Flynn McGarry’s Fine Dining Restaurant Gem Is Closing

Flynn McGarry’s fine dining restaurant Gem restaurant will host its last service on August 26 at 116 Forsyth Street after five years in business.

“The world of dining looks very different from when we first opened in 2018, and we want to think consciously about our role in it as we move forward,” the Instagram post announcing the closure states.

Gem as a concept isn’t finished, though: McGarry tells Eater he is exploring relocating Gem elsewhere and is holding onto the Forsyth Street space for something new he’s remaining tight-lipped about until it’s announced in September.

McGarry made a name for himself when he arrived in New York with his pop-up Eureka at the age of 16, which was exalted for its ambitiousness (it first started when McGarry was 13 at his home in the San Fernando Valley and soon received a New Yorker profile). Gem was his first standalone restaurant, and his attempts to break away from just the teen chef media treatment. In its first year of operation, Gem received a two-star Pete Wells review, during its life as a tasting menu restaurant, where at the time an eight to 12-course meal ran $155 per person. The restaurant later flipped to a la carte following COVID, and now is back to a tasting menu format, according to the Instagram post.

At least for now, Gem Wine, the more casual wine bar follow-up that opened in 2022 serving small plates, is remaining put in its home around the corner at 297 Broome Street.