We tried this restaurant for the first time. Visited this location when It was a different restaurant. Upon entering we were graciously greeted and seated. The decor was very nicely decorated. Our server greeted us and asked our preferred water. Then gave us menus including wine list and specials of the day. After taking our wine order a plate of antipasto and bread came to our table. We started with a shrimp appetizer off the menu it was in a tasty sauce with artichoke hearts, tomato and capers. A great start. After finishing our appetizer our entrees arrived. We had the chicken francaise, chicken with hot peppers and sausage and I had the double cut veal chop. Everything had a little potato and vegetable on plate. But we also ordered a side of mashed potato and asparagus. All of the meal was presented nicely as well as tasted great. The. We weee celebrating all of our birthdays so we asked for three different desserts on one plate so we all could try a little of each. We had the key lime, chocolate mousse cake and apple strudel. They seemed to be bought desserts but all were good tasting. I do recommend this restaurant after this visit. We will be returning. read more

The service was superb they were informative. The food was amazing everything was fresh and had so much flavor. I highly recommend pagliq e fieno pasta (black squid pasta served with lobster). As for desert I had the tiramisu it was so good but will try the apple strudel which was highly recommended. Top it off with an espresso martini so good. Looking forward to my next visit read more

Review from a poor man. This place was great and I wish people knew about this place! Pros: Service was very attentive and pleasant. This is from the hostess to the waiter to the helpful weight staff in between the meals were excellent and pretty decently priced. The little plate that they gave you when you sat down was a nice touch along with a small beverage to wash it down at the end of the dinner. All the meals were fantastically done. That atmosphere is very interesting and lets you eyes have something to look at. Cons: if you don't know where you're going for this restaurant, you'll miss it from route 10. It's very hard to know where it is. The only other downside is that sometimes there are steps at places you think there would be steps. If that's the only downside, I consider this a win !!!!!! I highly suggest trying this place if you're in Randolph, New Jersey read more

See all

We had lunch on Monday: excellent service, excellent food, sort of weird music, nice setting all made for a very enjoyable meal. Started off with a complimentary amuse bouche: tapenade, olives, pickles, hard cheese, pepperoncini, all went great with warm bread and olive oil. Ordered carcioffi ripieni (artichoke hearts with goat cheese) and an organic green salad served with luscious blackberries, blueberries and strawberries; salad outstanding. A sound track played softly; even shazam didn't recognize the songs, and I wasn't sure if the instrument was a zither or a synthesizer, but it was nice. For entrees we ordered linguine with clams and pappardelle with salmon; nicely presented delicious food. Overall it was a really pleasant meal, and our waiter was attentive without hovering. Our first time here at Zola. I don't hesitate in recommending it. read more

Zola Ristorante - Amuse bouche - Italian Near Me - randolph, New Jersey

See all

Tried Zola's last night for the first time after hearing mixed reviews. When we first walked in we were greeted right away and seated. We were given the corner booth and told it was "the best seat in the house." When we first sat down it felt like a swarm of people came to our table bringing us the menu, water, bread, etc. It was a different person for each one so we were not sure who our server was. We then sat there for a while waiting for someone to come back to take our drink and food order. A guy who looked to be the manager walked by that I had to stare down came over and asked if everything was okay. I asked if we could order as we had been sitting there about twenty minutes without even being asked if we wanted drinks. Eventually the young kid who sat us came to take our order. I also observed that as other people came in everyone was sat on the upper level and we were the only ones on the lower level besides when we came in there was a family finishing up. Found this weird as I said earlier we were told it was the "best seat in the house" but we were isolated away from the other people. Now on to food. I got a 2 lemon drop martinis and they were not consistent in taste. My first one was too sour, the second one seemed to be lacking in alcohol and was then too sweet. The complimentary starter and bread was good, however they start you off with a nice warm fluffy bread but if you get a refill the pieces get smaller. The meatball appetizer with ricotta was my favorite item of the night. The meatballs actually had some zest to them as I usually find meatballs to be too plain when dining out, but the thought also crossed my mind that they tasted like those frozen meatballs you'd get at a grocery store the ones that are in a red, green, and white bag that say cooked perfectly. The ricotta cheese was amazing though. The piece of chicken was huge and had left overs. The seasoned potatoes and vegetables were also pretty good. The tiramisu was lacking in the coffee flavoring you typically find in tiramisu. After dinner they also gave us our choice of complimentary shots. Overall I'd try them again to see if the service was better. read more

See all

I recently held a birthday dinner for about 30 guests. I cannot express enough my sincere gratitude and appreciation for a wonderful event. David, Engin, and Nicole were invaluable throughout the planning process as well as executing the service and bar for the party. The chef did an exceptional job with the food and the amount of choices available to me was incredible. The service throughout the night was impeccable. There was never a dry glass and the food was served promptly and efficiently. I am so happy I chose Zola's for my husband's special day. We are frequent patrons of this restaurant and have always loved their food. This party exceeded my high expectations. Thanks to all who made this a memorable night. I highly recommend this restaurant for a great meal and or special occasion. read more

Since Nicole 10 closed down about 10 years ago, the building was vacant until Zola recently opened. The good news is that on our first visit to Zola last night, we had a great time. This Italian restaurant made an excellent first impression. Zola's has a nice bar on the left side and a large dining area on the right. The wine list was large, I had a nice glass of Pinot Noir. My wife and I split the Gamberetto Soffriggere appetizer. The dish with shrimp and artichoke hearts was very tasty. For entrees, my wife had Chicken Portofino and I had a dish with black squid pasta and fresh lobster. Outstanding! Even the dessert of fresh berries was so good! We'll definitely make Zola's a regular on our restaurant list. Check it out if you're in Randolph looking for a good Italian meal! read more

See all

The food is perfectly adequate here, but the dining experience is incredibly frustrating. The waiters are totally overwhelmed and untrained. This was the second time that the couple we were with had been there, and we had the same waiter they had the previous time. He was just as overwhelmed and incompetent as he had been the first time. I should add that he was very polite, but he disappeared halfway through our meal, and one of the managers took over our table. When I asked what happened to our waiter, the manager said that he was prepping dessert for another table. And then, as we were leaving, we saw the long line of very unhappy people and wondered why there were about eight empty tables. read more

Newly opened Italian restaurant where Nicole's 10 used to be. Plenty of parking & lovely interior. However, we had several problems with our dinner (there were 4 of us). Atmosphere - spacious with plants, & a gray & white interior. The hallway to the bathrooms is very dark - seemed not all the lights were turned on & the bathroom vent was filty! Service - horrific. Waited 28 minutes to get our drinks from the bar, had to ask for several things that a seasoned waiter/waitress would know how to do (asked for butter, more water, pepper, for the check, etc.) Two of us were served the wrong wine (1 asked for Pinot Noir & the other asked for Cabernet). I asked for veggies only w/my meal but that request was forgotten. The shining star was Giovanni & it was his first day. He tried very hard but it was clear there was a lack of direction given to him. We noticed the manager went to every table but ours. We kept giving him looks. He finally came over at the end & we explained everything to him & he took off 5 drinks from the menu. Food - excellent! We enjoyed the complimentary app platter served w/the bread, tagliatelle w/salmon, veal lemon, & chicken portofino. They are going to start doing Happy Hour at the bar in mid-Oct. I would definitely give them another try. Wait staff needs lots of training. They tried to tell me they were short-staffed but they were not - there were a lot of people working there. read more

See all

Diana our server was kind and didn't rush us! The food was delicious. I had the chicken Milanese ... the cutlet was so crispy and thin! The veal with lemon sauce was excellent too. The manager/owner gave us a taste of his homemade after dinner drink with espresso .. yum! We will definitely be back! They play soft Italian music in the background. It's a nice romantic spot . Thanks for a nice evening Zola! read more

NON-EXISTANT CUSTOMER SERVICE My husband and I came to Zola on Valentine's Day. We rarely go out just the 2 of us because we have 2 babies, so we were really excited to get out. Upon walking in at 8:45 for our 8:45 reservation, there were 15 people waiting to be seated, but we only had to wait about 10 minutes to be seated so not a huge deal. We were finally seated, but not given a menu for about 12 minutes after we had been seated which was weird. After finally being given menus, no one came to the table for 20 minutes, not even to take our drink order or bring us water. We totally understand a kitchen being backed up with a holiday or service being a little more hectic, but to not even be greeted by a server or brought water for 20 minutes is unheard of. We ended up walking out and leaving the restaurant around 9:30. Sure that we were going to end up eating at the diner, I called Capital Grill as a last-minute Hail Mary and thankfully they were able to seat us at a bar high top, so our Valentine's Day wasn't completely ruined. Capital Grill was also the busiest we have ever seen it and guess what? we had drinks AND apps within 20 minutes of being seated. DO BETTER ZOLA. We were excited to get a night out and excited to try Zola because the menu looks really good, but sadly we will very likely never go back because of the service. read more

I think this place is great! This was our second time dining at Zola and just like the first time it was delicious. Atmosphere is nice and clean, service is great I like that we aren't constantly bothered or rushed out the door, food is delicious in my opinion and drinks are always fantastic! Another bonus is you're offered a little shot on your way out :) read more

Zola Ristorante - Amaretto and espresso shots - Italian Near Me - randolph, New Jersey

See all

Food and drinks were great. Diverse menu and large alcohol selection. Service was iffy at times, however it was a great dining experience.

Returned to Zola. Food was once again amazing. We had the calamari and clams appetizer with red sauce. For our entrees my husband had the sea bass with a side of truffle fries and I had the chicken balsamico. Both entrees were amazing but the fries needed a touch more truffle oil. After we had dinner we headed to the bar. I forgot the bartenders name but he was lovely. The bar is very nice, but note to management: please remove the tree from the middle of the bar. It blocks the tv and the bartender keeps bumping into the branches. read more

Zola Ristorante - Tree in the middle of the bar. Nice bar for socializing but if you are trying to watch tv- good luck seeing through those tree branches - Italian Near Me - randolph, New Jersey

Strolled in for the happy hour. Bartender Zaria was very talented. We shared four different martinis on this visit (one off the menu) and each was perfection. Enjoyed two appetizers which were both delicious (artichoke and carpraccio)). Followed by dessert (tiramisu and Zarkos specialty drink). Absolutely delicious. Highly recommend you stop in. Atmosphere service and food/drink all top notch. read more

Zola Ristorante - Tiramisu and zarkos drinks - Italian Near Me - randolph, New Jersey

See all

Have been to this restaurant numerous times and it NEVER disappointed! Starting with Zarko the fabulous bartender/ manager who makes you feel so welcome! Plus his drinks are the best! A great mixologist ! Ask for his homemade Sangria ! The best I ever had. We moved out of the area but will be back in the Spring and definitely will have a few dinners ! The food is exceptional so give it a try if you haven't already! If this restaurant was on the main drag in Morristown you would have a hellava time getting in! Roemary Shanley read more

The atmosphere and food was honestly way better than I expected. If you drive past this establishment daily and wonder if it is any good pull the trigger and go because the quality is definitely worth it. Our server Fernando took really good care of the table and ensured we had the best experience possible. This staff went above and beyond for a special occasion and I recommend you come here for yours too. read more

I've been multiple times now, but unfortunately the food just isn't that good. It is OK at best, but bad when compared to the other local Italian restaurants. I've tried the chicken parm, the penne all a vodka, and both were below average. When there is Rosie's and others so close, I'm afraid I have to finally just throw in the towel on trying this place again.... 3rd time was not a charm. read more

We've been three times. The food is always delicious, the menu has so many great choices and we've never been disappointed. They also have lovely cocktails, the lychee martini is a personal fav. read more

Ate there on Oct 4 during their soft opening. The food was fantastic, service was a bit slow but only one server working his butt off. The ambiance was perfect. Low lighting with light Italian music in the background. Bonanza cab was $60 a bottle and $20 a glass. Pricey. Overall great experience but drink at home. read more

See all

This was a letdown. I had high hopes. The stuffed artichoke was tasteless. Chicken Portofino just average. Service ok. Probably won't return. read more

I loved the atmosphere and the food here. We sat at the bar and Benny was so nice. The food was delicious and they even brought out dessert with a candle for my birthday! Chicken parm and the salmon were delicious. We will be back again. read more

What a beautiful experience tonight! I'm so happy to see this place so thoughtfully renovated--it's truly a gem. We started with the carpaccio di manzo, which was incredibly fresh and generously portioned. Our main dishes were absolutely delicious--pasta perfectly al dente and sauces bursting with flavor. I can't forget to mention the espresso martini... unique and absolutely divine! The service was impeccable. I'd give our server, Dahianna, 10 stars if I could--she was fresh, attentive, and gave us great recommendations. And to top it all off, they offer valet parking! This spot has definitely earned a place on my list of top favorites. I'll absolutely be back! read more

The food was deliciouswas really accommodating. Excellent service. Love to go there again. I will tell my friends about this restaurant. 5 big Stars read more

Zola Ristorante - Italian Near Me - randolph, New Jersey

Waited a while for a waiter to come to our table to take our drink order. Food was good, music playing should be relevant to the restaurant. When we got our check they charged us for a drink we never ordered even though they had asked us earlier if we had ordered it and we told them no. Then they charged us $2 just for ice in one of the drinks!! The decor is weird and the staff awkward...it's as if they hired people who have never been servers. Maybe after they've been open for a while I'd go back, but not any time soon. read more

This was our first time at this newly opened Italian restaurant and it didnt disappoint at all. Every bite was delicious ! We even came back to have desert a few days later. The best choice is linguine pasta and short ribs but like I said everything was on point ! I definitely recommend if you pass by Route 10, Randolph NJ read more

Zola Ristorante - Italian Near Me - randolph, New Jersey

Just ate there last night. Outstanding service, very attentive staff without being obnoxious. Nice vibe and atmosphere. Food was very good from the antipasto plate to the appetizer to our entree and dessert. Glad we found this place. We will definitely be back. read more

Reasonably priced food and wine. Elegant rooms. Beautiful bar. My Calabrian wife thought the rigatoni was excellent. My fillet was perfectly cooked but not well aged. We'll put in our rotation. read more

Christmas Day was not the day to try this. Waited 25 mins for them to even take our drink order.They seemed to be short of help and all new help. Once they finally got the orders taken the food was delicious read more

First time there The bread is awful and you should provide better for a high end restaurant The apps were not good. The frozen calamari was just ok the tuna was not good and oysters were small and forgettable My dinner was very good. Veal Marsala. The sauce was a bit thick but good flavor The wife got the fish special and was also good We got a side of the truffle fries and was very surprised to see them come out as frozen crinkle cuts - embarrassing We tried to get dessert but they were out of the apple cobbler The service was awesome. Very attentive and entertaining We would possibly go back if our arms were twisted but there are better options around read more

We had reservations for 7 o'clock last night. It was a party of four. When we got there they told us there was a 20 minute wait. I was annoyed, but we went to the bar. 50 minutes later I asked about our 7 o'clock reservation. There still was no tables. We finally decided to just eat at the bar. We ordered our appetizers and food at the same time. 45 minutes later 2 of our appetizers came out. The third one never arrived. 45 minutes later we asked about our food by now it was 9:30... when our food arrived, Stuffed artichoke hearts on the menu became a stuffed artichoke. When we said that was not what the person ordered. the manager (His name started with a Z ) rudely said, well you have food to eat. I said, but that's not what he ordered. Why didn't you offer him something else? He said it wasn't mine to offer whatever that meant. Then he snapped!! He grabbed the dish, said something nasty as he walked into the kitchen. When we complained to another manager, the first man came and started, pushing the chairs next to us, mumbling under his breath. Trying to intimidate us. Now three of us have food and the fourth person has nothing. The bartender Justin was appalled by the other person's behavior and trying his best to diffuse and help the situation. My potatoes never came with my meal third appetizer still didn't come out and one person had no food. It was a complete and utter disaster. It was freezing in there, mind you by now we've been there for hours.We commented that it was very cold and we were told they had no heat. When I went to the bathroom, there was no hot water. This restaurant should not have been open with no heat or hot water. Do yourself a favor do not go there. In all of my years of dining out, this was my number one worst experience ever at a restaurant. And I have never been spoken rudely at a restaurant by anybody let alone a manager. I hope the Health Department goes there today and closes them down for not having hot water. How do you sterilize anything without hot water? read more

Okay people. If you want a great dining experience, this is your place. My veal was prepared perfectly. The calamari appetizer was excellent. As for the staff, unbelievably service. Our bartender, Justin was amazing. He was friendly and courteous. One of the best bartenders I have ever met. As for our server Diana, simply incredible. She gave us some great recommendations without being overly pushy. The hostess was lovely, but unfortunately I didn't get her name. The decor was absolutely beautiful. I will definitely be back. I strongly recommend this establishment. read more

I don't know why Randolph can't get real restaurants.. I support local biz in my town but once again .. a bust. First off, the decor is very bizarre.. it feels like a Chinese restaurant owned by Russians converted to an Italian (style) restaurant. The staff is also very bizarre- they seem over dressed and are generally awkward. I always say the bread is a tell tale sign of the meal to come.. the bread here was borderline stale and although served warm was simply not good. There is also a plate of a hodgepodge of basic pickles, olives, random cheese and some chutney.. eh. The calamari was clearly frozen and was chewy to the point my daughter almost choked and spit it out. The meals were all just ok but for $170 for a family of 4 to eat at a local Italian place with a large footprint on weeknight.. yea this is going to be sterling tavern story.. this place needs to hire a restaurant consultant asap for any chance of long term survival. PS if you thought this place was good you don't know restaurants. Apparently many people in randolph are so desperate for a good spot they lie to themselves. Barely 2 stars read more

Decided to try Zola on our "date night". This place is great. The building has been vacant for probably 10 years. The new owners did a great job remodeling. The staff were very nice. We didn't order apps or salads. Our entrees were fantastic. I ordered the Pollo Balsamico E' Gorgonzola, amazing amount of flavor. My girl had the Pollo Portofino, like great chicken parm taken to another level. Generous portions and great quality. I will be a regular. read more

The bread they serve is like warmed up Wonderbread - never seen an Italian place serve bread like this. Fried calamari was decent but seemed like it was frozen and no tentacles, just rings. The main courses were excellent but the price was a little high. The service was ok - you need to get their attention. The decor is a little weird for an Italian place - they have a bull skull on the wall for some reason. read more

Service: Recognizing Dec 24th is busy and considering that, we got a reservation and it took almost 2 1/2 hours to get our food and eat. Certainly could have been better planned. The food was decent, but not outstanding. But again, they didn't plan so I am sure it was understaffed causing this. Will try once more to give them a second chance. The swordfish was a very thin cut but claimed they got their supply the night before. read more

Went here spontaneously last Sunday with a party of 4 - because why not...it's the brand new gig in a town that is notably devoid of any decent or remotely creative restaurants. We had a great experience. The food was tastier than we had anticipated. I started with Grilled Pulpo and yeah - that hit the spot for sure. For the main I had the Pollo Balsamico E' Gorgonzola and it was tender and bursting with flavor. Sampled some of my friend's Parpadelle Tartuffata and it was delicious - the pasta was cooked just right and the sauce...decadent. I admittedly can't really speak to the service because we were too busy chatting and carrying on to notice. The group I was with are all rather decent cooks and yet we each came away from this experience decidedly impressed and eager to return. I have zero negative things to say. read more

If you want a special dinner with excellent service and great ambiance go no further. The food and beverage (wine & cocktails) choices were great. My party had the carpaccio (nice large serving) and grilled octopus (only one tentacle...a little skimpy) for apps. Our dinners included veal with eggplant, shrimp with risotto and the sole dishes. All was delicious and well seasoned.....delicious! The owner was very attentive and came around often to make sure everything was fine. Needless to say I look forward to returning and trying other dishes. read more

Food phenomenal. Our waiter Andy was the best this was our second time there. Brought our close friends this time. So awesome. Atmosphere was great with Bocelli playing in the background. Such a beautiful atmosphere. The Maitre D, Arbor made his rounds to welcome us. Will be back soon. Highly recommend!!!! read more

Just no.... Seriously - vallet parking....,food ok, odd service. Shame - great location, so many great resturants in this area,cannot recommend this one. read more