Gage and Tollner — Review by Tastemade
Brooklyn, United States — Steakhouse, American
A visit to the legendary 140-year-old Gage and Tollner in Brooklyn reveals a masterfully restored steakhouse that honors its rich history while delivering exceptional modern cuisine. The iconic dining room features original 1891 chandeliers and hand-polished mirrors, while the menu celebrates legendary chefs like Edna Lewis with dishes such as she crab soup. Every aspect from the seafood tower to the perfectly cooked steaks demonstrates both historical reverence and culinary excellence.
What was great: Porter House T-Bone steak with mashed garlic, seafood tower with oysters and lobster, clam belly broil with miso, Parker House rolls, hash brown potatoes with cream and butter, she crab soup, historic ambiance and chandeliers, attention to culinary and design history
What could improve: Nothing mentioned
The Dishes
Gage and Tollner's menu is a love letter to its storied past. The Porter House T-Bone steak arrives as a showstopper, featuring mashed garlic that elevates the meat to what the reviewer describes as heaven. The seafood tower is the ultimate statement piece, overflowing with perfectly cooked shrimp cocktail, numerous oysters, clams, and a full lobster that would be ordered repeatedly. The clam belly broil features a special ingredient: a touch of miso that adds unexpected depth and richness. The Parker House rolls are essential for sopping up the incredible sauce from the clam dish. The hash brown potatoes deserve special mention as a layered masterpiece with over 30 layers of potatoes, cream, and butter that showcase impressive technique. The she crab soup pays homage to legendary chef Edna Lewis, who worked at the restaurant from 1989 to 1992, offering a silky texture with cherry and crab flavors that work beautifully together.
The Experience
Walking into Gage and Tollner is like stepping into a time machine. The dining room is a New York City landmark interior, ranked as the third most important after the New York Public Library and Grant's Tomb. The original chandeliers are hallmarks of the space, while hand-polished mirrors with intricate linrusta detailing from 1891 create an atmosphere of genuine historical importance. The current owners have meticulously restored the space while maintaining its period-appropriate design, requiring approval from the Landmarks Preservation Commission for every choice. Upstairs sits the Sunken Harbor Club, a cutting-edge tiki bar that reimagines what a 1890s tiki bar might have looked like using modern mixology techniques.
Value & Pricing
While specific current pricing isn't detailed in the review, historical menus show the restaurant charged $3.40 for a Porter House steak in earlier decades. The presentation and portion sizes suggest premium pricing, typical of a high-end steakhouse establishment of this caliber.
Notable Moments
Heaven is what it tastes like.
There's like a magic in this room.
If someone made like a tiki bar in 1890, this is kind of the answer to that.
If you just pay homage to the people and the history, then you're going to fit right in.
The Verdict
Gage and Tollner is a masterclass in restaurant restoration and culinary tradition. The owners have successfully balanced historical preservation with contemporary excellence, creating a dining experience that feels both authentically vintage and genuinely modern. This is essential dining for anyone who appreciates New York history, exceptional steakhouse cuisine, or the art of honoring culinary legacy. Whether you visit for dinner downstairs or cocktails in the Sunken Harbor Club upstairs, you're participating in a New York institution that has been reimagined for the modern era while remaining true to its legendary roots.