which to PICK??? Lupa, Marc Forgione or Gemma - need advice!

[Farfalle]

5 couples, all in our early 30s getting together for an xmas dinner in a couple of weeks on a saturday night. We can get into either 1. Gemma 2. Marc Forgione or 3. Lupa. I have been to Gemma and Lupa and food is good at both, never been to Forgione but I hear the food is excellent.

I am not sure what to expect in terms of atmosphere though - does Forgione lend well to a group of 10? If you had to choose between these 3 places, which would you pick for a group of 10?

[rrems]

Hasn't anyone noticed that this post is from last winter?

[JodiA]

I agree with everyone so far Marc Forgione is a fantastic place. Food is good, cocktails are amazing and wine list is great! Can't go wrong and the room is amazing is well.

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Marc Forgione
134 Reade Street, New York, NY 10013

[betsymurphy]

I second Marc Forgione - ate there two nights ago. Good food, service and the place is quite beautiful with lots of candle light.

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Marc Forgione
134 Reade Street, New York, NY 10013

[BernieMSY]

You can't go wrong with Lupa, it has long been one of my favorites. But....

I ate at Marc Forgione last night and had a wonderful meal. the room is really attractive and not very noisy. Well-spaced tables would ensure that your group would be able to hear each other across the table. At Lupa, they are likely to put you in the back room, which is not nearly as much fun as the front bar area.

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Lupa
170 Thompson Street, New York, NY 10012

Marc Forgione
134 Reade Street, New York, NY 10013

[Pan]

I've never been to Forgione, but I prefer the more sedate, quieter back room at Lupa, though I've happily eaten everywhere there, including at the bar. Different strokes for different folks.