Food was delicious (only reason for the 4 star) but service needs to step Up big time! We waited over 2hrs for our food and the server didn't bother apologizing for the delays. I asked for a replacement napkin and never received one. The manager noticed we were annoyed and ended up offering the kids free ice cream but at that time it was too late! read more

Service was excellent as well as the meal. I usually lean on the food over service anywhere I go, but our server was just spectacular - explained everything well, attentive, helpful, professional and friendly. We ate in the Bistro area, which was elegant and lively. I had an app off the daily specials (Burrata and beets) and the Halibut, which was cooked perfectly. Loved the ambiance and can't say enough nice things about the service. read more

I don't leave reviews often. Took a family of 5 for my wife's birthday this past week - OUTSTANDING. From the service to the food, everything was stellar. The steak frites, the filet mignon, the lamb chops, the burger...all delicious and cooked perfectly. Cocktails were great and service was attentive. The great location right on the railroad is perfect for those that need it. read more

Great evening. Nice selection of food. Even better collection of wine. True experience of French food. Only issue (which is common to this neighborhood) is that there is limited parking read more

Cocktails were perfectly made and the bar even accommodated some off the menu historic libations. Our waiter, Michael, was incredibly attentive and personable and enhanced every part of the dining experience. Each dish was cooked perfectly and the combination of flavors was impeccable. read more

Lorena's - Duck breast with wild rice - French Near Me - Maplewood, New Jersey

Been coming here for over 10 years. It's amazing how much it has grown and flourished. Chef Umberto, Mario, and Lorena are the ultimate hosts. The food is always top notch. This restaurant is very special. read more

Lorenas has been my go-to restaurant to celebrate special occasions and chose it once again to celebrate a family members milestone birthday In May. This time around there were too many disappointments for me to consider the evening a fine dining experience. Service: one waitress for the the entire dining room which was full did not allow for top notch personalized service no matter how many bus boys were working. Once seated we waited for 20 minutes to be acknowledged by the waitress. Another long wait for menus and a drink order. So different than previous visits. Food: two duck entrees overcooked and needed to be sent back leaving the third person in our party to eat her meal without us. Not enjoyable for us at all. How could the chef not cook the duck as ordered? Hard to accept that was the reason. Maybe the entrees were waiting too long to be served.??? The manager was indifferent to this when we made him aware. Not sure why things have changed at Lorenas. read more

My family brought me here for my birthday. From the drinks to dessert the food was amazing. The atmosphere was perfect. The staff was very attentive. The night ended with the chef coming out and bringing us our coats. We will definitely be returning. read more

Lorena's - WARM MOLTEN CHOCOLATE CAKE - French Near Me - Maplewood, New Jersey

Lorena's had been on my radar for a couple years. Once I went vegetarian, I sort of wrote them off because every time I'd check their menu with high hopes of a vegetarian entree, I'd be let down. At some point, I noticed a note saying they can accommodate vegetarian or vegan requests! So, last week my boyfriend and I snagged a last-minute reservation. The small is small but beautiful. The service was great, and they were so so accommodating to my dietary restrictions. There isn't a veg entree listed on the menu, but our server offered to have the chef customize a dish based on different elements already on there. They even had a vegan ice cream sundae!! We loved everything and will definitely be back soon. Thank you Lorena's for a beautiful and delicious meal, and for including ex meat-eating lovers of fine dining! read more

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Visited 02/01/2019 We (7 of us) came here for my wife (and her twin sister's) birthday. I remember coming here (my wife doesn't) but that was a LONG time ago. Still, I'm glad we came back. Overall, the food and service were nothing short of stellar. I started with the Salmon Tartare (cucumber, heirloom radish, crème fraîche, wasabi tobiko, chili oil, Sake served with crisp wontons) This was just wonderful. The wasabi tobiko gave a tiny burst of 'wow' to the wonderfully fresh salmon. Just fantastic! My wife had the warm crêpe of lump crabmeat and wild mushrooms fresh herbs, beurre blanc and white truffle oil. To quote Larry David... "Pretty pretty yummy!" For my entrée I went with the spruce dusted venison sirloin, served with spaghetti squash, chestnuts, sage-brown butter. and balsamic reduction. Our excellent waiter (Andrew) told me the venison was from Australia and therefore wasn't as 'gamy' as US venison and it wasn't. Just amazingly tender and delicious. My wife opted for the duck breast, (medium rare as duck breast should be) served with stir fried bok choy, kimchi purée, herb-scallion salad and a ginger-soy reduction. Probably one of the best duck breasts she's ever had and I have to agree, based on the small piece she allowed me to taste. But I really loved the kimchi purée that was all over the bok choy. This side was really amazing. I'm not a big kimchi fan but I don't hate it either. But this side dish was incredible! The kimchi purée gave the bok choi such a great kick. I swiped a little more from her plate when she wasn't looking. The other dishes served around the table that night were bronzini, rack of lamb and the Berkshire pork chop. All the plates were clean at the end of the night so you can assume everyone loved their dishes. A small 'amuse-bouche' of puréed butternut squash started off the meal and a raspberry palate cleaner was served at the end. Nice little touches. I also noticed the guests at another table had their wine decanted. I THINK the restaurant supplied the decanter, but... maybe not. Unfortunately I only noticed the decanter after our wine was gone. I'll try to remember that next time we visit. You're going to spend some serious money here, but the service and attention to detail help make it worthwhile... And it's a BYOB, so that helps a bit too. read more

Lorena's - Salmon Tartare (cucumber, heirloom radish, crème fraîche, wasabi tobiko, chili oil, Sake served with crisp wontons) - French Near Me - Maplewood, New Jersey

Lorena's is top notch!! The food, service and ambience. I cannot recommend a better place. We had my mother's birthday brunch there and their omelettes are to die for. You will NOT be disappointed. read more

Have been here for a few lunches. The place is very pretty. We sat at the bar. The bartender is always pleasant. Very good selection of wines and the menu is always delicious. Usually changes with the seasons. Definitely give it a try. Come for lunch. Come for dinner or just sit at the bar and have a casual drink and some appetizers again very pretty inside. There is plenty of parking on the street and also parking lots or behind the stores. read more

I would never go back to this restaurant. The food was good and service was great but when they reached out regarding an undercooked item (I'm pregnant) they responded immaturely and got defensive. read more

Went here for a Saturday brunch. Arrived at 12:30 and it was practically empty. The service was great. The food- The bread is amazing - Balthazar cranberry pecan! Nice start. For appetizer we had the crepe and it was hands down amazing!! Get this for sure. Burrata toast- bland Avocado toast- I didn't really taste the avocado for all the mayo in the spread. I'm not a fan of mayo do not a fan of this dish. Pasta with pork- average. For the price it should've been better. Molten chocolate dessert- yummmm!! read more

This is probable the best restaurant I've eaten in that's in NJ! Food and service are impeccable every time. We love it and it's our new special occasion and safe night spot! read more

A nice little restaurant and very accommodating service, we arrived for our reserved table of four. We got the table right by the entrance, when requested for a better table away from the drafts, we were move to a very nice table further inside. The meal was amazing, every dish was so well prepared. I almost always order scallops if it's on the menu, so I had have plenty to compare with. These are one of the best I ever have, large fresh firm cooked to perfection with a tasty creamy sauces to compliment, oh so good! All the others enjoyed their dishes as well! Service was attentive! Will be back for sure! read more

The food is delicious and delicate, service is great, highly recommend for any event.

First of all I don't understand why people give such a high rating. The food is just mediocre! Second, I was there today for lunch and I ordered a lunch steak frites but they give me the dinner portion. When the food came I checked with them again if this is the lunch portions as it was kind of big. Guess what happens when I get the check? I am being charged the dinner portion! I am not happy at all as I am being forced to pay a dinner portion that I didn't order. My recommendation will be to skip this restaurant and go to other restaurant instead! read more

The service was wonderful. I had the most delicious scallops I have ever eaten there.

very good food and consistently great service. The ribeye steak is especially delicious. The old Lorena's was very different and I miss it, but this is a solid restaurant for the Maplewood Village. read more

The avocado toast fell short of expectations, lacking value with a basic composition. Missing flavor elements like cilantro and red onions left it uninspiring. The mimosa, though enjoyable, seemed overpriced at $16. read more

I have dined in lorenas when it was in old location and food is outstanding. Today after the maplewoodstock event I walked in at 10 05 pm to ask if we could have couple of cocktails and hostess wasn't sure what to say and she told me to hold on than she asked to the waitresses and I could tell how much they didn't want us there. ( trust me I know I've been working in restaurants as a server for 22 years and I could tell they didn't want us there.) And she kept asking each staff and from their faces I got the impression they didn't want us there so we left. Hostess should know when their bar is closing or closed and have an answer. read more

Consistently excellent food and service. So far this is the very best restaurant that we have found in the South Orange/ Maplewood area and we return often. read more

We dined last night at this historically exceptional restaurant this was the first weekend of the new opening. The new location is bright airy and modern. We were greeted by Jose Prado the GM and a familiar face for fine dining in NJ and brought to our table... the wine list is under construction as Lorenas of the past was BYOB..I'm sure it wil be thoughtfully assembled. The menu is more expansive than i the past to accommodate a significantly larger space. The bar seating area was active ( in the context of all of the Covid restrictions..I'm sure once NJ opens up the bar itself will be humming..its a lovely long bar...the owner(s) Humberto Campos and his wife Lorena came to the table to check on service and quality a couple times....that was unnecessary....i just wish we could see faces instead of masks!!! Our group tried a number of dishes from great starters ( the Crepe..exceptional and risotto..also exceptional to beet salad and Thai salad..spicy as expected...then entrees.. I had the Steak Frites which was perfectly cooked to medium rare and a nice steak...possibly too big....my wife had the lamb chops also beautifully presented and delicious..our hosts had the Sea Bass which they loved...then to deserts All were great but the cheesecake and carrot cake were standouts.... and exceptional evening with a thoughtful and caring restaurant staff ands a great kitchen under Humbertos guidance....we look forward to returning to add the last star....cant do that with only one meal in a new setting.. read more

We just left Lorena's. I have to say all the positive reviews I read on yelp are for a change accurate. Not the place to dine if you are on a budget. Lol. Everything we had was great. The service is totally professional. I do expect that with the prices. Worth every penny. 4 appetizers, 2 main courses and a bottle of sangiovese cab. 250.00 plus tip. 300.00.Wish Lorena's was closer to us. 40 minute ride.. Going back the in 2 weeks on Sunday again. This Chef is talented. read more

Dinner was great, but the tiramisu rivaled the best I've ever had in Italy. Just did take out so I don't know about the ambiance. Portions are quite large. read more

Wasn't too crowded on a Saturday night which was unexpected but welcomed. Service was outstanding. Seated promptly for our reservation. Started with a few cocktails which were all great. Lobster risotto was outstanding for an app. Highly recommend. For entrees we had the linguine with shrimp and lobster and the special lamb chops. Both were amazing. We also had the creme brulee for dessert. That was good but probably didn't need it as we were so stuffed. The atmosphere is very nice as well. This is a true 10 of 10 place. As good of food as I've had in NJ. We will be sure to return read more

Summary: We went for lunch and found the food a great value for its quality. Our server Adrian was an absolute gem and gentleman to our toddler girl. We hope to come back for dinner soon! The caliber of food at Lorena's for lunch was comparable to many of great fine dining establishments in NYC. Every dish was good and some were outstanding. The crab and mushroom crepe, which I had my doubts about, was extraordinary, as was the butternut squash soup which was perfectly balanced in savory and natural sweetness - neither dishes were cloying at all. The dessert cheese plate was big enough to share especially when we added the molten chocolate cake for our table of 3. Adrian is an expert at crafting espresso drinks - one telltale is that I enjoyed it as served without adding any sweetener. I cannot find anything to complain or revise about our experience at Lorena's - well except that it has been hard for us to get a dinner reservation, but I will keep trying! read more

Ambiance elegant, service attentive, cuisine scrumptious. Salmon tartare refreshing. My roast duck was the second-best I have ever tasted (best was at Four Seasons in NYC), and my well-travelled brother related that his pork chop was his best ever. If I have one criticism, it would be to step up the beverage game. "By-the-glass" and other wine lists weren't up to date, and it seemed that every less expensive option was unavailable and conveniently supplanted only by more costly choices. Not ideal. But I cavil. Overall a superb dining experience. read more

Had a gluten free burger at lunch with bacon and cheese. It was a good burger, the bread was good. But I had a much more delicious burger at this other place not that long after. Maybe other stuff is better. But feel like this place is over hyped and the staff are snooty and not actually very welcoming although we had a reservation. Ambiance feels tastelessly corporate. read more

A 45 minute drive for me to get to this overhyped restaurant. Everything was barley Ok. We were a party of 4 and no one said that they would come back. The area we sat in was so dark that I had to use my phone flashlight to read the menu.Voted top NJ restaurant , I think we need a recount. read more

Last Christmas we received a gift certificate for Lorenas and finally got around to making a reservation in August. We were under the impression that this was a French restaurant but the current menu was mostly beef, fowl and pasta dishes found on many menus in our area. Ordered the crepe appetizer, French onion soup. Crepe was very good and the soup just ok. Soup had no depth of flavor and was too sweet and was topped with what looked tasted like Mozzarella cheese. For $15.00 I expected better. Entrees were Trout Almondine and Pappardelle with short ribs and Kalamata olives. Both were good but not great. We split a molten chocolate cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream kind of uninspired. The best part of our meal was the attentive service from Emily and and Sandra. With two glasses of wine check came to $158.00. Service 5 stars, food 3 stars price value 3 stars. read more

Had to check out after reading about it. Took a lady friend there for lunch. Called for reservations on a Sunday afternoon and they had room in the 'bistro' (read front room off the street near the bar). Service was great; nice job Sondra. Food was very good. Had a soup and dry aged burger and a side of mushrooms. Soup was vegetable and yummy. Wish I could have had a small salad instead of the fries with the burger. Was very good. Ketchup tasted homemade and dee-lish. My date had a chicken samich. She said the coleslaw was very good, but wished the fries were fresh cut not frozen. Not sure that they weren't fresh cut, but that was not my battle. All in all very satisfied. Reasonably priced for what we got. read more

Great food! And great service! Carlos is an awesome bartender and the GM always calls me by name. That's a warm feeling I love and always look forward to.. read more

Meh. Mediocre wine menu with good food but everything was overpriced and the waitstaff was a bit suffocating.

Best food in Maplewood. Consistently good everytime we go. Usually sit at the bar and can walk in. Their sweet potato hummus is awesome and so are their other dishes. Great spicy margaritas too. This place is a gem and I'm glad we stumbled upon it! read more

Super disappointed this time. 2nd time we have eaten here since they moved to the new space. Sat outside. Service terrible. Not in keeping with the prices and what would be expected. They were out of a couple of wines on the wine list and both chicken dishes. The server explained the reason why they were out of chicken is because they were very busy. Ended up with a burger that was fine but average. Asked for fries well done and they were soggy. Really hoping this restaurant succeeds in the new space but not off to a good start. read more

After mass I searched for a fine dining restaurant to celebrate my daughter's Birthday. We chose Lorena's for the vegetarian options. We arrived at Lorena's to be "greeted" by a rude hostess with an attitude. The host was just as "friendly". We arrived 45 minutes early for our reservation and simply asked if they had availability for two. The hostess rudely stated we don't seat walk ins and looked away. I replied we do have a reservation, we are just early. It was an odd experience. (Thank goodness I clicked on Resy.com when we parked ...their website does not state reservations are mandatory and they should clarify that). We were then seated immediately which was lovely and did not wait. The restaurant itself is pleasing with a comfortable and relaxing atmosphere. We were properly greeted by a sweet, personable, friendly, always smiling waiter Michael M. Michael knew everything on the menu, made wonderful recommendations, checked on us frequently but did not rush us. I had a wonderful time with my daughter for over 2 hours while enjoying an incredible meal. Along with Michael, the other wait were very polite and always smiling giving a pleasant experience. Everything we ordered was elegant, appealing, and delicious with uber fresh, quality ingredients. Every dish arrived so beautifully prepared and presented except the cheese board which arrived lacking any presentation. Although absolutely delicious the cheese board lacked the presentation expected while everything else was so delicately prepared exciting your palate before even taking a bite. The "cheese board" was on the same white plate as our appetizer plate, containing three slices of cheese, a few almonds tossed in the middle, a fig on one side, a honeycomb with cocoa nibs on the other accompanied by a bowl of four small baguette croutons. (To date the best tasting cheese board is at Rat's French Inspired Restaurant). Again, presentation aside the honeycomb with cocoa nibs is to die for. The camembert and ewe's blue incredible. The LR&B Eggs Benedict is unique, again delicious but there was oddly so very little hollandaise. I should have asked for more. We were so pleasantly surprised when we received a complimentary coffee panna cotta with candle for my daughter after we already ordered the Crème brûlée and pumpkin cheesecake. We enjoyed them all. The truffle fries while splashed with a little truffle oil are lacking. The grain bowl, raspberry champagne, desserts, and even the cappuccino were again delicious. Overall Lorena's is now one of our new favorites in NJ . read more

Lorena's - French Near Me - Maplewood, New Jersey

Lovely intimate French restaurant. Packed on most weekends and holidays to reserve. Very pleasant and knowledgeable service.

Great small little venue. Quality service. BYOB. Delicious French cuisine. I had the Venison, it was perfectly cooked. The crepe lump sum crab meat was SO GOOD. lot of fresh crab meats. The duck foie gra was cooked flawlessly as well!!! It's such a great place for some special occasion though it's at a regular suburban downtown in NJ. But the food and service are BR read more

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