New food spots are constantly opening across New Jersey. From elegant Italian steakhouses and authentic taquerias to local dive bars and Peruvian BYOBs, here are 12 restaurants and bars to try this spring.
Covo Italian Steakhouse – Marlboro
Rustic Italian cooking and American steakhouse panache collide at Covo, which took over Il Nido’s former Marlboro space last year. Executive Chef Felix Gonzalez draws on years of Italian cooking experience to deliver a menu that feels elegantly classic while keeping thoughtful innovation at the forefront. Expect cold tuna crudo, salami-laced chop salads, broiled lobster tail, and the signature garlic bread. For something special, spring for the Bistecca Alla Fiorentia—a 38-ounce Prime porterhouse cut for two—or any of their other dry-aged steak options.
Adelaide – Woodcliff Lake
A talented team of chefs, cooks, and bartenders from the tri-state’s top restaurants just opened this Woodcliff Lake spot. The neighborhood restaurant features a two-seat chef’s counter with front-row kitchen views, an intimate bar, full dining room, and upstairs room. Expect a rapidly changing menu featuring locally-sourced ingredients, seasonal cooking, handmade pasta, and cocktails.
Bevs – Nutley
Bevs is Nutley’s newest neighborhood watering hole. Chef Beverly Joy of Walnut Street Kitchen opened the local bar earlier this year. Bevs looks to offer the same hometown dive feel that 94 Bloomfield Ave has become known for—albeit at the top of its game. That means well-priced cocktails and cold beer, plus new favorites like pickleback whiskey shots with full jars of homemade pickles, duck fat fries, and more. Happy hour Monday through Friday, 4-7 p.m.
Viv & Jules – Hoboken
Intimate, sleek, thoughtful—Viv & Jules brings expert culinary vision and a jaw-dropping vibe to Hoboken. The American brasserie specializes in global cooking, teasing the senses through simplicity and poise. Dine on grilled cauliflower with currant tahini, chili-laced beef tartare, hand-rolled cavatelli with red wine pork sugo, and large-format, slow-roasted short ribs for the table. An elevated cocktail list completes the package.
Bar Tacconelli – Maple Shade
From the team behind Tacconelli’s—a local favorite for pizza and pasta—comes Bar Tacconelli, the family’s foray into the beverage scene. Their list features upwards of 20 cocktails across four categories: Classics, Originals, Frizzante (sparkling wine cocktails), and Rustico—old-school recipes like the Hanky Panky, a classic cocktail featuring gin, Fernet Branca, and sweet vermouth. Bar Tacconelli combines good food and sleek vibe with a researched cocktail program spanning a century of beverage history.
Tenmomi – Rutherford
Chef KC Gonzalez’s Tenmomi is back in Rutherford—and it’s here to stay. After years of dishing out some of NJ’s best ramen from a ghost kitchen in Nutley (and later Westwood), the Filipino-American chef finally gets the keys to his own brick-and-mortar. His signature bowls of Pinoy-inspired ramen—plus other treats covering a variety of cuisines—can be enjoyed in the space underneath the Williams Center on Park Ave.
Aubrey’s Corner – Summit
New-American and French comfort food with a global tilt comes to Summit. Aubrey’s Corner brings a polished concept that considers quality ingredients and technique a pillar of the menu. Open for lunch and dinner, expect drippy French dip sandwiches, fragrant Thai curry mussels, dry-rub wings, center-cut pork chops with pickled peppers and rosemary, chicken caesar wraps, braised short ribs, and more. Full cocktail list, plus wine and beer.
Revel Hall – Burlington
Chef Joseph Sergentakis is no stranger to great kitchens, but Revel Hall might just be his most ambitious project yet. Wood-fired cooking, globe-spanning flavors, and expert technique derived from years in Michelin-starred restaurants define his permanent home in Burlington. Expect the unexpected—koji-fried chicken, Hokkaido milk buns, oysters with cranberry-bourbon mignonette, and warm ora king salmon pastrami to name a few on the current list. The menu weaves in and out of the seasons with ease, offering diners a genuine glimpse of farm-to-table cooking at its best.
Ixim Taco – Hackensack
From the team behind Clifton’s Bitol, Ixim brings authentic tacos, flautas, birria, and more to Hackensack. Tortillas pressed to order are the vehicle for a menu of flavorful fillings including Al Pastor, carne asada, nopales, and pollo. Beyond tacos are bowls, elote, quesadillas, and tostadas. Ixim focuses on quality over quantity—that’s why people can’t get enough.
Cotto – Morristown
Handmade pasta, expertly cooked proteins, imported ingredients, and house-spun gelato are just some of what puts Cotto on the map. With Chef Jordan Petriello at the helm, Cotto has quickly become the hottest restaurant in Morristown. Through his experience in kitchens like Rezdora and Jockey Hollow, Petriello puts his entire career into the Cotto menu. It’s all tasty, but pasta is the star: squid ink linguine with cuttlefish, vibrant spaghetti verde with garlic confit, casarecce and crab, and pappardelle with pork ragu is just the start. What’s more are dry-aged chops, roasted chicken, grilled yellowfin tuna, and more. BYOB.
Gateway Grill – Atlantic Highlands
For over 50 years, Gateway Bar & Liquors has been the go-to spot for a no-frills drink and packed goods to take home. When Mark Soporowski took over, he vowed to add a food menu. Well over a decade later, he finally got his wish. Gateway Grill offers a mix of classic bar fare and dishes that go beyond—think bone-in pork chops next to stacked cheesesteaks and burgers. The addition comes with a large expansion adding more seating.
Warique – Belleville
Chef Roberto Carnero’s Warique is dishing out some of New Jersey’s finest Peruvian food in Belleville. The restaurant is inspired by huarique—a place you wouldn’t find on a map, but instead by word of mouth. Maybe a local points you that way, or maybe you hear whispers of the food as you walk by. Warique offers all your favorites: salchipapas, papas a la huancaína, seafood jalea, lomo saltado, and tallarines rojos. It’s a true, authentic neighborhood restaurant. BYOB.
Peter Candia is the Food + Drink Editor at New Jersey Digest. A graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, Peter found a passion for writing midway through school and never looked back. He is a former line cook, server and bartender at top-rated restaurants in the tri-state area. In addition to food, Peter enjoys politics, music, sports and anything New Jersey.
