The food is exquisite! My husband and I go here all the time and have always had a great meal! You will keep coming back!

Our first time for Portuguese food. Tony and Marie were awesome hosts Everything was delicious!!! Would strongly recommend going there if you are in Newark NJ read more

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Best Portuguese spot in Newark by far. Been coming here for over 20 years. Everyone loves it!

Let's get to the point: I found 15-20 fish bones in my piece of Chilean Sea Bass. That's the reason it gets 1 star. It is absolutely unacceptable. If I ever owned a restaurant and the chef did that, he would be fired on the spot. This reflects laziness, poor kitchen prep and a possible safety hazard. Imagine if I choked on one of the bones what would have happened? (I can imagine some people to be honest wishing that on me LOL). The only reason I didn't have a cataclysmic explosion of rage was because I had a groupon for half price and the fish in spite of everything was really good. But in my eyes, you're only as good as your last meal. And unfortunately the first meal I had here will be my last meal. Fellow Yelpers, I have a confession to make: I take a particular glee in writing 1 star reviews. This might not surprise anyone but I love ripping to shreds any establishment (Especially restaurants) that by its very existence is an embarrassment and a disgrace. The reason is simple; they deserve to be shamed and humiliated since they brought it on themselves. As a result, I want to tell other people to prevent them from wasting their hard earned dollars. But I feel a little different about this place: Don't get me wrong finding 15-20 bones in a piece of Chilean Sea Bass is an automatic deal breaker, a reflection of the chef's failure to properly prepare his food, not to mention the possible choking hazard and potential lawsuits. Yet to be honest, the fish was really good. It was a 4-5 star quality fish dish. I really wish I could find it in my heart to give them 3 stars to be fair. But I can't. Bones in the fish is a deal breaker. However if you want to know about the experience, Here's the breakdown: Food: 3 and a half stars: For our appetizer, we got the roasted Chorizo which while good, didn't taste authentic. The presentation was outstanding though as the chef brought out a mini earthenware grill to cook the Chorizo at extremely high temperatures. This produced a very nice crust which locked in moisture. I also liked the fact that they thickly sliced the sausage before they served it to us. Unfortunately though, while the preparation was authentic, the sausage was not. The chorizo while tasty wasn't really chorizo. It tasted more like Kielbasa than Chorizo. Chorizo is supposed to be very spicy thanks to dried chili peppers and loads of paprika. This had neither. It also was a little dry When my gf, who can't handle any spicy food, said it wasn't spicy, I knew it wasn't authentic. For our entrees, I obviously had the Chilean Sea Bass while my gf had the filet mignon. Putting the issue of the bones aside, The Chilean Sea Bass was excellent. It had a beautiful crust that kept the fish flavorful and moist. I liked the fact that added a little butter sauce on top of the fish to add another layer of flavor. Furthermore, the portion was huge! The boiled potatoes that came with it were surprisingly good. They had a near creamy texture with just a little parsley to finish them. Worked well with the fish The Filet Mignon my girlfriend had was ok but underwhelming. It lacked a flavorful crust and tasted under seasoned. Salt and pepper your proteins chefs. It will go a long way Our dishes came with Spanish Style potatoes and rice which were good. The potatoes were authentically prepared and tasty. Think of a deep-fried potato chip but tasting like a French-fry. Addictively simple and simply addictive. The rice was good but a little under seasoned. Felt like a throwaway item. Service: 4 stars: Before the fish fiasco, the service was inconsistent. Friendly but inconsistent. After the fish fiasco though, the waiter sincerely and profusely apologized. He seemed really upset almost more upset than I was (Partially because as I mentioned, I had a group on and was paying half price LOL) I was impressed because too often in restaurants, waiters and staff usually take either a defensive or confrontational posture when questioned by customers about anything. The waiter immediately went to tell the chef what happened, came back and apologized some more. He had the look of someone who lost a pet. I appreciated the sincerity and earnestness. Atmosphere: 3 stars: Atmosphere was typical of Ironbound Newark restaurant. Loud and open. The motif was a little strange to be honest. Half bungalow, half fine-dining. It was also very cramped. Waiters kept bumping into each other all the time. Conclusion: Even if I didn't have all the bones on my plate, I would only give this place 3or 3 and a half stars: The Food was inconsistent, the service was inconsistent and the atmosphere was ok. However as I mentioned in the beginning, the bones on the plate is a deal breaker. Therefore it gets 1 star. There is a lesson to be learned here. Poor preparation predicts poor performance. read more

We went there last Friday for dinner. It was kind of funny as to what door to use to get in. LOL...No matter, we figured it out. We ended up eating in the Vila Nova dining room. Very interesting decor. BTW, they should wash the dining room floor a littel better. Very greasy and slippery at least that nite. I had a Group-on and the waiter asked me if I read it and I said of course. I didn't except for the amount and the address. He said I needed to make reservations. Again, I didn't. But they accepted the Group-on anyway thanks to our waiter. I also mentioned that we were going to go over regarding drinks, etc so I'm sure he was happy. They start you off with fresh bread, butter and olives. It was mentioned in previous reviews that they also had a homemade bread with a susage inside as well as a cheese. He asked us if we wanted it and of course, we said yes. They charged us $4 bucks for it. But the bread was really good. We oredered two of my favorites; Shrimp in a Garlic Sauce and Clams in a Green Sauce. Both were great. Dipping that bread into the Green Sauce kicked butt. My wife ordered the Talipia which was very good and I oredered the Portehouse Steak. Again, very good. When we go to other Portugeses or Spainis restaurants, the portions are usually ridiculously large. And if it's a steak, it's too chewy. This was not the case at Sol-Mar. Portions were large yet manageable. We also took food home and had it for lunch the next day and it still tasted great. We ordered the Creme Brulee. It tasted more like Tapioca to me. We had a few drinks as well. Their house Cab was actually very good. The waiter also bought us an after dinner drink. Oh, be careful at the intersection of Ferry Street and Route 21. It's a no turn on red and they take automated pictures. There goes my Group-on savings....Bastards... read more

I went there for the second time on Tuesday night for dinner. The restaurant has the use of the bank parking lot across the street, which is a big plus in the Ironbound section of Newark. The restaurant has two sides - an informal dining room with counter service and bright lights, and the more formal room (Vila Nova) with full bar and full service. We chose the formal dining room and were extremely happy with the service from both the waiter and the attention from the maitre d'. We started with some appetizers - fried calamari and broiled baby shrimp - both were delicious. The maitre d' brought over a large portion of Portugese cow's milk cheese to go with the bread and a bowl of olives, to go with the delicious red sangria we ordered. The menu specials included a wide variety of fish, and upon the maitre d's recommendation, I had the chilean sea bass, which was excellent. It was simply broiled and came with sides of potato and broccoli. The fish was cooked perfectly (for my taste) - just cooked through, leaving the flesh soft and juicy. It was one of the best I've had in a long time. My friend had the red snapper, which was also cooked properly, though it was a little too salty. We were stuffed! So, we missed out on the tantalizingly looking desserts. However, we were pleasantly surprised when the maitre d' brought us a round of Port. Definitely, a great find in Newark - thanks to Yelp! The portions were very satisfying and the service was excellent. read more

Ate dinner here again last night with my sister and BIL. We shared the "Vila Nova" appetizer again (still $19.95), which was just right for 4 people. The calamari was rubbery, and the pork cubes a little overcooked and dry, but all the other included items were good, especially the empanadas. My wife and my sister each had a filet mignon special, topped with ham, a fried egg, and garlic sauce. Both tenderloins were large (~8-10 oz.), cooked perfectly, and very tender. My BIL and I each had the mixed shellfish entree stewed in garlic sauce, which consisted of clams, mussels, a ton of shrimp, and half a lobster. The clams were a little rubbery, but the rest of it was good, and the sauce was delish. Add to that a large pitcher of red sangria, four servings of flan for dessert, and two coffees, and the entire tab came to a little over $50 per person, including the tax and the tip. They no longer give you the free cow's milk cheese with the bread basket, or the complmentary glass of port after the meal. I guess they have to cut something in these hard times. This place has a relaxed atmosphere. It is up the road (Ferry St.) a bit from most of the other, well-known "tourist" Portuguese restaurants. While not the best meal I've ever had, the food was plentiful and tasty, and the price reasonable. I will come back again. read more

Horrible service....waited fir an hour to put an order in...so many places in the area...take a pass on this dump

4 star review for a place that served us a bread basket with one of the pieces of bread already bit into? Yeah, why not. The sangria was damn tasty and I had too much of it to dwell on the bread incident (which was reported and explained and all was good). Besides, the rest of the bread in the basket was soft and crusty and delicious and went well with the complimentary olives. Shared a couple of appetizers: cod cakes (bit dry, could use some kind of sauce to dip but otherwise - killer) and fried calamari (just about perfect, lightly breaded, not chewy at all). Then we shared a couple of entrees: grilled salmon (juicy and perfectly grilled) and a steak (of which I had no part of but was told it was a bit too well done). Overall experience was great but again, could have been the sangria clouding our better judgement of the place. Service and dining room were otherwise great and I have no complaints. Will gladly return. read more

The selection of venue is attributed to one of my colleagues, as he has been a regular here for some time. Sol-mar has now been added to our list of consultant reunions places to visit. There are multiple entrances and the size is deceiving. We ordered an array of dishes ie.. steak, fish, pork, etc and portions were sizable. I split the paella and there was still so much left over. The service, prices, and food were all good. read more

I have ordered from them numerous times and have to say their paella is on point. Good customer service and friendly waiters. Would recommend to family and friends. read more

I must be missing something. I'm surprised there are so many positive reviews. I came here for the first time in 2007 and ordered the salmon. It tasted good but nothing to rave about. The second time was last year where I ordered steak with rice and potatoes. The rice was so bland. The steak was average and nothing to rave about. Pricey and not that great? Eh, I'll pass. read more

My husband and I have been going to this place for over 16 years. Things have changed so much. We were in the area and decided to have dinner here tonight. For the first time ever we had a horrible experience. The sangria was just cheap wine it was not really sangria. We usually order a pichando it usually comes with the cube potatoes in a Portuguese clay bowl. This time it came with French fries in a regular plate completely unseasoned and shrimp were semi raw. I am not Someone who complains about food but this was really bad. I called the waiter over explained to him the situation he became upset and said that I was calling him a liar when I tried to explain to him we had ordered this many times from here and it was never like this and not to mention the taste was really bad. He called his boss over and he said that we needed to specifically ask for the cube potatoes, I explained to him as well it tasted horrible and the potatoes were never French fries. Now things might have changed and that's fine, but the way it was approached by the rude waiter was totally uncalled for. I know what we have been getting for over all of the years I have been going here and never had a problem read more

We love the food, neighborhood was so so, but this landmark place live up to its reputation!!! Bravo. More fresh cheese please.. read more

Sol-Mar - Fabulous steak n 2 shirmp s.. - Portuguese Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

I dined here while visiting my brother and his family. They all speak Portuguese, so this is one of the spots they like in the area. The restaurant is beautifully decorated, with great attention to detail! It was lovely. All the food was quite tasty. I had stuffed salmon, and we enjoyed a variety of appetizers. The staff was super friendly. I recommend this place if you are in the area!!! read more

Sol-Mar - Salmon! - Portuguese Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

Be careful if you are visiting Newark. Don't let the waitress know the you not from there. I got charged 2 times on my bank account after I left the restaurant. My bank tried to call them to solve the problem, but they were very rude. Watch out!!!!! read more

Love this restaurant in Newark. We traveled from P.A. to get a good Portuguese meal and loved it. I had the shrimp and rice and had enough leftovers for lunch for the week. Can't wait to come back. read more

Decided to have dinner here last night with a friend. We arrived around 630 and were seated right away. We had the fried calamaries. They are decent but needed to be fried a little longer. We shared a paella and a filet. The paella was amazing, very flavorful. The steak came out a bit undercooked for my friend but they were very pleasant to take it back and cook a little longer. The sangria was good and not weak. The service was good. The owner came by to see if we needed anything, and a big plus was a very clean bathroom. Pro- fast service, delicious food, clean bathrooms, parking across the street. Cons- cold bread, undercooked calamaries. read more

I went to this place last week for the 3 rd time, and again it was great, however i have to say that the ambience was not as nice as the first 2 times. I think because i went on a Friday night and it was really noisy and busy. But all of the points in my previous review, still hold true. Just one note directed @ Los X (on his review): To say that you obviously are not familiar with Portuguese culture would be an understatement. The olives you see on the table are not from Pathmark, they are bought in bulk from suppliers and the smaller black ones are imported from Portugal. Portuguese don't eat warm bread, so if you are going to a Portuguese restaurant, expect things to be Portuguese style. This is a mediterranean culture, so expect olive oil and garlic to be present in a lot of the dishes. If you dont like that, i guess it might not be for you. Finally, Portuguese is not a Hispanic culture, but i'm sure we wouldn't expect you to know that either. read more

Food and service was great and there was plenty of parking. We walked in on Easter Sunday with no reservation and were luckily seated within 10 minutes. The restaurant has three "sections", a private lounge area, a bar area, and the restaurant section right off of the Ferry St. entrance. Food: Garlic Shrimp app 8/10 Whole seabass w/ vegetables 8/10 Codfish a la casa 9/10 Garlic chicken 9.5/10 Chocolate cake 8/10 Flan 7/10 Ambience: Loved the decor. Portuguese-style roofing tiles, faux-windows, and a "rainy-wall" effect that actually watered the plants. Service: This is the most important to me and is what moved my review from a 4 star to a 5 star. The wait staff was attentive and friendly, the host was accommodating when we didn't have have a reservation, and the icing on the cake was when the hostess/owner?/manager? thanked us for dining with them on our way out. read more

Seatood central at this Iron Bound Newark restaurant! Great Portuguese wine and authentic dishes that are fresh and full of flavor. I highly recommend, especially if you are heading to Prudential Center. I had the garlic shrimp and the Portuguese sausage that came to the table on a flaming grill. Sop up the garlicky olive oil with the crusty bread. read more

Sol-Mar - Portuguese Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

The closest thing to an actual restaurant in Portugal that you will find. The food is consistent and good, the service is polite yet a bit brusque at times. Good specials including leitao (roast suckling pig). It's a bar-like (or perhaps cafeteria is a better term) atmosphere, so if the noise bothers you, the restaurant next door (they are connected) shares the same kitchen but is more upscale and much quieter. The waiters on that side are more polished as well. read more

Just got back from dinner at Solmar. The food was excellent, as it's been the last few times. We started with a shrimp cocktail, which was really good. Super fresh, massive prawns in a dish with a bit of lettuce and some cocktail sauce. The cocktail sauce was a bit bland, but it was ok because the shrimps were so fresh and meaty that I really didn't bother with much sauce. For dinner I had the Filetes a Portuguesa, which was also really delicious. I should have paid a bit more attention, as I probably wouldn't have ordered it if I had realized that it was fried, but the filets, 2 big prawns and 2 big scallops were all fresh and good. My meal was served with rice, broccoli and french fries. Double and triple carbs! My husband had the Bacalhau a casa, and he really liked it too. Nice portion of cod, not from the super bony tail end, with a nice garlicky sauce. Interesting with the pickled veggies added in, but it really works. Dinner for two with a $40 bottle of wine came to exactly $100. The only drawback was the service at the bar. Although he was pleasant, the guy serving us was not exactly an anticipator. We had to ask for everything - I wish that we'd been served by one of the older waiters. Although they can seem to be a bit grumpy, they are totally on top of their game and know what you want before you even ask for it. Free wifi, which was really nice as I had a bit of work to do. P/W is their fax number. read more

This place comes closest to an authentic Portuguese restaurant experience than others in the area (I've been to Portugal a few years ago) I ordered a seafood combo platter and it was pretty simple but it was nice to actually taste the food and not be drowned in condiments. Never ordered the side of fresh cheese but was charged $2 for it, we didn't want to mk a fuss so we just rolled our eyes about it, besides the waiter was unfriendly n we didn't want to 'bother' him while he watched the soccer game that we were prob disturbing him from, how dare us! The name is very fitting for this place, it actually did have an ocean side feel with all the marine blue tiles and large windows. read more

Starving for steak and decided Sol de mar. I had the porterhouse steak and asked for medium rare, they new better n gave me medium. Delish. Sangria outstanding. My only criticism since I came here solo I try to make small talk with waiter at bar, not too friendly. I would've left a bigger tip cause the food was good. Sorry guy. read more

Sol-Mar - Porterhouse steak and sangria. - Portuguese Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

Soooo... it's just ok. Portions are huge. It's your generic Portuguese restaurant. In truth, I think I might have ordered the wrong things. We had the fire-grilled sausage and the shrimp in garlic apps. I ordered the "side salad", which didn't have that much to it, but was huge. I had the chicken and shrimp in garlic sauce special for dinner. Everything seemed a bit oily, especially the shrimp app. The sausage was pretty good, probably the best thing I ate all night. Everything was fine, but I just wasn't blown away honestly. I had expected more the way everyone touts the wonders of Ferry Street. Service was a bit daunting. Sangria was ok, and wine was ok too. Overall a decent meal, but wouldn't be somewhere that I'd race to return. read more

A decent place to go for lunch. The prices are good, the food is decent. Nothing really wowed me except for the service. I ordered the fish with shrimp and shiitake mushrooms in a vodka sauce the last time. I was not impressed because my fish was not very good and the vodka sauce tastes poorly in my opinion. Today I ordered the shrimp with vegetables. The shrimp were very good as were the vegetables. My other friends ordered the fish sandwich, chicken sandwich, and a shrimp salad. There were no complaints and the prices were very reasonable for the sandwiches and salad. My shrimp with vegetables was a bit pricey at $16 for lunch. read more

Wonderful, friendly staff and delicious food. HUGE portions. The Portuguese Steak is done to perfection and recommended. Left no room for dessert. Wash it all down with wonderful, refreshing sangria. FYI, the walls in Vila Nova are supposed to be wet. Bonus points for the free shuttle to/from the Rock. read more

I am a frequent flier to vila nova . Today was different. The sangria was not good, water downed and barely had alcohol and we were charged 30 dollars for it, I don't know any Portuguese restaurant that charges that much for a sangria. At least if it is going to charge this much make it worth it. Also, the food tasted old. The pork tasted so old and the alentejana was all potatoes and they were old potatoes. There was barely any pork. They also included the tip for a table of 2 with 3 toddlers which I thought was really stupid. They are taking advantage of people and I don't appreciate it. read more

Were there for the second time to enjoy their grilled octopus served in a tile, delicious! Also tried the portugese clams, delicious too. We'll return soon! read more

Sol-Mar - Portuguese Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

We all loved this place. The dining room reminded me of old Europe, looking out on the Ironbound was perfect. The service was spot on, and the food was really fresh and delicious and considering the large portions was very reasonable. Made for a perfect night out on our last night's vaca. read more

Wow, the food here blew me away! The soup was unbelievable and so were the ribs. This place was comfortable and had extremely friendly staff. Super good if you want some fresh Portuguese food. read more

Awesome. Been there on several occasions and have never been disappointed. Went tonight and had the steak Portuguese style with sangria. Everything was top notch. My friend got leg of lamb off the specials menu. It was to die for. On weekends they have suckling pig which is amazing! Lots of great food in Newark, sol mar stands up to any of it. read more

Sol-Mar - Steak Portuguese style - Portuguese Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

Consistently good authentic Spanish/Portuguese food. The seafood platter off the hook!

Unbelievable!!! Called days before to make sure their hours were accurate for Christmas Eve as I had family visiting from outside of the country and state so we could eat dinner here. Made a reservation and was told they were going to close at 10pm. I called about a half hour before leaving my house to find out they were closing in 15 minutes (it was 4:30 pm). Really disappointed. read more

Service: B+ The service ended up being pretty splendid. It started off very stiff and awkward. We chose a smaller table for us three so we didnt have to sit in the middle of the restaurant and apparently they didn't like that? I think the grandpa-type waiters were adorable but definitely a bit late on the smiles and "welcoming" nature that I would have liked. We KNOW we were fish-out-of-water, but that should be fine in a restaurant establishment. But by the end of our lunch meal were extremely friendly...I just wished he smiled earlier on.. (maybe its an older male Portugese thing? haha just kidding before I get some hate mail). Food: B I had a shrimp omelet (don't ask!). All I know is out of the three friends, I'm the only one who wasn't "wow"ed. But, my fault-- because "when in rome... " concept did not work for me and shrimp omelets at 5 pm did not make sense-- My friend ordered a shrimp salad and she said it was lovely! I had some and agreed, but it was a TAD overcooked (based on chewy it was), but well-flavored. Another friend had a grilled shrimp special that had a great spicy sauce. Two of our dishes had rice, and I would have preferred a tad bit more salt in it. I expected more garlic flavor in all three dishes from the other Portugese restaurants I've visited in the area. BUT, SAVE ROOM FOR THE The Creme brulee had a great lemon-y flavor to it that I've never tasted before, and it was incredible!! The bread given on the table was very tasty! read more

Service was bad. Sangria gets a 5 Stars all by itself. Food was not good at all. Not one of my family members ate their food. I give the two stars for dessert and sangria. read more

Both my girlfriend & I were very disappointed. I ordered the stuffed whole lobster for $47.50 . It was dreadful not fully cooked & didn't look fresh. It was stuffed with bright orange supposedly crab meat stuffing it looked radio active it was the only thing eatable . My girlfriend orders the stuffed salmon . She said it smelled fishy she didn't finish it . It didn't look good . Desert was teramusu in a small paper cup . U knew it was store bought ...disgusting . We will never go there again plz change star status cause 3.5 is too generous .i really don't like bashing restaurants but when u pay $150 to eat u have to start speaking out . We hit the local pizzeria an hour later.. We don't even think about going out to eat unless the restaurant has minimum of 4 stars . We've wasted so much money over the years on poor quality .& then being over charged. NO MORE!! read more

Came here for dinner, we were seated quickly and the service was great. Started with calamari - they were good but nothing outstanding. Ordered the Portuguese steak - pretty damn yummy. My fireman ordered the steak with Spanish chips - definitely one of the best Spanish chips I've ever had. They were perfectly fried and crispy! Overall, service was excellent and the place looks cute! Sangria is decent so it's worth a try if you're a big sangria drinker like me. I'd say this place is worth a try if you're in the area! read more

Everything is good here. I order something new from the "Specials" every time. Fresh goat cheese and bread starts my meal. Seafood here is killer. Seafood Platter for 2 is awesome: fish, mussels, clams, scallops, lobster, prawns, and shrimp. Don't forget to dip it in the melted butter. Yum! Their Filet Mignon is delicious and their other steak dishes are fabulous. Medium rare steak here is done perfectly. And be sure to get the Chocolate Mousse here and/or the Flan. That completes the three course meal at Sol Mar. read more