One thing I always look for when eating at a restaurant that specializes in food from a specific country is whether people from that culture are dining there too. At a Thai spot, I expect to see Thai people. At a Mexican spot, I expect to see Mexicans. You get the picture. So at this Haitian restaurant, there are always Haitians enjoying the food -- which tells you everything you need to know. If you're looking for an upscale yet still authentic Haitian restaurant, this is it. No matter what you order, they always start you off with a soup that's hot, rich, and flavorful. I usually begin with the Haitian caviar and smoked fish empanadas, then move on to either the Saveur Creole goat or the red snapper -- always with extra gravy, because I can't resist pouring it over their black rice (don't judge me). It's BYOB, so bring your drink of choice or grab something from the shop right next door. Another thing I love is that the owner, Robert, is usually there. He'll stop by your table, talk with you, and make the meal feel like a real experience. And if you admire the artwork on the walls -- he painted all of it himself. If you go, tell him I sent you... maybe then he'll finally sell me one. read more

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Came here with a group of ladies on a Thursday night. We called in for a reservation. The place was pretty empty. Our service was a tad slow as there was only one gentleman working that night. We order a bunch of different foods. I had the goat and black rice. The goat was a tad tough but the rice was really good. The soup that accompanied the meak was delicious. Note: the items are priced separately. Good experience overall read more

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Great food , ambiance is very intimate , it's BYOB perfect for lunch or date night! I love coming here during the summer

Great food and really kind staff. Beautiful art and ambiance as well. Recently came for a birthday party and couldn't have been happier.

We were there on New Year's Day. Can't say much about our waiter but everything that each of us ordered was delicious. The chef was very nice and accommodated one of our friends who is gluten free. He also enjoyed every thing that he ordered. The restaurant dining rooms were set up beautifully and we just had a wonderful time while listening to their music while we dined. read more

Our first time visit in date night on a recommendation by a friend. The owner Ron and his sister were very gracious and hospitable hosts and helped us make choices from the menu. The vibe and ambiance was very nice. It is a BYOB which we enjoyed a nice bottle of cab along with the Haitian Caviar, Mambo Gumbo Soup, and Surf Haitiana Legume Casserole. The meal was flavorful and tasty! We had a pleasant and positive experience and we will return and enjoy dining here again in the future. read more

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Never again! First off the menu says they automatically charge 18% gratuity and when the bill came they charged us 20%. Then the menu says soup or salad with meal, but no salad just soup. Then we get the soup without the bread, and then we get the bread after we finished the soup. But would have been nice if we had the bread with the soup. The service was very poor! Had to wait a long time for the main course and had to keep asking for service to refill our glasses of water and to get the bill and the to go box. I ordered the fried goat for $40 and my wife ordered the fried pork for $32 and we both had to pay an extra $10 each for rice & beans. The goat came with 3 decent size pieces of meat and the pork came with 4 pieces, some tostones and a few pieces of uncooked vegetables and some tasty but very salty sauce! Way over charged for that little amount of food! read more

Where do I start?? I love Creole food and all the items we ordered were delicious, so no complaints there. Ambience was also pretty good, kind of in between fine dining and family friendly. Unfortunately, I cannot give 5 Stars simply because we had a really bad experience w.r.t. upselling by our Waitress. We all expect the staff to upsell but it should not be done in an underhanded manner. Our visit was almost a year back (just catching up on some of my pending reviews). We were never given an option of Tap or Bottled water, and the waitress just filled our glasses whenever we asked for water, but she failed to mention it was Bottled water ($5 per Bottle). She also asked us if we would like Regular or Black Rice, to be served with our Entrées, but didn't mention that it was additional cost ($15). We were in for a rude surprise when we got the cheque since it was at least $100 more than what we expected. Manager/Owner did eventually take it off the final cheque but it took some lengthy discussion. This might be an one-off scenario, and hope other patrons didn't experience this. read more

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I found impressive cooking here! Each personnel member offered friendliness and assistance. You can taste unique flavor pairings in every dish. This place transported us to gastronomic paradise! Everyone should visit this restaurant once. read more

I've had the privilege of tasting meals here and have nothing but AMAZING words to contribute to this forum. The food is delicious, the service is excellent! The ambiance speaks to quiet dinners. Thank you so much for reminding us all that it pays to try new food that may defer from our culture. I found similarities in the meals offered and enjoyed them very much Ronald! read more

Food so good everyone was silent. I wish I took pictures but man the food was amazing. The location is amazing and well decorated. The owner was kind and very helpful. read more

Food is amazing, great ambiance and impeccable service. This place is a gem for good food, well made. I would recommend this place to anyone who's interested in Haitian and Caribbean cuisines. read more

Oh this place is fantastic! It was our first time trying Haitian Creole cuisine and it was amazing. We started off with the empanadas I got Etouffee and my husband got the lamb Food and service was excellent and the decor is fantastic read more

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Saveur Creole offers a setting that works on multiple levels. Staff showed complete friendliness. The entire menu offers tasty choices. They keep everything clean while pricing reasonably. This place has lovely decorative touches. read more

I've had the chance to enjoy the food and ambiance of Saveur Creole three times now and it just gets better and better. He'd Ron and his team prepare tasty food and provide exceptional service every time. My most recent was a 100-person group and Chef and his team delivered exceptionally! I will keep this restaurant in my normal rotation for date nights and family outings, for sure! read more

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If there's a zero star is give this place that. I came here with my family and the manager/ owner insisted on sitting us next to the kitchen entrance even though the restaurant was empty. I told him I wanted a different seat and he flat out refused. Imagine this fool acted surprised when I gathered my family and decided we were t going to stay. This guy was so smug and arrogant. Support black business they say, yeah ok! There's a Colombian spot on elm street 2 blocks before this establishment. Save yourself the trouble and go there. We ended up there and has the best time of our lives read more

Beautiful restaurant outside and inside. Cute location, street parking available. Food was great!! Fun atmosphere yet sophisticated. Would go back!! read more

Good food! The owner Ron was very personable & made sure we were taken care of. A miscommunication between us & the server was addressed by Ron asap. The place was an authentic Haitian restaurant. The price was fair. read more

Saveur Creole - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

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Y'all, these pics ain't it but I promise you the food was! Saveur Créole is a cute little spot that gives a modern take on classic Haitian cuisine. Everything was DELICIOUS, someone link me with the chef because my goodness! The legume appetizer: delicious! Spinach over tostones. Add that pikliz (a pickled Haitian cabbage & pepper slaw) on those babies to take it up a notch. The Bouillon Créole soup: delicious! Veggies with potatoes and dumplings. The broth's flavor reminded me of home! The Griot Mi Casa entree: delicious! Shredded fried pork with pikliz, this savory bomb ass gravy, plantain, and my fave: djon djon (black mushroom) rice! When I say FLAVOR! Y'all... Run, don't walk, to Saveur Creole in Montclair! The food's a teeny bit pricey but hey--it's BYOB. We love to see it! read more

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If you are serious about food this is a must visit. We've eaten at every trendy place in Montclair. This has more flavor than all of them put together. It's obvious that the management takes pride in what they serve. The produce is farm fresh, varies daily. The room is elegant. You can have a relaxed conversation without screaming. The service is deferential. Of all the places we've dined in NJ I'd rate this behind only Cafe Matisse . The bill was $95 for two with tip rather than $280. Be aware that an 18% gratuity is automatically included in the tab. read more

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Was craving haitian cuisine so stopped here for dinner. Service took a bit of time and wasn't to attentive/messed up our order. But food was delicious. We got the empanadas and conch to start. We tried the chicken, Crab and was suppose to get fish but they gave us beef instead (I don't eat red meat :/) but the chicken and crab was good. For mains we got the haiti cheri which was flavorful and the creole fried chicken. read more

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made a reservation in advance get to the restaurant on time, not sure if it was the owner or manager speaking with the servers on where to seat my party of 5. The restaurant was pretty empty and the lady try to squeeze a table at the front door where everyone would be walking in and then has the audacity to tell us to wait outside. We step outside and end up waiting for 20 mins decided to leave they are not organize. read more

We stopped in for dinner and loved our meal! We started with the Haitian caviar (yum!!) and beef empanadas (double yum!!) For our entrees we had the shrimp and crab Haitian Legume and the shrimp ettoufe. The food was well seasoned and delicious, and the hospitality was warm. It's clear they put heart, soul, and love into the food they serve. It was the perfect dinner for a chilly evening, and we'll be back! read more

Tried this spot for the first time today and was pleasantly surprised. The food was absolutely delicious fresh, flavorful, and well-prepared. While the portions could've been a bit more generous, the quality definitely made up for it. The service was friendly and the atmosphere was welcoming. Overall, I had a great experience and would definitely come back. read more

Out of the hundreds of restaurants in Montclair this is one that consistently flies under the radar. This is an elegant comfortable space where the owner is constantly present and interacting with customers. The empanada appetizers are delicious and the soup that accompanies all entrees is simply the best in town. The food has unbelievable flavor and last night the pork dish and eggplant dishes were more of the same. Great secret in Montclair so go say hi to Ron as he will make sure you have a great experience. read more

Brought my wife, family and friends to Saveur Creole for a celebratory dinner and was amazed by the service and food. Our host Ron was amazing and provided great guidance in which courses were great to share and recommended for each person what entree would suite their taste best. The Haitian caviar appetizer was amazing! So flavorful! The soup was delicious and extremely authentic. My wife is Russian and this was her first time trying haitian food along with her friends and each dish they received they were amazed by the presentation, taste and quality of the food. I could write a book about how great my experience was here. read more

Amazing Haitian food, one of the best I've been to! Saveur creole beef was incredible as well as the rice and beans and mac and cheese. Service was great as well. BYOB! read more

Saveur Creole - Saveur Creole Beef - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

Excellent Haitian food. Absolutely beautiful restaurant. I enjoyed the place. Easy parking read more

Saveur Creole - Pain pate - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

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I came here on a Vday with a reservation for 6 pm. My date and I were one of the first few tables to be seated and the last to be served after almost 4 HOURS of waiting. At one point, about 3 hours in, the hostess came to retake our order because they had "forgot" what we ordered. We had told the waiter towards the end that we no longer wanted the food. We wanted the check so we could leave. Now everyone who was there before us had already been served, paid and left by now. The hostess apologized because they were very busy.....even though I made my reservation early as SHIT. We were there BEFORE it got busy and yet we were being neglected by the staff. Right when we were ready to go, he came with our food.....even though he was told not to bring it anymore. SO at this point we were expected to pay for the food we no longer wanted. So many excuses were being made for the ridiculous wait time like "everything is prepared fresh" or "it's usually busy even when it's not a holiday"......nooooo not you trying to tell me my beef and rice took 4 hours to make because it's fresh! How damn fresh is it? Do you have a farm in the back of the restaurant? AND You think i would want to come back if you told me you usually suck at time management even on normal days? JUST SAY you're unorganized, unprepared, and lacking a proper system for this restaurant. In addition, when i got home to eat my food that took 4 hours to make had HUGE SHARD OF PLASTIC IN THE BEEF STEW!!! read more

Saveur Creole - Plastic shard in my Africana Beef - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

We came on Father's Day which was probably not a good idea to begin with because of crowds. We waited almost an hour for our table but the owner was super friendly and did his best to ease the wait. I find the 3 course menu somewhat confusing. It comes with soup and salad but what if you want a different soup then are you paying for 2 soups? Gumbo soup that comes with the meal is delicious! Haitian caviar is a must try Fried goat was on the dry side Sea bass was very good The Haitian with beef is very good. read more

Saveur Créole is one my favorite restaurants in the tri-state. I had the shrimp legume which was delicious. Layered with savory flavors and appropriate spice. The shrimp were perfectly cooked, which can be challenging with stews that simmer. We also tried the shrimp étouffée which was also spectacular. The shrimp were well seasoned and properly cooked. Others in my party tried the black rice and Saveur Créole goat, all fantastic Haitian dishes. Ron, the owner is an engaging and knowledgeable host who even offered to make us items not on the menu. A true food visionary that had some great culinary concepts. AND it's BYOB (with a liquor store next door), need I write anymore? read more

Saveur Creole - Shrimp Legume - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

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We were walking off a few too many and looking for dessert after most places in the neighborhood had closed or were about to, and stumbled on Saveur Creole serving Haitian food with a Creole twist. The owner and his friends were doing some sidewalk drinking and dining and they welcomed us in with big smiles despite the late hour. The ambiance, welcoming owner and service account for most of my positive impressions here. We had already eaten dinner, but the intoxicating aromas of aromatics and spice made us hungry all over again. So we decided to have dinner with our dessert. :) We ate gumbo and shrimp étouffée; the former was gratis and the latter was just ok. I found the gumbo a bit thin -- not like the heftier versions I've had in NOLA. Still, the flavors were there, the okra was tender and the spice level was on fire -- the way I like it. They ask you whether you want your spicing tamed. I asked for authentic and recommend it. The owner recommended etouffee was disappointing. This dish was thin on shrimp, and while the spicing was authentic enough, the dish read more like vegetable stew. However, the side of plantains with black bean sauce and a few green beans and carrots was spectacular. Our dessert of black bread pudding was terrific, but the other dessert whose name I forgot (sweet condensed milk thing with whipped cream) was not to my liking -- nor was the house coffee. I'm certain the excess hi test in our bloodstream had something to do with how we experienced Saveur -- so we will be back to test these waters straight up. The menu is elaborate and interesting and worth a deeper look. read more

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I love Haitian food so I had to give this spot a try. When I arrived I found parking on the street. I had reservations but didn't have to give my name to the server Chanelle. She was awesome from the beginning to end and very attentive. The restaurant was byob. We first got this Haitian soup because soup and salad came with the meal. The soup was soooo good. I odered the vegetarian legume and my sister ordered the shrimp etouffee. The legume was so good and I tasted my sister's rice and it was spicy but good. The place is a bit pricey so be aware of that. I enjoyed my time. read more

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Kind of a posthumous review as we used to come here quite often when I still lived in NJ. Great food that was something different. Always tried something different. Staff was so great. Going to need to try to make it back at some point if I'm in the area. read more

Came here last night for a girls dinner out for a party of 10. Beautiful restaurant. Loved the vibrant art work and the Haitian music playing in the background which really set the mood. Great customer service, the wait staff was very skilled and knowledgeable and the food was delicious! Shout out to Ron/management for being so accommodating! I will definitely be back to try some of their other yummy dishes!!! read more

Saveur Creole - Soup - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

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Food wasn't anything to brag about. The tropical juice on the other hand was. I won't visit again read more

Very nice restaurant. The food was delicious and the service was good. We came from Brooklyn to visit this restaurant.

foods good, a bit pricey but they are in montclair nj. Not much to say of service cause i ordered for pick up. The problem was i was overcharge, total was $64 and i okayed $70 but i was charged $84. when I called Ron the owner and explained this, he said he'd look into it and fix it but ron had me chasing him down for $ I didn't authorize. Not good business read more

Mixed thoughts. White linen tables makes for an upscale setting. TheChef/Owner was kind and hospitable. Our server however, was brut & cold. Don't ask questions because she does not want to offer answers. Fortunately, it's BYOB. Be aware that Gratuity is automatically added to even a table of 4. Which I'm pretty certain is against NJ law. The black rice ($15) was dry. The red snapper flavorful but sadly also dry. The fried chicken surprisingly lacked flavor. The empanadas come in variety. Salted cod, beef, another fish. They all taste the exact same. The idea of Haitian themed music is a nice enhancement in theory. But being seated close to the speaker made conversing with our friends stressful. Especially when they raised the volume for certain songs. As the evening continued the music got consistently louder encouraging a few diners to dance in the isle-ways. Provocatively. We finally took the hint to exit out of there but couldn't get past the dancing guest who's leg was up in the air. The owner who was either entertained or entertaining the guest chose not to intervene to get us through. Sad to say this was a wildly disappointing experience. read more

First time trying out Saveur Creole and i was not disappointed. From the soup to the entrees everything was delicious. They were cooked well and seasoned well, this is important when it comes to Haitian cuisine. I ordered the fried goat and got side of black rice and Haitian style Mac and cheese. This place is BYOB, so definitely bring a bottle with you. The passion fruit drink wasn't overly sweet. The restaurant it's self has artwork throughout. It's spacious enough to do a large group dinner or something on the smaller side. Overall, enjoyed my time and would return again. read more

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