Ariane Kitchen & Bar
“I recommend to anyone dining at AKB to try the Brussels even if you have never enjoyed them in the past, I guarantee you will become a fan.”
“For entrees, we had the pork chops, short ribs and a pasta special of homemade pasta topped with short rib ragu.”
“A great addition to Verona and a bit closer than Culinariane (the former restaurant.)”
Ariane Kitchen & Bar
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Accepts Apple Pay: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
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Space is cute. Service was friendly and on point. Sadly, I was disappointed in the food. I ordered the pork chop medium, but it came out well and it was also tough and tasteless. The apps were also limited, mainly salads. Drinks and wines were also expensive as was the food. No reason for me to come back really, which is a shame as I loved their place in Montclair.
Went here last night for dinner for a friend's birthday. First impression was that the decor was very nice, modern, sleek and roomy.
We sat in the back of the restaurant with our group at a big table (the chairs were very clunky and difficult to pull out or get out from which was kind of annoying when there is such a large group at the table)
Now onto the food, first they bring out croissants for the table which is a nice touch and they were good. Didn't order an appetizer myself but had some of the cheese platter that someone ordered and that was good.
My friends recommended the filet which is what the chef is known for apparently. I went there wanting to order fish which is what I did but I regret it. I wouldn't have regretted it if the snapper that I got was the only entree I tried but I tried the tea brined chicken which was weird sounding but tasted so good and I tried the filet which was Out of this world.. In comparison my breaded snapper (which I don't like when fish is breaded, totally takes away the taste, I don't remember it mentioning it was breaded on the menu) was kind of a let down honestly. The menu also said black bean mango salsa and it literally was just black beans underneath… Not my favorite. I would call this a 3 star entree. What made me give the extra boost in star rating was the chocolate peanut butter ice cream sandwich dessert, very good, and the fact that the filet was amazing.
Also, be prepared to spend some cash coming here and not taking anything home as extra to go. Entrees are just big enough to easily finish. All in all I would come again but not regularly.
We ate here last November. The space is cool. Pretty big, well appointed. They have a full bar, which sorta stinks because that ups your bill a ton and we're so used to the BYO world of Montclair that we're pretty spoiled by it.
The drinks were yummy but I feel overpriced. The service at the bar was also a challenge. I actually don't even think it's accurate to call it a bar. It's more like a service bar that's positioned behind a long counter. Every single seat at the bar was taken by diners. This made it difficult to get in and order drinks while we waited for our table, and even more difficult to get the attention of the bartenders (or, more accurately, waiters who make drinks…). And there was barely anywhere to stand once we had our drinks where we were not in the way. Not the best beginning experience for us.
Our table was in the side room to the right, which was fine. Better than the large, very loud main room. The service was good and the food was very tasty, as one should expect from Ariane. She and Michael came around and said hi, which we always enjoyed at Culinariane. They're both so friendly.
We had the pleasure of sitting at the chef's table before they closed Culinariane and during that meal Ariane explained that they were looking to open a restaurant at which people could be regulars. I'm sure they've succeeded here, but don't think we will be joining that club. The good food doesn't overcome, for us, the mosh pit feel and the overpriced drinks. Especially with so many great BYOs in Montclair.
The food was excellent, but this is a reluctant 4 stars.
Had dinner there on a Monday in the bar area. The decor was interesting.
Salad
Heirloom tomato salad with Feta, watermelon, and heirloom tomato salt. What is heirloom tomato salt you ask? I had the same question. Apparently it's dried, ground heirloom tomato, mixed with salt. Very impressive. Anyway, the salad was very good, but the "heirloom tomato salt" left a bad taste in my mouth, figuratively speaking that is. It seemed a little dishonest to me. Seems like the equivalent of adding tomato paste to your sunday gravy.
Halibut
Excellent. If you eat fish you'll love it.
Other
The service was a little slow. Drinks, apps, and entree were ordered all together, to come out in the normal progression. My salad came out immediately. Then my drink about 5 minutes later. Then our warm croissants about 5 minutes after that.
On the subject of drinks, all restaurants (including Ariane) need to stop serving rocks drinks with a giant ice ball or, in this case, one enormous ice cube. These enormous cubes actually have less surface are than individual cubes, melt differently into the drink, and soften the spirits differently than regular cubes. Essentially, you are changing the drink because you've changed the way it changes as I drink it. Stop. Please. A Solitary enormous ice cube is cliched now anyway.
Portions were light, but the quality was top notch.
We ended up coming back in for dinner and I was not that impressed.
We again sat at the bar and enjoyed a few cocktails and beer with friends. We split some olives and marinated cauliflower which I found to be somewhat salty and uncomplimentary with the drinks.
For dinner I went with the duck breast-confit combination which came with winter squash, purple potatoes and pears. I found the duck to be somewhat under cooked on the skin as it was not crispy since all the fat had not been rendered out. The interior however was cooked medium as it should be. It was also under-salted which somewhat limited the flavor. The sides were good but I felt could have benefitted from additional seasoning as well.
The wife went with the chicken pot pie which I also sampled. The crust was very good as it was flakey, crisp and light. But we both also found the filling the to be lacking in salt and somewhat bland.
Instead of dessert the wife and friends went with a chocolate martini which I took a sip of and found to be quite good.
While I like the bar area, décor and vibe I was not nearly as impressed with the dinner. This is a generous three stars.
I had CulinAriane bookmarked for the longest time, but never made it there before they closed. When I learned Ariane re-located and upgraded to a full kitchen and bar, I was all in. I had heard it wasn't easy to get a table, so I called ahead and made reservations for a Saturday night over Labor Day weekend.
My initial impression was positive. Classy feel and contemporary vibes. Just a little too well-lit for my taste. I was hoping the lights would dim as the night progressed, but no dice.
Onto the dining experience …
Cocktails:
– The Atwell (Tito's Vodka, blood orange & lemon juice, Schofferhofer grapefruit Heffewizen beer) – $12. This wasn't my favorite, which surprised me considering that, while I'm not a fan of grapefruit, I sure do love Schofferhofer grapefruit.
– AKB Margarita (Pineapple jalapeno infused Milagro blanco Tequila, Agave, fresh lime juice, citrus-jalapeno salt) – $12. Delicious. Absolutely delicious. At first, I figured this pineapple jalapeno infused Milagro was something Milagro itself prepared and bottled. I was ready to go to the liquor store right after dinner if that was the case, but our server told us it was something AKB prepares in-house. Brilliant, but in full disclosure, I didn't taste the pineapple at all in the tequila, nor did I taste the tequila in the pineapple garnish. My guess is jalapeno over-powered the pineapple and the pineapple garnish didn't come from the jug in which the tequila was infused.
Appetizers:
– Cornmeal crusted oysters, fresh horseradish cream ($14) – A brilliant take on oysters. I've had them raw. I've had them fried. I've had them baked. I don't think I've ever had them removed from their shell, breaded, then cooked (either baked or deep fried), then put back into their shell atop a dipping sauce. Well played.
– Roasted red beets, baby golden beets, pistachios, herb salad, white balsamic vinaigrette ($12) – Three different colored beets – or at least three very noticeably different tints – made this dish look like a piece of art. The balsamic vinaigrette had more of a raspberry vinaigrette taste, but that was fine by me.
– Complimentary croissants with butter ($0) – Yummy.
Mains:
– AKB Burger (American Kobe Beef, fried green tomato, pickled shallots, cheddar, harissa aioli house-made fries) – $16. I asked for it medium-rare and it came out medium-rare. The burger definitely left me with an aftertaste, but in a good way. I'm almost certain it was the combination of pickled shallots and harissa aioli. The hand-cut fries were right on the money.
– Seared wild halibut (manila clams, smashed potatoes, leeks, lemon coriander beurre blanc) – $26. I had this dish on my radar before even showing up for dinner. The fish was nice and light and perfectly seasoned and all the flavors blended together. The presentation, however, threw me off a bit. I guess I was expecting this to be served in a broth of sorts given the inclusion of the clams. Instead, the clams (only 4) were just put on the outer edge of the plate all by their lonesome while there was very little beurre blanc.
Sides:
Smoked Gruyere Mac & cheese ($6) – This was overkill on my part. Completely unnecessary, but I wanted to try it. By "mac," Ariane means mac. This is mac & cheese with actual macaroni, which I'm not opposed to, but adding something like pulled pork could elevate this side to a whole new level. In fairness, it seems a lot of other restaurants are doing this sort of thing, so I can appreciate sticking to a traditional presentation.
Dessert:
Rhubarb gelato ($8) – As equally unnecessary as the mac and cheese, but how often do I get rhubarb? It was certainly tasty, and the portion size was appropriate, but they just sort of threw two scoops into a dessert bowl and called it a day. Any garnish at all – even a mint leaf – would have made this a tad more appetizing.
Overall, the service was spot on and the food was excellent. I was just a little surprised by the simplicity of some aspects of the cuisine that could have easily been elevated. This, however, won't stop me from coming back.
Very good food.
Attentive and friendly, but slow service.
I was pleased with my meal, but would have liked to have wrapped it up about half an hour sooner. We'd gone on a Monday night, seated by 8, done by about 9:20–Aps, mains, coffee.
Had a drink at the bar before dinner. Friendly and courteous bartender. Pretty good Old Fashioned.
The layout is modern and inviting. As has been mentioned, diners eating at the bar makes this less of a true bar/happy hour scene. It's almost like a counter at a restaurant where they happen to do the drinks as well. The bar is off to the side of the main dining room. There is a separate smaller dining area that's a bit more intimate and quieter.
The menu is a touch limited, but still diverse enough to the point where most people can find an item or two to their liking. I was disappointed that there were no specials offered, even more disappointed that Ariane no longer offers her sensational scallops. However, my tuna was fresh and delicious, and the wasabi cream was just the right compliment of spice. The monk fish was fall apart tender. The burger was cooked perfectly to order, and the accompanying fries were spectacular! I also enjoyed the brussels sprouts with just a touch of pancetta.
The price point is a touch high, but not obnoxiously so, and the portion sizes were spot on.
While I'd have liked the service to have gone a little quicker, I don't have much to complain about, though parking can be a touch challenging.
I would definitely return.
An incredible meal as usual at Ariane's! I was so happy to see the fillet mignon on the menu that she cooked and beat Bobby Flay with! It was fantastic! The grilled octopus was phenomenal as always as were the cornmeal crusted oysters. Tonight they had suckling pig that was so tender and juicy! As always I wish I could eat here once a week. Unfortunately if I did, I'd weigh 300 lbs.! 🙂