Absolutely perfect. It was the first time for all four of out party so we all ordered different meals from the new spring menu. 3 Pasta dishes and the Chicken Milanese, all were elevated by the fresh flavors, handmade pasta and wonderful sauces. Our server and the staff were so knowledgeable and friendly and the atmosphere on a Saturday night was lively. Can't wait to go back! read more

Worst Italian food I've ever had -service was dreadful too . I don't understand the hype

This meal was extremely memorable, and something we are going to think back on as such a wonderful experience. We were celebrating three birthdays and they really made us feel special while we were there. Some stand outs from the night were the gnocchi and the sea bass my husband got, I also got the bolognese which was fantastic. This was definitely the best pasta we have had in the U.S. equal to some of the restaurants we went to in Tuscany. read more

Grano Arso - Hibiscus margarita, such a cool, fun and delicious drink - Italian Near Me - Chester, Connecticut

First visit to Grano Arso. Such a fantastic experience! I have to say, the service was impeccable, the food was out of this world! Such a great vibe, comfortable, nice menu and food timing was perfect! The staff, is tremendous!! You must try this restaurant!! read more

My husband and I had dinner here for the first time for our anniversary and from start to finish it was a wonderful experience. Upon arrival we were greeted warmly and wished happy anniversary by the manager and hostess and told we would have a larger table to enjoy our evening! When we sat our waiter (I wish I got his name because he was delightful!) gave us each a glass of champagne to toast our anniversary. It made us feel great and made the evening even more special! On to the food! It was beyond delicious. The food lives up to the hype. The flavors are outstanding and everything is cooked to perfection. I got the scallops to start, they were caramelized perfectly and so good. My husbands carrot tart was out of this world, I've never tasted anything like it. For my main I got the bolognese and it was so so delicious! They make the pasta in house and you can tell, it's perfection. My husband got the duck breast which he raved about. We both practically scraped our plates clean. Just a perfect meal. We were full so we skipped desert but if it's as good as the appetizers and mains then I will have to save room next time! I also got the hibiscus margarita and it was delicious and so pretty! My husband asked for a non-alcoholic beer which they didn't have (I'd love to see one added to the menu!) overall it was a delightful evening and a beyond delicious and enjoyable meal. Seriously one of the best meals we've had in a while. We are already planning our next night out there! read more

My favorite dining experience this summer was at Grano Arso. This charming, modern Italian restaurant offers locally sourced produce and ingredients for the freshest, most delicious meals. From start to finish my husband and I marveled about how our dishes were so flavorful and so well done. We ordered misticanza, a light and delicate salad with caramelized lemon vinaigrette and Arethusa cheese. Did not leave one bite behind. Light. Refreshing. Delicate and delicious. The tomato insalata with stracciatella, roasted peaches, and pistachio salsa verde!!! I have no words. Read those ingredients. Omg. Out of this world. The bed tartare was very well done, too. Great flavor. We also had a eggplant al forno. Grano's marinara sauce is excellent- pleasant tomato flavor with a great balance of herbs and spices. The ricotta in this dish was so creamy. We loved our food so much that it is certainly one of our top dining experiences to date in CT. Drinks were hand crafted and nicely prepared- hibiscus margarita and summer of '69. The summer of '69 had a gorgeous chamomile ice cube. Just so pretty and so enjoyable. The staff was remarkably engaging and accommodating. So kind and gave their time to chat for a few minutes as we inquired about menu items. Grano is an outstanding restaurant and in my opinion, is unmatched in their expertise with modern Italian cuisine. Chef Joel is extremely talented and so creative. I have every confidence that anyone who chooses to dine at Grano will leave feeling very happy. Can't wait to come back. read more

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Farm-to-table in this area is hard to come by so after glancing through the creative menu offerings, we decided to give it a try. The restaurant conveniently offers its own parking lot in the back. When I stepped inside and walked into the bar area, I thought that was it - but wait - there's more. The hostess walked us past the bar area where we were seated in the main dining room, which was spacious, airy, and beautifully decorated. The bread and pasta are made fresh daily in-house so we knew where we would focus our attention on the menu. We started out by ordering cocktails: the Smoking Gun and Admiral's Reserve. The bartender had 'bathed' the rim of the Smoking Gun in the smoke of Laprohaig for extra smokiness, and I must say it worked. The Admiral's Reserve was herbal and sweet all at the same time. We thoroughly enjoyed the fresh baked bread and the butter was outstanding. We ordered Roasted Sunchokes to start - the sunchokes smothered with the black garlic were so 'meaty' - my vegetarian enjoyed them very much. My vegetarian ordered the Orecchiette Integrale - mushrooms were so 'meaty,' and I ordered the Spaghetti. The flavors and textures were all very novel and we enjoyed the experience. We topped off our evening with a glass of red and the pana cotta - the miso caramel was so interesting. The proprietress took great care of us and our server was super helpful in helping us pick out our dining selections. With a menu that rotates on a regular basis to reflect the seasonality of ingredients and hospitality to boot, you can bet we will be back. read more

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Do not miss this rising star of a restaurant. From the very first bite of their house-made bread and cultured butter to the very last bite of one of their playful desserts you can taste the thought, time and attention required to turn out food of this caliber. A great cocktail program(best old fashioned in CT, hands-down), tasty apps well-portionedfor sharing, and a great pasta program offering something for everyone. The deceptively simple dessert menu should not be missed. Their take on Tiramisu is heavenly. Service is friendly and attentive and the atmosphere is one of relaxed elegance. A great spot to meet friends for dinner, a date night, or to celebrate something special. These days, it is rare to get the bill and think "this was worth it" but we left feeling like we would have gladly paid even more for such a great experience. read more

Wow, where to begin... My GF and I ate dinner here this past Saturday night. The table was 20 mins late past reservation but that's hardly an issue--especially during the pandemic. When we were seated, my GF's chair was soaked--I don't mean like a splash of water wet, like literally SOAKED. When we told a server, she shrugged unapologetically and brought over 3 napkins. Unacceptable. When we asked for a new chair, one was merely exchanged for one at an adjacent empty table (it was later removed entirely). We ordered a bottle of wine which was fine but nobody ever came by to top off our glasses throughout the entire meal. My dinner (farfalle with peas) was quite good, however my GF's dinner was so overly salted that she had to send it back. Overall, I'm very disappointed with the service and food for such a renowned establishment and we are not likely to return any time soon. (PS--the bread is amazing!) read more

Wonderful atmosphere, impeccable service in a comfortable environment. Tables are spaced to accommodate private conversations. Of course the food was delicious! Though this is an Italian restaurant, it is not the run of the mill spaghetti and chicken parmigiana! All pasta is homemade with a creative twist on all entrees. Owner came to each table to introduce himself and check on satisfaction. Definitely a return place. read more

Amazing. My fiancé had this restaurant on his list of "need to try" places and I'm so glad he did. We did the chef's tasting menu which I would highly recommend. We got a total of seven dishes. The tasting included a mixture of seafood dishes, pastas, a NY strip steak, and ended with a decadent chocolate torta. We cannot rave enough about the meal. Each plate left us speechless and my fiancé trying to lick the plate clean. The service was great as well. Truly loved this place and already planning what I want to eat when I return. read more

Wow! An incredible experience! We tried the prefix menu and were blown away by the journey taken through each course. The food was outstanding! Your tastebuds will explode with the flavor combinations. The wine pairings were perfect. So good it was an emotional experience. Having lived in Chicago, this was the best food we've tasted in CT. The staff was incredibly knowledgeable and friendly. Cannot wait to come back! read more

They usually only have 3 entrees, and a few small plates. The menu is too short and even though, it takes forever to get your drinks and food. They give you exactly as many pieces of bread as there are diners, and they spread the butter on wood, the amount is inadequate for the few breads they give you. More bread? Gonna cost another $2.50, who does that? The place is crowded and very, very noisy. Very difficult to converse. Sorry, haven't found a reason to go back, probably won't ever. Go and see for yourself. This place has had great food in the past but then the menu just got weird. read more

Went for dinner on February 28th. Still so delicious. I'm obsessed with the mafaldine pasta, which is like a fettuccini with curly lasagna edges that perfectly hold onto whatever sauce it is paired with. I had the mafaldine with pork belly in a tomato sauce. The menu changes often, but I find a new favorite every time I visit! read more

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Had a great meal at this restaurant. The bread was probably the best bread I have ever eaten and the honey butter was divine. I had the olives app and it just got better with every bite. Very firm and fresh. My pasta was a homemade brown pasta with pork sausage and cheese. It was good I don't know that for me I loved the flavor combination with the chickpeas. The waitress was so friendly and excited for to tell me how fresh the food was and all about each menu item. She had me sample the wine to ensure it was to my liking. While there the owner came by and chatted. Great place. read more

Grano Arso - Rye pasta - Italian Near Me - Chester, Connecticut

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I honestly can not say enough about this restaurant except, EAT HERE!!!! The staff is beyond welcoming and friendly and the food is one of a kind for the area. You can't go wrong no matter what you order. The fresh made pastas are always wonderful and the nightly specials never disappoint. The cocktail menu is wonderful. You can really tell that the staff put a ton of thought into the wine list as well as the unique cocktails. Yes, when it is very busy it does get noisy, but honestly it seems to add to the charm. I use to travel for work and I have been all over the world and every time I eat at this place it brings me back to good old New York City, where your treated like family and you feel like the food was custom made just for you. Keep up the good work Chef Joel and Lani. You have a gold mine. read more

Grano Arso - Lani's martini and a rum punch. Perfection. - Italian Near Me - Chester, Connecticut

I wish I could point an arrow to this restaurant with a gigantic sign that says "GO HERE. RIGHT NOW." Our experience here was one for the books; beautiful location with a warm and welcoming decor, familiar yet original food, and oddly perfect personalities at work. The dining experience itself was top notch. Our coats were taken (always a nice touch) and we were seated very quickly. The room feels larger than it is, with different sized tables spread throughout and a small bar on one end. Our water glasses were perpetually filled by whichever staff member was floating by at that moment; I think I only filled it myself once. Chelsea, our server, introduced herself and instantly became our friend. She pointed out some of her favorites on the menu and discussed, in depth, which drinks we should order. I went with the Lower Manhattan while my friend chose the 20th Century. Fresh, warm bread appeared on our table with some amazingly smooth and delicious butter spread (Chelsea recommended with a wink that we compliment the server on his butter technique). We ordered our food and settled back into conversation while we waited. Minutes later, we were surprised with two flutes of sparkling wine as an apology for our drinks taking so long. It was a VERY nice touch and much appreciated; I hadn't noticed a delay in drinks but it meant a lot that the staff was paying attention. First up was our appetizer, the burrata. If burrata is on the menu, chances are we're ordering it. We were unsure of the carrots but decided to give it a shot and we were pleasantly surprised, to say the least. Actually, I'm proud that we held ourselves back from licking the plate once we were done. Next came our entrees. I had ordered the spelt spaghetti (although, really, I could have gone with any of the pastas or the salmon!) after being told that all of the pastas are made from scratch on-site. The broccolini pesto really sold it for me. My friend ordered the rigatoni bolognese, which Chelsea had explained was not heavy on the tomato sauce and focused on the flavors (she was so right, too). I was torn between wanting to devour each bite and wanting to take half home so I could have it again the next day. It's rare to have a pasta with shrimp and not have every single bite taste at least somewhat shrimp-y, but in this case the pasta stood on its own with the shrimp complementing the dish. After seeing our neighbors' desserts being delivered, I decided to box up half of my pasta and peruse the dessert menu. That alone is an indicator of an excellent meal for me. Normally, I get a drink, an appetizer to share, and then either an entree or a few small plates to share. It's rare for me to order dessert unless I went to that restaurant specifically for one of their dessert items. However, the butterscotch budinos being devoured at the next table convinced me to give it a shot. My budino (that I shared with my friend) was the perfect ending to the meal. My friend ordered the Breakfast at Tiffany's dessert drink - it was warm and coffee-y in a wine glass with whipped cream and whoever created that is a genius, for real. Shockingly, the food wasn't even the best part of the night. Chelsea, our waitress, had control of the entire room but never broke a sweat. She spoke to you as if you were her only table for the night and welcomed you as if you were old friends visiting. She would whisper little facts about the restaurant, the food, the staff in your ear as she whisked by. As we were winding down with our desserts, we were introduced to Lani, one of the owners (and wife of Chef Joel!), who sat down with us and had a conversation that may have lasted 5 minutes or 30; I'm not entirely sure but we were both completely taken by her. We talked about restaurants we've been to in different cities, our feedback about that evening's meal, and just about life in general. She treated us, like Chelsea, as if we were regulars who had been coming in for years rather than newbies on our first visit. On our way out, we were introduced to Chef Joel and spent a few minutes with him, as well. Chelsea and Lani remembered specific things about both of us which they shared with him, which meant a lot to us. He was warm and friendly and was happy to hear that we had a positive experience dining there. This place is a gem, seriously. I know my friend is going to be making regular visits here and I hope to stop by whenever I'm in CT. read more

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Our first visit to Grano Arso was on New Years Eve. I had heard that it was a great new restaurant in Chester, and wanted something special/different for NYE. Their focus is on fresh ingredients, including their house made pastas and bread - my two favorite food groups! We got to the restaurant a little early - parking in Chester can be a little unpredictable, especially when there is snow on the streets. I could see that there was a small lot behind the restaurant - we were lucky to get a spot right out front. There is also street parking and there are a couple public lots, but can fill up due to the presence of lots of great spots on Main Street. We were about 45 minutes early for our reservation, and luckily got two seats at the bar. There are only 6 seats at the bar, so getting a spot is not guaranteed. The seats are comfy, but there really isn't any standing room as there are tables right behind the bar. I did see that the hostess was getting drinks for others waiting in the lobby for their tables, so they do take care of you, even if you can't get to the bar! Special shout out to Wesley at the bar - amazing bartender who made us some great drinks and kept us entertained during the wait for our table. For NYE, they offered a four course pasta tasting menu, as well as a slightly scaled back version of their regular dinner menu. While I was tempted by the tasting menu, there were so many things on the regular menu that I was interested in. It sounds like the menu changes frequently - the meatballs that I planned to order were not on the menu, but there were many other great choices. For starters, we ordered the ricotta crostini and the eggplant al forno. Both were amazing, but the eggplant was my favorite. It was delicate and light, but the fresh ricotta on top added richness, also complimented by a perfect marinara sauce. For dinner, I was having a hard time choosing between the pastas - so we ordered multiple. Why not, it was NYE! And I decided I would choose double pasta over dessert. They were supposed to be "small" plates...I was actually pleasantly surprised that the portions were not as small as I expected them to be. One small plate definitely would have been enough following our appetizers and bread. Our first round was the gnocchi with brown butter and kabocha squash. I love gnocchi and this hit the spot! But our other dish - the rigatoni bolognese - was our favorite of this course. It was so flavorful, perfectly seasoned, and just the right size. For the second course, I had the spelt spaghetti - off the menu, but they were able to make it for me, as I had my heart set on it! It was amazing, made with shrimp instead of clams, bursts of flavor from the garlic and broccolini pesto, and a nice crunch from the toasted breadcrumbs on top. My husband ordered the short ribs - I believe they said it was cooked for 10 hours - it was tender and tasty, accompanied by grilled shisito peppers and fingerling potatoes in a nice red wine sauce. I was nibbling on the bits of fresh grated horseradish on top. Every component of the dishes is so deliberate and thoughtful, shows a true love of food and thorough understanding of the ingredients. Service was great as well. Courses were spaced out perfectly. Someone was always there to refill our wine and water glasses. New plates and silverware were provided for each course. It's all about the little touches that help make the dining experience exceptional. The prices were quite reasonable as well. Considering how much we ordered, I expected it to cost a lot more. Overall, we had an amazing experience at Grano Arso. Owners Joel and Lani Gargano have done an amazing job creating this new gem in the heart of Chester. I am already looking forward to going back to try more of Chef Joel's amazing pasta creations! read more

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Amazing cuisine and excellent service. Chef Joel Gargano and his team are simply the best. Highly recommended.

Good food, could be more approachable atmosphere a bit below and whistles and pretentious. Italian food is about comfort, family, accessibility. read more

Delicious food, great ambiance and drinks! The service was wonderful from start to finish, can't wait to return

So disappointing tonight!! Everything was so average: scallops were tasteless, swimming in what looked and tasted like Campbell soup beans, not white beans. What happened to this exceptional restaurant? We will not return. We can't believe this is the same restaurant we used to rave about... read more

So disappointed. Made a 745 reservation for 3. Weren't seated until after 8, and not served our basic pasta dishes until after 915. Ordered arancici, but came back saying they ran out. Our waiter showed up twice the entire meal, a chef/owner was also trying to cover our table. The rigatoni was just ok. Worst was we were starving and sitting there and had to watch 3 other tables get served the SAME PASTA DISHES we had ordered before them but they were served first, and we had a couple piece of burnt bread to hold over. I will not come back or recommend to others. read more

Unreal. 5-stars across the board! * Ambience * Homemade Pasta * Cocktails * Service ****Leaving satisfied and wanting to come back...priceless read more

While the food remains very good - the chicken entree and the peach salad were excellent- however, we booked to sit outside, thinking that they still had the same wonderful patio out back, but they don't! We were seated on the sidewalk out front which was noisy, buggy and the service was not up to Gran Arso standards. We will probably try again someday, and sit indoors, but this was a very disappointing evening - with our friends from out of town. read more

I was very excited to try this restaurant ever since I read about it's opening. In house made pasta was calling my name. I will start off by saying everything we ate and drank was delicious. The small plate offerings of pasta were a perfect size. Just be forewarned that the menu online may not coincide with what is offered. I wanted to try the spelt spaghetti that many raved about, however it was not listed. We ordered the misticanza to start off our meal. Although this salad had wonderful flavor, $12 was a little steep for a plate of greens. We sampled 2 different pastas, and the agnolotti stuffed with goat cheese was a winner. The salmon was perfectly cooked. We shared a dark chocolate cake with chestnut ice cream which was a great way to end our meal. The waitstaff was friendly and knowledgeable about the food that was on the menu. The service on the other hand was confusing. All of us at the table agreed that we have never had so many different people come to the table during a meal. We were not quite sure who our server really was. A different person took our drink, menu and dessert selections. The service fluctuated from too many interruptions to looking for a server to ask for our check. I realize that the restaurant is newly opened, and I am hoping in time these service issues will be ironed out. read more

What an Amazing experience! The staff was Stelar, just Amazing! The food was honestly the Best i have had! The endive salad was perfect in every way and the chicken was just as perfect! All the flavors came together like a symphony! I can not wait to go back and try everything in the menu! Being in the restaurant industry for 37 plus years and finding this Gem of a restaurant honestly just Fantastic in every way! read more

Such a beautiful restaurant. Love the decor and vibe. The owner is the most down to earth and accommodating person. The pasta is freshly made in house and certainly can tell. The menu is always changing depending on the season and fresh ingredients which I love. The service was very good and everyone on staff seemed dialed in. read more

Grano Arso - Italian Near Me - Chester, Connecticut

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I heard great things about Grano Arso so I had to try it out. I was not disappointed at all. Very friendly courteous and knowledgeable staff. Decor is simple. Cream paint- artwork- arched windows wooden chairs and tables. The staff was courteous and conscientious. The server explained that they make their own bread- grind the drain even. The bread and butter were Spectacular and I'm not a big bread and butter person. They have a lovely wine list. I had a rose and my husband had a cocktail he enjoyed too. I had the muscles appetizer and it was beyond delicious and enough for dinner. Served with garlic toast and the cleanest tasting muscles ever. For dinner I enjoyed the salmon. I took one bite of the asparagus and snap peas it came with , and told my husband omg- taste these they are the most perfectly cooked vegetables. Lightly crisp- buttery perfect. For dessert I had the cappuccino chip gelato- again it was fantastic. Creamy with great flavor. Go try Grano. You won't be disappointed. read more

Grano Arso - Salmon with perfect veggies - Italian Near Me - Chester, Connecticut

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This restaurant has everything I like - excellent service, excellent food and an environment that is comfortable rather than pretentious. If you are looking for the Italian restaurant that serves huge portions of box penne pasta with red sauce and massive chicken parm dishes this is not that place. Food here is carefully crafted delicious small plates that leave room for other courses. There is some parking on the street and in nearby lots within walking distance (in the summer the restaurant lot is closed.) My spouse and I were amused that this location used to be a bank that we remember using in our teen years. It is now a casually elegant space that was lively without being obnoxiously loud or crowded. It was a hot day so we enjoyed the hibiscus margarita and strawberry negroni cocktails. Our server was able to suggest wines that paired well with our entrees. Fresh baked bread arrived on small stones with salted butter. We ordered a misticanza salad to share and it was light and sized enough for four people. The pasta is made on site and was excellent. We were a group of six and each had a different dish and everyone was happy with his or her meal. We never felt rushed and had time and room for desserts and coffee. Would like to return to try the chef's tasting menu. read more

Grano Arso never disappoints. My husband and I have been here numerous times for special occasions, most recently our anniversary. The tasting menu is usually the way to go but this time it had duck and I'm not a huge fan of duck. Instead, we ordered several appetizers and both picked entrees. We started with the crustini. It was excellent. Pretty sure the ricotta was homemade. Next we did Swiss chard over polenta- delicious! We both got the lobster tagliatelle for our entree. It was spectacular. The pasta was fresh and the lobster was so tender. Honestly it shouldn't just be a special- it should be a permanent addition to their menu. Can't wait to go back! read more

Grano Arso - Lobster Tagliatelle - Italian Near Me - Chester, Connecticut

We had the pleasure of dining at this restaurant last night and it is our new favorite place! The service was outstanding! From the hostess who escorted us to the comfortable, yet urban lounge to wait for our table, to the bartender who served us drinks in the lounge to our server, who was phenomenal. Our server was knowledgeable, professional and personable. He answered our questions with ease and provided recommendations. The Lani Martini was crisp and tasted perfect! The Rigatoni Bolognese was cooked to perfection and was out of this world. The spaghetti with shrimp and broccoli rabe was also amazing. Plating for both entrees were pleasing to the eye! We also ordered an extra order of their homemade bread since it was so delicious! Decor amazing, we highly recommend this place and would suggest reservations. Can't wait to go back. read more

Grano Arso - Lani Martini - Italian Near Me - Chester, Connecticut

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You are met w a terribly unwelcoming crass amount of "Mask Mandate Warning!!" Signs - 5 to be exact. Five more than any other restaurant in Chester. Less a fine dining experience and more a Sci Fi Horror prelude. The hostess than adds insult to the Sci Fi failure and insists you use their hand sanitizer. I don't need a lecture from a child. Our waiter shared one of the owners is a hypochondriac nurse.. Clearly not a front line one. Appetizers were amazing! Maitake Mushroom, and Eggplant done 3 ways. Excellent. Mains not so much. Main Duck was so raw even the chef agreed it needed another sear. The same recipe he used to cook at Union League but raw. I could make a better bolognese. Honestly read more

Holy cannoli. For those complaining about the extra precautions taken for Covid - well, the chef and his wife just welcomed their first born into a world in the midst of a global pandemic, so I think that explains their over-caution. That being said, the food is amazing. We had a beautiful salad to start with that was just light and refreshing - the lettuces were so crisp and fresh, the lemon vinaigrette was light and tasty and the cheese was the perfect hint of sharpness and creaminess to balance it all out. The cocktails were out of this world - beautifully concocted and perfectly balanced. And the pasta! Oh the pasta - you can literally taste the love that goes into making that hand made pasta. If you get a chance to try the spring ravioli it is rejuvenating; if the goddess Persephone made a ravioli, this would be her spring offering. In addition, the decor is warm and inviting, you are pleasantly spaced from other tables in a way that you can both enjoy your private conversation but also feel apart of the experience, AND the service is spot on. Highly recommend. Also, if you have a pair of nice pants with an elastic waistband, you're going to want to wear those. read more

Great made-from-scratch Italian food, service is hit-or-miss, good cocktails, pricey. A good friend of mine in Brooklyn recommended I try Grano Arso after meeting the owner at a beer-festival in the city. TLDR; It was a good recommendation! Fantastic rigatoni bolognese, mouth-watering homemade bread and butter, cosmic seasonal gnocchis, and hipster-nonsense (really good!) cocktails. The food and drink here are top-notch, not quite Gradisca NYC quality Italian, and still not as good as eating in Rome itself, more comparable to nearby Rustica with a more modern sensibility. Overall, the food and chef are definitely aspiring for awards, and rightfully so. The clientele and dress are upscale casual; we've sat next to families with jumping children, groups of friends letting loose after a day of work, and plenty of quiet couples on dates; it's a solid venue for just about any occasion. The only complaint I have is service related and the general challenges of parking in Chester. We've seen openly frustrated hostesses and gossipy waiters/waitresses, drama I'm not really interested in after a long day of work or travel to eat some premium high-priced italian food. Granted this might just be more prevalently on display as the premise has pretty tight quarters. Overall, some of the best scratch-made Italian food in all of Connecticut, and with an italian joint on every corner from Springfield Mass border to Long Island shore, that's saying something: questo è buon cibo, "that's good food". read more

Excellent food and service. They go the extra mile to make you feel special, and the cuisine is impeccable. This is clearly a local gem and worth it (pretty reasonable by Washington DC standards where we are from). The only complaint I can muster is that the location is in an old refurbished building (if memory serves it was a bank), and so when full the acoustics make hearing a bit more challenging. read more

Best overall restaurant in the shoreline area! The quality of the food and the rich taste is out of this world! The eggplant which I usually get as my appetizer is amazing - I don't like eggplant but that's how good it is!! The bolognese and or the duck are my go-to entrees. Highly recommend both - bolognese I get most of the time and anytime the duck is on as a special I make sure to get that instead or I do as a midcourse. The cocktails are really good here as well - hard to find a place that out of this world food as well as cocktails. The smoking gun and margarita are really good!Ownership and staff very friendly and polite as well. Highly recommend!! read more

In a world where most Italian restaurants are owned by Greeks and Albanians, and many of my American Italians friends think "pasta" to be packaged bleached flour stick swimming in canned tomato slop - this place is the afterlife. My third visit, and these guys deserve a 5 star shout out. Firstly, the location is one of the most romantic dining spots in CT. The restaurant is located in an old fashioned bank in the heart of Chester village. Chester is basically one of those Christmas villages your grandmother asks your help with setting up every year, except with high taxes and wealthy wives that wear yoga pants while doing art in their "studio." Decor is fresh and simple yet cozy...our dinners here have lasted long, one of which I enjoyed on the patio this past summer. I am reluctant to leave, envisioning a second round voraciously packing my gullet full of more and more like a goose voluntarily preparing the donation of his fois gras to a good cause. The food is exquisite. They are milling grains in the kitchen and turning it into handmade pastas and handmade breads. Oh, they are churning butter. They are bringing in true farm fresh, and they are whipping it into not well known Italian dishes, classic dishes, and simple dishes that excite the tongue. The menu has been different all three times I've come, I'm certain they're sourcing from local farms as they name them and the servers speak about them. This most recent dinner featured truffles - tis the season. The chef shaved a generous heap of white truffle table-side over what was perhaps the fluffiest hand made gnocchi I've ever had. I've had white truffle in an alleyway on the outskirts of Firenze that wasn't this good, this fresh. This. Place. Rocks. A testament that Italian food hasn't been completely bastardized and can still be found tucked into random corners of random villages. Dear God, don't stop. read more

Honestly? My husband and I felt very uncomfortable being here. And I have NEVER said that about a restaurant experience. We walked in and didn't have a reservation and the host (who was very nice), gave us a choice between the back room or the bar. No problem, we decided on the bar because of the wonderful light coming in to the front room. There was a woman and a man behind the bar. The woman was nice, though, not very friendly, and the man, made drinks so vigorously that not only did the shards of ice, hit me in the forehead while he was doing so, but it was so loud as to be untenable. We tried to make some friendly chitchat, but the guy was so stuck up, I felt offended and like he was saying it was a bother to serve us. It was like he did not want either one of us there. it's too bad, because we were very excited to try the food here. I am strictly talking about the service, which really was terrible. We paid for our wine and left immediately for a restaurant down the street called the Village bistro. Thank God we left. We didn't want to be around that bad kind of energy, and I am serious, it was bad energy. This felt like a restaurant that believed their own hype. I don't care how good your food is, you need to be nice, and you need to be friendly, first and foremost. read more

Simply the best of everything when it comes to food & service in the charming town of Chester.