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MontclairNEW JERSEY

TLDR

Montclair's dining scene punches well above its weight for a New Jersey suburb. Best date night: Fascino. Best casual: Mesob. Best brunch: Pig & Prince. Best pizza: Fascino or Nicola's.

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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 within a quarter mile. This guide covers the restaurants that locals actually recommend — not the ones with the most Yelp reviews.

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. The pasta is made in-house, the wine list is serious, and the service is warm. Make a reservation — this one fills up weeks out on weekends.

Must-get: The tagliatelle and any of the nightly pasta specials

Pig & Prince

71 Bloomfield Ave · American / Cocktail Bar

$$$

The most ambitious cocktail program in town paired with a creative American menu. The bar team is exceptional — they take the craft seriously. The space is beautiful without being stuffy. Great for a date or a group dinner.

Must-get: Old fashioned variations, the pork chop

Raymond's

28 Church St · American Bistro

$$

A Montclair institution. Consistently excellent American bistro food in a comfortable, not-trying-too-hard setting. Their weekend brunch line wraps around the block for a reason.

Must-get: The eggs benedict, weekend brunch specials

Best Casual Restaurants

Mesob Ethiopian Restaurant

515 Bloomfield Ave · Ethiopian

$$

The best Ethiopian food in New Jersey, full stop. Family-run and consistently excellent for over a decade. The injera is made fresh daily. Go with a group and order the combination platters — sharing is the point.

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

Samba Montclair

703 Bloomfield Ave · Latin/Caribbean

$$

Consistently great Latin-Caribbean food with some of the best happy hour deals in town. Lively atmosphere, generous portions, solid cocktails. A local favorite for weeknight dinners.

Must-get: Plantains, any of the rice dishes

Ani Ramen

20 Lackawanna Pl · Japanese

$$

Solid ramen in a well-designed space near the Montclair State train stop. Broth is rich and properly made. Gets crowded on cold nights for good reason.

Must-get: Tonkotsu, spicy miso

Best Brunch in Montclair

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Raymond's — The classic Montclair brunch destination. Expect a wait on weekends but it moves quickly.
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Pig & Prince — Creative brunch cocktails and a menu that goes well beyond eggs.
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Tierney's Tavern — A proper Irish-American bar brunch — unpretentious, well-priced, and reliably good.
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The Ritz Diner — Classic NJ diner brunch. Open 24/7, everything on the menu, no reservations needed.

Best Italian in Montclair

This is North Jersey, so the Italian options are plentiful and generally excellent. Beyond Fascino (the clear fine dining winner), these are worth knowing:

  • Nicola's — Old-school red sauce Italian on Bloomfield Ave. The kind of place that's been there forever for good reason.
  • Primavera Ristorante — More formal Italian, good for business dinners or special occasions.
  • Corso 98 — Casual Italian cafe, excellent for quick pastas and wine.

Best Sushi in Montclair

Montclair's sushi scene is decent but not exceptional by NYC-metro standards. The best options:

  • Murasaki — The most reliable sushi in town. Fresh fish, consistent quality, good for omakase nights.
  • Kimono — More casual, solid for takeout rolls and weeknight sushi.

Best Coffee Shops in Montclair

Bluestone Lane (Montclair)

The Australian chain's Montclair outpost brings proper flat whites and avocado toast to Upper Montclair. Reliable quality.

George & Martha's

The coziest neighborhood coffee shop in town. Good pastries, great regulars, no pretension.

Halcyon Montclair

Newer specialty coffee bar with serious espresso program and a quiet, work-friendly atmosphere.

Montclair Dining by Neighborhood

Montclair's dining is concentrated along three main corridors:

Bloomfield Ave (Lower)

The heart of Montclair dining. Ethiopian, Italian, bars, and brunch spots concentrated here.

Church Street

Quieter, more residential stretch with some of the town's best-kept-secret spots.

Upper Montclair / Bellevue Ave

More suburban feel, great for neighborhood cafes and family-friendly dining.

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