What a great experience! This is my second time coming here and it always seems to be on a whim…read more Both times we just stopped by for a drink and this time was just as great as the first. Our service at the bar was exceptional. Every bartender was accommodating, alert and helpful. The drinks that they made were also outstanding! We weren't going to order food at first, but then we were extremely happy we did. We got the broiled squid just to try an appetizer, but we were happily surprised that between that the salad and the bread it quickly became a full meal. Everything was seasoned and cooked to perfection. I definitely have to come here for a proper meal in the near future, I honestly can't wait to return! Pro tip: visit the cigar room on a sunny day- it's a beautifully decorated space where you feel. Like you are somewhere special.

We made a reservation for brunch for a party of six, and this was my first time visiting Fonos of…read moreSpain. From the moment we arrived, the experience was great. We used the valet service, and upon walking inside, I noticed an older gentleman playing the piano in the foyer, which gave the place a really nice atmosphere. Even though the restaurant was busy, our wait was only about 5-10 minutes. While waiting, I couldn't help but notice how large the restaurant is. There are two bars and several separate dining areas that looked perfect for larger parties and special occasions. Once seated, we were served fresh bread while looking over the menu. I ordered the 32-ounce prime rib with A1 sauce, red peppers, and roasted potatoes. I also had the chance to try some of the sea bass. Both dishes were excellent. The prime rib was tender, flavorful, and cooked perfectly, while the sea bass was fresh and well-prepared. A special shoutout to our waiter, Milan, who was attentive, friendly, and made sure everything was taken care of throughout our meal. Overall, it was a fantastic brunch experience, and I will absolutely be back in the near future.

After nearly 40 years, I finally returned to Spanish Tavern in Newark, and I am happy to say it is…read moreevery bit as wonderful as I remembered. From the moment we arrived, the service was exceptional. The staff went above and beyond to make us feel welcome and ensure everything was perfect throughout our meal. My wife ordered the salmon topped with crab, and it was outstanding--tender, perfectly cooked, and a very generous portion. I had shrimp with pepper sauce was equally impressive, packed with flavor and cooked to perfection. The sides of fresh vegetables, yellow rice, and the homemade potato chips complemented the meal beautifully. Dessert was the perfect ending to a fantastic evening. The flan was simply incredible--smooth, rich, and full of flavor. The chocolate cake was absolutely decadent and worth every bite. Spanish Tavern offers plenty of convenient parking and a warm, inviting atmosphere that makes it ideal for a date night, family dinner, or special occasion. What impressed me most is that after four decades, this restaurant continues to deliver outstanding food, exceptional service, and a memorable dining experience. Some places come and go. Spanish Tavern has stood the test of time, and for good reason. It remains a truly special place to enjoy great food and even better company. Highly recommended! I'd rate it 5 stars without hesitation.

We came here for dinner on a weeknight, a bit late, and were quite literally the only party in the…read morerestaurant seated for the rest of the night. They had a decent amount of servers and one or two parties at the bar when we sat down, but no one else came in to get seated which was interesting given how many tables they had and how nicely everything was set. The vibe of this restaurant felt a little more upscale than we expected so staff were in black tie dress, but since no one else was there, we didn't feel too out of place. Menu had a good selection of dishes and we shared a few for the entire meal. Taste was fine, solid and decently priced. I enjoyed the paella. Overall, not a bad experience, just felt a little eerie due to the lack of patrons. We enjoyed it nonetheless and wish Spanish Tavern more success!

If you want a great meal, served with a smile in a welcoming family oriented restaurant...Casa…read moreVasca is the place for you! From the moment you walk in you are treated like family. Something that is a rarity in 2026! The first thing you are offered is soup. Along with fresh baked bread. My favorite dish is the shrimp in garlic (camarones al ajillo), simple but delicious. Served with yellow rice & spanish potatoes. Dont forget to dip the bread in the garlicky sauce! Finish your meal with an espresso & a flan catalan (if you have room). I have enjoyed many, many meals at Casa Vasca & have always been treated like a member of the family. Never a rude server. A+ service. Casa Vasca is not just a restaurant, for some of us who grew up in the area, its home! And you know what they say, "theres no place like home"!

If I can give 0 stars here, I definitely would. Extremely rude and racist staff. They are basically…read moreracist against anyone who are not Spanish. We came in with a group of six and ordered paella to share together. Everything was fine in the beginning, and they even served soup and bread to us. Then our group was quite surprised when we looked at the bill and found out we were charged $20 for the soup. I mean it would be totally fine if they didn't serve us the soup. But they didn't notify us about the charge for the soup and gave us the option to opt-out. Basically, they imposed an extra order of the soup on us without our permission. Then when we split the bill among our group, the staff gave us a nasty attitude with rolling eyes. I mean. How our group handled the bill and split the payments among our members is none of your fucking business. Save your money and avoid this at all costs. Don't even want to call them a restaurant since they are not even qualified to be one. There are so many better places with much friendlier services in the area.

My reservation is coming up this Sunday, However, I have eaten there many times, I love the food,…read morethe atmosphere and the service. Treating my son and daughter there for their birthday .

So good! What I like about this place is Newark is it's only a short walk from Penn station,…read morehowever they also have a parking lot. Ever since Iberia closed down I've been trying to find a place that comes close to it's this place hits the spot from the ambiance, food, and service- nearly identical! The portion sizes were generous, seafood tasted super fresh along with all the other dishes we had. If you're craving some Portuguese food, hit this spot up!

Good place for tapas!…read more We arrived early on a Tuesday (4:30 PM) and we were the only patrons present for 1 1/2 hours. Perhaps this place crowds up later on, especially on weekends? Rioja for him and spicy margarita for me. He chose incorrectly and joined the margarita train after he finished his wine. We shared several tapas...croquettes, calamari, veggie and chicken empanadas, olives, and the traditional paella. We ordered too much, as per. Everything was delicious. The paella rice was more of a risotto, but good nevertheless. The smoke detector was doing that annoying-ass low battery chirp the entire time. Not fun! Clean and efficient staff. Good drinks!

We chose Mompou for our anniversary party because we've always loved the food. The party was a…read moregreat success. The tapas were absolutely delicious. Service was excellent. Tabitha, the waitress who watched over us, was very helpful and solicitous. The planning was seamless. Francisco worked with my daughter, with me, and with our florist to make sure that everything went smoothly. He answered all our questions. We asked for a microphone for speeches and an extra table for photos. The restaurant was able to receive our decorations as early as 10:30am for a 4:00pm event and disposed of them afterwards. Find out about the rooms before deciding which one you want. The Flamenco Room is on the main floor and is spacious and pleasant. The wine room is in the basement with steps. I'm told it's darker and smaller but it would be quieter and more private. I loved Mompou before our party and now I love it even more.

Always great Love the new lace…read moreGreat service and the food is epic Xxxxxxxxx cxxxxccxcccccc

Located on Franklin Street and Broad Street in downtown Newark just across the street from the…read moreNewark Police Department's Metro Precinct, Chateau of Spain delivers on tasty and freshly-prepared authentic Iberian (Spanish and Portuguese) food, attentive but not overbearing service, and a convenient location that's just a quick two block walk to the Prudential Center. It's a perfect spot for a pre-game or pre-event meal with a welcoming moderate ambiance (i.e., cloth tablecloths but jeans-friendly). I had the Garlic Chicken Cutlet entree ($34), a very generous serving of four pieces of tender, boneless chicken breast smothered in a bright, savory lemon garlic sauce, served alongside "Spanish fries" (which are actually delicious house-made potato chips) and fresh collard greens. It was incredibly tasty and very filling, with enough leftovers for lunch the next day! My dining companion went with the Garlic Shrimp entree ($35), paired with the "Spanish fries" and steamed veggies. She absolutely loved it.. noting that the shrimp were cooked perfectly and packed with flavor. To wash it all down, we each had a glass of the house special red sangria. It was fantastic -- bright, fruity, and clearly made with fresh ingredients rather than a sugary mix. Yum! PRO TIP #1: Bring cash. Chateau of Spain has added a 4% surcharge for credit card payments. PRO TIP #2: Check your bill. A 15% gratuity is automatically included on all checks. Our server was great and explicitly pointed this out to avoid any confusion, but keep it in mind when calculating an extra tip.

Warm and cozy atmosphere. I sat at the bar. Very friendly and helpful bartenders. Calamari was…read morecrispy, but the peppers were making it less crisp, so I scraped them off to the side. If I got again, I'd ask for them on the side. The peppers were just the right amount of spice for me, so I did enjoy them. The bacon wrapped dates and lamb appetizer were both delicious. It was a lot, but I ate everything, it was all so good.

Walking in feels like stepping into a neighborhood clubhouse -- many older regulars, a warm,…read morelaid-back vibe. They serve hot bread first -- crispy outside, soft and fluffy inside -- really enjoyable. We ordered two drinks, solid and not overly sweet, just right. The oysters were okay, not particularly sweet or briny but still fresh enough. We had the pork chop and their signature lobster seafood paella. The pork chop was huge (thanks to the friendly staff for warning us), slightly dry but tasty. The paella rice was rich and flavorful, lobster and scallops were fresh, while the shrimp and mussels were more ordinary. Portion sizes were very generous. I also captured a moment when the staff pulled a live lobster from the tank -- felt very authentic and documentary-like. Overall, it's a place I'd happily revisit -- good value, hearty food, and a nostalgic local vibe. Just be aware of small flies if sitting close to the tank.

[Over a decade since my original review... she's overdue for a refurbishing, for sure.]…read more East Newark basically consists of three things... Tops Diner, the (historic) Clark Thread factory (closed for decades and currently being made into a housing complex which is going to be insane for this area) and... Pic-Nic. (East Newark should be absorbed into Harrison, but I'll keep my nose out of zoning and redistricting and stick to the job at hand...) The sangria? Delicious. (But worth $30 a pitcher?) And only finding out when the bill arrived and we'd ordered two... ouch! The garlic shrimp appetizer? Yeah, still the best in the biz. (The sauce alone is worthy of a darn Michelin star.) We were a party of seven. We had a bit of everything when it came to the entrees. My chicken dish - brilliant. (The star might've been those roasted potatoes swimming in a delicious brown-garlic sauce.) The other adults all seemed to really love their dishes, too. But we need to discuss my kids' food. They're varsity athletes that run 8-10 miles a day. They were hungry and bragged about how much food they were about to put away. The older twin tried paella (for the very first time) and about halfway through? He had to quit. (But he really dug all the various seafood and proteins mixed in the saffron-infused yellow rice served in a tiny Portuguese cauldron of sorts.) The younger twin? Obsessed with steak. He ordered the "Beef à Pic-Nic" and... okay, anyone know the YouTuber 'Beard Meets Food' that travels the world to attempt ridiculous food challenges? That's what arrived at our table. Easily the most amount of food I ever saw that was technically for just one person. He went to work and eventually said, "Dad. Please do not make me breakfast or lunch tomorrow." (something I never heard before - all because he was THAT full right now) I looked over at his dish and... it didn't even look like he put a dent in it. When we asked for doggy-bags the two workers seemed to chuckle that we 'failed' the mission at hand. All things considered: the bill wasn't too bad for the amount of (tasty) food. (Overlooking the alcohol portion, of course!) Cool workers all around. Restaurant looks good. They have a (mighty small) lot and there's some street parking (if you're lucky). Recommended, for sure.

Pic-Nic has been a family favorite restaurant since I began dating my husband. Their family is…read morePortuguese and Pic Nic is a Portuguese Grill and has been a special place for our family for birthdays, anniversaries and my husband and I even had our Rehearsal Dinner here. They have a bar and dining room as well as private room they use for events. This is where our Rehearsal Dinner was held. The private room has a separate entrance which is nice for guests! My step mother could not stop raving about the food, so when she came to visit again, we took her back. To start, we had red sangria and I think we went through 3-4 pitchers as a table. To start we had calamari and chorizo which comes flambéed, which is an awesome spectacle! We also ordered styles of paella, grilled shrimp Mozambique style - which is what I typically order, and my husband ordered one of the specials for the night, cordon blue which was To DIE FOR! Definitely, whole heartedly recommend if you are in the East Newark, Harrison area. The one and only down side is they have a very small lot, suiting about 8 -10 cars, but the driving around to find parking is totally worth it!