Go to the restaurant minimum once a month and there's a reason…read more Quality of the food is one of the best in north jersey along that's a BYOB MUST TRY

hands down the best food in Montclair. i have been here several times and each time its always…read moregreat. i have been trying to work through the menu, but its hard not to order the lasagna, its just that good. it is always busy but never cramped or crowded. being byob is great and there is a liquor store not far away. highly recommended

Visited again - 04/18/2026 with wife and SIL. This was the…read morefirst time for my SIL who loved everything she had. (The Frito Misto, Polenta Limone and the Funghi (roasted mushrooms). We've been trying to get her to come here with us and she's glad she finally did. My wife and I shared the Arugula salad, the Frito Misto... but I went with my 'normal'... Amatriciana (bucatini, guanciale & chili). Love this dish. My wife opted for the Risotto Cioppino, which she also loved. As you can see and as I've said before, we love Boschetto... and it's a BYOB!

This was a really nice Italian restaurant. It feels like an elevated pizzeria. You order and pay at…read morethe counter and then the food comes to you. The pizza was delicious! The shrimp and calamari appetizer was delicious. Free parking in the lot.

THEE Best around! Their pastas are made fresh and in house. Whatever it is that you order is…read moresucculent and Devine - a religious experience! Staff is amazingly attentive, professional and super friendly. I like that the Chef makes an occasional appearance making it a personable experience. Prices are up there but money well spent.

Laboratorio Kitchen was a BYOB Italian restaurant in the heart of downtown Montclair. It was a…read morestunning space with sleek, modern furniture and walls adorned with vibrant, colorful artwork. The service was impeccable from the moment we arrived until the second that we left. From a food perspective, our meal initiated with a basket of some of the best rolls I had ever had. They were large, fluffy, and doughy with a hint of crispiness from a light toasting. We then shared the Veal and Beef Meatball, which was gigantic but still managed to have the ideal texture. It was also beautifully seasoned and served in what the chef called his "grandma's plum tomato sauce", which was divine! The sauce was thick and hearty, so when that was paired with pecorino cheese and basil oil, it really made for a fabulous dish. I even cut off a small piece to put inside my roll with a spoonful of sauce - chef's kiss! After that, we enjoyed some of the house-made pasta dishes, tasting each in a family-style format. The Squid Ink Bucatini was tossed with scallops, shrimp, and jumbo lump crab in a seafood tomato sauce. I did not love the briny finish to the sauce or that some of the scallops were chewy. The Tagliatelle with Duck Bolognese, tomatoes, and carrots was good, but I prefer my pomodoro sauce without the addition of a "light cream". Lastly, the special Spaghetti came with lobster, crab, and peas in vodka sauce. That one was definitely my favorite. While I do not love peas, the sauce was rich and flavorful. Across these last two dishes, I thought the pasta was a tad overcooked and could have been more al dente; the bucatini consistency was more inline with my preferences. Overall, I thought the food at Laboratorio Kitchen was above average, but that the service and atmosphere helped elevate the place. I would definitely consider going back to try some of their other dishes.

Had dinner here a few weeks ago and WOW Montclair really is not giving up its title for best food…read morecity anytime soon. We're still slowly working our way through local spots, and Brick + Dough was highly recommended to us. We started with garlic knots, bread, and fries, and honestly... 10/10 across the board. Everything was SO good. The fries especially are still living rent free in my head. We then split three pizzas, all of which were seriously incredible. The perfect balance of cheese, sauce, and crust, just absolutely nailed. We ended the night with cookies and ice cream, and I can confidently say this place will be seeing me again very, very soon. It might even end up replacing our current go-to pizza spot...

We came here for a dinner date with some friends and their dog. They were able to accommodate us…read moreoutside to be able to have the dog with us, which was very nice as we always look for outdoor spaces to be able to bring our furry friends. The service was nice, especially because even though we were the only table sitting outside, they were consistently coming out to make sure we were doing OK and had everything we needed. We ordered some garlic knots, which were good, it just seemed a little bit pricey to charge for the marinara sauce separately, which was not really outstanding nor something special, so I would recommend you skip it. We also ordered the chicken vodka Parm pie which was very good. The chicken was very crispy and the pizza was still delicious the next day when we had the leftovers. One of her friends is allergic to gluten, so it was very nice that they were able to accommodate for her. I do wanna point out that we have been to many places that offer gluten-free options and this is the first one I've been to that does charge you extra to make a gluten-free. In terms of price, it is very similar to the other places in Montclair but they do provide very good service and the ambience both outside and inside is very nice.

Went here for a birthday dinner and the ambiance was very nice and festive…read more For appetizers, we got the goat cheese with nuts and prosciutto, the burrata, and the calamari. The calamari was by far the best. It was crispy and thick and seasoned well and the sauces were delicious. There were some fried onions in it that were flavorful too. The goat cheese was okay, it felt like the flavors did not all go together. The burrata was very fresh and the starter bread is great too. For dinner we got the pork shank which I think was a special, the mushroom ravioli, the eggplant pasta with red sauce and the branzino special with veggies and a sauce. The mushroom ravioli tasted a little like mush to me and I was not a fan of the mushroom flavor. The eggplant pasta was delicious and it came with burrata that melted nicely into the pasta. The pork shank was tender and delicious. The branzino was the star for sure, it was flavorful and delicate and paired well with the sauce and the veggies. For dessert we got the pistachio tartufo and the tiramisu. I didn't think the tiramisu was very special but it wasn't bad. The tartufo was okay. It tasted like a pistachio chocolate ball inside of pistachio ice cream. It was also incredibly small for the price. Our waiter was fantastic!!! Great person who made our experience extremely special. I don't know if I would come back, maybe for the calamari and a drink. Some of the food is amazing and some is not that great.

The atmosphere was very nice. There was a violinist playing during dinner which made the ambiance…read moreeven better. I didn't have time to pick up a bottle of wine but the restaurant had a local store that delivered directly to our table, which was super convenient! My friend and I ordered appetizers and a main course. The food was plated nicely but was really underwhelming. I ordered the tuna tartar. The tuna was fresh but lacked flavor. It really just needed some salt or something. I also had the 14oz steak which was pretty good because it had some salt on it however the steak came out precut and did not look like a $58 steak. My friend hated both of her dishes. She had the burrata and the lasagna. She said they both lacked flavor. We paid over $200 for our meal and I was actually disappointed that I paid so much money for such mediocre food. I gave 3 stars for the atmosphere and service. Our server Julian was very nice and attentive.

10/10, no notes!! I literally cannot wait to eat my…read moreleftovers today. We ordered quite a few items because we wanted the full experience after waiting so long to try this restaurant. WORTH ALLLL THE HYPE!! Speaking of hype, the vibes were good and the type of atmosphere that anyone would feel welcomed in. I saw dates going on and enjoying the tasting menu which is the perfect way to bond, groups of guy friends, families and then us, girls night out to catch up with my best friend. By the way- service was great, too. Friendly, fun & personable from everyone we encountered. Back to the food: *Calamari, super yum! *Caesar Salad, very yum!! Not your ordinary *Pescatarian Bestie ordered the Shrimp Scampi and enjoyed it! I ordered the Wagyu Short Rib Ramen and wowza, it's everything I hoped it would be and more. A generous portion of tented beef, I almost wish the ratio of ramen was higher though but seriously no complaints! I will be back, STAT!! Don't forget to bring your own vino cause it's BYOB

Let's start by saying our server Matthew was incredible. He was observant, on top of everything,…read moreand had high awareness of the kitchen being behind and slow. We really didn't care about that as we were enjoying our wine and each other. Matthew alone 5 stars! This was our first time eating at pastaRAMEN and we had heard a lot of mixed reviews. The pictures on-line make it look like a fancy place so we did dress up. When we arrived we quickly realized it's not what they advertise and what's in the pictures as it's actually a small run down dive spot. The biggest attraction must be its BYOB as the line was out the door with people holding 2-3 bottles of wine and beer. We were really hopping for the food to be great! Unfortunately we were disappointed causing the 2 star review on food alone. The quality and freshness was poor and everything was soaked in multiple sauces. We had the Cucumber salad that should have been called the pickle salad as there were more pickles than cucumbers. Also the calamari which is hard to mess up but they somehow did with 3 different sweet sauces on it. Next we had the Ramen which they are known for and it had Fried Chicken in it??? It was frozen store bought chickens they warmed up. The last thing we ordered was the black cod, this could have caused us to get food poisoning!! One bit each and we both had to take a sip of wine quickly to get the taste out of our mouths. We couldn't even take a second bit. They did give us free dessert because everything took so long which was very nice but that was our great server Matthew. Dessert was good! Another side note the bathrooms were absolutely disgusting with pee on the floors and all over the toilet in both bathrooms. We did have a good night because we brought a very nice bottle of wine. Too bad they didn't give you real wine glasses. It was more of a plastic cup. I don't see us ever going back.

Food was outstanding my wife and myself are foodies and this was one of the best restaurants we've…read morebeen to in a long time. Service was very attentive and pleasant. Will be back many times.

Terrible experience. I went on a whim with a friend who wanted to try it out. What harm right? How…read morewrong I was! The food was just awful. The meat had a funny smell ;you know that funky smell you get with old meat? Yeah, there it was. The vegetables were limp and lifeless. The service was the worst of it. We waited forever for a seat only to have the menus tossed at us as that person walked away. When a waiter finally came by, it was very 'what do you want? Stop wasting my time' attitude. Forget about questions. No no no. If you arent a regular than sucks to be you. They Clearly had favorites based on intersctions with a nearby table. When i got my meal and brought uup the fact that I asked for an ingredient to be taken off (note, not substituted, just not on the dish), the server grabs my dish harshly and mutters a racial slur. I was furious but just wanted to get through the meal without further incident. I had already decided i would never come back and I would never recommend thiis place to anyone. It was just so unpleasant, you couldnt pay me to go again. If you dontgett food poisoning from their rancid ingredients, your mood will certainly decay within a matter of minutes by being there. Avoid this place!

The food at Matthew's Italian Restaurant was absolutely delicious, and the service was just as…read moreimpressive. We were arranging a repast and originally expected 16 to 18 people. Less than an hour before everyone arrived, our count jumped to 30. The Matthew couldn't have been more accommodating. When I apologized for the last-minute change and thanked him for making it work, he simply said, "The answer is never no." That kind of flexibility and customer service is rare. Everything came out on time, the food was excellent, and our family was able to spend time together without worrying about the logistics. If you're looking for great Italian food and genuinely caring service, I highly recommend Matthew's.

Try the chicken parm Try the espresso martinis…read moreTry the fried calamari Try the ceasar salad Try the berries and cream Try the dirty martinis Try the straccatella soup Try the stuffed artichoke Try the fresh pasta Try the seafood dishes Try the veal Try the Sunday Sauce!! Try everything!!!!