This is not a review. I didn't eat at Il Gatto because I couldn't find a table. This is going to be a review of my first impressions of the impressive looking establishment that replaced Figlio, one of my favorite places for Happy Hour in Uptown.
Figlio was great because their drink specials and discounted appetizers were cheap and fantastic. Their bar was big and roomy, with lots of tables to accommodate big parties and little nooks and crannies for couples who wanted something a little more intimate.
Il Gatto was the same drink and appetizer specials, but the bar is an entirely different story. Now it's simply one narrow, awkwardly crowded corridor with the bar on the right side and a line of far too few tables on the left. It can hold maybe a fifth of the amount of people that Figlio's bar could, and since it is now removed from any windows, it feels that much more claustrophobic and uncomfortable.
As I said, I couldn't find a table, but even more than that, lacking a table left me no choice but to leave. There is simply nowhere to stand. I can't imagine anybody would want to come here with more than, say, one other person. It's terrible. It's ridiculous. It's even a little heartbreaking. Maybe I'll try it again just so I can see if the food and drinks are good, but if my next visit goes like my one last night, I'll just end up at the Independent again.
