Returned on a Saturday for dinner and sat in their enclosed patio and had great evening! We were thrilled to have a reserved corner couch table, and the live DJ added the perfect energy to the night. We focused on apps, sushi, and nori tacos, and enjoyed every bite. We even ordered second and third rounds of a few favorites. The service was excellent, attentive, and genuinely fun with our table. I can't wait for another visit when the DJ is there. This place has all the makings of the perfect ambiance that's been missing from the local area. Great food, great service, and a fun, energetic vibe. Exactly what you want for a Saturday night. read more

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There are some restaurants you go to because you're hungry, and there are some restaurants you go to because you want to feel like the main character on a summer Saturday night. Blu is the latter. I sat at the bar with a Cone cocktail and the ricotta gnocchi and was immediately annoyed by how good both were. The gnocchi is rich without being heavy, and the Cone may be one of those drinks that's dangerous precisely because it doesn't taste particularly dangerous. My only complaint is the price tag. Blu is absolutely a splurge. But if you're looking for a beautiful meal and an excuse to linger over dinner a little longer, it's worth every penny. read more

Blu Livingston - Wine Bars Near Me - Livingston, New Jersey

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This is an upscale dining establishment with lovely decor. It is not BYOB. It's on the pricey side, including a very nice wine list. Yet, worth the experience. We started with cocktails. They were very nice. The wait staff was also very accomplished. This was our first time here. Appetizers were calamari and snow crab claws. Both were delicious. I also had a glass of their priciest by the glass Cabernet. Mains were the skirt steak and the lobster fra diavolo. We added the creamed corn side dish. All were excellent with the creamed corn being a different take on what might otherwise be an ordinary dish, but was sincerely surprisingly special. We skipped dessert, as we were full. We will be back. read more

Blu Livingston - Lobster Fra Diavolo and creamed corn with remnants of the skirt steak. - Wine Bars Near Me - Livingston, New Jersey

Came back a second time on a early Saturday evening with three other people. Amongst us, we ordered the watermelon tomato salad, wagyu fried rice, chicken parm with mashed potatoes and the gnocchi pasta. As we were celebrating a birthday, the waiter provided us sushi appetizer for free. Overall, the food was really good, though still a bit pricy, Ambiance beautiful and service was amazing. read more

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Lots of buzz about Blu's newest location so had to give it a try. Expansive dining area, a modern decor - we were seated in the 'green room'. The bar was sharp and brightly lit. The menu skews seafood with caviar, sushi, seafood platters and oysters. I liked the Nori taco choices - tho make sure you have time if ordering - was told these take time. We had the lamb chops - juicy and flavorful, the ricotta gnocchi with spicy vodka sauce - not overly spicy but very tasty, the bolognese pasta with wagyu beef. All were good but my teens thought the standout was the truffle fries - lots of Parmesan and seasoning. The staff are friendly and attentive and did not feel rushed. That said - everything is overpriced. Think Manhattan prices. We'll be back but think special occasions not your 'regular' restaurant. read more

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Nice waiter. Food took awhile to come out but when it did it was delicious. I ordered the Branzino and my dining partner ordered the roast chicken. Both were very good. Structure has been totally redesigned from its Olive Garden days to a contemporary, modern and neutral aesthetic. Great for special occasions, as prices aren't cheap. read more

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Newly opened in Livingston and after seeing the parking lot packed the other day, I finally came for a Mother's Day celebration after hearing so many good reviews. First thing I noticed: HUGE parking lot, yet they still offer valet parking which honestly made me laugh because there were so many spaces available. I guess if you have the money and just don't want to walk, spend the money? The interior is gorgeous though. A lot of thought clearly went into the design, especially the "outdoor seating" area that's technically indoors but surrounded by huge glass windows with tons of natural light. Definitely gives perfect date night or celebration vibes. We were warmly welcomed and our server explained that they serve everything in a specific flow, so you order all at once for a more elevated dining experience. I liked the concept, but the wait between rounds got pretty long, about 30-40 minutes at one point, and water refills were slow. Appetizers: Started with oysters which were fresh but small, and sushi that honestly didn't impress me (my fault for ordering sushi at a non Japanese restaurant), but the second round completely won me back. The shrimp basque was flavorful with super soft fresh shrimp, the calamari had amazing seasoning and tender squid with no rubbery chew, and while both the calamari and truffle fries could've been crispier, the flavors were great. Entrees: The bolognese ended up being the star of the night, easily one of the best I've had! Perfectly al dente and packed with flavor. The lobster pasta mostly tasted like gochujang pasta, but the lobster itself was excellent and thoughtfully prepared with cracked shell for easy eating. Chicken parm was light and crispy, just needed more sauce, like full plate dressed. Overall I'd give it around a 3.7/5. Some service delays and a few misses (our entire dining duration was two hours!), but beautiful ambiance and a great spot for date nights or celebrations. read more

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This place is definitely a 10 out of 10! The food, service and ambience was amazing! Looking forward to returning again. read more

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It's a work in progress. 3.5 rating for this meal. Venue is beautiful and spacious with plenty of parking right off the Livingston traffic circle. Service is very friendly and customer focused. Still working on a few details as a new establishment. Bar is good, but the pricing is confused with a midtown Manhattan bar; $25 for a cocktail is high price and they need to up their game to justify that level imho. Sushi is top quality (better than MM in Montclair) and the highlight for our meal. The miso cod tacos were mediocre tasting with a nice presentation. We had the spinach pasta and it was average, not great. Finished the meal with tiramisu; it is presented with drama but lacking in flavor. The staff are great and were very accommodating throughout the meal, however for the pricing I would expect this to improve over time as the staff settles in; other high priced nearby establishments are flawless in execution and Blu needs to improve here. All in all will be back given some positive green shoots. Hope to see this place shine in the future. read more

Last night went to Blu Livingston with my husband... we've been waiting for the opening because we love Blu on the Hudson, we've been 4 times and they never miss! I have reviewed and given it 5 stars. With that being said, we had a different experience last night at Blu Livingston. First, I will say the food was amazing, every dish we ordered was delightful, it was 5 star worthy. The aesthetics of the restaurant was is beautiful! Very spacious and a lot of dining options with dining room seating, bar or an outdoor area with covering. Good cocktails as well. The disappointing part of our dining experience was the service, which I know it's a new restaurant but it was terrible. Very slow and chaotic. Our waitress was polite but did not explain the menu at all, just really asked us what did we want to order. There was constantly a delay in getting our food items, we sat one hour before we even got an appetizer. Then while we were eating our appetizer we were told there were no more lamb which I thought should have been addressed 40 mins prior when we placed our order. We asked to have appetizers come out together, didn't happen. We got our dinner without my husband's side. He finished his steak before anyone came to the table, server didn't even realized it was missing and it had to be packed for us to take home. Management was not engaged, barely checked on tables or addressed issues to support their servers while it was a busy night. It was a big disconnect between server, kitchen and management. I'm really in disbelief when we told the female manager we didn't have our side and there was no apology and she didn't follow through with trying to get it to us. Also, the table next us had lots of complaints with not getting parts of their order, management was made aware by them and really unapologetic. Unfortunately, this location is much closer to where we live but it does not compare to Blu of the Hudson service wise at all. With it being an upscale restaurant it really needs to focus on its customer service. read more

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I came to Blu on the Hudson for my birthday yesterday. We were greeted by a doorman who held the door open, followed by the reservation desk staff, who were extremely friendly and polite. They walked us to our chairs, where we had great seat I opted for the red snapper ceviche, and it was delicious. My husband started with the wedge salad, which was very tasty. For my entrée, I had the lamb, which was nothing spectacular. It was under-seasoned, which I did mention to my waiter, but I didn't send it back. The star of the show was definitely the creamed spinach -- the best I've ever had. My husband ordered the skirt steak, which was cooked to perfection. The steak melted in your mouth like butter. He paired it with the truffle mac and cheese, which I tasted and thought was just okay, nothing particularly special. The truffle fries were simple as well. For dessert, they brought out tiramisu for my birthday. One of the staff members started singing the birthday song but stopped when he realized he was singing alone. They definitely need to do better with birthday celebrations. Overall, the restaurant is a little overpriced for the portion sizes, but the food was fresh, clean, and good quality. I would come back, but probably not anytime soon. The place is really beautiful. read more

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Absolutely love this place! The food is a 10/10. Everything I've ordered has been absolutely delicious. Servers are well knowledgeable of the menu and go out of their way to ensure that you're well treated. Shoutout to Juan and Felipe as they were both great on both of my visits. The decorations here are so beautiful you forgot for a moment that you're at a restaurant in Livingston. It looks and feels very high end. read more

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Food was mediocre at best in terms of quality and preparation, but the prices were entirely without merit. The atmosphere clearly attempts to be upper class, but clashes with the history of it having been an Olive Garden (which is clearly visible, despite their efforts). The service was fine enough, with the waiters and waitresses clearly doing their best while working at a sub-par establishment. The menu is confused between whether or not it wants to be a steakhouse, Italian restaurant, or sushi place, and thus does not even begin to succeed in any category. While I understand many of the ingredients they use to be expensive, they are not prepared in a way that uses them to their full potential and thus justifies the cost. Their cheapest steak and supposedly one of the best dishes they serve is closing in on $50, and even that is a ripoff. Their broccoli tastes like something from Chinese takeout, which while not bad in and of itself, is not what one expects from an establishment advertising itself as luxurious. The truffle was completely absent in both the fries and the butter for the steak, though admittedly the scent of it was still somewhat existent. This is my family's first and last visit to this restaurant. read more

The place was nice and upscale but the food and drinks were definitely overpriced. The service was mediocre but friendly. The drinks were good, not great. We did enjoy the nori tacos. I'd try it again as long as I'm not paying. read more

Just visited the Blu and the ambiance was beautiful. I had the sushi and oysters which was very good however when I received my drink there were two tarot cards placed on the top as decoration. I felt very uneasy about this and removed them quickly. I don't subscribe to such things so it was quite disturbing to have that on my drink. Hopefully this practice will change. read more

Service was great. I liked the menu. I had heard it was pricey and noisy. We were here on a Sunday night and it was lively but not particularly noisy. You can spend a lot of money but you don't need to. It's kind of a tapas type menu. We ordered ceviche and shrimp both delicious and that and a salad or broccoli would have been enough for us. We also ordered carpaccio and sole and had to take some food home. I thought the food was about the same price as anywhere else - a good value. read more

Went here last night with 2 other couples. It's in a space that was formerly an Olive Garden. The ambiance is very nice with a really nice bar and an atrium like area to sit and have a drink. Certainly trying to give you that cool NYC vibe. We started at the bar and had some drinks. Drinks can be described as weak. Alcohol was hardly detectable. We shared several appetizers.Caesar salad and calamari were very good. Sushi rolls were average , certainly better at a sushi place.Pork belly skewer was good. Wagyu bacon was a major disappointment. Drenched in a soy sauce glaze that was all you could taste and at 29 bucks I'd say forget it. Mains were mixed too. 3 had the salmon, the portion was as small as you would get at any restaurant and the side veggie was almost non existent. Others had the branzino and the chicken and said it was good. I had the bolognese and it too was good , not great. Shared desserts were carrot cake ( average) and tiramisu ( excellent) . Service was pretty bad. Appetizers did not come out together , scattered over an hour. Dinner didn't come till 2 hours after we were seated. At the high price point this establishment cones in at , I would expect better. They did give us desserts on house after complaining about long wait. Honestly, I'm one and done and don't need to return. read more

First visit to this place in our neighborhood. Went with limited expectations that were significantly exceeded. From the excellent service to the highly professional sommelier, Blu delivered on the service side of the equation. But how was the food. Very good is all I can say from the sushi to start - this is not a Japanese place but the fish quality was nothing short of exceptional. The lobster diabolo pasta with the rib eye steak was an amazing combination. Cocktails were uniformly good and the wine list all stored in a temperature controlled environment, very well curated. Manhattan environment in Jersey. Strongly recommended. read more

Outstanding describes every aspect of our dining experience! The restaurant is beautiful, the food was delicious and beautifully presented and the vibe was upscale and exciting. The owner is a true gentleman and spent several minutes at our table telling us about the food preparation. Can't wait to go back! read more

Outstanding meal at Blu last night. To get the only negative out of the way, we waited about 20 min for our drink order which was annoying though it was all but forgotten once the food started coming. Also don't love that they make you put the full order in at once, but I get it. Anyway, on to the food- Nori Tacos are killer. Black Cod stood out as a favorite but tuna and hamachi also great. The wedge salad is best in class. Gnocchi spectacular. Will probs be back soon just for wedge and gnocchi. Steaks cooked perfectly, sides delicious, everything seasoned perfectly. It's not cheap- dinner for 4 was $750 before tip and granted we ordered heavy and over $200 in booze and wine but I don't got a second feel it wasn't worth every penny. Multiple check-ins from the managers and our server Jordan was a star. Highly recommend, this coming from a 25+ year industry veteran. Well done team Blu! read more

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First of all, glad it finally opened. It took forever. It's a nice place, they have a few party rooms, and want to make the night special. It's just not that special though. Food was mediocre / ok, price was not. $65 Filet was unbelievably bland. Bolognase was probably the best dish, but nothing great. read more

Finally open after a couple of years of waiting. Beautiful space. Eclectic menu spanning different genres. It is a special occasion kind of place. Would have loved a more casual restaurant in this space and hope high end works there. Food was good. Service was attentive if not fully polished. read more

We decided to give this place a chance since it was new and we haven't had a fancy meal since moving from the city to the suburbs. Ambiance was okay, but food was a total bust, especially for a $400+ check between two people. The flavor profiles were overpowering and very salty across the board, from apps to entrees. We ordered the full branzino and a hybrid wagyu steak, but were underwhelmed by both. Staff also served us our neighbors entree by accident (A5 Wagyu plate) and it wasn't even that busy then. We did not stay for dessert, but based on everything we tried, did not think it would be worth the stomach space. So for those who share our palette (Kim's Sushi, Rods, Blue Hill at Stone Barn, Chefs Table, Xian Famous Foods, as examples) this place ain't it. Forgot to mention, we ordered a Coke, but when I asked the waiter why it tasted like a Diet Coke, he explained that they ran out of syrup and manager told him to serve a Coke Zero. (As if we can't tell the difference!) That was highly inappropriate. read more

We were just there this past Saturday and everything was amazing. The food, ambience and service couldn't be better. Loved it - definitely coming back. read more

VERY DISAPPOINTED? Gorgeous place.. Prices border on extortion for a miniature amount of ok food. I definitely will not go back.

Not a great first impression. Service at the bar was not good. Food did not come out the way we asked for. Asked to hold your credit card when you arrive at the bar. Bathrooms had puddles of water all over. Attention to detail is lacking for a so called high end restaurant. They have a lot to improve before I would go back. For sushi and caviar I would go to a restaurant who specializes in this arena. A disappointing dining experience. read more