We came here on a Saturday afternoon to celebrate my niece's birthday. This is the go-to restaurant for my sister's family when they want to enjoy something a little more upscale. Unfortunately, kids and upscale do not usually mix well! My son and nephew accompanied us, ages 7 & 6. My nephew loudly declared "this is a place to take a date, not seven people!!" And we knew we were in for it. The kids behaved but as any kid that age they were making a lot of noise in an otherwise quiet restaurant. All of this to say, the staff at Dora took it in stride and made sure we did not feel uncomfortable about it while we did our best to reign in the outside voices. This was so appreciated because nothing is worse than being stared at like you don't belong! Not only was the staff friendly and accommodating, the food was amazing. Even the oil they bring out with bread is so delicious, it has some kind of greens or pesto mixture and it's magnificent. We had burrata as an appetizer and gobbled it up down to the salad it sat upon. My tortellini was perfectly cooked and paired with a light pink sauce, I appreciated a thinner sauce with this hearty pasta. Everyone enjoyed their food, even the noisy boys who shared chicken fingers and fries. read more

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Nice little restaurant in the middle of town. The service was a bit spotty. The bread they brought out was not very fresh and they never offered to bring more, which would have been nice during the meal. The portion on the ravioli dinner was pretty small (7 regular size ravioli) although the vodka sauce was nice. The lasagna was nothing special at all. They didn't offer any parmesan cheese, which may have helped. The Crème Brulé was a bit cold and lumpy for my taste. So, nothing was bad, just nothing very special about it. read more

Great food!! Excellent service. Attentive staff. Great dining area, warm and inviting.

I've been going to Dora's for years. The food and service are always fantastic. I bring friends and family here all the time, and everyone is always happy with their dining experience. I'm grateful that this restaurant is close and dependably excellent. read more

Dora's Restaurant is probably the most charming restaurant in Clinton, NJ, featuring quaint, family atmosphere and window seating overlooking the Main Street of Clinton, so people watching is an added bonus. Food is consistent overall, I would not recommend the lobster bisque tho. Wait staff is good as well but missing a warm, personal touch I think. This is our go-to when family is in town and it is BYOB! read more

Service was pleasant. Food was delicious. MUCH nicer employees compared to The Clinton House

Great food, lovely outdoor patio, and a all on a fantastic little main street to wander down after your meal. I came here for a lunch with my aunt who has been many times and is a big fan. She is vegan and I am sure keeps coming back here because she can always find something wonderful to order. We started with a bottle of red wine and noshed on the bread and olive oil and a little salad. My aunt got the mushroom ravioli and was able to get it without the butter sauce so it was totally vegan and I went with the salmon. Both were incredible!! I honestly wish I got the ravioli because it was just so delicious and creamy and I love love love mushrooms. We ended lunch with a couple of desserts. The sorbet trio and the tartufo. I was so full and wanted something lite so the sorbet was absolutely perfect. Can't wait to make another trip here. If it is nice out, I highly recommend the beautiful cozy patio. It has plenty of space so if you are in a big group, you should still have plenty of room. read more

Dora - Italian Near Me - Clinton, New Jersey

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Loved my meal, others who were with us loved their meals as well! My new favorite place to eat!!!!!!

Visiting Clinton today to see my Uncle Ernie play the guitar in a show. A very kind, random, woman recommended Dora for dinner! Super cute ambiance with a romantic feel. We could hear the music across the street well and that was rather nice. Ordered some amazing wine, a Cab Franc, made in New Jersey! This so cool. I love how they support their local community and that wine was so good with bold tannins (check picture for the name). Service was good. Maybe a little slow. Our waitress was very kind and accommodating. Food was decent. The Bolognese was great! My husband ordered the Orecchiette with scrimp and sausage, he said the food was great! My Aunt Nisy ordered the Aglio e Olio with tomatoes and arugula. She said her food was good but perhaps lacked flavor. The pastas should have been al dente. That's one recommendation we have! read more

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Have eaten here about 7 times both lunch and dinner. Food is always a 10/10. Pasta is made in house (perfection every time in every bite) chicken, fish, steak, I've had it all and always cooked perfectly. No complaints on desert either. Crème brûlée isn't to sweet which I prefer and pana cotta is fantastic (my personal fav). Service is always friendly and go above and beyond at times aswell. Very accommodating to all patrons needs. My only cons: Sometime the air conditioner isn't the best inside. My last visit we were all sweating while inside the building and didn't feel the air conditioning kick in until the end of our meal. Also the Floor is always STICKY I do not understand why but without fail you can feel a pull under your feet. I have decided its what ever they stained the floor with because it seems to be coming off. Either way can be unappetizing. read more

Dora - Mushroom Ravioli in Sage Butter Sauce - Italian Near Me - Clinton, New Jersey

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Been going to Dora for years. Most recently we sat outside in October to have luncIh with old friends. The meal was spot-on and the elderly Italian folks at the table loved it! I never had a bad meal here. I especially like the vegetable soup and the pasta dishes, though the branzino is fantastic too! read more

Incredibly delicious food with wonderful service. The dining room is warm and welcoming. A great spot for a date, meeting up with friends, or a family meal. read more

Coming out of Yelp retirement to exclaim that this restaurant is WONDERFUL! Absolutely lovely vibes and service and every single bite was fresh, well seasoned, and delectable. Might be the best chicken Francese and chicken parm out there, and my family eats these dishes all the time. The prices are also outrageously reasonable. Any rating below 5 stars is nonsensical. We almost didn't come because of some mediocre Yelp reviews! read more

Great service, good food but meager portions and overpriced. Will not go back. ambiance is nice. better value elsewhere.

Ordered the Lobster Bisque which was tasteless and watery. Main course was Mushroom Ravioli which was delicious.

All fresh food delicious wonderful staff. I had the chicken franchisee with angel hair pasta calamari that was not from frozen it was fresh. The Beretta also was excellent. read more

I love this place. Dora is a cute little Italian restaurant that feels like it's in your grandma's home. It's one of the few full-service restaurants in Historic Downtown Clinton, NJ AND it's also one of the few restaurants open on Monday! One of the highlights of this restaurant is the outside patio that takes full advantage of the weather and the people watching. You can be eating lunch or dinner and still be a part of whatever activity is taking place on Main St. The patio was even open in the evening this week since the weather is still warm. We chose to eat inside the cozy restaurant. The meal starts with bread and a delicious fresh, bright green, basil and olive oil dip (it's not pesto because it doesn't contain cheese or pine nuts). I got the Branzino special. Apparently it is always a special so it should probably just be on the menu. It was exactly what I was looking for. A fresh white fish in a lemon butter sauce with artichokes, tomatoes and spinach that was cooked perfectly - barely wilted and just how I like it! My husband got the strip steak with mashed potatoes and asparagus. He enjoyed it very much. The staff was very attentive and friendly the evening we were there. We will definitely return! read more

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This place was hard to find walking down the street because there was literally no sign at all. It was the only restaurant on the street that was A open at 5pm on a Saturday and B the only one that served any kind of booze. My friend and I grabbed dinner here, and when we walked in the waiter snarkily asked if we had a reservation, which we did not. He seemed to make it a big deal that he was seating us, but whatever.. we wanted wine. There were a bunch of empty tables at the time. We split a bottle of chardonnay for $30.. was good wine. She liked her veal dish and i liked my shrimp and clams over angel hair pasta. The food was good, but nothing to write home about. Prices were reasonable (considering I am from Fairfield County). Seating was cramped and i had to basically put my ass on our neighbors table to get out of my seat. I think this place used to be an old house, like many of the other shops on the cute New Englandy street. read more

Great location in downtown Clinton with inside and outside seating. Great an attentive service. I had NY Strip steak that was cooked exactly to my liking! The portions are quite large. They make their own desserts. So could not help but get a delicious slice of Tiramisu! It is a little pricey but for a special occasion I highly recommend this place. read more

Dora - NY Strip Steak - Italian Near Me - Clinton, New Jersey

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Love Dora we have been patrons for some time now, food always good, consistent, very clean atmosphere, the hostess Zanna is beyond helpful, support your local eateries read more

They have such a cute patio that overlooks the street, so you can eat and people watch. The service is good and they are super friendly. The burrata is excellent to start. Then their wraps are delicious. They have all local wines, which is a nice added touch. read more

I'm getting married here why wouldn't i absolutely love this amazing restaurant! 5 thumbs up. I'm surely to experience the best day of my life with you. read more

I had lunch here yesterday with my family. We sat outside. The outdoor patio area is big and spacious. They serve bread with pesto for the table to start. I had the short rib panini with fries. I really enjoyed my food, the flavors were very good. The fries were nice and crispy. read more

Dora is our go to restaurant for great food, service and wonderful atmosphere. As others have said, Dora is a great place to meet family, friends or for a special event. read more

i love Italian anything, especially the regional cuisines one gets to try while in Italy....the next best thing is having Italian food at home here in the USA. There is never a shortage of Italian food (pizza included) in California. However, I find that Italian food is so much better in the East Coast. This was confirmed when we all had dinner at Dora recently while I was visiting family. Firstly, glad they are open Mondays. I'm not a stickler for ambience as I always put food quality and taste first and foremost. However, I found the ambience here a definite plus - it was a beautiful outside patio next to the indoor portion of the restaurant. It was a beautiful day to dine outside and with its quaint downtown Clinton location, it was perfect! The food was likewise excellent ! I had the eggplant parmigiana over linguini- I've never had it served this way before! My cousins who are from the area were equally satisfied. Dishes varied from lasagna to Parpadelle in bolognese sauce to meatballs ..they make their pasta from scratch.... their appetizers were equally good! We all had prosciutto with thin melon slices as well as an interesting grilled octopus dish with a side of roasted cannellini beans ( interestingly tasty)... and prices were rather comparable to other places of note. we brought our own wine ! I just love how well they prepared their dishes.... truly marvelous! Service was attentive. Thank you,Dora, for a wonderful experience! Highly recommended! read more

Good food but really nothing too spectacular. I had a higher expectation. Maybe it's just me.

I've been to Dora a couple of times. The food is great. The lasagna is delicious and the clams vignole were also great. The ambience matches the prices (upscale) and it's BYOB. It's a good place for a date. It provides a great impression. read more

Dora - Lasagna - Italian Near Me - Clinton, New Jersey

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This restaurant held a lovely date night for my boyfriend and me. Great food and great service! We made reservations but made it early in which they were completely accommodating. It's BYOB and we walked in with a bottle of rosé. They opened it for us and brought along a wine bucket stand. The service was outstanding. Started with the fried mozzarella. A glorified mozzarella stick in patty form but SO delicious because of the fresh mozzarella. It comes with three patties. We ordered the Orecchiette and the Rigatoni alla Torino to share. The sizable shrimp was made great. The sauce was light and all of the ingredients complimented each other nicely. The meat sauce on the rigatoni was complex and sweet. The waiter warned us that the chocolate soufflé would take a while because it was made in house. ABSOLUTELY! It's a must. Decadent and rich. A cute outdoor atmosphere due to COVID restrictions, but a GREAT experience overall! read more

Dora - Orecchiette - Italian Near Me - Clinton, New Jersey

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One of my favorites. Never disappointed with our meals. Definitely recommend you go there. They have a nice outdoor patio when the weather permits and the indoor seating is great. Really can't recommend one thing. It's all good. read more

Dora, Has been one of my favorite restaurants in my hometown. The food is delicious and the service is wonderful. I highly recommend. Love read more

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Adorable place with good food. The staff was very nice and it was easy to park nearby.

Just took a day trip to Clinton for the first time and accidentally parked in front of Dora. Everything was excellent, food, service with reasonable prices read more

Just 3 stars. We were quickly seated and got to choose our table. Weather was breezy and outdoor seating is very nice. Music is not loud which is perfect for having conversations. Our order was taken quickly and food came out quick as well. Although, food wasn't super hot for some reason. Didn't have to wait a long time. However, food didn't blow me out of the water. It was just average and I'm not sure but it didn't seem like food is fresh. I couldn't tell for sure, but I just didn't get the fresh meal feel. Maybe I'm used to a certain standard in NYC restaurants, but the prices were about the same and this is the impression I walked out with. In short, average, hence, the 3/5 stars. read more

Had a great lunch here the other day with a friend. There were options for outdoor and indoor dining and the staff was in masks and very COVID safe. We chose to eat outside since it was a warm day. Staff was attentive and pleasant. I decided to try eggplant parm. Very good sauce and great portion. I really liked my experience at Dora and would come back. Definitely try this place. read more

Dora - eggplant parmigiana - Italian Near Me - Clinton, New Jersey

Very cute place! Absolutely loved their Lobster Ravioli special. Definitely a great place for a quiet night out, or a date. Wine is available by the bottle and they have a nice outdoor seating area. :) Will definitely be returning soon! read more

Dora - Lobster Ravioli - Italian Near Me - Clinton, New Jersey

Dora is one of the best italian restaurants I have tried in NJ. They have both beautiful indoor and outdoor dining to make for a wonderful experience. The food it great as is the service. Worth the drive to Clinton. read more

Amazing food, service and atmosphere! Definitely will come back. Love the attention they give customers and to the quality.

The service was terrible our waiter didn't not come to the table once if we needed anything.the prices are ridiculous and on top of it if you pay with a credit card they charge a fee of $10.00 that we were not aware of. my bill for 3 people came out to be $300.00 with out any dessert and we brought our own wine. I do not recommend this place the food is not that great for the price I paid. we will not be going back read more

We have been to Dora's many times over the years and always had great service and food. Last night was the exception our reservation was for 7p we sat down about 7:20, as they were busy but we were basically ignored for awhile while waiting to be seated. Once we sat down it's BYOB someone came over and opened our wine and we ordered our appetizers. The appetizers came out in about 30 minutes. But other guest's came in after us ordered got their food and ate and were paying their bill and we never received our food. When we approached our server ( young man with a brown beard) he told us it was the kitchen's fault and he would check well he never came back to explain what the problem was instead he just left us sit there. We after another 30 minutes we approached him again and appeared to be frustrated but rather than explain the problem he just walked away. Our food came out at 9:30 p two of us in a party of four ordered the salmon plate and instead of mashed potatoes there was fries no explanation the server just put the plate down and walked away. When we questioned our server he replied they ran out never asking would you like something else. The food was mediocre at best and very small portions. All of us asked for coffee to finish off our meal and when we're done and our server brought over the bill he said the coffee is on us. Now I know everything has gone up in price but come on I thought we were treaded very poorly and I probably won't return anytime soon if that's how they continue to treat their customers. The owner opened another Restaurant in town in the Old Clean Plate spot. Both the first and the second have out door dining which every one loves but the food and the service have to match the ambiance. Very disappointed read more

Zero stars I would not recommend. If you are a person of color , more specifically AFRICAN AMERICAN do not come to this restaurant unless you wanted to be treated like a second class citizen. The wait staff is absolutely horrible It took 15 minutes before the waiter took my table order and when he finally came he an attitude. I had to ask for a ice bucket for the bottle of wine but everyone else automatically received one . A party of five who order after me received their food before my table which was only a party of two . At this point I was irritated and ready to leave . To the point we request our food to go and it did not leave the kitchen yet. read more