Montclair has an incredible 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 out, 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 North Willow Street
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Named one of the “12 Great Places for Gluten-Free Pizzas 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.
Read More: These North Jersey Diners Are What Makes New Jersey, New Jersey
Alto | 690 Bloomfield Avenue
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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, and cozy fireplaces make it a year-round option. Alto offers beer, wine, cocktails, and light bites and reservations are currently encouraged to guarantee a table.
Bar Franco | 15 Church Street
Photo Credit: Rachael Grochowski of RHG Architecture
Owned + operated by Hollywood TV producer Franco Porporino, Bar Franco sits adjacent to Franco’s other Montclair business, Fresco Da Franco. The spot provides the same sophistication + elegance as its sister spot, with a door person and velvet rope guarding the bar’s entrance, and a super secret basement speakeasy. The Church Street cocktail lounge serves up specialty drinks and Italian tapas to bring an opulent, “New York vibe” to Montclair — including the “La Bomba” dessert, which is a vanilla cookie topped with chocolate mousse and vanilla cream, and flecked with 24-karat gold leaf.
Brick + Dough | 110 Walnut Street
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Brick + Dough has a selection wood-fired pizza as well as unique Italian-inspired entrees. There’s an indoor service area as well as a rustic outdoor patio here. The pizzas and all-day menu include a buffalo chicken pie, a fig and goat cheese pie, poutine, crispy Brussels sprouts, and more.
da Pepo | 54 Fairfield Street
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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
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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 Egan’s classic double cheeseburger and “Chip Shop” Fish + Chips.
Fatto Con Amore | 349 Bloomfield Avenue
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Visitors will experience the Italian sandwich concept when stepping into this new spot owned by Chef Robbie Felice. He carefully selects the freshest ingredients, including locally baked breads; and imported meats, cheese, vinegars, and olive oils from Italy. Fatto con Amore will be opening soon.
Faubourg Restaurant + Bar | 544 Bloomfield Avenue
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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.
Gioia Mia | 331 Bloomfield Avenue
Photo Credit: Zack Pearl @thebacyard
Led by Chef Logan Ramirez and Manager Mary Cumella, who were previously part of the Fascino restaurant team, this newcomer aims to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The restaurant features a diverse menu featuring seasonal, farm-to-table ingredients with influences from various cuisines — including chicken liver mousse, pork chops, and more.
Halcyon | 114 Walnut Street
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Halcyon serves dinner as well as a Sunday brunch — perfect for a daytime outing with friends or an upbeat night. It has one of the only raw bars in the area and focuses 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
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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.
La Rocca | 21 Midland Avenue
For 13 years, 21 Midland Avenue was home to Osteria Giotto. When doors closed in 2016, customers were missing their favorite Italian dishes from the spot. However, Robert Pantusa, former chef and owner of Osteria Giotto, brought these dishes back to the Montclair community in 2020 with his new restaurant, La Rocca. Here, you can indulge in dishes like calamari, cavatelli, tagliatelle, halibut, risotto, lasagna, and more — and be sure to save room for some tiramisu for dessert.
Le Souk | 51 Watchung Plaza
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Le Souk serves up a blend of Middle Eastern cuisines from Syria, Morocco, and Turkey, while also offering an array of plant-based dishes like muhammara, a fava bean salad with chickpea + tahini, and a falafel waffle. Other dishes to try out here include pomegranate chicken, chicken kabob, stuffed grape leaves, and more.
MishMish Cafe | 631 1/2 Valley Road
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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. This low key eatery/bakery is known for its 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 Brewery | 101 Walnut Street
Building a stronger community, one beer at a time. That is the mission of Montclair Brewery — a microbrewery located right in the heart of Montclair. Run by a husband and wife duo, Denise Ford Sawadogo and Leopold ‘Leo’ Sawadogo have turned their passion for brewing into a wildly successful business. Some fan favorites here include the National Emergency IPA, as well as the Golden Buddha Passion Fruit Ale. For the warm weather vibes, Fragile Like a Bomb is a floral summer ale brewed with a lavender aroma. The full tap list can be found here, but you really can’t go wrong with any beer you choose.
Montclair Diner | 613 Valley Road
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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.
Nami Nori | 2 South Willow Street
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Nami Nori is a temaki bar specializing in open-style sushi hand rolls. The menu is full of classic temaki options as well as updated twists and even a vegan specialty menu. Everything on the menu at Nami Nori is also gluten-free. Also on the menu are Japanese-inspired snacks and appetizers in addition to beer, sake, and wine.
Nicolo’s Italian Bakery + Deli | 6 Baldwin Street
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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.
Pasta Ramen | 6 South Fullerton Avenue
Photo Credit: @nj_native_photo
This new Japanese-Italian spot comes from the mind of Chef Robbie Felice — the owner and a James Beard Nominated Rising Star Chef. The restaurant is a fusion of Italian and Japanese culture and cuisine — serving up dishes like cacio e pepe gyoza fritti, tonkotusu ramen with porchetta, and more.
Raymond’s | 28 Church Street
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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 its 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
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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.
Sweet T’s Southern Eatery | 387 Bloomfield Avenue
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Sweet T’s Southern Eatery is a Montclair restaurant that serves up traditional Southern comfort-style food. Everything from fried chicken meals, to catfish, and short ribs — to sides like mac and cheese, and cornbread with strawberry butter are available here. MG Tip: The signature Sweet Tea is a must-try.
Turtle + the Wolf | 622 Valley Road, Upper Montclair
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Turtle + the Wolf is another industrial-style eatery, with a chic vibe that’s welcoming. On the upscale menu, the restaurant offers family-style meals as well as 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.
Van Hook Cheese + Grocery | 111 Grove Street
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Van Hook Cheese + Grocery is known for its cheese platters and creative grilled cheese sandwiches, which are served with a variety of toppings including duck, truffle gouda, and hot honey. The spot also sells The Motherboard, complete with everything cheese fans need to build a beautiful, at-home cheese board. It includes the board itself and a variety of cheeses and other provisions that go together to build an Instagram-worthy charcuterie board (we love the truffle honey!). Other offerings include meats, crackers, antipasti, butter, and caviar. There’s also a Jersey City location of Van Hook.
Vesta Chocolate | 598 Valley Road, Suite 2, Upper Montclair
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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.
See More: The Best Hoboken Restaurants to Take Your Parents to Eat
Zeugma Grill | 44 South Park Street
Zeugma 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.
