This is the best Italian (+greek) in Ridgewood. They consistently serve great dishes, some of our favorite new apps with a greek twist and the owners are such sweethearts. A romantic little spot to take the wifey. Make a reservation cause they have different seating times inside and it does fill up in the evening. Outside seating in the warm months is a plus. Especially since your away from the main strip in a quiet corner of Ridgewood. Note: If you don't want to hear the specials speak up. When we know what we want we skip the explanation. read more

The food is not bad here for the most part. Hostess/Owner is a little mundane with her spiel about the specials & how her husband cooks. This part I would like to skip or speed up. Service is weird though; One of the waiters (short stocky guy) irritated me the last time I was there by cleaning my family's appetizer plates away while I was still eating & then taking my plate away while I had my fork in my hand & not finished. This was on a Sunday night too when there was plenty of tables open. read more

Not sure what happened to this restaurant. I had been here many times and considered it one of my favorite. Just went back after a long break. Not a good experience. To start, making a reservation. There are seatings for Saturday night. No problem. However, the restaurant was not filled. And the only seat they said was available was at the door. Noisy and cramped. The waitress was inattentive and did not seem to be comfortable in her position. Maybe she was new? They seemed to rush the meal. Tried to take the plate while I was still eating, twice !! Then at the end of the seating time, they rushed to get us out. Even though the restaurant was clearly not filled. My dining experience was not relaxed. I found the food to be mediocre at best. That was the other disappointment. Not sure what happened to La Lanterna. I hope it was just an off night read more

Wonderful dinner at La Lanterna. We were a party of 4 on a Tuesday night, and we BYO-ed. We were immediately greeted as we sat down, and I have to say that every member of the staff seemed extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the menu. Its refreshing to see employees that seem genuinely happy to be there. The specials were so descriptive that we had a hard time deciding which appetizer to get. We decided on the fritters and the PEI mussels as we sipped our wine that was attentively refilled consistently throughout our dinner, along with water, gotta stay hydrated. The fritters were DELISH. Wish I could make delish more capitalized than it already is. Hot, crisped to perfection, and accompanied by a DELISH eggplant sauce. Nailed it. For my entrée, I ordered the pesto cappelini with shrimp. Shrimp were decently sized and perfectly cooked. Great ingrediants, great staff, great atomosphere. I'm definitely a fan, La Lanterna. See you soon. read more

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Very friendly hostess and wait staff. Not sure why there are only 2 dinner seatings at 6 and 8. Dinner is traditional Italian. Housemade pasta is done very well, and the portions are big. The food is good but not amazing. I had the seafood pasta special, and the housemade pappardelle was fresh and soft, but some of my seafood was overcooked. It was supposed to be spicy and it wasn't. The lasagna noodles were soft and the sauce was good, but it was missing that pop. The dishes were just missing that something that's hard to put your finger on. It also is definitely on the pricer side...my pasta special was $35 and we were surprised the sparkling water cost almost $7! The dessert was also not very special. read more

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This was our favorite restaurant and we were interested to try it  under new owners.  BIG mistake !!  Food was ok bit not to the level it was previously and the potions size was alot smaller.  I got Penne with Vodka and it had no taste and very little pasta. That being said, when we finished we said we would give it one more try in the future before we wrote it off as a place not to go. That all changed when we got the bill.  They added 4% to each item as a fee for paying with a credit card and then they charged tax on top the the already pumped up charge.  We were paying with cash and Gift card so that should not have been charged the higher price.  They actually seemed annoyed when I pointed it out and then it took the 15-20 minutes to fix the issue and give me a new bill. Combo of billing issue and iffy food we have decided not to return and this is after being a loyal customer for 17 yrs read more

My experience at La Lanterna was, for the most part, very enjoyable. The entire team at La Lanterna was incredibly welcoming and accommodating, and were always available when we had any additional questions or requests. The food was pretty good (zucchinni fritters are a MUST), but nothing overwhelmingly special. The only complaint I have is that they don't provide a separate menu (or poster/sign) for their dinner specials (and trust me, there are a lot), because the hostess and waitstaff recite it by memory. (aka..I feel bad asking them to repeat things and I have trouble picking an entree without mulling over a list!) Also, BYOB!!! read more

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Visited La Lanterna with some former coworkers for our annual "reunion" if you will. It was hot as hell so we opted to sit inside but had the weather been agreeable, we would have loved to dine al fresco. After being seated and settling in, the owner/chef's wife rattled off a ton of specials for the night. All of them sounded amazing so admittedly, we had a difficult time choosing. Apps for the table - zucchini fritters and the crab cakes. I highly recommend both. The fritters had a wonderful crunchy shell and came with a nice, chunky dip. The crab cakes were loaded with fresh crab meat...sweet and tender. The dipping sauce for the crab cakes was very spicy. They didn't need it...they were excellent alone. Entrees - two of us ordered the scallops special (mushroom risotto and spinach) and two ordered the pork special (asparagus and Gouda with a side of house made potato chips). The pork portion was huge. Easily two meals in one. The scallops were cooked perfectly as was the risotto. I appreciate ordering risotto when I'm out because I'll be damned if I am going to make that temperamental dish at home! The dessert tray was presented to us after we had a chance to sit for a bit and enjoy our wine. We ordered a slice of the black and white cake for the table along with a slice of the lemon tart. I love all things lemon so I was thrilled to see this option. I don't think that the desserts are made in-house but they were good nevertheless. Allison was our main server and she was excellent. Family-run, attentive waitstaff, BYOB, cozy, and beautiful lighting. Everything you could want in a restaurant. Nice! read more

Ok, so our follow-up meal at LL is a bit brighter than our first impressions, but now I have other nits to pick. We had 2 appetizers and 4 main courses, with no drinks, dessert or coffee, bringing the tally to $65+ pp. On that basis alone I expected much from the food, service and ambience. While a better experience than our first, I still find fault with this over hyped and over priced menu - which in the end tasted like upscale Greek diner food at fine dining prices . Let's start with the hype. While I am sure the owner/hostess means well, her monotone delivery of a laundry list of specials (I counted 10+) took over 5 minutes. Describing (ad nauseaum) how her husband, the chef, breaks down and seasons the eggplant with feta in some cryptic Greek fashion, or how he hand grates zucchini and beats it with eggs to make fritters (duh) was boring and pretentious - which is exactly how some of our food tasted (especially the eggplant). Our waiter (Antonio) was bright eyed and eager and hovered constantly (as did other staff -- hard to miss them in this small room), but that became intrusive and annoying, especially after about the 10th time he said "cheers" following each interaction with us. Someone should remind him that when folks meet to relax, chat and share a meal in a restaurant over several hours, less from wait staff can be more. And wishing your guests "bon appetite" when you serve them their meal usually works better than a parting "cheers"; the latter usually reserved for a toast, or London. On the memorable side -- LL's version of " Veal Saltimbocca" was excellent - the veal was nicely sautéed until fork tender and perfectly seasoned -- with just enough prosciutto, cheese, shiitake and wine to build a flavorful sauce - over wilted spinach. I could eat this all day long. But the marinara on the side of pasta was inedibly flat and acidic. The scallops entree was decent (which is to say, properly pan seared with a wine/butter reduction) but not spectacular. My suspicion, after trying several of their seafood offerings over two visits, is that this protein is not a strength of the LL kitchen. Their ribeye (served with wilted spinach and fresh potato chips that quickly got soggy from the heat of the steak) was under seasoned but was cooked to the correct medium rare temp that the chef recommended. But this heavily marbled cut of meat needed a bit more char and temp to coax max flavor from the steak - which basically means that as served - the fat did not render leaving the meat too chewy. Also unpleasantly chewy was the cold seafood appetizer - although nicely adorned with fresh baby greens and seasoned with a flavorful and well balanced house vinaigrette. I dunno. I want to like LL; It is a cute place with great ambience, but the food is pricey and uneven. This sort of Italian bistro fare is not rocket science - it is basically an invitation to enjoy home cooking with great ingredients. If you want to charge fine dining prices to a discerning public, IMHO you have to under promise and over deliver. LL does the exact opposite. I do not think I would come back for a third installment based on what I have eaten so far -- mostly because the same (or less) money can buy consistently better food with equally pleasant (or better) ambience in many venues throughout Bergen county. Cheers! read more

I finally got a chance to try La Lanterna. Great place with a beautiful outdoor seating scene. They have all the classic Jersey Italian dishes to satisfy the masses, but they also have a great innovative selection of very chefy dishes and specials. Very smart. I fall into the latter category. I had the soft shell crab special and it was perfect. Family owned and you can tell that the product they put out means everything to them. Their Passion for food is obvious- and that's what it takes. read more

First off you should know this place is rather expensive, however you get a family style appetizer platter, salad, main course, and desert for the price. The restaurant itself is beauty inside, and the manager is very friendly, if I had a complaint the service is a bit slow, nothing terrible, but could be better. read more

La Lanterna Cafe and Grill - Seafood Near Me - Ridgewood, New Jersey

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Had a really nice dinner! The restaurant is nice, quiet, and a soothing atmosphere. The owner is so sweet and so was the waitress. Had the Penne all Sorrentino which was super delicious! The dessert looked amazing but I was too full! Looking forward to coming back! read more

La Lanterna Cafe and Grill - Penne All Sorrentino - Seafood Near Me - Ridgewood, New Jersey

Had a super great experience here. We arrived right when they opened and were able to sit outside. All of the waiters and staff are extremely friendly and attentive which was really great. It met the expectations I had for the service based off of the menu being kind of pricey. We were served complementary warm bread (2 rolls). I ordered the chicken parm that comes with spaghetti and my boyfriend ordered the linguini with little neck clams. Both delicious and we finished everything. I definitely plan on coming back sometime. read more

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This is one of my husband and I favorite BYOB restaurants in Ridgewood. The food is always delicious and fresh. We love the ambience, service and especially Joanne, the owner is very professional, courteous and amicable. Due to the Covid-19 new dining guidelines, Joanne has transformed the restaurant into an outside dining oasis... I highly recommend it. read more

Sadly the quality of the food has gone downhill from the past few times we've been here. We asked our waitress and she confirmed there's a new chef behind the scenes, which's makes sense given last time we eat here (Jan/Feb) the food was outstanding and always consistent. Maybe we caught them on a bad day but it really missed the mark. read more

A birthday dinner on Dec 20 made me very sick throughout the night. I called Ester the new owner and left a message, which she did return my call. Ester was apologetic and said she would speak to the chef. She also said she would "do something for me, but give me a few days, as I'm dealing with a sick puppy." I sympathize about a sick pet, but I was sick too and didn't want another customer to experience the same thing. Well, it's Jan 7, 2023, and have not heard back from Ester. Unfortunately, I will not recommend La Lanterna. I'm giving it one star because my husband didn't get ill, and we were greeted by a waitress from the previous owners, Joanne & Paul. We were frequent customers when they owned the restaurant and always enjoyed our dinners. We wish them well. read more

I went to this restaurant for my father's 85 birthday. I ordered the skirt steak special for my entree, cooked medium-rare, and when I got it, it was cold. I sent it back while I watched everybody else eat there food. When I finally got my steak back they cooked it so that it was well done. That isn't the last of the problems I had while at dinner here. Before we ordered dessert, they didn't ask if we wanted coffee, and when we did order it, it took 15 minutes to finally get it. When I did get my dessert, it was flavorless. Overall, I would recommend this restaurant but I was annoyed at the bad experience I had while eating dinner here. read more

Delicious food, great ambience, very clean please, and service is amazing. Highly recommend!

Starts with great and friendly service and proceeds with great food. Enjoyed the intimate setting and was easy to talk with fellow diners...not loud. read more

Now THIS is a place that has it all. Beautiful, quiet and cozy ambiance (not loud or crazy), friendly service (the owners are charming), and EXCELLENT food. Pasta dishes were cooked to perfection (shrimp w/ broccoli rabe and capellini). Pork chop was off the hook. Burrata was on point. Sea bass was perfectly prepared and seasoned. AND it's BYO. I can't wait to go back. read more

My husband and I went to La Lanterna for dinner a few weeks ago on a Friday night. We did not have reservations, but they were super accommodating, The food was great. The service was excellent. Very friendly owners. We will definitely go back. Highly recommend. read more

Fantastic food service and ambience went for my sons birthday with 8 people the food was really like you were in Italy We met the chef and they bought the birthday boy desert. Great time and place read more

Probably he best joint in Ridgewood. The food is great, the room is great, the service is by FAR the best in town. Only thing I would like to see different is some beef on menu. read more

Thank you Esther and Joe for making our anniversary extra memorable! Our appetizers, entrees, and dessert were so delicious. We truly appreciate how you both and your staff make every attempt for your customers to have an amazing experience. We are looking forward to returning soon. read more

Great service from start to finish. Water glasses always filled. Waiter was on top of everything. We were seated quickly. It was hard to hear the specials over the noisy dining room. I didn't love the calamari but didn't hate it. It was average at best. The shrimp francese was good although it could have used a bit more flavor. I don't like having to salt and pepper my food, that should be done during the cooking. The bread is ok but over heated and hard and the olive oil had to be put on the bread dish so I didn't have anywhere to put my bread. Deserts were fantastic. A nice night but for the price there is better. read more

We were so pleasantly surprised at our fantastic dining experience this past Saturday night. The new owner and new chef (Hank) went out of their way to please us with their friendly hospitality and over the top cuisine. We always loved dining here but the new cuisine creations elevated our previous dining experience. Portions were quite generous, we enjoyed our meal for 2 nights! We highly recommend dining here! read more

La Lanterna was the backdrop for a wonderfully romantic evening last Tuesday night. My boyfriend worked with the owners to come up with the perfect proposal!! We were seated at a tiny reserved table in a cute nook of the front room. We started with an appetizer special for the evening, a warm greek cheese with bread to dip in. Delicious. I ordered a pasta dish (drawing from the pasta special for the evening, but combining with a regular dish) - thick strips of pasta with a pink sauce and diced vegetables. My boyfriend ordered one of his favorites: Chicken Parmigian. In between appetizer and entree, the owners came over to our table with champagne & roses that my boyfriend had delivered. The waitress (the owners daughter) had our camera and the entire restaurant watched, clapped and cheered as he got down on one knee and proposed!!! It was very romantic. The owner family was very happy and helpful to set up a wonderful night for the two of us! While we did take a few bites of our dinner, we were way too excited to eat! We had our entrees wrapped up, along with a chocolate-hazlenut dessert. We eventually ate our meal a day or two later cuddled up on the couch. It was good, with very generous portions. The dessert was mouthwatering! I would like to try the restaurant again this summer to take advantage of the outdoor seating. But we will definately be back every January 12th to sit at table 2 and recount our wonderful memories!! read more

Been here a few times, food is inconsistent but mostly good. The owner is great, she is very friendly and makes the rounds, making everyone feel at home. Last visit was disappointing, we had a waitress with a bit of an attitude, every request appeared to be a hassle, and she did a few things that were really annoying like taking the initiative to split the bill into 8 because she presumed that's the way we wanted it, and she pre-added the tip ... 20+% on the post tax amount.... This left a bad taste.... probably will not go back. read more

My Fiance and I went here last Saturday and had a really nice time. The ambiance is so cute and I think it would be especially nice in the summer with the windows opened up to the patio. It is in a quieter section of downtown ridgewood, with its own parking, so it has a more secluded romantic feel. I'd also like to say, even though it was freezing out, they did an excellent job of keeping the space warm with room dividers to block out the cold Their regular menu has more traditional Italian options, which I'm sure are amazing but the specials are what set the menu apart. The owner recites the specials in excellent detail and makes everything sound delicious. We started with mussels and calamari. The calamari was tender and we opted for a spicy marinara which was a nice change from the usual. The mussels might have been the best mussels I've ever had. The quality was on point but the flavors are what really made this dish. It had a greek touch with feta cheese and ouzo that made it unique and so delicious. For dinner, I had a filet wrapped in bacon and he had the bass. The bass was cooked simply and beautifully and all the accompanying items were delicious. My filet was cooked exactly right and was delicious. The bacon on the outside was a bit chewy so I just took it off and put it to the site. The mashed potatoes it came with were great. We had espresso and cappuccino after dinner. No dessert because we were too full from the generous portion. Our bill was very reasonable and I think a good price for the quality of food. I definitely recommend everyone try this place. It's a little different than your typical Ridgewood restaurant and the food and service were wonderful. We can't wait to go back, especially in the summer. read more

My girlfriend and her family have been coming here for the last decade for just about any special occassion though the prices don't really prohibit you from going any other time (most entrees are in the $17-23 range). She finally brought me here and I was definitely pleased with just about everything. I say just about everything because the ambience, the hostess, the food, the prices, the bus boys, and the location were all wonderful. The waiter we had was a nightmare, the worst we've ever had in our lives. Bad enough in fact that we had to leave almost nothing for a tip and write a letter to the owner. We witnessed amazing service from the other wait staff and it's because of this and their long track record of great service that I'm only taking 1 star away for the owners error in hiring our waiter (John). The owners are Joanne and her husband Apostolos. Joanne greets each patron with a warm smile and finds you a seat and also lets you know all the details of the night's specials made by her husband. La Lanterna by and large is a classic Italian restaurant though Apostolos Greek heritage does play a small influence on some dishes, especially the seafood. One key thing to note is that La Lanterna is BYOB, one of their greatest selling points. For my entree I had the lasagna which came as a giant portion. The tomato sauce was wonderfully fresh and vibrant and the dish had a great ratio of meat to cheese to sauce. Sadly I was too full to see the dessert tray (which John never brought by anyway) but it's great to actually be able to see the dessert offerings, something I've never actually experienced in a restaurant before. I'll definitely be back and as long as I don't receive the same service as I had this time I see no reason why I wouldn't keep La Lanterna at a solid 4 star rating. read more

This hidden Tuscanny gem was the recent setting for my cousin's 50th birthday party. It is a tiny restaurant with some very nice outdoor seating available. This is a family run operation. Husband is the chef, wife is front of the house and their daughter was our waitress. The menu reads like a fairly typical North Jersey Italian restaurant. However, we were told that it is best to order from the daily specials. We started with an assortment of appetizers: fried calamari, zucchini fritters, crabcakes (they used pasta in lieu of breadcrumbs) and spanakopita. Unfortunately, I only got to try the calamari and the fritters. The calamari was light and prepared very well. The fritters were homemade and light and were oozing with fresh from the garden zucchini flavor. Next was a very good plate of caesar salad. My main dish was a veal served with eggplant, mozzarella cheese, mushroom and a brown sauce. It came with a side of linguini with red sauce. The veal dish was very good. They had a large variety of desserts available. They put a slice, or portion, of each dessert on one plate and present to the entire table. No clue if the stuff is actually made on the premises. We skipped their dessert because we had birthday cake! The service was pretty good even though they violated one of my big pet peeves...do not clear the plates until EVERYBODY is done eating! read more

We just celebrated our anniversary with dinner at this wonder restaurant. The staff is very friendly and the food fantastic. My husband and I enjoyed the crab cake appetizer and the scallops as our main course. Outstanding food and service don't miss this place read more

A really amazing place for a date or special occasion. The food and service is excellent, and me and my wife will definitely go again! Interior is really nice as well. We really enjoyed the scallop with risotto. Price is reasonable and BYOB is a plus as well. Will definitely be coming back! read more

Great Italian food and great family-run establishment. Joanne is lovely in the front of the house, and her husband is a great chef. So proud of how they navigated the pandemic, didn't sacrifice service or quality, and seem to be thriving now. Love the chicken country style, and of course love a good "BYO." Scallop special and zucchini fritters are great specials if you're in the mood! read more

Can't believe this place has been here since 14 years and I missed it. Food was awesome. I had the sea bass .. yummy and my husband has the steak and it was done to perfection. The service is impeccable!!! Loved it .. and thanks for the desert read more

Tonight was my first time visiting this restaurant. I found out about this gem from a co-worker who lives in ridgewood. I was looking for a good place to celebrate a promotion...and so happy I chose to eat here. We didn't have a reservation but luckily they had a table for us outside. Note to others: make a reservation just in case. They only have two seatings on the weekends. Outside was lovely. A family owned and operated establishment. We had great service and the food was impeccable. We had the stuffed artichoke as appetizer #1 (it was a special). Followed by the La Laterna salad. Main courses were the chicken parm and the pesto pasta. Both dishes were delicious. So fresh and tasty. But wait out night isn't over...to finish we had the vanilla and chocolate mousse cake which might have been the best part. The dessert selection was 5 starts but I'm happy we chose the mousse cake. If I could have bought a whole cake I would have. And as a plus...it's a BYOB and reasonable pricing. Overall..I highly suggest you go here...I can't wait to go back! read more

La Lanterna Cafe and Grill - Pasta and the chicken parm which comes with a side of pasta! - Seafood Near Me - Ridgewood, New Jersey

Needed to book a last minute repast dinner and the owner could not have been more accommodating. We had a party of about 25 and everything was perfect. The food and service were excellent. read more

Romantic restaurant on the less busy side of ridgewood. Easy parking. Hostess and husband duo make the place a great dinner spot. The food is incredible.... so much flavor! Def go for dinner read more

Staff is very friendly. The food and atmosphere are delicious. At our table we ordered (2) specials and the wet mozzarella cheese. I can not wait to go back! It's a BYOB don't forget. read more

La Lanterna Cafe and Grill - Seafood Near Me - Ridgewood, New Jersey

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What a pleasure! A great find. BYOB. Limited menu with great specials. All the things I look for and family owned and operated. This is a great place to eat. Food was well prepared and very flavorful. Service was very good , portions weren't gigantic but certainly appropriate. They are doing many things very well. This place is a keeper. It is on top of everything is a great value. I am surprised the place did not have a long wait. It should be hard to get a table here. Just to give a medium comment. The dessert was good not great as everything else was. By no means was it bad or poor just not the same as the app and entree. You will not go wrong having dinner here. Check it out. read more