Graft wine + cider bar

Food was good. Tried monkfish for the first time. It was good. Duck was good. We sat at bar.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 4

Very few locations that I have been to meticulously pair ambience, food, wine, and their staff accordingly. Want a particular vibe of sophistication, class, intelligence, and feeling part of the nobility class? This is the location. Their focus is to double down on your experience with knowledgeable staff on what they offer for dining and advancing the night in your favor with the perfect selection of drinks. Their reds selection was bold and marvelous, pairing succulently with the duck and steak. Appetizers and the charcuterie board laid the foundation that you are dining at a location where the kitchen staff take pride in not only taste but presentation. The owner has gone to great lengths to ensure a farm to table experience with their hand crafted selection while maintaining a reasonable price point not seen in restaurants of their caliber. Worthy of a proper Michelin Star.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

There is no one at the door to seat you and it is mostly bar seating. The window seating is set for large groups so one must take a seat at the bar. The restaurant is very dark. In this case there was no greeting and while there was staff and only two other sets of customers and a nearly empty restaurant, no one approached me for over ten minutes. It was so long that I began to look for another restaurant on my phone. I wish I had left. When I ordered only a Saratoga Springs sparkling water, the server looked displeased. The bread and salad were set down together so that I had to eat the bread while staring at the salad. While I ate my salad, the main course was set down and I got to eat my salad while staring at the main dish. The salad is a very large bowl of lettuce piled with nuts and some anemic thin slices of beets. It couldn’t have been more boring. I hated the main dish, a piece of trout over gross tasteless, weird purple noodles and tough kale. I watched as a friendly, personable server approached the couple sitting next to me in a timely manner offering to change the set and seafood so I could have chosen the mashed potatoes set with my trout, a much better set that would have been enjoyable. Why is anyone still putting kale on a plate. It is tough and tasteless. Potatoes, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower are all wonderful vegetables. At least the trout was cooked nicely. The dessert was a flavorless coffee cake and a saccharine sweet coffee sauce that didn’t taste like coffee. It was much too sweet. The small dollop of whipped cream cut the sweetness but one had to use it sparingly. When I told the server it was birthday when she checked in with me, she wondered out loud about putting a candle in my half eaten coffee cake. She might have known it was my birthday if she had taken any interest in her guest. Do not recommend this restaurant.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 2

Service: 1

Dining room decorated with good taste.
The food was delicious. We had tuna and duck and both were cooked to perfection and accompanied of great flavours.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Walked in on a Thursday around 7:30p and we able to be seated right away at the bar or countertop. They have a great selection of beer, wine, and cider - all locally sourced. I order the duck special and I thought it was excellent. My partner and I split the tomato salad which was also delightful. We ordered a bottle of Pet-Nat from Atwater which was also delicious. I think this is an excellent date night spot or somewhere to celebrate a special occasion while in Watkins Glen. Would absolutely return.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Wonderful, wonderful space. The food was top notch (seriously, try the duck, as others have pointed out) and the service was so kind and welcoming. The atmosphere was pretty cozy and laid back, the type of place you could go feeling casual, or maybe get dressed up and make a nice date of it. The seating options lent themselves to this casual feel, being able to sit at a ledge near the bar, for example. Great selection of local wines, too. Highly recommend.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We enjoyed our meal at this restaurant—the food was tasty and the décor was very nice, both modern and fitting for this part of NY. It had an upmarket feel looking, it seemed, to replicate NYC. Our server was friendly when we spoke with her, but she seemed preoccupied with balancing bills and receipts at the bar, and we sat for a while before being noticed. It wasn’t a huge problem, but for the price point, the service could be a lot stronger. Despite being labor day the restaurant didn't appear that busy. Given the higher-end pricing compared to the surrounding area, the service needs to match the standard the restaurant is aiming for. This was by far the most expensive meal we had in our 4 day trip as well.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 3

The duck was delicious but the portion size was too much small, especially for the price.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5

We've always looked forward to an excellent meal at Graft. Lately the food has been a bit uneven. My husband ordered an expensive steak on our last visit and it was not cooked right and the cut was tough and grissly. He should have sent it back but he was too polite. I was surprised that as regular ( recognized) customers, they did not adjust the bill.

Jerakah and bri were wonderful, one of a kind ladies! They will accommodate your needs and make sure you feel like you’re on top of the world. Food was amazing but these ladies will add that cherry on top!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Very nice place. Very high quality food. The chef is very creative and skilled.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Duck was amazing along with the service. We had a wonderful time and I would highly recommend!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Phenomenal food. Really interesting menu. The duck in particular can highly recommend. Great service too. Would literally come back just for that duck dish !

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

The service was wonderful. The food? AMAZING! So fresh and delicious 😋 The cider was very good too! We will definitely go back before we leave for home!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

The Best Meal of Our Trip

We were looking for a nice spot for lunch, and ChatGPT suggested a list of places — this one was at the top. As usual, my husband didn’t wait for the rest of the list and had already parked in front of Graft Wine + Cider Bar.

The exterior was lovely — probably even cozier at night with all the lights. Inside, it was clean, welcoming, and full of charm. We were the first ones after the lunch break, but soon after, a few more tables filled up.

We started with green peppers (I don’t recall the exact name from the menu — shishito, maybe?). They were delicious! Then came a big bowl of fresh greens with beets and goat cheese — so good! The trout was also fantastic, served with quinoa and a carrot-ginger slaw. Every bite felt thoughtful and fresh.

My husband enjoyed a glass of Riesling from their local selection. I went with a non-alcoholic Cosmopolitan — but ended up spilling the whole thing! The waiter was kind, helped clean up without a fuss, and at the end told us they didn’t charge for the drink. Such a generous and thoughtful gesture.

I also want to mention how much I loved the plates and glasses — beautiful and carefully chosen. You could feel the care in every detail. I really appreciate the farm-to-table concept and their support of local wineries and cider houses.

On the drive home, we read some of the reviews and were surprised to see a few negative ones. It’s honestly upsetting how unfair they seemed — some people must have walked in with impossible expectations or were just in a bad mood.

Our waitress was amazing: warm, attentive, helpful, smiling — and she even recommended a spot for ice cream afterwards.

I wish more restaurants were like this one.

Thank you! You truly made our day.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5