03/05/2026 Wow, 11 years since my last review, yet the food is still as wonderful as I remember. Came here with former work friends for lunch like we used to do although this time my wife came along. We have been here a time or 2 since my last review, so my wife loves Cafe Panache as much as I do. 2 warm goat cheese / beet salad, Salmon Tartare w/avocado/seaweed Salad and a Warm mushroom salad with arugula & parmesan were the appetizers we had. My wife had the Filet mignon ravioli / parmesan reggiano and Bordelaise sauce while I had the calves liver with, port wine and raisins. Normally I wouldn't order liver, but this being Cafe Panache, I knew it could only be good and it was. Not like Mom used to make where she would cook the liver for hours... or so it seemed. Our friends had the Halibut special and the Garlic shrimp salad, avocado / Chipotle. Still one of my favorite Jersey restaurants... and a BYOB! read more

Cafe Panache - Liver with raisons. (M/R) - Salad Near Me - Ramsey, New Jersey

Cafe Panache is located along a busy road in Ramsey, however parking is plentiful in the adjacent strip mall. The interior is a little dated, but also cozy. It's BYOB and you can tell this place is a favorite for seniors. Our service was generally ok, but it was rather amusing how the staff were head over heels for some other (regular) customers. I think another reviewer alluded to this as well. Eg. While our waiter opened our wine for us, he never once poured any into our glasses. However, he was hugging and kisses other customers, and also walking around their table, pouring their wines. The filet mignon ravioli appetizer was delicious. They conveniently split it across two plates for my wife and I. Ravioli were hand made, filled well and there's a good ratio of pasta to meat filling. We were soaking up every last drop from the plate with bread. The Berkshire pork chop entree was ok, but the apple sauce on top got overwhelming. A little bit is fine, but I would've preferred to taste more of the chop itself. My wife's duck entree was unfortunately unpleasant. The duck tasted like it was dry and reheated, plus everything on the plate has this flavor of old fryer oil. After eating some, we spoke to the waiter about this. He claimed that's how it's supposed to be. We've had amazing confits elsewhere and make it at home as well. It shouldn't be dry or taste like old fryer oil. The waiter offered to replace it with something else, which is nice, but my wife wanted good duck... And didn't want to wait another 15 minutes for something else. For $48, it was a disappointment. We just picked at parts of the dish that tasted edible. Unfortunately, the duck experience left us on a sour note where we were otherwise excited about finding another restaurant we liked. read more

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If you are vegan avoid this at all costs, I sadly had to go for a work dinner. It was a horrible meal the kitchen could friggin care less about what they serve. I doubt they have a properly trained chef. You could have made the veggies available in to a meal or add a bean to create a protein but that's not available, instead you get bland boiled vegetables and plain rice. I only ate here because I had to for a work dinner, but please if you have vegan employees. Do not send them here for a dinner. It's horrible. read more

Cafe Panache - Salad Near Me - Ramsey, New Jersey

Our dinner at Cafe Panache last night made us realize we were away from this place for too long. Both our salad appetizers were delicious. My wife had the calf's liver which was outstanding, she commented it tasted better than calf's liver, lol. My Halibut was truly excellent- best flavor of any fish entree I've ever had. Dessert was amazing. The environment was a bit loud but it seems most restaurants suffer from the same issue. We will be back very soon. read more

reliable delicious food every time i've been there Lunch menu always offers everything you could want. The beet salad is wonderful as the short run braised ravioli read more

Cafe Panache - Salad Near Me - Ramsey, New Jersey

We had our holiday party here and the experience was excellent. The staff was extremely accommodating, making everything run smoothly. The food was beyond outstanding -- I ordered the tuna that had a perfect crispy crust on the outside and rare on the inside with a delicious wasabi sauce along side black rice and steamed bok choy. Would definitely go back for this dish!! Highly recommend! read more

My boyfriend took me there for a Valentine's Day dinner and this is how it want ... The food : The food is absolutely phenomenal , ordered the clams and mussel's appetizer and it was simply Ama zing with marinara sauce , they also serve fresh warm bread with it , you can honestly eat 10pieces of bread .. For main course we had the crispy duck and that was served with black rice , one of the best ducks I ever had . Dessert was Creme Brûlée and it was very good , perfect consistency. Decor is welcoming and beautiful !! The bathroom is extremely clean . The hostess is not really that friendly and in all honesty I felt a little rushed , that is not really something I like to do specially if I'm on a date . The other down side it that BYOB , they should have a liquor license . Tables are extremely close together so you can basically hear the entire conversation going on next to you either you like it or not . I would also had preferred to sit by him and not across from him , that takes away from the romance. The food makes it worth going but they could work on some of the improvements I mentioned . read more

Cafe Panache - Salad Near Me - Ramsey, New Jersey

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O...M...G.. I have never had filet mignon better!! What makes this stand out from the rest is the caramelized onions and black pepper that enhance the flavor of the meat with a sweet and savory flavor. This was beyond excellent. read more

Cafe Panache - EXCELLENT! 5 stars!! - Salad Near Me - Ramsey, New Jersey

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We just celebrated my daughter's Bridal Shower at Cafe Panache and not only was the food outstanding but the staff was absolutely amazing!!! Javier ("the King" as coined by my daughter) and team made every guest feel so welcomed and cared for. Thank you for making my daughter's special day absolutely perfect!!!! read more

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I come to this restaurant every time I venture into Jersey. The service is always amazing, the food is so delicious, and the atmosphere is very nice. I will be back! read more

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We had our holiday dinner last night the food was delicious, the waitress was very accommodating for a table of 13 mostly women lol. Nice and cozy atmosphere read more

I hosted my salon work dinner at Cafe Panache last night January 3rd and couldn't have been happier with the experience.The staff was incredibly accommodating and made hosting a group feel effortless from start to finish. They were attentive and truly listened to our requests, especially when it came to substitutions for some dishes -- everything was done exactly as asked. My dinner was perfectly cooked and absolutely delicious. The level of service and care really stood out, and it made the night feel special. I would highly recommend Cafe Panache for both group dinners and a standout dining experience. read more

Went for a couples night out and what a disappointment. This place will discriminate against you if you're a young adult. Right when we walked in, the sever Sal had an attitude when he saw us to seat us (we are late 30s and dressed nicely). We sat and after receiving our water, we poured it the entire time ourself. We had to ask for bread, yet the elderly people (which is 99% of the restaurant guests) around us had bread right away and were treated with a smile and kind gestures. Sal never asked us how our meal was and had an incredibly cold demeanor from start to finish. We know his name is Sal because be was beyond friendly to literally every other table but us. Never in our lives have we experienced such age discrimination and it was beyond apparent. We have been to other restaurants, where the clientele tends to be upper age and never have we ever had a server treat us this way despite who was around us. The food was okay, I even made a sarcastic comment "oh don't worry our meal was just fine" since he never asked us. It was pretty unbelievable to be honest. I was so disturbed I opted for us to leave before desert and coffee and wrote this review post dinner at the Italian bakery across the restaurant. We would never go back. read more

Excellent food and great service I have not be there for a while and after tonight I need to make it a priority to go back soon In additional its a BYOB read more

Cafe Panache served an absolutely delicious meal from start to finish! We had a reservation for 6 people and were seated pretty promptly. Our table was comfortable, and ambiance was elegant and inviting. The service was overall very good. Our one gripe was that we loved the bread so much that we asked for another round of bread and butter, and the server agreed but then never actually brought more bread. The bread really was that good! The appetizers were scrumptious. I had the grilled octopus, which had a lovely sauce and some charred eggplant on the side. My husband had a salmon tartar appetizer, which was very tasty. For my main, I had the venison ragú gnocchi. It was rich and decadent in the best way. It was delicious. My husband had the venison steak that was succulent and flavorful. We couldn't pass up dessert, so we had the sticky toffee pudding and peppermint cheesecake. Both desserts hit the spot. We left stuffed to the brim! They allowed us to bring wine to have with dinner. Overall this was a fabulous dining experience. read more

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Had lunch there about a year ago Server was rushed, unpolished and did not feel the usually class act service as I've had in the past with dinner, corporate events, and lunches with the ladies. Will try again but hoping it's going to be a different experience. Food was always great. But something was off that day. read more

The best. Sal and Javier have worked hard to continue Kevin's legacy. The food and service are amazing read more

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A favorite special occasion spot when visiting NJ! We were celebrating my Mom for Mother's Day and her birthday, and it was a delicious and memorable evening. I had previously been prior to the pandemic and prior to Chef Kevin's passing...so sad. I can only imagine how traumatic things must have been for the team, but the food, service, and setting are still elegant, elevated, and oh-so-enjoyable! This is a BYO (Bring Your Own alcohol) establishment, as are many restaurants in Bergen County, so plan ahead - there's a liquor store down the street. To start they serve everyone a fresh, warm bread roll with shared butter on the table, and they opened and poured our wine right away. For STARTERS we shared: Sweet Corn Agnolotti with maitake mushrooms and butter emulsion (on the SPECIALS menu) *delicious pasta dish (almost like ravioli); the mushrooms were also delicious but were more of an accompaniment element on the side Warm Goat Cheese Salad with pickled beets, walnuts, dijon dressing *loved the fried goat cheese ball, and the classic combo of flavors For MAINS we ordered: Lobster "Bisque", PEI Mussels, Saffron Cream *this is listed as a starter but my hungry niece ordered this as her main and couldn't finish it - the bowl was overflowing with mussels and she loved it! Panko Crusted Halibut, Bok Choy, Wasabi Sake Sauce *we were told that this is a favorite and that they often sell out of it. I ordered it and loved every last lick. It felt relatively light and clean, yet full of flavor. The fish was nestled on top of black rice. Crispy Softshell with organic red quinoa, corn and lobster sauce (on the SPECIALS menu) *Mom love the crab and the preparation of this dish! For DESSERT we ordered (with a candle in it!): Vanilla Creme Brulee *classic, elegant, and felt light-ish since we shared it One thing we didn't order that was recommended as a favorite: Filet Mignon Ravioli, truffle butter, bordelaise *this is listed on the starter menu, but I hear that it's divine and sufficient as a main too If you're looking for a delicious dinner experience in Bergen County, make a reservation and visit Cafe Panache! read more

Soft shell crab dinner special...amazing with lobster sauce on the side of the plate. Oh my! Super fresh salad to start and grilled octopus. Oh my...shared dessert and scraped the plate...oh my. Maybe our best restaurant meal this year. Returning VERY soon. read more

I called to make a reservation for my son, he was taking his girlfriend out for her birthday, and planned to get engaged that evening. I explained to the woman on the phone that this is a special occasion, and wanted to make sure something special was done for them. She understood and said she would note it on the reservation. I asked my son what Cafe Panache did for them that night and he said nothing special. I called the restaurant to complain and they asked me what I expected them to do for my son and his girlfriend. I said a candle or Happy Birthday written on a piece of cake, or Congratulations that he proposed to her would have been nice. Getting engaged is a special moment that can never be repeated. The restaurant told me "Our pastry chef is not a native English speaker" and would not know how to write "Congratulations" on their dessert. This response is absolutely repulsive, and there is no excuse for their behavior. I love the food at Cafe Panache, and have been coming here for years, but I will never return to this restaurant again. read more

Cafe Panache - a man and a woman holding hands - Salad Near Me - Ramsey, New Jersey

This place can be best described as bizarre. I'm going to be a bit tougher on this place ($$$) than I would on a $$ restaurant because when you are paying $40+ an entree there are some expectations We had reservations on a week night, waited 15 minutes for them to set our table (even though four other tables were open) then they sat us at a corner booth that was way too small for two people and very uncomfortable due to sagging upholstery. The best part of the meal was the filet raviolis and the bread. The worst was everything else. the Short rib was in a molasses and Guinness sauce that tasted wrong and the color was off putting. The color was a deep dark burgundy, a color I'd associate with internal bleeding, not dinner. The homemade gnocchi was the right texture but had no flavor, not even salt. The ambiance is severely lacking and the decor needs a refresh- at the very least they should get rid of the peeling mirrors that surround the room. read more

Cafe Panache - Gnocchi - Salad Near Me - Ramsey, New Jersey

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Christmas eve is a tall order for any restaurant, and I am happy to say Cafe Panache came thru! We were running a little late for our sitting so when we got there were immediately sat. They may have needed a lottle more staff, a bit of a lag, but those that were there were working very hard and were wonderful, seamless. The food was creative, delicious, and very well portioned. The only item I wasn't that happy with was the ravioli, the pasta was a bit rubbery and filling needed a little salt- but I still ate them so how bad could they be!? This is a beautiful setting to have a meal, you can hear each other at the table, you are not on top of other patrons, comphy chairs and banquets, great lighting... Cafe Panache gave my family a wonderful evening. Also BYO is a big +. I am looking forward to returning. read more

Service was excellent, food mediocre. We had salmon sushi was good, salad w mushrooms, mediocre, octopus Cheney. For entrees bass with crusted potato, actually needed salt. Duck was fatty, liked the leg bearer than than breast. Filet ravioli was interesting. This a pretty place, with nice ambiance. Loved 5he hot bread w butter. Waiter was fantastic, Javier and bus service plenty of ice water. This is a bring your own,just need to up the food a bit read more

I had my daughter's bridal shower here last Sunday. They are closed on Sunday but you can host an event if you guarantee a minimum number of people, and I was happy we did. Kristie and Javier were amazing! Kristie coordinated all the details with me and had many helpful recommendations and Javier and staff were there the day of to pull off a flawless shower for my daughter! They allow you to bring in flowers and any of the touches you want to make it special. The bridal party had many cute things they wanted displayed and the tables were put out to accommodate this. It is BYOB so I had Prosecco delivered by a wine store recommended by Kristie and brought the Peach Nectar. Javier was wonderfully making Bellinis for all the women. The food was fabulous! I received so many compliments on the food as well the entire event. Thank you Cafe Panache for a memorable day! read more

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Food was excellent but the service, not so much. Enjoyed our meals very much but felt very rushed. Less than 5 minutes after we ordered, our appetizers came. Finished our appetizers and our meal was on the table within minutes. Water was never refilled and we poured our own wine. We have been several times and this seems to be a consistent theme. After the meal we waited a long time to order dessert and waited a long time to get dessert. For the pricing of this restaurant the service needs to be much better. read more

I have been there a few times. Many locals seem to like it. Every time we go the one entree I might like is no longer available. This is a common problem. So I order something else (just to eat), and it is boring and a small portion. This place is overrated in my opinion. read more

Every time we come in for a meal, we know it will be excellent as it was again this past weekend!

Isn't it always funny to be living in Seinfeld-esque world where your natural inclination is to criticize how screwed up things are? At best It is comedy ("that's why they CALL it a reservation....") and at the same time sad, disappointing and often infuriating. While normally I am a half-glass full, wake up happy type person, maturity and wisdom if we can call it that, has jaded my patience for mediocrity in fine dining and culinary hospitality. Is it ok to be just ok? Do you deserve better? As urban legend and OCD Orphan X Evan Smoke said, "How you do anything is how you do everything..." As a retired food fanatic and gastronome all of my goddamn life it's time to give up just "ok.". Like the wicked witch, I'm melting from the very same watered down mediocrity I was ok with most of my life. You've all experienced this tale of a neighborhood family business you've patronized for over 25 years, suddenly go into atrophy and decline. An absent welcome, a warm smile remiss, the personalized visit from the owner, the vibe not the same and off. You can feel it taste it or lack there of but you still have hope or promise. I am not a blogger but may be after my last couple of episodes at Cafe Panache in Ramsey, NJ. As a huge fan of late chef Kevin Kohler who passed away 2021, the hope and promise of the family remained strong as the quality, mentoring and service of the team remained intact. For about a couple years. After the second chef change and some apparent staff reductions, the food and vibe is off, an almost sophomoric and an over rehearsed menu lacking in the former depth of flavor, or any culinary creations and specials that Kevin was so passionate about executing. He was an owner not an employee and you can taste and feel the difference. No more hand picked arugula from the garden and freshest seafood from Peter's Fish Market. You can sense the shortcuts and signs of lowered quality and menu fatigue. Pre prepared par cooked dishes not as fresh, seasonings are off, labor cost cutting and price increases. The staff are going through the motions of their livelihood but sharing comments about how the business has been much slower and waned in popularity. Unfortunately like saying goodbye to an old friend or having to walk away from an epic landmark relationship or career that has played its course, it is sad indeed. read more

Lacking and way overpriced. We were a party of six and dining here for the first time. The service and food were lackluster given the price tag. There were two servers, neither of whom knew what the other had done or was doing. We asked the first one for sparkling water when we first sat down and it never came. I asked the receptionist to place a birthday candle on my husband's dessert and indicated that he was sat next to me. Yet, the dessert that arrived first and with the candle, belonged to the person next to my husband and across the table from me. I don't even recall anyone checking on us to be sure that we were enjoying our meals. We were in and out within 1 1/2 hours. Rushed? Never again. read more

- BYOB French restaurant!!! I love it - First time here without reservation on a Friday night and staff was able to give us a table right away - Nice and classy - a little bit old fashioned - indoor dinning area - Friendly and professional staff and service - Appetizers and main course are very flavorful and presentation is absolutely great. Grilled octopus appetizer is unreal - - honestly best one I've ever tried. - Desserts are incredible - I'd definitely come back and recommend to everyone who wants to experience NYC type French rest. adventure in North Jersey area read more

Cafe Panache - Halibut and black rice, Roast Chicken with Hen of the woods mushrooms and Rosemary Sauce and Wine from Finger Lakes:)) - Salad Near Me - Ramsey, New Jersey

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Go here for the filet minion truffle butter ravioli! Haven't been here since Chef Kholers passing (RIP Kevin) and was delighted to see that the food was just as delicious and several familiar faces with the wait staff. They used to give warm mini rolls and have switched to sliced bread. The raviolis were a little light on the truffle and could have used a pinch of salt or extra drizzle of sauce but were nearly as perfect as we remember. Those alone are something I'll keep going back for. We also enjoyed the wild rocket warm mushroom salad which we shared and it was the perfect portion to split. For my main, I had the swordfish which was good I just was not loving the slight wasabi flavor as I'm not a fan of horseradish. Hub had filet minion in the bordelaise sauce and he said it was probably one of the best steaks he's had there. I had a bite of his and I'd agree! I should have gotten that instead of trying to be healthy. For dessert had the fruit tart and coconut sorbet and they were decent but didn't knock my socks off. read more

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Cafe Panache has been a restaurant I've always been meaning to try since it is nearby, but I rarely go to fancy/expensive restaurants unless there is a special occasion such as a birthday. But I definitely need to treat myself to this spot more, since it's delicious. It's very expensive but the ingredients are so fresh, it's one of the few spots that cooks with local produce/cooks according to what is in season and I wish more restaurants did this! We also got the salmon tartar avocado salad to share and that was yummy as well. I believe the sauce in the halibut dish had some sort of coconut milk in it if I am recalling correctly? It was delightful! I highly recommend trying this restaurant. read more

Cafe Panache - Panko crusted halibut with black forbidden rice and wasabi sake - Salad Near Me - Ramsey, New Jersey

Service was absolutely wonderful. The staff were friendly and attentive. We were seated quickly and given menus & told about the specials right away. BYOB, so our bottle was opened and chilled immediately, too. Once we orderred, we were given a warm, fresh piece of bread accompanied with butter & offered an herbed, olive oil (it was fantastic). For appetizer, we had a Duck Liver & Foie Gras Mousse special, which was accompanied by Baby Greens. The mousse was so light and flavorful, and it was a perfect amount. We also got the highly recommended, Filet Mignon Raviolis in the Truffle Sauce... they were amazing. Perfectly sized, nice amount of filling & decadent. For dinner, we had the Molasses & Guinness Short Ribs with a creamy polenta. They were phenomenal, such a good balance of savory & sweet, and fall apart tender. Also, the Mahi Mahi with butternut squash gnocchi was such a wonderful special. The Mahi was cooked perfectly and the gnocchi was light and buttery. For dessert, we finished on the Apple Tarte Tatin. Buttery crust, flavorful caramel sauce & cinnamon-kissed apples. Can't wait to go back! read more

Was so looking forward to a special meal with friends here only to be disappointed. Service was subpar and food was also not At a caliber to be expected from the profile this restaurant sets itself up to be. Definitely will not recommend or return read more

Everything! Fantastic, high quality food and service. Love the atmosphere. This is a special occasion restaurant or for those who are just looking for quality. Can't wait to go again. read more

I absolutely love the food , service and decor at cafe panache. The young man who always waits on my husband and I at lunch is so well spoken and efficient. Service is wonderful on a busy Friday as well . He's always accommodating to any questions and food substitute we may or may not have . He always tells us about the great specials the chef is serving that day as well ! We have been dining here at least weekly for about 4 years now. It's one of our favorite places in Ramsey . 10/10 Service , location , food & ambiance! read more

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Excellent Food, Service and Ambiance!!! Chef develops very flavorful entrees. Always love the poached Lobster dinner.

We dined at Cafe Panache last night and loved it. The setting is warm and inviting. The service was, in a word, impeccable. The food was amazing. I had the Filet Mignon and my date had the Sea Bass. Both entrees were just awesome. We started with Burrata (which we order everywhere we go) and this Burrata was one of our favorites as well! All in all it was a wonderful dining experience. It was our first time visiting Cafe Panache but definitely not our last. I would add this to my list of "local gems" and highly recommend it. Being a BYOB restaurant is the icing on the cake! Bravo to the wonderful staff at this lovely establishment!!! A great choice for dinner in Northern Bergen County for SURE! read more

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This evening was my first time at Cafe Panache, and it won't be my last. The ambiance is perfect for an intimate date night. My date and I started with the filet mignon ravioli (it's an entree that we split as an appetizer). The ravioli was alright- some pieces of meat melted in your mouth like butter while others were a bit more chewy then should be expected for filet mignon. However, for our main course I had the scallops and he the filet mignon and let me tell you, we quickly forgot about the appetizer. After dinner we capped off the evening with an espresso as we shared a desert; some type of vanilla moose with strawberry purée underneath. I'm looking forward to going back but I will skip the ravioli next time. read more

Cafe Panache - Salad Near Me - Ramsey, New Jersey

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I had been here a couple of years ago and had fond memories of a great dinning experience. The dinner tonight was not anywhere near the previous experience. It was very disappointing! I order the Sirloin steak and my husband had the filet mignon, both have the same pepper brown sauces on not high quality meat. Service was great, but food is not good enough for us to return. read more

Cafe Panache - Salad Near Me - Ramsey, New Jersey