I love bread, and this is an excellent place for people who love bread. The pizza was delicious,…read moretoo, but I keep on finding myself thinking back to the bread. I stopped by in a group of 3 for dinner and we decided to start the meal with their bread and butter tasting ($18). If you love butter, this is totally worth it! You get to try two varieties of their baked in-house breads and the cultured butters they serve are really fun to try. I appreciated that the butter servings were big enough that I could slather a generous layer of the butter onto each piece of bread. My only regret was not ordering more bread. Another pleasant surprise was their salad! I'm usually not one to order salads at restaurants (I could just make it at home!) but I was pleasantly surprised by the salad they had that day. We ordered 3 of their pizzas to try a variety and to take leftovers home. The pizzas were savory, cheesy, and the crust was as delicious as I'd expect! But if I were to be completely honest, I'd save my stomach space to just have a meal full of their bread.

Loved being able to make an online reservation in advance. Definitely glad we did since it was…read morepretty busy for a Saturday. Give yourself time to find street parking, otherwise there's a parking lot within walking distance. Another great perk about Razza is being able to utilize my Chase dining credit. The tables are very intimately organized. Service was attentive. The pizza was super fresh and we enjoyed the pies we shared. The real star of the show were the meatballs. We had already ordered bread (also good, but some of the butters are an acquired taste) and almost skipped the meatballs. So glad that we didn't! Definitely worth a visit. :)

Jose and the entire team at OLIO E PIÙ absolutely knocked it out of the park! I stopped in while…read morespending some time in the East Village, and this was easily one of the best Italian meals I've had in New York City. I ordered the Lamb Ragù pasta, and every bite was packed with rich, slow-cooked flavor. To start, my brother and I shared a pizza and the lobster appetizer, and both were incredible. My brother ordered the truffle pasta, and after stealing a few bites, I can honestly say it was just as unforgettable. The atmosphere was on another level. Even on a Tuesday night, the restaurant was buzzing with energy, full of happy people, great conversations, and an authentic Italian vibe that made you want to stay for hours. The service from Jose was outstanding. Friendly, attentive, and genuinely passionate about making sure we had an amazing experience. If you're looking for incredible Italian food, outstanding service, and one of the best dinner spots in the East Village, OLIO E PIÙ belongs at the top of your list. I'll definitely be back the next time I'm in the city.

Delicious, Maria was a great server! Would definitely come back, especially for the pasta!read more

This is an amazing dining experience and by far one of the best Italian restaurants I've ever had…read morein the States. Really extensive menu with very reasonable prices for the quality and quantity of food. The spicy calamari is a must try and every entree and pasta are worth trying, too. Met one of the owners (two brothers) and this is a family run business with a benefit to the community. I will definitely come back on the next visit to Newark and would highly recommend if you're in the area (especially if you are staying at Newark airport overnight!)

I went here for lunch today with my husband and brother-in-law. The ambiance outside was very nice…read more It reminded me of the islands. The food, however, is another story. For appetizers, we got zucchini chips, fried calamari and mussels. The calamari was fried too hard and it had a very salty, spicy Chilean type sauce over it. The zucchini chips were thinly sliced, lightly battered with Parmesan cheese sprinkled over them. They were decent but nothing to write home about. In fact, after having about six or seven of the zucchini chips I began to experience heartburn from the grease. For entrees, my husband had the chicken parm. He said it was too thick and should have been flattened more before frying. It was also very breaded. My brother-in-law ordered the chicken and waffles and he said the chicken tasted day old so after having a bite of one piece of the chicken he pushed the chicken aside and called it a day. I called the waiter over and informed him about the chicken tasting day old. He didn't try to change it out or take it off the bill or get a manager. He just apologized by saying I'm sorry. My crab Mac and Cheese was decent. It wasn't seasoned the way I would have liked but the huge, plentiful chunks of crab made up for that. I ate a third of my dish and packed the rest for home where I will doctor it up to my taste. I've never been to this particular restaurant before. The only reason we came today is because my brother-in-law was here on business and staying at a hotel in the area.

You will get in a car & drive what seems an unreasonable distance- through a marsh, through a…read moregraveyard on both sides of the road with views of Lower Manhattan. Suddenly you'll arrive in a neighborhood, second-guessing the address. Which is correct. Laico's is in that class of restaurants that exist unto themselves, in a neighborhood rather than a typical city district, with the look and feel of a home. The kind of place you go to really understand where you are. The salad is charming, the bread a little stale. The eggplant parm fills the entire plate in 3 layers, an excellent rendition. The accompanying linguine plays nicely. Great service. The chicken piccata is also perfectly executed. We dined nearly alone in the back (save for a local, possibly family, table). On leaving another couple in front remarked "oh, so we're not the only ones here." It might seem dodgy to get to; you might have second thoughts when you walk in to find it pretty empty. Stick with it- you won't be disappointed.

I discovered Laico's from several news articles about the "best Chicken Parm in North Jersey". It's…read morea true, "old school" red sauce type of place, nestled in a neighborhood. The parking situation is a bit challenging but luckily my family was able to find parking on the street nearby. When you walk inside, there is a long bar with seating and a few tables/booths. There is a back part of the restaurant which is where my family and I were seated. Service was attentive and prompt. To start, we ordered stuffed mushrooms and calamari for the table. For my main course, I ordered Chicken Parmigiana which came with salad. The dressing made the salad a little soggy. The chicken was very tender and the sauce had great flavor. For dessert, I had the pistachio gelato which was so delicious and creamy. Overall, I enjoyed my meal and would make a trip back to try out some of their other dishes. Calamari: 4/5 Stuffed Mushrooms: 4/5 Chicken Parmigiana: 4/5 Pistachio Gelato: 5/5

The food at Matthew's Italian Restaurant was absolutely delicious, and the service was just as…read moreimpressive. We were arranging a repast and originally expected 16 to 18 people. Less than an hour before everyone arrived, our count jumped to 30. The Matthew couldn't have been more accommodating. When I apologized for the last-minute change and thanked him for making it work, he simply said, "The answer is never no." That kind of flexibility and customer service is rare. Everything came out on time, the food was excellent, and our family was able to spend time together without worrying about the logistics. If you're looking for great Italian food and genuinely caring service, I highly recommend Matthew's.

Try the chicken parm Try the espresso martinis…read moreTry the fried calamari Try the ceasar salad Try the berries and cream Try the dirty martinis Try the straccatella soup Try the stuffed artichoke Try the fresh pasta Try the seafood dishes Try the veal Try the Sunday Sauce!! Try everything!!!!

Today we were craving some rigatoni pasta and to my surprise, not alot of places are open for…read moredinner here on Monday. But this place was and it looked great so I was so excited to try! First impression of the restaurant, there is a lot of seating and everyone was nice! We didn't know we came for happy hour so that was a happy surprise, we ended up ordering the shrimp app on the happy hour menu and it was DELICIOUS, then we got the spicy rigatoni with grilled and breaded chicken. Also AMAZING! Talk about huge portions, honestly we should have shared (rookie mistake on our part) but the portions for the money is such a good deal. We had a lot of left overs we can't wait to eat this week! We will for sure be back to try everything else on the menu.

My in-laws were coming into town for Father's Day and because it was super last minute, my pickings…read morewere quite slim for Friday night dinner with reservations for 6 people in Jersey City. My friend who lives in Hoboken gave me a few options for Italian restaurants and Il Taviola took reservations, had space for us, and had a very good menu at decent prices. I had thought I had never been to Il Taviola before. But the moment I stepped into the restaurant, I was like, well, actually I have been here before and I just straight up forgot. Woops. Well, it was a pleasant surprise to be back and I actually had an even better time this time than last time. I had the spicy chicken parm with rigatoni and wow, it was actually quite spicy. It was really good, but super spicy! My SFIL absolutely loved it though and killed the rest of my dish that I couldn't finish. Most of the group had the lamb ragu orecchiette and thought it was quite good. Both burrata appetizers were really good and thoroughly liked by the table. Service was attentive and we were never rushed. I really enjoyed that the restaurant wasn't super crowded. There were other tables but they were far away enough that we didn't feel like we were on top of each other.

We found this place by accident a few years ago on a work trip and had to come back again. It is an…read more"old school" family recipes, incredible service, fantastic food, and simply an amazing restaurant. My only concern is that they don't see to be busy enough for how good they are! We had 6 of us. Every single thing everyone ordered looked incredible. (I mean, I don't really care for muscles, but I could absolutely see the love cooked into even that dish.) I wish them every success and I'm already looking forward to visiting again next time I'm in the area!

"Would you like some lemoncello? Orangcello? Anythingvello?"…read more Angelo, one of the owners, is talking to the table next to us, but already I know I've found a second home. "You won't want to cook anymore" he tells us a bit later. He's not wrong. I had the fish special, cod, served puttanesca, with mash potatoes and spinach. He had the rigatoni bolognese. Perfectly cooked pasta. "Everything is homemade," Angelo explained later. Smart and fairly well-priced wine list. We asked why the 2020 Carparzo Brunello di Montalcino was so low priced, and learned the wine has been priced the same since their father closed their Upper East Side location and the kids opened in Newark. "New York food at NJ prices," Angelo explained. "I've never had tiramisu I've liked better", husband told me. "I've never had flan Ive liked better" I told him. (It is coconut flan.) Great service. Wonderful spot. And Bon Jovi has been in twice, most recently he brought his wife. Enough said.

Fun and popular local neighborhood spot in Jersey City. Though parking is a bit of a pain in the…read morearea the food and warm, welcoming atmosphere make it worth the hassle. While the inside of the restaurant isn't large (note they have a larger back patio area as well) it's cozy and parties of two may share a larger, communal table which can be a nice way to make friends should you choose. As others have noted it's a BYOB place with a convenient local wine-shop just a minute or two nearby. The menu changes regularly though we got many of the classics that have stayed on the menu (only missing the Angry Chicken which we'll get next time). The pastas were delicious though I wish the rigatoni was a bit saucier and really enjoyed the ravioli which had a lighter, mid-summer flavor with some pine-nuts for extra texture. The ricotta bread and honey was tasty though a large portion for two people and we felt that the standout was the halibut. My only complaint is the 3% mandatory card-processing fee (which at least is prominently displayed). Please also note that this restaurant calculates tips based on the total, not pre-tax amount and the waiter tends to hover while you swipe your card which can feel a bit overbearing.

Stopped by for dinner. Ordered the ricotta and honey toast plus the smoked mortadella to start. The…read moretoast was delicous. The ricotta cheese was really good. Paired with the honey and peppercorn were *chefs kiss*. Just a perfect shareable app. The mortadella was also good but smaller than I anticipated. I'd maybe pass on this next time. Honestly this would have paired perfectly with the toast but it was brought out after the toast was finished. We ordered two pastas: the rigatoni and the malfadine. Both were great and cooked perfectly. The quality of ingredients were a standout in both of the dishes. Pork pampanella was the most tender pork I've ever had. Basically melted in your mouth. Very fatty and heavy (a little too heavy...) but delicious. 4.5/5 overall. Some of the dishes were missing a little something to take it all the way but I'd still recommend this spot tho. Also it's BYOB!