Papillon 25

“It can get a little loud after 8:30 so go early if you're not a fan of live music in a small dining space.”

“Most evenings we pull up to the bar for their awesome martinis or a glass of bubbly.”

“I will definitely go back and will try dinner and see what the live entertainment is like.Jazz on Thursday to start!”

Papillon 25

Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes

Price range.

$$ Price range $11-30

8 reviews

  1. I live for the drinks here. I mean it's delicious and has kick. I'm no regular, but happy hour is a good deal. Weekend nights can be difficult finding a seat at the bar as the place is not the most spacious, but I dig it. The food has  improved over the years, they have more to offer and enhanced their menu. Many drinks to choose from!!

  2. What a treat for happy hour and when the entire hospital at which you work loses power.  Well-seasoned waitstaff.  Friendly bartenders.  Delicious martinis. Warm ambiance.  Lunch menu is okay.

    Recommended dishes:
    The Corn & Crab Croquettes – meaty and well balanced.
    Chicken &  Vegetable Dumplings – hits the spot.
    Cajun Calamari – savory!
    Red Snapper Stuffed with Curried Crab Meat – my all-time favorite entree (however, I have received it rather overcooked one time out of four).

    After a friend and an acquaintance had poor experiences with food quality and service here, I have to say that they are inconsistent.

  3. I definitely recommend the Mango Peach Martini . I didn't order an entree so I can comment on the food but the service was mediocre. I would visit again for happy hour!

  4. Very good and STRONG drinks. The food is good as well, minus the collards. Yuck forever!! They tasted worse than something from a can. The menu is a bit pricy for the small portions. Laidback atmosphere and cool vibe. I'd definitely go back

  5. Great little intimate bar in South Orange. Feels good wine selection of friendly staff and good patrons.

  6. Went out to dinner on St.Patty's day.. maybe wasn't the best decision on my part but hey, I was hungry.

    I called ahead about 10 minutes and was able to get a "reservation." This is a bar so that area, which leads into the dining area, was filled to capacity. We were able to be seated right away which was much appreciated by me.

    Our drink orders were taking promptly but the bread came out after we ordered our salad and main course.

    First thing that was an issue for me was the very loud live band. Now, while having live music while dining out is appreciated. What was not appreciated is that I had to shout in order to be able to talk with my dinner companion. I mention this to our waiter who stated the same thing and also stated he had a complaint of that nature earlier. He went to ask the management if they could turn down the amp. The management flat out stated that they would not.

    Issue number one for me. I understand the desire to create this ambiance for your diners but it can't be so loud that they can't converse with friends etc.

    Enter my Cesar salad. It was quite tasty and the homemade croutons were a delight. I ordered for my bf 🙂 and selected the roasted lamb chop with rosemary, asparagus and whipped sweet potatoes. Medium.

    I'm preggo, so I had to have collard greens and mac & cheese. I paired that with crab cakes.

    So after the bread and salad are devoured… we still there waiting and waiting.. After about 30 minutes of waiting and no sign of my waiter in sight to check in on us. I got another waitress to send him to my table.

    I asked about the wait. He indicated that the lamb "took a minute." Ok….I asked him to please send over the management at the end of my meal. He of course, sends her over right away. I explained to her that we had been waiting for 30 minutes for our entrees. I told her I had been to Papillon 25 twice before at the bar and had a pleasant experience. I believe she apologized and said she would go and check on our food.

    Food comes out about 3 minutes later.

    The lamb chop was a little over done but still had a good flavor. The asparagus and whipped sweet potatoes were excellent!

    The crab cakes were to die for! The mac and cheese was yummy 🙂 The greens were ok. Nothing to brag about.

    So we eat and the waiter takes our plates. He does not ask us if we want the check. Finally, after waiting again, he asks us if we want the check. We said yes of course and then he comes back with wrong check! At this point I'm just pissed and ready to go. We get the bill and pay… not even noticing that the gratuity was added onto our bill. That pissed me off because the service was splotchy to say the least.

    The food was tasty but the service was horrid. They need to do a better job of separating the bar from the dining room and lower the music. Diners want to hear themselves think while enjoying a meal.

    Not sure if I would go back.

  7. The food is French inspired with a soul food execution.  While the two may be polar opposites, with French being light and fancy, and soul food being heavy and comfortable, the combination of the two is delicious.  It is heavier than French food, and definitely sweeter or spicier, that is for sure, but you will find coq au vin on the menu.  One of the assorted breads that came out was sweet enough to be mistaken for a brownie!

    The atmosphere is lively with a full bar on a Friday evening.  Professional people chatting at the bar drinking lots of flavored martinis.   Great for a date night or a night away from the kids.

    The wait staff is fantastic: friendly, professional and attentive.

  8. So came here w some Co-workers for happy hour and the place was packed and it's always packed …. I love the scene here , it's a mixed professional crowd and if you're single this is the place to be …
    I'm solely making a review about the service, drinks, and appetizers.  
    Service was slow extremely slow especially when the order was simple 3 cocktails , and 2 appetizers….
    Drinks could of been better I understand is happy hour but drinks were still $10 ($15 if not happy hour ) it lacked alcohol and it had too much ice … Why bars do that ? I don't get it..
    And as appetizers we got the jerk wings and crab cakes..
    For the price it should of been better…
    The wings lacked flavor lots of it,
    And the crab cakes tasted like the ones in the frozen aisle.
    The presentation was gorgeous but what do I care about presentation if the food lacks seasonings.

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Valley Street 25
South Orange 07079 NJ US
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Monday, 12:00 pm - 12:00 am
Tuesday, 12:00 pm - 12:00 am
Wednesday, 12:00 pm - 12:00 am
Thursday, 12:00 pm - 1:00 am
Friday, 12:00 pm - 2:00 am
Saturday, 3:00 pm - 2:00 am
Sunday, 2:00 pm - 12:00 am