This was the second year in a row we spent Christmas Eve at The Hill with our extended family! All eight of us had excellent dinners and there were absolutely no complaints! Our server was lovely and attentive. Atmosphere is cozy and although every table was occupied it didn't feel crowded or loud. I think this is now going to be a yearly tradition! Ok now about the food ...we ordered a lot :) some of the favorites were... for apps: short rib Mac and cheese, shishito peppers and calamari. For Dinners: pork shoulder, flat iron steak and sesame crusted tuna. You really can't go wrong! Run to The Hill!! read more

The word "hospitality" comes right to mind when dining at The Hill; elegant yet home-y ambiance greets you at the door. Thefoodcouplenj started with a calamari appetizer served with fingerling potatoes and topped with refreshing a grilled lemon. Not to mention that the BREAD was AMAZING, so fluffy and meaty - we asked for a second helping. Dinner comprised of octopus and chorizo that had a romesco sauce that I wish I could put on everything for the rest of my life. We also had an out of this world juicy grilled pork chop. To end we had a blackberry cheese cake and ice cream sandwiches with walnut chocolate chip cookies. Everything was moderately priced and was an excellent place for date night. They have a plethora of wines and very creative cocktails. The same night they offered a live band at their bar. Perfect for after dinner, stop at the bar and have one more drink while enjoying the live entertainment. Overall, extremely good time at The Hill, we will recommend this place every time. read more

See all

Our debut visit to the long awaited, much anticipated new Bergen County restaurant, The Hill was last night and met with pleasant yet blasé, meh, lukewarm reception by myself and our party of four. Harvest always had a nice, warm vibe and The Hill refrehened the space a bit adding a more contemporary feel to the room. One very welcome factor is that unlike so many other restaurants, the noise level was very manageable despite the main dining room being full...far better than most other comparable places in the area or in the city. Server was pleasant and eager to please and service was quite nice. The tomato and ricotta salad was fresh and nicely prepared/beautifully plated. My pork chop however was uninspired...I've had far better pork chops elsewhere. It was on the dry side with barely any flavor. Our dessert of homemade ice cream sandwich was delicious. Even in the northeastern Bergen corridor up that way, not sure I see The Hill being differentiated from or superior to Locale, Sear or Dimora frankly. read more

strange strategizing up front of where we could be seated.... no ambiance.... just adequate food served with no special flourish food ok .... menu average read more

I will say the food is excellent. I've been there several times, which prompted my recommendation for a girls' night to celebrate my birthday. Putting the shellfish entree in front of me despite my deathly allergy can be excused. Manager was responsive to this issue and apologetic. Duck was overcooked and remedied with fresh entree. But when you are paying $100/person, you do not expect to see children stomping around, hiding under their table and causing a disruption. We felt like we were at Applebee's. Staff ignored everyone and everything. Server outwardly avoided us and we had to chase after her for the check. I'm embarrassed that I raved so much to my friends. Will never return. read more

Not that happy with my experience at this restaurant tonight I was looking forward to coming here for a long time ....completely overrated... had a 645 reservation I know it's early but it worked for us... I was treating my friend to dinner and wanted it to be a nice experience... it wasn't. The dining room was virtually empty and we were given the worst seat in the house literally right next to another couple ....so much so that you wouldn't have been able to hear anything but their conversation. We asked for another table we were moved to another table .... we were again directly next to another couple. They told us they had a lot of reservations for later in the evening . We chose a table next to a wall (photo below) when I say it was next to a wall it was next to a wall. However they Proceeded to seat other couples of two at four tops maybe they knew the owner I don't know... I didn't ask for a specific table but the table was subpar... The food was so so ...portions were too large ... under seasoned and not great.... The host was rude.... when we asked to move seats he rolled his eyes.... he proceeded to go to every table and ask how things were and make sure their service was very good.... at one point he did stop over but it seemed forced... The waitress Jenna was lovely very good waitress excellent service...but we won't be back....I go out to eat a lot and this was definitely not worth it read more

The Hill - Corner table ... really - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Closter, New Jersey

Awful restaurant! The atmosphere is Bergen county pretentious and you can smell it the second you walk in. It's an odor that says tonight you're going to be dropping your wallet on an attempt to be New York fine cuisine. Hi everyone at best you're mediocre over decadent and heavily seasoned meal are simply overpriced. The cocktails the same as above. The service level is subpar for the cost of a meal. Just choose another restaurant. do yourself a and your wallet a favor. read more

I always had high expectations for this spot as the chef worked at Oceana one of my fav Nyc restaurants and they def DELIVERED! Chef Ben Pollinger delivers NYC caliber meals every night they are open! Really delicious and inventive American cuisine! read more

I'm not sure why The Hill gets such accolades. We were just not that impressed. To start, my sister and brother in law who got their earlier than we did, asked to be seated elsewhere than in the middle of The Hills main room. A simple request really, yet they were denied. What's annoying is that several of the tables that would have been 'better' sat empty for the entire evening. What happened to 'the customer always being right?" Anyway... we sat at our assigned table for 10 minutes, waiters walking around us, back and forth, none of them stopping until finally one did taking our order for 2 bottles of wine. The wine came out shortly thereafter... and then we sat. We sat for close to 20 minutes before I finally signaled the waiter and told him we were ready. We all ordered our meals and again... sat. Another 5-6 minutes before I called our waiter over and asked, "I see other tables have bread on the table. Do we need to order bread in addition to our meals?" He balked and apologies running away to come back with a nice basket of focaccia bread. Sadly this bread was literally cold... like it had come out of the refrigerator. I don't know about you, but we always appreciate bread served warm. So we chatted and our apps came out in good time. I had the tuna tartare Nikkei, while my wife had the tricolore beet salad with Gorgonzola. Both very good. My sister in law had a half dozen oysters and my BIL had the crispy calamari, again, both very good. The entrees were "not so much". My Spanish octopus & chorizo sausage with crushed potato, charred scallions and romesco sauce was terrific, I must say. Octopus done perfectly tender. I might have preferred andouille sausage, but other than that... a nice dish. My wife's Duroc pork rib chop (with grilled asparagus, peaches, baby arugula and peach vinaigrette) was less than stellar, at least to her. The cut of meat was nice and done medium/medium rare... but my wife likes her pork chops with a bit more "crust" on it and maybe a bit more salt. (There was no salt or pepper on the table... and yes, I know... we could have asked for it, but we (she) didn't). So she didn't give her chop a 5 star review. My SIL had the Salmon a la Plancha (with roasted eggplant, zucchini, and tomato) which she enjoyed. My BIL had the Rigatoni bolognese, taking half of it home, so I'm pretty sure he enjoyed his dish too. I don't know... The Hill didn't thrill us like we were expecting. Food was good (but not WOW!) and the service really needs to get their act together and pay attention. Our waiter really had no personality. You know how some waiters come up and introduce themselves, "Hi, I'm so and so... I'm going to be your waiter. Can I start you off with some water?"... etc. None of that. No questions about allergies to food... just no personality. Oddly enough as we were starting to get up, a second waiter came up and offered us "fresh focaccia, right out of the oven" as we were starting to get up and leave. Where was that bread when we sat down? Lastly, it's not a BYOB, so be prepared to pay inflated prices for your wine. read more

We had reservations and were seated right away. The holiday decor was tastefully done and the ambiance was really nice. I ordered the butternut squash bisque to start (really good) and the braised short ribs. My entree was delicious. I ate the entire dish. People in my party shared the porterhouse steak (the chef came out to show the raw steak which I found to be hilarious). Everyone enjoyed their meal. We order dessert and they were equally as good. The service was a little slow, but we didn't mind because we were having a good time. Highly recommend. Hope to come back soon! read more

Great food and ambiance. Service was very good as well. Plenty of parking and I love that I park my own car, no valet to damage it.

TLDR; Good Food, Terrible Staff. The Hill is a restaurant that claims to provide an elevated dining experience in a casual environment inspired by Scandinavian minimalism with a rustic farmhouse decor . Its site boasts Chef Pollingers culinary accomplishments and excites prospective clients who believe they will receive a Michelin star restaurant experience in Closter NJ. To be fair much of what site claims is accurate. Its inside combines modern contemporary design with exposed brick, reclaimed wood and warm palletes which create a cozy yet stylish environment. Appetizers, drinks and entrees deliver as expected; seasoned well, plated accordingly and delivered in timely manner. Unfortunately I was anticipating more on what was promised. The Hill staff appears unmotivated and uncommitted to the experience that is promised. My wife and I were the only customers in the restaurant at the time and all of our request were met with low energy levels, minimal interest and a general reluctance to at-least meet the minimal responsibilities asked for. The restaurant was flooded by staffs personal conversations, simple request were completed in an untimely fashion, which is confusing considering there was no one else in the entire restaurant. If the Hill didn't promise such a high end experience I would justify my experience but to charge nearly $50 for an entree but deliver an IHOP like experience is simply unjust. The Hill falls short of what it claims to be. read more

Absolutely delicious shrimp cocktail. Crisp perfect. I had two orders. My daughter loved the chicken entree.

Horrible establishment. The manager and general manager are rude. Long story short, my friend called up and asked if we needed resy to sit at bar and eat. They said no. It's first come first serve. When we arrived there were 4 open seats at the bar. They said they were taken. When my friend said why do you say first come first serve, they were rude and obnoxious. We complained and they literally asked us to leave!! Asked us to leave! The manager, Anthony said we will not be serving you. They save seats at the bar and won't let you sit. The food is awful. The service is sub par. Do not come here! read more

Food took forever to come out, was still somehow undercooked and under seasoned. Embarrassing

Not normally one to leave a review, but the food and service was so good I had to post. Cocktails were very impressive. Jeff was our server and was great - perfect conversation and gave us spot on recommendations. Also very thorough. Very happy we stopped in tonight and will go again read more

When you have dinner at a restaurant and go home and eat a bowl of cereal, it is indicative of your experience. This place has two positive aspects: the decor and it was close to home, otherwise, run away quickly. Bottom line: minisicule portions of lackluster food at exorbitant prices. What a sorry excuse for a supposedly high-end upscale restaurant. Trust me, I know good restaurants and quality service- this wasn't one of them. I had the octopus and chorizo for almost 30 bucks- undercooked octopus and over cooked sausage- after that what else need I say. Run away and stay away. read more

I called 4 days in advance to cancel my reservation and left a message regarding the reservation. Management never followed up and is now making false accusations with my bank regarding the $75 cancellation fee. Be careful of this place. They don't have their act together and will slander you over $75. read more

I decided to return to the Hill for dinner. On a Friday night the place was relatively busy with few open tables. Started off with some calamari in a well balanced lemon citrus dipping sauce. For dinner I had a pork chop cooked medium. This is the first time I have ever had a pork chop prepared for me outside of my home and it was delicious- a little fatty on the end but cooked perfectly and was moist throughout. For a side dish I had the halibut croquettes which were battered and fried, tasty as well. This time for dessert I had the ice cream sundae and it was a lot more enjoyable than the hard cookies I had last time. The sundae had chocolate ice cream when raspberry coulis, brandied cherries and hazelnuts. I enjoyed my experience with the new American cuisine at the Hill, but to me the menu seemed limited. read more

The Hill - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Closter, New Jersey

We had a great experience. The chef/ owner came out to say hello before we even ordered. The ambiance was fantastic and the food was amazing. Beet salad which seems so simple was out of this world! We will definitely go back. read more

The Hill - Desserts - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Closter, New Jersey

My favourite thing to do is explore new restaurants in Manhattan, I'm a total food and coffee snob so when my partner and I decided to stay close to home in New Jersey for our anniversary dinner - I was a little skeptical, but the Hill had been featured as one of the best NJ restaurants in a magazine we picked up and we decided to try it...the ambiance in this spot is wonderful, farm house vibe which gives what could be a pretentious experience a warm, welcoming environment- we let them know it was our anniversary and they sat us away from the rest of the tables, and being 60% deaf I was able to hear just fine even over the low hum of a very odd playlist (rock, soul, 80s...haha) The food was very good- we had the tuna tartare - perhaps the best I ever had but I almost wished I had a cracker or something to eat it with - the heirloom tomato salad needed salt and they brought it out for me without an eye roll - the salt made all the difference. The octopus was cooked perfectly as was the pork chop. I also really enjoyed my strawberry gin cocktail but the coffee left much to be desired. We will definitely be back. read more

I have eaten at The Hill on about 15 occasions and did take out during the closures so I feel qualified to give a review. I had the Crooked smile, which is a tequila based cocktail on their signature list. Delish. They have craft beers which my husband liked. The fish is always something special. We had the halibut. Its great. Its always fresh and delicious. Chef Pollinger is a fish guy and you can be assured that you're getting quality ingredients. We also had the shisito peppers and the guacamole. All were fresh and delicious. The waiter, Daniel, was on point and really made it a nice, upscale experience. We sat outside, which is pretty and within my post vivid comfort zone. Its a pretty deck with nice furniture. All in all, 10 out of 10 read more

Great little place. Prompt and courteous service. Beet salad appetizer was great, as was the mac & cheese (but let's face it -- has anyone ever had BAD mac & cheese?). For main courses, the Moroccan style lamb tagine was delicious, rich, and filling, and the steak was grilled to perfection. For dessert we shared an oreo cheesecake, also excellent. No complaints at all -- the place deserves it's "top 30 in NJ" listing. We'll be back, perhaps to sit out on the patio when it warms up a bit. read more

This place was SPECTACULAR! Exceeded my expectations and so proud to say that it's my new favorite place near home! It has such a clean and airy feel about it as soon as you walk in! To start off Steve was our wonderful server, had great recommendations! The place has beautiful decor and of course what everyone wants to know is how was the food?! Well, the food was magnificent. I read the chefs bio and expected nothing but great things and that's what was served to our table. Went here with my mother, ate the early bird dinner special that's on Tuesday-Friday! Amazing deal! And we each got to try everything on that menu, since it is a 3 course meal deal. The fish was cooked to perfection, and the steak was so yummy and juicy! The risotto was to die for!!! And last but not least, the desert, the panna cotta! WOW!!!!!! Come here with an open mind, don't be deceived by some of the comments, I think you'll love It and the place really deserves great reviews! Our town really needs wonderful places like this, I can't wait for the patio in the summer! Might I add, they have live music on Thursdays! ;) read more

Geo is the server to go to. He was awesome, great service, cool dude. 100% will be back because of him!

My mom hosted my bridal shower at The Hill last weekend and it was absolutely beautiful! The food was incredible, all of our guests raved about it. The shower was held in the main dining room and the room itself is beyond stunning. The service was 10/10, Frank the manager was beyond fabulous and made sure all of our needs were taken care of the entire day. Cannot say enough great things about the food, service, and atmosphere! read more

The Hill - a dining room with tables and chairs - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Closter, New Jersey

Five stars mostly for our server. Didn't get his name, but he was very attentive, yet gave us enough space and time to catch up with my friend who I haven't seen in ages. Was there just this afternoon, Monday at noon. My friend and I shared the mahi-mahi ceviche, scallop special, side of broccoli rabe and chocolate mousse for dessert. Nothing out of the ordinary, but enjoyed the light and freshness of each ingredient. Delicious cappuccino. Thank you for the great service! Will definitely return. read more

Pretty good. We started with cocktails smoke and mirrors which my husband loved and I thought was ok but I'm not a fan of mezcal, crooked smile which wasn't bad; and the strawberry hill, which was my favorite cocktail. We had tuna tartar - very good, as well as salmon ceviche which was good, not great; and pasta with shrimp which was very good, and fish tacos which were very good. We had chocolate mousse for dessert which was ok. If I came back again I would stick with the strawberry cocktail, fish tacos and shrimp pasta. The service was on the slow side compared to what I'm used to. I felt like we were waiting forever for the first drink and then dessert, and the other stuff came out kind of slow too. read more

We had dinner at The Hill for the first time and were so very happy with the food, service and ambiance. From the moment we were greeted, by a very accommodating host, to the great service (and entertaining conversation) that Matilda, our waitress provided. We had the mushroom risotto and beet salad as our first course - both delicious and very large portions. We followed that with the sesame crusted tuna, and duck breast. Also packed with great flavor! We paired it all with a bottle of wine, and ended with the cheesecake (which is so much more than the cheesecake that comes to mind) dessert. The restaurant has a dining room and lounge area (by the bar). It is obvious that the chef cares about not just the food, but the experience. There was great energy, and it feels warm and inviting. We're always looking for great restaurants in Bergen County. We definitely plan on making this place a regular. read more

My family and I went to The Hill to celebrate Valentines a day before the actual holiday so it wouldn't be as busy. Our experience in the restaurant was good. Staff was attentive and we had a quiet dinner since there was a big snow storm in the morning so there were only three other tables besides ours. Unfortunately the bad part came once we got home. My whole family started getting sick beginning with myself. I started getting nauseous throughout the evening. I believe I had the least amount of food poisoning. My wife vomited at 2am profusely. My daughter vomited all over her bed at 3am. When I woke up my mom was complaining that she didn't sleep because she went to the bathroom all night. I contacted The Hill and left a message and no one responded. I emailed Lauren who is the assistant manager. I had her business card because I was initially thinking of having my mom's 80th birthday party there since the restaurant was so nice and the waiter gave me her contact info. Lauren finally emailed me a day later and said she will contact me in regards to this issue but I still haven't heard back from her. I don't like writing these kinds of reviews but I feel I have no other choice. I know every restaurant cannot be perfect all the time but at least have the courtesy to show your paying customers that you care. read more

They have creative drinks, the food was great and the service was even better. Definitely make a reservation!

The restaurant was quite empty at 1230pm on a weekday. We were seated quickly, the waitress seemed to be new - but she was very polite. It took a long time to take our order and to for them to pick up the check. We spent close to 2 hrs for lunch. We did not intend to be there that long and as ex-NYorkers, maybe we are just not down with the flow of things yet. Drinks were great. I had the Medusa and my husband had a gin and tonic. We had the mahi mahi ceviche and risotto for appetizers. They were just okay. For the entry I had the strip steak and my husband had the black fish, it was absolutely delicious. We then had the chocolate cake and that was delicious as well. The employees were lovely. Would come back for sure. read more

We were looking for a place to go to dinner, as crazy as it may seem sometimes we feel that the cuisine offered by New York all concentrates on offering a repeated menu in 50% of the restaurants, which forces you to look for new alternatives .. We started looking for restaurants that were relatively new, but that the chef had a career and that's where The Hill appeared From the moment we arrived until we left that place we lived the experience we were looking for .. The absolutely incredible drinks, the excellent food, the energy of the place literally catches you and if we add to that the service that our waiter Herbert gave us, you could say that you came to heaven for dinner. It was a fun night, of music, of human warmth since our Waiter made us feel that way, his recommendations for our dishes were right, from the entrance, the wines, main course and dessert (carrot cake), made us feel very special as if he read us our thoughts and / or as if he were the captain of our palate. That's why I want you to visit this place, make sure that it is herbert who attends them so that they live a unique experience where the food is wonderful but the customer service is memorable ... read more

We tried this because of a gift card we received. Big mistake. Over charged on our drinks. When we questioned it were brushed off with "trust me" from the server. Food was not done to order. Overall impression is mediocre and uninspired. Should have gone to McDonald's. read more

Several dishes were extremely salty! Very expensive and food was mediocre. Music was overpowering.

We were greeted with cold bread. A medium steak was ordered at my table and it was cooked to death. Fish was fresh but served in an overly acidic relish that overpowered it. Dishes didn't feel "complete", ex. fish served over just greens, chicken served over just green beans. I didn't feel the menu was creative. I don't think there are enough "sharable" type appetizers, menu could use a couple more "crowd pleasers" that aren't seafood. Service was okay, we were without water refills almost the whole night and they kept pushing cocktails on us but I could have used the water, seeing as how we were drinking. Server didn't check in about my friend's overcooked steak. read more

What a fabulous find in Northern NJ! We had a lovely dinner at The Hill recently and felt like I was at a city establishment with fabulous food and wonderful service. How lucky to have a restaurant of this quality in suburbia. Upon entry we were greeted by a few staff with a friendly hello and felt welcomed immediately. Our waitress described the menu options clearly and recommended perfect dishes for our palate. The attention to detail was noticed and loved that our waitress didn't rush us thru our meal. We started with salmon cerviche with mango sauce as recommended by our waitress and she was 100% right - it was delicious. Next roasted carrot salad, so fresh. Entrees were spinach fettuccine with octopus bolognese, salmon and a side order of gnocchi. The gnocchi was like eating a cloud; only one issue was that they were a bit lukewarm to cool and may benefit from some more flavor as they are served simply in butter. Dessert of chocolate mousse thrilled my mother. Looking forward to dining again soon! read more

See all

My family and I had a wonderful dinner at The Hill. The "First On The Scene" menu is a great deal for an early Sunday dinner, including appetizer, entree, dessert, and a glass of wine. I had the calamari appetizer, which was meltingly tender. And I got the cod for my entree, which was cooked perfectly -crisp on the outside, and soft and flaky on the inside. For dessert, the maple panna cotta was amazing! Beautifully plated and complemented well by pieces of sorbet and candied pecans. The service was impeccable. The ambience was clean, modern, yet cozy. We can't wait to come back and get drinks on the outdoor patio! read more

See all

Let me start by saying we have been there multiple times, usually for drinks and apps. It was my wife's birthday today and I tried calling for reservations for a couple days. Every time it was the same message...outdoor seating is first come first serve, pretty self explanatory. It was 6:30, deck was occupied by 2 tables. Employees looked at us like we were from outer space. Being upset manager came out. I've been calling for 2 days for reservations but only the answering service has been answering. He said exactly what I thought he would say. "We have been dealing with Covid....so basically we can do whatever we want!!!!" LAME!!!!. Feels like I'm dealing with McDonald's. Duh...sorry didn't know what happened. A manager at a decently high end restaurant, hopefully knows what he's doing. Luckily stern and bow was available for a great dinner. I will never give my money to such an unprofessional manager. read more

We had an excellent Valentines Dinner thanks to Frank and the staff. The food and wine were incredible and the ambiance matched. We will definitely be back here again as the service and food was outstanding. Thanks again to Frank, he's a rock star and has a great staff! read more