Best Restaurants for Creative Cuisine in Gowanus

Such a great experience again! This time they us right by the window looking at the bridge. Loved it!

What an amazing find! Cannot believe we have gone all these years without dining here. Went last night for a birthday dinner and everything about it was perfect! A five star experience and we love that they have a dress code of cocktail attire and men must wear jackets. It made for such a special evening and it was a clear night so the city view was spectacular! Cannot wait to go back! Service, food, drinks, and noise level were perfect!

I made a reservation for my niece and her Australian boyfriend who are visiting New York from Toronto. Her Nana and I treated them to dinner for her birthday. They absolutely loved it! And judging by the photos, the food looked fabulous! Thank you for the extra touch by giving her a birthday cupcake. I’ve been hearing about Beauty & Essex for years from a fellow Canadian. I hope I get to visit one day! Thanks again for giving them a wonderful experience.

Honestly pretty noisy but I feel like it’s intentional so the tables feel more secluded. Personally wish the seats didn’t have a stool separating when dining for 2 but that’s more preferential. The food is phenomenal staff is so so friendly—it feels like they are background actors haha. The space is very intentional well done. Aquavit does not even compare to this if a date is what you’re looking for. The food is also very interesting while aquavit is more classical well done Swedish dishes this is a great space for a date as the dishes give you something to talk about with your partner that pertains to the space you’re in.

Essex food and service were totally on point. Vibe was very mellow, but we were dining on a Sunday night. We shared a burrata flatbread which was very good but the steak was the star. The Porterhouse Steak for Two, which could easily serve three, was on another level of awesome and was cooked to perfection. I've been to all the name steakhouses and this may have been the best steak I ever had. Shout out to Kate, our server, for her excellent food and wine recommendations. Will be back!