For 20+ years, La Rocca Osteria is consistently the best Italian restaurant in Montclair. From…read morethe moment I arrive, I feel like I am back in Italy having dinner at a top-line Trattoria in Florence. Every entree is delicious and plentiful, and the service is very attentive. Bravo Robert and Caroline for creating a five-star restaurant that is always a special evening for our family!

La Rocca Osteria is a fabulous restaurant that rivals some of my favorite restaurants in Italy…read more Owner Rob constantly creates specials that are so unique and taste incredible. My latest example would be the Beef Cheeks that I had last night. They were so tender and the flavor was better than the same dish I had in Sardinia Italy earlier this year. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who enjoys tremendous Italian food that never disappoints and always satisfies.

This is an elegant establishment, a grand building in the architectural style of an Italian…read morepalazzo, purportedly redesigned in the mid 80's in the style of one of Milan's grand eateries. It's at the high point of the first set of hills when traveling west from Manhattan into New Jersey affording spectacular views of the city. This overlook served as an encampment for General Washington during the Revolutionary War. The restaurant is within the Eagle Rick Reservation which contains a 9/11 memorial and areas for family gatherings and hiking trails. For these reasons parking can become a challenge at busy times. However, the restaurant offers valet parking, if you prefer to not hunt for a space during busy evenings. We dined here several times throughout our 25+ years in the vicinity. This review is of our meal on the lovely late summer evening of September 6, 2026. This was a busy evening when parking was limited due to the pleasant weather, the Labor Day weekend, and the coming 25th 9/11 anniversary. At 6PM the sun was beginning its decent and with the pleasant weather, barely warm and not hot and humid, we chose to dine on the outdoor patio. The setting was perfect and why this aspect was a 5-star experience. Having visited on previous occasions we can also recommend the same great views of NYC are available in the main dining room. The bar area also affords a separate menu and is also a great space to dine if your appetite calls for something less than a grand meal and a cozier venue. The restaurant positions itself as a premier dining experience. The setting certainly warrants it. The food is likewise supposed to match. Often it does, but at other times it falls short of expectations given those expectations are high, as well as the prices. The prices reflect the offerings and are probably to be considered within reason given the expected high standards. We started with cocktails, which were excellent to the taste, but of just average potency. We were asked if we wanted bread, which suggested it might be an extra charge, but it was not. The "bread" was actually three small accented muffins with two types of butter. We then ordered. Dining on the patio we were provided both the main menu and the bar menu, which was a nice option. My wife chose two appetizers and declined a main course. She ordered the crab cake, which looked better in presentation than taste, as it was found to be on the dry side, and the lollipop lamb chops, of which there were four, so it almost constituted a main course. My wife enjoyed these more than the crab cake. They did look excellent. I chose the California Roll to start. It was presented nicely, but it was ordinary. It was supposed to be made with snow crab as opposed to fake crab, but I was not convinced. I had the Lobster Doré, which was better looking than it was in taste, finding it a bit chewy. We shared a glass of the special to the menu addition Silver Oak Cab. It was a generous pour, but was over $30 for the glass. It was worth it. For dessert we shared the Basque cheesecake which was a hit. All in all a great location, but a little letdown in the cuisine, especially given expectations. We will be back though, as we have had better food on other occasions.

My wife and I went to the Highlawn for our anniversary. It's not a restaurant I would generally…read morechoose, but we had a gift certificate to use. It has been quite a few years since I last visited and was pleasantly surprised by the upgrades to the place. Initially, we were shunted off to a side table and had to ask for a window one, which we were reluctantly given (there were many open ones). The wait staff was pleasant enough (the water and bread service being the best), and we proceeded to order drinks. This is where the issues started. They grouped sparkling wines with roses, which made me think I was ordering a sparkling one when I wasn't. No biggie, but they should change that; I can't be the first or last to make this error. Now to the food. We were very excited to order the tomato & stone fruit salad, and very disappointed when what we got was a tomato salad with three (very thin) peach slices (at least I think they were; not very tasty, so I could not tell). One strike, so I was hoping for better luck with my entrée. That was not much better. I ordered the lobster ravioli, which came with a dense sauce and pasty ravioli, and an overcooked lobster claw buried in it. Not what I expected from a 5-star place. My wife's sashimi was much better, even if her double order of Hamachi was strange. We were not charged for that, and she was given a new choice. The dessert menu listed bread pudding with a 30-minute prep time, but if the staff did not inform you earlier, it's not really a choice, so I ordered the cheesecake, which was acceptable but poorly plated, with not enough fruit or sauce. I see that all the 5 stars are from people who call themselves foodies. I have real reservations about any of them having real five-star food outside of NJ; they should consider trying Manhattan to get an education. In the end, the view is the best part of the place (must give the hard-working staff credit for a nice evening). Will I be back? Probably not for another ten years. (it will not let me upload photos)

Went here for a birthday dinner and the ambiance was very nice and festive…read more For appetizers, we got the goat cheese with nuts and prosciutto, the burrata, and the calamari. The calamari was by far the best. It was crispy and thick and seasoned well and the sauces were delicious. There were some fried onions in it that were flavorful too. The goat cheese was okay, it felt like the flavors did not all go together. The burrata was very fresh and the starter bread is great too. For dinner we got the pork shank which I think was a special, the mushroom ravioli, the eggplant pasta with red sauce and the branzino special with veggies and a sauce. The mushroom ravioli tasted a little like mush to me and I was not a fan of the mushroom flavor. The eggplant pasta was delicious and it came with burrata that melted nicely into the pasta. The pork shank was tender and delicious. The branzino was the star for sure, it was flavorful and delicate and paired well with the sauce and the veggies. For dessert we got the pistachio tartufo and the tiramisu. I didn't think the tiramisu was very special but it wasn't bad. The tartufo was okay. It tasted like a pistachio chocolate ball inside of pistachio ice cream. It was also incredibly small for the price. Our waiter was fantastic!!! Great person who made our experience extremely special. I don't know if I would come back, maybe for the calamari and a drink. Some of the food is amazing and some is not that great.

I normally am not hypercritical of a restaurant, my goal is to forewarn those people before coming…read morehere, since I read many reviews and did not read some of the reasons why I'm only going to give this restaurant three stars. First off, PARKING IN AWFUL! Yea, I know it's Montclair, I went to college here and love this city. However, no one else mentioned how awful the Parking is and it's worse than any part of Montclair I've ever experienced. Do not go to the public parking spot right next to it, it is permit only unless you get to this restaurant really early and find street parking, there is a automotive service station across the street that charges $20 to park, I highly recommend you do this! Also, if you enjoy A VERY LOUD RESTAURANT, where you literally cannot hear the person in front of you speaking. This is the place for you! It does not help that this restaurant has very large front windows and ceramic tile which obviously contributes to the noise factor. They have these little tiny sound barriers in the ceiling which don't do anything if you like a very cramped restaurant where a very large young woman attempts to walk past your table, which is in the middle of the restaurant, knocks over your wife's water glass onto her lap and almost falls directly on top of her, this is the restaurant for you! The restaurant is considered Italian in its advertisement however, it seems like this is more an Albanian restaurant with a version of Italian food. I must say, though the reason I gave it three stars after the horrible parking and, very noisy and cramped restaurant, the food was very good. I had the mozzarella Caprese minus the capicola, since I'm vegetarian, my wife had the Mediterranean salad with these two huge pieces of feta cheese, but it was delicious. Our friends shared an arugula salad which they said was delicious. I had the pesto and tomato pasta, which was good. My wife had the Cacio E Pepe, our friends had the lobster pasta, and the salmon. Everybody enjoyed their meal. For dessert, my wife and I ordered the blueberry cheesecake which was more gelatinous and almost tasted like sour cream, not great. Our friends had the moose which they said was great. The staff are very friendly and accommodating. The decor of the restaurant is nice and on the more modern side, they do have a big neon sign nestled inside of fake greenery which I thought was a bit odd. Overall, I don't mean to sound so negative, the restaurant was packed and everybody in the restaurant seemed to be in their 20s or 30s, we're in our 50s so yes I probably sound like a grumpy old guy. Again my intention is just to forewarn people before they come here since all the reviews don't mention what we experienced.

Enjoyed a birthday dinner here and everything was pleasant! The food was all very good and large…read moreportions. The staff are professional and the ambiance is high-end. The octopus was my favorite! All the seafood was very fresh.

Here's the deal. I went to the monthly flamenco dance performance. It was very enjoyable and on its…read moreown would be a 4. The only thing I don't understand is why they miked the guitar in a smallish restaurant so Smartwatches kept flashed "louder than 90dB" warnings. It really wasn't necessary. But you go to a restaurant for the food. And my food was a 2 with the wind behind it. I had the Chicken Extremena, which is chicken filets with onions, red peppers, potatoes and Spanish sausage. Yes, all those ingredients were in the dish. It was too salty although it did have a bit of a kick. All in all, the ingredients didn't blend well, it sort of seemed like they were thrown together and doused in a generic . A friend had the Veal Corunesa, which is veal and mushrooms sauteed in brandy sauce. She stated that a fine piece of veal was cut into little pieces, overcooked and swimming in brandy sauce. Now, the people who ordered the pan fried filet of fish and the pork chops had good meals. But the chef should be able to do something other than panfry and broil. Last point, I had a chocolate brownie with walnuts and vanilla ice cream for dessert. I am know for my proclivity to eat anything chocolate. I took a bite of a dry brownie and ate the vanilla ice cream. I heard the tiramisu was good. But I didn't have the tiramisa. Service was prompt, surroundings pleasant. So here's the deal. The quality of the food was too erratic to be three stars. The entertainment was very pleasant, so averaging a 4 + 2 equals 3. I have no desire to go back and try again. There are so many good Spanish restaurants in Essex County even outside of the Ironbound that going here for a dinner just seems to be a waste.

visited a few days ago for dinner & had a wonderful time! our server dakota was so friendly,…read moreespecially after hearing that it was our first time in new jersey which made us feel welcomed after a craaazyy day of traveling. we really loved the miso cauliflower!! the flavor was incredible and it was perfectly cooked. my partner enjoyed the fish & chips -- and the smashed pea sauce?? delicious !! i had the alex morgan pie (vegan) but didn't realize it was so large (definitely meant for 2 people). it was sooo yummy - the toppings go well together and make for a perfect salty & savory bite. it's also a gorgeous space. loved getting to dine outside on a beautiful evening

Pretty big place with a bar and even an outdoor area. The service was nice, definitely not as good…read morein comparison to other places in town - they did forget about one of the items we ordered so it took an extra 20 minutes for that to get to our table, and our waiter did not check back in on us until we called her over to get the check. I order their chicken sandwich and truffle fries and they were OK. The truffle fries were good, and you do get a lot, I think it would've been nice if they added some herbs on top as most places do as it gives it a nice taste. The chicken sandwich was very average and the chicken itself was a bit dry. I think maybe I'll give it another try for a night where I just want some drinks and a pizza as that seems to be what most people go with at this establishment .

This is a steakhouse and more. It has a bar and not BYOB…read more It is unpretentious and family oriented. It has indoor and outdoor seating The wine list is not extensive, but there is something for everyone with reasonable pricing. On a prior visit with a larger party we had a Cakebread Cab that was slightly more than $100. They have wines by the glass too, as well as several interesting cocktails too including a Macha Tea one. The service is always pleasant and accommodating. The host/owner when present is likewise. This night we had two appetizers. These were the fried calamari and the shrimp tempura. Both are favorites that we have had on every one of our three visits. Both are reasonably sized and really good. The shrimp tempura is pretty spicy, so just be aware. The mains were a filet mignon, the bacon-wrapped filet mignon, and a lobster tail. The bacon-wrapped filet comes with sides of steamed veggies and scalloped potatoes. The other filet came with a few thinly shredded onion rings, which are unlike the regular side order. The tail did not have a side, but the creamed spinach, which is loaded with meat too (believed to be bacon and prosciutto) and is terrific, was ordered. This just represents a small sampling of the menu. There are several different cuts and sizes of steaks and many sides and appetizers from which to choose. There are also several children's offerings. All in all it's pretty darn good. It's not the best place we've ever dined, but it is very good and when considering the offerings, the service, and the value, it's a "family" 5-star experience.

I have been wanting to try this place for years. But when my wife asked me what they serve I told…read moreher it was a cross between an American steak house and an Asian restaurant. She said, no thanks. How good could that possibly be? Well, I finally had the opportunity to try it without her and the answer is very good. The service was excellent. We dined outside. Nothing fancy, but it was nice and comfortable. We both ordered the Delmonico steak which looks like a thick cut ribeye. It was tender, juicy and very flavorful. Plus, a side of broccoli rabe which was perfectly prepared and a baked potato. The only slight blemish to the meal was they forgot the appetizer which would have been the sword fish dumplings. I'll order that the next time for sure. Give it a try.

I've been going to this restaurant since it opened and last night I had one of the finest meals…read moreI've ever had there. And that's saying something!!

We found Luigino's Parmigiano while looking for a local BYOB for an easy Saturday date night, and…read moreit turned out to be such a pleasant surprise. The restaurant was packed when we arrived, with both indoor and outdoor dining, but they were expecting us for our reservation and seated us right away. The front-of-house staff was warm, friendly and even remembered my husband from when he called to make the reservation. The food was the standout. I ordered the short rib, which arrived with quite the presentation, a huge bone topped with incredibly tender, shaved short rib and mixed vegetables. It was delicious and the portion was enormous. I shared some with my husband at dinner, took the rest home, and we still managed to turn the leftovers into an omelet a couple of days later! My husband ordered the double-thick pork chop and loved it. We also shared the fried shrimp and calamari appetizer, and both the marinara and aioli were excellent. One small area for improvement would be helping the younger waitstaff become a little more comfortable guiding guests through the menu. When we asked for recommendations and what dishes the restaurant was especially known for, it took a little prompting before we got to Parmigiano. Our server was perfectly nice. It just would have elevated the experience to have someone confidently say, "This is what we do exceptionally well, and here's what I recommend." Overall, though, we had exactly the kind of evening we needed. We brought a bottle of wine, relaxed, talked, enjoyed the atmosphere and genuinely felt like we had gotten away for a while. Our bill came in at the $100 range, and we left completely satisfied. Great food, generous portions, a welcoming atmosphere and excellent value. We'll absolutely return.

We had my bridal shower at Fresco da Franco and it was absolutely amazing. It is the prime spot in…read moreMontclair for a bridal brunch. The food was delicious and the bridal shower lunch menu was perfect. the service was incredible.. Franco and team were on top of everything and helped us sort out all the details. I wanted a boozy brunch and vibes were completely perfect at Fresco because we were able to have a DJ. We cannot say enough great things about our experience and the hospitality from Fresco da Franco!!! It was a 10/10

Hi Yelpers I'm in NJ for the holiday weekend. The ladies and I decided to meet up for dinner and it…read morewas such a lovely evening. First off the restaurant location was really nice and the restaurant it self felt like I was in Italy. The waitress was so amazing. She placed our orders and every dish was lovely. As for the dessert.....OMG!!! It was just amazing. The has drinks I mean everything was excellent. There was a DJ in a separate room and we were allowed to go in and dance. It gave lounge vibes. I will most definitely recommend this restaurant be it for a date or just with the Ladies!!!