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  • Fricassee Bistro

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Fricassee Bistro
Fricassee Bistro

Fricassee Bistro Details

  • Dining Style: Casual Elegant
  • Website: http://www.fricasseebistro.com
  • Phone: (973) 744-2191
  • Hours of Operation: Lunch: Friday: 11:30pm - 2:00pm
    Dinner: Monday - Saturday: 5:00pm - 10:00pm
    Sunday: 4:00pm - 10:00pm
  • Payment Options: Discover, MasterCard, Visa
  • Cuisine: French
  • Executive Chef: Mark Papera
  • Dress Code: Casual Dress
  • Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
  • Additional Details: BYO Liquor, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Personal wines welcome, Takeout
  • Catering: Off-site catering is available

Getting there

  • Cross Street: Park Street
  • Parking: Street Parking
  • Parking Details: There are many public parking lots in Montclair, New Jersey. The Crescent Deck, Church Street Lot and South Fullerton Deck are the closest to Fricassée Bistro. For more information on Montclair Parking, please visit this website: http://www.montclaircenter.com/visit_parking/
A word from Fricassee Bistro
Fricassée is a classic French Bistro located at 6 Park Street in Montclair, NJ. Our menu offers bistro staples such as: Steak Tartare, Frisee Salad, Mussels and Frites, Cassoulet and Steak au Poivre. Please review our full menu (with additional seasonal favorites) on our website. Also, follow us… on Facebook for the most current information and promotions.Continued
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Awards voted by OpenTable diners
  • Diners' Choice WinnerFrench
Diner Reviews
  • "A jewel in Montclair's restaurant crown. We felt we were special guests in someone's home"
    Dined on 7/7/2014
  • "Was hoping for better food, it was really mediocre. Our table ordered two salads, fries, mussels, escargot, beef tartar, macaroni, and duck so we had tasted many dishes on the menu. Our friends liked it more than us. It was lovely to sit outside and the service was good, but the food was lacking love."
    Dined on 7/6/2014
  • "We enjoyed a wonderful evening at this charming French restaurant, Fricasee. It's BYOB, which we like and portions were very generous. We loved the Escargot, which was superb and the delicious Skake with lentils. Our cousin praised the duck breast. The dessert was excellent. Service was friendly and very good. It's great to have a good French restaurant in town. We look forward to coming again."
    Dined on 6/25/2014
  • "We had a wonderful meal in March, prompting us to return with friends this past Saturday night. Was happy to see updated menu on OpenTable (since there is not a big selection), however when we arrived, menu was the same from 3 months ago. Service was not good at all. One person in the party order Hanger Steak medium; another medium rare. They mixed up the order when serving. Fries were not good. Overall, very disappointing."
    Dined on 6/14/2014
  • "We were so excited when Fricassee opened, it was like going back to the "old" Epperney, but better! This small, intimate, bistro really does take us back to Paris, especially the sidewalk tables. The owner/chef makes everyone feel welcome and wants to hear from all patrons...it's really a special place."
    Dined on 6/8/2014
  • "This was my second visit. Service and food are still first rate."
    Dined on 6/6/2014
  • "The mussels were fabulous as usual - our third time at Fricassee. This time I tried the Saturday special, the Lamb Stew. Out of this world. So much to eat that I had it again for dinner at home the next night. Still terrific. A great place to dine."
    Dined on 6/7/2014
  • "We visited Fricassee the second week after they opened and overall it was a very poor experience. During this visit the service was much improved but the food, while better than during our first visit, was still uninspired and quite uneven. We started with a salad and soup which were just average. We also shared an order of frites which were way overcooked. For mains we ordered the mussels which were quite good, short rib and blue cheese macaroni which was very rich and heavy even for macaroni and the cassoulet which was pretty dreadful. Hopefully they will take note of the comments and reviews and improve the food, but for now there are too many good and great alternatives in Montclair to include Fricassee on our list of go-to restaurants"
    Dined on 4/6/2014
  • "Consistently delicious food and EXCEPTIONAL service. Perfect for a casual night out or a special occasion, the staff is accommodating and friendly, the seating is comfortable. It's impossible to choose between the chocolate mousse and creme brûlée - get both! Super fresh pates. The mussels and macaroni are HUGE - definitely for sharing. The escargots bring me back to Paris. One of my favorite places to bring friends and family alike. No one is ever disappointed - all always leave smiling and full. Even the bread and butter is heavenly."
    Dined on 5/12/2014
  • "Good food in a pleasant atmosphere. Friendly service. We were able to relax without feeling rushed. Very comfortable environment."
    Dined on 5/24/2014
  • "If you're tired of pasta pasta pasta then try this eclectic french bistro in montclair..moules, frite, frisee salad with lardon and many more french specialties.. you'll come away raving!!"
    Dined on 5/18/2014
  • "the meal was unexciting - a duck breast had no flavor, salmon was overcooked and the ratatouille was over salted. the waiter brought water than disappeared, when we finally caught his eye, he told us he wasn't our waiter but when he checked with the other waiter he came back and said that he had forgotten it was his table - for the prices we expected a better dining experience."
    Dined on 5/18/2014
  • "I've tried several times to get into this restaurant with no avail but I finally got in via OpenTable. The atmosphere was exceptional, the service was great but the food... was extremely bland except for the lobster bisque, which was very flavorful."
    Dined on 5/14/2014
  • "I lways enjoy the friendly staff and good French bistro cooking here. Comfortable and reliable, a go to place for me in town."
    Dined on 5/14/2014
  • "So happy they changed their hours and opened early for Mother's Day. Not everyone can do skate and theirs was perfection. My daughter had the mushroom macaroni gratin and it was delicious. "
    Dined on 5/11/2014
  • "Liked everything about this bistro except the food was just average but would probably give it another shot"
    Dined on 5/11/2014
  • "We were looking forward to eating some French food but already with the lobster bisque as appetizer we were disappointed. It had no flavor, the vegetables were undercooked and the only thing edible with no complains was the lobster. The main dishes were just thrown on the plate with no love. My husbands veal stew looked like collected from leftover dishes and thrown onto his dinner plate. The only positive comment for the night was my son's profiteroles. Our waiter was very friendly but had no clue how to wait the proper way. He definitely needs some training."
    Dined on 5/9/2014
  • "Food is amazing, service is great, ambiance is eclectic! The place is super small and it feels a bit tight, but it's totally worth the squeeze. I stongly recommend. PS- It's BYOB- don't forget your wine bottle."
    Dined on 5/3/2014
  • "Everything I've tasted here has been delicious, the steak tartare, the pomme frites, pot-au-feu, the roast chicken, and the new spring lamb stew. The desserts are spectacular, classic and wonderful. And the staff are attentive and friendly. A real gem. "
    Dined on 5/3/2014
  • "We were excited to try Fricassee and loved the ambiance as soon as we walked in. Our table wasn't ready for our 8:00 reservation, but the hostess accommodated us by seating us by opening our wine and letting us sit at a table outside. The menu presented nice. We each ordered a salad to start and for dinner, mussels and frites and the Hanger Steak. Salads were Ok. Not a whole lot of flavor on the dressing. My hanger steak was fair, at best... And this was recommended by our waitress. It was very chewy, not at all what I would have expected for such a hearty recommendation. My husband said his mussels were OK, but he wasn't "wowed" by them. Sadly, we won't go back. "
    Dined on 5/3/2014
  • "Four of us dined here on a Friday night. The food was good but the portions were too large. The frisse salad was very tasty but it was enough for an individual meal. The mussels were delicious but half that serving would have been sufficient, especially after a salad. The veal stew was flavorful and very tender as was the duck. The service was excellent. We would only go back if the menu changed for the summer - as everything they offered was heavy wintery comfort food."
    Dined on 5/2/2014
  • "The food and service is top notch. Chef Mark is a talented, creative and amazing cook. It's ALL beyond good !"
    Dined on 4/25/2014
  • "Went with friends on a Friday night and found the food and service very well paired together. The Pot a Feu, Steak Frites, Moules, and fish special were very good!!! Our waiter, Keith, put up with five guys very well! Definitely Make a Return..."
    Dined on 4/18/2014
  • "All 3 servers were friendly, kind, and helpful. Our main waiter was a delight with all the tables. Our food was also close to perfect. We had a few sandy mussels, but overall clean and the broth was flavorful without being salty. The onion soup seemed tomato based and the acidity really felt clean and made the soup not greasy. our mains were well-cooked and executed. one complaint is that they could work on presentation. The 2 specials were served on too small plates and it was a real feat to cut the meat without pushing a bunch of food off the plate. Dessert was also amazing. The crème brulee was the best, with a hint of banana. And they glazed the top right before it was served. the chocolate mousse and lemon tart were also delicious."
    Dined on 4/20/2014
  • "It was terrific! We had a small surprise dinner for a gentleman with a major birthday. Food, ambience, service - all great. And the frequent attention the owner/chef paid to us made it super-special. We'll come back often."
    Dined on 4/18/2014
  • "There were 4 of us dining and we dine together at least once or twice a week. We all agreed the food selection was unique and found several items we wanted to try. Everything we had was wonderful and extremely tasty. The service was as good as we have ever experienced. We will certainly return and have already decided what we will order next, but then there are specials too!!!"
    Dined on 4/18/2014
  • "I had high expectations that went unmet. Service was close to catastrophic. Our very young waitress was off her game. Food was good but not great and I think this chef can be great. I had a salad that was too big so got lost in it. My beef Bourgogne was poorly seasoned, a mistake, and a bit too greasy, another mistake. Dessert was miraculous. I wish this restaurant good luck."
    Dined on 4/12/2014
  • "We didn't love the restaurant. It was mediocre. Menu was the same as the previous restaurant in the space. There was nothing about the entire experience that excited us. The waiter brought us coffee that was just undrinkable. When we asked for a new cup he admitted it was the bottom of an old pot and they already brewed a fresh one. Unbeknown to us, they do not accept Amex. Good thing we had cash!"
    Dined on 4/11/2014
  • "Montclair NJ has so many Italian restaurants from extremely casual red sauce to very refined cuisine but can't seem to support a similar variety of French spots. Fricassee Bistro fills a useful slot of accessible French food at reasonable prices. The atmosphere is nice and the staff extrememly helpful and charming. They have a special for each night of the week and Sunday is rabbit, very well prepared and not easy to find on the menu elsewhere."
    Dined on 4/9/2014
  • "The mussels were extraordinary. The entrees (Monkfish and Pot de Feu) were delicious. The servers youthful, eager, prompt and friendly. The perfect French Bistro dinner on a chilly, rainy night."
    Dined on 4/4/2014
  • "There was audible infighting among staff members and I found that tacky and unprofessional. The food was fine. two of the three servers had an attitude as if we were lucky to be there. That never makes a patron feel welcome. Very unsophisticated. I won't go back."
    Dined on 3/30/2014
  • "The bread, mussels, fish, frites, mousse and service were excellent. The cassoulet was only ok. When full, the noise level is too high. Prices were reasonable for good sized portions and BYO."
    Dined on 3/21/2014
  • "We had a 9pm reservation, they ran out of bread and after awhile brought us French fries. Not the same but they tried. We ordered mussels and although they were good I have never had such small morsels. I was not overly impressed but would give it another try."
    Dined on 3/15/2014
  • "There are few French bistros in Northern NJ so we were really looking forward to our dinner at Friccasse. The mussels were in a lovely sauce but were very small in size so the dish turned out to be more work than they were worth. The fries arrived from the kitchen a good 10 mins after the mussels were served. The salads were excellent - the firsee salad and roasted beet salad were standouts, however. The monkfish was well prepared but it was a small serving size. The service was fine - nothing special - and it was very loud. It did not seem as good as it had been when Epernay was owned by the original owner/chef (which is the same owner as Friccasse today.) So we were expecting more because it used to be a fabulous little spot."
    Dined on 3/15/2014
  • "Our party sampled the escargot, the mixed green salad, the onion soup, the pommes frites, the cassoulet, the crispy skinned salmon, the gratin de macaroni, and the hanger steak. Hearty portions of rustic, homey food. Magnifique!"
    Dined on 3/16/2014
  • "Some glitch prevented some of their Open Table reservations from coming through, but they cheerfully fit everyone in. We split the Thursday special, Cote de Boeuf, a delectable dry aged ribeye for two that's fit for four. Frites were divine."
    Dined on 3/13/2014
  • "Great wait staff; we were somewhat pressed for time, and the wait staff made that work. This was my third visit, and I was not disappointed."
    Dined on 3/10/2014
  • "The food was very good, although a bit inconsistent. The mussels were absolutely wonderful; we shared a portion for appetizer. It's nice to be able to order fries, and delicious fries at that, alongside them. The escargot also was special. Two of our party had monkfish; one loved it, one thought it was not tasty enough. We actually thought it would be served with a cream sauce and it was not prepared in that way so we were a bit disappointed. The skate was also delicious. One problem -- not all of the main courses were sufficiently hot when served. I hate to send food back to be reheated, but the monkfish definitely was only lukewarm. Other than the noise level, which was somewhat high for me, the atmosphere is quite lovely. I will return."
    Dined on 3/8/2014
  • "We visited for the 2nd time on Saturday night - our first visit was on Christmas Eve. Both evenings were wonderful - the food, the service, the atmosphere were all wonderful! Cannot wait to go back again!"
    Dined on 3/1/2014
  • "My husband and I love this restaurant! The food is delicious and the owner Mark is hands on. He truly cares and wants you to enjoy eating good food, prepared with much thought and care in his "home". Can't wait for the fried chicken on Mondays...the hamburger on Tuesday is unsurpassable."
    Dined on 2/25/2014
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Diners' Choice Awards
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  • French
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