The most unauthentic and inedible food I have tasted. Don't bother wasting your time and money for over priced low quality food items. The menu has random items that are not only average at best but don't go with Spanish theme so confused. Cherry on top the vents drip on tables contaminating everything. Misguided by the reviews they have to be fake, save yourself the trouble avoid at all cost. Cheers. read more

After hearing many great things about Cravings, I finally went last night with my friend. The meal was very good and I love tapas. It's BYOB so make sure to remember the booze or grab some around the corner at the liquor store. The staff was very helpful and knowledgable regarding the dishes. The Good: Reasonably priced charcuterie options (we had fresh mozzarella, sopresatta, and Gouda), perfectly cooked scallops with a nice spicy sauce dollop on top of each, knowledgable and friendly staff, nice outdoor seating area, empanadas were awesome, laid back and no rushing. The Could Have Been Better: zucchini with scallops was very overcooked and mushy, potatoes with scallops were soaked in oil and no longer recognizable as Yukon potatoes, the bread served with the charcuterie was doughy and would have been more enjoyable with crostini. Overall, it was a very good meal. I would absolutely return. read more

Cravings Tapas Bistro - Scallops with zucchini and potatoes with a spicy sauce. - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Ridgewood, New Jersey

Racism is real! My husband made a reservation for 4 at 8:45 pm on 2/4/22. we arrived on time and were promptly asked if we had a reservation as they were busy and it may take time to seat us. We thought this a bit odd but given the pandemic and staffing i didnt mind that the resturant was only at 50% capacity and we had a reservation.( also i used to be a hostess in NYC 10 yrs ago so i understand that could mean anything) We were seated and told it would be a while before we were seen, but i again thought no problem, it was date night. Right away we felt the vibe was off but we live in ridgewood and it was raining and late so we stayed. ( We are african american and the other half of our party is black and asian american, i wouldnt usually point this out but it appears relevant). We order around $150 worth of tapas and sangria and had a great night until the bill came. it said $201.36. i thought no problem (we ordered alot of food) as my husband unfolded his bill fold and placed the total amout in cash on the table. The other male in our party curiously picked up the bill after noticing that gratuity of 20% was added and circled in marker. He immediately said that this couldnt be correct and asked to speak to the waiter. The waiter said that it was standard for all parties of 4, and that every bill had it added, until i chimed in and said "but your menue clearly states gratuity is only added to parties of 6 or more.( on a side note i always typically tip 25% because i know the struggle of working in tge food service industry and tip life) I then questioned why that portion was circled. he said he didnt know so i asked to speak to the manager, and said he would get her and bring us an unmodified bill. The manager came over and said " im so sorry but i think you know why that was done". She also said that business was slow and the staff that does the register want to get 20% tips so they added it to "our" bill. she then presented us with a bill for $167 and said she understands if we dont tip now and that she was sorry, and grabbed the newly calculated bill. At this point the other male in our party walked out and my husband ( who is a cop btw) asked for the old bill back. he puts down cash and an additional $20 and says we are leaving. The manager then asked if she could do anything to make it up to us she wqs sorry that it happend, but then also said that she could see from our faces that we probably would not be returning. She was correct we wont be returning. Its hard enough living in a town with a black population on 1.23% now we cant even have a nice night out without being profiled and unfailry treated in our local resturaunt. we were well dressed well spoken and well behaved but but apparently the color of our skin and our race determined our treatment from said establishment. They dont know me, or my party, what we do or who we are and it is irrelevant to being given courtesy, respect and fair treatment, but we were judged and treated accordingly by prejudiced staff. i do not reccommend this place unless you are ok with injustice and up charging based on prejudice and a side of racism. On another not this is a food review so - the food was a 5/10. Their bbq items were too sweet,(empanada and arepa) the brussel sprouts meh - very few brussel sprouts and lots of arugula, too much truffle on everything truffle( the fries were overwhelming with truffle) The rissotto was perfectly creamy with hearty chuncks of mushroom, and the sangria was terrible and tasted like juice but the highlight was the zeppoli tree. It was devine but needed whole strawberries instead of small slices. so again ok food, If you are black or not into racism and profiling dont go here. read more

I came here for a date on Sunday evening. It was busy at 6:00pm! We sat outside for two hours and enjoyed half a bottle of pinot grigio, a cheese plate, flatbread, and eggplant dip. The Manchego was excellent and the eggplant dip. I was not a fan of the truffle hummus flatbread. It was difficult to eat and super dry. I would go back! read more

Last night, which was a very busy and hectic Saturday night, was a great evening at Cravings. We called last minute and they were able to get us in. The food is fabulous. Our favorites so far are the salmon, falafel with smoked salmon and the crab cakes. I must reiterate that the food is stellar. On the other hand, they seem to have conflicts within either management and / or staff. They need to iron out some deficiencies on that, other than that, we will return willing overlook that issue. read more

Cravings Tapas Bistro - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Ridgewood, New Jersey

I decided to stop in here last minute, and I was not disappointed. They do sell wine bottles if you do not bring your own, but I loved that they were BYOB. I decided to try 3 of their tapas, because tapas are supposed to be small portions. I had their special of the day, Artichoke hearts Milanese. The dish was very simple, but the dipping sauce was out of this world! I also had the Albóndigas. They were very moist, garlicky, and very generous with the marinara sauce. The third tapas I tried was the Charred grilled octopus which had So much flavor! The octopus is so tender. Some pieces were a little too charred, but it really didn't take away from the dish. The dishes were tapa sizes, but they were on the larger end of tapa sizes. I had my fill and had enough to take home for a late night snack. Also the service was amazing, but I was only one of two people in the restaurant on this particular day. I really did enjoy my experience very much and cannot wait to try their sister restaurant. read more

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I am extremely disappointed with this restaurant. I was super excited to order from here, as I've heard their customer service is good and food is tasty. So to test this spot out, I ordered (2) Truffle Fries & (1) Tres Leche cake on Ubereats tonight. I placed my order at 7:42pm, using the priority option. The food should have arrived within 30-45 minutes. This establishment was 15 minutes from my house. At 8:15pm I received a missed call & a very perturbed voicemail message from an employee stating, I needed to personally come pick up my order because they would be closing in 20 mins. If I did not come pick up my order they would "discard" my food and cancel my order. When I checked online their closing time said 9pm. However, I immediately returned the call. I called the restaurant 11 times and no one answered. I left a message and received no call back. At 8:32pm while my Ubereats driver was down the street from the restaurant I received a cancellation made by the restaurant. This is extremely discouraging for future orders. Anyone planning on ordering from this restaurant on Ubereats, GrubHub etc. please ensure you give them at least 2-3 hours, for even the simplest of orders. Also please know they do not close at the times stated on their website. read more

Took my boyfriend because I remember it being so delicious! My biggest disappointment was that last time I came here, I got empanadas. But out of the 2 empanadas we got to share, mine was cold in the middle and his wasn't. We were the first reservation so I understand the mishap. read more

I am truly in love with this restaurant! I've had cravings bookmarked for quite some time now and finally got to check it out with my friend a couple weeks back. We sat down at a cute little table for two and looked over the menu. We were disappointed to find out that Cravings is BYOB and we did not come prepared but we will next time. We started out with the buratta cheese, and it was to die for. The cheese was so fresh and creamy on the inside and with the combination of the balsamic reduction it was absolute perfection. I really loved the shell that it was served in. ( Side note - I HATE tomatoes and i ate these ) Next up we had the seared scallop dish that was served with couscous. The scallops were succulent and cooked to perfection. Probably my favorite dish I had that night was what I'm about to mention next.... The RICOTTA GNOCCHI! Tender little pillows of dough containing no potato drizzled with truffle oil in a creamy sauce with a tough of lamb ragu. I can die a happy girl after that dish. Its a must have. We ordered the steak tacos that I could of done without personally. The crab cakes were served with a coconut broth that was delicious and extremely flavorful. The philly cheese steak empanadas we ordered next were the bomb. The outside of the empanada was crisp and flaky with the warm philly cheese steak center was excellent. Will definitely be having those again in the near future. Dessert was probably the one thing that I was extremely excited for. I have been hearing about this cotton candy tree for a while now and I got to experience one for myself! It was huge! I loved all the hidden strawberries and fresh made doughnuts and with the combination of the chocolate sauce i was in heaven. I am really looking forward to trying out the churros and the octopus for my next visit! read more

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Great service, food is pretty good. A bit pricey but I'd definitely return. Tuna tartar was average. Gnocchi was incredible but extremely rich. Meant to be shared.. zeppoli tree was great but too much cotton candy-it's a bit of a wait. Charcuterie board was tasty but a bit over priced for the portion. And the hongos dish was amazing as well and huge portion of mushrooms for the price. Definitely will be back for that gnocchi though.... read more

Had the most exquisite time in this place ! From the moment I entered my family and I where treated like royalty. Each and everyone in this place are definitely in love with what they do , because let me tell you it shows. The food was magical each and every thing that touch our palate was soooo delish. We will definitely be back and next time bring a lot of friends. read more

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Solid spot to swing by and grab some small plates. It's BYO but there's a liquor store right around the corner. I went with a middle of the road cab. It was five of us and we each got 2-3 plates to share. Let me warn you, it's very easy to over order. We brought home about 3 plates. Score! I legit just ate a croqueta in bed. Service was friendly and fast. Plates came out quickly as they were ready. From what I ate I recommend the the tuna tartare, ribeye sliders and the croquetas. Tuna was sushi grade and fresh. Ribeye was perfectly cooked and topped with sautéed onions and pepper. Simply delicious. Croquetas were large, moist and had an interesting little kick. Nice place for a quick bite before hopping on the train read more

Really great tapas options! I like how they have entree items (in smaller portions) & a great diversity of app & entree choices. The tapas are really solid good eggplant Parmesan, crab cakes, Brussels sprouts, and dips! Definitely recommend. read more

Amazingly delicious and expertly crafted food! Tapas is definitely the way to go to sample thier menu. Just keeps getting better! read more

Each dish was beautifully plated and had wonderful flavor. The dimly lit, Spanish themed ambience enhanced the experience. The ricotta/gorgonzola dip and customizable DELICIOUS sangria were the standout pieces. read more

Cravings Tapas Bistro - pulled pork arepas - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Ridgewood, New Jersey

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Ok so this is our second trip here. Was just ok 1st time out and on 2nd try it was worse. I can tell you that the 1st share of the "hot" items were unevenly warm at best and those were the Dim Sum and the Empanadas. The best "Combo" was Spread with Naan and Carrots and Celery. $2 for some carrots. Come on... The last item, the Meatballs were ice cold. They brought us fresh and hot. And by the way, talking about uneven heat, bring a coat, this place is as cold inside as it is cold outside. read more

The food is consistently delicious. BYOB which is amazing. I highly recommend making a reservation first because it's so small. The owner takes pride in her business and always makes the point to make small talk during each visit. Get the bread pudding and charred octopus! My only complaint is one time we came in and the bread pudding was cold in certain spots. read more

My husband and I decided to try this for our wedding anniversary and we tried several plates on our first trip. The standouts were the empanadas, which were amazing and worth every penny. I also had a stuffed burrata special that was heavenly. The only downside is that it isn't on the regular menu. As it was a celebration, we decided to order the zeppoli tree dessert was visually amazing and tasted even better than it looked. read more

I booked in advance for Valentine's Day (2019) through Yelp. I looked at their website and, unlike their sister restaurant, Finca, there was no mention of a prix fixe menu. I anticipated we could order as little or as much as we wanted for the regular menu prices. Instead, upon arrival, we were informed that there was a $45/person fixed priced for 3 menu items per person. For the two of us, this was way too much food but we were already there, so we proceeded. There really should be advanced notice about pricing on holidays such as Valentine's Day. Also, when we got the bill, they had added a tip over $18.00 -- without any warning whatsoever that gratuity would be included; this was completely unaccepatable and should have been set forth at the same time they should have advised of the holiday pricing. As a consumer, I would have greatly liked to know about the prix fixe menu and the automatic gratuity in advance. The food was over all good but I was extremely disappointed with the octupus; it was clearly not fresh, seemed to have been frozen and perhaps freezer-burned and then over-cooked. I could not eat it. The restaurant graciously allowed me to order another item, at that point, to-go. I live within walking distance of this restaurant but unfortunately will not be rushing back. Hopefully, management addresses these issues. read more

Amazing food, nice ambiance. Great date night. We shared 4 plates between the two of us. All were great! Special - duck taco: awesome Skirt steak hummus bowl: packs a lot of flavor Mussels and chorizo: great sauce Grilled octopus: wonderful! BYOB, need reservations, pretty good service tho busy night. Definitely try this place! read more

The food is fresh and delicious. The plates are small, so I recommend ordering 3-4 meals. We tried a few specials that were delicious. From the menu we tried the shrimp dim sum which was good and the lamb and feta empanadas that was delicious and has tons of flavor. This will be our go to.... definitely a place you won't be disappointed. The wine selections are short, however you can bring your own. Small, quite, ambiance is beautiful, and to top that off we enjoyed our meal. read more

The restaurant is quite small and overall the tapas are a little expensive. Some are prepared well and others are little lacking winch as the paella was okay but expensive and not fully cooked. The reservation system and attention to the client is a little frustrating. If you arrive early the waitstaff is just hanging out next tot he bar and it feels a little informal even though the restaurant isn't a fancy one it does feel too informal. We enjoyed the meal and the ability for various different plates but don't think we will come to often. Note that this is BYOB even though they do have a limited selection of wines. This might be the salvation to return. read more

Bring it on! You bring the red, they will mix you up a pitcher of sangria... Holla!! It is a great tapas spot with ridiculously tasty dishes. First time I had grilled octopus was at this spot and I loved it. Will order it and many other dishes again and again. Staff are so nice here. read more

Super disappointed. Heard many good things about this place from locals and from Yelp reviews, but hate to say it, our experience was far from anything mentioned. As a party of 5, we decided to come here for New Year's Eve dinner. We were informed the night before that because of the holiday, the prix fixe prices would be $45/person for 3 tapas. For a steep price, the tapas, as you know, were really small plates. Granted there were 5 of us, and we received 15 total tapas, $45 plus mandatory 20% gratuity was so expensive for the quality of the food. If you compare the prices to the a la carte menu, mainly every tapas dish is under $15. I felt that we were fooled into paying a ridiculous price just because it was the holiday. The asparagus salad had 1 asparagus cut in half with wilted arugula overdressed in white truffle oil, the "winning" meatballs tasted like it came out of the frozen section at ShopRite, the skirt steak tacos marked as gluten free on the menu were served with flour tortillas, my husband had a terrible stomachache from eating the eggplant dip, the paella was bland, the garlic shrimp literally came in a mini pot of 6 pieces. (Sidenote: a real tapas restaurant is Esperpento in San Francisco - $5-10 small plates and more authentic tasting served in slightly larger portions! And their patatas bravas are to die for.) Bottom line: I don't recommend dining at Cravings unless you have a lot of money and don't know what to do with it. I give them 1 star for nice and charismatic staff, and another star for being in a cool location. read more

Really enjoyed the food last night. The 4 of us ordered a nice selection of food and we all shared. We all enjoyed everything. It is small and tight, but the tables are perfectly arranged and it feels comfortable. For being so crowded, the acoustics were great. It was not a challenge to have nice conversation at our table. Service and food were great! There was nothing on the menu that I wouldn't eat! Can't wait to go back! read more

One of my favorite places in Ridgewood. Excellent food and attentive service. Can get a bit crowded on weekends so make a reservation and plan to relax between dishes. Still worth it! read more

I've been to their sister location, Finca and I like that place better. This place is a lot smaller. The staff seemed a bit flustered and while the place had many empty tables they kept turning people away without Reservations which didn't make sense to me as an hour and a half later most of those tables were still empty. The food was good. They tell you to get 2-3 plates per person but they should specify which plates are larger. We ordered 4 plates for two people and left with a bunch of leftovers because two of the four were quite large. I also didn't like that the door was open. There were gnats and flies flying all around our food which was quite annoying and gross. read more

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DO NOT ORDER the Hummus or Babaganoush, absolutely terrible. The steak quesadilla's were terrible. I can't believe this place has 4 stars. The food was definitely sub par and WAYYYYY overpriced! Save your money or go somewhere else. read more

Simply amazing. The atmosphere was great, small place with intimate settings, great bar area tho small, but absolutely love the cozy feel of this upscale eatery. Everything on the menu of fresh and so delicious it's all worth a try! They give you a dessert menu after your meal that's equally delicious. Try not to order one of everything cuss I'm sure it will get pricey! A friend brought us as a treat and what a treat it was! Every morsel was delicious and fresh! The skirt steak with truffle fries was to die for as was the dessert special which was a vanilla cream sweet potato empanada with dulce de leche on the side with lemon sorbet to cleanse the pallet. Absolutely and wonderfully satisfying! read more

Cravings Tapas Bistro - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Ridgewood, New Jersey

I found Cravings on Yelp based on my date night each week with my GF. She is a foodie and has practically been a large amount of restaurants in Bergen County. It was a terrible rainy night and the place was packed - what a surprise - the service from the minute you entered to the end was spectacular. The food was on point meats - cheese - mussels-chorizo. The roasted red peppers with feta was amazing - the last time I had it was in a Montreal and this was as good..We will be back. read more

Simply amazing tapas restaurant. The portions we're just the right size for my husband and I to share 5 dishes. We started with the crab stuffed avocado, crab cakes which had a delicious unique coconut flavor. Next we had the empanadas and croquettes - both flavorful and perfectly seasoned. To top this off, we ordered the flank steak which was incredibly tender. It was served with amazing creamed spinach and some of the best truffle fries we've ever had. And the service was perfect. Highly recommend if you enjoy trying different foods and unique flavors. read more

I visited this place with my brother and mother over the summer and I wasn't really impressed. I'm not really into the whole small plates thing so that might be why. We tried several small dishes, empanadas, creamed spinach, French fries and a few others, overall it wasn't anything remarkable. It was byob which is why it earned a second star, my main issue was the service and staff attitude. We walked in and were the only table in the restaurant, this was about 430. We were told that we can eat but had to be out by 530 as they "sold out the restaurant", we thought this was okay but we didn't like being rushed. Fast forward to when we left, there still was plenty of seating available. I didn't really like that aspect of the restaurant, I don't think I'd go back due to the way we were treated, not necessarily bad, but rushed, making us feel undervalued as a customer. read more

The food is yummy here but like most trendy tapas places, you're paying regular price for a smaller portion. That being said, there were some tasty dishes I would go back for such as: Short Rib Quesadilla Ricotta Gnocci The Elvis Empanada My group shared several things and those were my favorites, everything else was just okay. I do think the inside of the restaurant is classy with new modern décor. The only thing I didn't like was the fact that you have to go downstairs and through a secluded hallway to get to the bathroom... Maybe I'm just paranoid, but it felt like I had to watch my back down there. Lastly, service was amazing! Very attentive and friendly. Not sure I'd go back though, if I'm going to pay $14-$20 for a dish I'd rather just have it be a regular size. read more

I try to be gracious with Jersey eateries but even with this one, ugh! Everything was a little "off", pushy wait staff suggesting ~4 tapas per person (5 total dishes was more than plenty both times I went), to their NYC's best rated meatballs (don't even start). Don't get me wrong, I don't hate this place; I'm just really disappointed by our Yelp brethren to give it an outstanding review. Out of the many things I've tried here, there were 2 things that stood out: Garden Empanadas. Eggplant Hummus with their naan (it's not pita, folks) Creativity is great, but you'll end up missing the point when you start suggesting fusion-esque meals. And sorry Cravings, it fell awfully short. read more

This place was a madhouse on a Tuesday night.. It was so loud when we walked in that while they did have one table available inside, we decided to sit in the outdoor seating area which was fairly empty. The view is not great, rather it is nonexistent.. but it is relaxing to sit outdoors on the sidewalk of a quaint town like Ridgewood and not have it so congested with people and cars as you would have dining outdoors in NYC. We started off with a side of sauteed spinach followed by the lobster sandwich. I couldn't see any lobster even when I poked around, maybe because it was dark outside, but we tasted hints of it hidden behind delicious arugula and egg yolk glazed over the toast. The name of the dish is a little misleading, especially since something similar to a lobster roll came to mind when reading it.. But it was still good and heck, I'd probably order it again. We ordered two of their specials that night, the jalapeno (but-didn't-taste-any-jalapenos) short ribs with yucca fries and the lamb shank with sauteed spinach and risotto. The short ribs were good -- The marinade was very similar to that of Korean dish, galbi jjim, which I'm sure that's where the recipe derived from, but it was obviously presented in a more upscale fashion. The lamb shank was forgettable, in fact, I almost forgot to include it in my yelp review.. On a positive note, the sauteed spinach served with the dish was excellent, strangely much better than when we ordered sauteed spinach as a starter. Overall, we had a pleasant time and we didn't feel rushed at all, even when they started packing up the other outdoor tables at closing time. Our waitress was personable and helpful throughout the night. I'd say this is a nice date spot or for a catch up session with a friend, but I'm only speaking from my experience from the outdoor seating area. Inside seemed way too loud and chaotic for it to be a random Tuesday night.. It wasn't even a young crowd -- I don't think I saw anyone under 40 years old in there besides the servers. I don't like lots of noise or crowded places (or just people) so I probably wouldn't have enjoyed my experience as much had I sat inside. read more

I don't quite understand the rave reviews that this place gets. My wife and I went for lunch last week, and left completely underwhelmed. And while I understand that Bergen County is not the hotbed for great restaurants, I don't think this was a matter of appropriate expectation setting. The best part about our meal was the sangria. The appetizers were okay - we got the tuna tartar and the Inedible onion rings. The main entrées left a lot to be desired. So much so that I did not even touch the gnocchi as it felt like it wasn't a better oil and cream and was not well prepared or well presented. If I come back, it will be only for the sangria. Sorry Cravings, I really wanted to like you as a local resident! read more

Never saw a manager be so abusive and degrading to the waitstaff! I was embarrassed for my waiter. read more

Solid 4 star, tight but fun place. Must try the octopus and crab cakes. Mexican corn salad was very nice. Get 6 dishes for 2 and you can't go wrong. The chocolate bread pudding was great. BYO with $2 cork. Enjoy. read more

Excellent!! Came here a birthday dinner and couldn't have been more pleased with the food, waitress and atmosphere. By far the best empanadas I have ever had! And who doesn't love a place that is BYO? Also, The croquettes and gnocchi are a MUST when you go. read more

Went in for dinner the other night and was told the chef who made cravings is no longer here. Well it definitely was present in the whole experience. The food is subpar in taste and presentation and the owner is not very hospitable. We will not be returning any longer. What a shame. What was once a gem is now mediocre at best. Please someone tell us if you know where the chef goes. read more