Montclair has such a variety of restaurants to choose from, so there’s sure to be one for everyone’s taste buds. Whether there’s family coming in from out of town, or it’s a girls night, we’ve got the plans covered. Read on to check out our list of the best restaurants in Montclair to wow guests, from dinner to desserts and more.
Ah’ Pizz | 7 N Willow Street
(Photo credit: @ahpizz)
Named one of “12 Great Places for Gluten-Free Pizza in NJ” by New Jersey Monthly Magazine, Ah’ Pizz is a classic, rustic pizzeria with warm vibes. It’s known to be a step up from a normal pizzeria, serving wood-fired pies in an oven imported from Italy. The menu is traditional, serving Italian dishes from appetizers to desserts.
Alto | 690 Bloomfield Avenue
(Photo credit: @themchotel)
Come for the cocktails, stay for the views. Located on the top of the MC Hotel, guests will feel as though they’re in the city with sweeping views from this rooftop bar. Trust us, this bar is one-of-a-kind in Montclair. Alto offers beer, wine, cocktails, and light bites and reservations are currently encouraged to guarantee a table.
Brick + Dough | 110 Walnut Street
(Photo credit: @brickxdough)
Brick + Dough has a selection of bakery items, wood-fired pizza, and unique Italian-inspired entrees. There’s an indoor service area as well as a rustic outdoor patio here. This pizza place is one of the most popular in town. The bakery items include chocolate babka, croissants, and cinnamon sugar Cubanas, while the pizzas and all-day menu include a buffalo chicken pie, a Californian breakfast burrito, a turkey, and brioche sandwich, and a mushroom feta omelet.
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da Pepo | 54 Fairfield Street
(Photo credit: @dapepomontclair)
Da Pepo is good for a casual night, perfect for dinner with the family. It offers traditional Italian fare learned from Italian ancestors with a warm, comfortable atmosphere. Bookcases and literature line the space where diners are served small plates, salads, paninis, pasta, and more.
Egan + Sons | 118 Walnut Street
(Photo credit: @eganandsons)
Egan + Sons is a comfortable, classic pub that’s on the upscale side. It’s known as an essential Montclair-area eatery and has an indoor dining space as well as a beautiful outdoor dining area. It serves a variety of salads, sandwiches, main courses, and small plates, most with some kind of Irish slant. Aside from classics like an open-faced Reuben, savory chicken pie, and traditional bangers and mash, the restaurant also serves specials like an Egan’s classic double cheeseburger and “Chip Shop” Fish + Chips.
Fascino | 331 Bloomfield Avenue
(Photo credit: @fascino_restaurant)
Fascino is another traditional Italian restaurant. It’s an upscale place with more of an intimate vibe, but it’s still great for a more formal dinner. Chef Ryan Depersio calls his food “Italian without Borders,” and includes modern and seasonal style into his cooking palette. The focus is on pasta and seafood dishes, including dishes like ricotta gnocchi, scallops, halibut, and roasted pork flat iron. Fascino is another place that has been recognized by multiple New Jersey news outlets.
Faubourg Restaurant + Bar | 544 Bloomfield Avenue
(Photo credit: @faubourgmontclair)
Faubourg is a French-inspired eatery equipped with large windows in the bright, industrial dining room. There are two levels, including an upstairs cocktail lounge and an outdoor patio with a retractable roof. Along with a selection of wines and cocktails, Faubourg has both plant-based and regular options on the menu. Some dinner choices include salmon and figs as well as grilled shrimp and seafood spaghetti, and it’s known to have a delicious dessert menu.
Halcyon | 114 Walnut Street
(Photo credit: @halcyonmontclair)
Halcyon offers dinner as well as a Sunday brunch – perfect for a day outing with friends or an upbeat night. They have one of the only raw bars in the area and focus on American-style brasserie plates. It’s a bit upscale, and the restaurant also includes an upstairs lounge. The raw bar has east coast oysters, colossal lump crab cocktail, and jumbo shrimp cocktail as well as classic sushi rolls and spicy tuna tacos, and there’s a variety of entrees to choose from.
Kai Yang | 345 Bloomfield Avenue
(Photo credit: @kaiyangnj)
Kai Yang is a one-of-a-kind bright restaurant. It serves authentic Thai comfort food in an eclectic dining area, outfitted in vivid colors. The signature dishes served include pad thai, pad kee-mow, and papaya salad, along with two specialty dishes; pineapple chicken and chicken Rama.
MishMish Cafe | 631 1/2 Valley Road
MishMish has an impressive story behind it, giving multiple reasons to attract customers. This Mediterranean cafe’s chef and owner, Meny Vaknin, graduated from the French Culinary Institute and went on to win Food Network’s Chopped before opening the cafe. Patrons can enjoy these family-learned Mediterranean recipes indoors and outdoors, offering a casual setting good for a low-key dinner. Chef Meny has a selection of what he calls “MishMish Favorites” on the menu, including fried flounder tacos, lamb meatball shakshuka, and a burrata salad.
Montclair Bread Co. | 16 Label Street
Montclair Bread Co. is an absolute must-visit spot – no matter what the plans are. The wood + brick filled eatery/bakery is known for the superior doughnuts, bread, and pastries, including a wide variety of bakery items on the menu. There’s both an indoor section as well as a chic outdoor patio area to enjoy the products in. There’s a selection of common doughnuts like chocolate frosted and strawberry sprinkles, along with many unusual flavors like Nutella, sweet potato cake, pumpkin brioche, and sour doughnuts. The pastries include muffins, yum buns, croissants, danishes, and more, as well as every type of bread imaginable.
Montclair Diner | 613 Valley Road
(Photo credit: @montclairdiner)
This diner is a classic Montclair spot. The comforting, family feel combined with a menu that covers every corner will satisfy any taste buds. The quality ingredients and service lead them to be named one of two diners in Montclair you should know about by Patch. There’s an all-day breakfast here that includes all the favorites, and a menu of salads, sandwiches, wraps, a variety of Italian, Greek and American entrees, and more.
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Nicolo’s Italian Bakery + Deli | 6 Baldwin Street
(Photo credit: @nicolos_bakery_montclair)
Nicolo’s is an authentic Italian bakery + deli that’s been making bread in Montclair since 1967. The place has been family-owned and run by the Zecchino family for its 53-year existence. The bakery specializes in Italian Bread and sells a variety of bakery items, including sandwiches and more that come from the full Italian deli. Nicolo’s sells an endless amount of bread loaves and rolls, muffins, pastries, pies, and cookies along with sandwiches, Italian cheeses, and homemade salads.
Raymond’s | 28 Church Street
(Photo credit: @raymondsnj)
Raymond’s is a diner-style eatery with an industrial look located just off of the main avenue. The inside has an open floor plan and the walls are lined with colorful bottles for a fun design element. It is a simple place fit for a variety of occasions with a casual vibe. The restaurant is known for the French toast, pancakes, omelets, homemade soups, and a Wednesday night fried chicken special.
Samba | 7 Park Street
Samba offers homestyle Brazilian fare and is a certified gluten-free restaurant, making it a solid choice for a group with mixed dietary needs. It has an upbeat vibe, but nothing too overwhelming as it also gives off a casual feel with the rustic, plant-filled interior. It offers brunch along with lunch and dinner, including items from Brazilian avocado toast to chicken, beef, and pork dishes. Samba also has a few vegan dishes.
SLA Thai Restaurant | 596 Valley Road
(Photo credit: @slathai_)
SLA Thai Restaurant has a ton of options on the original Thai menu, along with vegetarian substitutes for anyone who prefers it. The dining room is warm and simple, great for any kind of get-together. SLA has every type of Thai food covered: some of the options include nuer tod (crispy beef with chili sauce), duck salad, somtum (shredded green papaya salad), pad Thai, and pad kemoa.
Turtle + the Wolf | 622 Valley Road, Upper Montclair
(Photo credit: @turtleandthewolf)
Turtle + the Wolf is another industrial eatery, with a chic vibe that’s welcoming. On the upscale menu, the restaurant offers family-style meals as well individual dishes. The owner grew up in Montclair, so naturally, was ecstatic to open a place here. For family meals, the choices include whole roasted suckling pig or Lo’s famous fried chicken, and the other meals include dishes like Spanish octopus, local burrata, and “brick” chicken with Parisian gnocchi, creamed Swiss chard, and more.
Vesta Chocolate | 598 Valley Road, Suite 2, Upper Montclair
(Photo credit: @vestachocolate)
Vesta Chocolate is a high-end place known for its gourmet chocolate items. It is widely known and has been included on Forbes’ list of finest dark chocolate gifts for Mother’s Day, Forbes’ 2020 holiday gift guide of best fancy chocolate bars, and was named one of America’s top 10 best hot chocolate spots by USA Today. Here, diners can order classic gourmet chocolate chip cookies, sea salt brownies, and a wide variety of chocolate flavors including matcha, hibiscus rose, apricot + pistachio, cherry + pecan, and more.
Zeugma Grill | 44 S Park Street
(Photo credit: @zeugmanj)
Zeguma Grill’s brunch and dinner menus offer a variety of gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian options, falling into the category of a spot that has choices for everyone. The grill has a clean, coastal vibe, resulting in a comfortable meal experience. Patrons can dine indoors or outdoors here, and there is a mezze bar (a spread of Mediterranean dips and small bites) on site. The owners take their Turkish background, combined with other Mediterranean, European, and Middle Eastern influences, to create hearty dishes like beef shish kebab, salmon and artichoke, and a pistachio steak burger.
