Cafe Fiori

We had 8PM reservations on a Saturday evening in February. The restaurant is one room with 12 to 15 tables, all but 5 were occupied when we were seated. The sound level is very high even though each table seemed to speak quietly. We ordered Spinach Salad and White Bean with Escarole Soup as appetizers and Grilled Swordfish and Chicken Florentine as entrees.
The salad was described as «…with warm bacon and sherry vinegrette dressing». I dislike salads that swim in dressing but this salad was mostly dry and what little dressing I tasted was far from warm. The Swordfish was slightly overdone and the sauce that accompanied the linguine was watery and flavorless.
The biggest complaint we had was the service. Empty clam and mussel shells sat so long that the smell began to bother my wife and she had to summon the waiter to clear them from the table, even though it was apparent we had been finished eating for a while. After we had finished our cappuccinos, we had to wait almost 20 minutes to get our check. As it was approaching 10PM and there were only 3 of 4 occupied tables, the wait staff were obviously preparing to close the restaurant.

This is an outstanding Italian BYOB. You cannot get a bad meal in this place and the service is awesome!!! The prices are very reasonable and you will be back.

Note: this place does NOT allow dogs. They are listed as allowing dogs. So don’t go there if you have a dog with you.

Was here for a Baptism. Food was excellent. Upon arrival we wer given hot bread with a high quality basil dipping oil.
Started off with a mixed green salad that was nicely toosed with dressing. Had the Penne with vodka sauce and the penne were cooked perfectly. The sauce had a nice flavor. For the main course I had the veal scalloponi. It was loaded with mushrooms and a wine sauce which was very tasty. The veal was very tender and they gave 3 nice size pieces. The potatos, carrots and broccoli that came with it were standard fare, nothing special.
Best part was the chocolate lava cake for dessert. OMG… it was so friggin good!!! I would go back just for that.

Came for a birthday dinner as a party of 6. Plentiful parking. The atmosphere was lively as there was a 50^th bday group, so it was louder than my last visit, but not overbearing. Nice, low lit ambiance.
The bread and dipping oil was good as were the apps of Calamari and eggplant rollatini
I had the veal Saltimbocca, which was tender and well prepared. We also had the broccoli rabe as a side.
The service was very attentive throughout the night despite being packed that night. BYOB makes it great and they do sell bottles of wine if you forgot.
I’ll be back again.
.

Been here twice. Very good experience both times. — good service, good food. I’ll be back. BYOB is a big plus.

Service. service…first visit, seated at a table for two… We were four… Reservations make 4 days in advance. Waiter appeared to have no interest in a welcoming approach. Food was served timely and was average. Room décor is «tired». Dessert menu was presented while entrée dishes still at the table… With the statement that they need the table… So hurry up and order.
Needless to say, as a group of reasonably knowledgable diners, this did not go over well. The owner (head waiter) Ceaser, came over to apologize, and stated they have two seatings on weekends… So if you wish to have a leisurely dinner on your weekend this is not the place.
There are so many other places available Café Fiori should revisit its business, and service approach… This place is not recommend for the discriminating dining
customer.

maybe just a bad night, but the food was really bad last night.
i ordered mussels and about 25% of them weren’t opened.
that means the mussels are bad and should never have been plated.
my wife’s house salad was made from very obliviously old greens.
maybe new owners ???
service was good though.
soooo, given my previous positive reviews and other’s positive reviews i really don’t know what to do about trying the place again.

This is one of my favorite places to eat in Morris County. It’s BYOB which is a huge plus. The service is very attentive without being intrusive. I love the fact that you can get half portions of the pasta dishes. The bread is crusty and wonderful with the pesto and olive oil provided.
Try the tomato and mozzarella appetizer with balsamic reduction and roasted red peppers. It’s delish and very shareable.
We’ve never had a bad meal here and look forward to every visit.

This is a go to reliable place. Ever meal is fantastic! The specials are inventive, creative, and never disappointing. The Angel hair puttanesca, yummo!

This is a great BYO restaurant. Food is consistently very good. I have never been disappointed with their menu.

Very Average. Based on reviews was expecting more. Fried Calamari was rubbery and the veal dish tough and chewy. Others in out party had about the same experience with their meals Service was average as well.
Location and décor are fine but not wonderful food.

I’ve been to Café Fiori several times and have always had a great meal. And the fact that it is a byob adds to the appeal of the restaurant.
However, there are a few things that need mentioning. First, though I understand the business need for two seatings on Fridays and Saturdays, I have been rushed through a meal and a pleasant evening with friends while dining there at both the early and the late seating. If we have overstayed our welcome on the early seating and there are people waiting for their reservation, ok… I can live with that. But when I was there recently at the late seating, the staff was very rudely giving my party the clear message that they wanted to close up for the night. We were rushed through our dessert and would have enjoyed a few minutes to relax with our coffees.
Additionally, the waitstaff needs to lighten up a bit. A pleasant greeting, a smile and and clearer explanation when presented with a question would be nice.
With so many great BYOBs available in this area, I think I would choose another before coming back to Café Fiori again.

Wonderful staff and the food was spectacular! Try the fettucini with duck, the tuna tartar, and any of the veal dishes!

Maybe I have lived in Northeast NJ too long, but my standards for italian fare have gone up. While this place is BYOB (a major plus) the borderline decent food is outweighed by spotty service.
Went here with a group of 10 for a birthday and didnt have a great experience. It took about 15 – 20 min to be approached. Luckilly, we were able to open the wine and beer we came with ourselves. Server was not personable or helpful. Getting orders from 10 people can be a pain in the rear, but the server seemed agitated. Overall the service all night was not attentive and not firing on all cylinders.
I had the duck fettuccine. I found the duck to have little to no fat trimmed from it and the sauce to be super heavy. I tried eggplant and shrimp parm that others had, and it wasnt anything to write home about.
The décor is standard NJ italian, low light, dark colors, bathroom was clean, parking was easy in the big lot. Tough business to be in with Forte literally accross the street.

First time back in a while. Surprised to get a reservation the same day as I called.
Good service that was personable. BYOB
Had the Fusilli Bolognese. While I enjoyed it, I thought the sauce was thinner than I would expect. For an entrée, I had their Chicken Paillard, which was really good. It was served with roasted red pepper and mushrooms.
My wife had the Duck Fettuccine, which she said was very good.

Yes; yet another small-​bore Italian restaurant in a Morris County strip mall. But this one has become our regular don’t-really-feel-like-cooking-tonight alternative, and here’s why:
Service is superb, as attentive and correct as you’ll find anywhere, cordial but never intrusive, prompt but not hurried.
Food is good. Pastas are fresh and light, meats done just right, salads fresh. Some dishes tend toward originality, though none will blow your mind. If the food were brilliant, I’d give this restaurant 5 stars and puzzle over why they’re in New Jersey at all.
Atmosphere is always pleasant (bear in mind that we’re talking strip mall here), the music generally unobtrusive, and the noise factor low. They always remember to light the candle on your table if it happens to be out.

Followup visit.
Apparently the word has gotten around about this place, because by 7PM on Tuesday night every table was taken. So reservations are now highly recommended. Despite the crowd and an adjacent loud table, the noise level was acceptable. No problem conversing.
Usually order Pelligrino, but tried the tap water and found it to be irony, definitely not filtered. So bring on the bottled water.
The basil infused olive oil, served with bread, is of an unusually high quality for dipping oil. It is indicative of the fresh, high quality ingredients I’ve come to expect here.
Despite the crowd, the tuna tartare and eggplant rollatini appetizers were delivered very quickly. The tuna was wonderful — fresh, moderately hot wasabi seasoning balanced with crisp and cool bed of cucumber. Eggplant rollatini was also excellent.
We ordered bronzini and porkchop stuffed with prosciutto and cheese from the specials menu. All the dishes were a little bit short on salt. I suppose this is a big plus for the health conscious. I used the salt shaker sparingly on everything but the tuna, and then the tastes were perfect.
I supplied the pinot noir at this BYOB. Two appetizers, two of the more expensive special entrees, Pelligrino, and espresso for $ 74. Once again impressed.