Completely wonderful dining experience. Excellent, excellent food and stellar service. People travel an hour to come here, and with good reason. Among other things, they do a regular creme brulee - not gussied up. read more

This place is to die for! From the amuse bouche to the dessert! I ate here with my family right before the start of this covid, I had a fresh beet salad with golden beets! The best duck breast I have ever had! Truly perfect 10/10 recommend, will be back!!!! read more

I returned in the beginning of the month with family guests from Colombia. This time we brought two bottles of wine. White for the starters and red for the entrees. My cousins enjoyed every single bite. They could not think of any meal they've had like it before. The venison was cooked to perfection and the short ribs were mouth watering. Dessert was top notch with the homemade ice cream. The peanut butter and banana pudding was amazing. The service by Glenn, Janice and Adrian is always top notch and they felt everyone feel special. I look forward to returning soon. read more

Perfectly delicious. Market salad and rack of lamb were sensational. Ambiance was warm and uncomplicated with excellent service. It was a fabulous birthday dinner. read more

Great food for a date night or special occasion. The prices are a little expensive, even as a BYOB, but the food and service are excellent. Highly recommend the lamb chops and molten chocolate cake. The last time we went the service was a little slow, but we sat down behind a large table, so what are you going to do? read more

Really nice, upscale restaurant worthy of Manhattan located right in the NJ suburbs. Came here for the Mother's Day prefix and really enjoyed the food, though my mom complained about the small portions. The asparagus risotto was rich and delicious but, yes, I did wish there was more of it. Spare rib was tasty as was the banana bread pudding. Sad I didn't get to try the famed crab crepe, but they've got a decent $30 prefix during the week that I'll have to take advantage of one day. Just wish this place had a liquor license! read more

Visited here on 12/28/14. Let me start by saying, when I arrived I expected an upscale dining experience, and that is exactly what was delivered. Upon entering, they offered to take our coats, and immediately proceeded to seat us (we had reservations). Upon sitting, the staff quickly went over minor misprints on the menu (love that they did this and were not too "proud" to admit their mistakes, otherwise, I probably would have picked them up myself and taken away a star). Now on to the fun part, THE FOOD. The oysters were very good, but the best appetizer was by far the Warm Crepe. The lobster was fresh, crepe was light, and the beurre blanc (sauce) was exquisite. If I re-visit this place 10 times I will order the Warm Crepe 10 times. As main course I ordered the Skate Wing, which was delicious and was accompanied by the best wild rice I've ever tasted (note I'm not big on wild rice). For dessert, tried the Trifle along with the Chocolate Cake, both of which were a nice finish to the meal. The Chocolate Cake was not overpowering, but rather light/airy. Overall we were pleased. The staff was attentive, responsive, and well trained. The food was neatly plated, and flavors masterfully combined. Keep in mind this is NOT a buffet and the portions are small/average. If you don't mind the bill, I strongly recommend treating your tastebuds to Lorena's. read more

Amazing food, amazing service. Certainly the best I have had in NJ, and it gives other comparably priced NY city restaurants a run for their money. It will be our go-to special occasion restaurant, and it happens to be right in our backyard, which is even better. read more

I so wanted to love this place We had planned a special dinner (no kids!), frocked up and maybe looked forward to the evening too much? When ordering the waiter corrected my French (which I have since verified to be correct. Even if I had been wrong it was rude to correct it), then the service went down hill from there. Our server spent his time chatting with the other patrons, of which he knew well distracting from our romantic dinner. The food was very good but the ambiance was lost. Perhaps my expectations were too high as I have a few friends that just love this place. Or perhaps it was just the night. read more

This is, in my opinion, by far the best restaurant in the South Orange/Maplewood area and one of the best restaurants in New Jersey, and my dad and I have been dining here for almost a decade. Priced fairly reasonably for brunch, this low-key gastronomic gem in the middle of downtown Maplewood is a must for any fan of French food. The service is very attentive, and the food is decadent. Atmosphere is cute, with classical music playing in the background of an intimate room of fewer than 10 tables. Try the short rib pappardelle if you want a filling item. The crab crepe is to die for, and the basket of breads is freshly prepared and delicious. Desserts are also killer. read more

this place is TRULY EXCEPTIONAL BAD ASS!! From the minute someone opens the door your pampered they give you samples of all different types of dishes! I LUV LORENAS!! The buttetsquash soup is orgasmic the waiters are EXTREMLY DETAILED! With food and service like this who cares about parking THANKS LORENAS!!! read more

Small and wonderful. This place is just amazing. Lorena and Campos. Food is delectable and so delish. I knew it'd be great and it is. Perfect read more

The food is very good and the playing and portions are good. The only thing that I think can be improved is they don't have a big selection so we tend to eat the same thing all the time. If they had a larger selection or have specials for the day - it would me us go and eat here more! read more

I believe I've reviewed Lorena's before for Yelp; this only confirms that it is really a superb restaurant. We've been going to Lorena's for several years, and the place never disappoints. I frankly don't understand the 7/27/2014 Yelp-er who gave a "1" -- was he even in the same place ? (There's no corkage fee at Lorena's.) The two of us had dinner at Lorena's the other night. We started with an heirloom tomato-and-cheese salad, and their salmon tartare with creme fraiche and wasabi tobiko, which I've had before, and is a real winner.. The salad was perfect, the tomatoes ripe and the (local) cheese rich and aromatic. The salmon was mild, but perfectly fresh; the wasabi tobiko topping had a bit less wasabi than I recall, but it all balanced perfectly. Mains were a rack of lamb with za'atar and other North African flavors, and duck breast rubbed with Korean pepper, and served with greens that included a good jolt of kimchi. Both were superb, but the lamb was the winner, with a faint sweet-aromatic flavor. The duck was, as expected, spicy, but I like spicy. (I overheard a neighboring diner tell the waiter that "it's a bit spicier than I expected".) Both were perfectly cooked, and the portions were quite large -- three thick lamb chops (one without the bone), and three hefty slices of duck -- looked like the entire side of a large duck. The highlight may have been the amuse-bouche of corn-and-leek puree. Shockingly delicious, with a perfect balance of the flavors of leek, fresh corn, and cream. I could eat a basin-full of the stuff. The "dessert amuse-bouche" -- melon-and-pineapple puree -- was good, but not outstanding. The coffee was excellent, but the tarte tatin's crust was soggy -- although it tasted just fine. Service was indeed outstanding: Attentive, informative, and not at all intrusive. All told, I think three different people worked our table, and every one of them was highly professional and completely knowledgeable about the food. Overall, I'd say Lorena's is equal to, or better than, any of the "frog ponds" in Manhattan. And the service is better -- no trace of Le Snooty Garçon. Prices are high by NJ standards -- the above-described meal came to about $150 before tax and tip -- but you can't get this quality of food without incurring high costs. And the fact that it's BYOB takes away some of the "ouch in the wallet". We'll keep going to Lorena's on special occasions, and wishing we could afford to dine there more often. read more

A fine small dining experience. The food, ambiance and service is top notch. We have been there several times over the years and it continues to excel. Also being a BYOB restaurant is a plus! read more

I never write reviews. All I can say is...you have to eat here. Best dinner I've ever had.

This is one of the best restaurants in New Jersey. My wife and I have been going there for years and we went a few nights ago. The duck I had was out of this world and her scallops were delicious too. Rest of the dinner was also exceptional. The service was perfect and the atmosphere just right. We have eaten at some of the best in NYC and elsewhere. Lorena's is one place in New Jersey that compares favorably with them. read more

EDIT: Looks like this was hanging out in my unfinished reviews section for a while. This was probably a year and a half ago. Hopefully Menu has changed, and the below merely reflects an off night (listen, it happens). But, still worth posting in case it happens to be of use to anyone. My wife and I decided to celebrate our 6th wedding anniversary here after reading the many glowing reviews. We either did haven't the same experience as everyone else on yelp or we simply expect and enjoy very very different things from our evenings out. Or, we simply came at the wrong time (right around the 4th of July holiday) and caught everyone when they really REALLY wanted to be doing something else. Decor: The place felt a little dark and tired, to me... Older decor, probably been a while since a major renovation. This is not to say that it is untidy, or unclean. Indeed, the silver, linens, etc were all immaculate. It's the space itself that just feels a little... tired. Could have just been our area (first two-top by the window). Not very distracting, and not even a negative. It's just an older style and feel to the place. FYI. Service: I do not remember out waiter's name, but he was the highlight of our visit. I don't think I will ever forget him, and that's probably not a good thing. Imperious might be too strong a word, but not by much. Descriptions of dishes was given in a bored drone, while glancing everywhere but at us, further queries (for instance, his own preference between certain dishes) resulted in bored recitation of the menu verbatim... If I tried, I'm not sure I could give a better impression of the stereotypical haughty (potentially Haute-y?) french waiter. This guy was a laugh riot... but only in retrospect. Food: Lobster Crepe was good. Not mind-blowing, not life-changing, but good. I was worried that it would be overly heavy handed (butter, cepes, salt SMASH!) but it was treated deftly. Beets: So, this is a dish of many many many disparate parts and ideas. Unfortunately, the beets themselves were bland. I don't mean that they were cooked improperly, or there was some sort of error. I mean that, in all likelihood, the beets were, at their raw stage, not the best exemplars of that succulent, sweet, earthy root vegetable. Hard to liven up a bad beet. The rest of the plate (cheeses, sauces, what I'm almost certain was [and remember, this was MONTHs ago] a dab of possibly pistachio nut butter?] were fine, but can't save a bland beet. Lamb: Avoid this dish. In one's imagination, I suppose the idea of Brioche crusted lamb over treacle-sweet quinoa and a random scattering of potatoes COULD make sense... maybe. In practice however, it's just not a coherent dish. Best to ignore the dessert-like quinoa, but at that point you just have lamb and roasted fingerlings which are basically just separate dishes with nothing to unify them. Other Main Dish: I completely forget what my wife got. It was fine to good. Well, in her opinion it was "fine", but I remember greatly, GREATLY preferring it to my dish, going so far as to label it as "good". Berry Trifle: So, it turns out that Bland Berries + Sugar = sugary bland berries, NOT an awesome trifle. Same as with beets. Hard to make bland berries into an awesome berry trifle. Beets, Lamb, and Berries were all low points for me, and while the Beets and Berries are mostly the result of mediocre produce, why still list them? At the price point, I'd figure you'd adjust a menu if you're not happy with the product... In any event, these guys could have had an off night. In fact, that's the most likely thing I can think of, as this was RIGHT around the 4th of July, and honestly, who REALLY likes to work around the holidays? And it's simply too hard for me to believe that THIS MANY yelp reviewers could be wrong about a place. Probably just an off night... But then again, for the money, it had better have been a really REALLY off night. read more

Staff and service is A+. Felt a very warm welcome and met with knowledgable staff. You get the sense that they want you to have a great experience. Food is very good but it's not as good reflected in their prices. BYOB is ok for me. I'd prefer to have a wine list but there is a wine store (or two) across the street. I'd definitely go back to try it again! read more

Food is always extraordinary and the service impeccable. Just one of the best restaurants in Northern New Jersey.

Lorena's is that ideal combination of excellent service and outstanding food. The prices are reasonable for the quality (and for the NYC area). Although by the time two people have appetizers, entrees, and dessert it will cost you over $100. We are addicted to the seafood crepe and the salmon tatar. Although, this time I had the risotto which was delicious. The server warned us that there were a limited number of servings left for the fish dishes. They only serve high quality fish and chicken. Both my chicken and my husband's halibut were expertly cooked. My chicken was very moist and flavorful. As a tea drinker I appreciate that they serve Harney and Sons teas and provide steamed milk. It is a small place so if you have one loud table in the room it can be a bummer. We return as often as we can. read more

Finally dined at Lorena's on 8nov13.Guess with being unable to get a resvn for a quite a while, I may have expected a lot more.Was extremely disappointed with the décor and ambiance. Also got a table at the window which when looking out, was forced of a view of potted plants and also had a view of the freezers in the Kitchen from our table. The staff were very gracious and accommodating and the food was as expected. I thought the Foie gras was the best I have ever eaten, though the $28 price does not justify it. Main course (Lamb Chops) was also very good. One has to be really passionate about eating here, as with the way the menu is priced the owners have made an absolute no effort in the décor of this place, which basically gives you a feel of a corner coffee shop and not a fancy restaurant where you may be celebrating and event read more

I've been about 4 times. Three of those visits absolutely lived up to the hype. Lorena's routinely ranks among the top restaurants nationally, and it is priced accordingly. The BYOB policy helps keep the bill down compared to similar options in Manhattan, but it ain't cheap. The recently expanded, but it is still a very intimate restaurant. Service has always been impeccable. Food has been world class three of the four times I've been. One time I ordered conservatively and was not blown away. Presentation is A++. The space itself is unremarkable - you park on the street out front, and there is no hint of what lies within. Decor is clean and simple - no character really. But that's ok with me. The experience is so unexpected that the lack of flash makes it that much more remarkable. read more

Lorena's is the ultimate special occasion dining in Maplewood! Beautiful cozy atmosphere, gorgeous and delicious dishes, and BYO - the best! Believe it or not, they are also kid friendly. I took my five year old here for a nice dinner and the waiter just doted on her - served her a special pasta dish and acted like it was their absolute pleasure to make it for her. Just a great place. read more

elegant, sophisticated, extremely pricey--- but money should not matter. you are receiving gold on a platter. this french spot will give you a new high expectation. the staff, the food, the ambiance and food presentation was impeccable. the food was cooked perfectly. The rack of lambs was so fresh, seasoned so lightly with the rosemary lamb jus, i almost had to lick the plate when i was done. the lump crab and mushroom crêpe with the white truffle oil had me scooping up the sauce after i was done eating it. i'm 100% coming back. i highly recommend. this place will change your palate. read more

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We dined here during our birthday. I was dissapointed to see that the place was pretty small. But once our food was served, I realised it is not the space, but it is the taste that matters. I can still relish the flavors and the taste of the food. The chef is amazing and he knows what he cooks. I am a vegetarian, but the chef made a special veggie dish which is unbeatable. Just go in for an unforgettable dining experience. read more

The food was excellent. We had brunch and every dish was perfect. We had the eggs Benedict, omelette, and French toast. Glenn was our waiter and he was great as well and hilarious. We can't wait to come back for dinner. read more

A great great great restaurant. Restaraunt Lorena's is a gem hidden in the middle of NJ. My wife and I absolutely love this place. The service is excellent. They are very attentive without being overbearing. Lorena's is just a small simple but elegant place to dine. The food is above reproach. Everything we ordered was perfectly executed. My wife started with the roast beet salad and I with the lump crab crepe. They were both amazing, especially the crepe with the crab meat. That was one of the best dishes I have ever eaten. For ouor entree my wife got their chicken dish which was very good and I got the pepper encrusted venison loin which was out of this world good. One of the best things about this place is that it is a BYOB. We were able to drink and excellent bottle of wine with excellent food without spending $100 for a bottle of wine. All in all the meal was one of the best I have ever had. read more

For special occasions. Unless you do the prix fix - great deal. The chicken was the best restaurant chicken I have ever had. An all around delicious meal. read more

What a fabulous restaurant and we had a great time at Lorena's. From the minute we walked through the door, the staff was very professional and attentive. The food was fresh, beautifully prepared, and so delicious. Restaurant Lorena is a top notch restaurant. It is a BYOB. read more

Wow, the reviews on this restaurant are absolutely true. It was DELICIOUS! The food was exquisite, the service was prefect, and the staff are delightful. I had the braised short ribs and my fiancé got the lamb special and both dishes were so rich in flavor and cooked to perfection. Love this place ! read more

No need to go into NYC for some of the best high end French food around. It feels intimate both in terms of the setting and how they treat you like family. One bonus of being a BYOB place is that a fancy dinner and a nice bottle of wine will not kill your wallet. read more

Came here for our anniversary dinner. This place is cozy and the food is delicious. Admittedly a bit pricey, if you're looking for good quality food with attentive staff for a special occasion definitely consider Lorena's. read more

Went there last night and defiantly can say they are truly deserve to be in the list of the top restaurants in NJ. The food is outstanding, great service, nice atmosphere, all in all it's unique small restaurant. read more

Amazing Experience from beginning to end. The service, food, and atmosphere is First Class.

We recently visited Lorena's on the occasion of our daughters milestone birthday. The experience was incredible - the food was amazing, the ambience perfect, the service attention to detail and the warmth of all servers and staff were second to none. We have visited many times over the years and this time was more exceptional than ever. We will be back soon. Where is the six star rating button! read more

Outstanding. The seasonal menu nails it. Read the menu before you grab a bottle of wine for BYOB - you will not be disappointed.

Absolutely great! For dinner or Sunday brunch. Everything is perfect. It's expensive. But the byob-ness makes it slightly more affordable. I had the venison, duck confit salad, and salmon tartar. All were amazing. read more

At the risk of losing our regular reservation, Lorena's is the finest restaurant I've ever been to. Seasonal menu. Great ingredients, Never had a better meal in NYC, Paris or Rome. BYOB means you can bring your best wines and keep the price reasonable, though it ts expensive. Save room for dessert! read more

Just set up my account so this review is a little dated - went for birthday last summer but in an effort to be helpful and in retrospect now having been in the NJ suburbs for the past year the food here deserves 5 stars....especially now that I've been here for the past year and realize what this is up against in terms of other fine dining in the area. Small, cozy restaurant with delicious food and formal service. I know you can save with the BYOB which is great but I do prefer a small bar in a restaurant - I don't love the prices but I like being served a drink when I'm out for the evening. It adds to the atmosphere and the experience so that's the only drawback for me. read more