Opened in August of 2016, Grillfish has made a name for itself with its signature dishes like the lobster seafood fra diavlo ($75), extensive bar and old-world glamour ambiance. The restaurant specializes in fresh seafood, steaks and chops, salads, pasta and desserts, and it has a full wine and cocktail list.

The high ceilings, painted black, with rag-rolled golden walls and art-deco lamps suspended give the small restaurant an upscale feel.

The service was adequate. I was impressed with our waitress’ knowledge of the food and the extensive wine list, which she explained even after we told her we would not be drinking. The service was not nearly as quick as it should have been considering the restaurant was not at all filled to capacity. I noticed that many of the servers were standing around a lot, and in such an intimate space where conversations can be heard across the room, it did not come off as very professional.

One notable aspect that was much appreciated was their attention to my allergy to shellfish. Often times my meal is contaminated during preparation and cooking, but our server was very attentive and the manager popped over to make sure everything was cooked correctly for me.

It took about 35 minutes for our dishes to arrive— just enough time to finish the bread. For my entree, I ordered salmon, oven roasted potatoes and linguini with marinara ($30). The dish was served with two sauces, a creamy garlic tomato and a sweet onion. The flavor of the salmon was increased significantly with the addition of the lemon and dill. The potatoes were subpar; as my mother would say, “not worth the calories.” However, the linguini dish as a side was a nice touch.

My dining companion ordered mussels over linguini served with creamy garlic and wine sicilian sauce ($29). He was very happy with the dish.

Although we were stuffed, we were drawn in by one particular item on the dessert menu, as well as our waitress’ recommendation: the cheesecake brulee with butterscotch-caramel crust ($11). I would go back just for the brulee.

While Grillfish seems to attract an older crowd, it is a nice touch of seafood for Lexington and an equally nice atmosphere. I would definitely recommend it for a nice night out. For being a young restaurant it is doing well, and like its many fine wines, will only get better with age.

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