Alright experience.. we came here because we saw they were participating in the March plant based challenge and we like a fancier styled restaurant. My bf called ahead of time and they told him they will make him a custom menu once we got there. When we sat down we told them this and the chef came out and told us he would make the items on the menu into a four course tasting. The chef was incredibly nice and nothing against him! The food wasnt hitting the right spot for us- we got a carrot tartare with crackers, this felt like baby food to me next course was the hearts of palm cerviche salad- i actually really liked this one then the rigatoni with mushroom bolognese- this was so undercooked and chewy i didnt eat much of it and the flavors weren't strong enough lastly the dessert was fruits with glaze and balsamic and mint which i also really liked. I felt like the two things i really liked could have been easily made at home and when i dine out at a restaurant i want unique offerings- especially as a vegan. Giving three stars because everyone was very kind, but i probably wouldnt return :( read more

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Great experience! It does get busy but the staff still was very attentive. The ambiance is dimmer with enough white noise to hear your conversations. The food.... Amazing. I stumbled on this place just looking for food and I've been back 3x. This is a great restaurant. read more

Overall.... the service was good, but we were there for almost 2 hours as we had to wait for one person who was late and we were celebrating a birthday. . ... so we had gifts to open. However, staff got a tad bit anxious in getting us out and our plates were being picked up while there was still food to be eaten off those plates. I can understand the need to turn over tables but this one felt a bit more aggressive Food- everything we had was good. Had prosciutto crossitini, mussels, the fresh pasta with seafood, scallops, risotto, penne pasta, lavender cake, chocolate lava cake and tres leche cake.. no complaints at all. Ambiance- started quite at 5 pm on a Saturday evening but definitely a completely packed house by 730.....I guess thus them rushing us out. Byob, there's a liquor store 200 feet away if you forget so the convenience is nice. Overall, good food, nice spot, would do it again.... and be very mindful of the time. read more

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The food is delicious and wait staff friendly. We've taken friends and family and all have enjoyed the modern italian fare.

My daughter and I made reservations at the last minute based on the ratings. There is parking on the street across the street and behind the restaurant. Upon arriving we were greeted by Josue. He was the best. He made sure our coats were checked in and after a brief waiting we were walked to our table. We order The Shrimp Arrabbiata to share. It was delicious OMG!!! The combination of Italian and Spanish seasonings was brilliant. We then pass to the main course. We ordered the linguini with the seafood and I changed my pasta to the hand rolled Cavatelli. Delicious and fresh. The pasta melts in your mouth. It reminded me of my trip to Italy. The atmosphere was mello and soft. The guests were all enjoying their meals and happy. The decoration and table settings was soft to the eyes. Overall if you want a quiet BYOB atmosphere with great food this is the place. Josue thank you for all the attention. Great service. read more

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Great little place Yelp helped me find in Montclair. Everything about this place was excellent. The space was cool with exposed brick on one wall and a tasteful dark blue on the other side. It was fancy enough without being too fancy. But I don't go places for ambiance, I go for the food. We started with the Burrata app from the winter menu. They but it on a crostini, added fried prosciutto and rosemary with some honey on it over a small bed of arugula. Killed it! Great flavor and just perfect for an app. I ordered the Mushroom Risotto. The risotto was cooked perfectly and there was no part of the dish that overwhelmed another. It all l'aider well together. The lump crab meat was a great addition and the sauce was full of flavor. My wife got what she described as the best fresh Pappardelle she has ever had. She loved the tomato cream sauce and although she is not a fan of meatballs, she really enjoyed the few bites she had of the veal and beef meatball. She only had a few bites because it is the size of a newborn's head. Great place that I can't wait to go back to. read more

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Great food. Great service. BYO. We go there at least 1x a month. Definitely a must-go in montclair.

Grabbed a dinner reservation at Laboratorio Kitchen with another couple on a Friday night. Parking was a little difficult as Bloomfield Avenue was under construction and getting repaved. So we were happy to finally arrive! We sat right in the front window and had a wonderful time. Our service was excellent, nice table linens and table settings, and they kept our water and wine glasses full (BYO!). Warm bread on the table and butter with coarse salt... YUM. I love that Laboratorio Kitchen has seasonal specials so that you can come in a few times a year and have completely different options! We started with the PEI Mussels, which was a generous portion and came in a white wine, lemon butter sauce (delish) and two summer specials: Fresh burrata cheese crostini with local strawberries, fried rosemary, raw honey, aged balsamic and sea salt (IT WAS THE BEST THING EVER) and the local heirloom cherry tomatoes, with fresh mozzarella, arugula, watermelon, and white balsamic vinaigrette (also good!). For dinner, my partner had the Day Boat Scallops which came with a cauliflower puree - he said were "perfect" - and I had the Atlantic Salmon that came with charred watermelon, arugula, vanilla bean dressing, lemon zest, and sea salt (SO GOOD, the charred watermelon was the best part!). I couldn't eat the whole thing since I had so much bread and appetizers, but it also made a great lunch the next day. Overall, Laboratorio Kitchen is a great restaurant with welcoming service and incredible food. Makes for a great date night spot or for dinner with friends. Can't wait to be back! read more

I had dinner here last night with 3 friends and it was a great experience! The salmon I ordered was perfect!! And it was over mashed potatoes and string beans with a delicious sauce. A large portion I thought I might not be able to finish but did and loved it! The rolls were warm and crisp and the service was great! My friends ordered the scallops. Great presentation and also really good. Highly recommend. read more

The food is excellent. Everything was great until our water told us we needed to get up because people were waiting for our table. The management could care less. Will not be back. read more

I had the Seafood Linguine and it was very good. The restaurant was full and it was very loud. The service was very slow-placing the order, waiting for the food and waiting for the check all took a long time. read more

Where do I start? So me and my friend decided to go to this place last minute and made reservations online. When I arrived I was lucky to find parking on the street very close to the restaurant. They had a little set up outside in the back of the restaurant, no tents so luckily the rain held up. We were greeted by the hostess and she let us sit anywhere we prefered. The place is BYOB and the waiter Sam came and opened the bottle we had. Sam was great, attentive and courteous. I ordered the veal and beef meatball pasta and they changed the sauce because I don't eat dairy. My friend ordered muscles and salmon. The muscles were excellent! The meatball meal had cheese on it when it came out so I had to send it back and they did it no problem. When it came back, it was amazing and so filling. I tasted the salmon and it was pretty good. This was a great experience! I will be back! read more

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Hole in the wall. Great spot!!! I ordered the "Dijon Crusted Salmon". I wish I known it was BYOW (Bring Your Own Wine). Food was fresh, and you can tell it was to order. The rolls before were also fresh & warm!! Parking is tough in this area. read more

Laboratorio Kitchen - Dijon Crusted Salmon over mashed potatoes & green beans. - Italian Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

I don't even know where to begin because this place was SO GOOD. Came here on a Thursday night and it was packed so reservations seem to be a must if you want a guaranteed table. We started with the ravioli app - they make their own fresh pasta here and let me tell you, it's divine. The ravioli was stuffed with crab meat and it was light and heavenly. I had the salmon and my friend had the pappardelle with a giant meatball. The potions of each were very generous, we both brought leftovers home. The salmon was cooked perfectly and the outside crust was perfect. The pappardelle was so fresh and the meatball was in fact huge and tasty! This spot is also BYOB which is a major plus. They had an extensive array of specials to choose from which all sounded delicious. Grab a bottle of wine and give this place a try. read more

Laboratorio Kitchen - Italian Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

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Finally, a top notch restaurant in Montclair that rivals NYC. If you're about to say "Faubourg," forget about it. Sure, the space/ambience at Faubourg is amazing, but the food/service at Laboratorio puts Faubourg to shame. Everything we tried was good, which is a rarity for Montclair. Highlights are The shrimp arrabiatta app, scallops, fig crostini. Sausage rigatoni was great. Not as good as Scala Di Nona, but very good. The best dish of the night was by far the salmon. Cooked perfectly and amazingly flavorful. Only thing I would change is swap the mashed potatoes side for the cauliflower puree that comes w/ the scallops. Service was great, too. Will def. be back. read more

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Nothing but good things to say about this cozy little place. It is intimate enough for a date night/anniversary dinner, but casual enough to have a sort of after work hang out. Food is spectacular, you pretty much can't go wrong with any of their entrees or Specials. We started with the house made ravioli filled with ricotta and it was topped with lump crab and basil pesto. Kind of wanted more lump crab but the dish was very indulgent nonetheless.The scallops were divine, and the cauliflower mash brought it to the next level, again with fresh grated black pepper and minced chives atop the dish. The servers were very attentive and helpful, and they open your bottle for you, which is a nice gesture. My husband had the sword fish and it was very tasty and generous portion. I think my dish was slightly better but not by much we were both very satisfied and delighted by both dishes. This place is BYOB and so we paired our delicious seafood dinner with our favorite white wine. What could be better than that?! Absolutely nothing. read more

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Not a fine dining establishment in nyc like I would normally go for if I am craving something fancy. Their breads are very tasty, however. Am the broth that the mussels came in was extremely flavorful, which surprised me. Many places don't get the broth profile correct, from my experience; even in the city sometimes. Risotto was salty and greasy. I would've preferred the oily greens out of the dish. I'll try it again tomorrow as I have leftovers but it wasn't my favorite. A perfect spot if you're not a city person. I'll be sticking with the city. read more

Laboratorio Kitchen - Local Mushroom Risotto - Italian Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

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Amazing restaurant. Service was excellent, food was even better. Had a party of 16 celebrating a 30th birthday and everything flowed wonderfully. Had some great appy's like their veal and beef meatball, house made ravioli and shrimp arrabbiata. We had many of their homemade pasta entries, the pastas were perfect and every sauce was great. At least 5 people had the mushroom risotto and at least 3 of us stated it was the best risotto they ever had. Their steak and fish entries were great too. Can't wait to try some more of their menu on our next visit. read more

Solid 3 Came here to celebrate my birthday and haven't been out dining in quite some time due to COVID My takeaways are as follows: Pasta dishes are definitely their speciality. Staff was friendly, COVID conscious and attentive Space felt clean and COVID safe with about two or more tables between each party. Now on to the specifics: Ravioli appetizer was delish and probably one of the stars of the evening Mussels and clam special app was also delightful but I expected a bit more power in the sauce not much spice The scallop entree was cooked to perfection cauliflower purée was kind of bland The ahi tuna entree was also delish cooked perfectly and a generous serving Tres leches cake was good but a tad sweeter than I have had elsewhere Overall everything was yummy but nothing was outstanding or to die for. I would say again I think their forte is in the pastas so maybe if we came back that's where we'd place our bets. read more

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I came here with my fiancé for a lovely dinner last month. We dined at the outdoor patio area which is actually in the back parking lot. They had decorated with lights and even had heaters for colder nights. We ordered the house made ravioli with lump crab and spinach pesto. The ravioli was so yummy and the pesto was so creamy. It complimented it each other perfectly. For entree, I ordered the sea bass special which was also really good but not the best fish I had. I did feel like it was missing something. But it was fresh tasting. Overall, I would recommend this place for a nice night of food whether that's take out or dine in if you're brave with the cold. read more

I can't believe we have never been here! An absolute gem in Montclair that has the caliber of a great NYC restaurant. We were able to snag a reservation for a Sunday night and the restaurant was lively. We ordered the meatball and burrata to start. The meatball is huge! You will have leftovers. The scallops and the risotto were our favorite dishes. They also accommodated for gluten free, which was much appreciated. We really enjoyed this and will absolutely be back. read more

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I had high hopes for this place since it got really great reviews but it was okay. Not sure if we didn't order correctly but the rainbow trout was super dry, we had to ask for lemon and it came with 4 potatoes which I thought was sad looking. The pasta with shrimp and chorizo didn't have a lot of meat or spice like it said on the menu. Sauce tasted basic. Burrata was fine. Our favorite was the tuna with jalapeño on their specials menu. Also the lighting was so bright in the restaurant which ruined the ambiance read more

Laboratorio Kitchen - Tuna special and burrata - Italian Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

Delicious food, warm vibe. The waiters were attentive and the food came out in great time. Had the pappardelle and the meatball is huge!! Will definitely be back to try their wide variety of pasta dishes!! read more

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Really good dinner spot in Montclair! A little pricey but the quality of the food (especially seafood) was worth it. Highly recommend the crab tortellini, though all their pastas looked good. Their mixed greens salad, burrata and shrimp were tasty appetizer choices too. They also have lots of gluten free options as an FYI. Overall a good meal but the service wasn't great (could also be due to it being a Friday night and maybe not enough staff due to covid). read more

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Cute restaurant. Nicely decorated as well. The service was quick. Some staff members could have been better rehearsed in terms of menu and communicating with the guests. For apps we ordered the ravioli and burrata ( forgot to take a picture ). Burrata wasn't the best it was tough and not melt in your mouth type of burrata. The pesto sauce for the ravioli was amazing. Entree portions were decently size and tasted good wished the server came by to see if we wanted cheese or pepper but they didn't. Overall cute place to celebrate a birthday or romantic dinner. read more

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Absolutely give this establishment 5 stars. This was my first time here. First thing first I went on a Sat night and finding parking was horrible however the experience here made that not so bad. It's a small place but it's very chic. When you walk in you can immediately sense this is a local place that everyone loves. It's byob which is something I normally look for. We started with a shrimp appetizer. Delicious. For entree I had the shrimp, scallop and crab meat pasta it's on the menu with a red sauce, I asked if they can do a white sauce and they did and omg absolutely delicious. My friend had the scallops which was plated on a mashed cauliflower spread again omg delicious. Dessert we had the mixed berries and also flourless chocolate cake it was also delicious. I mean the whole experience was a 10. Our waiter was so nice and accommodating. Also made sure we were ok and small conversation. I mean we literally were the last ones to leave. We leave in the middlesex area which is about an hour away and you know what I will take the drive. Food,Experience,Ambiance was awesome.My only issue was the parking however that is not because of the restaurant but fyi. Thank you for an amazing experience I will definitely be back read more

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It's always interesting to check out the negative reviews for a place to compare it to one's own experience. It never fails to astonish me how petty, entitled, and insanely exacting people can be. Newsflash for these folks: you aren't royalty. Just because everything doesn't go your way doesn't mean you should leave a one-star review because your steak came out medium instead of medium well (you're nuts fella; get help), or because a waiter was being overly eager to clear your table. Laboratorio offers an excellent and consistent dining experience. You can nitpick anything, but what ultimately matters is the quality of the food and the overall service, both of which were great. read more

The seafood linguine was 5 star, the homemade linguine cooked to perfect al dente, fresh seafood, not salty, good tomato sauce. The scallop dish was 5 star, also good with fresh day boat scallops. The mushroom pasta with truffle oil was 5 star. The pasta here was perfectly cooked. The steak, most expensive item on the menu was 3 star, the meat was not tender. The foie gras was good quality. This nice restaurant also has BYOB. The service was ok. We'll definitely return. read more

Laboratorio Kitchen - Italian Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

Excellent food service takes time so when you go, make sure you have a lot of time to wait for fresh good food

Great food, atmosphere, servers. All of the food we ordered was flavorful and at a fair price. We went here a few years ago and it was great then and is great now. Definitely will be back. read more

Hit or miss depending on what their specials are. It's average. Not much different than Faubourg. Shrimp appetizer: that's frozen. Not a fan. Trout: a little fishy. Many bones. Salmon: average. No different than salmon from any other restaurant. Branzino special was the best fish I've had but they never bring it back. read more

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I have lived in the area for 6 years, had visited all Italian restaurants in the area, this place is probably the only place deserve 6 stars. Why, after covid, you either see portions shrinking drastically or quality going down each visit. Yet this place, remains just as good as before. All items on their menu are insanely delicious, services, drink menu, open to being your own wine... you name it. Impressive Montclair restaurant that matches those of big cities like NYC and SF. A must try! read more

Laboratorio Kitchen - Seasonal manu, w/ super fresh crab n snow pea - Italian Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

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Absolutely love this place. Have done outdoor dining here twice during covid and great experience both times. Staff wear masks. They have heat lamps for the cold weather. Excellent service. Food comes out pretty quickly and everything is delicious. Shrimp arrabbiata appetizer: so good! It's jumbo shrimp with a tomato-y sauce. Texture is almost like lobster. Their fries are perfectly cooked and salted. Pappardelle pasta with giant meatball: the pasta tastes so fresh. The meatball is HUGE. It's basically the size of half the plate. I would imagine this is also what the meatball appetizer is like. The carrot cake dessert is a must have; it's very rich and comes with caramel drizzle. Highly recommend this place. They have a small parking lot behind the restaurant. read more

Laboratorio Kitchen - Pappardelle pasta with giant meatball - Italian Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

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Great food, atmosphere, and service. Parking in the area sucks. Forgot to take pics of the food...sorry!

I found this restaurant through an article about holiday dining in downtown. I ordered wild salmon and rigatoni for my small Christmas Eve for 2. All I can say is Wow! Where has this place been all my life? I have since treated myself 2 more times. Ordering the scallops and rainbow trout. Everything is simply delicious. Honestly the best food around. I cannot wait to dine in the restaurant when life gets back to normal. I know exactly where I will be having my birthday dinner. read more

Laboratorio Kitchen - Salmon - Italian Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

Great eats, nice ambiance, and attentive staff. The only bad thing I have to say that's associated with the place is the parking situation. Went here to celebrate a friends birthday with about 10 others. Everyone who enjoyed the steak or seafood loved it and had no complaints, but one of my friends ordered the chicken and had to send it back. She cut into the middle and it was raw. They took it back with no problem, although I think her meal should have been comped because everyone was done by the time her food came back out. Our waiter was on point. This place is BYOB and he made sure our glasses were never empty. When the bill came he was honest and let us know his tip was added, we gave him more, but a lot of places would have just let us tip him twice. Overall I'd dine here again. PS - they have a very limited hours and a limited menu, check it out before going. read more

Laboratorio Kitchen - Day Boat Scallops - Italian Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

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Delicious seasonal dinner. This BYOB restaurant offers an outstanding selection of plates. We shared three appetizers and one entree, which allowed us to try more plates. The house made spaghetti with lamb ragu was outstanding (as was everything else that we had). The dress code is dressy. The staff was very attentive and helpful. read more

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Laboratorio Kitchen was my first stop as soon as outdoor dining was allowed again in NJ! It has been on my list for quite a while now, so when I saw on OpenTable on Saturday night that there were some open spots, I quickly grabbed a reservation! Though they did not have a patio area in the past, they've done a great job working with what they have. The patio area is behind the restaurant, and they are using part of the parking lot now. However, before you think that a parking lot can't be glamorous, I definitely have to give them kudos for really converting the space. Although I don't really know what the inside of the restaurant is like in terms of ambience, you definitely don't feel like you're sitting in the parking lot in their patio area. I really love the mural and also the cute little string lights that are around. It is honestly such a romantic setting! In terms of the food, there is definitely a high focus on presentation here. However, presentation is nothing without the taste and they deliver on that as well. The Burrata appetizer is a must, just look how gorgeous it is! The tomatoes and cheese are just so fresh, you won't regret getting this dish. We also got the Fig and Gorgonzola Crostini and while Gorgonzola typically has a very overpowering taste, the fig jam is such a great combination with it to both offset and complement it! For my main course, I got the Linguini dish which comes with such a delicious plum tomato sauce, scallops, shrimp, crab, and the most perfect al dente homemade pasta. My fiance got the rainbow trout, and it was also flavorful and cooked to perfection! The little potatoes that it comes with are so adorable and tasty! Overall, we were treated so well and had such a great meal. Definitely had missed going out, and picked such a great spot for the first night out in over three and a half months! Oh and it's BYOB, so don't forget to bring your favorite wine, beer or cider! There are so many liquor stores in the area so you can pick something up right before you come here. read more

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Amazing ! This was the best restaurant I have been to since visiting New Jersey - we had a large group and ordered a bunch of things and everything was delicious. The burrata and fish with crab were the highlights . read more

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Food is always fresh very tasteful. The staff is friendly and welcoming to everyone. My only downfall is finding parking because the parking area across the street fills up extremely quick. read more