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Vila Verde

3.9 (240 reviews)
Closed • 11:30 am - 10:00 pm

VILA VERDE · YELP ASSISTANT

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VILA VERDE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Good for kids
Dogs allowed
Outdoor seating

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Shrimp in garlic sauce and Paella Marinera or Paella Valenciana not sure
Bianca D.

Great food and generous portions! The shrimp with garlic sauce had a ton of flavor, and the paella was excellent. Everything was fresh and tasty. Looking forward to coming back. We went during the week for celebration of our anniversary. I could just imagine how busy this place could be on the weekend overall still good service and wonderful food to take home. The chips are addicting.

Olives
Meghann A.

Food and portions continue to be excellent. Service was okay. The Christmas decor was pretty & cozy! I would keep coming back.

Spanish Rice
Lori G.

Vila Verde is one of my mother's favorite restaurants in NJ. The Portuguese- inspired cuisine never fails to deliver on all levels. We go here more so than any other fine dining establishment in the area. Here's why ... Extensive, fascinating menu featuring delicious, authentic Mediterranean cuisine. Very personable and attentive wait staff. They provide the patron with an atmosphere of Old World fine dining without being pretentious. Very relaxing. I've dined here quite a few times, so it is pointless for me to review individual menu items. Suffice it to say that everything I've eaten at Vila Verde has been very good. It's a "no-miss", especially if you're looking for seafood.

M T.

We came here for a party and had about a dozen people. The service was good, and the food was also good and had large portions. Most people left with doggy bags.

Roseanne P.

Thank you Artie and the Vila Verde team for such a great dining experience! I had made a last minute reservation for my mom's birthday lunch and thankfully they were able to accommodate our large party of 17. I had never been here before but read some great Yelp reviews! So we arrived and our table was ready for us. The dining room was cozy and welcoming. Artie was our waiter and he was awesome! He let us know the specials for the day and gave great recommendations! We started with some red sangria and that was delicious! We also were brought out freshly baked bread and black olives to start. For appetizers we had the fried calamari, garlic shrimp, Spanish sausage, and the grilled octopus. Everything was delicious and cooked to perfection! We opted to order ala carte but they did have pre set options. I had ordered the cowboy ribeye and had shared it with it came out and it was still sizzling on the plate. The steak was cooked medium as I had ordered and served with this delicious mushroom gravy. That mushroom gravy was delish with the steak. Entrees were all served with sides of yellow rice, steamed vegetables and fried potato crisps. Everything tasted so good! The rest of the table ordered the paella Valenciana, baked salmon, penne and seafood in vodka sauce, swordfish, lamb chops, and chicken fingers and fries for the kids. The paella valenciana was so good and the portion was super generous with tons of seafood, half a lobster and pieces of chicken. Everyone enjoyed their meals with still plenty of leftovers to take home. We ended the meal with a delicious carrot cake and the staff sang happy birthday to my mom! Overall it was a wonderful lunch! The entire staff was so helpful and always accommodating to us! Artie our waiter took wonderful care of us while we there! Thank you again for making my mom's birthday enjoyable! Also there is plenty of parking with a few spots in front and behind the building and a large parking lot across the street. They also have a party room.

Veal
Cassy B.

Vila Verde was where my mother insisted on going for her birthday so we all decided to go on St. Patrick's Day for dinner. We made reservations but I think if you walked in for dinner you'd be safe in finding a table. It is a Portuguese restaurant, but everyone speaks English very well. It's a good size and has a bar area as well. It's also in front of the small lake so it's actually very little scenic area. The menu definitely has a lot to choose from, but I was really craving a stuffed salmon dish. I asked if it was possible to make, and the server was more than happy to accommodate. It was absolutely delicious, incredibly stuffed with crab and shrimp in every bite. All paired with a fantastic butter sauce. My mom got her favorite - the seafood pasta. It was fresh and tasty too. My boyfriend and uncle both got the veal and they enjoyed it while my aunt got a paella and that was great too. Everything was served with family style sides including veggies, rice and crispy potatoes. There's no denying everything was really fresh and the food was plentiful. My mom and I shared the chocolate pecan pie and a scoop of ice cream and it was sinfully good! This restaurant is a little out of the way in Wayne but it's worth the trip - excellent food and service.

Pretty inside.
Scott M.

This was a lovely restaurant. The food was generally delicious and well prepared. The bread was very fresh and delicious and was just what we needed to soak up all of the sauce in the mussels and garlic shrimp - both of which dishes tasty. The mussels were a little small but other than that they were tasty. The shrimp were loaded with garlic that was cooked to brown but not bitter. The lobster in the paella was very very overcooked. It was tough and dry. Not what you expect when you pay that much for paella. Also two unopened mussels which is also an issue when there aren't many in there to begin with. But aside from those issues, the food was tasty and the service was very good with one comment. They were too fast to take away the glasses with liquor still in them. That's a no no. Aside from that it was good.

Soft shell crab  Seafood  Special
Claudia S.

We live in the area and haven't been here in awhile but really love it! The food so delicious! A must have appetite is the garlic shrimp Lots of garlic yummm.... Besides having a great menu they also have alot of specials. This time I got the seafood special. It was so fresh and the sauce was so tasty . My husband got the soft shell crabs he really enjoyed it. The potions are usually big and always left overs. The service is great. We were served quickly. Our waiter Joseph is very nice and has been working here for 17 years !! The decor is also very pretty too.. Definitely recommend you come and try this place!! You won't be disappointed!!

Spanish peppers stuffed with crab and shrimp
Daniel M.

A quick bite at our favorite restaurant. As usual service is the very best around. When you walk in it's like walking into your house because everyone knows you and greets you with a smile and a handshake. I love that. Sangria for us with some oysters and soup for appetizers. All were fabulous. For dinner Sandra had the snapper that was cooked perfectly and I had the chicken on the bone. One of my favorite dishes anywhere. Fantastic place fantastic meal and a fantastic evening. Enjoy

Plain salmon with a vegetable medley.

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3 years ago

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3 years ago

Food was incredible. Our server, Manny, was fantastic. Sangria delicious. Highly recommend!

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6 years ago

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12 years ago

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3 years ago

Great food! A little expensive, but definitely worth the price! Portions are very big and the staff is very professional.

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6 years ago

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4 years ago

Big energetic room getting a bit loud at times. The food and service are very good and worth a visit.

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3 years ago

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4 years ago

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3 years ago

Amazing service, food, drinks and atmosphere! My birthday celebration was just perfect.

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2 years ago

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5 years ago

Phenomenal food and service. Manny and Artie in particular are wonderful with great personalities

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5 years ago

This place is great just as good if not better than any of the Spanish Restaurants in the Iron Bound Section in Newark.

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Olivo Mediterranean Fare - Spanish Octopus

Olivo Mediterranean Fare

4.4(67 reviews)
9.7 mi

Delicious meal here at the relocated and reimagined Don Pepe. They still have lots of seafood, as…read morewell as some Greek and Mediterranean dishes in addition to Portuguese. We started with the cucumber, pistachio, and yogurt, with harissa and sesame seeds. Like a very creative and refreshing Mediterranean pickle. Delish. We also got the Mediterranean salad. It was much more interesting than your typical Greek salad. Excellent feta, good cucumbers and tomato, and nice little pita chip slivers. They also start you with very good bread with olive oil and some olives. For our entrées we got Chilean Seabass, Branzino fillet, and Mariscada, which is a big shellfish stew. While it's not indicated on the menu, all entrées come with saffron rice, sautéed vegetables... And their homemade potato chips. The person who got the Mariscada was so happy. It had every kind of fresh shellfish and really was enough for two people. I really enjoyed the Branzino fillet, which came with a lemon caper sauce. It was huge and very delicious, I had to give some pieces away. The Chilean Seabass is the most expensive, at $55. For me, I felt that I have had better Seabass and I preferred my $36 branzino. But the person who ordered it was thrilled and thought it was amazing, and gets it every time here. I loved the saffron rice, and the homemade potato chips. I didn't eat the sautéed vegetables (there was just too much food everywhere!). But the person who tried them thought they were extremely delicious. Overall, this is a great place for sharing, with tons of food. And the cucumber, harissa yogurt, pistachio and sesame seed appetizer showed that they are innovating and not just doing your parent's Don Pepe. Oliver was also a super server as was everyone else on the team. And we enjoyed the patio... though I must say that being over Route 46 traffic is not the most atmospheric, and I wish the patio was on the other side! But who can complain with all this yummy food? Looking forward to coming back here next time I'm in New Jersey.

We finally tried Olivo and expected more after getting mixed reviews from others that had visited…read more The renovation is amazing and maybe this is why I expected the food to be more elevated. It seems that the food tasted the same but presented & plated differently. I asked the waiter if the Chef remained from the previous establishment and he confirmed; this is why the food tasted familiar. I'm not sure if I'd return and would say my overall experience was just, OK. Arancini: Arborio rice was bland & cold Clams Casino: Good, but the mashed potato did not pair well Mariscada Red Sauce: Good, tiny little shrimp & obnoxiously large calamari rings. Prime porter House: Just Ok not prime but rather choice and they offer no sauces, presentation needs work.

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Olivo Mediterranean Fare - Dining/Party Room

Dining/Party Room

Olivo Mediterranean Fare - Garlic Chicken

Garlic Chicken

Olivo Mediterranean Fare - DAOU Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles

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DAOU Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles

Fornos of Spain Restaurant - Paella Marinera

Fornos of Spain Restaurant

4.0(1.2k reviews)
18.9 mi
•$$$

Authentic Spanish cuisine from a family that takes pride and puts love into every dish. Starting…read morewith the bread,oil and olive course, next the beautiful salad. Then the appetizer- we had the shrimp with garlic sauce, the chorizo and the grilled octopus. All 3 as if we were in Spain. Entree's all were accompanied by vegetables rice and chips. We had the cod, red snapper and halibut. Then we split a chicken Piaya - the house specialty. Having had piaya in the past it seems to be overwhelming rice but this was not. Great balance of ingredients sauce flavor and rice. We tried a couple of the sauces on the side for the fish and while excellent- they were not necessary as the fish was excellent on its own. We also enjoyed a flan for dessert and cafe and cappuccino. Considering the amount of food we had and leftovers I thought the price was quite reasonable. All servers and matre di were dressed in formal black and white and the room was a formal dining area. Truly enjoyable. We'll be back!

Had a really good dining experience. We had no expectation but better than expected…read more Once we sat, we were served a dinner salad before even looking at the menu or placing our order. It was a large salad. Very tasty. Could have been more chilled. It was cool at best. I ordered the Paella Marinera. It was huge. Definitely shareable. Came with a half lobster, muscles, clams, and squid. It was really tasty. I usually have a pretty big appetite, but I could not finish it. After dinner, we order the flan and the pumpkin cheesecake. Both were good. Service was excellent. Multiple people handling the table and very attended. I highly recommend. Well visit next time I'm in the area

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Fornos of Spain Restaurant - Entrance decor

Entrance decor

Fornos of Spain Restaurant - NUESKE'S BACON AL FORNOS

NUESKE'S BACON AL FORNOS

Fornos of Spain Restaurant - Lychee Martini

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Lychee Martini

Tasca Bistro - Ribeye!

Tasca Bistro

4.1(9 reviews)
12.9 mi

The menu is a set prix fixe, no ala carte items. Food was delicious and presentation was…read morebeautiful! Started off with the garlic shrimp. Shrimp was perfectly cooked and the flavor/texture was robust and unique. The amount was perfect as well. Then for my 2nd course, squid and chourico, which was also so good. Not as good as the shrimp but the portion was pretty good and I was honestly getting full by the end of this. I finished with the duck paella, which was my favorite of the night. It was perfectly crispy while not tasting burnt, with a rich flavor of the duck, sauce, and little peppers combined. Definitely a unique dish - I'm glad I tried it! I sipped on the red sangria and one bottle lasted me the whole meal. It was a good amount and tasted strong and not too sweet! Service was amazing - my server was Amanda. She was super attentive and easy to talk to. My water was always filled and the timing of the food coming out was perfect! The restaurant had a great vibe inside. It was small but not tight. Decor was bright and airy. Seating/tables were clean. Even though their menu changes, it felt like the menu was uniquely curated for an amazing meal!! Would definitely recommend to anyone in the area!

Enjoyed the grand opening on May 17th. Our party of 4 tried everything on the prix fixe menu…read more Everything was excellent. Iberian cuisine at its finest in a quaint space. The "service by Amanda " was on point. The sangria was delicious. All in all - excellent. Must try!

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Tasca Bistro - Bacalhau croquettes and panzanella salad

Bacalhau croquettes and panzanella salad

Tasca Bistro - Ribeye

Ribeye

Tasca Bistro - Farm bean feijoda

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Farm bean feijoda

Fernandes steakhouse - Sausages

Fernandes steakhouse

3.9(809 reviews)
19.4 mi
•$$$

I recently celebrated my birthday dinner here with my family and had a great experience. Most of us…read moreordered the ribeye steaks with two 2oz lobster tails and generous portions of veggies and rice. My medium-rare ribeye was cooked perfectly, it was tender with a nice char flavor. I added a little salt, pepper, and lemon to enhance the flavors. The staff was attentive, kept our glasses filled, and made sure we were enjoying our meal. One of the staff members let us sample the meat he was serving on the sword to another table, and it was incredibly juicy, tender, and flavorful. That experience made us want to return for the full Rozilio experience. Overall, it was a wonderful birthday dinner.

A few members of my team and I had lunch here to welcome someone new who was joining the team…read more This was my first time. All four of us had the Barbecue - 3 Mixed Meat and 1 Picanha. The Mixed Meat option had several different preparations of beef and a sausage served with a salad, french fries, and white rice. It was a generous portion of meat in a large plate. For dessert we all had the Serradura (Portuguese Sawdust Pudding) which was made with a meringued cream, whipped cream, and crushed cookies mixed together. Very delicious, not too sweet and not too filling. All around there was brick, stone and solid wood. I felt like I was in what I imagined a restaurant in Portugal would be like back in the day. The servers were friendly. I gives me the sense that it is a good place to have a range of events - from a business lunch to a celebratory party. There is lots of space in the restaurant with different rooms. One room seemed specifically set up for large parties whereas another room was set up like a typical restaurant. Our party was able to relax and enjoy ourselves without ever feeling any time pressures from the staff. It was quite an enjoyable experience.

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Fernandes steakhouse - Waiting area

Waiting area

Fernandes steakhouse
Fernandes steakhouse - Waiting area

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Waiting area

Segovia Restaurant

Segovia Restaurant

3.8(653 reviews)
15.9 mi
•$$$
Family-owned & operated
Casual dining

Let's start at the start. Hostess had us seated at the bar less than two minutes after walking in…read morewithout reservations on a busy Saturday evening. Bar staff had drinks in front of us in less than the time it took to figure out what appetizers we wanted. Now let's talk about the food. In SoFla we have a saying for things that can't really be described. We say SOFA KING, the food was SOFA KING, the service was SOFA KING, the people and atmosphere was SOFA KING. Do yourself a favor, sit at the bar have a conversation with the locals and enjoy food that is made by people that actually care about the product leaving the kitchen.

Very disappointing experience. I ordered scallops that tasted and smelled strongly of ammonia,…read morewhich is obviously extremely concerning for a seafood dish. I immediately brought the issue to the waiter's attention, yet no one from management came over to speak with me or apologize for what happened. What was even more disappointing was that I was not offered another meal or given the opportunity to order something else. When a customer is served food that is clearly unacceptable, I would expect management to take the situation seriously, check on the customer, apologize, and make an effort to correct it. Unfortunately, none of that happened. The food itself was bad enough, but the lack of concern and customer service afterward made the experience even worse. I expected much more from this restaurant.

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Segovia Restaurant
Segovia Restaurant
Segovia Restaurant

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Malaga Restaurant - Sole with seafood

Malaga Restaurant

4.2(339 reviews)
60.3 mi
•$$$

Address says Hamilton, but it's definitely the area that's at least bordering Trenton. Parking…read moresituation, one-way streets, stuff in proximity and the locale being pretty close to the river seems to point to that. Kind of felt the need to put that out there, it's not really a suburban location. That said, echoing some of the others I'm reading snippets of, WOW to everything - the service, the food, the ambiance. It's got charm when you walk in, looks old but not dated. The waitstaff is super friendly, has some jokes, multi-talented (they brought out the guitar a few times to wish some other folks happy birthday), and knowledgeable. The food is really good - everything I tried was just delicious. For the table, we ordered some calamari and empanadas, and both were good. Drinks were also tasty - that sangria was really good, and the mojito (love that they had it available, first of all!) was also a hit. I would double-click on that sangria, though. For my entree, I ordered their whole fish, which was not only delicious but HUGE. I ate about half of it and was full. Then my friend and I split an order of limoncello cake (I think that's what it was), which was on point, and ended w/ espresso, also good. Overall, everything about that place was great, and when I mentioned a Spanish place in Trenton the next morning to some guys I was with, one of them asked, was it Malaga? That was just another great review, for a local guy to know what I was talking about just by description. Bravo, I think some of us may be back sometime!

I have eaten Portuguese food in Newark in Lisbon and even in Matawan NJ and don't forget Sayreville…read moreNJ for decades I love this cuisine but this place ugh. I have never seen seafood like this before So small it was unidentifiable and probably had zero nutritional value The only redeeming value is the parking lot and the staff Desert menu offers SYSCO system menu of frozen offerings I'm sorry but it's just not a place if you're looking for fresh food

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Malaga Restaurant
Malaga Restaurant
Malaga Restaurant - Chocolate Moose cake

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Chocolate Moose cake

Portugalo BBQ - Half an order beef ribs (served with chimichurri) , sweet plantains, and veggies

Portugalo BBQ

4.3(110 reviews)
12.4 mi

It's impossible for me to stop craving the charcoal barbecued pork ribs. They are so nicely cooked…read moreand flavorful!! I need to place a restraining order on my taste buds so that I don't place my body in a health crisis! The garlic shrimp is also tasty and I want to try the seafood paella. Portugalo is a very nice family owned business in Hanover . The family members who work at the register are also very pleasant and helpful when taking orders. Oh yeah, the chocolate mousse dessert is glorious!!!

Food is 4 stars. Tastes like authentic Portuguese bbq and they have all the right sauces like…read moregarlic aioli and chimichurri. NOTE: the beef ribs that everyone's talking about are sliced short ribs. Don't think those big bone beef ribs you get at American BBQ joints. Devil is in the details. What made this place a 3, star is that the staff doesn't introduce the menu and items well. For example, I got the beef ribs with vegetables and sweet plantains (both VERY good btw), they failed to explain that there are SPICY PICKLED VEGETABLES THAT GOES WITH IT. I took a bite of the cauliflower thinking it was the vegetables side, and spat it right out because it's the Portuguese style pickled veggies. If someone didn't eat spicy that would definitely mess them up. Ambiance? None, it's basically a small bodega with 3 pairs of booth seats and 5 bar seats. How is it colder in the restaurant than outside (it is currently March)

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Portugalo BBQ
Portugalo BBQ
Portugalo BBQ - Rodizio special (single portion) which can feed 2

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Rodizio special (single portion) which can feed 2

Vila Verde - spanish - Updated November 2026

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