TLDR

Best date night: Fascino. Best casual: Mesob. Best brunch: Raymond's. Best cocktails: Pig & Prince. Montclair's dining scene punches well above its weight for a NJ suburb.

Updated: June 2026

Best Restaurants in Montclair NJ (2026 Local Guide)

Montclair has one of the most diverse and consistently excellent dining scenes in New Jersey. With Bloomfield Avenue running through the center of town, you can walk from Ethiopian to Italian to craft cocktail bars in a quarter mile. This guide covers the restaurants that locals actually recommend — not the ones with the most Yelp reviews.

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Date Night Casual Italian Ethiopian FAQ

Best Date Night Restaurants

Fascino

331 Bloomfield Ave · Italian

$$$

The most consistently excellent restaurant in Montclair. Chef Ryan DePersio's Italian-American menu is refined without being pretentious. In-house pasta, serious wine list, warm service. Book weeks ahead on weekends.

Must-get: Tagliatelle, nightly pasta specials

Pig & Prince

71 Bloomfield Ave · American / Cocktail Bar

$$$

The most ambitious cocktail program in town paired with a creative American menu. Beautiful space, not stuffy. Great for a date or group dinner.

Must-get: Old fashioned variations, the pork chop

Raymond's

28 Church St · American Bistro

A Montclair institution. Consistently excellent bistro food in a comfortable setting. Weekend brunch line wraps around the block — worth it.

Must-get: Eggs benedict, weekend brunch specials

Best Casual Restaurants

Mesob Ethiopian Restaurant

515 Bloomfield Ave · Ethiopian

Best Ethiopian food in New Jersey, full stop. Family-run, consistently excellent for over a decade. Fresh injera daily. Go with a group.

Must-get: Combination platter, tej (honey wine)

Samba Montclair

703 Bloomfield Ave · Latin/Caribbean

Great Latin-Caribbean food with some of the best happy hour deals in town. Lively atmosphere, generous portions, solid cocktails.

Must-get: Plantains, any rice dish

Nagle's Bagels

Walnut St · Bagels / Deli

The spot for a Montclair breakfast. Proper bagels, good coffee, fast service. Gets busy on weekends.

Must-get: Everything bagel with lox

Best Italian Restaurants

Fascino

331 Bloomfield Ave · Upscale Italian

$$$

The benchmark. If you want the best Italian in Montclair, full stop, this is it.

Must-get: Any house-made pasta

Nicola's

Bloomfield Ave · Neighborhood Italian

Dependable, affordable neighborhood Italian. Good pizza, solid pasta, zero pretension.

Must-get: Margherita pizza

Best Ethiopian Food

Mesob Ethiopian Restaurant

515 Bloomfield Ave · Ethiopian

The consensus pick for the best Ethiopian food in New Jersey. Family-run, open for over a decade, consistently excellent. The injera is made fresh daily. Come with a group — the combination platters are made for sharing. The tej (Ethiopian honey wine) is worth ordering.

Must-get: Combination platter, tej, vegetarian combo

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best restaurant in Montclair NJ?

Fascino (331 Bloomfield Ave) is consistently ranked the best fine dining restaurant in Montclair. For casual dining, Mesob Ethiopian is a local favorite and considered among the best Ethiopian restaurants in all of New Jersey.

Where should I eat in Montclair NJ for a date night?

Fascino for the most impressive fine dining experience. Pig & Prince for a more casual but still elevated cocktail-bar vibe. Both require reservations on weekends.

What food is Montclair NJ known for?

Montclair's dining scene is remarkably diverse — Ethiopian food (Mesob is exceptional), upscale Italian (Fascino), craft cocktail bars, and a strong brunch culture centered around Raymond's and Pig & Prince.

Are there good restaurants on Bloomfield Avenue?

Yes — the majority of Montclair's best restaurants are on or just off Bloomfield Avenue. You can walk from one end to the other in about 20 minutes and pass Ethiopian, Italian, Latin, sushi, cocktail bars, and coffee shops.

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