We were visting from NYC and decided to go to dinner in NJ. One of the best restaurants I have ever been too in my life..... Last night we went 8/9/16. Food was amazing. We went at 530pm Two waiters were great, I had the filet and my fiancé had Salmon was to the best ever....... Fried Calamari was the freshest ever. We will return for sure....... read more

La Pergola - Italian Near Me - Millburn, New Jersey

Best Italian resto in Millburn. Thank you Diola and Al for always making us feel at home. Thank you Kailyn( or Caitlyn) and Roberto for all your help and assistance. This is our go-to place in Millburn. Love the outdoor setting! read more

La Pergola was one of the better meals we have had in a while! We made a reservation on a late Saturday night, although the place was filled we sat within 10 minutes. The staff could not have been any better! I got the pork chops with sausage peppers and onions, which was to die for. My girlfriend ended up getting the crusted chicken. Although we said no to dessert they ended up giving us a slice of cake on the house just because! What a wonderful place and we will 100% be back again! read more

La Pergola - Pork chops with sausage onions and peppers so good! - Italian Near Me - Millburn, New Jersey

Service was beyond terrible and management couldn't care. Waited more than 75 minutes for the main course. Two of the 4 dishes were cold. Will not return because of the attitude of the manager read more

Good place and pretty good ambience. but i felt its little pricey. We went on valentines day so obviously it was fixed menu but as per the taste and total no of options available i felt it was little over charged. We also did not know that no drinks will be there and you need to get our own wine. read more

Nice atmosphere and good wait staff. I can only speak for my meal. The pear salad was just ok. The chicken parm was rubbery and tough. I also think serving it on a wooden cutting board is rather bizarre and probably not hygienic. The board was so large it took up too much space on the table and everyone else at my table had plates. I think they are trying to be unique with the board but it just does not work. read more

Terrible service. Asked waiter to put outdoor heater on. He complied. Maitre de came and shut it down. Took over 39 min for them to turn it back on as we sat there shivering. Food was terrible- Parmesan crusted chicken breast with salad. Tough chicken, greasy, inedible. Sent food back. Maitre de came over and said he "tasted my chicken" and there was nothing wrong with it ". Really you are tasting my chicken during COVID. You lying moron. NEVER AGAIN. ALSO TOOK 30 minutes to get our check. I guess that was our punishment read more

I've lived in the area for a while, never tried the place until Valentines Day this year. Wish I hadn't. Service was abominable. My wife and I waited 20 minutes for a menu, another half hour for someone to take our order. Servers were burnt out and borderline rude. We were locked into an $85 3-course prefix with uninspired offerings. Food was middling, but that opinion is probably somewhat tainted by the overall poor service. Bumping up to 2 stars because the desserts were pretty good. We don't go out much (work in the city, kids at home), and it's sad that our Valentines Day date night was spoiled by this restaurant's failure to accommodate -- though they notably did not fail to charge us $85 a piece for a basic salad, piece of fish and a dessert. read more

Had dinner last night and could not have been happier. Although it was a drizzly evening, the covered patio with heat lamp was very comfortable. The food was outstanding. They accommodated all of our dietary requests and made the evening festive and pleasant. I highly recommend La Pergola for any special occasion. read more

Had a lovely dinner with friends at La Pergola. The place was a lot livelier than usual - and although it adds to the level of noise - it added a perfect energy which we haven't really experienced before. Overall the food was delicious with nice portions yet I was surprised with finding rosemary a bit prevalent which is not my taste and would prefer that this is mentioned in the menu descriptions. The service started quite nicely but then got a bit spotty. Our app dishes were not removed before entrees served so I think the timing can be better adjusted. Overall - we'd return and glad it's doing well. read more

This is my favorite restaurant in NJ. My favorites are the spinach pasta with cream sauce, any of the soups (asparagus, mushroom or the extra delicious butternut squash), and the limoncello cake. Incredible!! Don't go here and not get pasta, you'll be missing out. Also the owners are super cute, the wife is the chef and the husband is the host. read more

I celebrated a friend's birthday here for lunch. Cute place. We sat outside, which was just a bit too cold to do so. Service was good as they brought us heating stations to warm us up. The food was above average, however, I was not happy with the lack of selection. There were no hot apps, only salads or raw bar items. Being that we LOVE to share different apps, I would say that was the only real downside. read more

I travel from New York City to dine here with a group of my friends . The garden is absolutely beautiful so comfortable and private ,tucked way from the street The waiters are so polite and helpful The food is amazing ...from the homemade pasta * try the lasagna and the black linguini The desserts worth the calorie Can't wait to go back .. read more

The food here was very good. The night we first tried La Pergola my wife and I took take out. We had a special appetizer seafood salad that was one of the best I have ever had. The seafood was cooked perfectly and very tender. (I did add a little fresh lemon and salt) but all the ingredients were very fresh. We then tried the fussilli with broccoli rabe and sausage. The pasta was homemade, the broccoli rabe was cooked perfect and there was the person amount of garlic. We also tried the chicken Saltimbocca which was very good. I recommend this restaurant. read more

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My wife and I decided to travel out of our usual comfort zone to La Pergola, about a 30 minute drive. The restaurant does not have a lot but we were lucky to get a spot on the street, right next to the restaurant. When we walked in there were few guests inside but that changed until it was quite full by about 7:30 pm on a Saturday. The restaurant is a little tight but with a nice ambiance.We split the Buffalo mozzarella cheese appetizer which was very good. My wife ordered the chicken rollatini which she said was missing something initially. The generous addition of grated cheese from the waited improved its overall taste very well. I had the lasagne bolognese which was excellent from the start but also enhanced by the ample addition of grated cheese. Service was efficient and we were served quickly. We will be back, I just wish it was a little closer to home in which case we would be regular customers. read more

This has to be the worst restaurant I ever had the displeasure of going too. I waited 3 days to write this so I could have a clear head before I wrote it. Ok so we arrived at 7.45 for our reservation and were seated on time. This is where the good news ends. We ordered our Apps by 8pm and it was an hour and ten minutes before they arrived. I asked to speak to what I assume was the manager and he said they are doing their best, no apology no explanation as to why we had to wait 70 minutes for our Apps, 3 salads, mussels and zucchini sticks. The Apps were average at best. So at this stage the night was already ruined but we wanted to wait for our main course, which by the way still wasn't out after an hour and fifty minutes later. We had enough at this stage and a member of the group went to speak to the so called manager and got the same abrupt reply "we are doing our best". We offered to pay for what we had and he said if your leaving it's free... We were all dumbfounded on the journey home at the lack of communication from the staff at this place. There are better options in Millburn like CaraMia down the street, ask for Rob he's the best in the business. So my fellow yelpers don't not waste your time on this place, it's terrible. read more

Nestled in the idyllic town of Milburn, New Jersey you will find the BYOB northern Italian restaurant called La Pergola. The building is reminiscent to a restaurant located in Tuscany with a beige and tan exterior accented with rich mahogany browns. Three large round floor to ceiling windows adorned with beautiful draped curtains face the main street and gives you a glimpse inside the perfectly appointed restaurant. When you enter through the wooden double doors and step through the foyer you immediately enter the main dining room. The room is warmly lit and spacious - not so big that you feel lost but not so small that the tables are on top of one another. With ornate sconces on the walls and a beautiful chandelier the ambiance is very welcoming. Each table is covered with crisp white table cloths and a single flower. Simple but sophisticated. To be honest, I am nervous about this restaurant as some of the previous patrons left not so good reviews. Some of the complaints were around wait time to be seated, service and long waits for courses to be served. Fingers crossed. Arriving on time for my 7:30 PM reservation there was no wait as I was immediately shown to my table. Not too long after I sat down one of the many waiters who serviced my table came by, handed me the menu, expertly opened my bottle of wine and asked for my water preference - sparkling or tap. I chose tap. With my wine bottle open and water selection made the waiter left me to review the menu. Moments later a new waiter arrived and poured water into my glass. I briefly perused the menu but looked up to take in the restaurant's scene. It was "full" but not packed and there was a continual stream of people coming in to be seated. After looking around at the patrons I quickly notice that I am over-dressed. Most patrons are wearing jeans and tops - somewhere between business-casual and casual. I on the other hand was city chic - wearing a black dress and heels. Note to self. I turn my attention back to the menu which is laid out in a typical fashion for an Italian restaurant (antipasto, homemade pasta and entrée). The antipasto section is filled with a varying selection of salads ranging from Caesar to the house salad, seafood consisting of sautéed mussels, steamed little neck clams and lump crab meat, a classic buffalo mozzarella with basil, balsamic vinegar and tomatoes, varying prepared vegetables consisting of stuffed portabella mushrooms, stuffed artichoke and eggplant rollatini and ending with mushroom soup. For my antipasto course I am torn between the lump crab meat and stuffed portabella mushrooms but in the end I settle on the stuffed portabella mushrooms. Although the pasta section looked delicious, I decide to pass (this time) but there is more than plenty to choose from. Two selections of gnocchi - beet and another with broccoli rabe and hot and sweet sausages), spinach fettuccine, butternut squash ravioli, saffron tagliatelle, black linguine with shrimp, whole wheat fusilli, gluten free spaghetti, penne and the staple on many Italian menus Linguine con le Vongole (also known as linguine with clams). I move onto the entrée section of the menu and I am pleasantly surprised. There's a nice varying selection of meat (chicken, pork and veal) and seafood. As I scan the menu I know that I want something authentic Italian but not too heavy. I scan past the frutti di mare which looked good but I did not want to wrestle with a plate of shelled seafood in a red sauce. There is the typical grilled wild salmon but this one is served with organic spinach, lentils in garlic and olive oil. I eat a lot of salmon at home so I'm not going to order it at a restaurant - so I pass. Next up is pan seared wild tuna with roasted corn, cherry tomatoes, arugula with a champagne lemon dressing. Sounds nice but I'm not in the mood for tuna. I quickly breeze past the parmigiana-reggiano crusted chicken, pork chop giambotta and veal Milanese. All look delicious but I settled on the red snapper livorese with capers in a red sauce. In perfect timing a new waiter arrives at my table and asks for my order. As I rattle off my selections he feverishly writes in his little notepad and smiles. With order in hand he quickly departs. Everything I ordered was delicious and a nice portion size. Albeit weary from the other reviews of the restaurant I was left pleasantly surprised. The service was good, outside of the Indy 500 pit crew clearing of plates and there weren't long waits for courses to be served. It's a beautiful restaurant with very good food. I will be back and I will bring my friends because it was all in all a wonderful evening and I had an excellent experience. I give this restaurant 2 thumbs up! read more

Another wonderful dining experience! Opted to sit indoors, tables are spread far apart we felt very comfortable. Service was awesome and food was outstanding. Give the specials a try! The scallops with risotto was amazing. The gnocchi was tasty as well. I don't think you will be disappointed with anything you choose. There is a also a pretty outdoor garden available with lots of heaters going. read more

I brought friends from NYC to dinner at La Pergola as they have a wonderful outdoor space. It was cold and I asked the owner for a heat lamp, the restaurant was quiet with only 4 tables dining. There were many unused heat lamps so I didn't think it should be a problem. The OWNER store angrily yelled at me that I cannot have a headlamp because every time he gives a table one it cost him $56 and the customers don't pay him for the heat lamp or give a good tip so I couldn't have one. He then told me he was busy right now, gave me the hand and told me to go away. I was shocked! He never came back to the table to apologize and as we walked out ( a final chance to do the right thing) he just stood there. I will never ever eat there again, the owner is a loose cannon, and does not respect his customer. B read more

We had a wonderful evening at La Pergola celebrating the first day of school. The terrace is really lovely. At first we were worried that the menu could not accommodate our family's many allergies but the staff went above and beyond to make sure we all had something we loved - including GF pasta for me which was not mentioned on the menu. Everything tasted fresh and delicious. The gnocchi in particular was amazing and my son said the lasagna bolognese was one of the best things he's ever eaten at a restaurant! read more

Food was fine. Service was lacking. Never had the same waiter, no one ever asked how we were doing or if we needed anything. If we wanted to order food we had to flag down a high school aged bus boy to fine someone or take our order. We won't be going back. read more

A perfect setting for a beautiful birthday celebration for my wife. The food was terrific, the service the same. We had 15 people there and they made it so easy to have just a beautiful night, thank you very much! read more

Hi this restaurant is SUBLIME in the true meaning of that word! Being Italian (part northern part napolitan) I would never order lasagna out. My grandmother always made it and so did my aunt both from Italy. But when you dine at this eatery not only order it but take 2 orders home you will not be disappointed and the only way you'll be disappointed if you don't take two of those orders home for the next day or two unbelievable. Gerald Benedetto read more

Hands down the best restaurant in Millburn, and still one of my favorite Italian restaurants EVER. I've lived in Manhattan for the last ten years, which as we all know has its fair share of quality Italian restaurants, and yet La Pergola is still one of my all-time favorites. Always love going back. The homemade pastas are absolutely superb. My family has gotten to know owners, Agron & Driola, over the years and have pretty much become an extension of our family. The kindest people you'll ever meet. If you haven't yet ordered from La Pergola, try that as well. Same restaurant quality but at home - can't beat that! We've ordered several times - the chicken parm & Limoncello cake were incredible. read more

Easter luncheon could not have been better!! We were warmly welcomed and seated at the center of the dining room which is never my preference, but our waiter and staff were so wonderful and accommodating and anticipated our every need. The food was excellent and we never felt rushed even thought it was a holiday. We will definitely be back!!! read more

There were plenty of seats available on a Friday evening at 7pm. The restaurant was elegant and dimly lit, giving the impression of an old-fashioned European hotel. After we sat down, the maître d' asked us if we had any time constraints. A waiter brought us olives, cheese, excellent focaccia, and an exquisitely grassy olive oil. There were plenty of vegetarian options. We ordered butternut squash ravioli and pappardelle with wild mushrooms. The food was glorious! The ravioli, which came in a sweet butter sauce reminiscent of good baklava, were sweet and soft and incredibly filling. So we saved these for dessert and focused on the pappardelle, which had a big, bright umami taste thanks to the mushrooms, parmesan, and tomatoes, and the pasta itself was soft and hearty. The bill came promptly, and they packed me some extra focaccia with our leftovers. read more

Two things in this update: 1. Typo in my earlier review, it's Agron, not Agnon. 2. I need a Yelp admin to tell me how to give 6 stars. Having now been here many more times since my earlier review, I look at the bad reviews on La Pergola and wish I could meet these people in person so I could slap some sense into them. You need to get to La Pergola! read more

I had a bad situation. The ravioli was definitely not homemade and the issue was I found a big black hair in my food. The staff apologized but there is no excuse for this as the hair situation overpowered the rest of the meal. The reality is the prices they ask should yield a better product overall and certainly no gross experiences like this read more

It was an okay dinner experience, but the food really wasn't worth the price. You're paying more for the ambiance, than the quality. Their muscles in a garlic sauce was a joke. The muscles were so small, there was nothing to eat there. The desserts were nothing to write home about. The service was shabby, but not when we first arrived. They were very attentive in the beginning, but when we were ready to head out, it took forever to catch anyone to bring us the check and it wasn't as though the place was packed, especially since we're in a time of COVID. read more

Horrible service. Waited 40 minutes for wine opener., no hostess, 1 waiter on a Saturday night. Horrible experience. Pretty place, it's a shame. Added bonus, I ordered eggplant lasagne. I asked waiter what was in it prior to ordering...after bringing leftovers home, I realized there was prosciutto in it! I don't eat meat!!! I threw the food away. read more

We absolutely love this restaurant. Their outdoor dining looks like it belongs somewhere in Italy! I dream about the gnocchi pesto--it is the best gnocchi I've ever had. The service was wonderful and the owners treat everyone like they are family. I am so happy that they are always busy. read more

La Pergola - La Pergola Garden - Italian Near Me - Millburn, New Jersey

Not what I was expecting. Thought it was going to be more of the same Essex County generic upscale Italian. Nothing of the sort. Beautifully decorated in neutral colors, the tables are far enough away from each other to allow for quiet conversation. Wait staff is professional and low key Owners are a very accommodating couple from Italy. They circulated the room, making sure everyone was happy. Food was excellent: pastas are all homemade, fish specials were well prepared (not overly dry as is often the case) Definitely be back here again, this is a great find, particularly for Millburn, where the reaction tends to be "not another Italian restaurant!" This one is worth it. read more

Absolutely terrible service, waited 15 mins for someone to get us a menu. Their outdoor dining room is packed which means that there simply isn't enough waiters to take care of the indoor customers. read more

Highlights: Food: Outstanding! Completely fresh as if every ingredient was pulled from a farm and prepared especially for our plates. Also, they are a BYOB with a liquor store a few doors down in case patrons forget or didn't know that they are. Parking: Large lot right across the street! Service: Exceptional! Each of their wait staff was friendly and made excellent recommendations on what to order Owners: The owners of this restaurant are a husband and wife from Albania who have put their heart and soul into opening this restaurant. They spend just enough time with us explaining their choice for the menu and location of their place. They were both really charming. I wish them nothing but success in their new life as restaurateurs. My family celebrated my fathers birthday at La Pergola last night. I cannot say enough how highly I recommend this restaurant. Instead of battling it out for a parking space like I have in past experiences dining in Millburn, this location is prime with parking right across the street. I also couldn't help but notice how convenient it is with the train station right across the street for out of towners. From the warm color of the walls to the unique seating they have chosen the overall ambiance is a ten out of ten. As we looked at the menu we couldn't help but note on how aggressive the menu was with a variety of offerings that would make anyone's mouth water. Despite the aggressive menu, every single dish was spot on and more than delivered on freshness, presentation and taste. Before we could even order we were brought Zucchini Fritti that was surprisingly light and airy compared to any fried item that I had tasted in the past. Our appetizers included their lobster salad, lobster risotto and a pasta sampler which were just phenomenal. Their homemade pasta (we had gnocchi, Tagliatelle and ravioli) melted in the mouth. All of our entrees were equally as delicious. Each course that we ate was so tasty that I found myself closing my eyes to savor each flavor that was carefully crafted into each dish. Dessert which included a chocolate mousse cake, red velvet cake and a warm apple crisp pie for the table to share capped our night. Like the pastas which are all homemade I believe the desserts were all made in house as well. Each dessert was decadent in its own special way from the cream cheese icing on the red velvet to the warmth of the apple crisp pie. I will be recommending this restaurant to family, friends and all who I do business with. I am already looking forward to my next visit. read more

La Pergola - Beautiful! - Italian Near Me - Millburn, New Jersey

One of our favorite places to eat at whether it's during the week or the weekends. Weekends you indefinitely need a reservation as it can be hard to get in but they ALWAYS do their best to accommodate you. If you know good food, you will know that here the Food is quality and it's amazing. The pastas are homemade and as is their focaccia bread - if you are lucky to get your hands on it! Service is exceptional - glasses are always poured and plates are presented to you politely and correctly. If you haven't been here you have no idea what you are missing out on! read more

Strange - There is no other way to describe this place. We were here on a Saturday night in Mid-December (Dec. 10). The food was OK. Appetizers were good. The main courses were mixed. The salmon was very good, but the fish special was kind of fishy tasting. The strange part was the service. Besides taking a long time for our main course to reach the table the entire wait staff disappeared during our main course. No one asked if we wanted desert and we were fine with that. We figured it would have taken an hour to get anyhow. We were able to eventually flag down a bus boy to get the check. Also, the host or manager when he was around seemed a bit full of himself. He came over to coolly swirl our wine glasses, but the swirl was a bit too strong and I lost some wine. Don't think he apologized. We ain't going back. read more

I came here with my boyfriend on a Tuesday night around 6:30 with a restaurant.com coupon handy. The reviews were iffy, but I'm not too picky and figured with the coupon it'd be a good deal. I was wrong- as other reviewers pointed out, this food is marked up astronomically. There were only 2 other tables occupied during our dinner. There were more waiters then customers, so they were overly attentive out of their own boredom. I ordered the spinach ricotta gnocchi and my boyfriend ordered the grilled pork chops. The gnocchi was okay, and the portion was small, but enough. My boyfriend thought the porkchops had way too many peppers/onions and not enough potatoes on the side. The food was okay, but not worth the high prices. read more

We went to La Pergola for dinner last night and it was flawless. The place was busier than it was on our last visit, but the noise level was minimal and the ambiance was relaxed and romantic. Service was great. The BF ordered a filet mignon rare and it was perfectly executed. I ordered chicken milanese, which was not on their menu, and they were able to accommodate me without any fuss. Overall, we can't wait to return again. Definitely recommend! read more

Just can't think of anything to make this review less than five stars. We were politely escorted to our seats and almost immediately servers brought us water and bread and then our server politely read off the specials We had oysters (blue point ) (six Very large!) for appetizer, I personally was never a big oyster fan but are two of them(delicious) and main courses were: short ribs with risotto and black linguini with jumbo shrimp , all the food was delicious but what I like is the owner came over TWICE just to check on us Great food, incredible service in a beautiful relaxed environment, It's bring your own by the way, which I like read more

In a midst of Jersey Italian averageness La Pergola is a shining star, a standard to which other restaurants should to aspire to become. It's not only the food - it's the service that really makes a difference. Service is the hallmark of this fine Italian dining establishment. I can't remember a time when the I was there and the owners weren't. It's always the little things - like separating a shared lunch entree into two dishes without even being asked. Food is unbelievably fresh and tastes the way Italian food should taste. read more