One of our favs in Ridgewood. Service is always attentive and friendly. Food is imaginative and well executed. Tonight we shared the small plates. Started off with a perfectly made wedge salad then onto the grilled Octopus, meatballs and spicy Rigatoni. Just the right amount of food for two. read more

The food was absolutely delicious and I can't wait to go back. Every single dish was outstanding! Dylan was our waiter and was awesome! So attentive to whatever we needed. I'm craving those carrots and lamb chops! Thank you Dylan! read more

Definitely something different for the Bergen County area! As soon as I heard about this place, I immediately wanted to go. The speakeasy vibe, limited nights open and an ever changing menu is what initially attracted me. I'm so glad they decided to get on the Resy app for making reservations. It was a little frustrating before that. The night of our infamous reservation, we checked-in to Stella, and were given a business card with a code on it. Walk around to the side/back of the building, punch the code into the keypad, and viola! You're in! Immediately in front of you is their oyster bar. Small, but good use of the space. The restaurant itself is rather small, and when bustling with customers, can be too noisy for some. We did not mind. Joe welcomed and seated us at a small, two-person table near curtain draped windows (keeps the prying eyes out). Since there are no printed menus, our waitress came over and read us the entire menu written on a wall mirror in detail. There are three major sections, oysters, toasts (apps) and entrées. The portion sizes were explained as being tapas style, but I'd say some are larger than that. We started with 8 oysters (comes with freshly shaved horseradish), a wedge salad (big enough for four people), a tomato tart (our favorite) and the crab toast (also enough for four). We then had the foie gras with peaches (delicious!), hot honey carrots (full sized carrots and enough for four), grilled lamb chops and the duck jubilee (recommend both). For dessert, we had to get the beignets with a caramel dipping sauce (drool!). Aside from all the food we ordered, they also give complementary bread and butter. Being "professional eaters", we were definitely stuffed and probably could have done without one or two items. But the amusing atmosphere and the flavorful food is definitely what will make me want to come back! read more

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Absolutely gutted. What was once the absolute best, most inventive, fun and welcoming restaurant in north Jersey has become a shell of what it once was. I fear they will never return to their glory days, unless the former chef brings it back to life. read more

Trending in the wrong direction. Changed ownership recently, unbeknownst to us. Had been here twice before, and was thoroughly impressed by the chef/owner, the care with which courses were prepared, the curation of fresh ingredients, and the joy with which dishes were served. The speakeasy approach only added to the experience, and this was one of our favorite places. Returned a few weeks ago with a dear friend from out of town to whom we had raved about No. 12. So many of the elements that made this place attractive were gone - set menus rather than fresh specials, indifferent and inexperienced service, bland food. I've certainly had worse, but for the price this place wasn't satisfying, especially in light of its previous performance. Unless they return to their roots and figure out how to replicate their former glory (and how to bring back their complimentary bread), I'm afraid I wouldn't recommend. read more

This used to be the best restaurant in New Jersey between the food and the vibe. The owners sold and the restaurant is a shell of itself. It was depressing being there yesterday- the fun is gone and the food is below average - poorly trying to replicate dishes from the previous version of 12. The ambience is so off brand as 90s hip hop is replaced with non descript classical. The owner should rename the place and start over as 12 cannot be replicated. The staff was friendly but you can tell they are very new to serving and could not answer any basic questions about the food. read more

This has been out favorite restaurant for a couple years. I'm aware it was bought out and the Rozzi's (previous chefs) were not there anymore. We wanted to give the new regime a fair shake I. The hopes it would be at least half as good as it used To be. My wife was skeptical but I didn't listen... We walked in and it's pretty much all The same. 7pm reservation and we were the first table seated. Maybe 3 others came in after us. The music playing was a bit loud and it ranged from Latin, to Lynryd skynrd, camellia cabello, Aerosmith and county. Many times the music stopped and songs were skipped. So odd. The wait staff was pleasant but had to be brand new to the biz. I brought and $80 bottle of cab as it was a special occasion. Waiter asked if he could Open it. Great. Comes back with it in a bucket of ice. Ughh. We get the menus. Waiter made sure to note the dishes were tapas style and order In courses. It has some of the dishes from the previous regime as well as new items. We ordered the burrata, clam chowder fries, and gambas (shrimp in white white and garlic). I asked for the burrata to come out first and then the other dishes after. By 7:15 all three dishes came out at the same time. Not good. The burrata dish was something I could easily make At home. One ball of store bought burrata with some pesto drizzle and cherry tomatoes cut in half And a few pieces of basil. The clam chowder fries were fine. Nothing to get excited about. The shrimp were tiny and again a dish I could easily make at home. Half way through the meal, the owner (I think) came by and dropped off two oyster shooters on the house. They still have an oyster bar, but it's nothing like it used to be and very disappointing to see when you walk past it. No other seafood just oysters and nothing special. Oyster shooters are supposed to have vodka in them. These did not. Just watery cocktail sauce and a blah oyster. The oyster I had even had part of the shell still on it (which I had to carefully not swallow as To not choke). We literally were done with everything by 7:30 and sat and finished our wine until About 7:45. I asked for the check. Was not offered dessert or coffee or anything (not that we would have even wanted it). Literally everything has fallen off. Clientele was coming in wearing tee shirts and sneakers. Service way off, food way off. I really wanted this place to pull it together and keep it alive. Sadly it cannot be done. I know the owner has bought a number of restaurants in ridgewood. I can't speak to the quality of those but it leaves me very worried about the state of dining in this town going forward. Please don't think this is a hatchet job or that I am a disgruntled former patron. I really wanted No. 12 to succeed as it was such a cool Concept. Sadly it will not. read more

I've been to speakeasies before and that's what this place is. We did not have reservations but was lucky they had room for us after a 45 minute wait. We ended up going to a nearby bar they recommended. The restaurant was very nice. Modern and trendy decor. Not what you expect from a small NJ town. Looks like something out of NYC. The service was great, the staff was friendly and attentive. The host that got us a seating was also very friendly and accommodating. The food was very mediocre. We had the lamb chops, foie gras, octopus, scallops, grilled oysters, and raw oysters. There's really nothing great I can say about the food. So if you're looking for a gimmicky place to take a date to, then check it out for the experience. Even the menu was gimmicky, they wrote it on a mirror in the wall so it was very hard to see in the dim lighting. You'd have to have the waitress read it out for you and then repeat if you forgot anything she said. The price point was very high for what you get. As a NYC transplant, I'd expect much better quality food for the price you pay here. I highly doubt I would ever go again. NY prices for NJ food. Not impressed. read more

Found the atmosphere better than the service. I expect they had difficulty finding wait staff, but that's not acceptable at the price point. read more

An amazing experience from start to finish. Jake, our server was pleasant and attentive; Joe, the manager is a gem, and Ted, the owner was lovely to us..... As for the food-freshly baked bread to die for- west coast oysters from the raw bar and grilled with umami butter - off the charts delicious! Scallops perfectly cooked and hot honey carrots to dream about. Beignets for dessert served warm and with a fabulous caramel dipping sauce. No12 - I cannot wait to return! read more

A little piece of NYC in our local suburbia. Really cool decor and vibe, where they play 90s hip hop all night. Place was packed on a Saturday and you even need a reservation for the bar! Food was great; shrimp cocktail, peachy piggy was an amazing combo and porterhouse steak. An added bonus- it's BYOB. Amazing service from the owners and staff. They only take reservations once a month for the following so it's tough to get in but this place is definitely a great date spot for our area- don't miss out! read more

No.12 - Steak - Seafood Near Me - Ridgewood, New Jersey

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This place is not open!!! Open Reservations came up when my husband and I were looking for a nice night out. Got a baby sitter and we're so excited. We made reservations and got a confirmation email. Showed up and it was not open. This business should show they are not open on their website. read more

OMG I LOVE YOU NO.12! My boyfriend and I have had the most amazing experiences at no.12. Hip exclusive vibes, yet such personal and friendly service- hard to find. And did I mention the delish dishes and BYOB?! Ran by chefs and power couple hubby and wife Ted and Heather, the passion and love definitely shows in the experience and food! We most recently had the pleasure of Ted serving us himself, so great to see him so hands-on. We stopped in for a few little bites- complimentary delicious bread, chips & dip, oysters (picked by the sweet and so helpful staff!), and our new favorite dessert...Heather's beignets. No.12 is an absolute MUST-TRY! Already dreaming of my next visit. :) read more

I absolutely love this place. Ted and Heather are amazing!!! The food is incredible. Staff is awesome. BYOB. Check in at stella or reserve weeks ahead of time so you don't have to wait so long. I always sit at the oyster bar. 90s Hip Hop playlist! Menu changes weekly. I always start off with a dozen oysters and lobster cocktail then the adventure begins. I always end up trying 3-4 dishes that weren't on the menu a month ago. (I try to come at least once a month). Do yourself a favor and get on thier mailing list. Parking is difficult in Ridgewood but this is worth the trip. This is by far my fav place to eat. read more

Awesome vibe, good food and great staff. Special shout out to Ziad for making the night extra memorable! Highly recommend in Ridgewood.

Have a little mixed feelings on the place. The good: It's a really cool way to get into the restaurant. You go to their sister restaurant Stella Artisan and get a card with a code on it. You then walk down the alleyway, punch in the code, and voila you're inside a really vibin speakeasy style restaurant. They have an oyster bar which was great - all so fresh with a nice variety. The food was pretty good. The honey glazed carrots were a surprise hit, the chevre truffle dip(?) was tasty at first but started to get overpowering after a few bites, and the scallops were okay. The bad: So the food was mostly solid, like I mentioned, the chevre truffle dip was a little overpowering after a few bites and not that great once it got a little cold, and the scallops were fine but nothing special. But what I had a little issue with was the bread. They serve you freshly baked bread in this cute little mini pot and it was delicious. But the problem is that they charge you for the bread but dont even mention they're going to charge you when they bring it out. Like instead of paying, what $7, for the bread I would have rather put the money towards another plate. I dunno, it just peeves me when places bring you something without disclosing the details. Also the reservation system kind of sucks. I got the email that they opened up reservations for the month so checked probably 20 min after it got sent to my inbox and the website was telling me that there were no availabilities at all. Not just no availabilities for a specific date but for any date. So then I set up a notice to get alerted to any openings and then all of a sudden I get notice after notice saying they have availabilities all of a sudden. But overall, it was nice. Is it overpriced? Yeah kind of. I dont think I'd necessarily be jumping and saying I want to go again, but it's like one of those places where you dont mind if other people want to go. P.S it's a tapas style place, byob but they do have a selection of wines, and definitely need a reservation. read more

No.12 - They charge for the bread served at the beginning - Seafood Near Me - Ridgewood, New Jersey

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New management and updated menu. Ziad was more than accommodating and present throughout the restaurant. Nick, our server, was excellent as well; knowledgeable, articulate, and friendly. Overall, we had a great experience and will be back! read more

I started out thinking "The Emperor has no clothes" ( millennial's can Google that) check in at one place and enter a door code to get in the place. Once there it has warm decor and a nice staff. All small plates and all very good. On the pricey side but not crazy. Menu is is on the wall and always changing, no phone number and I think if you want a reservation you have to Instagram or something other than FB, that's not hip for these hipsters. read more

No.12 - Dessert @ #12 Ridgewwod - Seafood Near Me - Ridgewood, New Jersey

Food is on point! Music playlist makes it that much better. Fun atmosphere. We went last night (2x I've been) and just as good as first. Hostess is very friendly and accommodating. They were running a little behind and hostess gave us a heads up, no problem at all. Cracked open the bottle and started while we were relaxing at Stella. Then over to No12 and Joe and co. We're extremely friendly. Waiter was knowledgable and we ordered. Again, food was amazing and consistent with first time there. Dessert was delicious and this time they had the 2nd dessert (apple tart type) which was amazing. Definitely will be going back!! read more

Amazing service and wonderful food! Ziad was such a professional, kind waiter who made our experience so enjoyable! 10/10!

The food, service and atmosphere were excellent. We had selections from each area of the menu and loved the pace of each plating and freshness of each dish. The grilled octopus was off the charts, and the pasta perfectly al dente with great flavor and the right amount of heat. My wife thought the croquettes were the best she has ever eaten. You won't regret the finishing with the beignets either! Great meal and great experience! read more

We had such an amazing time at No. 12! Not only was the ambiance great and the food fantastic, but Ziad went above and beyond to ensure that my fiance had the best birthday dinner. Plus, BYO! We shared a bunch of plates and Ziad surprised my fiance with a dessert and had the restaurant sing to him. We will absolutely be back soon! read more

The excitement of wanting to try this place was a real let down. We were a party of four and went to Stella's as instructed. I felt like I was being interrogated the way the hostess was asking me questions about how I made my reservation. We were given a piece of paper with the code and told to go around the corner into a small alley to the blue door. We entered the code and went inside and asked for a guy named Joe. I'm not sure if he was the manager, owner, or someone else. After we confirmed a second time that we were who we said, we were led to a table. The vibe was good and the music playing was 80's and 90's which was fine. Our server came over and immediately began to rattle off the raw bar. My friend asked for bread as it was 9:15 pm and we were starving. The server seemed a little annoyed that we interrupted her speech, and continued to tell us about the raw bar. We decided on a seafood and tower and got double of everything which consisted of crabmeat, lobster, clams and oysters. It was fresh, but not off the charts amazing. The portions of cocktail sauce was enough for one person. The bread that finally came was the best part of the whole meal. Not sure what was in it, but it was really good. We ordered quite a few appetizers: bouge jersey, which was basically thick bread with ham and foie gras except I didn't see or taste any foie gras. Next was grilled octopus which wasn't anything special and could be ordered at any other decent restaurant. We then had scallops that were supposed to be in a blood orange sauce, didn't taste any tartness to indicate blood orange was present. We also ordered razor clams, however, these were clearly littlenecks and it was my error that I didn't speak up about this. The final dish was steak diane which was described as filet mignon and came sliced. We all took a piece and could not believe the amount of fat and chewiness this so called piece of meat had on it. When we talked to the server about it, she was a little annoyed and said it was definitely filet mignon, which it clearly wasn't. She took the one plate away and said she would have it analyzed by someone. WTH?? We ordered beignets, which were tasteless and bananas foster which was a portion for one person and not like any bananas foster I've ever had. When the bill came, the two steaks were still on and we had to argue to have one taken off. They didn't take off the other one because they said we ate it which we didn't. A manager or owner never once came over to see what our issues were nor did someone walk around to say thank you for coming, etc. I also want to mention that getting a reservation here is difficult. They will post it on instagram or email you, but if you don't respond in five minutes you are out of luck. The whole vibe and prices they are charging for food, in my opinion, are ridiculous. They are trying to make it like a NYC establishment, which it clearly isn't. I don't have a problem paying a lot of money, but I would like better quality food and better attitudes on the management. read more

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This spot is a foodie dream. Let's start with the ambiance-- its intimate, luxurious, modern yet classic. it is indeed a BYOB, but they have a few wines to offer, and there is a liquor store near by. I loved the way you had to get in; it made the speakeasy, "invite-only" vibe come to life. The service was wonderful; our server was more than helpful to share her recommendations as well as make sure we orderred enough for everyone to share (there was 6 of us). As many have mentioned, the menu consistently changes but I think that's what makes it so special. Each dish is exploding with flavor, style, and attention to detail. The oysters were insanely fresh and delicious. Some of our favorite items included the Humboldt Fog Toast, the Seared Scallops with Butternut Squash, Nutty Pig, Homemade Pierogis, Lamb Chops & the Beignets ... okay, basically everything. I literally cannot wait to go back!! read more

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What an amazing atmosphere!!! Great food and outstanding hospitality!! Thank you Ziad and team for a wonderful experience last night!! Anne T read more

Wouldn't really come back unless it's for half off oysters. Food was decent but it was so hot and service was slow. Don't find it really anything special .. read more

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super amazing awesome restaurant! Holly the chef is the best in Nj. Her husband runs the seafood counter to perfection. Menu selections change all the time. Joe takes great care of us, great host. Matt is best waiter in every way anywhere. been a regular since they opened. originality, creativity, flavor, atmosphere all off scale of awesomeness!! read more

I have had the pleasure of dining at No. 12 twice since they opened. The first time it was just my wife and I and the second with a larger party for our work holiday party. Both experiences were a bit different, but equally fantastic. Here's my take on both times. First visit: table for two with the location only being open a few short weeks. It was a rainy night downtown the weekend after Thanksgiving so there was a ton of people traffic. We had a reservation so we were seated relatively quick considering how busy it was. The place was loud with people so I didn't get to appreciate the old school hip hop as much as I was looking forward to, but it was so much fun to be in a busy vibrant restaurant. Apparently the man sitting next to us could hear the music just fine and wasn't in love with it or the fact that the place is a hot spot. It's dark and the menu of the minute is posted on the board so not so easy to read, but our waiter did a fantastic job of describing the dishes. We ordered a seafood tower to start and it was the absolute best I have ever had. Lobster, crab, shrimp and oysters. I could go there just for that every time. The rest of the meal was just as good right down to the beignets and pressed coffee. There was another couple next to us that were younger than the first gentleman I described that also seemed a little upset with the dark cool vibe and weren't so nice to our great waiter. I'm not judging your cool factor - just would advise that I happen to dig the busy, dark, fun side. If you like the quiet Sinatra style thing then this is not your place. Second visit: larger party of 12 where we opted for a "chef's tasting" menu. In a nutshell that means they are going to send out absolutely everything for everyone to share. The only things our group didn't like were the things that they would never eat individually (ie foie gras, beef tartar). I happen to eat almost anything so it made me super happy to try it all. We had multiple staff members waiting on us throughout and they were all fantastic. They were all also very good at telling us things about each dish. My only warning is that if you do a menu like this please be prepared for the food coma to follow the next day. We had the pleasure of meeting both Rocco and Tim the owners as well as Joe who runs the front of house. Even considering this is a new hot spot they couldn't have been more accommodating. The chef's dishes are as thoughtful as they are amazing. The staff (including Stella where you check in) are friendly, courteous and helpful. Make a reservation even if it will be a few weeks, embrace the fun and dark environment, channel your inner love of Tribe Called Quest and go there for a great time. Most of all be ready to eat. read more

No.12 - Seafood Near Me - Ridgewood, New Jersey

Honestly, thought the whole concept was very pretentious (insert eyeroll) but it's just a cool part of a great night. What a wonderful experience! Yes, the food was spectacular so flavorful and fun, space funky and hip, but to me, the absolute best was the service Everyone wore a smile and was welcoming. I didn't see a sour face the whole evening. I went to the bathroom and even caught a glimpse of a staff member trying to (what seemed to me) compose herself but when she saw me, she smiled and waved and went to help her other customers. The waiter believes in the food and chef and for good reason. I loved everything we had. We made another reservation before we left. read more

No.12 - Part of the menu. - Seafood Near Me - Ridgewood, New Jersey

CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET? The whole process from getting the reservation to getting a pass-code for entry into this uniquely tucked away establishment was like being on a clandestine operation. After getting a very sought out reservation, you walk to the front of this restaurant (Stella's) where the host gives you pass-code. You then walked down this alley way to a none distinct blue door, enter the pass-code and wha-lah, it's like entering a speakeasy of times long gone. You enter into this small bar area and pleasantly greeted by the manager and owner (Ted), who takes care of the raw fish platters. The restaurant is small with limited seating, along with it becoming more popular is probably the reason for the difficulties in making reservations. We sat at the bar area which had seating for 6, we were a party of 4. At first I wasn't happy about the seating arrangements but after being given a lesson about the variety of oysters, which are all farm grown, it turned out to be the most perfect dinning experience we've had in many years. Ted introduced us his wife Heather who works in the kitchen, she's the pastry chef, it felt like we were dinning with family. Their entire team, and I mean TEAM capitalized, their only goal was to insure the we had most perfect dinning experience. Their main courses were small plates, by all means they weren't that small, were absolutely well presented with a variety of interesting flavors and textures. No one left hungry. My only reservation in writing this review...."CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET?", don't tell anyone about this establishment :}...... read more

Randomly walked by and decided to check it out. To my surprise it was a fancy small place that looked like a calm space to meet some friends for a drink. I kept it simple with a nice ribeye steak cooked just the way I like it medium well. Great food solid service and really good desert options! Not too expensive on the wallet as well I recommend giving it a try! read more

A place worth searching for. It is literally a door in the alleyway and once you enter you are greeted by Zaid. He is one of the nicest people you will meet. Very welcoming and accommodating. The food variety can satisfy the pickiest of eaters. The selection of oysters were not only delicious but the waiter was very knowledgeable on them. I would recommend this restaurant. Julie S. read more

What a real gem this is. It's tapas style and everything is well presented and was great. The food is bought out by the owner, chef and staff. Highly recommended!! read more

Great experience! Ambiance is really cool, great music and food is absolutely amazing. Was bummed the poutine I've heard so much about wasn't available, but the short rib with polenta and the scallops with pumpkin purée made up for it. We didn't like not having a menu or being able to see all of the options available...our table didn't have a view of what was written on the wall. Our waiter didn't do the best job presenting everything and feel like we missed something we would have loved. Can't wait to go back and see what's next! read more

One of the best restaurants in Ridgewood! If you like seafood more specifically oysters - look no further! Have dined here at least 10 times and have never had a bad meal or experience. The attention to detail in the plates and flavors is impeccable. While Covid takes away the special ambiance of the inside dining experience, eating outside is still good. read more

Awesome food, don't miss the experience. The staff is very courteous and polite. I will definitely recommend this place for an evening dinner with family or friends. read more

The concept is great however Speakeasy - No 12 was a major disappointment. First of all they don't serve alcohol so they aren't a "speakeasy". The staff is young and seems very inexperienced (not that that's a bad thing however for the prices and to be classified as an "upscale" restaurant, they should know the menu. The food, horrible!! It was cafeteria grade at best. Very low grade bar food maybe at 4 star restaurant prices. They are now a tapas restaurant so expect very small portions. Wish I could give a better review but it was so disappointing I have nothing good to say at all. Oh, and by the way the obnoxiously loud rap music didn't help the situation either. read more

Don't t bother making a reservation here as they do not seem to honor reservations. After receiving an email from them confirming my reservation for Fri at 7:00, I received another email 2?days later saying that because they booked a private party my reservation was moved to 5:00. Like what? I'm still at work at 5:00. I won't bother trying to make another reservation here when there are so many other fantastic restaurants in the area that value individual customers. read more

Food was just okay (bland), steak was amazing, ambience/music choice was bizarre (a lot of early 2000's top 20) didn't feel much like a "speakeasy" at all. Overhyped. read more

This was one of the best meals of my life, and I live in NYC. Came to Ridgewood for a birthday dinner - the food and ambiance blew me away! The carrots, seafood, and biscuits were unreal!!! This restaurant deserves a Michelin Star!!! read more