Sanzari’s New Bridge Inn
“It appears fancier then we expected (valet parking, waiters in suits, coat check….), but my bf was not out of place in nice jeans.”
“They are one if the few restaurants in the area that actually provides free live entertainment on the weekend.”
“I like the food and the atmostphere is one of the best in Bergen County.”
Sanzari’s New Bridge Inn
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
7 reviews
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We had a lovely early Sunday dinner here with the 'old' school Italian as noted by others. The service was just right. My drink was correctly made (they have a real bar with real bartenders) and we could have a nice conversation and the price was right.
This is a lovely, old-school kind of Italian restaurant with really good food. It appears fancier then we expected (valet parking, waiters in suits, coat check….), but my bf was not out of place in nice jeans. We were really pleased with the food and service. This is a good place for a date night.
Appetizer: coconut shrimp. They were gorgeous, huge shrimp, but there were only 3 for the price. They were quite good though, and served with a nice salad and an apricot horseradish dipping sauce (more apricot than horseradish).
Entrees: pappardelle bolognese (recommended by our waiter) and gnocchi with beef bresciole. I won the best entree of the evening this time! The pappardelle was a great dish with pasta that tasted homemade, although since the menu didn't state homemade, I'm sure it was purchased. The bolognese was really tasty with some marscapone mixed in, and the dish was large. Worth the $18 price tag. He was pleased with the gnocchi dish, but not overjoyed.
We passed on dessert, but the menu was tempting! We'd happily go back.
Note: free soda refills, big screen TVs at the bar if you're a sports fan. There was no live entertainment the Saturday night we were there, but I'm not sure if it showed up later (we're early kind of people).
Our Thanksgiving dinner was postponed in anticipation of inclement weather which never arrived… and we ended up here. The 3 course pre-fix dinner was sensational.
We had the privilege of tasting the corn chowder and crabmeat and avocado salad which were delicious. For our main course, we both had the stuffed pork loin with a madeira sauce and were pleasantly surprised as we expected a little less because it was an inexpensive pre-fix deal. The pork was really moist and tender and the sauce was just right, not overly salty… the test being the lack of thirst after the meal. The portions were also quite substantial and I have lunch for tomorrow.
Now, the service was unsurpassed….The waitstaff was extremely friendly, attentive and knowledgeable. The only negative is that the courses were not paced well and each course appeared rushed. It is understandable being Thanksgiving and they were booked out. Hopefully, on a regular night, it would not be so. Overall, it's a beautiful place with great food and service, and I am so grateful to all the staff for sacrificing their Thanksgiving so that we could have ours.
A bit fancy for my taste but if you come on Sundays they have a great three course prix fixed dinner menu for $24.95 and on Mondays they have pasta specials for $12.95. The Sanzari's also have one of the biggest construction companies in NJ, no?
Valet parking is available and the restaurant itself is very beautiful. Hardwood floors, nice wood panels, stone and marble. You can reserve the upstairs room for private parties, etc. I suggest making reservations even if it's for a small group.
The main dining room area has a huge bar and gigantic tv screens. Service was wonderful-attentive but not overbearing. Ok so there were a few of us so I got to try a piece of everyone's food. For the appetizers we got the calamari, mussels and the fried bread with cheese inside. Everything was excellent. Make sure you get the complimentary bread and dip it into the mussel sauce….AMAZING. Calamari sauce was zesty and the fried bread with cheese came with a great gravy sauce. One bite was probably enough since I could feel the grease going to my heart.
For the entrees the salmon was really good served over a bed of spinach and a side of mashed potatoes that were nice and creamy. My other friend got the chicken which came with a potato and prosciutto croquette which was delicious as was the rib eye steak au poive. I ordered a simple penne pollo primavera which was great. Lots and lots of leftovers. Oh and did I mention dessert? Cheese cake, canolis and icecream served creme puff style. Lots of drink options. I won't comment since I didn't drink anything besides seltzer.
I would definitely recommend this place for a birthday, valentine's day-something along those lines. Stop by if you are in this part of town and enjoy.
how could this great place have only 1 other review ? Landmark mansion with 2 different dining rooms1 Good for dinner and drinks at the bar or a group in the other room. I really enjoyed hanging out at the bar…then sitting watching the guys smoke cigars out in the gazebo…good time, colorful people,great food…fun music (live couplr sing anything)
Ambiance/Decor/Atmosphere: Sanzari's provides a warm feel of an older rustic Italian banquet setting, but in a manner that is not overly ritzy nor underwhelming.
Noise/sound level: Standard noise level nothing to ruin your dining experience; intimate enough.
Menu: Sanzari's menu consists of a wide variety of typical Italian dishes, but done in different ways that the offerings appear interesting and intriguing. The menu here is on the verge of big, but not overly confusing.
Service: For the type of establishment Sanzari's is the service is pretty good; nice, friendly, and ticket times are right on par with what you'd expect from a restaurant of this caliber. Roughly 15-20 minutes.
Food: For an appetizer we had calamari and it was borderline inedible; overcooked and nearly elastic. My wife and I quickly became nervous because we were dining in an Italian restaurant that couldn't hit calamari correctly; how will the rest of the meal turn out? However, I had the veal capricciosa which is basically milanese style, but served with fresh mozzarella, grape tomatoes, and potato croquettes. Wow!!! The veal was cooked perfectly and the portion size was large. The fresh mozzarella melted all over the meat and paired well with the tomatoes. What I had was all the best aspects of veal parmesan without the acid sauce burning a hole in my gut after dinner. My wife had the braciole special with gnocchi; she enjoyed it very much, even to the point where I was jealous of her. Definitely one of the better meals we had out.
Bar: Full and the bar even serves Armagnac, which is a rare treat for me.
Price: Moderate to high depending on what you eat and drink, but if you're dining here you should already be prepared to spend some money.
Overall: Honestly I can't really stand Italian food, because I don't really like tomato sauce, but Sanzari's is a very nice place to spend quality time dining with family, friends, or lovers. There are many drink options, and finely tuned meals that even please tough Italian critics like me. We definitely will return to Sanzari's.
I've dined at Sanzari's many times, and have always had a wonderful experience. Anything I have every ordered on the menu has been delicious. The restaurant is beautiful, as well. I've had the pleasure of dining in both the bar area, and the dining room. Lovely restaurant with reasonable prices.
Some of my menu favorites are the tuna that is encrusted with wasabi, and the scallop risotto. Breaded pork chops are also wonderful there. I can't wait to visit again soon!