Catherine Lombardi Restaurant
| Address: | 3 Livingston Ave, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA |
| Phone: | +1 732-296-9463 |
| Site: | catherinelombardi.com |
| Rating: | 4.3 |
| Working: | 5AM–9PM 5–10PM 5–10PM 5–10PM 5–11PM 5–11PM 4–9PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 8
A
A Private User
My boyfriend and I have been coming here for years but unfortunately this place has gone very downhill. We decided to stop by after seeing a show next door and did not have a reservation which never stopped us before. The rude host didn’t let us forget it and reminded us multiple times that we’d have to wait at least 30 minutes…which we agreed to. We then waited at the bar over 20 minutes to get served a glass of wine and a beer when in reality I’ve seen bars in NYC much more crowded than this and have been served in 5 minutes. We finally got sat an hour later and proceeded to wait for our server another 10 minutes. The frustration didn’t stop there. We ordered the “cumare” stuffed calamari, their house specialty, and it was beyond rubbery and flavorless. My boyfriend ordered the scallops with broccoli rabe and they were almost inedible due to the large amount of lemon they were doused in. My entrée, the fra diavlo, was ok, but completely overpriced for what it was. The only good moment was the dessert (bread pudding) but overall was a very disappointing experience. I even saw the host chasing a couple out screaming at them which was extremely unprofessional. I’m not sure what’s happened to this place but I was so turned off I had to post this. There are plenty of great restaurants in New Brunswick that are more professional, more friendly, more reasonable, and much less pretentious!! Stay away!!
A
A Private User
Upon entering we were greeted by a not so friendly host who informed us we were 2 minutes early for our reservation & navigated us to the bar where we were met by a very lively, pleasant & entertaining bartender. We were assigned our table in the dining area which was extremely cozy and inviting. The pear salad was excellent, the Caesar was passable. Garlic bread was a MUST have. Veal parmigiana was unedible, gray matter under some red sauce that literally had water surrounding it on the plate, pasta bolognese was flat with no taste period. Home made ice cream ( vanilla) was sour, sent back and returned just as sour. Felt it was a bit pricy for what we had and after our show actually stopped for a bite to eat. I eat out frequently at least twice a week and while I feel I am discerning, i know that I am fair...and being more than generous with what i have written here as well. Would not go back, wait staff was professional in a stand-offish kind of way starting with the reservationist right on thru to the host and wait staff. Again Disappointed & would never go back as I am sure there is far better fare in that area.
PA
Paul Dicker
Another fabulous experience at CL last night: sublime food/drink, fantastic service and great atmosphere. Cocktail list is insane - each made with such attention to detail. Impossibly hard to choose - we really wanted to sample so many! Truly a place that understands the CRAFT of making cocktails with high quality ingredients. All the food - from the wonderful garlic bread right through to the perfectly executed desserts - was just delicious. Standouts were the unbelievably fresh pappardelle, tender/perfectly cooked filet and super-chocolately (BUT NOT cloyingly sweet) molten Valrhona cake. Of course, the white truffles elevated the experience even further - served two ways: over polenta/egg yolk AND pappardelle in butter sauce. THREE separate people - waiter, maitre d and owner - carefully recommended wines to go with the truffles. Service was professional - but very friendly and not stuffy. And the restaurant is so comfortable - just enough noise to create some excitement but certainly not interfering. CL continues to be one of our favorite dining locations in the entire state!!
EU
Eugene Picco
The wife and I were attending a show at the State theater and wanted to grab something to eat first. We tried walking in Catherine Lombardi but were told we needed a reservation so we decided to leave. As we were leaving, the host said wait if you dont mind we have a table in this room for you if you dont mind no being in the main area. We werent picky about it, we were just going to grab something before the show. We ordered appetizers and as we were eating, we couldnt believe how good they were. Then we order a main dish each and again we were totally surprised how good they were. We ended it with a nice desert and yest it was very good. So A the food was surprisingly very good, the service was excellent and the owner was walking around not only greeting everyone but helping along the way, if you needed anything, he actually tool care of it himself. Mark, this place is a winner, thanks for a surprisingly wonderful experience.
LO
Louis Holder
Catherine Lombardi is hidden above Stage Left in the "theater district" of New Brunswick. From the street, it can be easily mistaken for something other than a restaurant. You enter a speakeasy style elevator that opens up to a bright red dining room with two romantic fireplaces. The non-traditional Italian dishes served are very tasty and comparable to its sister restaurant just downstairs; it even includes similar dishes. Best Italian in New Brunswick and I highly recommend a pasta dish with a side of the very garlic bread. The selection of cocktails and wines draws an energetic crowd into the cozy bar. Catherine Lombardi is great for a first date or a small group of friends but beware the high prices. If money is not a factor, I highly recommend but if you are on a tight budget, Catherine Lombardi does not offer the best bang for your buck.
MA
Mark Rubenstein
Overall, my last visit was very good. However, my wife ordered the fish special (whole porgy) and was extremely disappointed. The fish was super tiny. She spent most of her time picking out the bones trying to find some meat on the fish. Our financial planner and his wife took us out for this dinner. Although this was certainly not their fault, I could sense that they were a little uncomfortable with the poor portion of my wifes meal. That being said, the other three dishes and all appetizers were excellent. The manager did comp one of the desserts due to my wifes dissatisfaction, which I thought was very classy. This was my second time to Catherine Lombardis and will certainly return.
HE
Helena Turner
I went to this restaurant before a show and made reservations. I was very disappointed with my food. I sent my first order back because it just did not taste good. It was the lobster and crab ravioli. My waitress was very nice and let me exchange my meal for something else. The whole process took so long that I ended up taking my food to go and really didnt get to eat much at all. The garlic bread by tasty. I cant say much for the rest of the food. The service is extremely slow but my waitress was nice and friendly. I wont be returning again.
SA
Sal Yassin
tried to reserve seating for 19. the wonderful employee over the phone says we cant cook the food a la carte were not a real restaurant! it would take 4 hours to make this food for you and we need to order from the party menu. also we dont have private seating for you. you will have to go to our sister restaurant stage left and sit there. never ate there, and never will. reserved at steakhouse 85 and good to go. thanks a lot.
