Went here for a birthday dinner and the ambiance was very nice and festive. 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. read more

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Sapori in Montclair is one of those spots that just gets it right. The food felt authentic and well thought out without trying too hard. We started with a couple of appetizers--everything was fresh, well-seasoned, and came out quickly. You can tell they're using quality ingredients. For the main course, the pasta really stood out. Perfectly cooked, great flavor, and not overloaded with sauce like a lot of places tend to do. Portions were solid too The atmosphere is cozy and a little upscale without being pretentious. Service was attentive and friendly the whole time, which made the experience even better. Overall, really good experience. Definitely a place I'd come back to if I'm in the area. read more

Great food. Not too loud. Excellent value since it's a BYOB and we brought very nice wine.

My wife and I had such a lovely evening. The food was fantastic, and the service was outstanding. The branzino baked in sea salt was a highlight, cooked perfectly and full of flavor. Andy made the night even better with his warm and attentive service. We left feeling completely satisfied and can't wait to return for another great meal. read more

Sapori Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

I went to Sapori on a weekend for dinner around 6pm. Parking is a bit difficult but there are parking decks you can park at or street parking if you get lucky. Since we had a reservation we were seated immediately. The waitstaff was very attentive and accommodating with our larger group as some of us had specific food allergies. I was impressed by the level of care they took to accommodate. Sapori had a beautiful outdoor area for seating but we opted for indoor seating with our party of 8. This location is BYOB so you can bring alcohol if you like. They also have mocktails and coffee as well. I picked the pomegranate spritz mocktail. It was really light and flavorful not too strong or sweet. For appetizers we had the Sapori chips (fried zucchini and eggplant) and the burrata. These are not pictured because we were starving from a long day in Montclair and we ate it immediately! It was really good and enough to share with the whole group. For my main I got the Creamy Tuscan Chicken which I opted to add pasta to. The chicken and pasta was so good and really filling- I ended up having to take some home because the portion was huge. For dessert we had the tiramisu and the pistachio tartufo. The pistachio tartufo....changed my life!!! It was SO good. If you like nutty desserts you need to try this it just melts in your mouth. If we had the time we would have ordered another one. Overall would definitely come back to Sapori. I would love to see if they change out some menu items seasonally. Hopefully they keep the pistachio tartufo because I would come back just for that. read more

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Ambiance: the restaurant is beautifully decorated. Looks very clean and new. The esthetics are on point down to the menu- very fancy looking. Very picture worthy place. Food: The meatballs were tasty. The chicken parm was surprisingly good. Better than a lot of chicken parm that I've eaten. Definitely on the pricier side though because the pasta is a separate order. The seafood linguini was pretty bland. The sauce needs more flavor. Service- it took a long time to get our server's attention to order food. Then, it took almost an hour for our entrees to arrive. The bread came out a while after the appetizers were already out. As we were leaving, the host standing by the door kept pestering us about leaving a 5 star review. I understand that good reviews are important for businesses but I don't need to be harassed to leave a 5 star review when it doesn't reflect the experience that I had. read more

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This was easily some of the best food I've ever had! Andy gave us amazing service, so friendly, attentive, and welcoming. Everyone there made us feel right at home.The halibut is a must. The grilled halibut was tender and flaky, full of flavor, and came with wild rice that added the perfect hearty touch. Simple, fresh, and absolutely delicious, every bite was just right.Honestly, the whole night was perfect. Great food, great service, and such a fun atmosphere. You really can't go wrong. read more

Sapori Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

Cute little Italian restaurant on the corner across from Capt loui No bar so it's BYOB- they have a menu from a wine spot that they can call & order for whatever you'd like to be dropped off (beer or wine) but they charge a fee Please don't fall for it, walk 1 Min round the corner to their shop & save yourself a fee. Little pricey but the quality of food was actually really good. Great bread. Good service. Lovely ambiance. Note: their chicken parm is only the chicken no pasta. Not the largest portions either. If it's a protein there's no carbs & vice versa unless you get a pasta with seafood or chicken. But food was good. read more

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This spot is really cute looking and trendy , the service is good too waiter was awesome ! But the food is a bit bland and over priced in my opinion. Had a mojito, lobster fettuccini and mushroom fettuccini ( with truffle sauce ) , it was sort of bland and not really worth the 120$ bill in my opinion sorry to say ! read more

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Sapori in Montclair, NJ. All I have to say is WOW. So many amazing dishes to choose from but the table-side salt baked snapper was a huge hit. On Thursdays don't miss the table-side Cacio e pepe-prepared in a huge Parmesan wheel! Come check out this epic dinner and don't forget Sapori is BYOB! Grab your favorite bottle of wine and come try out Sapori! EAST COAST OYSTERS- Lemon Dressing, Mignonette Sauce, Cocktail Sauce OCTOPUS CARPACCIO- Lemon Dressing, Arugula, Shaved Parmigiano FRITO MISTO- Fried Calamari, Shrimps, Zucchin POLPETTE DELLA NONNA- Meatballs, Tomato Sauce, Basil, Parmigiano GRILLED KING PRAWNS-Grilled Shrimps, Lemon Dressing CHEF'S CHOICE ANTIPASTO Charcuterie Board BURRATA CAPRESE- Fresh Tomatoes, Basil, Burrata, Balsamic Glaze BELISSIMO- Arugula, Cherry Tomatoes, Goat Cheese, Fig Spread LOBSTER FETUCCINI- 1/2 Lobster, Cherry Tomatoes, Garlic, Parsley, Brandy Sauce RAVIOLI TARTUFO- Mushrooms, Ricotta, Truffle Cream CACIO E PEPE- Classic Pecorino Romano, Black Pepper RISOTTO PEAR & GORGONZOLA- Pear, Gorgonzola, Garlic, Onions, White Wine PRIME DRY-AGED RIBEYE COWBOY Tiramisu and crème brûlée read more

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This was a fine experience all around. My wife and I chose Sapori for our one-year anniversary dinner and left pretty underwhelmed. The dishes we ordered were decent (the salads were the best part, the grilled octopus and spicy chicken parm were okay, and the steak pappardelle was meh), but at the price point definitely could have been better. The most disappointing part of the experience was the service, which primarily felt cold and more like a transaction than a welcoming experience. Combined with what seems like a bit of a confused ambiance (modern European bistro?), the experience just didn't leave us feeling like we'd celebrated. Unfortunately we wouldn't recommend Sapori to others without some intentional changes, and based on other reviews this seems like a recurring issue. read more

I had a terrible experience with Sapori on Park Street last night. I feel like I was bullied by them and that they're essentially stealing from me... as someone who worked in the restaurant industry for 10 years, Sapori's "assistance" blew my mind. There are a lot of wonderful restaurants in Montclair with absolutely amazing small business owners. Sapori is not one of them and there are other reviews on google that confirm the following is a normal business practice At 7pm, I accidentally made a reservation for 7 people via open table for 7:30pm. The open table website says to call the restaurant directly. I immediately called the restaurant to explain and request a cancellation as this was an honest mistake. I was told by the hostess that I would be charged $25 per person ($175) if I cancelled the reservation. While I do understand that last minute cancellations are inconvenient, I called within minutes of making the reservation. I spoke to the manager, who told me I would be charged $175 for cancelling the reservation or change it to a different day. I was put on the spot and changed to a different day. This is a very poor business practice and the timing should have been taken into consideration. Another restaurant would have likely laughed at the mistake and not put me in this position. I was able to get to the restaurant about an hour later. I did not go in, but I took pictures of the restaurant. I wanted to see the inconvenience I caused to the staff. Not a single person inside or outside. I would understand if I did this 24 hours before or even at lunchtime yesterday... but I realized the mistake within minutes and contacted the restaurant immediately. I'm very disappointed in the response by management. I escalated the issue to open table, in hopes of being released of the reservation without being charged $175. However, I feel that others should be aware of the situation as it is very troubling and unique in my experience with businesses in Montclair. Montclair is a great town full of wonderful small business owners... Sapori's response baffled me. I picked this location for my birthday celebration and it turned into a headache. Sapori Montclair is a place I will never give my business to and will be sure to spread the word to others in Montclair UPDATE: after posting this to google reviews, yelp, open table and facebook, the owner Zach has released my reservation. However, Zach did feel the need to bully me, call me a liar, argue with me and tell me I was wrong. He is correct, I did not try the food, but I did not claim I did anywhere in this review. Zach should have apologized, which he did not do even once. And I have the texts to prove it when he has a hissy fit like he does on all the other negative reviews. I had to block him because he was NOT open to listening. He also insinuated that he works harder than everyone else, which really does not sit right with me. I am now a nurse and I would never insinuate I work harder than someone else. Especially if I didn't know them. Zach wanted to prove that he was right and wants the review taken down. That was his goal. Not to do the right thing or understand better... he needed to be right. If you look at the owner's response to other negative reviews, the behavior is similar to my experience. He does not want to learn from experience, he wants others to admit their experience was wrong. As for taking my review down... Absolutely not happening after the way he acted. A phone number on a reservation is not an open invitation to harass a customer. It is clear from his behavior, his response to negative online reviews and his employee's behavior that this is the norm. End game: not going to this restaurant after such horrible customer service and do NOT give them your phone number UPDATE 2: owner Zach found my review on facebook and commented on every single comment made by my friends and family. Makes fun of me. Takes no accountability and bullies me. Now he's claiming that somewhere in this review, I said that my card was charged and focusing on that. I had meant to book for Saturday, the hostess and manager confirmed Saturday was not available. I rescheduled for Wednesday because my options were pay $175 then or move the reservation. This was not in the original post because it wasn't relevant. Lying about it and trying to discredit me makes this part of the story relevant. Zach claims they all told me Saturday was available. Ok, Zach, host and manager. Riddle me this.... Why would I change my reservation to Wednesday if Saturday was available? Attaching his response. This is not how a restaurant owner should speak to anyone. I started this review with saying I felt bullied by the staff... Zach is also a bully. This experience has been insane. read more

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We had a good time tonight for the birthday boy. It's a BYOB place so we brought plenty of wine! We ordered appetizers and salad. Everything was perfectly cooked. Tasted amazing and was well executed! Downfall was the waiter who seemed to be a bit rude at time. Pushy and just overwhelmed for 2 parties of 10. The 1st waiter we had was actually better and was very welcoming. Unfortunately they didn't give their names. We did have a good time and the food was spot on. The place is a bit small, the convert from other tables can be heard and couldn't concentrate on other people at the same table at times. Ofhereise it was all good. Dessert - tiramisu was blah. Had better, the taste was off. The coffee mouse was amazing and the best. I'd give it a 4 for the rating just cause the dessert and servers attitude. Might be back. Maybe. read more

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Outstanding experience from start to finish. The venue is beautiful, the service is top-notch. The chicken parm was even better than I imagined, perfectly cooked and full of flavor. The staff were friendly and professional, which made the whole night feel easy and welcoming. It definitely gets crowded, so expect a lively atmosphere, but that's part of what makes it so fun and memorable. read more

The food was fresh and tasty. The service was great Andy was spot on and very friendly. The place is small, but cute. Make a reservation to guarantee a spot. They have inside and outside seating. read more

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Enjoyed our dinner at Sapori. Andy was a great server. Ambiance and decor was also spot on. Started dinner off with the Sapori chips; crispy and yummy ricotta dip. I opted to have the Lobster Fetuccini, while my husband had the Pear & Gorgonzola Risotto. Both were really flavorful, but I liked the risotto more than my dish. Definitely would come back to try some of their other dishes. read more

Great meal in this little restaurant... sadly a few menu items were not available. Overall the meal was wonderful and the waiter was attentive without being overbearing. read more

Sapori Ristorante - Cacio e Pepe - Italian Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

Great Service, I had the lobster fettuccine and it was excellent. Perfectly cooked lobster which is hard to find. My girlfriend got the chicken parm and said it was the best she has ever had. Great ambiance for a date. read more

Sapori Ristorante - Lobster fettuccine, Chicken parmigiana - Italian Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

Service and Ambiance was really sensational. Julian our waiter was genuinely friendly and respectful of us. Food was exceptional too and I had a great experience. read more

Went to Sapori on a Wednesday night and I just don't know how to express how happy I am I food this place. The ambiance is amazing!!! So modern, chic and comfy. We had the organic chicken parm( amazing flavor, the right amount of sauce and cheese), file mignon lasagna , Sapori chips and fried calamari. Everything was just so delicious. The staff was very attentive and on point with the service. Would definitely come back again!!! Thank you Sapori!!!! read more

Sapori Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

The place was empty when we arrived on a Sunday night (11/17/24). We were the only people in the joint. Maybe that should have told us something. Three other fairly large parties arrived while we were there by the time we left, probably because they could be accommodated. Not sure we will give this place another chance. We had never been there. We had high hopes and we were disappointed. Higher priced by a measurable amount than other Montclair Italian eateries we have been to and not warranted. Decor was modern. However not really impressive. Ambiance, as with most other things, was ordinary to disappointing. They said they've been open for 3 weeks. Yet they had in their website (I think it was there, but it was somewhere) they've been in business 20 years. Were they located elsewhere? I guess so. In any case, this location, which is next to a pizza parlor (maybe affiliated and maybe share a kitchen, is possible), happens to be a great location, but that is where great ends. They took our orders and took their time bringing bread to the table. At least it was freshly made focaccia. Well, that was the best part of the meal. And before the bread came, I found a couple of small fragments from a broken glass still on the table, which they cleared away and apologized for. So, we each had lobster bisque, one of the soup du jour. Ok, just ordinary. No pieces of lobster in it either. We shared a king prawn wrapped in speck appetizer. Two pieces, which I heard described to be three. These were at least accurately described as far as being large, head-on prawns. These were good and at least provided hope for our mains. My wife had a one-pound branzino baked in sea salt, supposedly their specialty. I think it was $55 (the 2 pound was $90), but more on pricing later. It was also ordinary. She said so, and in tasting it, I thought the same. I had homemade fusilli in a red sauce with olives and capers, featuring baby octopus. The fusilli was indeed homemade and cooked to the right degree of al dente. However, the sauce was unimpressive and the octopus overdone and not tender. Probably the most disappointing part of the meal. We did not stay for dessert. No dessert menu was provided and what they verbally described was as much else, ORDINARY. Pricing on the bill was weird. Never seen a bill presented in this way. Each item was shown with the price adjusted to the included up-charge for use of a credit card. I've seen the now common extra fee for credit card use, but not included with every single item. It's usually at the very end and the percentage amount indicated. I figured it out to be 4%, which is the most I've ever seen. At the very bottom of the bill the alternate cash price was shown. Just weird, but also their recommended tips were percentage amounts that included both the tax and the credit card fee. This seemed just over the top. It was BYOB, but the meal with tax and tip was just about $200 and that was with an 18% tip not based on the tax and credit card fees included. So, in summary, mostly ordinary, overpriced, weird billing, and largely disappointing. Not sure I'd give it a second chance. Pretty doubtful. read more

I honestly am shocked at the positive reviews here. We came here for mother's day lunch, there was a prefix option for $85 per adult, and $35 per kid. We found out once we sat down that there is ONLY a pre-fix option (no ala cart menu, which turned away a few other families which sat down and discovered the news, and then left). In addition, all the seats (including high chairs) need to order - so even my 2 year old, who had already eaten and wasn't hungry had to order the kid's pre-fix menu - red flag. Albeit pricey, the weather outside was beautiful, and we thought that maybe the food would be worth it. It was not. The food was just OK, rather bland - it also came out cold, there was a hair in my dish, the tiramisu was served in a plastic cup, AND they slapped on a 20% gratuity (no options). Ultimately, it came to a bit over $300 for our family of 4. It very much felt like a tourist trap... in our own neighborhood. Honestly, I was embarrassed to have eaten there - never again, there's just so many quality restaurants in the area that are cheaper. Do yourself a favor, and listen to this review. read more

7 of us came for lunch on Sunday at 1. We practically had the place to ourselves. We had 4 appetizers; grilled octopus, Sapori chips, rock shrimp and the tuna tartare, all of which were great. Our entrees were delicious- I had the lobster fettuccine that I thought was fantastic. Other entrees were the chicken parm, Fettuccine del mare, creamy tuscan chicken and a Fusilli Siciliano that everyone seemed to enjoy. Desserts were tiramisu and blueberry cheesecake. One of the best meals I have had in a while. Love that is BYOB. read more

We absolutely LOVED Sapori. It was our first time going and it did not disappoint! Food was absolutely delicious, great ambiance, and phenomenal service. We loved our waiter, Julian! Already planning on when to come back! Highly recommend for a nice night out. read more

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Very disappointing. The food was inconsistent. The pasta was very bland. The portions were tiny for high prices. The service was abysmal. We had to ask for water several times. No pepper or cheese for the pasta. What kind of Italian restaurant is this? Ambiance was OK. Tables are crammed together. Definitely not coming back. Don't believe the hype! read more

Montclair is famous for its seemingly unending list of mediocre restaurants with great reviews. Be it, Asian, Thai, Italian, Japanese, etc., either most folks who eat at these places don't make it out of their town, or they're delusional. Sadly, Sapori is another candidate for this list. Staff is great. Great atmosphere, etc. However, all four of us found our entrees underwhelming and quite bland. The chicken parm, the pappardelle, and the mushroom ravioli all looked great, but tasted a bit bland. The best dish was the frutti de mare. Octopus balsamic appetizer and oysters rockefeller were the highlights, but you know when the apps are the best course, they can do better. Still, nothing in Montclair beats La Rocca for top notch food across the board. read more

Excellent food. Very good and attentive service. Went to celebrate a couple of birthdays and had the tartare de manzo and the dry aged steak, and our party shared a couple of desserts (crème brûlée, panna cotta). Everything was very fresh, flavorful, and the presentation of the food was quite good (having the panna cotta in a coconut shell was a nice touch). Also the host was very welcoming and was very accommodating to my dietary restrictions. Even offered some gluten free focaccia- that was very much appreciated, everything's better with bread after all. Went above and beyond. Highly recommend! read more

We really wanted to like this place, but unfortunately the entrees were bland and underwhelming. Pros: homemade focaccia bread for the table and octopus carpaccio. attentive service. ambiance was fine. Cons: bland and tasteless sauce for both the red and white sauce for the linguini fruiti di mare. there was no trace of garlic in the white sauce which was a shame and would have added much needed flavor to the dish. seafood was cooked well, but the pasta was a weird almost rubbery texture. the shape of the pasta was also not what you would expect for linguini which is normally flat. the cavatelli dish was also very bland. the pasta was okay in this one but again, the sauce had no flavor. read more

Food was great. Julian was extremely helpful and attentive. Cacio e pepe was very flavorful

Went for Valentines Day. Really Nice atmosphere. The waiter was very polite and professional but could've been more attentive. We waited a long time for our entrees ( I think they forgot). We were there for 2 hours and never got the coffee and dessert that we ordered. It put a damper on the experience. The table next to us turned over twice -we sat next to three different couples from the time that we sat down. we watched them get their entrées, dessert, and leave while we were still sitting there waiting for our first course. still never got our dessert and left without having it we felt ignored waiting for our food that took 45 minutes to arrive. Food was just ok. expensive. $120 and it included no alcohol no coffee no dessert. read more

Incredible food - loved the friendly service The place is small and intimate The Cacio e Pepe, the risotto were extraordinary The tiramisu was the perfect ending Hope to make it back read more

We just dined here for the first time, and it was just ok. If you're going to market Italian food, please make sure you have some solid good sauces and good Italian dishes. The tuna tartar dish had no rhyme or reason with seaweed over a quarter piece of burata and had a fishy smell. We told the waiter we didn't love it, and he still asked us if we wanted to take it home and charged us. Overall, the service was fine, but I would not go back. It's way too expensive for quality, and the sauce is, ehhh. Dishes need more. Needs more for these prices. Breadsticks are garlic powdered pita bread, definitely not foccacia....The decor is very nice and eclectic. read more

Had a nice dinner at Sapori after seeing photos and videos of the place on social media and it was great!! We had Julian as our server and his service was very good and super helpful when it came to suggesting options. Had a great time, will definitely be back for the Filet Mignon lasagna. Highly recommend!! read more

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Nice service and attractively plated food, but the North Jersey competition outdistances this place.

Excellent food. Service was amazing. Definitely will be returning. Pasta was delicious. We enjoyed everything about the restaurant. Server was very attentive. Approached our table in reasonable time. read more

Went back to this fabulous restaurant today. Our second visit. Another awesome experience. This is Montclair's hidden gem. Will return next week. If you have not been there yet, just go. read more

The food was bomb AF, ate literally everything. Fast service too and our server Julian was very nice! Fair warning, no free refills. read more

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Amazing service by Mario. It was a pleasure to celebrate my sister's birthday especially bc she like Mocktails and is gluten free. The food was so good compliments to the chef. One of my favorite spots in Montclair. Thank you Mario. You were so attentive and provided great service. read more

Sapori Ristorante - Great night with family and Mario! Thank you for great service. - Italian Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

The wait staff are friendly, earnest and accommodating. Owner would do well to offer them some training along the lines of following up with clients, being present on the floor, replenishing water without clients having to flag down a server and anticipating client needs in a timely manner, i.e., offering cheese for pasta when the dish is delivered, providing a dish for seafood shells, etc). I am sorry to say that I felt that the prices here were WAY out of line with the quality of the food. Had a pasta dish that was drenched in cream and butter with no flavor. A few cherry tomatoes and ordinary mushrooms tossed in. My guest had a seafood pasta dish, equally disappointing for the price. Sauce was off balance and overdone with garlic. For the prices charged here, would urge the owner to get a bona fide chef in the kitchen who can elevate the cuisine to align with the prices. read more

Where do I begin. For starters the bread bowl was stale, and cut into sticks, and difficult to chew. The waiter looked at me like I had 3 heads when I asked for white wine glasses, as the table had been preset with red wine glasses, and we had brought a very nice bottle of Sauvignon Blanc. For the up-scale vibe the restaurant is attempting to give off, you should at least get wine glasses that accompany the bottle you brought in without them trying to make you feel bad for asking. The oysters were excellent. Unfortunately, that is where the excellence ends. My partner order the cacio e pepe and was presented with what appeared to be a children's serving of pasta. At $24, a plate we were a bit wary of the rest of the meal. I ordered the linguine frutti di mare. The pasta serving was larger on my plate, but the seafood did not seem fresh. The mussels and clams were extremely small, and 5 measly shrimps accompanied the dish. At $33, I was a bit shocked at how lackluster the seafood featured in the dish was. Especially when the owner posted the dish to this Yelp that shows a glorious presentation with more shrimp than you actually get / larger mussels. On top of that the ambiance of the restaurant is giving attempt at upscale diner. People are packed in so closely to each other that you cannot hear yourself think. We were sandwiched between two lovely ladies who were dressed very well, and two younger women on our left who were basically shouting to each other in order to be heard when they weren't on their phones. I would not in good faith recommend this restaurant to anyone, as the overall experience made me wish we had gone somewhere else. Luigiano's in Montclair is excellent, with prices that match the portions you are given. read more