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

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

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

Authentic, quality chef-prepared food. Their theme is farm-to-table. Ingredients were fresh (their signature salad Misticanza was light, refreshing and delicious), all pasta made in their kitchen, and service was friendly, professional and knowledgeable - everything you'd expect from a highly-rated restaurant. Cocktails were delicious and come in unique 'flask inspired' glass bottles. Their Gyotaku white wine was perfect for me (more on the dry side). All their breads and butter are made on-site. The bread was perfect-crisp crust and tender on the inside. Their eggplant and polenta were as authentic as they come. Our table ordered the : Ragu Rigatoni, Chicken with Gnocchi and Malfadine -- all were delicious and perfect. Their pasta in each dish shared the spotlight with the sauce and protein in each dish. For dessert we had the Affogato and Chocolate Torta. Yum and yum!!! Definitely will go back there. Being in a Pandemic, their tables were spaced well, all employees wore masks, with temperatures taken upon entry. Will recommend and will go back!! read more

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Hands down my favorite restaurant in Connecticut. OK, well actually it's a tie between Grano and River Tavern across the street. The food here is ridiculously good. You would pay at least double for that quality of food in Seattle. I have been to Grano 4 times now and it is exquisite every time. 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

Tough place to review right now. For overall experience, star rating for us was 3.5 Food was good. Bolognese was terrific. We did not care for the spicy spaghetti- the citrus overwhelmed the dish. The gnocchi was much lighter than a traditional gnocchi and the sauce was perfection. The burrata's accompaniment with seasonal peaches and charred cucumber was original and very tasty. The negative is very subjective- the safety protocols make it almost uncomfortable. The hostess reads you the advanced safety protocols and then takes your temperature and sanitizes your hands. She has you stand behind a rope and then grants your entrance. After your seated in an extremely spread out room, the server stands 6 feet away and goes through the safety protocols again. When she does it for each table in the room, you've heard it 5 times before you're done. In the midst of all this, we sat with an empty wine glass for 20 minutes and had to flag another staff member down to pair the wine with the pasta although by that time we were already halfway through the meal. If the server was not so busy saying repeated safety protocols, perhaps we could have actually been served a second glass of wine. I get they are being careful and some people are very nervous, concerned and probably welcome that. It just feels in month 6 of this pandemic, everyone is already very aware. I have been out to numerous restaurants and have not encountered anything like this. It might be nice to go out for a night and forget your troubles. Overall, a restaurant with potential, would consider going back after the pandemic. 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

Food is amazing...starting with the bread ... milled and made in-house. We never just get one appetizer because we want to try all of them. The entrees are non traditional and use ingredients that makes your taste buds dance. I can't say enough about this place. We bring friends there all of the time and it has never disappointed! Thank you Lani and Joel for creating and experience that always leaves me wanting to come back for more! read more

I rarely write restaurant reviews, although I had a dinner so great last night at Grano that I felt compelled to say so here. Every single item was perfect. The bread and salted butter is absolutely the best around, and as a vegetarian, I was pleasantly surprised that there were several main courses that I could choose from. My husband and I shared the burrata appetizer and it truly could not have been better. The tomatoes were excellent quality, as was the cheese -- this was the best burrata dish I have ever had! I chose the ricotta ravioli as my next course, and it was mixed with fresh corn and mascarpone. Again, PERFECT (my husband agreed); high quality pasta, well-seasoned and not "heavy" as many cream-based pasta dishes are. We finished with the butterscotch budino which was creamy, almost caramel-ish, and simply delicious. The staff was lovely and overall it was the best restaurant experience I have had in a long time. On top of that, the bill was probably half of what you would pay for a comparable meal in NYC. We frequent another local Chester restaurant more often, though that other spot leaves something to be desired after this trip to Grano! I can't wait to be back. read more

They are scrupulous about COVID precautions. No hesitation to dine inside. Drinks food ambience staff are all excellent!! One of our top five !! read more

Went to Grano Arso last week for our anniversary and had a wonderfully delightful meal! They started us off with a complimentary flute of sparkling Lambrusco while we checked out the menu. Having been there once before we asked about their "chef's tasting menu" which wasn't listed. We were told it was available so we chose that. So glad we did, as we were surprised at every course! He said there would be 6 courses but he must have lost count and we had 7 courses!! It was great to be able to taste so many new things that I might not have ventured to try! The owner/chef Joel came out and served each course personally. Everything was timed perfectly and we enjoyed ourselves thoroughly right up to dessert with a French press coffee and a cappuccino! Can't wait to go back again!! read more

Small but artistic Italian nouveau menu. Tried to choose appetizers and entrees on our own rather than go with chef's 7-course sampler with paired wines. We tried to pick one wine, with help of our server, to cover each course and it clashed by the second course. Dishes such as eggplant work well with the Lambrusco but not with several others that have citrus. Lemon and Lime is emphasized in the giant beans, branzino and agnolotti dishes. Worked really well with the butter/oil sauce on that pasta, silky in texture. Alas, too acidic when paired with the gruner that was also recommended. Hostess was very attentive and even bussed due to shortage. Service was choppy although and never received crab we ordered. Imagine staffing issues when fixed would be fine. One area for improvement was the ambiance. Not at all romantic Italian. Hard floor, hard ceilings, hard walls create loud crowd which they try to offset with Yachtrock. No Prego. Reminiscent of the deafening old Bravo, Bravo in Mystic. read more

The food was excellent and the service was impeccable. The staff is very knowledgeable not only of the food but the wine list. All staff wore a mask and social distancing protocol was followed. read more

What a wonderful gem my wife and I found last night for our anniversary. Everything was seasoned perfectly and the whole meal was outstanding, words I rarely say about most restaurants. We started with the Eggplant Al Forno and the gnocchi pomodoro and both didn't disappoint, simple but done perfectly. Gnocchi was so soft and pillowy and eggplant was so tender. Next round we went with the chicken and the beef short rib. The beef short rib was so recommended and didn't let down. Tender and flavorful and the ricotta stuffed lumanche (noodle) was delicious. But the chicken was outstanding, probably one of the best chicken dishes I have ever tried. The maple glazed roasted sunchokes and the caramelized carrot puree were so delicious but the chicken was amazing. So flavourful and moist. It looked like a simple dish but it had so much flavor and so much going on. We finished with the semifreddo and budino for dessert. The semifreddo was the winner for us with the fig jam but don't get me wrong, the butterscotch pudding budino was delicious and nothing to complain about but the mascarpone semifreddo was perfect. Definitely will be returning back! This is a winner for a romantic dinner with your special one. read more

Had to wait 20 minutes to be seated in a crowded vestibule. Food was mediocre at best. Waiter was condescending and horrible. He wouldn't last 5 minutes in NYC, but acted like he was at Four Seasons. But the last straw when when we asked for more bread bc we waited 45 minutes for dinner and he said he couldn't serve more bc they were saving it for the wedding party in the back room! Would have been better if he lied and said they ran out. My husband's spaghetti (which was horrible) was $35 and he couldn't get bread with it?! Not a smart guy bc we were tipping.... Never again!!! read more

I was so excited to try the "best restaurant in CT" but was sadly disappointed. I was hoping our waiter would enhance my experience however that did not happen. The menu was so limited with small portions. For the price of these items it was not comparable at all. My pasta dish was salty and bland. Overall. Not impressed. Definitely a PASS read more

The pasta is so fresh and you can tell the difference in the quality of food! Had excellent service and everything we ordered was delicious plus very unique drinks read more

Grano Arso - Rigatoni bolognese - Italian Near Me - Chester, Connecticut

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Fantastic farm to table style creative Italian cuisine. Chef Joel makes amazing food and killer bread.. We will definitely be going back to Grano Arso to experience more of their incredible menu. read more

I've had the honor to participate in the chef tasting menu. In all honesty his food, is the best I've ever tasted and I've been to many restaurants. I've become a real food snob n now more so when experiencing these amazing dishes. The flavors were to perfection. Well balanced n perfectly cooked. Not to mention the beautiful plating. There is no turning back from this experience. I'm completely spoiled and its gonna be hard to top chef Joel Grano. read more

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Grano, the latest incarnation of the historic bank building in Chester, is...great! Gone is the austerity of Six Main (although I happened to enjoy their vegan fare) and pains have been taken by a crew of local artisans to make the once uninspired space more lively and fun. It's a tough room to cozy up with high ceilings and tall, blank windows, but the team at Harvest Moon Design/Build did a fantastic job, and the addition of banquettes was brilliant. It was a community effort, and the humble chef gives kudos on the menu to the artists involved, down to the ceramicist whose hand-thrown plates you're considering licking. What could have been a bittersweet evening with close friends moving far away, turned into a slightly raucous dinner party, aided by scrumptious food, copious wine, and the general jovial spirit that pervades the place. Granted, it was packed. This was Grano's first night after a series of soft openings and all went smoothly. The staff is skilled (and some faces will be familiar to diners-out on the Shoreline ), and our ridiculously large order came out of the kitchen in well-timed waves. But let's get down to business. This place is about pasta. Chef Joel Gargano (whom you may recognize from stints on Rocco's Dinner Party and Chopped) takes the stuff super seriously. Of course, it's all housemade, but this guy also MILLS the grains! We tried all four unusual varieties on the menu (half portions are available), and it's hard to pick a favorite, but the Spelt Spaghetti with Stonington Red Shrimp and Broccolini Pesto was flavorful and toothsome. Mac and cheese lovers will be in their sauce with Conchiglie con Bolognese: a steaming casserole of shells, meat sauce, and fonduta. A classic rendition of pillowy potato gnocchi is improved with roasted squashes, and the Calamarata was concocted with rye pasta, almonds, and chicken sausage. You could stop there but don't. The half roasted chicken in a pool of chunky red flint polenta and braised greens was tender and lovely, and plenty for two. My husband ordered the Niman Ranch strip, which looked awfully good, but I never even got a bite. Next time? The Frutti di Mare: a steaming stew of clams, mussels, pork sausage, and garlic toast. You could easily cobble a meal from the small plates (the salumi and formaggi board with homemade pepper jam!) and a half portion of pasta. Or go whole hog the way we did, down to the intriguing desserts of Quince Crostata with whipped ricotta and salted caramel and Butterscotch Budino with chocolate crumbs and those boozy Amaro cherries (really, who doesn't like pudding??). It's a limited but thoughtful menu, with enough choice to please picky and/or fretful eaters. Prices are normal with starters from $8 to $22 (that generous charcuterie board), pastas from $16 - $20, and plates $26 to $34 (the 12 oz NY Strip). With the recent and sad closing of L&E and Good Elephant, Grano is a welcome and happy addition to the Chester dining scene. www.granoct.com read more

Grano Arso - Italian Near Me - Chester, Connecticut

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Everything about Grano is terrific. I'm so appreciative of their willingness to accommodate my vegan diet so I can go out yo dinner with my non vegan friends and family and not just eat a salad! read more

This is probably one of my favorite restaurants within 20 miles. The decor, the menu and the staff are amazing. It's not inexpensive but for me, if I'm going out it needs to be really amazing. Otherwise i will just cook at home. I wish I could afford to go more often. read more

Fantastic dinning experience. Food was perfectly cooked. Wait staff was very kind and attentive. Would recommend this restaurant to anyone who enjoys quality food. read more

I find it hard to believe the hype on this place . There is very little atmosphere to start it's more like a cafeteria. When we asked for more bread we were told we couldn't have more , we were given 1 piece each with a very small amount of butter . When we asked for parmigiana for our dinners we were given a tiny cup like the catchup things at McDonald's for the 4 of us . The dinners were pretty good. But 30$ for pastA bolginiase no salad is pretty pricy ! So many better places with better value and atmosphere out there read more

Always a favorite!! The food is to-die-for, the service is excellent, and the drinks are the best you'll find. Truly an experience every time we visit, love this place!!! read more

Excellent authentic Italian food and great service. Excellent bar drinks too. Wish they could resume outdoor dining in the back. Hi

Exceptional food. Great service. Wonderful pre Christmas dinner with friends on a busy Saturday evening. Short ribs, fried Brussels sprouts and eggplant appetizer were all incredible. Their house made butter is the best I've ever had. Reserve a table now and enjoy this gem. read more

I just got back form dining at Grano Arso in Chester and have to tell you about it! I consider myself a bit of a foodie and i have to say the food tonight and every time I have been there always surprises with with delicious flavors! Tonight I had the misticanza salad....OMG...the flavor is like a bite of spring- fresh, and it is perfectly dressed with the house made dressing of caramelized lemon vinaigrette! Crazy delicious! Next one if the special for tonight dishes, house made tagliatelle con sugo/pecorino romano/ fresh ground pepper. The flavors were so balanced and so delicious you had to comment to your dining mate! Absolutely scumptious! The staff was attentive and the outdoor dining in the back is beautiful! comfortable, and really special! Exceptional tonight and every night I have been at Grano Arso. Creative cuisine! YUM!!!!! read more

An excellent new addition to the center of Chester! I loved 6 Main when it was here in this spot and am happy it has been replaced with something just as lovely. Grano is a farm to table Italian eatery. Everything is fresh, local, artisanal, meticulous, and delicious. Even down to the bread and fresh butter with sea salt. Not kidding you. Just fantastic. The menu is simple and kind of small, but that is because the dishes change quite a bit with what comes in and how much is available. I honestly was a little worried that nothing jumped out to me immediately, but our wonderful waiter, Wesley, piqued our interest to these "simple" sounding delights. We ordered a meat and cheese plate to start and for the second course had the tagliatelle with lamb. For our main course, Wesley absolutely sold us on the pork three ways. He said it was a new item and a rare treat. Indeed it was. There was a small portion of pork belly, pulled pieces from a leg that had been braised for 6 hours, and small pieces of loin. Just amazing. The pulled pieces were so perfectly spiced and tender too. I like pork but is not usually my go-to, especially at a restaurant. It is just so easy to overcook, overdry, or overhype. This was just perfect. The best pork I have ever had dining out. The two courses before were good too. The pasta was so fresh and delicious with so many pieces of tender lamb. I do not want them to miss out on their moment in the sun, but the pork really was just phenomenal. To finish it all off we had their version of a canoli, a canolo. It was layers of crispy pastry disks with whipped, light ricotta between the disks. It was topped with hazelnuts and cherries. Super light and amazingly good. It did not sit heavy in your stomach and on your mind after you ate it like a regular cannoli does. Just delightful. The whole experience was just wonderful. The staff was knowledgeable, kind, hard working, and very helpful. I mentioned our waiter, Wesley, but several other people stopped by as well to clear plates and chat as we made our way through the courses. The chef and owner, Joel, came out at the end of the night too. He asked how everything was and gave us a little peak into his vision for the place. I hope this place stays this way for a long time. They put in a lot of effort and thought into their service and their extraordinary food. read more

Grano Arso - With the Canolo - Italian Near Me - Chester, Connecticut

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Oh my goodness! The place was amazing! Beautiful decor, fresh and modern as well as a vintage vibe as the building was the old first savings bank. Reservations only because of COVID but they are on top of their sanitizing process and rules. Our waitress Samantha was kind, professional and very knowledgeable about the menu. Local higganum farm food was so fresh and flavorful. I got the risotto and my guy got the halibut both were perfect. The mushrooms on the risotto were so flavorful he thought it was brisket! We got the greens as a starter which had a refreshing lemon vinaigrette and the brown butter cake for dessert was very rich and buttery. (Great reccomendation Samantha!) Overall our first experience here was perfect the staff was all very friendly, resturant was clean, and food was impressive. We will be returning for sure! It was so good I forgot to take a picture till the end so theres half the dessert we got read more

Grano Arso - Brown butter cake - Italian Near Me - Chester, Connecticut

We loved the atmosphere, the food was outstanding but very small portions. The bread is made on sight but rationed out at one piece per person and you must purchase any additional bread if you want it. The prices are steep but having said that the pasta is fresh and also made on sight. The reason for the 3 stars is for the service provided by the waiter. I would like to be pampered, checked on or offered fresh pepper without asking. read more

Absolutely exquisite! What a charming place from the staff, to the atmosphere, and of course the delicious meal!!! Everything was safe and clean and very well thought out with regards to social distancing and Covid precautions (we ate indoors). This is a must visit for an incredible meal if you find yourself in or near Chester! read more

One of the worst dining experiences I have ever had. Vastly overpriced and equally overly pretentious. Extremely limited and mediocre quality menu - the absolute opposite of getting what you pay for. 20+ minute delay past reservation time to be seated ( this is a mediocre restaurant in Chester CT not a 5 star restaurent in Manhattan). And, on the night we were there when we asked for some more bread we were told that because they had a wedding party in the other dining room that we (paying customers ) were not allowed to have any additional bread. May sound like a small point but with these prices it is inexcusable. Stay as far away from Grano in Chester CT as you possibly can read more

One word... Perfection!!! The staff and owners are just absolutely wonderful. We have enjoyed this wonder several times, once with a larger party and were always amazed! Great diverse menu! Fantastic drink menu as well! Take a look at the dinner menu and see what you think. Call ahead as it's usually a full house! read more

Great! I had the sweet corn agnolotti which was to die for. Pasta was perfectly cooked and the sweet, sour and smoky flavors melded so well. I was also impressed with the salad I tried. read more

On paper, this sounds like a winning formula: milling grains in house, making pastas and bread by hand, a potentially intriguing menu, and the possibility of a decent wine list. The appetizers were actually solid: the salumi was a home run, the burrata was excellent, the Wellstone salad was locally sourced, and the hummus was first-rate. But the entrees were, frankly, disappointing. Fresh pasta, done well, is incomparable. The pastas at Grano Arso, however, all were underwhelming. The lamb garganelli was bland, The rigatoni Bolognese did not impress, and could use more seasoning. The spaghetti special also was insipid. Although we could appreciate that the bread was made in house, it wasn't so exceptional that it merited charging us $2.50 for another basket for a table of three (beware!). The wine list was disappointing, especially given that the on-line version had not been updated, so we were told that our first choice (the '13 Zenato Amarone) was out of stock, although, with prompting, they double-checked and found a last bottle (although it is still listed on line even well after our visit). This establishment quickly fills up on a Saturday, leading to a noticeable slowing of service. Simply put, there are better options for homemade pasta in the area. read more

First we would like to say that the food is excellent and the ambience and atmosphere is lovely. These are the reasons why we chose Grana Arso for our annual Christmas meal with our adult children. We arrived early for our 7:15 reservation and were seated 5 minutes early (great!). But then it was as if we were invisible! We watched as couples who were seated after us received cocktails and bread. It was at least 20 minutes before our server acknowledged us and asked if we wanted drinks. Then we waited another 15 minutes or so for the drinks to arrive. The waiter came by in between our waiting and asked if we had received bread? By now we had been sitting about 45 minutes with no cocktails. Bread arrived. We ordered appetizers and the main meals. They were very tasty. After appetizers were cleared we waited a very long time for our mains. We were so hungry and stopped another server to ask for more bread. The waiter acknowledged "yes, you must be hungry". He did stop by the table again to let us know that our meals "were being plated". It still felt very long from that point. Our mains arrived close to 9 pm. They were also very tasty. After dinner we took a gamble and ordered one dessert figuring that wouldn't take too long. It was also delicious. Then two more desserts arrived "on the house" because "we were so patient". This was really the first time that the delay and slow service was acknowledged! The funny thing is that we were charged for the second order of bread. Really??? Even when you know the kitchen is slow and your patrons have been waiting "patiently"? All in all, tasty food, pretty atmosphere, slow service. read more

This place is top notch! The pasta is really great and so are the drinks! From the moment you enter the restaurant till you leave you can tell these people really care about their people! The service is wonderful and the food excellent .I can't say enough good things about this place so do try it and really hope you come to love it as much as we do. Be sure and make reservations so you can be sure their are seats available! Don't miss going here as you'll be so disappointed ! read more

My husband and I absolutely love Grano. Last night we decided to splurge and try something new: the chef's tasting menu. Let me tell you, this 6-course meal goes down as one of the BEST meals I've ever had in my life. Each plate got more creative and more delicious than the next. Our server, Lamont, did an outstanding job of sharing the story behind the ingredients and thought process behind each course. We did the wine pairing and it was well worth it. We tried wines that we never would have ordered on our own and each one paired exquisitely with the course it was served with. I've literally been talking about last night's dinner all day today ... I cannot wait to go back and do it again. If you're looking for an incredibly awesome small business to support, book a dinner reservation at Grano! read more