We found Luigino's Parmigiano while looking for a local BYOB for an easy Saturday date night, and…read moreit turned out to be such a pleasant surprise. The restaurant was packed when we arrived, with both indoor and outdoor dining, but they were expecting us for our reservation and seated us right away. The front-of-house staff was warm, friendly and even remembered my husband from when he called to make the reservation. The food was the standout. I ordered the short rib, which arrived with quite the presentation, a huge bone topped with incredibly tender, shaved short rib and mixed vegetables. It was delicious and the portion was enormous. I shared some with my husband at dinner, took the rest home, and we still managed to turn the leftovers into an omelet a couple of days later! My husband ordered the double-thick pork chop and loved it. We also shared the fried shrimp and calamari appetizer, and both the marinara and aioli were excellent. One small area for improvement would be helping the younger waitstaff become a little more comfortable guiding guests through the menu. When we asked for recommendations and what dishes the restaurant was especially known for, it took a little prompting before we got to Parmigiano. Our server was perfectly nice. It just would have elevated the experience to have someone confidently say, "This is what we do exceptionally well, and here's what I recommend." Overall, though, we had exactly the kind of evening we needed. We brought a bottle of wine, relaxed, talked, enjoyed the atmosphere and genuinely felt like we had gotten away for a while. Our bill came in at the $100 range, and we left completely satisfied. Great food, generous portions, a welcoming atmosphere and excellent value. We'll absolutely return.

Come hungry. Portion sizes are almost comical, especially the excellent chicken parm and eggplant…read moreParmigiana. Table for 6 mid week lunch. Decor offers a taste of Italy and adds to the charm. Started with a few apps and a chicken parm for the table to share. The Carciofi alla Giudia, the classic Jewish-Roman deep fried artichokes were beautifully presented. A good bit firmer than you'd find in Rome but were still well enjoyed and recommended. Tonno salad with fresh seared tuna was plentiful and packed with flavor. Speaking of flavor the porchetta sandwich was rich and delicious. Really this is closer to a bbq pork than authentic porchetta but still recommended. The star of the show is the chicken parm and eggplant parm. The eggplant was delicate, thinly sliced melt in your mouth. Luckily you get a huge plate. Chicken parm is also excellent and HUGE. While there is $10 plate fee if sharing a main they are fine if you order several items and share all. Very generous with their shaved Parmesan if requested. Prices on the higher side but not all that bad considering the quantity. This feels more like the type of place you come to with a large group than as a couple. Unless of course you are very hungry. Service is excellent.

Go to the restaurant minimum once a month and there's a reason…read more Quality of the food is one of the best in north jersey along that's a BYOB MUST TRY

hands down the best food in Montclair. i have been here several times and each time its always…read moregreat. i have been trying to work through the menu, but its hard not to order the lasagna, its just that good. it is always busy but never cramped or crowded. being byob is great and there is a liquor store not far away. highly recommended

Visited again - 04/18/2026 with wife and SIL. This was the…read morefirst time for my SIL who loved everything she had. (The Frito Misto, Polenta Limone and the Funghi (roasted mushrooms). We've been trying to get her to come here with us and she's glad she finally did. My wife and I shared the Arugula salad, the Frito Misto... but I went with my 'normal'... Amatriciana (bucatini, guanciale & chili). Love this dish. My wife opted for the Risotto Cioppino, which she also loved. As you can see and as I've said before, we love Boschetto... and it's a BYOB!

A unique dining experience- you order and pay at the counter- and food is brought out to you. Very…read morefriendly staff. We ordered a couple of pasta dishes, salads, zucchini chips with a tangy lemony ricotta dip, and panzerotti for dessert (basically a zeppole stuffed with Nutella and Banana- a little too heavy- would just order gelato next time) The space is lovely- high ceilings, beautiful tiles. There is a parking area to the right of the restaurant (pay for parking- but free parking on Sundays). There is plenty of outdoor seating in the front patio. (Not tables on a sidewalk- but an actual patio- very pretty) Food is very fresh and delicious. The menu also offers pizza and gelato and will definitely try that next time... And I didn't realize it is a BYOB- so definitely remember to bring a bottle for my next visit. Buon Appetito!

As my original review indicates, we have eaten here multiple times, which we continue to do. We…read moretypically dine out at least once to twice a week and this is always one of the regular places we choose because the food and service are consistently above average to excellent. This review is from our meal on August 30, 2026. While the menu has been changed from time to time, it does not happen frequently. However, there are often a variety of special additions. One item on the menu we have ordered in every visit is the shrimp appetizer, which I mentioned in my original review. It used to be called shrimp arrabbiata. Now it's called garlic shrimp (according to the online menu, but believe it's baked garlic shrimp on the actual menu). By any name it's not to be missed. I believe it used to be 8 shrimps, which at some point was trimmed to 7 shrimps). The size are large to near jumbo, easily more than a single bite, easily U-25, but maybe not quite U-15 sized. The sauce is so good it's worth finishing with the consistently delicious warm rolls being used to soak up every last drop, or spooned out of the bowl like soup. It's spicy, but not overpowering. This is a must order for shrimp lovers. I usually order one of the many house-pastas. My wife is usually ordering one of the fresh fish offerings. The scallops are a hit too, as is the risotto, though I still nix the chorizo, which I'm typically then rewarded with extra crab. The service is very accommodating in every respect, willing to make every reasonable adjustment. Desserts are typically good, but also typical to all Italian eateries. They used to have a must-have mousse concoction that disappeared after a while. That was a mistake, as it was exceptional.

Laboratorio Kitchen was a BYOB Italian restaurant in the heart of downtown Montclair. It was a…read morestunning space with sleek, modern furniture and walls adorned with vibrant, colorful artwork. The service was impeccable from the moment we arrived until the second that we left. From a food perspective, our meal initiated with a basket of some of the best rolls I had ever had. They were large, fluffy, and doughy with a hint of crispiness from a light toasting. We then shared the Veal and Beef Meatball, which was gigantic but still managed to have the ideal texture. It was also beautifully seasoned and served in what the chef called his "grandma's plum tomato sauce", which was divine! The sauce was thick and hearty, so when that was paired with pecorino cheese and basil oil, it really made for a fabulous dish. I even cut off a small piece to put inside my roll with a spoonful of sauce - chef's kiss! After that, we enjoyed some of the house-made pasta dishes, tasting each in a family-style format. The Squid Ink Bucatini was tossed with scallops, shrimp, and jumbo lump crab in a seafood tomato sauce. I did not love the briny finish to the sauce or that some of the scallops were chewy. The Tagliatelle with Duck Bolognese, tomatoes, and carrots was good, but I prefer my pomodoro sauce without the addition of a "light cream". Lastly, the special Spaghetti came with lobster, crab, and peas in vodka sauce. That one was definitely my favorite. While I do not love peas, the sauce was rich and flavorful. Across these last two dishes, I thought the pasta was a tad overcooked and could have been more al dente; the bucatini consistency was more inline with my preferences. Overall, I thought the food at Laboratorio Kitchen was above average, but that the service and atmosphere helped elevate the place. I would definitely consider going back to try some of their other dishes.

Had dinner here a few weeks ago and WOW Montclair really is not giving up its title for best food…read morecity anytime soon. We're still slowly working our way through local spots, and Brick + Dough was highly recommended to us. We started with garlic knots, bread, and fries, and honestly... 10/10 across the board. Everything was SO good. The fries especially are still living rent free in my head. We then split three pizzas, all of which were seriously incredible. The perfect balance of cheese, sauce, and crust, just absolutely nailed. We ended the night with cookies and ice cream, and I can confidently say this place will be seeing me again very, very soon. It might even end up replacing our current go-to pizza spot...

We came here for a dinner date with some friends and their dog. They were able to accommodate us…read moreoutside to be able to have the dog with us, which was very nice as we always look for outdoor spaces to be able to bring our furry friends. The service was nice, especially because even though we were the only table sitting outside, they were consistently coming out to make sure we were doing OK and had everything we needed. We ordered some garlic knots, which were good, it just seemed a little bit pricey to charge for the marinara sauce separately, which was not really outstanding nor something special, so I would recommend you skip it. We also ordered the chicken vodka Parm pie which was very good. The chicken was very crispy and the pizza was still delicious the next day when we had the leftovers. One of her friends is allergic to gluten, so it was very nice that they were able to accommodate for her. I do wanna point out that we have been to many places that offer gluten-free options and this is the first one I've been to that does charge you extra to make a gluten-free. In terms of price, it is very similar to the other places in Montclair but they do provide very good service and the ambience both outside and inside is very nice.

Went here for a birthday dinner and the ambiance was very nice and festive…read more For appetizers, we got the goat cheese with nuts and prosciutto, the burrata, and the calamari. The calamari was by far the best. It was crispy and thick and seasoned well and the sauces were delicious. There were some fried onions in it that were flavorful too. The goat cheese was okay, it felt like the flavors did not all go together. The burrata was very fresh and the starter bread is great too. For dinner we got the pork shank which I think was a special, the mushroom ravioli, the eggplant pasta with red sauce and the branzino special with veggies and a sauce. The mushroom ravioli tasted a little like mush to me and I was not a fan of the mushroom flavor. The eggplant pasta was delicious and it came with burrata that melted nicely into the pasta. The pork shank was tender and delicious. The branzino was the star for sure, it was flavorful and delicate and paired well with the sauce and the veggies. For dessert we got the pistachio tartufo and the tiramisu. I didn't think the tiramisu was very special but it wasn't bad. The tartufo was okay. It tasted like a pistachio chocolate ball inside of pistachio ice cream. It was also incredibly small for the price. Our waiter was fantastic!!! Great person who made our experience extremely special. I don't know if I would come back, maybe for the calamari and a drink. Some of the food is amazing and some is not that great.

The atmosphere was very nice. There was a violinist playing during dinner which made the ambiance…read moreeven better. I didn't have time to pick up a bottle of wine but the restaurant had a local store that delivered directly to our table, which was super convenient! My friend and I ordered appetizers and a main course. The food was plated nicely but was really underwhelming. I ordered the tuna tartar. The tuna was fresh but lacked flavor. It really just needed some salt or something. I also had the 14oz steak which was pretty good because it had some salt on it however the steak came out precut and did not look like a $58 steak. My friend hated both of her dishes. She had the burrata and the lasagna. She said they both lacked flavor. We paid over $200 for our meal and I was actually disappointed that I paid so much money for such mediocre food. I gave 3 stars for the atmosphere and service. Our server Julian was very nice and attentive.

10/10, no notes!! I literally cannot wait to eat my…read moreleftovers today. We ordered quite a few items because we wanted the full experience after waiting so long to try this restaurant. WORTH ALLLL THE HYPE!! Speaking of hype, the vibes were good and the type of atmosphere that anyone would feel welcomed in. I saw dates going on and enjoying the tasting menu which is the perfect way to bond, groups of guy friends, families and then us, girls night out to catch up with my best friend. By the way- service was great, too. Friendly, fun & personable from everyone we encountered. Back to the food: *Calamari, super yum! *Caesar Salad, very yum!! Not your ordinary *Pescatarian Bestie ordered the Shrimp Scampi and enjoyed it! I ordered the Wagyu Short Rib Ramen and wowza, it's everything I hoped it would be and more. A generous portion of tented beef, I almost wish the ratio of ramen was higher though but seriously no complaints! I will be back, STAT!! Don't forget to bring your own vino cause it's BYOB

Let's start by saying our server Matthew was incredible. He was observant, on top of everything,…read moreand had high awareness of the kitchen being behind and slow. We really didn't care about that as we were enjoying our wine and each other. Matthew alone 5 stars! This was our first time eating at pastaRAMEN and we had heard a lot of mixed reviews. The pictures on-line make it look like a fancy place so we did dress up. When we arrived we quickly realized it's not what they advertise and what's in the pictures as it's actually a small run down dive spot. The biggest attraction must be its BYOB as the line was out the door with people holding 2-3 bottles of wine and beer. We were really hopping for the food to be great! Unfortunately we were disappointed causing the 2 star review on food alone. The quality and freshness was poor and everything was soaked in multiple sauces. We had the Cucumber salad that should have been called the pickle salad as there were more pickles than cucumbers. Also the calamari which is hard to mess up but they somehow did with 3 different sweet sauces on it. Next we had the Ramen which they are known for and it had Fried Chicken in it??? It was frozen store bought chickens they warmed up. The last thing we ordered was the black cod, this could have caused us to get food poisoning!! One bit each and we both had to take a sip of wine quickly to get the taste out of our mouths. We couldn't even take a second bit. They did give us free dessert because everything took so long which was very nice but that was our great server Matthew. Dessert was good! Another side note the bathrooms were absolutely disgusting with pee on the floors and all over the toilet in both bathrooms. We did have a good night because we brought a very nice bottle of wine. Too bad they didn't give you real wine glasses. It was more of a plastic cup. I don't see us ever going back.

Bucco is a true gem, and everyone I bring here falls in love with it and can't wait to come back…read more It's a small Italian restaurant with a cozy atmosphere and incredibly friendly, welcoming staff. The food is amazing, and they always offer several daily specials which makes choosing a dish delightfully difficult. Their tiramisu is outstanding, and according to my friend, it's one of the best she's ever had. This has become the best girls night place and a plus is they are also BYOB.

Date dinner was delicious! Calamari appetizer Fried chicken…read morebreast topped with salad and the best mashed potatoes ever Homemade pasta with shrimp in a garlic sauce. Staff is amazing

In my adult years, I've developed a real affinity for classic, old school Italian restaurants,…read moreespecially the kind of places that have been around forever, have stories in the walls, and maybe, just maybe, had a little mob following back in the day. There's just something about them that you can't recreate. Yesterday, my buddies and I were supposed to hit The Belmont Tavern, but they were closed for the week. Rather than scrap the plan, we pivoted to Matthew's Italian Restaurant at the suggestion of one of the guys in the crew. What a great find. We were pleasantly surprised that an old school spot like this had somehow escaped us all these years. The atmosphere was exactly what we were looking for, the staff was awesome, and most importantly, the food delivered. We came out swinging with Clams Oreganata, Meatballs, Stuffed Mushrooms, Mozzarella Carrozza, and two different types of Ravioli. Needless to say, the table filled up pretty quickly. For dinner, most of the crew went with either the Veal Parm or Chicken Parm. A nice touch is that they'll do the parm with vodka sauce if you want to switch things up. I went with the steak special and had absolutely no regrets. Dessert was on point too, but I'll leave a little something to your imagination. Great food, great service, great old school atmosphere, and exactly the kind of Italian restaurant I'm always looking to discover. Matthew's is officially on our list now. We'll definitely be back soon.

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!!!!

First time dining at this adorable restaurant. The decor is quaint, with well spaced tables…read more Service was top notch. Food was fantastic. From appetizers to dessert, we all thoroughly enjoyed our meals. There was a slight hiccup with one of the entrees and they went above and beyond to make it right, in record time. The rock shrimp arriabiatta app was outstanding. Highly recommend Pappardelle. We will definitely return.

Visited 08/17/2025 It's been a while since my wife and I…read morecame here. Glad we stopped in again. My wife and I shared the salad capricciosa, my BIL & SIL shared the crab cake. Both apps were very good. I ordered the Short rib pappardelle, my wife the pork chop saltimbocca. Both dishes very very good. My SIL had the branzino (as usual) and my BIL had the stuffed pork chop Valdostano. We really enjoyed our meals... the service was very attentive and it's a BYOB. Easily recommendable.