We had a lovely 5 night stay at Graybarns - it's a truly special spot for a retreat and only an hour drive from nyc. The inn itself has a long history and only has 6 rooms - but everything has been updated with spectacular finishes including heated bathroom floors, claw foot tubs, and really comfy furniture. The service here is what sets this place apart - everyone goes above & beyond to ensure that you have a special stay. I loved waking up to breakfast every morning which featured farm fresh ingredients like orange juice, eggs, bagels still warm from the oven, berries, and homemade granola. I can't wait to return! read more

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Great food! Amazing experience and wonderful service. Thanks for a good time. Thanks GrayBarns! read more

GrayBarns - Photo next to the lake - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Norwalk, Connecticut

We did a team dinner here last night. The service was exceptional from Daniel and team - very attentive to our needs without hovering. And the food was amazing! We ordered several apps and the standouts were the spicy rigatoni which was a perfect balance of flavors and the beets and berries salad, which officially converted me to a beet eater- just delicious. The pork chop and scallops also received rave reviews from the group and the extensive wine list allowed for the perfect pairing no matter the entree. The ambiance was lively but not too loud and simply a gorgeous historical venue with a fountain and fireplace view in the main dining room. We all agreed it would be at the top of the list for a return visit and we would highly recommend it for a group event or a cozy date night sure to impress. read more

Went there on a Tuesday night and found the place not too noisy at the beginning which was 6:10 PM. I found the menu somewhat limited but tried the short ribs which was a in fact, 1 short RIB! It came out tepid and dry with no discernible gravy but a very high price tag! I sent it back, which was a first for me, complaining about the temperature and the waiter promptly took it back and returned it a while later at the same temp I returned it! I ate some and took the rest home since my mates had finished their dinners. I will say, one of the gentlemen had a pork chop that looked amazing and he did rave about it. My other friend had the same as I did but didn't complain. We both had the Affagoto, ice cream with expresso coffee over it. Average but definitely full caffeine. Not much sleep for me but that's not their fault. I hope they enlarge their menu and portions or I have my doubts that they will make it for the long haul. I'm not rushing back to find out! read more

Very disappointing... and here's why. Tonight was our first time dining at the restaurant, and it was very underwhelming. Great decor and ambiance, but the food was lacking both in presentation and taste. The Pros: Lobster toast was one of our favorites. A nice light, fresh bite to start. The salad was your standard salad. The cauliflower was just ok. The Cons: The burger is small, the meat lacked juiciness combined with very light toppings made for a sub par burger. The side of fries (in my case) were a bunch of bits from the bottom of the barrel (and not to mention way over fried). The duck breast looked messy on the plate, and didn't have the crispiness as described. Although, the flavor of the sauces on the plate were good. As a result, we skipped dessert... The Verdict: A nice place for drinks and appetizers only! read more

Nice ambiance and impeccable wait staff. Rigatoni with braised lamb was lambless. Roast duck had duck breast that could not be cut. WTF?

Are we in a Calvin Klein ad except more rustic? The drive to this spot was so interesting I felt like I left Norwalk and was transported in another world. Feels occasiony if you know what I mean. You must get the make it snap pea cocktail. It is delicious. Also the lamb ribs so good I had two plates. It's so flavorful. Tuna tartare is also part of the package. My friend in pound ridge says Jean Georges pales in comparison. Put on your hip clothes and come here instead. Oh, parking is valet so being some dollahs read more

Fantastic ambiance and beautiful decor. Good wine menu but entree options are limited and large plates not so large. I really want to like this place. Hope they fix the menu and portion sizes. read more

Love coming here. But... both fish entrees were sold out by Sunday dinner (and we don't eat meat). So was our first choice of red wine. Made do on both counts and enjoyed our meal! Chipped plates on both salad and dessert service. C'mon! Graybarns, we expect more from you. read more

Between the atmosphere and the food, GrayBarns was the perfect place for brunch. I highly recommend this spot for your next special date, birthday, or even dinner with your parents. GrayBarns is a bit on the expensive side but definitely worth it. The quality of the ingredients are exemplary and their food creations -- out of this world. We had the burger, the brioche French toast, crab fried rice, and eggs Benedict. Everything was better than the next! Highly recommend. read more

Absolutely amazing restaurant in a much needed location. Food is delicious ! Try the smoked olives, the roasted oysters, the beef tartare, and the roast chicken! The atmosphere is amazing - a great combination of unique history with a modern twist! Have a drink at the bar, listen to the piano, and head up to the tavern for dinner. Can't wait to try this place this summer! read more

GrayBarns - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Norwalk, Connecticut

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I went to Gray Barns with excitement and high expectations, but I left there very disappointed. I was with a party of six adults seated in the upper level of the restaurant. It became immediately apparent that the noise level was very high, almost to the point where we could not hear one another. No problem though, I would certainly sacrifice something like this for great service and good food. A swing and a miss! Our server was inattentive, forgetful, and downright clumsy. A few in my party waited 20 minutes or more for their drinks and only received them after multiple reminders to the waiter. The quality of food was for the most part decent, however some dishes were clearly over-seasoned (steak, and snapper with cauliflower in particular). The duck however, was very good. Gray Barns is a place to be seen, and that's about it. I won't be going back. read more

Wow, what a roller coaster! One of the women at the front desk, the one who acts like she is in charge has a total attitude and should be immediately reassigned. The bar was packed but a comfort from our introduction. The bartender was great. I had the duck, in the top 2 versions that I've ever had and terrific. The crab claws were equally great. Unfortunately the other three at the table ordered the prawns over polenta which was not great, and the lobster pasta also was in the same category. The waitress was amazingly good and the service was about perfect. Prices are ridiculous, plan on $100 per person with wine and sharing an app. Good luck! read more

Had dinner with my wife - just tried showing up hoping for a table. Was able to sit at the bar - the bar tenders were awesome and food was right on point. Great date night location! read more

Just enjoyed the most special lunch at GrayBarns today with my family for my 35th birthday. I have nothing but fantastic things to say about this spot. Stunning decor and ambiance- cozy yet ultra chic with a nice crowd. Excellent, delicious food- five stars. Had the wedge salad, green goddess salad, roasted oysters, spicy rigatoni, bacon cheeseburger- all out of this world. Don't forget the kids rigatoni, hot toddy and pink champagne! Not one item disappointed. Great service- kind, helpful, attentive but not overbearing. Recommend any day, particularly for a special occasion! read more

Have been there a few times but something has declined. It had worthwhile dinners then they started serving odd menus and strange food that did not rest well on the eyes nor the stomach. There was a strange dinner that had a chicken with the lungs? No one could figure it out. They used to be pretty adept but has declined. Hope they get their original mojo back and some lamb chops and filet mignon. No one with a high palate enjoys cauliflower or soggy fish. I suppose we are used to the once great restaurants of a once amazing NYC and now even those are gone. Welcome to the New World Odor. read more

I came here with a friend for dinner. I have to say I was overall pleased. For those who remember the quaint old silvermine tavern, this place has completely transformed into a modern but still warm and homey place. We each had a cocktail from their list. Both were outstanding and there were more I wanted to try. They were worth the $15. We shared some small plates, roasted oysters, tuna tartare, octopus, and burrata. They were all very good. The octopus was so tender, I could have ordered it again. We shared the duck entree as well. It was deboned and delicious. I have to say for the amount of food you get here, don't go if you're on a budget. This place is expensive. The ambience was wonderful, the service was excellent (thanks Chris!) and the food, while on the ordinary side, is great. The desserts, while also very good, are also very ordinary. If I go again I will try their roasted chicken which our server recommended. They have a great wine list but also very pricey selections. This is a good special occasion restaurant but I can't envision myself going here when I'm just going out to dinner. But that's me. :) it really is beautiful inside and very good food. Now if only they would bring back the damn sticky buns. read more

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If you're thinking of hosting a private event here, I strongly discourage it. We had a contract in place and everything in writing from the events coordinator here. We later realized that a couple days before our event they charged us hundreds of dollars more than was stated in our contract on our deposit without even telling us! We had no idea about any of this until we checked our credit card bill nearly a month later. When I questioned them about it, they stated the added money was "taxes". As per our contract, the taxes had already been factored into our deposit. Also, if it were in fact tax, it would have been considerably less than what was added. The whole thing seemed incredibly sneaky! We reached out to both the events coordinator and the general manager and have not heard back. For the amount spent, I would have hoped for better treatment. To their credit, our servers were great. read more

I feel sad to write this- because I really, really wanted to like this restaurant. Fairfield county is in desperate need of nice restaurants - and this one looked like it had so much hope. The restaurant is beautiful, our service started out ok, menu looked nice.... until, our waitress disappeared and our food was, not just bad, but inedible. My friends sole was a pile of mushy, uncooked, unappetizing, and frankly, disgusting plate of food. My short ribs had zero flavor and was served with over fried greasy potatoes. No one came to ask how our food was- and that was it.... they just came to ask if we wanted to wrap it up? Wrap it up? It's slop :(. I am hoping they get it together, because it is such a nice space. read more

I have been trying to get in touch with the Event Coordinator to hold an event at their establishment. It has been a nightmare, I have send multiple emails, called multiple times and have physically shown up at their place to get a price quote and no one will get back to me. Names I have been told to talk to Nicky and Cassandra both either MIA or too busy to give me the time of day. I am from NYC and have booked numerous events at establishments a hell of a lot more trendy and nice than this place, those people actually took the time to do their job. I now live within a mile of Gray Barns and they have been open less than 6 months and I am already turned off. Needless to say, they are not that bright or just do not know how to do their job. Super frustrating. read more

Went for brunch with friends and had to wait more than 30 minutes for a reserved table and was repeatedly told the people at my table were just lingering after paying thier bill only to find out there were other empty tables and that the hostess had been lying to us...waiting is ok, lying is not. Once we had a table the service was slow to say the least....I did enjoy the gazpacho soup but the tuna tartar had minimal tuna and was $22....nice setting though quite load acoustics and quite expensive for average food. Would not go back and neither should you)) read more

I'm surprised by some of the negative reviews on here. We went tonight with some friends for dinner and were thoroughly satisfied. Granted, we were there on a weeknight so perhaps we did not experience some of the noise and crowding issues that might be apparent on the weekend. We were greeted with grace at the check in, seated immediately, served by an awesome woman with good menu knowledge and a lovely manner. We ordered salads, apps and the large crudité bowl to share. Be prepared, there are vegetables in that bowl that you've never even heard of, and the dips are delicious. More than enough for 4 people to share. Entrees were also good, three fish dishes and the chicken. The owner of the chicken was less pleased than the pescadores, he thought the sauce (mint?) was weird with chicken. Desserts were good, with the flourless chocolate cake taking the honors. The chocolate is very bittersweet, so a nice change from the flourless chocolate tarts of the 1980's. I forgot to mention the drinks and the wine list. My drink was strong and the wines by the glass were excellent and seemed a good value, albeit pricey. To sum up, this place is not cheap and it is not "casual". It is a beautiful room with excellent food and good service. If you don't feel like paying for that, then this is not for you. Despite its neighborhood suburban location, this is a sophisticated restaurant and will put a dent in your wallet. I never mind that if I feel I am getting my money's worth and tonight I think we got that. read more

This place was amazing... drinks were fantastic... service was great and the rotisserie chicken was to die for along with the cote de boeuf... I will definitely return to this establishment! read more

GrayBarns - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Norwalk, Connecticut

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We live locally and can't be more pleased that this hip, beautiful restaurant, with fantastic food, is within walking distance to our home. Lucky us! We visited recently for drinks and food at the bar and we were not disappointed. We had oysters that were fresh and delicious. Our side dish of grilled corn with tomatoes and cheese was nicely presented and seasonably tasty. We were initially put-off by our bartender who, when we asked how he was this evening, replied "oh o.k.". As we continued our conversation throughout our visit, he got friendlier and it became clear that he really is passionate about the delicious seasonal drinks he is creating and serving. We can't wait to go back for another visit soon. I have to note how truly special the decor is at GrayBarns. The ambiance is warm, relaxed, and chic. We wish the prices were a bit lower, so we could go there every night! read more

I have eaten dinner and had cocktails at the bar here several times in the past couple of years and have always enjoyed it. Tonight I had dinner, and it was transcendent!! The service was incredibly friendly, and the food was out-of-this world. I had 2 small plates-- the Bibb lettuces and crab toast -- and they were fabulous. If you haven't tried this restaurant, you should!! read more

Visited Saturday night for a drink, did not eat dinner. Just a drink to check it out was our plan. Beautiful space and location, positively lovely in every way. A half dozen attractive woman greet you upon entrance. Unsure why they need that many, but hey I'll go with it. Very upscale. Saw numerous dishes passing by the lively bar area and all of them looked great. Well-healed crowd. Very pricey and likely worthy of it. Go here for a treat! read more

Excellent experience! The inn has been beautifully renovated in to a lovely contemporary restaurant. The food is amazing and the service impeccable. Our server was an experience professional who described every dish in great detail which was a refreshing change compared most of our recent experiences. She truly enabled us to picture each dish which made our mouths water! The property is gorgeous and includes a number of guest cottages nestled by the river, including a waterfall. Our one criticism was the noise level of the room however our recent visit revealed that the owners have installed sound deadening materials that have significantly reduced the volume. I am excited for the spring when the true beauty of the restaurant and property will be revealed. There is a patio by the river which is perfect for an early cocktail and delicious plates. Highly recommend this restaurant...it is a true gourmet delight! read more