The Griswold Inn

We had a terrible experience at "the Gris." My family was traveling in Connecticut from Hawaii and made a special trip to the Gris to hear the sea shanties on a Monday evening. I specifically told the Gris the purpose of our trip and that I was traveling with my two small children when I made the reservations. They told me there would be no problem attending the shanties and suggested a suite room to accommodate the little ones. We arrived to find no bed made up for my young children despite paying extra to have the "suite" room to accommodate them. The room was also not on site. Rather is was across the road located above another business up a steep set of outdoor stairs very reminiscent of an airbnb. This would be impossible to navigate with suitcases or any walking impediment. It was very difficult for us with our children. We travelled to the Gris specifically to hear the shanties on Monday nights. This was told to the Gris when we made our reservations. They told us to make a 7:45 reservation in the dining room which we did. We arrived to find ourselves seated as far as possible from the tavern, unable to hear, unable to see. I expressed my disappointment to the management after our stay, and was met with no concern at all. For a single night we paid about $450.00. This is highway robbery for the product and customer service provided.

Nel nostro viaggio on the road del New England abbiamo soggiornato presso alcuni Inn; il Gris è quello che ci è piaciuto di più. Accoglienza gentile e professionale, stanza bella e pulita, prezzo adeguato. Comodo il ristorante interno, atmosfera decisamente piacevole.

On the Saturday before Easter, we dined at the Griswold Inn which was seemingly a delightful spot with an expansive menu. It was odd that only three minutes after our order the food arrived, and we all remarked on how fast it was. That should have been a signal. The short ribs ($42.00) were smaller than the fist of a small hand. But the problem was that more than half was grizzle. We told the waitress who said she would tell the chef, but nothing happened, so we asked for the manager. A young woman came to the table and as if this were a negotiation, whisked away the grizzle plate, and said she would credit a glass of wine ($12.00). No apology or concern – just a robotic reflex – evidently with a perfunctory and practiced solution to just move on. And move on we did, skipping dessert, with a bad taste about this place. The Griswold may be a historic building, but it is NOT a fine dining establishment.