La Pergola

We just left our third dinner here. The food has always been delicious, and this time did not disappoint. We started by sharing the pergola salad, which they split it for us before serving. Then my husband had the lasagna bolognese special which was meaty and tasty. I had the homemade papparadelle which had an amazing tomato cream sauce, was full of fresh mushrooms, tomatoes and spinach, and stayed piping hot the whole meal. We brought our toddler and they made him a chicken breast which was delivered quickly and he really enjoyed too! We’ve had the same waiter every time we go and he’s been fab. Definitely recommend if you’re in the area.

Not swept away with this place. Good meal but not amazing. Ambiance was a bit lacking, big restaurant which was mostly empty. Started out with some fried calamari which was a bit too saturated in oil. For my main course I had the fresh pasta with mushrooms and a tomato sauce. It was good, the pasta very obviously fresh, but not amazing. As a newcomer to the area I’m not sure I would come back here, would prefer to try some other local spots.

We have eaten at La Pergola twice and loved it both times. The facility is lovely and the staff so attentive. Have enjoyed the freshest of seafood, pasta, lamb, steak, and great salads! This restaurant is a gem in Millburn. Will go back again and again!

I will offer that the prices are high, the food average and they just don’t get it.
Two of us ordered the Filet Mignon special cooked medium. Both were brought out well done and sent back. After everyone else had already finished their entrees the two Filets were brought back out. The wait seemed interminable. One was medium rare and acceptable although still not right but was enjoyed. The other recooked Filet was raw and sent back for a THIRD try and after another ten minutes brought back out medium rare. At that point everyone else was done for at least 15 plus minutes. Painful!
Mr.Pretentious Maitre D asked at that point (where was he in the «meantime) how was everything but at that point who cared.
When the check arrived we were billed for every dish and spent $ 500 on average food. On top of this we have eaten here enough to be known.
The proper etiquette would have been not to charge for at least one if not both of the Filets or at least offered dessert or coffee on the house.
If we really cared this would have been brought up when we got the bill but by then…3 hours later we wanted to just escape.
The Millburn Diner next door looked more enticing next time.
Never Ever Ever again!

Very typical menu… Atmosphere quite nice and never over crowded. I would go back again.

Amazing food and service! Went for New Year’s Eve with some friends. The burrata cheese and gnocchi were delicious and the service was very attentive. Nice ambience for date night or a night out with some friends. Excellent food!

Great ambience
Apps
Calamari is good, can’t go wrong. Stuffed shrimp only has three shrimp– kinda sad. However the stuffed artichoke was unique and tasty.
I highly recommend the gnocchi. Soft chewy and delicious sauce.
Try the specials. The homemade lasagna was delicious and had great sauce.
Staff was very nice and helpful. They are very accommodating.

In a midst of Jersey Italian averageness La Pergola is a shining star, a standard to which other restaurants should to aspire to become. It’s not only the food — it’s the service that really makes a difference.
Service is the hallmark of this fine Italian dining establishment. I can’t remember a time when the I was there and the owners weren’t. It’s always the little things — like separating a shared lunch entrée into two dishes without even being asked.
Food is unbelievably fresh and tastes the way Italian food should taste.

Four of us arrived for a 7:30 Saturday reservation last night. The foyer was packed with guests waiting on their tables, which lent a level of expectation to the trip … and a little bit of stress. How long were these people going to linger? The restaurant is lovely… soothing, elegant décor… and I can understand the desire to hang out a bit. However, the owner was cool during a stressful situation and greeted everyone with a smile and the reassurance that he was working to make their tables available.
We brought special wines with us, including an ’89 Château Lynch Bages Pauillac, and settled in, ordering burrata and prosciutto and the littleneck clams with our champagne — then moving on to papardelle with white truffles and the pergola salad for our 2^nd course — and short ribs, Dover sole x 2 and the veal chop for our entrees. We were not rushed at all, enjoying many bottles of wine (with a designated driver, of course).
Driola, the chef, came out to inquire about our meals, offering that special touch that only engaged and confident chefs provide — and appreciated feedback about one of the dishes, handling the matter perfectly, as a chef with high standards and a commitment to cuisine would. As the restaurant emptied, we invited the owner to join us for some wine. Agron was lovely and gracious, sharing his and his wife Driola’s stories. They are chefs and owners who seem to love what they do, with diverse backgrounds that revealed many different talents. And now they are clearly doing what they love.
I will return on a weekday, because we are empty nesters and we can. I will probably enjoy the slower pace and a different seating location, although the restaurant can handle the energy and buzz that filled the space Saturday night. I’m just not much in to crowds, so want to return when it’s less busy. We’ll hope to enjoy some wine and conversation with Agron again and maybe Driola, if she’s able to leave the kitchen to which she is devoted.
A lovely introduction to La Pergola last night. Thank you.

We had dinner here last night with another couple, and we were loving everything we ordered. We started with (4) different appetizers and we all tasted each others and enjoyed. For dinner (2) of us ordered the double cut veal chop and i must admit it was hard to share because it was perfectly done. There was an order of lasagna bolognese, and an order of broccoli rabe and sausage gnocchi. We all loved our entrees but the gnocchi seemed to be everyone’s favorite, but to my husbands’ dismay, who ordered it — probably didn’t leave enough for him! The food is impeccable, the service is attentive and the owner and chef husband and wife team were sure to make each guest feel special. It is this attention to the details of the menu and guest that has ensured that we will be back monthly. Thank you for a memorable dinner.

Fantastic food.
Very dimly lit.
Incredibly unprofessional service, not worthy of excellent food.
Very, very slow… have to flag down waiter to take order, get water, ask where food is, get check, etc., etc.
Food should not take ONE HOUR to emerge from kitchen.
Lines of people waiting to get in… rushed, harried atmosphere.
Would not recommend, despite excellent food.
Both ladies and men’s rooms were out of order! Really?

Had a wonderful lunch with my publisher at La Pergola yesterday, 3 hours! What a fantastic way to spend a Friday afternoon; good conversation, great food and a nice bottle of chianti.
The food, as usual, didn’t disappoint. Started with a bright heirloom tomato and mozzarella salad, linguini w/​clams than a second of a perfectly cooked branzino (Mike and I split it). We finished with a cooling tartufo and a coffee.
Of course, the food is always the star of the show but what made this more memorable was the personal attention we received from Chef Driola Kaloshi (chef/​owner). Not only did she spend a fair amount of time with us to explain the specials, she gave us a personal tour of the kitchen! We got to see how the magic happens, as folks in the back of the house were busily making sauces and pasta, and getting ready for the dinner service. It was so cool to see all the stations, the mise en place, the walk-​in and the burners (there’s quite a bit, totally envious). We even got to pick our own branzino!
When I asked where Chef Agron Kaloshi (co-​owner and husband) was, she told us he was at the market checking out what was fresh and that could be served during the dinner service. ABFAB! This is what it takes to run a top notch kitchen! Love this place.

Just can’t think of anything to make this review less than five stars.
We were politely escorted to our seats and almost immediately servers brought us water and bread and then our server politely read off the specials
We had oysters (blue point) (six Very large!) for appetizer, I personally was never a big oyster fan but are two of them (delicious) and main courses were: short ribs with risotto and black linguini with jumbo shrimp, all the food was delicious but what I like is the owner came over TWICE just to check on us
Great food, incredible service in a beautiful relaxed environment,
It’s bring your own by the way, which I like

The food was delicious but the meal was a 3 hour ordeal. There was only one waiter for the entire restaurant and it took a long time to place our orders and to receive them.
When we asked the waiter about why the food was taking so long he told us half the table’s meals were done and the other half were not. 10 minutes later they finally all came out meaning half the meals had just been sitting out.
I had the stuffed artichoke and black linguine for my meal and both were superb. Bottom line: food was great but service needs work.

La Pergola is a 5 star restaurant. 2 visits so far with my actors and film crew, and there will be more. The maitre d’ is named Agnon, and he understands good service. Both times I walked in to make my reservation I was greeted with a fresh espresso. They close at 9PM on Sunday, but yet let me make my reservation for 9PM on Sunday, and they stayed open until 11:30PM. We weren’t rushed out, as a matter of fact we were invited to stay longer. The owner/​chef knows her stuff and the food is delicious. I have very picky friends, one of whom said it was some of the best fish she’s ever had. The filet melts in your mouth. It’s bring your own booze and we brought plenty. The poor Unilocal reviews on La Pergola are totally laughable. Don’t let these attention seeking trolls trick you into not visiting this fantastic restaurant. I might go visit Agnon tomorrow and get another espresso.

I’ve eaten here several times and they never disappoint.
It’s BYOB so make sure you bring your own alcohol if you want to drink.
Their arugula salad with Buratta, beets, and jumbo shrimp wrapped in prosciutto is to die for — doesn’t look like it’s on the menu anymore but man, was that app perfection.
I usually get the same entre: Linguini Clams — which of course is absolutely delicious, pasta cooked al dente and a bountiful of little necks — but I’ve also had their gnocchi, black ink linguini, veal, quail, and mezzaluna which are also great menu choices.
The owners are super friendly and are always acute to their customer’s needs and requests. Although I live about two hours away, I hope to make every effort to dine here again soon!

Fantastic dining experience in the heart of Milburn. The food is outrageous and the service top notch.
Had the best duck I’ve ever eaten — crispy, not greasy and the sauce was not your typical orange juice and marmalade concoction.
You really need to find time to go check this place out for yourself. You won’t be sorry.

We went to La Pergola for dinner last night and it was flawless. The place was busier than it was on our last visit, but the noise level was minimal and the ambiance was relaxed and romantic. Service was great.
The BF ordered a filet mignon rare and it was perfectly executed. I ordered chicken milanese, which was not on their menu, and they were able to accommodate me without any fuss.
Overall, we can’t wait to return again. Definitely recommend!

We’ve been there maybe 8 – 10 times since they opened, but won’t be going back.
The food has been good, but unremarkable and the service a bit stiff. The prices are in line with the sort of atmosphere they’re going for, but not really in line with the food.
The last time we went, I ordered the pork chop and the kitchen had some sort of problem with it. People were being seated after us, eating salads/​mains/​desert and coffee and getting checks while we were still sitting there waiting.
At around 45 minutes of waiting the manager finally said there was a problem with the pork chop, so I asked him if I could just get a plate of pasta or something. He assured me our food would be out very soon and insisted I wait for it.
It finally showed up 1 hour and 20 minutes after we placed our order. It wasn’t even worth it. It was so overcooked that it was like trying to eat a 1.5″ thick block of wood. I could see that they sliced it in half at one point and cooked the inside because I guess they didn’t know what to do with it and they they left it cook too long splayed open like that.
It’s one thing for the kitchen to screw up, but another for the manager to not be able to recover from it and have a customer leave the restaurant hungry after sitting there for a total of 1.5 hours.
It was funny, because before we left I went to the rest room and overheard the manager talking to the chef in the back. Apparently she thought she had done a bang up job and he said to her, «Well, you know, there were some problems tonight.». She responded, «OH YEAH!!! Like WHAT???». I could smell the fear as he just looked down towards his shoes and muttered, «well…»

The food here was very good. The night we first tried La Pergola my wife and I took take out.
We had a special appetizer seafood salad that was one of the best I have ever had. The seafood was cooked perfectly and very tender. (I did add a little fresh lemon and salt) but all the ingredients were very fresh.
We then tried the fussilli with broccoli rabe and sausage. The pasta was homemade, the broccoli rabe was cooked perfect and there was the person amount of garlic. We also tried the chicken Saltimbocca which was very good.
I recommend this restaurant.