My girlfriend and I had a wonderful meal at Halcyon. We had reservations at 6 and were promptly seated. We had a wonderful waitress who was extremely knowledgeable about the choices that were available. For appetizers we had a lovely order of 3 types of salmon and a wonderful build up of tuna tartare,avocado and black bean. The tuna and salmon were both very fresh and the seasonings of everything were perfect. For our entrees I had a wonderful melange of cod, cannelini beans and wild mushrooms in a wonderful broth and my girlfriend had a whole sole which was cooked perfectly in a meunière sauce. For dessert we each had cappuccino and I had an assortment of sorbets and my girlfriend had a lovely coconut torte. I should mention that the portions are all larger than average and we were stuffed by the end of the evening. As other reviews have indicated things can get noisy and by 7 the bar and main dining area were full. Early reservations helped. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone who is interested in a wonderfully prepared seafood dinner. read more

It was a quiet Sunday night, so the atmosphere was a bit dead during our last visit. Our party ordered a combination of meats and seafoods. Fantastic jumbo shrimp cocktail. Scallops and filet were judged as adequate but not inspirational. Maybe it was a mistake to ignore the "Kitchen Confidential" edict never to order seafood on a Sunday. read more

We'd heard a lot about this restaurant over the years, and the menu spoke to us. Tried it last Saturday night. First, the good. The service was attentive from the minute we arrived. Wonderful apps - tuna tartare (substantial portion, great flavor) and wild salmon three ways, excellent. The entrees were less successful - my paella was decent. Giant sea scallop perhaps a bit overlooked as was the shrimp. Her shrimp iceberg wedge had ordinary flavor, and the blue cheese was an unfortunate pairing. And her truffled Parmesan pomme frites arrived cold and leaden, as though they'd been made in advance. At this price level, that kind of mistake is unacceptable. With all the dining options in Montclair, we won't be hurrying back. Not awful, definitely not outstanding. Noise level high but acceptable. Attractive, 'cool' looking space. If we were to go back in the future, we'd probably stick to a few apps. read more

The food was good, however the prices are to high.. service was fair at best.. plenty of places to dine in MONTCLAIR.. don't bother with this place! read more

We arrived at the restaurant at our reservation time. The 2 hostesses chatted/whispered for about 3 minutes before seating us near the bar area where the stools are about 4 inches higher than the booth they're seated across from. Awkward to have to look down at the rest of your party. Then we waited 15 minutes before a waiter came by. He took our drink order and when we asked if we could hear the specials, he said he'd tell us as soon as he came back with our bottle of wine, which took another 10 minutes. He left again to give us MORE time to look at the menu. He came back and asked if we had any questions- so we asked what he recommended as the best appetizers and main courses, at which point he proceeded to read us everything on the menu. Not helpful. We were starving at this point, so we put in an order for the fish tacos and beet salad appetizers and asked for bread. They brought out the 4 smallest pieces of bread I've ever seen- think toddler teething biscuits. As we pondered the less than thrilling menu with entrees averaging $32 a piece and wine at about $15/glass, our apps finally came an hour after getting to the restaurant. While the beet salad was delicious, the taco shells were stale and subpar overall. We ultimately asked for a check and went somewhere else nearby for dinner. I've never done that before! This was disappointing since I just moved from the city and live 4 blocks from the restaurant. Nevertheless I will never come back. Far better places, with quality service and reasonable prices in Montclair. read more

I was so excited to try this place! We frequent the restaurant next door and I was so happy to find time with my hubby to try this one out. To be fair we were 15 minutes late (I did call to let them know) so I get that they had to give up our table and give us a high top table instead. The service was not the greatest for what is supposed to be a nice restaurant. The food was so salty I could not finish my meal. I just wanted to keep the pitcher of water at the table. When it came to dessert we went a few doors down and had the best dessert ever. Made up for the disappointing dinner and service. Unless u like overpriced and over rated restaurants where they make u feel it's an honor to dine at their establishment instead of the other way around. I would not waste your time. read more

New owners as of 2017. If we could give them zero stars we would. Rude staff, over priced, water down drinks, you're better off at the Shannon Rose in Clifton. They're open until 3 am and you don't have to deal with rude staff and water downed drinks at astronomical prices. Stay clear of Haylcon. read more

Great seafood. Great ambiance. The restaurant is two floors (with a lounge upstairs and a full-bar) and decorated beautifully. Service was awesome. Restaurant was crowded but worth the wait. Had a lovely dinner!! read more

Was impressed. Although it was the wait staff which was what impressed me the most. Food was good but I always place a high value on how it's presented. Even good food, when brought out cold or in away where anyone of the party needs to wait, can shave off points on the yummy scale. If the waitress wasn't so attentive, I don't feel that the food would have sustained on its own. The drinks were a little weak. I had three martinis, and could have had a fourth. I didn't have the fourth, just in case there was going to be a delayed effect. There wasn't. The place was a little loud but not to the point that it interfered with a conversation. They originally sat us at a table but when we requested a booth they were very accommodating. Parking is scarce. Overall, it was pretty good, nice selection on the menu. read more

Went there last night with a friend for dinner and drinks and I had a fabulous time. We started in Eagans for drinks and went over to Halycon for dinner. I found the bartenders at Eagans really friendly and proffesional. And they make perfect drinks.. I think next time I will try their own brews we started with a dozen Welfleets and a bowl of the PEIs and both were fresh as can be. The broth that the mussles can in was so good I almost wanted to pick the bowl up and drink it. The fries on them were hot and crisp and gave me something to sop up that delicious broth. For dinner I had the whole bronzino and my friend had the tuna. Both were equally as good and fresh as the starters. I was a chef in Manhattan for years and let me tell you... I would put this place up against any similar type restaurant in the city any day of the week. The crowd was young and hip and the place was packed to the gills. There is no need to make the trek and pay for tolls and parking when I can go up the road to this gem.. I cant wait to go back.. read more

Easy to get a reservation at the last minute and fun to sit at the high table for cocktails and appetizers with a small group. The crab cake and fish tacos are very good. read more

Came here on a Saturday night with a party of 4. It filled up very fast after 7:00. Very nice and clean inside, but the acoustics make the entire restaurant very loud. The menu was short and sweet which I prefer. I started with a special of the night, Beef carpaccio which was amazing. It was the first time I ever tried it and it was nothing short of breathtaking. My entree was the grilled swordfish which was served over a bed of kale in a butter sauce. Very good cut of fish cooked perfectly. My girlfriend got the red snapper which was nice and crispy on the outside and delicate and flaky inside. 2 appetizers, 4 entrees and 1 glass of wine came out to 177$, not bad in my opinion for the quality of food we got. Will definitely go back. read more

My friend and I had dinner reservations for 8:45 last Saturday night. We got to the restaurant around 7:40 hoping to get a bar seat and eat earlier. The place was packed. There were no seats available. We went up to the bar to order drinks while we wait for our reservation. After several attempts, I finally got the bartender's attention who was clearly not enjoying his evening at all, and ordered 2 drinks. When our drinks came, the kind gentleman who was seated at the bar with 2 others offered my friend and I their seats, as they were getting ready to leave. Once I sat down, the same grumpy bartender came over and told me I had to get up and give my seat to the person behind me because he was waiting longer. I was unaware that now one can reserve a bar seat...well I guess if you pay off the bartender he can "save" you a seat. I will say that when we sat at a table for dinner, the waitress was lovely and the food excellent. However, there are other nice restaurants that I can spend my money in that will not treat me with such rudeness at the bar. Will think twice before going there again. read more

I stumbled across this place looking for a bar to kill some time between meetings. The char grilled oysters were fabulous. And the wine was great. They also have jazz night on Mondays. Definitely a place to come back to when I have more time and appetite. read more

We were able to make a last minute reservation for 4 on a Friday night. As we walked up to the place I felt a little underdressed in shorts and a short sleeve button down but I later noticed homeboy at the bar rocking jeans and a hat... so although you can definitely dress it up at this place it's not necessary. We were seated right away at a high top in the bar area, but right up next to the front windows so it really wasn't that bad. Our server introduced herself and took our water order (tap, spring or sparkling) and then we got into the menu. We went with a dozen oysters which were super fresh - the blue points were huge and the Cape Mays were delicious. I had the Grouper with asparagus risotto special which was very good, my girlfriend had the branzino which was also really good and our two other friends had the swordfish and cod which they loved. We also shared a spinach risotto which my GF loved. Really glad we tried this place - nothing necessarily blew me away (although we kinda wanted to order more oysters after the first round) but I would definitely come back if craving seafood and want to stay somewhat local. read more

Food was good, but the primary reason I'd never return is the service. Rude and dismissive, and not worth a second trip.

The service was great. Love the ambience. Everything ordered was delicious. The Mexican street corn, the short rib California burger, and the roasted candy cane & ruby red beet salad were all excellent choices. read more

Noise is unbearable but the food is very good. I don't plan to come back because I'm not a fan of "scenes" or thumping loud music. If you like that kind of thing , by all means go. Servers are very good too. read more

The decor of this place was so beautiful and really made me feel like I was dining somewhere special. Our server was very knowledgeable about all the entrees and was helpful in answering our questions and making suggestions about what to order. For the main course, I got the salmon with Forbidden Rice as a side (what a name!). It was absolutely delicious. The fish was cooked perfectly and the rice was really flavorful. Overall, I really enjoyed my experience here and would love to eat here again. read more

We three enjoyed a delicious seafood meal, excellent service, and a fine super Tuscan on 12/26. Sadly, two of us were struck with severe food poisoning (or so we surmised) six hours later. The owner was unsympathetic and suggested it was "a bug going around." She insisted this had never happened before at Halcyon yet a 2013 reviewer had the same complaint (pun intended). This can happen even in the most careful kitchens, particularly seafood, and I would have revisited Halcyon if she had shown the least consideration, like a meal, or a drink, or an offer to cover the urgent care bill we paid today. Alas, she was as cold and disagreeable as the oysters we were served. read more

Absolutely one of the worst dinner experiences I have had. Came to celebrate my friend's birthday tonight. I have never written a bad review before, but the service was SO terrible that I feel compelled to warn others. Our dinner took over 3 1/2 painful hours. We waited over one hour for our appetizers and weren't even offered bread while we waited. After we complained to the manager, one small plate of bread was brought for 8 people with no apology. The ordeal went on from there, waiting 20 minutes or more for drinks and receiving the wrong dinner orders. Food was good, but the experience was so horrendous that I would caution anyone about dining at this establishment, especially when the manager knew and did nothing to apologize or assist. Two thumbs down. read more

A beautiful atmosphere coupled with an eclectic menu makes for a sophisticated dining experience. I went here for an early dinner on a Friday night. I love the selection of seafood and the wonderful martini and mixed drinks Halcyon has to offer. The decor is beautiful with an elaborate light decor at the main bar and a lounge feel upstairs. I have also been to the lounge upstairs for work-related happy hours and the finger food (calamari, sliders, salad, fries, etc.) has always been spectacular. On my Friday experience, I had a shrimp dish which was rather lackluster as it only had shaved cucumber and cooked shrimp which was supposed to have tandoori spice but lacked any clear spice in the taste. However, we all shared our food and the Chilean Sea Bass special and the soft shell crab made up for my dish. They were fantastic! Coffee and desserts are also excellent. I highly recommend dining here if you're looking for an upscale, fine dining experience off the beaten path in Montclair. read more

Went to Halcyon for the first time and was deeply disappointed. I felt mislead by the staff and felt robbed by the rip off price. I just moved to Montclair and was hoping this could be my new spot for a great dinner after a long week, but it will be hard to return. First, the hostess showed me the special menu from the night before, which made me disappointed when I found out that the meal I had in mind was from last night's menu. Then, the bartender quickly greeted us and walked away without even telling us about the specials. Anyways, she quickly read the specials once we asked about it. We realized that the flatbread was different than the option we saw with hostess, this one was a short rib flatbread. So, I asked the bartender about the veggie flatbread without meat because I am vegan; and she said they could make this one without the short rib, saying that she had seeing it before and it was 'so beautiful'. The flatbread arrived and I could not believe my eyes - corn and onions only, no other veggie. The bartender asked if we wanted the short ribs on the side, but my fiance did not want to over eat and said no. At the end, I paid full price ($18) for a flatbread with corn and onion and they didn't even offer to sub the meat and cheese to any other veggie. I had no idea that the only veggies on this flatbread were corn and onions. The way the bartender said made it seem that this would make a delicious veggie flatbread option. They have sides of broccoli and sauteed spinach on their menu so they could've offer to sub the meat or give me a discounted price for a flatbread without meat and without cheese. I am not blaming the bartender at all (in fact, she was super nice), but I believe that there is a lack of training and hands-on management here. I had traveled this day and was so tired, I didn't want to waste my energy talking about my bad experience. We eat out frequently and have tried many restaurants in the area and in most of them management is present to ensure customer's satisfaction. read more

great upscale seafood restaurant! beautifully decorated inside, perfect for a special occasion!

Worst customer service ever. Bartenders are rude and reserve spots. Impossible to get a seat even when tables are open. This place is a joke. read more

Pretty and that's the end of the positive side of my review. Pricey, $250 for dinner for four with 1 bottle of $40 wine and no desert. The would not matter if the food and service was good. Appetizers were good, we shared oysters and mussels with French fries. Unique way to serve mussels but by the time we got plates and a serving spoon the dish was cold. That would have been OK if the main course turned out better. We had paella, chicken and rice were overcooked. I had cod over beans and mushrooms, it looked great but had no taste. The last dish was scallops over squash. This one was OK. So in summary, appetizers were alright but 3 of the 4 entrees were not worth the price. With so many other fine places to dine in Montclair this is not a place I plan to visit again. If you go and have a better meal then you should write a rebuttal review. Save your money and go elsewhere. read more

Just had dinner out there with elderly parents. I'd heard it was a great kitchen and very upscale. I have to say that the food was excellent almost worth the high prices. But, the bar scene was so loud that our ears are still ringing. There was a large screen sports bar scene happening 10 feet away with hooting and hollering so loud it was unbelievable. The wait staff was nice and fairly attentive, though understaffed. I think that this place needs to decide if they are a loud sports bar or a fine dining establishment. Have to say that I would not recommend this restaurant and kind of want my money and my hearing back. read more

Recently moved to NJ from Manhattan. Was recommended to us by a friend, so we came here for belated Valentine's dinner. started off a little rocky. We had a reservation: early in the eve on a Saturday night. Hostess seated us right next to servers' station. Of all the tables for two available --we hate that when they give you the worst table in the place. We requested to be moved, so she begrudgingly did. We had to repeat that we had a reservation so there's no need to seat us right by the door and next to the servers' area. We had a lovely meal after that. It's pricey-Manhattan prices--we knew that. But the portions are very good. Our server was lovely and knowledgeable and made great recommendations. Had the octopus and tartare. Cod and paella were great. Definitely recommend for a special occasion. Hope the hostessing improves, and wine list could use some updating. read more

We brought my mom here for brunch for her birthday, we've had dinner here before and it was always great, we weren't sure what to expect but we're very happily surprised. Great food and atmosphere and the people were very friendly... we'll definitely be back ! read more

Mouth-wateringly delicious and excellent wait service. Samantha or Sam, our server, was attentive, knowledgeable and sincere. She asked the right questions to get a sense of the wine we wanted, consulted the bartender and returned with a recommended red that was just perfect to our tastes (medium, smooth, spicy red - 2007 Rioja). When it turned out that one f the specials she told us (and we ordered was not available) she gladly spoke with the chef to adjust another of the entrees for us (whole Bronzino with asparagus - adjusted to be deboned with Israeli cous-cous instead of rice). Each entree we ordered was perfectly cooked and seasoned - from seafood paella to cranberry braised short ribs to Bronzino. Enough for a good portion and easily half left over to take home, at reasonable prices (for those used to NYC dining). Halcyon was a gem we're glad we found, and one to which we will certainly return. The only reason I'm giving Halcyon 4 stars is that the host station was empty when we were looking to reclaim our coats and it took a while to be seated with a reservation, then we were seated in the noisy bar area. However, that was Sam's area and it was well worth the ambiance for her service. read more

Nice looking restaurant inside. Lighting is nice and overall a good looking place. We started with grilled Caesar and crab Cake appetizers. Both were quite good. Crab cake is loaded with lump crab meat and had very good flavor. It was huge. Really liked the grilled Caesar. Came with roasted dried tomatoes. It was also different but very good. Would order both again. Entrees were whole Bronzino and cioppino. Large portions for both. They did not skimp on the amount of fish. Bronzino was very good with light lemon sauce and grilled asparagus. Very good dish. The cioppino had a nice saffron broth. Not a traditional San Francisco cioppino but was good. It came with a large assortment of seafood and Parmesan and pea risotto. The risotto was a nice addition. The one complaint would be the shrimp was overcooked but the other seafood was cooked nicely. We celebrated a birthday and enjoyed our time at the restaurant. Bottom line we look forward to a return dinner. read more

I was at Halcyon last night for private cocktail birthday party for a friend. They served hors doeuvers of which most I could not eat because I'm a vegetarian. It was a fairly large party and the waiters and waitresses were busy, but one waitress was able to remember I was a vegetarian and brought me a large vegetarian plate to the bar of delicious falafel and hummus. I had plenty to eat and enough to share with others. I wound up leaving full. Its these details that make a fine restaurant and make me come back :) read more

Good atmosphere and bar scene. Food was awful. I ordered grilled octopus which I had to send back because the fish was old. My friend ordered the lobster tacos, not bad but also not the freshest - why would a chef fry lobster if it was quality? Good place for drinks, eat before you go. read more

This was our second time to Halcyon. Both times were the same, phenomenal!! We had cocktails, a bottle of Rodney Strong Savignon Blanc, the grilled oysters and a selection of raw oysters on the half shell. Entrees were whole Bronzino fish, paella, swordfish steak (the size of a small porterhouse!), and salmon. Everything was perfectly cooked and right out of the oven hot. Our server, Laura was very professional and helpful with explaining the oyster choices and showing us how to de-bone the whole Bronzino fish I ordered for entree. We had a really great meal. The cost for all four of us, with tip was a little over $300. Not cheap by any means, but you are getting what you pay for and then some! There really is no such thing as Good/Cheap food, and they really know how to deliver a great dining experience. They have a really nice granite bar area with high tables and a nice atmosphere. The next time we are in Montclair we'll give it a try! Can't wait! read more

Great vibe, food was beautifully prepared and delicious. Our waiter Mario was terrific. Can't wait to go back.

Great ambiance and very clean. The staff was quick and knowledgeable. The food was very tasteful and the portions were worth the price. The only reason it's not getting 5 stars is because when we went to the bar for a post dinner drink the bartender tried to charge me a $1.33 up charge for ordering a scotch 'neat'. His reasoning was some nonsense about pour size, which was completely untrue. The difference came out of his tip since i had the exact same drink at my table prior to eating and there was no ridiculous 'neat' charge. read more

I love this place. The food is amazing and the staff are fantastic. Wether it be a night out at the bar or a special occasion, this is a great place to have in the rotation. I have tried a lot of the menu and everything is great. read more

Came on a Saturday night with big expectations and left somewhat disappointed. We ordered the Cod Halycon Tacos as an appetizer. Fish tasted fresh but the tacos were very spicy. For my entree I ordered the short rib cheese burger and whatever that sauce they put on the burger completely ruins it. Too strong of a horseradish-like taste. The fries were really good though. My wife ordered the oysters and they came out cold and bland. To be fair, I heard from others in my group that the branzino and steak fillet were very good. In sum, for the amount spent, this place was kind of disappointing. read more

Just finished our dinner. Disappointing. . It was our anniversary! We come here every year but this will be our last visit. We started by asking for a glass of our favorite reislingvThey didn't have it! . They had one bottle and it's $45 which is ridiculous. We had mussels. They were awesome and the two stars that I did give them is for those great mussels! The entree was another story. tERRIBLE! I had shrimp and grits. A far cry from anything you will get in the city. . It was $29 and I got 2 shrimp and a tablespoon of grits!! The shrimp were tough and the dish was over salted. My husband had grouper and it was awful.... soggy and over cooked. Inedible Not at all enjoyable. It basically ruined our anniversary! We were looking forward to our evening out which was cut short due to the terrible experience. We won't return. The most troubling part of this was that the manager never bothered to come and talk to us about it. The waiter apologized and they took the shrimp dish off of our bill. It made no difference to us. We were just seriously disappointed with the whole thing ! The more we think about it the angrier we get! Montclair has many great restaurants. This is not one of them read more

terrible service on a thursday night. The soup was salty and over priced. I will not be returning or recomending.