The Wine Bar & Bistro at The Griswold Inn

4.8

81 Reviews

$30 and under

Wine Bar

Make a reservation

2 people

Dec 16, 2024

7:00 PM

Booked 2 times today

Neighborhood gem
Great for fine wines
Charming

The Wine Bar at The Griswold Inn is an extraordinary space in which to enjoy a delicious experience in every respect. It features an innovative tapas menu, inspired "macro" plates, artisanal cheeses and handcrafted desserts. The menu changes periodically to take advantage of all that characterizes a particular season, though there are a few classics that remain on the menu throughout the year, like its very popular Grilled and Carved Bistro Steak, served with white truffle-laced pommes frites, arugula,
and red wine jus. A consistent winner of Wine Spectator's prestigious Award of Excellence, it offers numerous wines by the glass, wine flights, and a more extensive bottle list. A full-service bar is also available. A creative and accomplished chef and a knowledgeable and attentive service staff complete the experience.

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Wine Bar, Tapas / Small Plates
Hours of operation
Wed, Thu 5:30 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:30 pm–10:00 pm
Phone number
(860) 767-1776
Website
http://griswoldinn.com/food-wine/wine-bar-dining/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Smart Casual
Executive chef
Eric Bond

Location
36 Main St, Essex, CT 06426
Neighborhood
Essex
Cross street
1 Ferry Street
Parking details
There are two parking lots located off of Ferry Street directly across the street from the Wine Bar. There is also street parking. All is free!
Additional
Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Wine

What 81 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8

4.8 based on recent ratings

4.8Food
4.9Service
4.9Ambience
4.7Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

Connecticut
Best Service
Connecticut
Best Ambiance
Connecticut
Neighborhood gem
Connecticut
Great for fine wines
Middlesex
Best Overall
Middlesex
Best Food
Middlesex
Best Service
Middlesex
Best Ambiance
Middlesex
Best Value
Middlesex
Innovative
Middlesex
Neighborhood gem
Middlesex
Great for fine wines

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

The Wine Bar & Bistro at The Griswold Inn offers an "elegant, comfortable, and welcoming" atmosphere with "delicious, fresh and inventive" cuisine. Guests rave about the "exceptional" service led by bartender Steve, making each visit memorable. With a "great menu" and "amazing experience," this cozy Connecticut gem is highly recommended.

81 Reviews

W
Wendy
Wilmington
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great fun atmosphere, food, service. Would visit again if back in Essex
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L
Lisa
New York City
36 reviews
vip
5.0
36 reviews
Dined on November 24, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Another wonderful dinner at the Wine Bar! It is such a cozy spot. Love the tapas. Chicken cacciatore, autumn salad and flatbread were great. The upside apple cake was amazing.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
New York City
6 reviews
5.0
6 reviews
Dined on November 20, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Food, wine, service was excellent. Highly recommend this little gem in Connecticut. I’m local and always love this place.
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T
Tania
San Francisco
6 reviews
vip
5.0
6 reviews
Dined on November 16, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Another terrific evening at the wine bar - thank you Steve & team!!
Is this helpful?
L
Linda
New York City
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on November 16, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Thank you to Steve for another fabulous evening at the Wine bar and for making Matt’s birthday special!
The Wine Bar & Bistro at The Griswold InnResponded on November 16, 2024
Thank you so much Linda! Always a pleasure having you and Matt. Have a great Thanksgiving
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L
Linda
New York City
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on November 14, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Fabulous as always! No one better than Steve! Thank you as always!
Is this helpful?
S
Scott
New York City
29 reviews
vip
5.0
29 reviews
Dined on November 14, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The bartender was very helpful and knowledgeable. We had a wonderful experience sitting at the bar. Food and wine were enjoyable.
The Wine Bar & Bistro at The Griswold InnResponded on November 16, 2024
Thank you so much for the stellar review Scott! Glad you enjoyed-hope to see you back soon!
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L
Lisa
Chicago
2 reviews
vip
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on October 10, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
I celebrated my birthday here. The bartender Stephen is very knowledgeable and gracious. The service was attentive and enthusiastic. The food was delicious, fresh and inventive. So we’re the drinks. And the atmosphere is elegant, comfortable, and welcoming.
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L
Lisa
New York City
36 reviews
vip
5.0
36 reviews
Dined on September 7, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Another great experience at the Wine Bar! Great Romain Sal’s with goat cheese and berries, lamp chops, special pasta with pears, bistro steak and a special bread pudding for dessert! Everything was great! Service was attentive and knowledgeable and ambiance was relaxing and sophisticated.
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r
roger
New York City
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on September 5, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Love the new expanded menu, the food and service was top notch. Our waiter was super.
Is this helpful?

FAQs

The Wine Bar & Bistro at The Griswold Inn is rated 4.8 stars by 81 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

Dec 16, 2024

7:00 PM

Booked 2 times today

Google Map for The Wine Bar & Bistro at The Griswold Inn

36 Main St, Essex, CT 06426

Additional information

Cross street
1 Ferry Street
Neighborhood
Essex
Hours of operation
Wed, Thu 5:30 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:30 pm–10:00 pm
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Wine Bar, Tapas / Small Plates
Dining style
Casual Elegant
Dress code
Smart Casual
Parking details
There are two parking lots located off of Ferry Street directly across the street from the Wine Bar. There is also street parking. All is free!
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Eric Bond
Additional
Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Wine

Website
http://griswoldinn.com/food-wine/wine-bar-dining/
Phone number
(860) 767-1776

The Wine Bar & Bistro at The Griswold Inn

Make a reservation

Additional information

Menu

What 81 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

How is The Wine Bar & Bistro at The Griswold Inn restaurant rated?

Is The Wine Bar & Bistro at The Griswold Inn currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Additional information