There are restaurants with a view, and then there’s Molos in Weehawken, which drapes over the Hudson River with a pristine sight of Manhattan. It is so close to the skyline that you can see the models of cars driving up and down the West Side Highway. Floor-to-ceiling windows envelop the dining room, ensuring the marvel is seen from anywhere within the restaurant.
By all means, the proximity to Manhattan is a part of Molos’ ethos—a key element of its design. As you dine on grilled fish and king prawns, you’ll fall into a trance watching the ferry go back and forth between Jersey and Manhattan. The skyline morphs as the sun sets and the moon’s glimmer intensifies on the water.
Molos is all about that, but it’s hardly the only thing the riverfront restaurant has going for it. Right in the dining room is a bounty of fresh seafood. Dover sole, lobster, king prawns and oysters—all displayed on ice for the guest to see. You get a first-hand view of what you’ll be eating before it ever hits a plate.
Molos is known for its seafood—specifically Greek-style seafood dishes—and they’ve been doing their thing in Weehawken for over a decade.
I recommend a glass of wine with your meal—specifically something of the Greek variety. Admittedly, I know little about Greek wines, so I just went for it. “Give me something from Greece that will drink well throughout the meal,” I said. Moments later, my server returns with a bottle of Assyrtiko, a dry white wine from Santorini. Vibrantly citrus-forward with a hint of lacquered honey and a finish that promotes hunger, it’s a perfect eating wine.
Then, it’s time for food.
Right away, get the ball rolling with some Greek specialties. A sesame-crusted square of feta is fried and doused in fig jam. A pile of crumbled pistachio lies on top. The crunchy exterior hides a warm—but still bouncy—center. It’s definitively sweet and salty, with a touch of funk from the feta. Something slightly sweet to awaken your palate is never a bad way to begin a meal.
Contrasting the richness of the fried cheese is a tomato salad that looks to do anything but reinvent the wheel. Ripe tomato, kalamata olives, red onion and peppers are plated on top of crisp pieces of torn bread. The bread slowly softens as it soaks in the juices that accumulate at the bottom of the plate. More feta—this time a barrel-aged variety that works to season the tomatoes and add a creamy nature to the plate. A glug of fresh olive oil is all this one needs to cement it as a must-order.
Char-grilled octopus is first slowly simmered to assure its tenderness. The tentacle comes sliced into pieces and piled on a bed of jet-black fava bean puree—colored (and flavored) by squid ink. Atop it, finely diced red onion and an herbaceous dill gremolata.
The octopus itself is without any chew and boasts a smoky flavor, thanks to a charred exterior that adds a necessary layer of depth. The smooth fava bean paints the pieces of octopus as you work your way through the plate and the gremolata cascades down it to make its presence known. Octopus is a litmus test for any seafood-focused restaurant. Molos aced it.
The fresh fish market is really what I came to Molos for. That display of fish in the dining room… yeah, it’s not just for show. An army of king prawns laid out on the ice was what immediately caught my eye. I had to have it.
The prawns are split down the middle and grilled flesh-side down on the charcoal. The buttery meat is easily separated from the shell with a fork. It’s sweet with a profound level of smoke—seasoned simply with salt and pepper and finished with lemon, olive oil and capers. This is simple cooking. A profoundly excellent piece of seafood, cooked with care and served in a way that doesn’t hide a thing. It’s unapologetically without frills. That’s what makes it so good.
For me, it’s not a true Greek meal without a whole grilled fish. Fagri—a white snapper that populates the Mediterranean—is the order. The fish is butterflied and grilled skin-side down. The hard sear flavors the fish, but the skin protects the firm white meat from drying out. It retains its moisture and succulence. Like the prawns, a simple dressing of lemon and olive oil is all this one needs.
The fish is carved tableside and divided among the table. It is, again, deliciously simple. I’m a sucker for charred fish skin and this especially flavored the meat near the belly. The fatty belly skin crisps up almost like a seafaring chicharrón—cut like a knife with a squeeze of lemon. This is what fish cookery is all about.
Fret not if seafood isn’t your favorite, because Molos does have options for those who prefer to stick to the land. The prime filet mignon is the obvious choice for meat eaters. Beautifully grilled on the outside with a warm mid-rare interior, the steak is sauced tableside with a bordelaise-like reduction made from Agiorgitiko wine. Red-veined sorrel and flavorful spears of asparagus bring some color to the plate. A silky-smooth puree of kolokasi, AKA taro root, sits beside the steak, bringing a nuttiness to the dish.
As your meal comes to a close, you’ll look up from the table to see that the skyline is still there. The moonlight still reflecting off the water. The dining room still front-row to it all. It’s a picture-perfect setting for a meal, and Molos capitalizes on it with expert service, pours of ice-cold Greek wine and perfectly executed pieces of seafood.
In the summertime, dine on their outdoor deck, which, like the dining room, hangs right over the Hudson. Or head upstairs to the second-floor dining room for an even larger view of the picturesque scenery.
Molos will lure you in with this very scenery—a front-row view to the greatest skyline in the universe—but they will keep you coming back with excellent food and concept. They’ve been doing it for over a decade for good reason, and with any luck, they’ll be doing it for decades to come.
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.
