What a fantastic experience! I loved it all! Love. Love. Love. Love! Oh my!! Swoon If I ever get near here again this will be the first place I am heading. From the first appetizer (on the house from the chef), to the rounds of drinks, more appetizers, bread service, down to the entrees, everything was perfect and on point. It's an old school kind of place that seems to be perfect for celebrating special occasions. There were three birthdays celebrated while we were there. It's softly lit, music is just right, and the service is phenomenal! Full grown professional kind of service in fact. You won't be getting some teenage kid that doesn't understand fine dining at this place. As for the food. It was all so good. It was all too much! We had a group of 6. We had 6 appetizers to start. Then we all had a bad ass entree. I had zero room for dessert after that though. I was so freaking full I could barely enjoy my Veal. I did it though! No quitter here!! This place is done well. You should come and see for yourself! Top notch dining experience! '26 - 106 read more

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A group of us enjoyed a great lunch at Lu Nello last week. I wasn't familiar with the restaurant, but someone saw excellent reviews and made a reservation. The restaurant is located in the Cedar Grove/Little Falls area. I'm not sure when it opened, but it feels like it's been there a long time. Very classy and old school! They start off by serving you chicken broth in a little espresso cup, alongside bread for the table. My first time ever seeing that. I had a Caesar salad and Veal Molino as the entree. Delicious! The veal was nice and crispy and was topped with prosciutto, provolone, and tomatoes. A large portion size! I've definitely marked Lu Nello as a place I want to bring my wife to for dinner. Excellent! read more

Lu Nello - Veal Molino was outstanding! - Italian Near Me - Cedar Grove, New Jersey

I had come here after a funeral for dinner with my family. The food was incredible. Calamari might have been the best I've ever had. I had the halibut dish, very good. The wait staff is top tier here as well. Service isn't rushed and everything is delicious. I'd return next time I'm in the area. I enjoyed the quiet dining room atmosphere as well. read more

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This was my first time trying LuNello's in Cedar Grove, NJ, and I must say it exceeded my expectations! I've passed by this restaurant many times but never stopped in until now and I'm so glad I did. The ambiance and décor are beautiful, warm, and welcoming. From the moment we arrived, the staff was incredibly friendly, attentive, and checked in often to make sure we had everything we needed. The drinks were spot on the Lychee Martini was made to perfection, and the Espresso Martini was just as good. The appetizers were fresh and flavorful, and the entrées came in generous portions. The risotto was absolutely outstanding hands down the best risotto I've ever had! We made sure to save room for dessert, and the White Chocolate Bread Pudding completely stole the show it left us speechless. What we ordered: * Calamari * Fresh Oysters * Risotto di LuNello * Chicken Martini * Pappardelle Porcini * White Chocolate Bread Pudding Drinks: * Lychee Martini * Espresso Martini Overall, an amazing dining experience from start to finish. I can't wait to return! read more

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Another fabulous dinner at my favorite restaurant. Elegant decor, excellent food, and extraordinary service. If you have never dined there you have missed out on one of the best dining experiences you will ever have. read more

Took my husband here for his birthday and we had a nice time! We just moved around the corner and had high expectations (everyone in the area highly recommends and for good reason!) We loved the food and our server was great. Valet also makes it super easy. It's old school, local spot - we were by far the youngest haha! But we loved it! We ordered a bunch of apps and mains - mozzarella carrozza, sautéed shrimp, short rib, grilled lobster / fries and a delicious dessert! We really enjoyed and it was a great meal! We want to try Lu Bar next! read more

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I was so excited to go to Lu Nello as I had heard great things. I did enjoy the experience, but I thought the service was average at best and I feel the bottled water was not great and $12.00 each was excessive. My husband left hungry and shelled out a lot of money not to be satisfied. I would try again in hopes that it was an off night and we would get better service and have a better experience the next time. read more

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came for a business dinner. expectation for restaurant was high. service was good but food for the level of restaurant i thought was mediocre. they were super busy -it looked like there was a wedding related event going on at the same time. perhaps they being so busy the quality suffered. read more

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Anniversary dinner at Lu Nello and outstanding as usual. Reservation needed, could only get one for 5:15 so we early birdied it. It's a beautiful restaurant inside. Service is outstanding. I had the short ribs and wife had the homemade pasta of the day which was cacio e pepe pasta. Deserts and wine made it a perfect date night. Bring a few bucks cash, valet parking only. read more

Lu Nello - Italian Near Me - Cedar Grove, New Jersey

We ate here tonight with my wife for our anniversary. Haven't been here for several years. I I had grownup in Cedar Grove and used to come to this location when it was Villa De Este for special occasions. Dinner was fantastic tonight. We sat at the bar for a drink( they make a good drink) and then sat down for dinner to celebrate our anniversary. Everything was great. Shared a Lu Nelo salad. Then enjoyed our main course of grilled Salmon and sautéed soft shell crabs. Delicious! Definitely will return . read more

Lu Nello - Soft shell crabs - Italian Near Me - Cedar Grove, New Jersey

We dined here for our one year wedding anniversary. It was a lovely experience. It was a Tuesday night and the place looked pretty full. They offer complimentary valet parking. What we ordered: - Colossal Crab Meat Sauté (sautéed shiitake mushrooms and crispy shallots) - Hen Egg Ravioli (crispy pancetta, Tomato, Black Truffles, Parmesan, cream sauce) - Bronzino (Grilled spicy, White Cannellini Beans, Asparagus, Touch of Tomato) - Veal Chop Valdostana (stuffed rack of veal, three cheeses, shiitake mushrooms, marsala sauce, finished with creme fraiche) - White Chocolate Bread Pudding (Brandy snap, fresh strawberries, caramel sauce & chantilly cream) Everything was tasty but the two things I would personally recommend is the Hen Egg Ravioli and the White Chocolate Bread Pudding. read more

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Started out with a professional atmosphere of Valet, an actual coat room and attendant to take your coat, the menu is big. With many specials for the night on a separate menu. The waiter took our drink order and served top shelf mixology results. I am of the opinion once you look at a menu and you find a delicacy on the menu, that's what I'm going to order that night. That is a true test of culinary skills. As an appetizer, I had the duck liver. It was fantastic. It had a sweet sour and salty flavors. That truly were unique. For the main cause I had the rabbit. It's been about 20 years since I found rabbit on a menu and I was not let down. It was a fantastic experience, across-the-board impeccable, service, exquisite food, a great atmosphere. You must make reservations and you will have to wait but definitely worth the wait. Italian food gets much better than this, unless you make it yourself. read more

Beautiful restaurant. $33 for fried calamari is nothing but BS. It was no different from an order at any other restaurant which would've been $15 served in a fry basket like we were at Chili's or something. Had risotto I didn't think it tasted like much. Also, the waiter charged me for a bottled water And he poured us a glass of water. I said I didn't order bottled water. He said OK I'll take it off the bill. I don't like it. I felt like I was being taken. read more

Great ambiance, food is fresh and hot! Great service. The white chocolate bread pudding was one for the best bread puddings I've ever had. Will be returning! read more

Food quality was fine, but presentation and seasoning could improve. Staff were friendly, yet timing was off. The restaurant is acceptable, though expectations weren't fully met during this visit overall. read more

Growing up nearby I've always seen and heard great things about LuNello, but I've never had a nice occasion to justify spending a pretty penny to go and indulge. I'm happy that I went there this weekend, it was very difficult to book a table on OpenTable but I have to say well worth it! The service from the moment you arrive was unmatched. We used Uber but the valet was courteous and held the door. The host was kind and allowed us to grab a drink at the gorgeous bar which looked completely redone even though our table was ready. The servers (multiple) were beyond any expectation I had. For starters we had a burrata, octopus salad and lobster scampi. The burrata was on special and I wasn't particularly keen on the preparation (had lots of smoked salmon) but the server asked the chef if he can do a rendition of the dish and he did his own thing and removed the salmon. It was very tasty. For dinner, we had a chicken parm, raviolinis in a truffle cream sauce and a pork chop. The chicken parm was a generous size taking up most of the plate and the pork chop was petite in size but thick and hearty. The ravolinis were packed with flavor! Dessert we shared a tartufo and creme brulee. We added some espresso martinis with what tasted like made with the freshest espresso. Additionally, we ordered a liquor43 on the rocks which came in a large glass compared to most restaurants which only provide a small taste. We were over the moon with the generous portions! Can't wait to go back and for the amount of food we ordered the bill wasn't as dramatic as we had anticipated. read more

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I visited for a business lunch. It is a lovely restaurant with elegant decor and ambiance with valet-only parking in Cedar Grove. Excellent and attentive service. It seemed that there were many regulars who knew the staff and the executive chef -- who stopped by some tables during my visit We split the lobster scampi with side of broccoli rabe appetizer -- the best lobster I ever had. I enjoyed the halibut with a crab topping, while my companions enjoyed the gnocchi and the dover sole. Everything was excellent. read more

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Nice. Great service and very old school. Started off with Caesars to start for four of us at lunch. Nicely done. Two of us had shrimp pasta special which was good but didn't blow my socks off; expected a bit more flavor and taste. Missus had a terrific pasta dish with vegetables that was outstanding (finished it for dinner as a leftover). Friends ordered key lime pie and I tentatively ordered cannolis but when I asked server what's best dessert he unequivocally said white chocolate bread pudding and it's out of this world great. When you're in an old school Italian restaurant and server doesn't go with cannolis you listen. It was magnificent and I'm not a huge dessert fan. Lunch prices are same as dinner so it was a little more expensive than I'd like for lunch but pretty good. read more

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Haven't dined here in over ten years and it is still just as good as I remember. I gave it four starts because I didn't care for the appetizers. Ambiance- to the right is the main dining which is where we sat is modern with white tablecloths and carpeting. The ceilings are low so it was very noisy and hard to hear each other at our table for 6. I did catch a glimpse of the bar area which was redone and had large pillars and was open on both sides. Service- excellent as always! Never feel rushed, tableware and water replaced often. Table cleared of empty dishes right away. Apps- underwhelmed by the stuffed figs and stuffed zucchini flowers. I read other reviews and I agree the zucchini flowers were heavily battered and greasy, Not really stuffed. The stuffed figs were a few very small figs served with prosciutto and peaches the figs were barely stuffed. Although the food was fresh I could have passed. Fried calamari was tender and the red sauce was good. Wheatberry salad was light and fresh. Dinner - felt mignon , halibut special , lasagna (pasta is made in house ) were all delicious and served piping hot. Dessert- white chocolate bread pudding never disappoints. Highly recommended! read more

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After 4 years we returned to Lunellos. What a different experience this visit was last Saturday. Simply amazing! We are glad we gave this restaurant another try. This restaurant is second to none in New Jersey. The service and the food are just great. The very gracious hostess Gia will greet you at the front desk with a smile and make you feel welcome. Can not wait to return. If you have not been there yet, just go, you will be glad you did. read more

high end fine dining restaurant. great place for a fancy dinner or special occasion. very classy ambiance and attentive staff. the valet parking is a nice touch. they have a wide menu here and the dishes are really tasty. Great dessert menu too. the bar area was recently redone and looks like a nice place to grab a drink after work. definitely a place to check out if you have never been. read more

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This is a qualified four star review as three of the five food items were excellent, however, the bread pudding was poor compared even to a diner's version. I must say that' the white clam sauce pasta , my porcini pasta and long stuffed hot peppers appetizer were excellent. Not so much the vegetable salad, which lacked flavor. The service was excellent including the. valet parking. read more

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Quaint restaurant made famous by the Real housewives of New Jersey. Lol service was excellent and so was the food. Out of the way North Jersey spot, that has great food. Highly recommend. read more

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I can understand how this restaurant continues to be a Northern NJ favorite. Delicious and creative dishes, great cocktails, and decent (but not top notch) service. Tonight I had the grilled foie gras (awesome!) and their fettuccine with a generous portion of white truffle shavings - very good! We also had the zucchini flowers (lightly fried and delicate) and small stuffed artichokes for appetizers. My wife had a crab pasta dish and our good friends enjoyed their rabbit and the seafood pasta dinner specials. Everything was delicious. I enjoyed my Vodka martini, glass of Chardonnay with my fettuccine and a nice serving of Marie Brizard anisette with my espresso and dessert. Not bad for a Monday night. The ladies enjoyed their well made Cosmos and my friend had his usual "Godfather" (DiSoronno and Amaretto). All very good! Pricey, yes, but you'll never leave hungry, unlike some trendy spots that'll serve you tiny portions and you're hitting the McD's drive-thru on the way home. Not here - you'll enjoy the preparation, the portions and the flavors. Buon Appetito! read more

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Food was, and still is great, Service great. Lou is a seasoned international chef. I'm confounded why anyone would invest money to expand a bar with absolutely no consideration for the noise and audio comfort of patrons. One or two drunks in the room and it is the rudest, most obnoxious environment for dining. read more

I had heard rave reviews about Lu Nello, so for my birthday, my husband booked a dinner here for our family. While the ambiance was lovely and the menu offered plenty of tempting selections, the overall experience fell far short of expectations--largely due to disorganized and inattentive service. We were seated at a large round table for six, right by the entrance and near a small bar area. The space felt crowded with staff constantly milling about, but somehow no one seemed assigned to our table. It took quite a while before we even received a wine list. Once we placed our drink order (only three of us were drinking), my husband had to wait far too long for someone--anyone--to come back for his order. In fact, I had to flag down a passing server who wasn't even assigned to us. When we finally got someone to take our food order, he flatly told us, "I'm not your waiter but I'll take it," and barked the order back at me like he was doing us a favor. It felt rushed, chaotic, and--frankly--rude. As for the food? It was good, but not the mind-blowing experience we were promised. My daughters linguini and clam sauce was basically buttered noodles . We've had Italian meals that dreams are made of--this just wasn't one of them. And when paired with the chaotic atmosphere and lackluster service, it really soured what should have been a special birthday dinner. read more

Food was great! I would definitely come back when in the area. It had a very old school vibe and really enjoyed the service staff's attentiveness when we needed anything. read more

The food was delicious and presented beautifully. the ambiance had me feeling like royalty! The staff was courteous, attentive to detail and non- intrusive. I shall return for another special occasion. You definitely get what you pay for. read more

Very good,service waiter Fabio perfect Decoration for holidays over the top Beautifully done read more

Lu Nello - Italian Near Me - Cedar Grove, New Jersey

well, let's start with the extremely rude valet guy. He stated that it was the LAW that I had to valet my car, or park on the street. I was with my 84 year old mother to celebrate her birthday with my brothers. One came from update NY and the other from Princeton NJ. My Mother is a Montclair resident and has lived here for 40 years. My brother had to bring his dog with him and leave it in the car. therefore, he did not want valet parking. It was a battle, and my brother from Upstate didn't stay for dinner and went directly back home. Which upset my mother tremendously. They were not apologetic about it. So, we stayed for dinner. My lobster was atrocious. I couldn't even eat half of it. They claimed that it was a pound and a half when it was barely a pound. It was overly salted and seasoned, and it tasted like it has been dipped in sterno. My mother's rabbit dish was difficult to get past looking at the entire rabbit. The pasta was nothing to write home about. The bill was $500. What an outrageous amount of money for so so food. I could've gotten better food somewhere else around the corner. oh but the ambience makes you feel so special. Oh well, what a waste of money. And for them to even get four stars is tremendously generous. it's for people who have a ton of money who don't care, and they like to fee special. we will not be returning. read more

Not even inside yet and in the parking lot and you can already get a sense of the vibe this restaurant is going for. It's not your nice, comfy NJ Italian restaurant that we've all grown to love. Instead, it's going for an upscale, elitist vibe and that is intimidating for someone like myself who just wants to have a nice, relaxed night out. It's the kind of place where you feel like you are being looked down upon for ordering a bottle of wine that is not priced at $200+. The interior is OK, it looks like it still has that early 2000s Italian decor that was popular. It's clean and nice. The bar is loud when you walk in, but we were seated upstairs in a much quieter area. Service was good, but I think if you're a regular you get better service. Our table was served, but we weren't being catered to like some of the other patrons who seemed to be regulars, That's ok. They give you a bread basket and a little soup to try before your meal. I wanted to try the Fried Calamari, but with a price tag of $31 I just couldn't do it. I've been burned by bad fried calamari too many times to risk spending more than the price of an entree on it. Most places around here are like $20 max for this. Our entrees were tasty, and good portions. I got the Orrechiette with broccoli rabe and sausage and my fiance got the chicken angelo. Overall, I wouldn't call this a hit but not a miss either. I wanted to try it for so long, growing up merely blocks away, so glad to finally cross it off. It was good food, but the overall ambiance leaves something to be desired. Maybe some people enjoy feeling like they're in an episode of the Real Housewives of NJ as an extra, but honestly, not for me read more

Lu Nello - Orecchiette Con Salsiccia - Italian Near Me - Cedar Grove, New Jersey

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Few restaurants are open on a Monday, and glad this was one was. I was impressed with my first dinner here. The bar is quite inviting and gives off a classic art deco bine. We decided to dine in the bar area, and we had the best service. While there are two menus - one for the bar and one for the main dining area, our server allowed us to order from each. Their menu is quite diversified and thoughtfully constructed. I was so thrilled to see quail and homemade pastas. We loved every bite and can't wait to return. Worth the extra drive. read more

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Went for my Mom's bday this last weekend. Food was fresh, chicken and steak were cooked perfectly! Service was great kept up on clearing the table and filling our waters. Had the bread pudding for dessert as well it was soo good! read more

Lu Nello - filet minon - Italian Near Me - Cedar Grove, New Jersey

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I don't understand how anyone can give this place anything below 5 star. My boyfriend and I have been coming here for a while. Never had bad service. We usually sit at the bar. The bartender ladies are on point. They make delicious drinks. The chef comes to us every time we go and ask how dinner was. Yes it's pricey but food is delicious I keep going back and will continue to go back until they give me a reason not to . Great place ! The bar area is fantastic read more

Just want to say this place is a must try. We came in on a Thursday night for our anniversary. We were about 30min late which is normal for north Jersey traffic. Which we called and they were super accommodating to us being late so thank you. Service was amazing and the food was perfect. We had a bottle of pugnitello which was on there specials. Great cab! We then had oysters and the seared tuna with crabmeat again amazing. Our entrees were the branzino and halibut and again great dishes. We shared the pistachio cheese cake and they wrote happy anniversary on the dish which we were surprised they seen that on our reservation and thank you again for that! The ambiance is great not loud but very open and peaceful. We will definitely be back and again it was a very amazing dinner experience. Highly recommended if your celebrating or even want to experience fine dining I truly recommend this restaurant. read more

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this is the BEST restaurant in NJ,I had pleasure to work w/Lou many years a go at Robertos in Clifton,now w/ Lunellos,WOW,very nice to go there and see Lu, me ,my wife and friends enjoy every bite...I will be there soon again..,,,,My name Sam Mussa. read more

Excellent ambiance, cuisine and service. The menu is varied with many appetizers, pasta, seafood and a nice selection of carne. A great place to spend an evening! read more

Everything was excellent!! Never disappointed here!! Always recommend this place , food is 5 stars always!!! read more

The Best! From cocktails at the bar, to delicious food, to outstanding service. Phenomenal and I'm a cranky old lady that's hard to Please! read more

we were served the wrong cocktail, the wrong entree and no one apologized. So many better places in the area .