The Orange Squirrel Restaurant & Bar

I traveled from Sussex County to Bloomfield this past Thursday for a highly anticipated birthday lunch at the Orange Squirrel. Unilocal posts their Thursday lunch hours as 12:30 — 2:30. Their website posts Thursday lunch hours as 12:15 — 2:45. What could go wrong? When we arrived at 12:45, the doors were locked, no one to be seen through the windows. I called the restaurant and got a recording, again confirming their Thursday lunch hours. I left a message (no response), and sent them a message through Unilocal (no response). My last resort is to post this review. Maybe it will elicit a response?

Got a $ 25
coupon… wanted to give the place a try/​saw some positive reviews. Bottom line: Will never go back again.
Went there on a Friday night, 1÷9÷16… the place was empty. We, party of 2 only folks there the entire stay. Had a late lunch so we split an order: a 32 oz Ribeye steak… PRICE (IN CAPS FOR A REASON)… $ 58.00… comes with 1 side, which essentially was a child’s portion of cheddar mashed potatoes. Ordered Med. rare… steak had enormous FAT on it. My guest looked at it and said…“Seriously, are you kidding me???”. The steak was enough for a not-​so-​hungry skinny guy only. Called the waiter over… after 10 minutes he came over and said the chef/​owner would come over to speak with us… almost 15 minutes later chef came over … not so good outcome… gave us a speech about the anatomy of a cow.
Dinner for 2 (splitting a steak, and a bottle of wine: $ 100.00.
PS: The price on the wine:$ 40.00… I bought the SAME bottle tonight: $ 11.99… I understand «markup»… usually restaurants double the retail price, which would normally be $ 25.00 max.
BUT… $ 40.00 ???
So $ 100 for 2 people (splitting dinner.)… outrageous.
In defense of the chef/​owner, he did give us a complimentary order of mussels… which were quite small btw.
Service was good, however slow, since we were the ONLY patrons in the place.
Bottom line: for the price I paid/​$ 100 (for two people)… way overpriced… $ 58 steak? The zip code is 7 003, NOT 10 024/​NYC, or Montclair… it is BLOOMFIELD… where there is not even a place to park on a busy Friday night.
Do yourself a favor and go to Montclair where you can BYOB it and get more for your $$$.
Please read all of the 2 and 3 star reviews before deciding to go the the Orange Squirrel…
They pretend to be something they are not.

Had a great lunch at the Orange Squirrel in Bloomfield today. I’ve been wanting to try this place for a very long time. My Bloomfield friends rave about the place and their great bar. It’s not in the nicest of locations, it’s on Bloomfield Ave across from the BMW dealer, but the food and ambiance are great.
My husband came into work with me today so it was the perfect time to have a nice lunch. We started with soup. I had a great beef barley that wasn’t on the menu, and my husband had a celery soup. He said that he likes to judge places on their soups, and since both soups were out of this world, he knew the rest of the food would be good.
The salads were lovely, full of some really fancy lettuce and spinach. I had it with the cabernet vinaigrette, the husband had it with the creamy blue cheese.
Our sandwiches were great! Lance had the Perch sandwich, I had the BBQ Pulled Duck Confit. I swear it melted in my mouth. Their fries were extra good, too. Normally I don’t eat fries but these were worth it.
Since it was a work day and I had a board meeting tonight it wasn’t the time for a cocktail but one of my Bloomfield friends said she loves their bourbon old-​fashioneds. We eschewed dessert since I had to get back to the office, but everything looked fantastic. I’d love to go back for a relaxing dinner.
If you’re ever over in Bloomfield, check it out.

Went here for New Years eve dinner. Prefixed 4 course dinner for $ 60. I had high hopes and expectations due to the reviews and the head chef appearing on TV. We immediately felt apprehension when we saw the ‘half shot” glass of drinks that came with the dinner. We got our hopes up when we got our mushroom tempura and duck confit apps. That was the best course of the night but from there it never got better. The portions were small, especially the filet mignon which I paid $ 20 extra for. It was nice and tender but I ate that piece of meat in two bites! The salad was lettuce and the dessert nothing to write about. The atmosphere was not very festive. We had to go to another location to try recover the rest of our night! Totally not worth the $ 200!!!

Came for New Year’s Eve dinner 2015! Too bad they didn’t live up to the expectation.
A few things: no New Years vibe (like none) and small teeny tiny portions for the $ 60 preset menu. I ordered the chicken and got a giant chicken wing. Really? For $ 60?
My boyfriend paid $ 20 extra on top of the $ 60 for a piece of filet mignon that you eat in 1 bite!
Even the complimentary drink was half a shot and the second course «salad» was second course lettuce! Literally only lettuce with lite dressing.
Final bill? $ 200 for 2 ppl. Definately way overpriced for the lack of New Years vibe and lack of food! We left un-​enthused and hungry. We went down the road to Egan and Sons to try and recoup the night.
Oh well…

I have been here many, many times for dinner and highly recommend The Orange Squirrel. My husband and I love the intimate, warm, sophisticated atmosphere of this restaurant. The food is innovative, delicious, and prepared with love and creativity. I have my favorite dishes– the Bronzini, the duck, the rib steak. The cocktails are delicious and made with the best liquors and ingredients. Don’t ever skip the desert. We love the «dirt» deserts. Service has always been top notch. The wait staff are very attentive and have provided many good recommendations over the years. If you want a mediocre meal, please go some place else. If you want a memorable, mind-​blowing, culinary experience then go to The Orange Squirrel.

Horrible service, mediocre food. Went with a party of six, waited for menus for 30 minutes, drinks for another 30, when our meals came, we had to send some back that were ice cold and waited another 30 for our check. They did not refill our waters all meal or check on us once. When we spoke to the owner to complain, he basically fought with us told us «well that happens» and walked away like a child. Not worth our $ 500 bill, I will never return.

Amazing I can’t believe I forgot to write a review, I am sooooo happy it’s right in Bloomfield. Koodos for what I like to call a local Michelin ;)

Great atmosphere the food was outstanding, the drinks were on point, definitely returning sometime soon.

Location, location, location. No wait, that’s real estate. Good food, inviting ambience and fantastic service — these are the hallmarks of a restaurant you will return to. What The Orange Squirrel lacks in prime location it makes up for in quality.
I don’t mind BYOB, but living in Montclair you get so used to it you forget what it’s like to go to dinner and have drinks available to you. The Orange Squirrel plays everything right. Montclair — BYOB, The Orange Squirrel — craft beers, signature cocktails and a wine list. Montclair — many restaurants take Monday off, The Orange Squirrel — come here on a Monday.
The food is excellent and the service is just as good. Friendly wait staff who know their menu is just another boon for The Squirrel. The skate wing melts in your mouth. The baked veal meatballs make me want to write a letter of apology to the lineage of the young calf while secretly ordering up one more set — delectable. The sauce that the mussels rest in is highly slurpable and if you don’t leave the bread in there for a minute, you will be forever sorry.
A cozy restaurant set right on Bloomfield Ave. is a welcome surprise just past Bloomfield Center. The Orange Squirrel is a casual and alluring date seeker’s smartest idea.

I don’t get the people who are bashing this place. Especially one review where the person went in as the kitchen was closing. If you’re that much of a douche you deserve a shitty meal!!!
I really enjoyed this place, the atmosphere was cool, we were seated right away, and our waiter was absolutely amazing. He was informative, helpful, and attentive he had a really good sense of humor and I really enjoyed my experience more because of him.
The food was good I had the mushroom tempura (was good a little bland but I like my food salty. The baked fusilli was cheesy goodness, and the brownie was the most amazing thing I’ve ever tasted. There wasn’t too much, it wasn’t overly sweet and it was warm and soft and the perfect ending to a great meal.
Definitely go eat here, don’t pay attention to ridiculously picky overanalyzed reviews. Try it for yourself.

Hipster fare done really well with a few freebies throughout the course. Excellent bar menu and obviously very thought out.

Extraordinary experience to be attended personally by Francesco Palmieri the famous chef and owner of this restaurant. We really enjoyed his dishes.
All the food was delicious, especially the Rib-​eye steak.

Perusing the tepid reviews of certain provincial locals who seem sadly unable to appreciate a such a competent, creative kitchen, I’m gonna step upand give The Squirrel a 5^th star so as to help balance the 2 star buffoons. This is a solid 4 star joint, even by NYC standards.
Fun fact: Back in the 80’s I operated a pizzeria in what is now the Squirrel’s kitchen and the dining room was a shit-​kicking divebar that doubled as an illicit pharmacy.

With so many positive reviews, and the recommendation of our friends, we were very much looking forward to a great meal and experience at the Orange Squirrel. Overall we were sort of disappointed.
The space is pretty cool, with a decent amount of tables. We sat right by the large windows and didn’t feel cramped or too close to other diners. I have to say, it did seem weird to be in a racially diverse neighborhood but surrounded solely by white people, with the exception of one bus boy. Where’s the diversity in this place? Not their fault, I presume, however, it’s worth mentioning.
Started with a couple of house cocktails, the prickly pear margarita and saint and cynar. My margarita was fine. Nothing special really. The saint and cynar tasted a little off. Surprising that the drink was on the rocks, given that it’s a prosecco base, but worse than that, something about the flavor combo just didn’t really work.
On to the apps. We shared the mushrooms tempura and the octopus. I liked the mushrooms a lot but the octopus was just okay. Nothing stand out.
For entrees, I had the Cornish game hen and he had the skate. Both entrees were very good. I particularly enjoyed the carrots and potatoes that came with the hen.
For dessert we shared the banana bread pudding, which was very good.
The staff were all incredibly friendly but the service was sort of lacking. I guess it was the kitchen more than the staff. Nothing was timed well. Took a long time for our drinks, our apps came out at different times, and so did our entrees. Everyone was super kind but it felt like something was just off. And with Montclair just down the street and full of BYO places, this experience just wasn’t special enough for us to warrant a return trip. If it was BYO we’d probably come back but for $ 150 for two people, it just wasn’t worth it.

I wanted it to be better after I’d heard so much about this place. We reserved a table more than a week in advance and we were really looking forward to dinner. The sophisticated décor in the small dining room would have fit in anywhere in Manhattan. The room probably has a few too many tables. The ones by the bar are too mingled with the bar area.
We sat at the bar to wait for our table and ordered a couple of their specialty cocktails from their menu. The bartender was either new or a novice: She was reading recipes as she made each drink, carefully measuring each ingredient. My wife’s pink squirrel was good, tasting of pink grapefruit juice. My pisco sour was just OK.
Not a long wait to be seated. My appie of three veal meatballs was satisfying. Her spinach salad was blanketed by shredded pear, probably a little too much pear. My entrée, a Cornish hen, was OK. The side of shredded veg with tiny round potatoes (think eggs in a nest) was good looking and tasting. Her pork chop was overcooked. The flavor on the outside was good, but the chop needed less cooking time.
For dessert, the tasting of dirt was fun. Three tall shooters of custard mixed with crumb, each a different palette, was interesting and not filling … A good way to wind up the meal.
The service was good and friendly.
This was our first time there and I want to go back to give them a second chance. You can tell they want to do a good job as the menu has a lot of interesting ideas. Maybe we caught them on a so-​so night.

Our night started with a complimentary single duck arancini with honey mustard sauce… Yum!
I got the house salad, which the Cabernet dressing was «to die for», and my beet loving husband loved the beet salad.
For entrees, hubby got the duck Fettucini (yum), and I got the duck breast. Fettuccini was freshly made and cooked to perfection. The waitress claimed the duck breast was the «best in NJ». She wasn’t kidding. Served medium rare, and over a nice mixture of Farro and raisin concoction, and served with an au jus sauce that I wish I could pour directly in my mouth and not feel judged… It was… Divine.
For dessert we chose the Trio of Dirt, which changes every month. We were treated to a hot chocolate/​marshmallow concoction, a Macassar vanilla, and Black Forest (dark chocolate and raspberry) trio… I think the Black Forest was my favorite but none were disappointing.
All and all– great evening, great food, and a great waitress who was really helpful in picking a menu item!
With our check we each received a shot of their house Irish cream. I’m not a Bailey’s lover, but I felt it was a personal touch to top off the evening!
Will definitely be back!

I’ve always wanted to try The Orange Squirrel since it’s fairly close to where I live. And I can’t lie, the whimsical name of the restaurant also attracted me. I’m sad to say that I was very disappointed with our dining experience here. The ambiance was just okay, the food was pricey and nothing to write home about, but the service was great.
Here’s what we ordered:
Pan seared diver sea scallops: I understand that this is fine dining, but 18 bucks for two pieces of scallops, really? On top of that, one of them wasn’t seared enough #sadness #fail
Crescent duck breast: very ordinary tasting dish, wasn’t anything special, and the portion was again on the small side
Skate wing: compared to the skate wing we had at Mes Reves, this was average at best. The choice of grapes on top of the skate wing seems arbitrary at best, and added nothing to the dish
Glazed sauteed mushroom side: I wish there was more variety of mushrooms in this side. The taste was fairly ordinary
Irish cheddar mashed potato side: this just tasted like regular mashed potato to me
Banana bread pudding: a good dessert, but again, quite ordinary
The best thing we had that night was the complimentary Irish cream shots given. I really wanted to like this restaurant, but unfortunately the expectations were not met at all.

Came across a $ 25
gift certificate, so we decided to give this place a shot. It’s located in a somewhat shady area of Bloomfield, and there’s no parking lot, which is a bit of a bummer, but the place itself is adorable. I love the exposed brick and the orange chairs, as well as the empty wine bottles that align the wall. The place has less than 10 tables or so and a small bar that seats maybe 10 – 12 people, it’s definitely a cute place for a date. Our waiter, Kevin was super friendly, accommodating, and knowledgeable of the entire menu. They have an awesome cocktail menu and their wine menu isn’t half bad either. I started off with the Elizabeth Taylor cocktail, champagne based cocktail that was bubbly, sweet, and very tasty. I tried a bit of my brother’s pisco sour, delicious drink made with egg whites that they made very well. They brought us over a free starter, fried bolognese or something of the sort, which was cute (although I don’t eat beef). Moving on, the menu itself is a bit limiting in my opinion and the prices are on the high side, I thought they could do a bit more with the menu personally, but then again it is a small place. Anyway, I decided to go with the mussels for dinner, an appetizer, but I wasn’t that hungry. The waiter insisted everything was amazing & that I wouldn’t be disappointed, my boyfriend ordered the duck, my brother had the branzino and his gf had the chicken pot pie. I gotta admit, I didn’t think the mussels were that great and the waiter had raved about them, so I had high expectations. I love when I get mussels in a white wine sauce and there’s so much sauce, you just have to ask for more bread to suck up all the juices. My mussels were kinda dry. I tasted my boyfriend’s duck and I wasn’t really impressed with his dish either. It was just two large pieces of duck cooked medium rare, there wasn’t much sauce, it was kinda bland and definitely didn’t warrant the $ 30 price tag. My brother’s branzino looked kinda bland too, two pieces of fish with a buttery sauce on the side. Eh. I did get to try some of the chicken pot pie which was really tasty, I’ll give them that. After dinner, they gave us a small shot of their homemade «Bailey’s like» Irish cream, which was probably the most amazing drink I have ever had. That made the entire meal worth it right there, and when we asked for more, the owner did give us another round for free, which was super nice. Sadly, they did not have this on the menu to buy, or believe me, I would have ordered a round for everyone.
Overall, the service was really good, the owner was super nice & the drinks were good, so I couldn’t give them 2 stars, but if I was basing my review on just food, I would give the place two stars.

I came here with my boyfriend last night for our anniversary dinner. After reading many reviews and saw many positive ones, we decided to go for it. When I first walked in I was a bit taken back with the theme of the color orange and squirrels. The woman who was our hostess and server was SO nice and friendly. It was really reassuring that there are some people out there who actually care to take care of you as a customer. When I looked at the menu, I noticed some of the exotic foods and many of these plates were made with cream. I asked the waitress if my plate could be modified since I cannot eat cream, she said the chef would modify it with no problem! I was so happy that they would take care of me. Compliments of the chef for the night, we got fried squash flower with a side of balsamic vinegar. I did not try this, but my boyfriend said it was good and not greasy. We started with the personal margherita pizza, it was delicious! it was crispy and made to perfection. It wasn’t soggy and was very tasty. My boyfriend had the Lobster Cobb Salad; while the portion was small, it was presented so beautifully and he said it tasted delicious. I had the Chitarra with Meatballs. DELICIOUS! I ate the
whole bowl. :P We couldn’t believe how outstanding the food was. Now, for my favorite part: dessert! The desserts were the perfect size for one and were portioned enough to not feel guilty about eating them. My boyfriend had the Blood Orange Infused Crème Brûlée. I’m traditionally not a Crème brûlée person, but I tried it and it was delicious. The blood orange made it sweet, but not too sweet. It was the perfect balance. The Crème brûlée was very fresh. I had the German Chocolate Soufflé. The soufflé had a layer of shredded coconut at the bottom and was presented with powdered sugar on the top, with a warm chocolate walnut sauce on the side. It was so delicious, I almost didn’t want to share! When the check came, our waitress gave us (on the house) shots of Café Patron and Irish Cream. At first, I did not expect the delicious meal and high quality of service from this restaurant but I know for sure I will be coming back. This restaurant is the perfect, intimate setting for a date or relaxing dinner.