Phone: +19087667979
Address: 1 Mill St, Bernardsville, United States Of America, 07924, BERNARDSVILLE
City: BERNARDSVILLE
Menu Dishes: 35
Reviews: 1333
Website: https://www.ristorantemv.com
"What was supposed to be an intimate, romantic evening out turned into a game to see what ridiculous thing happened next. The attention to aesthetics has sadly overshadowed attention to details of the food and overall experience. It honestly felt like someone saw a hip Manhattan restaurant on tv and tried to recreate the vibe, without understanding that you can 't recreate Manhattan anywhere else. This restaurant is in a stunning old stone building, truly beautiful. The tree in the middle of the room is a little odd but still pretty. There is no noise absorption, so between all the people and the loud thumping music, we had to shout at each other. The table was long and narrow, so that we felt very far apart but somehow there wasn 't enough room and it felt cramped. When we walked in we were greeted by two incredibly beautiful people, who stared us down like they were judging whether we were good enough, and barely said two words (or maybe we just couldn 't hear over the noise). The woman who seated us floated through the restaurant. It looked fantastic but did not make us feel welcome; it was like being seated by the Mean Girl at school. The waitstaff seems to be comprised of 4 or so middle aged men who look like they walked out of a photo of an Italian restaurant from the 40s: very stiff, wearing dress shirts and ties, sort of glowering like they don 't want to be there. They were clearly hired for, again, aesthetics, rather than experience, as the pacing and other details were very off. Most of the actual work of service seems to be done by the army of younger servers who don 't interact as much with customers. Our server (whose name I could not hear over the noise, if he even told us) asked me if I wanted a drink, I asked for sparkling water, and he walked away without asking my husband for his drink order. Then he kept coming to take our order when we were clearly still reading the menus. He did not tell us the fish of the day until we asked. When we finally put our menus down, ready to order, we had to wait quite a while for him to come back. That 's what I mean by uneven pacing; the whole evening went like that. After finishing dessert, we gave up after about 15 minutes and eventually asked a different server for our check. By the way, the menu you see online is only half (or less) of the actual menu. When you arrive, they present you with that one, plus a daily specials menu that is at least as long as the main menu. It includes wines down the bottom and is in tiny print, so it takes a minute to orient yourself to two different double-sided menus: there are at least two wine menus, two lists of appetizers, two lists of pastas, etc. so you have to keep going back and forth. That 's why we took so long to order, we kept finding new things we hadn 't seen yet on the menu. If they want to present a daily changing second menu, they should find a way to better organize that information and present it to customers. The food was inconsistent. There were some dishes that we were really happy to see; as others have noted there are dishes that are pretty rare outside Italy, and a couple that my grandfather used to make for holidays, which was very heartwarming to see. The tuna and tomato salad was very good. The fried zucchini seems to come in different sizes to different tables, but was tasty. Nearly everything was under-seasoned. They did provide a salt shaker (only salt) on the table, so my guess is they under-season for the older patrons and then let you dump salt on top if you want more. The biggest crime is that we both got pasta dishes, and none of the pasta was al dente. It 's not that the food was bad, not at all in fact. However, it doesn 't come close to the food at other restaurants in the area that are similarly priced. You could do better at one of the other Italian restaurants in Bernardsville alone. tl;dr: A hilarious amount of effort trying to look cool and authentic, not quite enough attention on BEING cool and authentic, and definitely not enough attention on consistently delicious and amazing food."
Full menu - 35 options
All prices are estimates on menu.
Dessert
Cannoli
Crispy pastry tubes filled with sweet ricotta, chocolate chips, and garnished with powdered sugar and pistachios.
Tiramisu
A classic Italian dessert featuring layers of coffee-soaked ladyfingers, rich mascarpone cream, and a dusting of cocoa powder.
Cheesecake
Creamy, rich cheesecake with a buttery graham cracker crust and a smooth, sweet topping.
Panna Cotta
Creamy, silky Italian dessert with a hint of vanilla, topped with berry coulis or fresh fruit.
Pasta
Ravioli
Pasta pockets filled with ricotta and spinach, served in a rich tomato sauce.
Rigatoni menu
Rigatoni pasta tossed in a rich tomato basil sauce with garlic and parmesan.
Seafood Pasta
Seafood Pasta: A delightful mix of fresh shrimp, clams, and mussels in a rich garlic cream sauce over fettuccine.
I Gamberi
Gnocchi
Gnocchi
Soft potato dumplings served with a creamy pesto sauce and topped with Parmesan cheese.
Rice
Risotto
Creamy Arborio rice cooked to perfection, with a rich blend of Parmesan and fresh seasonal vegetables.
Meat Dishes
Soups
Minestrone
A hearty Italian soup with mixed vegetables, beans, and pasta in a savory tomato broth.
Secondi
Pollo
Vitello
Spaghetti / Maccheroni - Klein
La Tarne
I Dolce Fatti In Casa
Veal
Veal Marsala
Tender veal cutlets in a rich Marsala wine sauce with mushrooms.
Salads
Traditional Recipes
Spaghetti
Foccacia ( Fladenbrot ) Auch Als Oder Zur Vorspeise
Desserts
Chocolate Cake
Rich and moist chocolate cake layered with creamy chocolate frosting for the ultimate indulgence.
La Nostra Selezione
Captain
Excellent food excellent atmosphere!!! Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5
Address
Reviews
Emad
The service and atmosphere were fantastic. I ordered the Sole, but it was quite dry, and the pasta sauce tasted like it came straight from a can.
Bridget
Fantastic Food Fantastic Service! New York City levelall around Service: Dine in Meal type: Dinner Price per person: $100+ Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5 Recommended dishes: Octopus, Veal Francese, Chicken Parmigiana, Chicken Francese, Chocolate Torte, Carbonara, Clams Oreganata
John
I recently had the pleasure of dining at Ristorante MV, and I have to say it was an outstanding experience. The food was fantastic, the service was flawless, and the atmosphere was cozy and welcoming. I can't wait for my next visit to this restaurant. Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5 View menu
michelle
Incredible service! The food and drinks were delicious but the real winner is the crème brûlée the server did say it’s the best he’s ever had and I’ll say I definitely agree with him! Service: Dine in Meal type: Dinner Price per person: $50–100 Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5 Recommended dishes: Chicken Francese
Bob
I might have caught them on an off night, but I can't be sure. I visited this restaurant for my 53rd birthday dinner, making it my first time there. Our host, Mike, was fantastic and very welcoming. Unfortunately, our waiter was quite the opposite—his attitude was sour, and it felt like he didn't want to be there at all. It's really unfortunate. The food was disappointing, except for the appetizers and the bread. That's all I'll say about that. Service: Dine-in.
Lisa
Absolutely incredible! This was our first visit, and it certainly won't be our last. It lived up to all the hype. The food was outstanding, and the portion sizes were generous. The bolognese and the chocolate ravioli espresso martini were exceptional. The service exceeded five stars! We kept remarking that it was the best service we've ever experienced. As soon as we finished a dish and set down our forks, a staff member was right there to clear our plates. Mike was especially friendly and took the time to engage with every table to ensure all guests were happy. We will definitely be back soon! View menu
jbaccell
My wife and I have been frequent diners of this restaurant starting from their roots in Brooklyn, The Queen Restaurant. That includes their first location and their pizzeria which was separated by a movie theater. We continued dining when they moved to their new Brooklyn location and now, we have followed them to Bernardsville. More than 50 years and not a single bad meal, ever. Pat the owner and Chef and his son, Michael are just fabulous salt of the earth people, we love them and we love their restaurant and that includes many of the wait staff and bartenders, some whom we've known for more than 30 years. The food is out of this world and always has been. Do not hesitate to eat there, I ha...
Yvette
Where to begin? My husband is a hard core foodie and brought me here for date night. The food was amazing, sold wine list and an uber romantic atmosphere. As planning started for my birthday dinner party started, Ristorante MV was at the top of the list. Working with the team was easy. Frank was very responsive to all of my emails. Then 3 days before Mike reached out via text and we settled on cake drop off time and table scape set up. When my party of 12 arrived they were floored and Mike (who never met me in person) saw me enter the door and immediately escorted us to our table. My party had a few celebrities in tow so it was kind of a scene l The table was expertly set exactly as we discu...
Laura
What was supposed to be an intimate, romantic evening out turned into a game to see what ridiculous thing happened next. The attention to aesthetics has sadly overshadowed attention to details of the food and overall experience. It honestly felt like someone saw a hip Manhattan restaurant on tv and tried to recreate the vibe, without understanding that you can 't recreate Manhattan anywhere else. This restaurant is in a stunning old stone building, truly beautiful. The tree in the middle of the room is a little odd but still pretty. There is no noise absorption, so between all the people and the loud thumping music, we had to shout at each other. The table was long and narrow, so that we fel... View menu
Categories
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Full Savor a delightful array of authentic flavors with our carefully curated menu. Indulge in a variety of dishes, crafted to perfection, offering something for every palate.
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Wine A curated selection of fine wines from around the world, offering rich reds, crisp whites, and elegant rosés to pair perfectly with your meal. Savor each bottle's unique aroma, flavor, and complexity. View menu
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Pasta Delight in our selection of classic and contemporary pasta dishes, each crafted with fresh, quality ingredients and flavorful sauces that capture the essence of Italian cuisine in every bite.
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Italian Savor the rich and diverse flavors of Italy with our menu, offering classic pasta, savory risottos, and traditional meat and seafood dishes, all crafted with authentic ingredients and passion. Buon appetito!
Amenities
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Amex
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Wine
- menu
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Wifi
- menu
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Takeout
