Matt and his fabulous gourmet food is always a wonderful treat!

Per Gordon Ramsay's advice, I remain very skeptical over restaurants located in strip malls. But as for this place, I was very impressed with the ambience, the service, the quality of food, and the reasonable prices. The total for 4 of us came to around $100, but we brought our own bottles of wine. The waiter totally forgot our risotto appetizer, but we didn't need it anyway since we ended up taking home half our entrees. The pasta was excellent was cooked al dente. Just the way I like it. The chef/owner approached our table at the end of our dinner and started doing shots of sambuca with us. Cool. read more

This place is absolutely amazing! Seared scallops with crabmeat is one of my favorite meals ever out! So much flavor and the portion was so fulfilling. I was stuffed when I left. Amanda our waitress was so adorable and sweet she made the experience even better. I cannot wait to go back! read more

Gourmet Cafe - Italian Near Me - Parsippany, New Jersey

My wife and I just had a baby and wanted to go on a special "push date ". Our parents are taking care of our 13 day old and we decided to try this popular restaurant. We just got here. So far so good hence the 5 stars secondary to great service and smiling staff. Will provide more feedback after dinner. Finished meal. Delicious. Great service and food. Thanks for the rest and relaxation from a newborn baby chef Mike read more

Gourmet Cafe - Italian Near Me - Parsippany, New Jersey

See all

Here's the deal.... This quaint restaurant in a strip mall could go unnoticed if the food and service wasn't so good! I've been here 3x times for either lunch or dinner and it's never disappointing! Always nice when the owner stops by to your table to see how every thing went!! Prices are reasonable and it's a BYOB!!! Great place! read more

Great quaint restaurant for lunch and dinner. Matthew is such a sweet guy. The wait staff is extremely friendly as well. The menu consists of salads, sandwiches, pastas, and specials. All of which are made to order and extremely fresh. I've tried a handful of items and the lobster ravioli is my favorite lunch dish. It's very creamy and flavorful. During my last visit I order the grilled salmon. It came with a healthy piece of salmon and mixed vegetables. The salmon could've used a little more seasoning but it was good nonetheless. I love this restaurant and will continue dining here! read more

See all

I just had another incredible dinner at Gourmet Cafe. Pignoli Crusted Scallop appetizer followed by mouthwatering Beef Short Rib Risotto. Perfect ending was Strawberry Mousse Cake and Cappucino. Service is warm and friendly. Carly, Armando, and Chef Matt are all pleasant and attentive. I recommend making a reservation, but walkins are welcomed when possible. read more

Service was pleasant and attentive, the decor was homey but overcooked, and I mean really overcooked with truly uninspired tomato sauce. The shrimp and sausage were fine so I picked them out of the dish. Italian food is nearly the native cuisine in NJ, and there are so many excellent restaurants at reasonable prices that you can go to that returning here is not in the cards. read more

Terrible. Food quality: poor. Taste was just ok and portions were small. Entrees were described as being served with "seasonal potatoes and vegetables". Dinners were served with mushy sweet potatoes that were clearly made the day before and boiled carrots. This is summer in NJ with fresh produce available everywhere!!! Never have I been to an Italian restaurant that served both these orange items together! Service: very poor. The plates were literally tossed in the table by a frowning server. Noise level: poor. Sorry but this is all true. read more

Oh my goodness...what a spectacular meal I just had here. Based on other Yelp reviews, I strolled in just before Six pm on a Thursday and was immediately seated. The waiter quickly came over with a menu, water and the list of specials. I ended up ordering a pasta dish with shrimp scallops and sausage in a vodka sauce and it was spectacular! The portion was not too much and not too little and was nicely complemented with a small Caesar salad with just the right amount of dressing. I could not order dessert because I was full and I left thinking that this was a five star perfect meal. read more

Gourmet Cafe - Italian Near Me - Parsippany, New Jersey

Chef Matt has perfected the preparation of classic and newer style meals. He listens to his customers. This is a great BYOB that's been around for decades. Don't miss trying it whenever you're in the area. read more

Great dinner with friends. Everything was delicious. Owner was there and was amazing! He even shared a taste of his lemon and apple cello.

My husband and I walked out before even ordering. The greeting left a bad taste in my mouth. We walked in and there were only TWO other tables sat. Not all, not 5, TWO! The man asked us if we have a reservation...... we said no. He LOOKED AROUND at all of the empty tables and said he thought he could squeeze us in. I was baffled. We sat down, looked at the menu for a few minutes without ever being greeted. After a while, I decided, "you know what? No". We put the menus down and walked out. Noone stopped us and we won't be back. read more

Stop before you wast your $$$ and time. Most disappointing meal ever. We took my Husband out for Fathers Day and he had a stomach ache all night. We were up-sold to split the scallops and crab Vodka sauce... Not only was the seafood over cooked and fishy, the Vodka sauce was like eating tomato paste out of a can. To add insult to injury they split the meal in the back served it in 2 tiny bowls and put all the seafood in my Bowl... It really was a joke... Oh and then there was this entire debate about how they didn't purchase enough scallops from Resteraunt depot so we could only get 1/2 a portion. We Blew 100 bucks BIGGEST REGRET EVER Going there! read more

This is long overdue. I've been here many times... had a private party here as well, I always feel at home, always have a great meal. Wonderful ambience, great staff and the owner/chef is a great guy. Highly recommend. BYOB Chef knows his fish!! I love the Risotto Croquettes, Orecchiette Bolognese, and the Pork Chop Giambotta. Make reservations now, thank me later read more

Small dining area, need reservations most days. Owner is super nice and comes to your table most times to check in with you and how you like your meal. Food is excellent and portions are decent. You won't be disappointed. read more

Excellent food @ reasonable prices. Each and every staff is personable and extremely attentive. This includes the owner/chef, Matthew, who personally takes the time to check with each diner about his/her experience. A hidden gem. In view of pandemic, we had dinner delivered. Food was as delicious and warm as if directly served from kitchen to table. Try it! However, looking forward to the day we can eat at the restaurant again. read more

Gourmet Cafe has been a long time family favorite for a few reasons. First, the food is always fantastic for lunch and dinner. I've never had a dish here that I didn't like. Often times I steer clear of specials menus, but the last two times, I chose the table's favorite dish from the specials. Tonight I had their Chicken Sorrentino which was delicious. Last time I dined here, Chef Matthew prepared one of the most incredible entrees I've ever had in my life - Braised Short Rib Risotto with mushrooms, apples, scallions, natural jous, and shaved parm. I was hoping and praying it would be on the menu tonight. If this thing made its way onto their permanent menu, this restaurant would be the hottest around. If you happen to come here and it is being sold that night, I highly encourage you to order this. The service here is also worth mentioning. Joe has been taking our order for years, and you can tell he takes a ton of pride in his job. He gives great advice when I'm torn between a few entrees; he clearly knows the menu well. He also knows his customers well. For example, before we arrived, our table was set so that all the waters had ice with the exception of my moms (Rosanne) because heaven forbid she have water with ice. Although the bread is typically served with butter, (upon request) he also does a great job in creating the perfect blend of olive oil, parmesan, and freshly ground pepper to dip the bread in. The majority of the time, the chef comes out at some point to check in on things. He is so passionate about his restaurant and really cares about guests leaving happy. The prices are reasonable and the restaurant is BYOB. Basically, you can't go wrong at Gourmet Cafe. read more

You can't ask for a better owner/chef than Matt @ Gourmet Cafe. His menu is always changing, interesting and delicious. If the mussels are on the menu, get them!!! Can't wait for them to open up. read more

This was our 1st time here tonight but we will definitely be back! When you combine terrific Italian food, great service, and the chance to chat with the very nice owner, Chef Matthew, you definitely have a winner. To top that off, it's byo, so the price of our meal was very reasonable. We had the bolognese (sorry no idea how to spell it lol) and pasta with shrimp and scallops. Kinda regret not ordering the scallops and crabmeat but hey, next time, right? For dessert do yourself a favor and get the bread pudding, Chef Matthew's own recipe and sooo good. read more

Hello, I wish to amend my review. I ate here again after being contacted by the owner. Something I felt about his response; he contacted me in a very professional manner, and it was a personal reply, not an automated response. I'm sure the owner has things he would rather do than answer online reviews, so thank you for your time. Service, just as good as last time, Amanda has an excellent memory and is a super sweet person, she even remembered me. Food : perfect. Ambiance did not change. Price: far more reasonable. Why one less star? It was very loud, I could barely hear across the table. Some constructive criticism would be, if you could add some space, it would do a world of good. Bottom line: Thanks for what you do for the community, and thanks for being courteous to me over my previous review. I hope you restaurant continues to thrive. read more

Over-priced, under-sized and not that good. Vinny from a previous review must have been drunk. We started with the antipasto which was very light on the meat, heavy on the pepperoncini and hardly had any dressing. I ordered the veal piccata and I could have had three of them, but it was $21 a pop. Tiny little shavings of veal, dried up potatos, but the veggies were goMy boyfriend got the chicken marsala and it was small and in bland in flavor. He never uses salt but he did today. We left the place hungry after spending $57. We got back to our hotel and ordered delivery. The servers were very freindly, sweet and helpful. In response to your reply: This is what enough food looks like! It taste better than your food and it cost $6 less. read more

Gourmet Cafe - Italian Near Me - Parsippany, New Jersey

I was new in town, tired, and hungry after a long day of traveling and interviewing. I checked Yelp for local restaurants and I saw this little gem. It's a small restaurant with cozy and homey feel. The staff were attentive and courteous. I ordered the fish special served with white beans, steamed vegetables, and sweet potato cubes. Everything thing was fresh and delicious. The complimentary bread rolls were warm perfection. It's BYOB and I was alone with 2h drive ahead of me after a long day day so I followed my head and not my heart; so I had some Earl Grey tea! I'm looking forward to visiting again for the full experience. read more

Gourmet Cafe - Gourmet Cafe - Fish Special - Italian Near Me - Parsippany, New Jersey

Excellent seafood and must go for Italian seafood lovers. Mussels and bread pudding desert is a must. Lobster crab ravioli is my favorite.

excellent fresh food every single time I've been here. This place is good to the point that I get takeout from here on a weekly basis. I must say that the chef is a creative master and creates specials that are just over the top superb. I haven't had a bad meal here and cannot really think of any flaws with the food, service, or atmosphere of Gourmet Cafe. While the restaurant is small, and in a strip mall, I cannot say that the food is as such that you would find in a strip plaza. Pricing is great for the quality of the food and ingredients are always fresh. would recommend a dish, but I like just about everything here. read more

See all

Excellent food and service! I am sorry I did not snap a picture of the butterscotch bread pudding as well as the portabello mushroom and artichoke with reduced balsamic sauce...to die for! read more

See all

We tried Gourmet Cafe last night based on both the reviews, and it was a good half way spot between our friends home and ours. We were so hapy we went! When I made the reservation I could already see this is a place that really cares. We couldnt get a table until 8:30, so I asked where would be a good spot to meet for a cocktail beforehand. (Gourmet Cafe does not have a bar, but you can bring your own drinks) They had several suggestions and even gave us the name of a competitors restaurant that did have a bar. When we arrived, Joe the floor manager greeted me by my first name. He got us seated and went above and beyond all evening to make sure we were well taken care of. This is a small place (maybe 15 tables) and reasonably priced for all that you get.. We had 4 appetizers and 4 entrees and 2 desserts and our bill was 80 per couple before tip. The mussels appetizer was delicious..very fresh and I could eat their marinara sauce all day. These are not huge mussels, but they are clean and there wasnt the single nasty mussle that you usually get in the bunch. We also had the portabello mushroom appetizer which was big enough to share and also delicious. The scallop appetizer was also a winner. The crab and bean salad appetizer was also tasty and perfectly dressed. I would want a tad more crab on that one. My entree was the orechietta with shrimp and sausage. Pasta cooked perfectly, sauce with just the right amout of spice, shrimp crisp and not event the slightest bit over cooked, and lean flavorful italian sausage slices. No tails on any of the shrimp either! My friend was very impressed with that. My husband got the vongole and it was also fresh and delicious. Our friends got the arctic char and the whole wheat pasta and shrimp with a sauce she asked them to customize for her. They did this happily, as we were told when we got seated. If they have the ingredients they are happy to create it for you! So nice to find such great customer service. Our waitress took our long order without writing it down. I thought for sure there would be a few mistakes..but all came out as ordered. Lastly we tried two of the desserts..The butterscotch bread pudding and the chocolate Godiva ice cream with the Godiva chocolate shell. YUMMMM..both excellent. Matt (chef/owner) did come out and speak with us about his career and love of this restaurant. Very nice guy who is proud of what he has created at this place, as he should be! read more

Really good Italian and good prices. I had chicken piccata and it was just perfect, as was my side of penne alla vodka. Only restaurant who did not charge me extra for vodka sauce, which was a plus. Service was nice. Everyone at the table enjoyed their meals. Oh, and the butterscotch bread pudding was delicious. BYOB is a plus, of course! read more

Was a little nervous that this place is in a strip mall, but was pleasantly surprised. The food was great, service was a little leisurely, but very personable. I had veal that was pounded so thin, I thought they forgot to put it on the dish. Fabulous. Everything was delicious. Had the mussels, port mushroom appetizer, and veal. Had some sorbet mixture thing for dessert. Awesome. Great food, price is right. Would go here again and bring others. Bonus: BYOB read more

I have been a regular at the Gourmet Café for 6+ years and NEVER had a bad meal or experience. Generally, most of my time is spent there during lunch; however I've been there for dinner several times and also utilized the Gourmet Café's catering services for holiday's at home. When colleagues from other offices visit, they request lunch at the Gourmet Café. The food is always cooked to order, made with fresh ingredients and most importantly - delicious! Matt, the Chef/Owner is a genuinely nice guy and can be seen engaging with his patrons regularly. His dedication, work-ethic and passion as a restaurateur are validated by his ever-presence at the restaurant. Simply put - if the door is open, Matt is there! Matt's interaction with patrons gives him the ability to listen to what they have to say. He incorporates their feedback and suggestions into his cuisine. One example is the, now famous, Tomato basil soup! Originally, this was only offered as an occasional special. However, due to overwhelming demand - it's now a staple offering everyday! A few regulars have had the distinct honor of their named credited on the daily specials menu. Matt's high-standard for food transcends to his service-staff. Service is top-notch and the staff are always friendly and personable. I highly recommend the Gourmet Café! read more

We enjoyed this restaurant after hearing about it on our town's Facebook support page. It did not disappoint! I would go as far as to say it is now currently our favorite Italian restaurant. We went with our extremely picky eater children and were nervous, as a result. They're not big into Italian food, pasta or sauce; but we figured we'd give it a try. Everybody loved their dish! My one daughter had fillet of sole that came with sweet potatoes, and string beans. My other daughter had angel hair pasta in garlic garlic olive oil sauce with scallops and shrimp. I had lobster raviolis in a pink vodka sauce with a huge amount of baby shrimp sprinkled throughout. And my husband had a rigatoni carbonara that also had shrimp and sausage in it. Absolutely amazing! Everybody thought they had the best dish! And the owner / Manager / chef is a gem too! My girls were hoping to get lemonade and they didn't have any on the menu and the owner happen to be walking by and said no worries I'll just go next-door and pick you up a couple cans which he proceeded to do! We go out to eat quite a bit and this restaurant will definitely make it onto our list as a regular place to visit! What a treat! read more

I have been to this place a few times, and have been satisfied every time. Although it is frustrating that it is always they are booked up, that is understandable because it is small with limited tables and seems to do well. We got the spiedini all romana as an appetizer which was average, but then the entrees were: lobster and crabmeat ravioli in vodka sauce, and veal marsala. I shared the entrees with someone else and we both loved them. The ravioli specifically was amazing with bits a lobster in the creamy pink sauce. I must say, the menu doesn't jump out at you and the dessert options are not fantastic, but this gets 4 stars because every time I walk away happy with what I ate. read more

Gourmet Cafe - Lobster and Crabmeat Ravioli in Vodka Sauce and Veal Marsala - Italian Near Me - Parsippany, New Jersey

Just ate here for the first time.....I loved it and so did my husband. The portobello mushroom appetizer was unbelievable. My husband had fillet of sole, he said it was outstanding and I had pasta with shrimp and broccoli rabe....it was cooked perfect. We will be back...I must say it was as good as Italy. Well.....we went back and it was just as good as the first time....it was a Sunday around 5:00pm and by the time we left it was packed. I will make reservations if I want to dine later in the evening. By the way this us the only restaurant that makes my favorite pasta Trofie...... read more

There is a reason this place is rated so highly! Great food at a fair price. The restaurant is tucked away in a row of shops but upon walking in there is a beautiful, quaint, white-cloth restaurant in an intimate and warm environment. The service is attentive and happy to be there. The food is plated with care and is as nice to look at as it is to eat! The desert menu looked wonderful but I was too full of the delicious ravioli to try it - next time I will start with desert!! Don't let the white table cloths fool you, though! I brought in my 4 and 6-yr old and almost left thinking it was 'too nice' for kids at a busy lunch time. The staff (including the manager and chef Matthew Pierone) are wonderful and genuine and ensured we felt welcome and had everything we needed. We will be back, frequently! read more

Gourmet Cafe - Delicious ravioli! - Italian Near Me - Parsippany, New Jersey

Never noticed this restaurant before (for some reason, I thought they were part of the bagel shop next door)...stopped in to pick up a salad for lunch. Was very impressed. Menu looks great and I noticed other customers food seemed hot and fresh when they were brought to the table. Will have to go back to try more, but so far....I really like this little spot. read more

By far the best restaurant in the area. Small but not overcrowded. The food is outstanding and the service is superb. Never disappointing. The chef Matt is an expert at preparing very delicious dishes according to your taste. The staff are always friendly and looking to please the customers. A bonus is that it is a BYOB so the prices are very reasonable. Last night I enjoyed the best dish that I ever had. I ordered the short rib risotto with mushrooms and peas. It was perfectly prepared and absolutely delicious. I've had risotto before but this was such a wonderful combination of flavors, that I literally enjoyed every mouthful. Highly recommended. Make a reservation to guarantee a table. This place gets booked because its popularity is really increasing. read more

Gourmet cafe is a cute little byob italian restaurant located in a small strip mall. Ive passed it so many times didn't even know it existed until I went there with a friend who frequents the place. I've been here 4 times and it's great! The food is always fresh and delicious. They cook to order so you can modify things here and there for the most part. The waitstaff is awesome. So nice and attentive. Great place for a date or a party! The owner is also really cool. He comes out to greet and check on tables. Every time I've been here has was for a girls night out and we always end up closing the place down. But we have never been rushed out. The owner lets us hang out as long as we want and even offers us shots of sambuca and limoncello after dinner. Despite being sort of hidden in a strip mall, it does get pretty busy especially on weekends. I'll be back!! read more

Delicious! You'll need a reservation. Amazing italian food, great service, small family feel to the place. My fiance's parents and my parents came here to meet and enjoy their first dinner together. Gourmet Cafe did not disappoint. read more

Surprisingly happy at my first outing here! A few friends and I came for lunch after hearing about how great it is several times. We were all pleasantly surprised and really enjoyed our lunches. It was reasonably priced and the portions were good sizes. The service was fantastic- our glasses were never empty and everyone was so friendly. I was with my 6 month old baby who dropped his toys several times on the floor; one of the waiters even went in the back and washed it off for me. We will definitely come back in the future for dinner. Highly recommend! read more

Call ahead even for a table of two because this place seems to always be filled. Great variety of Italian dishes made to your liking and great service. Portions are just right if you don't fill up on the bread. Save room for dessert! BYOB read more