EatWest Side

Gypsy Parlor

Don't be confused by the red neon sign in the window that says "PSYCHIC READINGS" — this isn't that kind of gypsy parlor! This comfortable yet garishly decorated combination gastropub, bar, and performance venue is named and themed in an homage to owner Gabrielle Mattina's Roma ancestry, but the menu is a full-throated tribute to the multicultural diversity of the surrounding neighborhood. So-called "West Side Delicacies" include surprisingly authentic pastelillos, samosas, and a delicious banh mi poutine that would be right at home on the menu of the Allen St. Poutine Company. For those with more timid palates, mouth-watering half-pound burgers are the way to go: try the "Black Sheep" of peppercorn-crusted ground lamb topped with dijon & beet coleslaw.

Address: 376 Grant St
Getting there: Metro Bus 3, 7 or 26
Hours: Mon-Thu Sat 5PM-midnight, Fri 2:30PM-midnight, Sun 4PM-midnight
Price: $15-30
Website: thegypsyparlor.com (opens in a new tab)

Directions Suggest a nearby place

Listing from Wikivoyage: Buffalo/West Side, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Updated 28 Sept 2026. Something wrong? Tell us.

Close by

DoWest Side
Gypsy Parlor
Grant-Ferry's live performance venue of choice. From indie rock bands and acoustic troubadours, to DJs spinning cutting-edge electronica, to big-band jazz, to such exotica as drum circles, belly-dancing and poetry slams, there's really no rhyme or reason to the array of local acts that take the stage at the Gypsy Parlor. Open-mic night is held every Tuesday at 8PM.
DrinkWest Side
Gypsy Parlor
By comparison with the diversity of the West Side as a whole — and even of their own food menu and events calendar — the Gypsy Parlor's mood-lit, loungey barroom comes off as an anomaly, almost a throwback to the Grant Street of old. But if you want a break from the constant multicultural exploration, this might be just the place for you. Interesting specialty cocktails abound, the clear favorite among which is the "Gypsy Juice" (apricot, ginger, lemon and blackcurrant added to your choice of booze; the flavors complement each other a lot better than you’d think).
BuyRecord shopWest Side
Black Dots
Black Dots' June 2013 opening in the basement of a Lafayette Avenue flat was so audacious in the face of steeply declining sales of tangible music that the Buffalo News devoted a lengthy article to it, and the fact that they've now expanded to a much larger location is more remarkable still. The store is named for the groundbreaking 1979 debut by D.C. punkers Bad Brains, and aptly so: Black Dots deals exclusively in new and used punk, hardcore, and indie releases on vinyl and cassette, as well as a selection of stickers, patches and band t-shirts. Even the hand-scrawled logo, reminiscent of an old-school concert flyer, screams "punk rock".
Mon-Sat noon-8PM, Sun noon-5PM
BuySecond-hand shopWest Side
Paloma Exchange
If you're a fashion-conscious type with a flair for the retro, you know that scratching the vintage itch can sometimes come at a steep price. Not so at the Paloma Exchange, where the selection of secondhand men's and women's clothing and accessories is expertly curated by a repatriated local native who knows her stuff inside and out and includes a surprising abundance of souvenir-worthy Buffalo swag — and where prices undercut the competition by far. And the shopping environment couldn't be more trendy (or less "thrift store-ish"): floor-to-ceiling windows make for an airy ambience, the decor is understated yet stylish, changing rooms are ample in size, and the playlist of piped-in music is hipster heaven.
Mon-Sat 11AM-8PM, Sun noon-6PM