I cannot say enough great things about Grana! We had the good fortune and privilege of dining with them during Cape May's Restaurant Week.
The service is upbeat, friendly, and engaging. From the hosts to the servers to the bussers to those filling our water. We were never left to wonder in any respect.
The atmosphere is very trendy and elegant. The white brick walls, the fixtures, and furnishings are comfortable and nice. And once someone leaves after dining their table is turned over in about 3 minutes, from clearing the used place settings to being completely set up for their next diners!
The food? It cannot be beat!!! All three courses were complex, well balanced, a very nice size, and delivered with a very comfortable cadence - enough of a break between courses so we were able to relax for a few minutes to relish in the previous course before beginning the next.
We have dined at several elegant Cape May restaurants; Grana is probably our new favorite! Bravo to chef/owner Carl Messick and his staff!
What a great find. We go down to the South Jersey beaches each year. While in Cape May, we stumbled on Grana. We were so happy. Nice location within walking distance of Washington Square and almost next to West End Garage. Our server, Kassidy, was friendly, helpful and attentive. The food was amazing. The rolls served were warm and so delicious. We shared the Cheese plate which had great selections, including a delicious jam and crackers. All the meals were cooked to perfection (Tilefish, Duck, Teres major and Scallops). After our vacation was over, we all agreed this restaurant had the best food and the best server. We will be back.
We celebrated our anniversary here and had an amazing dinner. Our server did an incredible job and really made the evening special. Delicious fresh oysters on the half shell. Loved the fresh bread. Delicious squid ink pasta was a highlight of the night and it was served with large shrimp. The Ribeye was perfectly cooked with grilled flavor. The scallops were delicious and perfectly cooked as well. I don’t think you can go wrong with any item on the menu. BYOB is a plus. Excellent value!
I visited Grana with my family yesterday and unfortunately left quite disappointed. Based on the reviews, we expected a much more memorable dining experience.
I ordered the pasta with scallops, but it felt much more like mac and cheese with a very small amount of seafood. There seemed to be only about two scallops cut into pieces, and they were actually difficult to find in the dish. Maybe we are spoiled living in Boston, where seafood portions tend to be more generous, but for a scallop pasta I definitely expected more scallops.
My daughter ordered the salmon with rice, which was around $45–50. The salmon portion appeared to be cut from closer to the tail, and at that price point I would expect a better cut of fish.
The atmosphere was pleasant but fairly ordinary and didn’t really stand out. I do want to mention that the service was very good — attentive, professional, and one of the strongest parts of our experience.
Overall, the food wasn’t bad, but considering the very strong reviews, we expected significantly more in terms of quality and overall experience.
We had a wonderful time this week in beautiful Cape May and had the pleasure of dining at Grana twice. In each case my meal was fantastic and the attentive staff made my guests and I feel right at home. The list of appetizers includes an option for everyone and we sampled and shared quite a few. I had the filet mignon and halibut entree choices and they were both just perfect. The desert's are simply amazing which you don't want to pass on. I don't get to Cape May often, but each year when I make it down, Grana has been on the top of my list and definitely worthy of a 2nd trip in one week. That says a lot with all the other fine dining options in town. BTW, it's BYO, but don't worry, if you're not prepared, conviently a liquor store is just across the street. Enjoy, we did!
