Overpriced Pretentious Offerings Sterile Atmosphere Could Use Some Work Service Was Stiff Anytime I see dots and dashes on my plate I know its a warning that my wallet is about to be unloaded. The presentation was just unnecessarily overdone, in addition I found the flavors to be on the bland side. The grilled lamb chops were ok, but for $32.00 the dish was better suited for a barbie doll not a man. This trend continued with the seared tuna risotto $25.00 for a couple ounces of meat and some rice, whoa wait a minute this is dinner? The eight dollar salad contained Iceberg lettuce, daikon radish and bacon this was topped with blue cheese dressing, I found this salad very odd in flavor and wondered what the thinking behind this was. Coffee and dessert was at Sook Pastry across the street. The food was cooked well, however the illusion of ambiance didn't justify the the clobbering over the head with the check. read more

Small restaurant nestled off of Ridgewood Avenue. Good quality food, small portions, okay service. Location: The restaurant is located right across from Sook Pastry shop. I honestly walk past this restaurant all the time, but never knew what they served (when you hear cafe 37, you think of a small shop). The restaurant is small so make reservations in advance. There is a big parking lot a block away from the restaurant. Food: The quality and preparation of the food is top notch. I would expect a little bit more in portion size for the prices they charge here. It's not highway robbery, but you do leave a bit hungry afterwards. They serve an amused bouche, which is a nice touch. For appetizers, we shared a salad and the ahi tuna over grilled slice of bread. The flavor in the tuna was great, but I didn't think it went well with the bread. We ordered the seared ahi tuna over risotto, Chilean sea bass, and rack of lamb. All 3 entrees were great. Once again, small portion sized for the price you pay. We skipped dessert and walked across the street to sook to get some pastries to take home. Service: The servers here are nice, but not really friendly. We did feel rushed at times. For the price, I do expect better service. Overall: With a number of restaurants in Ridgewood, I would say to give the place a try. But you might enjoy Village Green a bit more. read more

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The staff here is on top of their game. Very attentive service all throughout. The food is an extraordinary experience. The dishes are beautifully prepared and presented. I had seafood risotto which was just that, fresh shellfish accompanied by a very light risotto flavored with saffron, small tomatoes and julienned zucchini. So delicious!! My husband had the salmon from the standard menu which was also stunning and flavorful. read more

My parents frequent this restaurant on the weekends. It's pretty long standing considering the turnover in Ridgewood. What I appreciate about Cafe 37 is their flexibility. My dad often calls the day of with fresh caught fish and the chef is willing to prepare it which is not an easy feat. Whether he is happy about it or not is another story! But we are appreciative. The portions are small as it is a fancier place. The food is decadent so you won't be left unsatisfied. The salads are tasty and unique (I had the blood orange with feta cheese). I had the salmon for my meal which was the perfect size and cooked medium. The desserts are what really do it for me. Yes, Sook is across the street, but I prefer the desserts here. They vary them from visit to visit but the fallen chocolate cake and creme brûlée are amazing. **small place so make a reservation. BYO** read more

Cafe 37 - Goat cheese ravioli with fig sauce - New American Near Me - Ridgewood, New Jersey

Cafe 37 is consistently an incredible experience. It is hands down one of the best restaurants in Ridgewood. The food is exquisite, very well thought out sauces and side dishes, fresh food and exceptional service. The chef is kind, accommodating to dietary restrictions and takes pride in his restaurant. We had our daughter's communion at the restaurant and have visited for family dinners and couples dinners and each time, we left saying how satisfied and delicious everything was. If you're looking for a high end treat, this is the place to go! read more

I'll give it a high-5, ohhhhhhh! Alright to stop me from being a tool, I'll write up the rest of this review. Me and my family go here almost every Sunday, and we never are disappointed one bit. The service at Café 37 is excellent, all the staff is extremely nice. So there's this option on the menu called a "Prix Fixe", where you order a first course (appetizer), a second course (salad), a third course (entre) and a fourth course (dessert). The Prix Fixe menu is $40 per person, just as an FYI. As you can guess, I ordered off the Prix Fixe menu (wow big shocker). To start off with I had a delicious French Onion soup, which was a specialty and really good. For my second course, I had the mouth-watering "Mixed Green salads", which incluees sliced strawberries, honey pecans, crumbled goat cheese and an apple cider vinaigrette. For my third course or entre, I had the delectable "Pan Broiled Folet of Salmon", which included Japanese Eggplant Caponata (basically a Japanese eggplant stir-fry), roasted fingerling potatoes and a fine tomato sauce. Now for the big finale.... I had the Vanilla Crème Brulee, which was absolutely out of this freaking world! It was so good, words can't even describe how I felt after having this palatable dessert. Alright people of yelp, so you interested? I really recommend this place, if you're looking for somewhere good to on a night you have free. read more

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Fantastic surprise in Ridgewood.Hip,delish,lovely ,lovely,service. The appetizer selection was huge-tough decision!! Foie gras special app was incredible.Decked out with fruit compote,bread pudding(yep)good char on the liver. Seafood linguini was truly out of this world.Vegetables,pasta and fish-all cooked to perfection.NYC experience so close to home. Best dinner I have had in a long time-real food is hard to find. Fabulous .Bring good wine. read more

This is one of my favorite spots in Ridgewood. Seasonal menu, great friendly staff, BYOB. I've been here probably 20 times over the years Cesar and staff never disappoints. read more

Just a great dining experience from start to finish. Terrific food, service, and ambiance- have very little negative to say about this restaurant and have been here a number of times. I would say, the new automatic credit card fee is VERY cheesy for a restaurant of this caliber. Feels like I am going to a cheap chain restaurant when restaurants pull this move and it is very off-putting. Add $1 or $2 to every entrée instead of this. read more

This place is just food magic!!.. service was beyond great .. magic...this is the second time we have gone. They ch age there menu which is great. The presentation is lovely, too pretty to eat but you just have to. The restaurant is small but that just makes it better. More focus on the food then the room size..but you will find not one open table and people just enjoying there food.. that's what's it's about.. read more

Cafe 37 - New American Near Me - Ridgewood, New Jersey

Had dinner last nite. Service is impeccable.. attentive but not intrusive. Had a wonderful paella special but asked for it without rice since I am limiting carbs. They served it over a beautiful.medley of veggies. Prince Edward Is. Oysters for an appetizer. Tables were socially distanced and staff was appropriately masked. Highly recommend for a lovely nite out. read more

Nice spot. Food was very tasty and service was good. Started with Beef/Crab carpaccio and shrimp ceviche which were great. For entree, we had Frutti de mare and Filet Mignon which were also great. All the dishes had a perfect balance of flavor and texture. We were seated outside under the tent. Service was attentive. Patrons were well dressed. Not formal but classy. Best part was BYOB so we brought our better wines which they happily opened and even offered a bucket of ice for the white wine. Menu is limited but probably for good reasons, every dish is specialized. Would come back again. read more

I am never one to write reviews. But I was extremely disappointed going here. My mom and I wanted a nice dinner out to celebrate my new job. The service wasn't great. Our waitress was a bit rude. The appetizers we had were okay not great (really expensive for what we received) . But the worst part was that it took over 2 hours to get our dinner! My mom and I bothered the same meal. The Filet Medallions (which looked gross). By the time the meal "started" to come out. It was 10:30pm. We arrived for dinner at 8:15. The waitress didn't even realize we didn't get our meals until about 10:20. I eventually called her over and said. Please don't bring out our meals. It's 10:30pm we have been waiting for 2 hours for our meals and the people next to us (who arrived almost an hour after we did for dinner) received there meals. While we still didn't. The waitress kinda replied with a "sorry about your food" but it wasn't sincere. The manager never came over to apologize or anything. The food runner eventually came out with our meals even though we told the waiter to not bring it out. So we had to send it back a 2nd time. As a result, it was past 10:30pm. No dinner and not great service. Extremely disappointed. Never going back. read more

Food here was absolutely exceptional. Service was amazing too. Had our anniversary dinner here last night and can't wait to return. Appetizers were the lobster ravioli which were phenomenal and escargot which we also loved. For meals we had the filet mignon medallions and beef short rib and would highly recommend both. Sat outside too which was a treat. Just went here for a second time-again amazing food. We had the burrata and chopped salad which was awesome. Venison was amazing along with the tuna and steak. Awesome byob date night spot can't wait to go back!!! read more

We just hosted a private wedding shower for our daughter Kathryn at Cafe 37 in Ridgewood. Over the past several months we worked closely with Chef Cesar Sotomayor in menu planning and general setup. He offered wonderfully varied menu options to choose from and worked with us in decorating and setting up the room. We arrived an hour early to see a beautifully set up dining area with a space to mingle and have cocktails.The actual event exceeded all our expectations. The dinner served was exceptional while the presentation wowed the attendees. The appetizers, main courses and deserts were all delicious; all thirty guests repeatedly expressed to us their thorough enjoyment of the occasion. Cesar and his staff were extremely attentive and accommodative to a fault, the service was simply wonderful from setting up to dining to packing up. We cannot recommend Cafe 37, its staff and its food highly enough. Really, a truly first rate restaurant. Bonnie and John McCarthy read more

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Cesar Sotomayor, the owner and creative chef of Cafe 37 created the perfect menu for a Sunday afternoon bridal shower. Every dish was delicious and platted to perfection. Every guest was impressed with their meal as well as the outstanding service led by Felix. Cafe 37 is by far our "go to" restaurant because of the attentive service and how Cesar prepares the meals - delicious! read more

Cafe 37 - Pan Seared Filet of Salmon, shallot potato cake, julienne garden vegetables, white wine lemon pan butter sauce - New American Near Me - Ridgewood, New Jersey

Delish... all I can say wow...went during lunch so not crowded but worth it to get a feel and enjoy the moment. Ok went recently again (let's say a few more times) and I got say I'm addicted to their food every time. Presentation, ambiance, flavors, the portions. I don't have anything negative to say. But every time I do go I am never disappointed. read more

I see a lot of reviews complaining about the portion size so maybe they did increase it when I went last night for the first time. It was way too much food on the entree plate I couldn't finish it. The fillet mignon was very nicely cooked but the lobster tail was a bit dry (maybe because I took too long eating my appetizer so they had to put it under a heating lamp) The dessert was a bit too sweet, not that I don't like overly sweet things but it makes it seem just a bit cheap (I don't even know if that's the right word) The tables are too close together with the others that it might not be the best place to have a relaxing and romantic dinner if it's a date depending on how busy it is. I would feel constantly afraid that I might knock over someone's wine glass if I stood up. read more

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Fantastic dinner Mushroom Risotto was other wordly, Kale Salad was excellent, Tuna very good amd Brraf Pudding fantastic. Great service also!! read more

Absolutely delicious meal! I have visited cafe 37 twice now and intend on returning! Their wait staff and chefs are so accommodating if you have Celiac Disease and review all the options on how they're going to make a safe meal for you to eat. They are BYOB which is even better! If you plan on going early to catch a bite you should be fine without a reservation, but be aware they fill up fast! I have enjoyed their house salad and the filet mignon, and their custard creem brulee on my first visit and second time I went I enjoyed their chopped kale salad for starter, sea bass for entree, and coconut gelato for dessert! read more

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Their food is supurb and theirnputdoor set up is adorable! Truffle mushroom risotto was yum !

One of the best meals I ever had. We had the pre-fix dinner and the portions were perfect. The food and service was excellent!

Wonderful Restaurant. We eat there often. Every time it's perfection. Waitstaff friendly, professional and charming. Today we had Liz excellent! Always close by but not intrusive. read more

I hosted my son's graduation from High School party at Cafe 37. The entire event was wonderful and so easy to execute!! Ceasar was wonderful to work with and the food was amazing!!! My guests were very complimentary of the service and the quality of the food. Nothing but five stars for Cafe 37 and their staff. read more

Cafe 37 far exceeded all expectations. My husband and I planned a family event for thirty people last weekend. The food was incredible and the staff was exceptional. Cesar, the owner/chef, made it incredibly easy to craft a menu for our very picky family. The only thing that made things difficult was trying to narrow down the list of options for the menu! The wait staff, especially Felix, was gracious and accommodating. The brunch was so fantastic that we are having yet another family gathering there tomorrow. We were so impressed by the food that we would easily come to Ridgewood for dinner - even though we live in Manhattan. BRAVO, Cesar and Cafe 37! read more

I held my daughter's bridal shower here recently. The food and service were excellent, as they always are. Besides being delicious, the food is presented beautifully....works of art! Most of the staff has been with Cesar since the restaurant opened 18 years ago, and they operate seamlessly. We were seated at the back of the large outdoor tent, which was very pleasant with its plants and greenery. if you go, don't miss the home made coconut ice cream! read more

We have gone here several times for a date night or special occasion. The food is awesome and the staff is really friendly. From the outside it looks unassuming but do try this place out. Both the a la carte or pre-fixe menus are great! From the appetizers, salads and main courses, all awesome! We now go here regularly and we're pretty picky when it comes to restaurants and this place has become one our favorite restaurants around! Thank you always for the great food and service Cafe 37!! read more

My buddies parents took us out to diner last night and this place is exceptional. Liz was our waitress and she did a fantastic job especially when handling my friends father. Great place great food. great service. read more

I don't leave many reviews, but feel like I need to after my second time here. The food is amazing, the way it is presented is amazing, and the people that work there are amazing. Also not a loud place which not sure why but really enjoyed!! Didn't have to yell across table. We go for that special night out w a nice bottle of wine. Will be back soon! read more

I had written a review of Cafe 37 several years ago. I'm not sure, but I think it may have had a change in ownership since then. In the past 6 months or so my wife and I have dined here 5 times. The food is excellent. The service is not top notch, but it has been ok. Last night however the service was pretty bad. It took about 15 minutes for someone to take our order -- my wife got the Salmon and I got the Ahi Tuna. We also ordered a salad to start. It took about about 15 minutes for the salad to arrive -- it was very good. Then it took almost an hour for our entrees to arrive. People around us were eating while we just sat there at an empty table. At one point one of the waiters came by and said he had just checked and our meals were coming. About 10 minutes went by and another waiter come by to tell us our food was coming. Neither one apologized for the wait. My wife asked the second waiter if he realized that we had been in the restaurant for an hour and 15 minutes and all we had eaten was a salad. He just gave us a blank stare. I finally called the first waiter over and asked him if he had forgotten us. I pointed out that the table next to us had arrived after us, had already eaten and were in the process of leaving. I also pointed out another table that had ordered after us but were well into their meals. As I was speaking our dinner finally arrived -- the waiter just said "here it is" -- still no apology. They ruined our Friday night. We ate quickly and left -- no one even looked at us as we left. I understand that things like this happen, and all it would have taken to fix it is for someone to just apologize for the delay. I guess we won't be coming back. read more

Second time they screwed up our reservation. Cancelled our Mother's Day reservation 4 days before, more than a week after it was made. Too late for us to book anywhere else. Do not count on any reservation you make at this place. They are totally unreliable. read more

Every bite from start to finish was heavenly. I highly recommend Cafe 37 if you'd like a night of fine dining.. this is the spot! Additionally, the outdoor setup seemed like it was meant to be there from the start (and not because of COVID outdoor dining rules)- heat lamps, plants, lighting, additional decor. The only problem with this place is trying to choose what to order, as the special and regular dining menu has amazing options that will have you going back and forth! Can't wait to go back. read more

Came here for dinner with my husband on a Friday evening. We had a great experience. We received a complimentary plate of olives and Parmesan cheese for our bread. We shared the herb goat cheese ravioli which was delicious! My husband had the venison for his entree and I had the scallops. Both dishes were really good and had very nice presentations, but my scallops were a little too salty. The service was great and BYOB is a big plus. The restaurant is pricy but nice for a special occasion. read more

Cafe 37 - Scallops - New American Near Me - Ridgewood, New Jersey

I hosted my husband's 70th birthday here and it was perfect! had the whole restaurant for a Sunday Luncheon and everyone loved the ambiance and best of all the food. I asked the chef for a special menu which had more seafood options and he was accomodating and delivered a spectacular meal. Everyone got to choose from 2 different starters and 3 different Mains. Each dish came out beautifully presented , high quality and delicious. Service was friendly attentive and professional. Since it is a BYOB we ordered wines from across the street which was so easy and saved us some $$. Thank you for an elegant and memorable event! read more

Had dinner with family on a Saturday night. Outdoor seating was fine when it was about 80 outside. Service was ok -- very difficult to get water. But they were very busy. We had salads, shrimp tempura and cheese plate for appetizer. All good. We had salmon, filet mignon, ribs and chicken for main course. Filet mignon was outstanding, salmon and ribs pretty good and chicken was dry. One of the chicken entrees was so bad that my mom only had two bites. Really unfortunate that marred an otherwise very good experience. read more

We recently hosted my mom's surprise birthday dinner at Cafe 37 for 10 people and it was a wonderful experience! I had never been to Cafe 37 before but the reviews looked great, menu sounded delicious and when I emailed the restaurant for a reservation, the owner Cesar, promptly responded to ensure I had all of the answers I needed to make a reservation. The restaurant is cozy and we had a nice table in the corner for our dinner which was perfect. The staff was so accommodating and the service was on point. Food came out on time and hot and absolutely delicious! My entire family raved that the food was amazing and some of the "best food they've ever had!" Cesar followed up after our dinner to check in on our experience which was just another nice way to feel so welcome in his restaurant. I wish surely be back! read more

Excellent food and service! Cooperative for a private event. Beautiful venue for a Bridal luncheon!

We just had our Christening party here, we booked the whole space and everything came out very nice: food and service were great, we liked the location close to everything, and Cesar accommodated our menu requests. Happy to go back anytime, since they have an excellent prix-fixe and the quality is at NYC standards. Highly recommend! read more

Always excellent. The people who work here are the best. And the food is equally excellent. Felix the waiter is great. Café 37 Kale salad is my favorite and get it almost every time followed by the venison ( when in season). The guacamole is also amazing. My husband gets the steak or Riblettes and is always happy with his choice. I rarely get dessert but when I do, that too is great. Love this place! read more

In my book, this place is #1 in Ridgewood - great ambience, prompt service and outstanding food priced just right. They're also very consistent. read more