top chefs from the area set the menu and make the meals . You will be delighted ! We were for sure !

Friends of ours wanted to try Gather 55, and we don't get to Hartford much, so this was an interesting adventure for us. First, the building has been beautifully redone, with a respectful eye toward Hartford's fine architecture of the past. Gather 55 has implemented historically correct trim (or has beautifully renovated what was already there), period pieces in the foyer, and mixed that with a modern, open, high-ceiling brick vibe. Our server greeted us right away, and apologized that they were understaffed, but there was only one small moment throughout our entire meal where something was forgotten, and they set it right immediately. You select either 2 or 3 items off the menu and pay a set price of either $40 or $55., depending on how many items. Dishes from notable CT chefs are featured on the menus and prepared exactly as they said chef directs. For starters, Two of our party had the soft shell crab, which they said was amazing. I really enjoyed the hummus with fresh veggies, and one of our couple friends had the pasta with bolognese, that was prepared light enough to be a starter, but still looked delicious. The local Chardonnay wine selection was amazing, and the pork chop was tenderized, flavorful and delicious. Don't let me leave out the awesome sourdough bread, spongy, warm and delicious, that started us all off. We didn't try the desserts, gotta leave something for next time! They add an automatic 20% service charge to your bill. Any tip you leave beyond that is a donation toward feeding those who are hungry, which is a big part of what Gather 55 is all about. Love that there is so much local talent and good community work to celebrate in just having a meal here! Will come back for sure!

What an incredible meal we had. What a great restaurant concept. The menu is fantastic and changes every few months. The chefs are executing on all levels. The food was outstanding!! I highly recommend checking this establishment out. And do it soon. And then go back when they change the menu.

Great mission and food and service are top notch This organization serves a great need in the Hartford community. Support them

We had a wonderful date! Delicious food, well taken care of by Andrea, relaxing atmosphere. We will be back!

Great food and vibe. As a bonus you support the local community by buying dinner so that folks who are not well off can enjoy a good meal.

Gathering 55 is a great place to eat the menu changes every 2 weeks. I love the atmosphere. They just fired or let go of there greatest greeter ever. Dave was wonderful. This is a non profit organization that has a volunteer program for this pay what you can restaurant that now stops the people in need or like volunteering for the paying corporate color . Now they run out of tokens for people who need a meal or really needs to volunteer to eat. That is terrible that a person can walk for 2 hours to get there and now can't eat because they now run out a free or volunteer tokens and that is completely unfair but we will see how this is going to continue to grow

Great food, great mission. Gather55 is the new restaurant at Hands on Hartford. I love that it reserves spots for people to "pay what you can" and I'm happy to support this organization. But don't go just to do a good deed--the food is fantastic! Tyler Anderson created this month's menu. I started with the roast squash. The combination of complementary flavors and textures was soooo good. Then I had the chicken. The tangy sauce on the farro kept me wanting one more bite, one more bite, even when I was stuffed. My husband loved the salmon. We finished the meal with the decadent chocolate cake. We'll go back!

My husband and I had a much-anticipated date night at Gather55 this weekend and it did not disappoint! The ambience is lovely, the staff is attentive and friendly, and the food is terrific. To start, I chose the pumpkin spice latte soup, and now I must have the recipe. My husband chose the butternut squash starter (fresh and delicious). For entrees, I had the crispy half chicken (oh how I love a restaurant that does a nice roast chicken) and my husband had the salmon. The modest wine list is perfectly suited to the food. For dessert, we both thoroughly enjoyed the butterscotch pudding. I'm thrilled to learn that this place will soon be offering gift certificates. It will make holiday giving easy! This is a great place to dine. Tables accommodate every size of party, there is plenty of off-street parking, and you are part of something really special in our community. Note: there's no tipping here, but you can (and should) make a tax-deductible charitable contribution to Hands On Hartford, the spectacular organization behind this place.

Food was outstanding! Staff very cordial and helpful! Ambiance delightful! A very special place!

we visited Gather55 tonight for date night and everything about it was amazing! the food (so many choices to choose from), the staff, and the mission. Please visit and support their mission to help feed the less fortunate! highly recommend!

This is an amazing concept. The atmosphere is beautiful. The flowers on the table were a nice touch. The star of this restaurant are the choices from the area's top chefs. The food is fabulous and plentiful. The menu changes monthly which makes the restaurant unique. 5 stars from me

Amazing food, service and ambiance! The vegan, gluten free 3 course meal was delicious. Definitely recommend trying this restaurant out!

I went because of the mission of this restaurant; but I went back multiple times because of the food and the mission. The food is terrific and ever changing because of the guest chefs that contribute to the menu. They keep some items on the menu from the previous guest chefs and then add new items from the chef of the month. I haven't had a meal I didn't enjoy and my husband and I are foodies. The wine list is limited but very good and reasonably priced. The ambiance and service are great. There is ample parking in Hands on Hartford's parking lot. I would highly recommend you give it a try. Also, if you want to make a donation to the organization to support their efforts to end hunger and homelessness, you can do so by adding an amount on the tip line of your bill. The tip for the wait staff is included in the price of your dinner.

I had the pleasure of dining here in February with guest Chef Xavier Santiago's new menu additions and the ambience was warm & welcoming, the food was absolutely incredible with such different flavors. Truly an amazing place that I'd make a regular if I lived in CT.

Amazing menu. Amazing service. A cozy place to enjoy an outstanding meal contributing to the greater good!

I ate there the other night and the food was amazing. Portions were plentiful and the options were great. I will definitely be back.

Feel good about enjoying a delicious white tablecloth restaurant meal by local star chefs. Ate here on opening dinner night. Our party of 4 each tried the appetizers offered- the roasted local squash half was prepared with pickled onion, a lime crema and was way better than any squash I've ever had. The kale salad was also delicious and unusual. The crispy chicken featured dark and light meat with lentils in a savory gravy. Desserts of pudding and chocolate cake were delicious. Very cool setting and lovely service. Nice wine selection.