The food is always amazing here. The service is great too. The only disappointing factors were the bread they give you before the meal would taste better if it was warm and I couldn't taste any alcohol in the sangria they made. We ordered mushroom soup and kale salad for appetizers and for dinner, pumpkin raviolis and chicken francese which were delectable! And to celebrate my friend's birthday they came out with a slice of cheesecake that was rich and creamy. The piano playing as background music gave a nice ambiance as well. Can't wait to come back for another delicious and satisfying meal! read more

Palazzo Restaurant - Chicken francese - Italian Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

Just don't even bother. Their pasta is literally straight from the box in the store despite claiming to be a homemade pasta company. There are better real Italian places in Montclair. read more

We came here for Valentine dinner There was a piano player. The food was delicious. My only disappointment was that they ran out of the steak and I ended up with an overcooked Fillet Mignon. The steaks that passed me looked good but they apparently ran out right before my order. The lobster ravioli was great as well as the crab cake. read more

Great local byob. One of Montclair's best restaurants. Good value and solid service. My wife and I frequent many restaurants in nyc and in Montclair and this is one of our favorites read more

It was the first time we went in since it was opened. The atmosphere was relaxed. Some guy was others playing some music on the keyboard. No one inside or outside, waiters or customers was wearing a mask. Mayne it's because it wasn't busy. We ordered one of the day's specials blackened salmon with resotto. It was quite well cooked. But the other dish: seafood with squid ink pasta, which was highly recommended by the waiter, was a complete disaster: unfresh mussels + soggy overcooked pasta! I wonder why the hell the waiter so enthusiastically recommended it! read more

The food was mediocre at best but the main problem with this place is the mouse infestation. The waiter/manager told me the owner's moved out of state and fired the exterminator read more

We went last night for the first time to this Italian restaurant. We wanted to celebrate our cousin's birthday and wanted a place with entertainment. Sure enough, the pianist was very pleasant and talented. The manager was absolutely friendly, cordial and very professional. We felt very comfortable with her as she spoke to us in Spanish. Every special of the day she recommended was delicious. Overall service was very good. We enjoyed every minute we spent there. We will definitely go back to this wonderful and unique BYOB. read more

The chicken parm and capellini was perfection. And the whole bronzino was fantastic. And can't top live piano player . Byob. Enjoy!

That place was terrible it was hot no air conditioning no dessert dirty napkins. I will not recommend this place.

Went for Groupon Dinner Food - 5/5. The focaccia bread they start you with has house made tomato sauce on top adding a good tart flavor. The duck has a nice crispy skin that pairs well with the orange demi-glaze; the sweet & savory flavor complimenting the juicy thigh meat. Spinach had good amounts of garlic and the mushroom risotto was very creamy. Tiramisu was very rich and soft. Service - 4/5. Very friendly and attentive. No negative reaction was given about the use of Groupon and when asked about it on the phone, they sounded very welcoming. Value - 5/5. The food here is delicious and they let you use a Groupon. The quality of the food is there so added with the possible savings, there is definitely value. Parking - Street (Metered) read more

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Best Italian food in Montclair. go here to eat it's my favorite place. I have to keep writing yelp says so I'll also note that there's really pretty windows and a view of Fullerton street read more

I tried dining here a few weeks ago since they recently changed locations within Montclair. For appetizers, we ordered calamari balsamico and eggplant rollatini - both were good but nothing out of this world. For dinner, we ordered cheese tortellini with vodka sauce and a mushroom ravioli special they offered. As soon as the entrees came out, there were 2 long pieces of hair in the raviolis. We immediately called our waiter over who then got the manager. The manager made a comment that it could have been our hair and that they have a quality control to make sure this doesn't happen. He was very condescending and unapologetic and did not even offer anything to compensate besides a dessert. Needless to say we didn't eat either of our entrees and will never be returning back to dine again. read more

This is one of my favorite restaurants ever. I've been here multiple times while visiting family, and when I could, I brought friends here who raved about it as well. Every time I'm in the area for a celebration, I make sure I eat a meal here. The food is top-notch and the atmosphere is classy and romantic without being pretentious. The service is always great here too. We always get the house salad and split it. The dressing is perfect, the pine nuts go with it, it's just lovely. I've had the rigatoni bolognese, lobster ravioli, mashed potatoes and a few other meals here and it's always tasty. Their tiramisu and other various desserts are great too. You just never can go wrong here. I wish I could eat here all the time tbh, but I'm on the west coast now. read more

The Italian options in Montclair are endless. We were drawn to Palazzo after buying a restaurant.com certificate, but upon arrival, it dawned on me that it's one of the few restaurants in Montclair that offers outdoor seating. For that reason alone, I very well may have chosen to go here sooner, but just never got around to it. We were immediately greeted by the host and a guy playing the piano. Classy. My initial impression was that the dining room was immaculate and very well-organized. Nice place settings and colors, giving off a very old school Italian vibe. The place was kind of empty for a Wednesday night, but that was fine by me considering the 5 star service we received. I started with the squash soup, which I would put in the top 3 squash soups I've ever had. Perfect for a chilly fall night. Just the right amount of cream, just the right amount of sweet and the pumpkin seeds gave it a nice touch. The shrimp and Italian peppers, $12 (Jumbo shrimp sauteed with garlic and long hot Italian peppers) was kind of 'meh,' but it is what it is. It's not what I would have ordered, and I didn't order it. The crab-stuffed ravioli with gorgonzola was outrageously delicious. I went with the small portion ($11 versus $19) and got 6 raviolis. That was more than enough. Combine that with the duck breast with orange glaze, mushroom risotto and spinach, and you have yourself a perfect fall menu. My only real gripe is that the complimentary focaccia needed something, but I can't quite put my finger on it. Other than that, the place feels Italian, but the menu isn't really all that Italian. Sure, there's a pasta section, but if you ask me, most of the appetizers and entrees put them in that "new American" category. Other: - Don't assume the online menu is all they have. They do daily specials, which is how we wound up with the ravioli and the duck. - Street parking. - And most importantly, BYOB! read more

I went here for the first on the recommendation of our Montclair Yelp brother Brian N. The room was not as small as I expected based on the previous reviews. All was lovely from the white table cloths and napkins to quality silverware and dishes. The entrees suited our tastes perfectly. Pasta was the desire and our call. The small ear like pasta with hot sausage, broccoli rabe and white beans in a garlic butter sauce was flavorful, yet delicate. We had the whole wheat fettuccini with shrimp, artichoke hearts and grape tomatoes. Very mild, but lovely. We washed it down with a great Pepperwood Pinot Noir. Our waitress was very helpful, attentive and sweet. We had a concert to attend down the street, so no dessert or listening to the weekend jazz trio. But we will be back for more soon. This time with friends. Thanks Brian. read more

Palazzo Restaurant - Excellent food. - Italian Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

The restaurant is not good. Food is miss handled. The staff is not paid correctly. The staff is threatened time and time again by owner and manager. They have a lot of frozen food pasta is usally from dry or frozen. The place has penne they wash before reheating. read more

This is a nice place in Montclair, and its open Mondays. Got to love that. They also have a liquor license, not always the case in Montclair. But they let you bring your own bottle too. Pretty nice. Not sure the corking fee if there is one. The food is Italian based. Ive had a number of the apps here and find the sizes generous and plentiful. The bread they serve is good, comes with olive oil. You may have to ask for more of both. The service is with a smile and they don't rush you here. They will happily discuss the menu with you and make suggestions as well. I have always stuck with specials here and can recommend those. This is a more upscale place, cloth napkins etc. You get the idea. Parking is street or a nearby parking lot with meters. read more

A hidden gem that needs to be rediscovered. Everything we tried was wonderful, portions are very generous,beautifully prepared and presented. Very friendly staff. A note to Chef Giglio:use more social media to raise visibility. The food is the best I have ever had in Montclair (I visit often as I have friends there), yet the dining room was almost empty on Sunday afternoon. There is no liquor license,but this is common in Montclair (byob is encouraged). We shared everything seafood asparagus risotto (perfect), crab cake app special, halibut with brussel sprouts, side of spinach and a watercress pear salad. Somehow we managed creme brulee and a semi freddo, both delicious. We picked Palazzo because of the photos here and were rewarded with an outstanding meal. read more

Palazzo Restaurant - Shrimp and asparagus risotto - Italian Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

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Feel bad writing - but this place seems outdated. Like it used to be the happening place , but now just trying to get by . The food looks the part on the plate , but lacks all around flavors.Live piano guy was a nice touch , but not enough to try again. I didn't even have my leftovers wrapped to take home . And I always take my leftovers home! For the higher pricing level of Montclair, this place has no business charging what they did. read more

We were four on a Saturday night with same day reservations. We had a good table and enjoyed the jazz music that starts at 7. Service was attentive and efficient. We started with mushroom risotto and truffle oil. It was perfect. My tuna tartare was tasty and nicely presented along with my friend's tri-colored salad with apples. Our entrees consisted of: Homemade pappardelle pasta bolognese-truly delicious Blackened scallops- my friend said they were very good Branzino- it was good but not the best I have had. They did charge an extra $6.00 for a roasted red bliss potato which I thought was excessive, but "que sera sera." Desserts- Caramel apple tart, and the creme brûlée- good, not over the top. The vanilla gelato was more an ice cream than a gelato. Please call food what is -thank you. Overall, Palazzo offers a nice atmosphere and solid food. read more

Came here with my boyfriend on a surprise date night on Thursday. I had already eaten a big lunch with my coworkers so we skipped the apps. I ordered the spinosini (white linguine with clams, mussels & grilled octopus in a white wine sauce). The octopus was grilled to perfection. I couldn't finish the whole dish, so I ate half and took the rest to go. My boyfriend ordered the linguine ala nostra and he seemed to enjoy his dish as well. For dessert my boyfriend had the tiramisu and I had the creme brulee. Even though I felt 6 months pregnant after finishing the dessert, it was worth it. Service was really good when we were here. Waitress was knowledgable about the menu and the specials. We were given refills of our water without having to ask, and we were not rushed into ordering anything or having our plates cleared from the table. I'm a fan :). read more

Palazzo Restaurant - My dinner. Pasta with octopus, clams, and mussels! - Italian Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

This review is not for overall experience or service. It is specifically for the chefs response and this one particular dish. At an "Italian" restaurant the one dish that should be straight forward and a guaranteed winner is the meatballs. DO NOT ORDER THEM HERE (If you are an actual fan of food with flavor). I ordered the rigatoni with meatballs as an entree. Everything was one texture (mushy) and underwhelming at best. When questioned I was honest. The honest truth is pale food doesn't taste good. The chefs reply is that they are oven roasted then put in the sauce. As a well travelled person who has eaten polpette in various regions of Italy none have ever been cooked to the same color as the pasta. A fail in execution and in customer service! read more

Palazzo Restaurant - Pale mushy FAIL - Italian Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

The food was truly authentic Italian food. Like a Sunday dinner or holidays with grandma. The service was also top notch. It's a byob My friends and I tried this place based on doing a google search. It was by far some of the best Italian food I've had at a restaurant. It wasn't Americanized Italian. They certainly had some options for those that go to an Italian restaurant and think parmigiana is Italian, but if you want something that reminds you of home cooked Italian food, this is your place. It's in a quiet part of Montclair so you won't spend 30 minutes looking for parking. I'll definitely be back or at bare minimum ordering take out. Thank you for a great evening of delicious food. read more

Wow... I am just completely shocked how I was just treated by this place. My family and I are loyal customers and I'm so upset I'm shaking right now... We ordered through Uber eats tonight because they had the buy one get one offer like they normally do. However, when the big brown bag stapled shut showed up we only had one order of rigatoni (we did have everything else we ordered but just missing the other rigatoni entree). I called this place and explained the issue and then they put me on with the almighty "General Manager"... The almighty "General Manager" went on to tell me I'm a liar and that she packaged the order herself and then hung up on me. I called back 3 more times to try to explain and ask if she stapled the bag or did Uber and all calls went to voicemail. On the 4th call she answered and knew exactly who I was (so I guess they have caller ID) and said I'm a liar again and what not. I said "Ma'am please just let me say something, it's not about the money at all it's about the principle. Not only did you charge me double for the buy one get one but you only gave me one entree." She went off again about how it's not her fault and she's been packing bags for years yada yada yada and I should call uber because it's their problem not hers. How the hell do you people have a woman like this as your GENERAL MANAGER? It's freaking pasta and like I told her multiple times it's not about the money. You guys just lost alot of business. Fire your GM and don't let the next GM destroy your business under the company name of Montclair Pasta Company. read more

Plenty of on street parking, huge plus even before walking in. Great ambiance, delicious meal, huge portions and reasonable prices. BYOB to boot! read more

The only pleasant experience was the live music. Pianist was very nice and talented. Service was way below expectations. After our dinner was served nobody came to check on us for over an hour. I had to chase a hostess to hand my credit card to get my bill payed. Forget even being offered coffee or dessert. Never going back. read more

We had one of those nights. We left Newark airport for Jersey City but the freeway was a parking lot. We decided to go to another restaurant in Montclair but there was an hour and a half wait. It was 20 degrees outside so walking around Montclair wasn't an option. We dashed into Palazzo. We were met by the host with, "You just decided to come on in without a reservation? You didn't call?" There were at least 20 open tables and it was Wednesday night so we couldn't begin to understand what he was saying. Was he being flippant? Funny? Facetious? We were seated. It was warm. Our server had a pretentious air about him, but he was fine. The men who brought our water and bread were very warm and friendly. The food was just okay. Definitely nothing to write home about. Risotto slightly undercooked. Steak a little tough. But it was fine. The bread and olive oil were very good. read more

Amazing place to go , love the new location . Will be back , food was truly Italian, my wife and I were delighted.

I ordered the "rigatoni Fresca" and it was actually sooooooooooooo bad. I added pictures just so you can see for yourself how bland, overcooked and nasty it was... never ever again!!! If you know Italian food you'll absolutely hate this place lol read more

Palazzo Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

I had to restrain my keep from licking my plate clean. The Prix Fixe 1st course Shrimp and Asparagus Risotto is perfect. 2nd course Salmon w/capers yummy! Even the mixed veggies were seasoned perfectly. First time I ever ate all of the cauliflower on my plate. (I usually dislike cauliflower). The generous portion of tiramisu (which I had to take home) was as light as air, and decadently delicious. Friendly, attentive service. Classy/Comfy decor. Looking forward to returning to try Bolognese. read more

Palazzo Restaurant - Absolutely delicious! I even ate the cauliflower (I never eat cauliflower)! - Italian Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

Atmosphere: on the formal side, nice, intimate Service: Slow...waited a very long time for the appetizers and the entrees. The waitress was very nice and apologetic, but the service was still way to slow. The calamari in balsamic sauce was delicious, big portion and highly recommend. The black pasta with seafood was also very tasty. I wish the dish came with more pasta as I was still hungry after the meal! read more

Came here for a birthday lunch and I've a fan ever since. The service is excellent. John is very attentive and helpful with selections. The food took a little while to come out but when it did boy was it worthwhile. Everything was fresh fresh fresh. Hubby ordered the linguini nostra. At 8.5 months pregnant, my tastebuds are super sensitive and I'm very cautious with seafood -- the smell makes me nauseous. But the seafood is so fresh that I actually wanted more of those shrimps and clams and calamari. The ambiance is great. The service is great. The food is magnificent. Love coming here when I'm craving Italian food. This place is definitely a gem in Montclair. read more

After a rough week, I was excited to get some tasty food. My mistake for not realizing that the restaurant moved, but I walked over excited to pick up my order which was the be done by 9. It is 9:38, I ordered on the website and they are just realizing that they didn't even make my dish. Got a free soda for my trouble, but I have never had this happen. So disappointing. read more

I went here for my birthday Wednesday night and , we sure did enjoy ourselves. We were lucky enough to sit near the piano and the music playing was a wonderful addition to our already awesome meals. The food speaks for itself. The place looks so lovely and the people are so friendly. Look at these photos!!! Yummy :) read more

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Yet another delicious meal at Palazzo Restaurant! The food and ambiance were excellent! Our server Tony was attentive and answered all of our questions. My husband had the duck special with mushroom risotto and spinach sautéed in garlic. I had the chicken picetto (chicken with prosciutto and peas in a sherry sauce). We will be back again soon! read more

Palazzo Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

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First time back in a very long time. Glad it's back in the rotation. When we walked into Palazzo's on a Friday night we were greeted by a very friendly charming humors host with live piano Music in the background. Delicious Foccaicia bread and olive oil put on the table. Although the place was crowded, our server constantly filled water, fabulous waitress was always available, who happily replaced our wine glasses since we had both red and white on the table. Needless to say, BYOB .Wonderful service throughout the night. Lots of seafood choices. Good vibes in the restaurant. Parking tricky but hey, that's Montclair . Seared tuna was absolutely fabulous. Apps on the smaller side, but beautifully garnished, tasteful, and quality fresh ingredients. Groupon used no problem. read more

Walking around Montclair, passed this gem, had time before a movie, saw menu, octopus grabbed my eye, byob perfect since i just came from wineshop on church st Amor vino?(also a great place for Jelu pinot noir). Service was fantastic , waiter Roman professional, knowledgeable, attentive not overbearing. Complementary Focaccia, tricolor salad great precursor, super fresh, crisp. PERFECTLY prepared, presented. The bronzini, shrimp, lobster special with risotto and local NJ asparagus (in season) A+. I had pulpo (octopus, garlic lemon sauce)appetizer, tender perfectly cooked prepared presented with arugula salad on side. The semifreddo dessert easily one of the best ive ever had, transported me back to Europe. Coffee how it should be. I am a tough customer but this place surpassed my expectations. Great fresh seasonal ingredients masterfully prepared and presented , the chef captures perfectly what Italian cuisine should be. Really a must if you feel jaded by "Italian ". I applaud you chef. read more

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Always a favorite but Last nights NY strip was one of the best ever. Perfectly cooked With fresh spinach. What a treat and the management appreciates Your patronage. read more

I've purchased a Groupon here a few months back, and it was almost expiring so I popped in on a Thursday with my girlfriend. They offer outside seating (two tables), and majority is inside. On certain days, they offer live music- a gentleman playing the piano. We opted a a window seat, and were greeted by the waiter. The specials of the day were actually similar items already on their menu. They start you off with focaccia bread with house made tomato sauce, which was delicious. We decided to start with the mozz caprese, the linguine alla Nostra, and the seafood cioppino. The mozz caprese was delicious. The mozz was freshly made, and still warm and the prosciutto was aged and salty, perfect combo. Next, the linguine alla nostra- black linguine with seafood, I've definitely had better to be honest. The sauce was bland, and needed many kicks to make it better. And lastly, the cioppino tasted exactly like my linguine but with angel hair, again, both dishes were just ok, nothing spectacular. We decided to skip on dessert, and just get the check. We were the last patrons in the restaurant, however it took the waiter 20 mins to come back to us after our plates were cleared, and another 20 to get us the check, and almost another 10 to bring it back. Service was could have been better. Overall, a so-so experience. I'll probably be back if I purchased another Groupon only. Happy eatings! read more

Normally we love this place but New Year's Eve dinner was big fail. We had 915 reservations and weren't seated until 10 and that was after I had to chase down the hostess. When we first got there, she has said we would have to wait about 15 minutes. Multiple tables were empty but just not cleaned. When we finally sat, we waited and waited for service. The $89 a person pre set menu was extremely expensive for what you actually got. The salad was soggy and had to be made hours before we got it. The choices for entrees were meh with no classic Italian dishes (a la chicken parm, bolognese, etc). It was almost 1130 and we had still not gotten our entrees yet so we flagged down the waitress to ask if they could be taken to go so we could make it home for the ball drop. We were also given no bread while we waited 1.5 hour for our meal. The other huge fail was there was no "live jazz" when we were sat down. There was a piano player while we waited for our table but gone once we had sat down. False advertising! With tip, our bill was $244. Total and complete ripoff for what this actually was. AwfukWe won't be back here, sadly. They really needed someone running "front of house". The young hostess had no idea what she was doing and there didn't seem to be anyone from a management team there. Update! I had a phone call with the general manager to express how disappointed we were and all the items already noted. Was supposed to receive a call back about how they could potentially make it right as I always enforced how much we loved the place and were frequent customers. NEVER got a call back. Unreal and extremely disappointed in this establishment. read more