Decked out in tropical palm trees, golden sands and driftwood, one of New York’s most popular dayclubs transports partygoers to worlds away from the city, with a Mexican beach theme at its core.
British nightlife favourite James Gardner was the brains behind Gypsywhich opened on Governors Island in spring 2022, and told DailyMail.com he was impressed by its success.
Over the past two years, the atmospheric open-air venue has become a hotspot for celebrities, with Dua Lipa, Paris Hilton, Adam Lambert and Emily Ratajkowski among the event-goers, while at weekends, regulars flock there for late-night parties.
When asked what the crowd is like at Gitano, Gardner says it’s “a place where people come to dress up, see, be seen and connect.”
She continues: “Our guests create an island style that takes on all forms and come to celebrate life. Our overall design aesthetic is glamorous and elegant, like silk pajamas and Kate Moss hair.”
Decked out in tropical palm trees, golden sands and driftwood, one of New York’s most popular dayclubs transports partygoers to worlds away from the city.
Briton James Gardner was the mastermind behind Gitano, which opens on Governors Island in spring 2022, and he told DailyMail.com he was blown away by its success.
When asked what people are like at Gitano, Gardner says it’s “a place where people come to dress up, see, be seen and connect.”
Over the past two years, the outdoor venue has become a hotspot for celebrities, including Emily Ratajkowski, who attends the events.
Getting to Gitano is an adventure in itself, with a short five- to eight-minute ferry ride from Manhattan taking you to the shores of Governors Island.
From there, it’s fairly easy to spot Gitano’s location in the ice cream cone-shaped hallway, where the party beat is louder than the birdsong.
Gitano Island New York is not Gardner’s first foray into the beach club scene, having debuted his brand in Tulum in 2013.
There are currently five Gitano branches spread across Mexico and the United States, and the next one is scheduled to open in Dubai.
In addition to the restaurants, the Tulum site includes an elegant beachfront boutique hotel.
Before opening on Governors Island, Gardner launched a pop-up in Soho in 2018 called Gitano Garden of Love to capture the attention of the Manhattan crowd.
However, the venture had some teething problems and was shut down before its grand opening by the Department of Health “for health violations that could not be corrected during inspection.”
After correcting the violations, the restaurant was able to reopen and operated for several years before being replaced by the island location.
Paris and Nicky Hilton (pictured at a different outdoor location) are said to be fans of Gitano.
Getting to Gitano is an adventure in itself, with a short ferry ride from Manhattan taking you to the shores of Governors Island.
“When we took over the property, it was just a grassy hill,” Gardner reveals.
Gardner says building the site on Governors Island took a lot of vision.
The charismatic entrepreneur explains: ‘The place is located on a triangular property that slopes dramatically towards the water, surrounded by historic buildings and century-old oak trees.
‘When we acquired the property, it was just a grassy hill.
‘I imagined an amphitheater where each part of the restaurant is located on a different level: the Upper Dining Deck, the Lotus Lounge and Jungle Gardens, the Lower Dining Deck and the Beach Lounge, the closest to the water.
“We had to work with engineers, arborists, archaeologists and the Department of Buildings to find solutions that would allow us to safely position our structures on the slope.”
Gradually, Gardner’s plans took shape and ‘Gitano became a stunning 27,000-square-foot, 950-seat, open-air tropical jungle garden restaurant with a beach lounge directly on the water.’
When the beach club opened, he reveals that ‘Demi Moore, Rumor Willis and Orlando Bloom were among the first to step onto our limestone dance floor.’
Gardner says building the New York space required a lot of vision
When the beach club opened, Gardner (pictured) reveals that ‘Demi Moore, Rumor Willis and Orlando Bloom were among the first to step onto our limestone dance floor.’
As for the food menu, Gitano Island offers a variety of Mexican-inspired bites that are “designed for sharing and served family-style.”
As for the food menu, Gitano Island serves a variety of Mexican-inspired bites that are “designed for sharing and served family-style.”
When asked what his favorite bite is, Gardner finds it difficult to pick one and instead offers four tasty suggestions in the form of lobster tostada, mushroom sope (a thick pastry similar to a corn tortilla), crispy chicken, and steamed branzino in a banana leaf with spinach.
As for dessert, she goes for the “chocolate casserole,” which she describes as a “steamy volcanic cake with cocoa nibs and a dollop of whipped cream sweetened with cajeta.”
Prices are fair by New York standards: the most expensive item is a prime ribeye for $50, while brunch items start at $16.
Since there is no indoor space on Isla Gitano, it operates seasonally from May to September.
Before heading out to plan some of the closing week’s extravaganzas, Gardner sums up Gypsy Island in three words: “Bohemian! Glamorous! Fabulous!”