Lauren B.
Yelp
From the outside, Gersi appears to be a small hole-in-the-wall, but the food, drinks, and service will surely blow you away.
As you step inside, it's as if you just walked into a restaurant in the heart of NYC. Gersi did a wonderful job of capturing the charm and uniqueness that I'm sure their Brooklyn location embodies and brought it to us here in Richmond. It's quaint, moody, and has cute vintage chandeliers.
I thought all of the cocktails I had were wonderful. I started with an espresso martini which was delicious, and then the Aperol Spritz, which was one of the best I have had - perfectly crafted. I did think it was odd that it came with a slice of grapefruit, rather than orange, but definitely not a deal breaker at all whatsoever. My husband had the Italian Paloma and the Gin Basil Smash, I liked them both but of the two, I would opt for the Gin Basil Smash.
They serve complimentary focaccia with these marinated cannellini beans, which I know - random? But it is actually SO good I was thoroughly impressed! We also tried the classic bruschetta to start, which only really consisted of fresh chopped tomatoes and basil on top of grilled toast and you could really taste the freshness. It was really tart after a while, so we ended up leaving some on the plate. I would order it again, but would also be fine skipping it next time.
For dinner I had the Spicy Rigatoni Vodka special and my husband had the Vongole. They were both delicious. My husband finished his plate and I had only a few bites that I ended up taking with me. I will say - you definitely have to like spicy to enjoy the dish I had because it is REALLY spicy. It was starting to wear on me towards the end. But overall, it was yummy! Next time we have our eyes on some other pasta dishes to try. The noodles are handmade in house and cooked al dente - put simply, perfect.
We also enjoyed the Tiramisu for dessert and left nothing on the plate - it was great! Very creamy and chocolatey.
The service throughout our visit was prompt and friendly. Our waters remained full which I always appreciate and we didn't have to wait for anything including our food, drinks, and other requests.
We will definitely be back and cannot wait to try some other options on the menu at Gersi!