Alchemy

Alchemy is closed. Made reservation a month ago. Went there tonight and sign on door said it was closed. Waiter at The Franklin said they closed last Saturday (1−9−16). Very rude not to notify reservation holders.

Great cozy spot. Service and food amazing. Duck confit app and farmers board our faves

Here at Alchemy, they like to load on the hooplah for food that you are clearly taking a chance on for value of your money if you veer of the beaten path. We’ve eaten there for a number of years and this is the hard-​won knowledge I’ve learned the hard way: if it’s something exotic sounding (to most mere mortals), then you’ll feel cheated or disappointed. Case in point: on a visit there I scanned the menu and they had a succulent sounding app for beef marrow on the bone with «pink Himilayan sea salt» with blah-​blah-​blah… Hey, that sounds interesting! I’ll try that. I get a beef femur bone, cut in half, coated with pebble size bits of salt. I scrape the marrow out of the bone, which amounts to a coating of the spoon. Maybe a ¼ of this tiny, narrow spoon has marrow on it. Cost of that with burnt little toasts and olive oil with pebbles of salt? About $ 14 bucks… and where is that black truffle they were bragging about?
Next? Their «Bevette Steak» with such-​and-​such. I’ve been a meat cutter for about 4 years or so, so this looks interesting. I look forward in trying to identify the cut of meat since there are always about 10 different ways to name a cut of beef. When I get it, it turns out to be FLAP MEAT. Which is what you use for MARINATED STEAK TIPS. A low-​end cut that costs about 4.99/lbs. for the store before retail mark-​up. Alchemy cost? $ 28 with all the pureed veggies they spoon around it.
The cassoulet? Mostly beans and little of anything else.
Stick with the salads, stick with the fish and maybe the chicken or duck.
At least the service is good.

When you want to go out with adults only this is a great place. A good selection of wines and a very good menu. The service was rather good as well.

Lunch review:
Really nice waitstaff
My mom and I sat at a booth and got cozy for lunch. The booths are really nice and the atmosphere is great for a rainy fall day!
Mom got a burger and a beer and I got a flatbread and tea.
I was wanting a sandwich or something and would have loved a turkey or veggie burger but didn’t see them on the menu so went with the vegetarian flatbread instead. It was tasty but the menu is right it’s an app not a lunch, I should have listened!
I tried the fries and they’re great – thicker cut and crispy. Mom loved her burger. Ill be back – maybe for dinner instead!

Had a fantastic dinner at Alchemy recently! On a Saturday night we had a reservation for 8:30 and were seated quickly.
Our server came to our table very quickly. After reviewing the drink menu I had a few questions and she answered all of them throughly. I started with a dirty martini and my bf had a bourbon which we both liked.
We then had the burrata which was gorgeous and delicious. The pesto it was served with was very fresh, and the tomatoes were very sweet and juicy. I then had the salmon and he had the duck and we both ordered wine. My salmon was cooked perfectly and I loved the Marcona almonds in the dish. The quinoa with beets was a unique preparation. He loved his duck, and both the risotto and duck were cooked nicely.
We finished with the chocolate trifle which was the best way to end the meal. The chocolate mousse was very light and delicious. The strawberries added the perfect freshness and the brownies were decadent and rich.
Our server was very knowledgeable, and was very friendly and efficient.
I will definitely be back!

Great Food and great service. I went there with a Groupon but will be returning again. The Brunch was delicious waitstaff was great did not feel rushed!

This is a great restaurant. Listen to music on Thurs. MArtini’s. Great, interesting food. And also good for lunch. Groupon’s galore.

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Gloucester. Finding such a place with charm, good service and amazing food is hard to come by around here! The brunch is amazing as well, my fiancé and I highly recommend Alchemy.

Came here with family friends in a group of 6, we were treated very nicely by the staff! Every waiter who spoke to the table, whether it was bringing food over or bringing us anything we needed, was extremely kind and knowledgeable about the menu/​all of the stuff that the restaurant had to offer.
The muscles starter dish and the assorted meat plate were both delicious, good sized starters. The assorted meat plate was a great starter for our big group, they had a great assortment of meats and cheeses, something for everyone regardless of how «artisan» they choose to get with their cold cuts!
To be honest I didn’t love my clam vongole, The clams were a little too salty and the pasta didn’t really have any flavor I just tasted like someone had thrown oil and maybe a tiny bit of lemon on it. My parents got the duck which they both loved and everyone else enjoyed their meals as well, I think I was the only one who was not completely happy with my dinner.
Over all a very chic little place, prices are definitely reasonable, and the location is great after a day at the beach or in town, nice place for a classy dinner!

Great spot in town. Jessica is an outstanding bartender and I can honestly say she is one of the best in the business I have ever come across. She knows her stuff and has a lot of fun doing it. The burger with the house made potato bun is out of this world as is the pasta. My favorite thing there is the grilled calamari. If you go for dinner or just small plates you will be impressed. If you can go to the bar and have your meal do it! You will not be let down!

We had calamari, halibut, caprese salad, bolognese, rabbit & risotto. Everyone delighted with food, service, and atmosphere.
Just edited my review to add a star. Upon reflection I wondered what they could have done to earn highest honors and decided I had been too stingy!

In comparison to the old Alchemy, it was a disappointment. On it’s own, it will pass for mediocre.
The atmosphere is still pleasant with warm lighting, cozy nooks to sit in, exposed brick walls, and comfortable seating. Good for friends, dates, and families with well behaved kids.
The wait staff was just meh. They weren’t all of that friendly or attentive. But, they weren’t rude either. Staff in the old Alchemy seemed more upbeat.
The food was probably the least satisfying aspect of the experience. I tasted the following dishes: Grilled Whole Calamari, Potato Croquette, and Spinach Fettuccine. The calamari had minimum taste and was served on an oversized piece of toast to hide the fact that there was maybe 5 pieces of grilled calamari. Potato Croquette was alright. Spinach Fettuccine was overpriced but tasted good after adding red pepper flakes, ground black pepper, and additional parm cheese.
The bar is small and the bartender seemed friendly. I had a taste of the Ooh La La, which was a bit sweet for me but still enjoyable.
This place use to be so awesome! I am really hoping that they improve the food and do something to make their servers a bit happier (like feed them good tasting food).
I also heard that
offers a coupon to Alchemy, in case you want the experience but would like a discount: -)

Went here for there brunch only offered on the weekend. Food was super fresh and well presented. Beer selection looks great with a lot of local selections. Only reason for 4 stars opposed to 5 was they were obviously understaffed and it took a long time to get our food/​check. Parking isn’t great either.

This review stems from one experience, so this could very well change upon a second visit. But for one thing, they have excellent service — all the servers are busy, helping all around the restaurant. So if someone notices your drink is empty or you’ve been sitting a bit, they aren’t shy about attending to you if your main server has been sidetracked.
We got the Alchemy Punch, which changes nightly. This was a vodka based earl grey kinda punch with nutmeg shavings on top. Sounds gross? Definitely not. It was so very good.
The steak tartar was tasty and they even found a gluten-​free option to replace the crostini for me without looking at me funny or acting as though it was an inconvenience. The steak my man ordered was cooked correctly! This seems to be a big problem in restaurants — good cuts of meat often ruined by poor cooking methods. This steak was medium rare as ordered, with a slight crisp blackening of the outside and tender goodness on the inside.
Potatoes made with butter — asparagus not limp — and nice overall ambiance to boot.
We’ll be back, and that’s no threat.

We used to go to this restaurant all the time and were excited it re-​opened. Unfortunately the food was not nearly as good as it once was. App was not very good at all and everything else was just OK. But the burger I have to say was AMAZING!!! It was one of the best I have had in many many years. Waitstaff was very friendly and help make a great atmosphere. This restaurant was always better than the rest of this restaurant groups other mediocre restaurants and now it fits in with the rest and does not shine anymore :(

Stopped in here for a family dinner. We loved the old Alchemy and were happy to see it back in business. However, a VERY lacking experience and meal, and I don’t think we will be back again.
First, when we were shown to our reserved table, we told them my sister was not yet here but would come in a few minutes. The hostess nodded. About 10 mins later, got a rather frantic call from my sister – she had come into the restaurant and been told no party with our name was there nor had a reservation. She wasn’t sure if she had the wrong time, date, or what, so called, and we had to go out and walk her in. She was pretty upset. Hostess was apologetic and promised to send over the manager – which never happened. Hostess said something about this being a «flaw in the computer system,» but SERIOUSLY? Parties check in all the time with different members coming at different times. The fact that the manager NEVER came over during our whole meal tells me something is very amiss, here.
Second, food ranged from OK to very, very bad, but it was all overpriced. I enjoyed my mushroom dish ($ 18.00), but it was quite tiny. My sister’s rotisserie chicken was dry. My boyfriend ordered the cod, which was not fresh and had a very bad smell; they had tried to cover this up with some sauce, but apparently they don’t pay much attention to how fresh their fish is. My brother ordered his hamburger well-​done, but it came very red and rare. The appetizer platter we had ($ 18.00) was tiny and (as it turned out) not served with everything that should have been on it (onions were missing and I think a few other things).
Drinks were good and my mom seemed to enjoy her (small, overpriced) steak. But the rest of us left hungry and a bit angry.
Overall, food was so-​so, everything was overpriced, and where was the manager? If the reservation system is so flawed that they are turning away single members of individual parties who have a reservation, the MANAGER should definitely know about this and apologize.

Updated — review. Have now been to Alchemy a couple of times since it reopened On our most recent visit, we sat at the bar where we met Megan, the excellent bartender, who quickly had us trying out some great cocktails (a classic Last Word and one from their menu called Go Figure, featuring fig-​infused bourbon and Cardamaro… Yup, will be trying that again)
Food has been very good (clearly or we would not have gone back). Last time, my stunningly attractive and brilliant wife had the roast chicken in a pot which was fall off the bone crazy good while I had the ribeye filet which was also perfectly prepared. Solid wine list, weighted heavily Italian but with plenty of by the glass options. Rumor has it that this will expand to include other regions
Bottom line, a welcome return to downtown Gloucester. We never made it to Pinoli in the very brief time it existed but from what I’ve read, we didn’t miss much. Alchemy is now officially in the Gloucester restaurant rotation.

Stopped in on a Sunday around 1:30, ppl were polite and it was relatively empty. There was a dude with guitar and sax playing live music — Carlos and the Dubtones. They were great background music.
We sat at the bar and had a very nice bar tender/​waitress. She was sweet, didn’t seem entirely caught up on the menu, and spent a lot of time chatting with her friends at the other side of the bar, but otherwise was attentive.
We started with a beet salad — basically 3 slices of beet, a handful of greens, and some nice cheese. It was quite tasty, the ingredients blended together well, but it was tiny, an absolute joke for $ 14 — WAY too expensive. Especially considering the burger was $ 12.
So I got the burger — it was really great. Bun was great, came with carmelized onions, and some bacon jam. Just a great burger.
Fries that came with it were good — thick cut. I asked for them to be extra crispy, and they were okay — but not very crispy. However, good otherwise.
Food too a pretty long time, which was annoying considering it wasn’t very busy.
I had an organic cider, which I didn’t like; it had almost no sweetness, nor flavor. Bland and boring.
Food was good.

We were expecting a pleasant experience with excellent food when we went out for dinner at the reopened Alchemy on Friday night. The backstory: the old Alchemy Tapas & Bistro closed last spring and after renovations, reopened as Pinoli a few months ago. After being open only a few weeks the chef took a position in California because Gloucester wasn’t a good fit for his family, so Pinoli transitioned to Alchemy.
I had heard great things about the old Alchemy Tapas & Bistro so was looking forward to a great experience at their new incarnation. I was not impressed. The menu is extremely limited and pricey for what you get. The service was dismal. The server seemed to be operating by rote. The bright spot was the hostess, who was smiling and engaging. We were seated and given menus. We knew what we wanted to drink but the server gave us water and said i’ll be back after you have a few minutes and took off. When she finally came back we knew what we wanted to eat, but we got the same routine. She eventually returned with our drinks and we gave her our food order.
My partner ordered the $ 16 burger which is listed on the menu thusly: with bacon-​tomato jam, Vermont cheddar, dill pickles, pickled red onion & garlic mustard butter on potato-​rosemary bun & served with hand cut fried [sic], mini pickle, lemon aioli & ketchup. I ordered the $ 21 rotisserie roasted giannone chicken
with white beans, salumi & tomato soffrito [sic].
Whilst we waited we had some bread which was quite tasty, despite not being warm. The presentation [served on a piece of slate] was nice.
Our food was delivered by another person who gave me the burger and my partner the chicken. I’m sure there is a good reason somewhere for having someone else deliver your food, it didn’t work well this time. After switching plates i gave my partner the chicken leg to try. The chicken was DRY AND BLAND. the white bean/​soffitto stuff was very bland. i took 2 or 3 bites of the chicken, trying to like it, but i couldn’t. it was too dry to eat. where’s a server when you need them? finally, after my partner had eaten ¾s of his burger, the waitress shows up and i let her know that my meal is inedible and why. she takes it away and wants to know if i want the menu again to chose something else but i said no, just bring me a burger. all my silverware is taken away as well.
after 25 minutes the burger appears, but no silverware so i had to get up and ask the hostess for some. a waiter brought it about 5 minutes later. the best thing about the plate were the fries. although they were a bit greasy they were well cooked. the burger had a couple of miniscule pieces of pickled red onion, a nice amount of cheese, but no discernible bacon/​tomato jam, garlic mustard butter, or dill pickles. the pickle served beside the burger was large and while the rosemary potato roll sounded good in theory, it quickly disintegrated.
i was told by the server that the chicken was dry because it was rotisserie chicken and it sometimes got that way. perhaps they shouldn’t serve it if they haven’t figured out how to keep it this side of the sahara. there is also no salt and pepper on the tables, which i dislike. i understand that the chef thinks that the food that is being sent out is perfectly spiced, but not everyone’s palate is the same.
from looking at the meals served around us the portions seemed small across the board. there was a guy who was eating the trout at the table next to ours and he looked just as bewildered as we felt.
on the plus side the space is beautiful. they’ve refinished the hardwood floors and have some nice, not obtrusive, décor and lighting. i understand that they are going to be hiring a new chef and that the kitchen is currently in the hands of one of the owners of the serenitee group, which owns alchemy, along with several other restaurants in the area.
Serenitee has a frequent-​diner card. at their other restaurants one is always asked if you have a card but it was not mentioned here at all and as i forgot about it, i didn’t get any credit for this meal.
your check arrives in a tiny mason jar thing that the pen falls out of. it’s a clever idea that isn’t functional.
i was excited to try the ‘new’ alchemy but won’t be back until they work out the kinks.