Usually I'm iffy about a pre-fixe meal but I cannot recommend Matisse 167 enough. The ambiance is…read moreunique and very intimate and the service is very attentive. It's BYOB and they accommodate any needs you have. My boyfriend and I had the four course meal: we both started with burrata and prosciutto salad, he had the crab cake, I picked the duck reuben (which was unreal), we both chose the filet mignon with creamed spinach and polenta (up-charge of $15 but well worth it), he finished with the pb chocolate banana bomb and I had the lavender blueberry crème brûlée. From start to finish, we enjoyed every single bite. Everything was phenomenal.

This charming little café is truly a hidden gem, especially if you're looking for a unique dining…read moreexperience. The outdoor garden patio is absolutely beautiful, filled with flowers, lush greenery, and tranquil water fountains that create an enchanting atmosphere. It's also BYOB, which is a nice touch. The menu changes seasonally and offers a prix fixe option: two savory courses plus dessert for $95, or three savory courses plus dessert for $125. The staff was exceptional, polite, attentive, and very accommodating throughout our meal. A few things to keep in mind if you choose to dine outdoors: since you're eating in a garden, you may encounter a few ants or mosquitoes. It wasn't overwhelming, but it's something to expect. Also, the portion sizes are on the smaller side. As for the food, I thought it was good, but I didn't love it, especially considering the price. We ordered the crab cake, burger, crème brûlée, and venison. The crab cake and crème brûlée were both beautifully presented and delicious. However, the burger was undercooked, and my date found the venison to be quite dry. Overall, this is a wonderful spot for the ambiance and experience. The setting is romantic, peaceful, and unlike many other restaurants. While I personally didn't find the food memorable enough to justify the cost, I'd still recommend it to anyone looking for a beautiful evening in a truly magical garden setting.

Sat down at a filthy bar at 9:40- got ignored by bartender to be told kitchen was closed.read more

I came in around 6pm to ask about times and see the menu. I was helped by a very kind woman who…read moreprovided me with a paper copy of the menu to review as I got ready for dinner. Upon arrival at dinner time, I was seated and attended. It was only one other pair in the restaurant (next to the bar) area. The place was pretty peaceful and had low music. The steak was a perfect medium well strip. It cut through like butter. I loved the texture. The mashed potatoes were so tasty and plentiful; it was topped with two baked home-made potato chips. The broccoli had minced garlic, which is not mentioned in the menu but, which transformed it from regular steamed broccoli to a tasty side. I will definitely be used that in my future recipes. I can't wait to return to this hotel and to this restaurant. I'm sure you can come have a bite even if you aren't staying at their equally as wonderful Renaissance Meadowlands Hotel.

This place stands out thanks to the bartender Christy ! She is Super personable, attentive, and…read moreskilled at making great drinks. It made the whole experience feel special. We always come here for the happy hour Oysters deals. This time we ordered mussels and potato skin. They were all delicious! We love this place!

Stopped by for their happy hour specials which were delicious!…read moreDrink specials were fantastic but the food was even better. Mussels, wings and an espresso martini? Where can you go wrong. My husband and I went early and the bartender was great. Super attentive and quick with everything. The mussels were honestly delicious, the sauce was super flavorful. I'd get them everytime!

I went on a Sunday at lunch time. You have the option to dine in their patio, but it was too warm…read moreso I stayed indoors. It was empty and pleasantly cool. The interior is chic and modern and the service is excellent. They had a birthday party going on in the patio and I noticed the attentiveness of the staff in managing and executing the orders. I had an exotic take on the caprese salad served bamboo shoots and it was mind blowing. They serve bread with butter in the side and olives, complementary. The butter was seasoned with herbs. The seared tuna was served with soy sauce and chop sticks, but it was so well seasoned on its own, that I didnt use soy sauce at all. It was delightful, and what I appreciated was how they serve water...something so bangle as a glass of water is served with ice and a wedge of lemon or lime (your choice). It is a detail that you encounter only in Michelin starred restaurants. It is worth the price. Kearny is a hidden gem, and Qtal is a welcomed addition. It felt zen.

Had an amazing meal and great time with my wife and friends. The service was awesome definitely…read moregoing back again I had the half chicken with potatoes and it was amazing. We all shared some octopus and short rib croquettes.

Which a cute spot for breakfast, brunch or lunch! Food was great, so many good options on the menu…read moreit was hard to decide. Service was quick and friendly!

We made plans to meet friends for brunch at Sonoma Bistro and arrived a bit early for our…read morereservation. We were able to snag a parking spot on the busy main street and walked over to the corner restaurant. Between the sidewalk tables and the inside dining room, the place was completely packed. We walked inside to check in with the hostess. She let us know that they still needed a bit more time on our table, but that we could wait at their small bar. The dining area was modern and more minimalist, except for the giant imitation tree in the center, which gave the place more charm. While the place was inviting, it was also extremely loud, so instead, we asked to have a table outdoors. That request turned out to be the right move, as it was much more peaceful on the street. As more and more time went on, we were very confused about where our friends were. It turned out that they had driven to the restaurant's Nutley location instead. Thankfully, that was not too far away, and our fantastic server, Leo, distracted us with pleasurable conversation and rich, robust coffee. Once the others finally arrived and we were able to order food, I went with the "Power Bowl" brunch special. The plate of healthier items included scrambled egg whites, feta, quinoa, spinach, pickled red onions, lox, and sweet potatoes. The smoked salmon and the cheese both added some mild salt and extra flavor to what was already a delicious meal. We really enjoyed our brunch at the Sonoma Bistro...in Rutherford, and I would love to go back to try some of their interesting cocktails and sweet pastries.

Any old-timers out there remember when this was The Nutley Pub? (As one Yelper wrote, "Not the…read moreclassiest bar but..." - which perfectly summed up the last place.) Now going strong for well over a decade (?!) - Cowan's is classy and cool and leans into its strengths. Easily the hippest and most-happening spot in Nutley (and the surrounding towns) for the 'mature crowd' that's probably more interested in mash and hops and wort than getting hammered and making bad decisions at last call. The (ever rotating) beers on tap are stellar. The selection of bottles (of the harder stuff) on the picturesque back bar are eye-catching (even if I never heard of half of them). (After a few visits I still haven't tried the food. One of these days I'll get around to that, I promise.) Recommended, for sure.

Came for happy hour! LOVED the truffle fries -- we couldn't stop eating them. They have a great…read morehappy hour special & have week day specials depending on the day. We ordered the Tuesday $25 appetizer sampler - the fried pickles & wings were my fav. The restaurant itself was very cute & had a cozy vibe. Service was very friendly. Definitely would come back - great spot to catch up with friends. It was street parking also!

Always a pleasure to dine at Bareli's. We were four for dinner recently. The pork chop was amazing…read moreas always. There was a seafood special with squid ink pasta that everyone tried at the table and raved about it. Staff and cocktails were on "point" as usual!!

Bareli's in Secaucus makes a fantastic first impression. The restaurant sits on a busy route with…read moreeasy access in and out, and the parking lot is large enough to accommodate many vehicles. The interior is visually impressive: elegant table linens, comfortable leather chairs, and a dining room that looks polished and upscale. When we arrived, what appeared to be the owner was greeting guests at the entrance. Since he was welcoming everyone and dressed differently from the rest of the staff, we assumed he was the owner. It was a great touch and immediately raised our expectations. Unfortunately, the experience did not fully match that first impression. We started with drinks: a glass of wine for me and an Old Fashioned for my wife. As happens too often in restaurants, the stronger drink was automatically assumed to be mine, and the drinks were delivered incorrectly. It's a small detail, but one that reflects attention--or lack of it. Bread arrived quickly, followed soon after by the food. I ordered the gnocchi with meat sauce. The dish was acceptable, but nothing extraordinary. My wife ordered the house seafood salad, which was very good--fresh, flavorful, and easily the best dish we had that night. Our waiter spoke limited English. Once he realized we also spoke his language, the service became noticeably more relaxed and somewhat overly familiar. He immediately tried to guide us toward the most expensive items on the menu. When I declined coffee after dinner, he responded by saying something along the lines of: "Well, that's your choice, but the coffee here is very good," which felt unnecessary. We also had a small issue with the Old Fashioned garnish. The orange peel looked unusual, so we asked for the drink to be replaced. The waiter did replace it, though he first tried to explain that what we thought were worms were simply marks on the fruit peel. For dessert we ordered the tiramisu, which the waiter promoted heavily as the best dessert to try. Unfortunately, it didn't deliver. Instead of the classic layered presentation, it arrived more like a cup full of cream with a few pieces of soaked bread and very little coffee flavor. The issue was not just the dessert itself, but the expectations created when it was described. Bareli's is a beautiful restaurant with a great location and atmosphere, but the service details and execution didn't quite match the level suggested by the setting.

Dinner at Drift was a fantastic experience this evening. It is such a stunning restaurant with a…read morereally sleek and sophisticated ambiance. My table was one of, if not the best, in the house. It actually rotated (very slowly) throughout the meal so I was able to enjoy an entire 360-degree view of the restaurant (more than once). Our server, George, was fantastic! He gave excellent recommendations and when there was a song playing that I couldn't Shazam, he wrote the name of it down for me! ​My cocktail, Frequent Flyer, was 10/10 and the perfect mix of sweet and tart. Someone could easily order those all night long since it was masterfully crafted and wasn't overpowered with alcohol. For starters, I ordered the Ceviche sushi roll. It had all of the flavors of Peruvian-style ceviche and had a lovely presentation. My entree of skirt steak with polenta fries was seamlessly executed. I ordered the steak medium-rare and it had the right amount of char with the meat being very tender. The chimichurri sauce was a really nice accompaniment. Although I was full, I was able to muster up some room for dessert and had the bourbon apple bread pudding. It was really lovely and the perfect way to end an amazing meal. I'd return to Drift in a heartbeat and would highly recommend it.

Dined last night at Drift to celebrate a friend's birthday and elopement. We were a party of 9 and…read morethey were able to accommodate our reservation outdoors as there was space (Outdoor dining is first come/first serve). This was my first time here, though I've been to Blu on the Hudson a few times so I felt Drift's menu and interior was a copycat of Blu. Unfortunately, the service at Drift was very poor, compared to Blu. Although the large restaurant was fairly empty inside and not at full capacity outside, service was slow and absent. Our waitress barely came by and neither did the bus boys - finally when I got up to refill my own cup of water, he darted over. There were multiple times my water glass was empty and no one in sight to offer a refill. Even the manager got a little attitude with me when I asked him to bring out new utensils (ours were cleared with our appetizers). We'd had already been waiting a while for our entrees to come and I could just anticipate all of our entrees coming out and us having no silverware to eat them with. Moving to the food, I thought the food was generally good, although not the best value. The rice balls were tasty but on the smaller side - they come 4 to an order. The whipped ricotta was yummy but the small plate of 4 pieces of focaccia is not sufficient for the amount. It's $2 for each extra plate of 4 slices. The rice cakes weren't as good as the ones at Blu. The beet salad was less of a salad and more like a plate of Greek yogurt with garnish around it - would not recommend. For entrees, several of us ordered sushi rolls. I thought the happy ending, Miyazaki and aloha rolls were good. My friend did not like her king California roll. The branzino and sea bass portions were small for the cost. We didn't order dessert since the meal moved so slowly and it was already late by the time we finished our entrees. We had to wait a while to get our check and then we got out of there. They also should have someone who checks the bathrooms regularly and tidies them up - the stall I went into was out of toilet paper in both dispensers and instead of replacing the empty rolls, they left the new one the dirty floor. All in all, I don't think I'd come back here again when practically the same restaurant is next door and I had better experiences there.

We love this place. We recently found out about it because we saw a few social media videos talking…read moreabout their daily specials and new management which enticed us because we didn't know much about what they offered before. They have great happy hour specials and staff who are there to honor the deals and give you a fun experience. Nothing worse than walking into a bar because of an advertised deal and the bartender charging you full price because they didn't know anything about the deal. That doesn't happen here which is huge!!! They have multiple TVs and seating areas, which make it perfect for watching sports. Drinks are great and food is delicious. We love the chicken quesadilla and wings. The espresso martini was surprisingly good. We love their drink pitchers as well. Overall you can tell they care about the community, and want to offer a reliable and fun experience in an area that doesn't have too many bars like this. We have returned multiple times since the first time because we love the consistency, fun events, and friendly staff. The only thing they could improve on is the music. When there's a DJ, it's a great night, but when it's up to Touch Tunes there's room for improvement. We still will return whenever we are looking for a good time!

Food & drinks was good when me and my friends went on the weekdays. We tried to go on UFC night…read morebut the experience was meh. They had a DJ play music the whole fight card except for the last main match. I mean, they should just have him play between rounds or something. The pork sliders were cold too but the server was good and consistent throughout the night with cold beers.