La Griglia Seafood Grill & Wine Bar
Jersey's Italian Wine List That Means Business
Kenilworth · Kenilworth · Northern Italian, Seafood · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 8, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
Walk in expecting a suburban Italian joint and instead find a wine list that's been quietly earning Wine Spectator's Best of Award of Excellence since 2004 — that's not an accident. The room backs it up too: white tablecloths, warm lighting, and a bar area that actually invites you to sit down and order something serious. This place has a point of view, and it shows before you've opened the menu.
Selection Deep Dive
The 200-plus bottle list leans hard into Italy and California, which is exactly the right call for a Northern Italian seafood kitchen. On the Italian side, you're getting the full tour — Barolo from Piedmont, Brunello di Montalcino, Amarone della Valpolicella, and Super Tuscans anchored by names like Sassicaia and Tignanello, plus the Antinori Guado al Tasso if you want to go a level deeper. The white selection is more than an afterthought: Alto Adige Pinot Grigio, Soave Classico, Vermentino, and Gavi di Gavi give the seafood side of the menu real options to work with. California shows up with Napa Cabernet and Sonoma/Napa Chardonnay from the usual reliable producers, though that side of the list plays it a bit safer than the Italian half.
By the Glass
Sixteen to twenty-four options by the glass is a serious commitment for a restaurant this size — you're not stuck choosing between a generic Pinot Grigio and a house red. The $12–$18 price range is fair for the quality on offer, and a rotating selection means there's reason to ask what's new. Wednesday's half-price wine night is the real headline here: come back mid-week and work through the glass list at half the damage.
Antinori Guado al Tasso 2020 — $95
A Super Tuscan from one of Tuscany's most serious estates — Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah grown on the Bolgheri coast — at $95 this is the bottle that punches well above its price tag on this list. It's the move if you want to drink Italian without going full Barolo budget.
Soave Classico
Most tables at a place like this go straight for the Pinot Grigio or a Napa Chardonnay, completely ignoring the Soave Classico. That's a mistake. A proper Soave Classico — Garganega-based, from the hillside DOC zone — is one of the most food-friendly whites in Italy, with enough texture and minerality to handle both the Grilled Octopus and the Lobster Ravioli without getting in the way.
Opus One 2018
At $450 on the list, Opus One is the kind of bottle that looks impressive when you order it and makes your credit card weep on the way home. It's a fine wine, but in a Napa Valley restaurant, this price might be justifiable. At an Italian seafood spot in Kenilworth, there's nothing on the menu that needs it, and you can drink far more interestingly for half the money.
Gavi di Gavi + Grilled Octopus
Gavi di Gavi — Cortese-based, crisp, with a clean stony edge — is built for exactly this situation. The char on the octopus, the olive oil, the brightness of whatever citrus or herb finishes the dish: a good Gavi cuts through all of it and keeps things clean. It's the kind of pairing that doesn't need explaining; it just works.
Wednesday — Half-price wine night every Wednesday — applies to the wine list and makes the by-the-glass program especially worth exploring.
🔥 The Bottom Line
La Griglia is the real deal — a two-decade Wine Spectator track record backed by a list that actually earns it, anchored in Italian classics and amplified by a Wednesday half-price program that's practically begging you to explore. Markups get steep at the top end, but there's enough value in the $65–$100 range to reward anyone paying attention.
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