Best Restaurants for People Watching in Maplewood, New Jersey

Price

$$
$$$
$$$$

Cuisine

AmericanItalianSteakhouseSeafoodFrenchJapanese

Regions

HudsonManhattanMorrisUnion

Neighborhoods

ChelseaClarkEast VillageGarment DistrictGreenwich VillageHell's Kitchen

Top Rated

CharmingFancyGood for business mealsGood for groupsGood for special occasionsGreat for brunch

Dining Options

All dining options

Delivery only

Takeout only

Seating Options

BarCounterStandardHigh TopOutdoor

Award-winning

James Beard Award

Accessibility

Wheelchair access

36 restaurants available nearby

How are Featured results ranked

1. Cafe Cluny

4.7

Exceptional(2417)

$$$$

• French • West Village

Booked 97 times today

CAFE CLUNY SEATS FOR BRUNCH SERVICE ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVE BASIS ON THE WEEKENDS BETWEEN 10AM AND 4PM.Open since 2006, Cafe Cluny is a neighborhood spot offering French - American dishes with a polished flare. Our Executive Chef Andy Xu takes pride in his thoughtful selections here, as well as at our sister restaurants The Odeon and Café Luxembourg.Whether you need that charming place for a date, are in search of the perfect brunch, or just want the best steak frites in town - you will be glad you came to the West Village's famous Cafe Cluny. Due to demand, we are unable to hold your reservation past the time it has been booked. If you are not present at the time of your reservation, we will offer the table to waiting guests. If you are running late or wish to cancel, please call us at (212) 255-6900. We look forward to seeing you soon.

2. Lagar Restaurant

3.8

Excellent(78)

$$$$

• Portuguese • Clark

Booked 14 times today

Located in the heart of Union Township, NJ, Lagar Restaurant has always been a staple in the community, serving traditional Portuguese cuisine and Mediterranean flavors. Enjoy a selection of heavenly seafood and fresh fish dishes, as well as the delicious steaks, poultry and pork dishes. Our focus is to provide you with excellent service and to make delicious dishes using only the freshest ingredients. We also offer daily lunch and dinner specials, happy hour, live entertainment, wine tasting dinners and more... Our restaurant has two different party/dining rooms, sports bar, large outdoor patio enclosed and heated.Make your reservations today!

3. SAPPEISAN

4.7

Exceptional(619)

$$$$

• Thai • Greenwich Village

Booked 194 times today

SAPPE is a trip to explore something unique, authentic and ethereal. Our guest will be indulged and pampered through all their five perceptions; visual, auditory, olfactory, haptic and gustatory. SAPPE is the extraordinary place where people come to rejoice and revel. The train market and street food style are what SAPPE aim to offer. The vibe of bustling ambience of train station, the food stalls that offer street bites ‘ปิ้งย่าง (Ping-Yang)’ which is variety of grilled goodies on bamboo skewers and BBQ, as well as the bold flavor of E-San style cuisine are what SAPPE is looking to introduce.

4. Blu on the Hudson

4.6

Exceptional(1923)

$$$$

• Contemporary American • Weehawken

Booked 154 times today

Blu On The Hudson, perched on the Weehawken waterfront, is repeatedly hailed by guests as one of the most spectacular dining experiences in the New York & New Jersey area. Its soaring floor-to-ceiling windows frame uninterrupted, million-dollar views of the Manhattan skyline that many reviewers swear beat anything in the city itself—sunsets and city lights reflecting on the Hudson create pure magic. The sleek, modern 16,000-square-foot space feels upscale yet warm, with a lively bar, live DJ on weekends, and service that’s attentive without being stuffy. Food lovers rave about the inventive contemporary American menu: perfectly cooked steaks, handmade pastas, chilled seafood towers, and truly outstanding sushi. with the freshest options. Cocktails arrive as a mini show—smoke, fire, glowing orbs. Guests call it “romantic perfection,” “a hidden gem,” and “worth every penny and the ferry ride across the river”—an elegant, delicious escape that leaves everyone enchanted.

5. The Crosby Bar

4.8

Exceptional(1092)

$$$$

• American • SoHo

Booked 51 times today

The Crosby Bar & Terrace is located on a quiet, cobblestoned street inside Soho’s Crosby Street Hotel. We offer modern American cuisine in a spacious room with high ceilings, long pewter bar, gray oak floors and tall warehouse-style windows which look out to the trees at the hotel’s entrance and the garden on Lafayette. It has an altogether leafy, breezy feel with lots of light throughout the day.

6. 44 & X

4.6

Exceptional(2242)

$$$$

• American • Hell's Kitchen

Booked 23 times today

WELCOME TO 44 & X HELL’S KITCHEN, at the northeast corner of Forty-fouth Street and Tenth Avenue.Enjoy a respite from a stressful New York day in a jewel-box setting, within walking distance of Broadway and Theatre Row. Our seasonally-inspired menu features reinvented American classics and the finest hand-selected meats. Settle in at a comfy table for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. Or indulge, any time, in one of our Tony-themed cocktails at the bar. Come in. Your table is ready.

A photo of Blue Ribbon Brasserie restaurant

7. Blue Ribbon Brasserie

4.8

Exceptional(1549)

$$$$

• American • SoHo

Booked 40 times today

Chef-favorite, late-night brasserie featuring raw bar, seafood, American dishes & cocktails in a convivial setting. Blue Ribbon's bustling dining room and friendly bar have been serving neighborhood regulars and culinary industry insiders since 1992. The Bromberg Brothers' eclectic vision first sprang to life here and has blossomed into an iconic destination known for its late-night dining scene where the country's top chefs congregate and eat after closing their own kitchens. Whether you're craving a burger and a beer, a hanger steak and a pint, a roasted rack of lamb and a deep red cabernet or the famed shellfish platter and champagne, Blue Ribbon is famously open late, seven nights a week.

A photo of The Mermaid Oyster Bar restaurant

8. The Mermaid Oyster Bar

4.8

Exceptional(2180)

$$$$

• Seafood • Greenwich Village

Booked 51 times today

The Mermaid Oyster Bar is a warm, friendly, casually sophisticated neighborhood meeting place for dining, drinking and socializing. We serve seafood inspired from the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean. All our food is extremely fresh. “From the sea to the table” is how we like to put it. Happy hour daily ALL NIGHT on Mondays and from 4:30 - 6:00 pm, Tuesday- Sunday. $1.50 oysters & clams, drink specials and Mermaid favorites like our fish tacos, shrimp sliders and more.Swim on by we look forward to serving you soon!- The Mermaid Oyster Bar Team

9. Tucci

4.5

Awesome(38)

$$$$

• Italian • Greenwich Village

Booked 6 times today

Tucci is a labor of love that honors the Tucci family's legacy, serving refined modern Italian cuisine and family recipes in a warm and inviting atmosphere. The restaurant features the distinctive Tucci touch across two levels of dining. The main floor boasts intimate handcrafted banquets, velvet drapes and floor-to-ceiling windows, making the perfect atmosphere for a sublime evening. The lower level dining and cocktail lounge has brick and stone arches dating back to the 1800s, as well as a massive, exquisite handmade bar to complement specially curated cocktails and private dining areas that resemble Tuscan wine cellars. The restaurant is ideal for special occasions and events of all sizes.

10. Bobo Restaurant

4.6

Exceptional(1492)

$$$$

• French • Greenwich Village

Booked 34 times today

Set in a hundred year-old townhouse in the heart of the West Village, Bobo opened in 2007 and is one of Carlos Suarez's Casa Nela restaurants, that include the Village hits Rosemary's, Claudette, and Roey's.Like its sister restaurants, Bobo embraces its residential setting, paying homage to La Maison de Campagne - a neighborhood restaurant inspired by nature and by family. The restaurant's natural French country decor unfolds over several floors and rooms, from the downstairs Bar in the Den, our Main Dining Room and our Garden.Happy Hour: Daily, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM DEN ONLYLate night Happy Hour: Fri-Sat 10:00 PM - 12:00 AM DEN ONLY

See what locals rave about

From verified diners like you

S
Sana
San Francisco Bay Area •1 review
5.0
Dined 3 days ago
Had an amazing experience, food was delicious! Would go again
More info
SAPPEISAN$$$$• Thai• Greenwich Village
•
4.7
D
Diane
New York City •5 reviews
5.0
Dined 4 days ago
Nice renovation that turned the diner that had been in that corner forever into a cute French bistro. The food was exceptional and a service very good. I would recommend to and plan to return.
More info
Mino Brasserie$$$$• Bistro• West Village
•
4.8
M
marshallGold
New York City •5 reviews
5.0
Dined 4 days ago
The servers were all really excellent and ultra friendly. I love dining with you!
More info
Cafe Cluny$$$$• French• West Village
•
4.7
T
Thomas
New York City •44 reviews
5.0
Dined 7 days ago
Good to see that 44 & X have not lost their wonderful menu options and quality food. The goat cheese and pistachio soufflé is to die for. I could eat it all day long and their halibut was superb. The short ribs were also very delicious. Thanks for a great dinner and for not having lost any of your luster over the years
More info
44 & X$$$$• American• Hell's Kitchen
•
4.6
A
alicia
New York City •14 reviews
5.0
Dined on May 16, 2026
We enjoyed their beautiful patio for a summer birthday dinner. All staff was attentive, they kept our mango sangria glasses full and food was delicious as usual. They had live entertainment and he was great singing some oldies but goodies. Thank you!
More info
Lagar Restaurant$$$$• Portuguese• Clark
•
3.8

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