Quaint surroundings especially the back yard serving area. Downside prices are quite high while food is not meriting these prices especially in an economy such as this. Great date place or businessman's lunch or dinner. This might be a place for a special occasion read more

Wonderful dining experience- from the decor to the portions. The food was amazing, with lots of flavor and delicious combinations that I'd never seen before. Another plus was that the waitress had asked if the dinner was a special occasion, and since it was an anniversary dinner, they served the dessert with candles. I highly recommend this restaurant! read more

OKAY best dining experience of my life! Husband and I came here to celebrate after we had a little courthouse wedding and it was incredible. We brought along a red and a white and had them open both for us so we could pair our food with whichever we liked throughout dinner, and neither of us ever had an empty wine or water glass. We both did the 4 course which was more than enough. Each course was incredible. My favorite was definitely the crab and shrimp cocktail ceviche style, and the lamb that my husband ordered. Courses were timed nicely so we didn't feel too rushed but never waited a long time in between. The staff did a nice job of keeping our table maintained, but without bothering us much. The cozy corner table we were at helped a bit too. Even their coffees were amazing. The decor was beautiful and different. We can't wait to return here. A perfect dinner! read more

Came here for my anniversary dinner... I was very delighted. The food was delicious. Decor was beautiful. Plates were very small. You pretty much have to do at least 2 "entrees". Get ready to shell out a few bucks! 2 people=$200+ It's byob, so that's a plus. read more

Matisse 167 - Short rib quesadilla - New American Near Me - Rutherford, New Jersey

Best food and service I have had in years. Everything was delicious except for the olives but I hate olives lol! You can't go wrong! Everything is a price fixed menu. Includes desserts. The chocolate brownie was like no brownie I have ever had. It's a real treat. read more

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Although the food looked excellent, it didn't taste good. None of the flavors complimented each other. Ambiance and service was great tho. I wouldn't eat there again to be honest. read more

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The best restaurant in town! I've been there many times and is always great to return since their menu switches a bit. Doesn't matter what you ordering, you'll be amazed !!! If you're looking for a great food and nice ambiance , that's the spot ! read more

My fiancé & I went on 7/16/2020. All i can say is, this restaurant is worth it. 1st time here & i was truly impressed. The food was delicious & the staff was very attentive/friendly. I will go back. Thank you, keep it up & your business will flourish. read more

Here for dinner after a wedding. I feel that they could have planned better. Bring in additional chef? Plenty of servers. First course finished at 10. We arrived at 8:15. read more

Delicious little restaurant. Slightly expensive. It's a certainly a special occasion place. Food was very good

After 4 amazing experiences at Café Matisse, I can now comfortably say it's top of my list for fine dining restaurants! Close second would Del-Frisco's stake house (the Manhattan location). As soon as you step foot in the door, the warm ambience and quint decor just set the mood that you're about to have an "out of this world" experience. The wait staff is super attentive and are ready to cater to your every need from start to finish. They are very knowledgeable of the menue and give quite an appetizing description of their feature dishes. (I believe the menu changes every season with the exception of a couple of staple items). Now the food - where do I begin! Did I mention "out of this world!"? I have yet to take a bite of anything there that was short of amazing! My personal favorite of all time is the panko crab cake with the jumbo shrimp on top. To say that this dish is delicious would be understatement. It's just a masterpiece cooked to perfection, and meant to do wonders to your taste pallets as you savor it! I honestly wouldn't do it it justice by trying to describe it further. Hats off to the chef. Do yourself a favor, get that dish. Thank me later I think the prime rib burger is another staple on the menue. Another great selection. Pan seared scallops are always a great options and so is the duck. FYI- It's a prix fix menue with the lowest price point starting at 3 items on the menu. Don't judge the portion sizes. I went with the 4 items option once, and ended up taking one of them home because I was that full! Also it's BYOB so grab yourself a bottle of your favorite vino and enjoy. (I'm already planning my next visit!) read more

Small, intimate place, great service, even better food. This place is BYOB so make sure you have that bottle of wine ready to go! The way that this place works (at least on a Friday night) is that you get a selection of a 3 course meal, 4 course meal, or 5 course meal with each item the size a little bigger than an appetizer but smaller than a full meal. The final course is always dessert. So my lady and I went out to Cafe Matisse with a bottle of wine - we decided to celebrate me my successful move to the great state of New Jersey! The place was intimately lit, and the person that greeted us (Larry) was able to take our bottle while we hang up our coats. Very nice and personable host. I made reservations ahead of time and the wait before getting to our table was about 5 minutes. Contrary to yelpers' belief, this place is definitely still a hidden gem, as there was no line and you could tell that the diners were either locals or the moderately well-off. Anyway, so we got our sparkling water, they poured us the wine and we ordered the food. My love got herself the lobster bisque and it was amazing - it was in a white bean sauce but you could barely tell that there were beans in it. It was definitely larger than your average soup appetizer portion. I can't say I remember what I got for my meal, so we'll just move on! The 2nd course was stuffed (and cooked) oysters - she fell in love with those. She swore that when we return that 2 of her courses are just going to be those oysters. LOL Her third course was the swordfish and it was exquisite. Very soft, flakey, delicious. And for dessert, she ate the peanut butter cheesecake brownie. That was a rich brownie. Other items to note - between each meal the service wiped our table clean, gave us brand new utensils, poured more wine and water for us. I believe there is outside seating but since it was too cold and the winter was just hell, that was closed off. I'm sure it will open back up this Spring. Every meal was artistically displayed - I'm saying if you were to paint a picture on a canvas looking like each course, the paintings would be worth thousands. So my advice for the couple or family looking to dine out - pick this place if you're looking to spend a pretty penny and looking to receive top notch quality food and service. We will be back for sure to try more selections! read more

maybe they had an off night but we were thoroughly underwhelmed by the food. It was a bit bland. Underwhelming. The wait staff was delightful. I hate to write this because so many have given good reviews. Maybe those reviews are from years ago. We are not those people who are never satisfied. Just disappointed. read more

This is the second time my wife and I have been here. Because it was a beautiful summer night we were able to sit outside. We both ordered the four course tasting. Each course surpassed the other as the evening went on. My favorite was the Pan Roasted Chilean Sea Bass and Fried Duck Egg - the combination of flavors was incredible. My wife loved the Asiago Glazed Shrimp w/ Lobster Meat. The meal ended with each of us having our coffees - latte and cappuccino- iced and with the hint of hazelnut made it even better. The wait staff was attentive and not overbearing; the service was fantastic and the host was warm and welcoming. Looking forward to the next dining experience. read more

Great food, nice ambiance - good service. Great for a special occasion. Loot but worth it if you're a foodie

Innovative and delicious "grazing" menu. The chef (Peter Loria) really impressed us with the food pairings! We went for the 4 course which was three savory dishes and 1 desert, and I we were totally stuffed by the end! The "Matisse Burger" has to be the best burger I've ever had. Quite an excellent experience! read more

I'm going to keep this brief. When people find out that I'm Yelp Elite the conversation generally heads in the same direction and I'm almost always asked to choose a favorite restaurant. The interesting thing is that my choices really haven't changed in quite some time. I still rank Peter Luger in Brooklyn among my absolute favorites but if asked about The Garden State my reply has been the same for almost 10 years, Cafe Matisse. The incredible food and almost surprisingly beautiful decor place it at the top of my list and, honestly, nothing else really comes close. Granted, $100-$125 per person at a BYO certainly isn't cheap but IMO, it's absolutely worth it. This is the special occasion restaurant to beat all other special occasion restaurants. When booking a reservation, I recommend the smaller room in what was formerly the wine shop but in fair weather, their outside space ranks among the nicest I've seen. KUDOS. read more

Matisse 167 - Perfect setting for a perfect meal. - New American Near Me - Rutherford, New Jersey

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Love this place. We schedule an annual visit for our anniversary. This is a dining experience and well worth the prices. Service is outstanding and no one rushing your dining experience. The host is also excellent and knows his regulars! I highly recommend. read more

Absolutely delicious! A bit pricey but worth every penny!great place for a date night, the outdoor seating area is gorgeous

Lived up to the hype! The service and food are spot on. We had the option of a three course or four course menu and went big with the four. I had the crudo, crab cake, sea bass and cheesecake. The fish was fantastic. Crudo was fresh, hamachi had a crunch, loved every bite. The crab cake was rich and flavorful with a kick. The sea bass was my favorite - smooth as butter! Cooked to perfection, I was almost full and could have eaten more of this. Cheesecake and espresso topped off the meal perfectly. So glad we came here for a celebratory dinner. It is pricey (so worth it) so this spot will be reserved for special occasions. Luckily my birthday is next month! read more

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Cafe Matisse is my most favorite restaurant in all of New Jersey. Heck, it gives NYC restaurants a run for their money. Every time I go there it's a superb experience. The staff is always attentive and cordial with excellent manners. The menu changes seasonally and the dishes are unlike anything else I have ever tried. Last time, we had the Fried Stemmed Artichoke Wrapped In Speck Ham which was to die for followed by some out of this world brownie. The prices are a little steep so Cafe Matisse is definitely a special occasion establishment. But it's high end dining at its finest. Also the garden is simply gorgeous so if you can - visit in the spring or summer. If you are a wine lover, you can bring your own bottle or buy one from their store out front. read more

All I can say is wow! This is my first time here and everything is perfect!!! The scallops were done perfectly, the crab cake was remarkable ! Melinda , our server was friendly, funny, and extremely knowledgeable of the menu. She answered every question we had , and was a joy to have her serve us Larry the matre D was as professional as they come! Adrian and Keith were so friendly and pleasant!! I highly recommend!! read more

Matisse 167 - New American Near Me - Rutherford, New Jersey

My husband and I went to Cafe Matisse last Friday. We had been told it was the best restaurant in Rutheford, NJ. It is an intimate and nicely decorated place and the service was fine. However, something was very wrong with the food. We had the four course chefs menu and aside from the desert it was one of the most disappointing dinners we have had in a long time. The presentation was nice but they all lacked flavors. Here are some examples. The (supposedly) honey roasted beets were watery and tasteless and very much reminiscent of chopped up beets from a cheap brand name jar. The watermelon slice that it was served on was not ripe and as such also tasteless. The second course crab cake was over cooked and mostly breadcrumbs and the third course tuna, pot sticks, beef combination made little sense taste wise. The brownie with raspberries desert was fine and the only dish that was enjoyable but it was not worth the +$300 that we paid for a dinner for two. We would definitely not recommend this place if you are looking for a good dinner. read more

Amazing food In an unbelievable environment, could not recommend enough. If the price tag is intimidating, don't let it be, best bang for your buck. I had better food in this magical spot in Jersey than I've had underneath the Eiffel Tower. My compliments to Burker, Sal, and Adrian for an unbelievable service full of candor, jokes, and a really good time. Thank you! We will be back! Yeah read more

One of our favorite restaurants in the tri-state area. We have been coming here for over 10 years and always look forward to coming back. They offer a 3, 4 and 5 course tasting meal. Food is amazing and innovative and service is excellent. read more

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This is such a great spot with really exceptional food. Its pricey but top notch. The hazelnut cappuccino is worth a trip alone. It's a must visit restaurant for the foodies out there. read more

My friend wanted to come here we were seated and staff came to table And began to open a bottle of wine. As I have many dietary issues I asked if I was possible to get something for me without butter or dairy. As most restaurants to the grill me up a piece of chicken steam a vegetable and give me a salad. The wait staff said I've asked Chef and he said no so we have no choice but to leave and we went to Borrelli's down Street who welcomes me and my allergies with open arms. Needless to say anyone who is that in sensitive to food allergies I would not be recommending this place nor will I be returning. #lindaslist read more

Been here 10 times. Hands down the best restaurant in NJ, better than all the overpriced restaurants in NYC. The food never misses, the service is perfect, and Larry is the best. The menu changes seasonally, everything is perfectly seasoned, and sequenced appropriately. The menu is eclectic and pairs things you would never think of. Great for a romantic dinner, great for a dinner out with friends, and BYOB. I make it a mission to get here 2-3x a year. read more

Expensive but worth it if you want to impress. The patio is beautiful and the service is excellent. Food is top notch. Come during the warmer months so you can sit in the patio. Bring your own wine. read more

Having dined in wonderful restaurants both domestically and internationally, Cafe Matisse ranks with the best. The staff welcomes you as family. We dined at a beautiful table for two in the outdoor garden. 3,4 or 5 course dinner offered. For us , 3 course option works best. No point discussing menu because it's always evolving. Everything was beautifully presented and tasted great. Expect a 2 + hour dining experience, which is NOT a criticism. Matisse is an experience to be savored. We can't imagine a more romantic setting. Note: Larry and entire staff are amazing. 10% cash discount. read more

Great time and warm staff. Very knowlegble of the cuisine and friendly.the manager was a hoot!

It was my true loves and best friends birthday so I had only prayed that our last minute Memorial weekend reservations would live up to a special evening. To begin I can only declare that the waiter host was a true maitre'd and then Heidi the Chef are both ordained by the heavens. The cuisine far surpassed anything that I have ever experienced. The ambiance is literally more like a portal to Southern France in summer. My dreams were quite literally surpassed and the menu is an eclectic rapture of flavors paired eloquently by a Tru master or resturantship! I now love this place and am just being honest. Just go and have zero regrets! Order anything, order everything if you can LOL. read more

I've frequented this fine establishment a hand full of times and each time it is even more delicious than the last. The host Larry is an absolute sweetheart and makes you feel right at home with his warm smile and funny jokes. Our waiter Keith was impeccable and truly knew what the definition of exception jaw dropping service is! He checked on us at all the right times, cracked a bunch of well humored jokes, recommended absolutely salivating entrees and brought out everything in perfect timing. I really cannot wait to go back- definitely one of the best meals I've ever had in my lifetime and I'm a foodie!!! read more

Let me start by prefacing that I have not written a review in awhile because I have not been that blown away by a restaurant. I had such a great experience here that I wanted to come home and write a yelp review all about Café Matisse. I celebrated my birthday tonight at Café Matisse and was blown away. This is probably the best restaurant I've had in New Jersey. Everything about this restaurant was perfection. Ambiance, food, service, fellow dining companions (yes the nice couple next to us celebrating their anniversary gave us some of their champs)... The most notable dishes in my opinion were Beet Tartare (a must, must, must), the Crab Cake, and Grilled Shrimp. My husband loved the Cuban Reuben Tacos. But in all honesty all food was delicious! I chose to get 4 plates, but next time I would only get 3 because it was simply too much food. However, for a person with a healthy appetite 4 or 5 plates would be appropriate. I would highly recommend sitting outside if weather permits. I felt as if we were in our own private sanctuary. Pricey, but so worthy of a special occasion (or a Tuesday night). read more

Absolute gem in Bergen County! I have to admit, as far as restaurants in Bergen County goes, this restaurant might be the best that I've been to. If you're looking to celebrate something or go on a date night, this is a great place. The restaurant is tiny, so be sure to make reservations beforehand. I made mine a few weeks ahead of time through OpenTable. The restaurant doesn't have parking, so you will have to find a spot on the street. Our waiter was very attentive to our needs and checked up on us throughout the night. As most people on here already mentioned, it's a tasting menu. Either 3, 4, or 5 courses (one course being a dessert course). I opted for the 4 course meal. My choices were the tuna hamachi crudo, pan seared veal loin medallion, peppered sirloin medallion, and the chocolate tart. I really like the veal and sirloin. My friend had the beef tartare, crab cake, pan seared halibut, and key lime pie. She was not a fan of the beef tartare. There was too much going on in it. I find their coffee price to be a bit ridiculous. An espresso shot is $5.50... I mean, I thought the double shot espresso at the Starbucks in Aria and Cosmo in Vegas were overpriced, but this might actually beat them. Price wise when all is said and done, probably looking at $100-$130/ person on average. read more

Love this spot. Awesome ambiance. Sitting outside in the weather is what makes this place so special. Perfect for date night and special occasions. The menu is different so be prepared for different tastes. Some things sound weird but trust me.. they're fabulous! read more

Matisse 167 - Hazelnut latte. Exquisite - New American Near Me - Rutherford, New Jersey

This has been my go to restaurant for years for special occasion dinners. We love it so much that we even had my daughters wedding reception dinner here. The wait staff was timely, friendly, and just filled our every need. The food is incredible and if you want the most romantic setting in Bergen county this is your place! read more

One of the best restaurants I have even been to in my life. The atmosphere is great and very intimate. They even have a back patio area that is beautiful which I think opens up when its warm out. Service is excellent although I will say if you get the 4 course option you will be there for 2+ hours at least. BYOB or BYOW depending on your choice of degeneracy. Food is UNBELIEVABLE. I got the four cheese lobster mac and cheese which was bong diggity. Also got the crabcake which was awesome too. Ill only give 4 stars to the short rib burger because the bun was a little too hard for my liking and the burger lacked that hmpf in taste you what I mean? Dessert was great I fancied myself the hazelnut brownie. They have a lot of menu options for their 3 and 4 course meals and its really hard to pick because every option sounds amazing. Id say the portion of each meal is a little smaller than an applebees appetizer. 3 courses will definitely fill you up and 4 courses will have you loosening up your belt. read more

One of the best dining experiences I have had in New Jersey. The sea bass was sublime and excellent. The scallops were so flavorful. Chocolate tart was fantastic and had a lot going on. The burger is good, but it is very rich and heavy, so you may have to watch how many courses you order if you are getting the burger because it is very filling. read more

I felt robbed. I would have rather spent $40 dollars on just the lamb, but instead, I was forced to pay $105 for 3 dishes and a dessert. The crab cake sucked; it was dry and too spicy, and (oddly) a soggy jalapeno popper was thrown on top. The scallions were drenched in lemon juice, the prawns were rubbery, and too many pine nuts and cranberries were littered all over the plate (it was just a mess). By the time I got to the best-tasting dish, I was too full to finish it. Disappointing. read more