Hans Egg, a really great chef
It is always a special pleasure to dine at the Saddle River Inn. This is European cuisine at it's best, with that special touch of Swiss chef Hans Egg. Outstanding food, great service, cozy atmosphere. Highly recommended.    [20 Jul 2004 04:12:41]

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Recommended Dishes: All, without exception

     ­Peter E. Kramer   

Never again
I had sworn to never again visit the Saddle River Inn before, but have returned really only because it's one of the very few such restaurants in Bergen County, an upscale BYOB with a lovely, quaint atmosphere. But that's all it has to offer, and after this colossal disappointment, truly I'll never make the choice to visit again.

Upon arriving, the hostess ignored us for a good 3-5 minutes while she was on the phone. Eventually, we were seated and then treated to slow service
(15 minutes or so before anyone came to our table), a haughty waiter, and unmemorable food.

But the end of the evening sealed the deal for me: I came with 2 wine carriers and four bottles of wine; we opened three. On my way out, I was told to and did pick up my wine carriers which were stashed by the waiter in a corner. Only when I arrived home did I realize that the fourth, unopened bottle was not in the carrier. I called the Saddle River Inn, and the hostess confirmed that my bottle of wine was still there. Mistakes can happen, but without any apology at all, she said simply and repeatedly, "Madam, the wine is your responsibility."

And the viability of their restaurant is theirs .    [29 Nov 2000 15:16:29]

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     ­Bev   

Simply the Best
Superb in every way. Bev, stay in Westwood, perhaps the Iron Horse would be more your style.    [19 Jul 2001 22:36:00]

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     ­Anonymous   

Me Too - Never Again ! !
Saddle River Inn

Yuk…It was a totally inferior restaurant. The service was lousy. We waited 40 minutes between our appetizers and main course. The "head" waiter had an annoyed attitude when he talked to us the first time - welcoming our party of eight adults. Actually, it was an attitude problem.
Everyone’s food came in cool to cold. We asked for one dinner to be rewarmed and it took 20 minutes. The coffee was horrendous, to put it mildly. No one drank their coffee. The food was fair to poor. The salad was big enough to feed a one year old child. The main course was a little skimpy in the protein area. In other words, have dinner some place else. Also, the waiter, without asking, took our unopened bottles of wine and began stashing it under a staircase closet instead of giving it back to us. Response - "I thought you did not want the unopened bottles." What a lie! It was a good thing that the gratuity was included in the bill. Zagat’s should go over their review for this restauran    [18 Mar 2002 17:15:35]

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     ­Anonymous   

Our Favorite Restaurant
We return to the Saddle River Inn every year for our Anniversary. We have never had anything but a great experience (I'll have to agree that the coffee could be better). We love the food, and the ambience.    [03 Oct 2002 13:35:02]

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     ­Pegi   

Excellent!
I would recommend this restaurant to my friends! Excellent service, our glasses were promptly refilled, the table kept free of crumbs.... The waiters were friendly and very attentive, especially the suggestion for dessert very good, an excellent choice.
The ambiance was welcoming and warm.    [19 Oct 2002 13:08:47]

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Recommended Dishes: Smoked salmon for appetizer, for dessert custard wrapped on a crepe with raspberry puree

     ­Yuli   

Service with an Attitude
Upon entering the restaurant a pungent aroma of smoky incense immediately reminded me of forced visits to church many years ago.

The "old barn" ambiance was warm, though a very squeeky / creeky kitchen door made it difficult to converse. Our head waiter appeared inconvenienced and annoyed when taking our orders.

Special requests were instantly rejected by the Head Waiter - as he did not want to insult the chef!    [26 Mar 2003 09:13:22]

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Recommended Dishes: Skip the desserts & coffee has no taste

     ­Lauren   

New York in New Jersey
If you want a dining experience that will remind you of the best in New York, then this is it. Outstanding food, excellent service, cordial welcome without the tolls and the outrageous parking fees. The Maribar is more that I can describe: a plethora of flavors that make your senses come alive. The potato rosti, never had any better (even in Switzerland). Bringing your own wine just adds to the experience. Bev, I agree with the hostess, the wine should be the customers' responsibility, after all we bring it in and are charged nothing - no corkage or service - so, if we want to take it back home, we should remember and make sure to pick it up on our way out. I never had a problem with it. I sure hope that your remembered the wine service when filling the space described as: TIP!    [31 May 2003 14:46:32]

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     ­Martin   

Swiss cuisine at it's best
I am extremely happy that there is a place in the Metropolitan area where Hans Egg is celebrating a genuine Swiss cuisine at it's highest level, better that in many top places in Switzerland.
When in New York, it is a must to visit his charming Saddle River Inn.    [21 Nov 2003 08:10:42]

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Recommended Dishes: All, without exception

     ­Peter E. Kramer   

What a find!
The dinner experience there this past Friday had to have been one of our finest dining moments in New Jersey. A native Swiss, I have been living here for more than thirty years; why is this gem of an Inn such a well-kept secret? We were very happy with the service, the ambiance, the beautiful food creations, and everything else that must be present to make it a memorable moment. Well done Cheff Egg!    [07 Feb 2005 17:45:15]

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Recommended Dishes: Fish (Artic Char) - supurb!

     ­Willi Huber