Highlawn Pavillion

Top quality in every way: atmosphere, view, service, food and wine list. On Friday there’s live entertainment in the lounge from 7 – 10. After dinner have your dessert, coffee or a drink there. Excellent.
My Pâté app (enough for two) was amazing, as was the Lamb Shank entrée. I opted for the Key Lime Crème Brûlée for dessert and love it.
Went to the lounge to hear the Mark Peterson Trio and ended up sitting in and playing with the band. Fun! I’ll be back. The Venetian Coffee was the best I’ve ever had. A great special night out for a top end experience. Go there!

The service was prompt, and the food was delicious! The view was captivating, and I will definitely return for special occasions!

We had our wedding there over Memorial Day weekend and it was magical. Everything was taken care of with grace and class. I could not say enough about how attentive and patient the staff was through the entire planning process. I hope to go back to eat every anniversary dinner there!

Went to a wedding.

Brilliant view of Manhattan and very good food. Look for prix fixe specials (alas not in the room with a view). Very attentive, slightly formal service – in general, expect to wear a blazer here, with prices to match.
A popular special occasion place in NJ for many years and it is easy to tell why.

of all service. Enjoyed every bit of it. Pricey but really worth it. This is must place to go. Sea food, meat and birds all cooked all great.

I went to lunch at the Highlawn on a Thursday. We got window seats with a great view on NY/​NJ. The atmosphere was elegant, yet relaxed. The service was impeccable. The food was excellent. The Cuban sandwich and omelets were served in generous portions, but the rainbow trout was not. We only ordered entrees (x4) and we paid around $ 75 for the meal.
We paid with a $ 100 gift certificate that we got for Christmas and let the waiter keep the difference because he gave us wonderful service. Overall, we had a wonderful time and would be happy to return. I highly recommend the Highlawn Pavilion for any occasion. The atmosphere, the service, the view, and the food are outstanding.

The food wasn’t worth the price or the service we received in February 13. The waiter never apologized for messing up the dinner order or never asking if we wanted more wine. He messed up paying of the check and tried to blame us for it. When we complained to the manager they could have cared less. I will never go back their for dinner and I would say it’s a good place for drinks and appetizers not worth the money and service!

Came here for Valentine’s Day dinner. We had the special Seabass and filet mignon. The portions weren’t huge but we were full by the end of the meal! The desert was absolutely amazing!

I attended a celebratory work function at the HP this week. Dinner for ten in the main dining room. Ala Carte. Preceded by drinks for about 45 minutes near the bar. It was the right venue for the occasion. But…
I’m left feeling that MY dinner was pretty much unremarkable. It could be that it was a work function, and so my attendance wasn’t rooted in leisure (If my broker reads this he’ll laugh because I had about 4 scotches and 3 glasses of wine throughout the evening). It could be that the fog was absolutely 100% opaque when driving up. (I’ve lived in this area my whole life, and I have noticed dense fog on the mountain from time to time.) It could be that I had one of the few seats that was facing completely away from the windows, and enjoyed the view only for a moment when I got up to use the rest room (the fog eventually cleared). It could be a slight misjudgment in my ordering that skewed my overall opinion of the evening. Or it could be the four scotches… But, I don’t feel much passion for the HP.
The bar staff was good. Professional, as I would expect. And poured me a nice scotch rocks, and scotch and soda before dinner. My mushroom ravioli appetizer was good. The med-​rare tenderloin of venison that I ordered for dinner came out rare. That was fine because it was a really lean piece of meat. But I like to add a little salt to rare meat, and I didn’t see any on the table. This venison was the server’s recommendation, and I found it a relatively uninspired dish and a humble portion.
They did have a cheese plate on the dessert menu (something that you just don’t see nearly enough) and I took it down heartily with a 10 year tawny port. This was the highlight of the meal for me (other than taking the opportunity to drunkenly pontificate to my colleagues). It was a nice selection of (I’m guessing) Camembert, Truffled Goat’s Milk Brie, Gruyère, something else sharp, and Roquefort? It was a proper cheese plate, anyway. Nice portions.
In summary, for that rare occasion in which I want to feel like I’m dining on the Titanic, I do prefer The Manor. Highlawn Pavilion is a legitimate restaurant, but, for me, it’s less about the food than the experience. Maybe I’ll take my mom there for her birthday brunch this Spring… Or, I would stop back for the pre-​fixe I hear they offer during the week. Otherwise, it’s a little stuffy for my average Saturday with the girlfriend.

My husband took me here for a birthday dinner, because we had driven past Highlawn Pavilion tons of times on the way to the movie theater or 280. Here are all the aspects of why one would go to Highlawn, and my opinion on each:
The View — yes, Highlawn does have a nice sweeping view of NYC and Eastern NJ, but the NYC skyline is actually quite far away, after a large expanse of relative darkness that is Jersey. It was nice to be able to gaze out the window and admire the lights, but if you are seriously craving a good view of the skyline it’s probably better to drive that extra 30 mins to Jersey City and eat there instead.
The Service — I was happy with the service. Very attentive and courteous. I could find no fault with our wait staff and our water glasses were always full.
The Ambiance — If you like old-​fashioned classy, I think this fits the bill. I find the décor outdated but it’s probably the perfect place to take your in-​laws or grandparents and have them say, «My, Billy has grown to be such a responsible young man!» at the end of the dinner.
The Food — I was looking forward most to trying out their food, but was somewhat disappointed. Not bad, but not great, especially for what I expected with their price point. I had the duck pappardelle pasta — lots of ground duck for sure but the pasta-​meat ratio was off. Lamb shank was good but not remarkably memorable. Their appetizers and desserts were the same — like a really good wedding banquet but nothing mindblowing.
Overall, this is a really safe place to take relatives, in-​laws, business associates, etc… but would I say this was a personal favorite of mine? Not really.
Valet parking is available or you can try to find self-​park further away from the restaurant.

Last night had terrible Pasta DiVialo, my Dad in Law had an unbearable Boulliabaise, but the $ 44.00 Filet Mignon was OK.
A $ 200.00 tab for horrible food. Do yourself a favor, avoid this place like the Plague!!!

The 4 star is mostly based on the view… we’ve been so blessed with the gorgeous wknd weather and the view from the outdoors seating is just breathtaking! Food was OK, the view brought it up a notch! Don’t recommend the beef tartar, I had to chew which is a sign of not so great beef tartar. Tried the Monk fish special, which was light and flavorful, however, the filet was just bla… We had it in medium-​rare and it was a bit chewy. The desserts are displayed in the case next to the host table and it was between the chocolate voila and the ice cream sundae! We went with the chocolate voila bc it was their special, which did not disappoint, though not sure what those marshmallow are for. The banana ice cream with the melted chocolate was amazing!
Would def returned, one for the view (so it better be another beautiful night and 2^nd to try the ice cream sundae)!

I had my Bridal shower there in the Wine cellar about a week ago. To sum the whole experience up in one word, Wow.
I originally was having the shower at a different restaurant but about three weeks prior to the event plans fell through and we ended up at the Highlawn. I was so thankful that we ended up having the event there!
Paul was phenomenal and very accommodating. They gave us the wine cellar for the afternoon, vallet parking, passed h’ourderves, three course meal, dessert platter and cake made by their in house pastry chef.
The food was amazing. I had the chicken, most women had the salmon, but i also heard great things about the pasta dish.
The cake was finished by the end of the day… that’s how delicious it was.
I was very impressed with the attention to detail the staff provided. I was offered beverages as I was getting ready and their staff kept checking in on me to make sure I was taken care of and I wasn’t even the bride!
Just be aware that the grounds are public so if you are having an event there could be people walking around who are not apart of your party.
There were other events going on simultaneously but you wouldn’t of even known.
My mother and bridesmaids picked the perfect venue for an afternoon Sunday bridal shower.

Our Sunday lunch wedding here was top notch. Location, staff, food quality, ambiance were all mentioned as memorable by my guests after the event. Chris and Ilna (sp?) Did a great job as event manager and lead waitstaff.
From a fine dining manager in the family — the wait staff seemed effortless, they just kept moving stuff perfectly. There was never a lull or rush. At a drop of a hat, we would jump up to dance in the middle of a course, but everything was perfect and ready when we returned.
When the fog cleared in the morning, my out of town guests were entranced by the view. Even the locals were taking pictures of the city, though.
Coffee and danish, wedding event, cocktails with hot appetizers and roving apps, soup, salad, entrée, sampler desert plate with our delicious wedding cake –best wedding cake ever some said, they made it for us so we didn’t have to find a baker long distance.
We all felt like we were kings on the hill in the beautiful location, with the place all ours.
Yes I sound like a commercial. They were very professional. My fiancé set up and organized this from 2000 miles away, so we left some of the details to them. Everything was done very well and worth more then we paid.

Came here last night for a wedding rehearsal dinner. The place is beautiful and you cannot beat the view, especially from upstairs where we were. The servers were very friendly and efficient. We had hors d’oeuvres which were very good. A lot of variety, crab cakes, sushi rolls, spanakopita, fruit, cheeses, veggies, pasta, etc. It was all very good. Then had dinner buffet style and again it was all very good with a good variety of food…
I would definitely go back again. However, I must say that today I’m not feeling so hot. But I’m guessing it was due to the mix of different foods that is bothering me today… I will go back maybe to the bar or for dinner. Overall, it was a nice night there.

I never knew this place existed. Was there for a professional meeting so our meals were limited to Salmon, Chicken and Vegetarian special. This venue is located by the Eagle Rock Reservation Overlook. From inside the restaurant, there are spectacular views of the New York City skyline. It sits high up on an overlook area and the vast spread of windows opens the eastern facing wall to an undescribeable view.
For having over 82 people at the meeting, the staff responded promptly with exceptional friendly service. I had the salmon which was well prepared and served with a side of vegetable slaw mixed with mashed potatoes. For dessert, the plates were lined with several desserts which included a mini crème brûlée, chocolate torte and flan.
I look forward to returning without the large group.

Special occasion dinner on a budget!
As soon as you walk in, there is nothing left to do than to admire the ambiance. The chandelier at the entrance, the décor on the walls, the display of cheeses, wines and desserts were all very exciting.
When I walked into the piano room all I saw was a pretty view of the NYC skyline and a smile cracked on my face but I as turned my head to the left, I noticed there was no one playing the piano in the piano room ! Bummer.
Our lovely server, Maria, introduced herself and started the evening with our cocktail orders. I had a Cosmo and my significant other had Manhattan. Pretty standard. No problem here.
Moving to the main event — eating!
Because this was a pre-​fixe dinner I order the following in order:
Arugula salad, grilled salmon and orange sake crème brûlée.
I enjoyed each and every dish. The grilled salmon was slightly pink but still edible. I thought Parmesan risotto in lobster sauce was a perfect match. It wasn’t too heavy to digest.
When it came to the arugula salad, it had cranberries, Vermont goat cheese with a balsamic vinaigrette but the special touch were the those candied pecans!
It was sweet and rich! The buttery– cinnamon and sugar glaze made the boring arugula salad into an exciting salad! I am going to make this at home, one day!
Now dessert, anytime I see crème brûlée on the menu I hate to skip it because of the work involved in making it. With that said, the orange sake crème brûlée was was hard to resist and I am glad I ordered it. It was scrumptious! This Orange Crème Brûlée was fresh, rich and delicious. It even had fresh orange slices on the Crème Brûlée as a garnish. And here I was thinking that crème brûlée couldn’t get any better. Kudos!
Another highlight of the night was our server Maria. She was very professional and pleasant yet unobtrusive. Always had a smile on her face.
Why 4 stars? No one playing the piano in the piano room was disappointing.

I was blown away by this place. They offer a 3 course pre-​fixe menu Tuesday-​Thursday nights for $ 39.99, so we went here just for that. The only downfall to that route is you have to sit in the piano room or at the bar. They don’t offer the pre-​fixe in the main dining room, but depending on where you sit in the piano room or at the bar, you can still get a pretty decent view of the NYC skyline.
To start, we went with the baby arugula with dried cranberries, candied pecans, Vermont goat cheese, and maple-​balsamic vinaigrette and the soup of heirloom squash and gala apples, infused with cinnamon. Both were really good. I loved the bisque-​like consistency of the soup, but the salad could have used a little more goat cheese.
For the mains, we went with the grilled salmon with parmesan risotto and lobster sauce. The portion didn’t look all that generous, but it was filling. The duck and truffle ravioli with wild mushrooms, diced celery root, carrots and black truffle sauce was banging. Super fresh.
For the pre-​fixe dessert, they let you pick whatever you want from the regular dessert menu, which has at least 10 options on it. I really wanted the «Grand Chocolate Voila» (Banana Ice Cream, Caramel Bananas, Chocolate, Hot Banana Anglaise Sauce), but having already eaten two bananas and a bunch of chocolate during the day, we went with the mango panna cotta and the orange sake crème brûlée instead.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by the portions at this place. I was expecting to taste each course and to leave on an empty stomach. But for $ 40, you get your money’s worth.
Maria was an outstanding server. At one point, we couldn’t decide between two glasses of wine, so she brought both to taste.
Definitely an ideal spot for special occasions. If you’re getting married and balling out, this is the place to have your reception.
My only complaint about this place is the confusion of getting seated. We approached a woman sitting down just as we walked in and told her we had a reservation in the piano room. Rather than taking us there, she pointed to the room. It turns out we were supposed to see the host standing before the main dining room, but she didn’t tell us that. So other than looking like idiots for a hot minute, all else was good. I guess the finger pointing and misdirection is not something I expected from a place such as this.
Other:
–Optional valet parking.
–Jackets required for dudes.

We were here for a wedding.
The view is a-​maz-​ing. Spectacular, really. On a clear fall afternoon, the view is unparalleled.
The food was good. Service was good too.
I would come back here to eat for dinner or another meal, although looking at the menu, the prices are very high ($ 43 for an entrée).
The surrounding grounds are beautiful.