Stern and Bow

Stern and Bow, Closter NJ

Sometimes you crave the thrill of a brand-new dining spot, and sometimes you just need the warm, reliable embrace of a seasoned favorite. Enter Stern and Bow in Closter, NJ. While it isn’t the newest kid on the block, it is the champion of our neighborhood. I’ve been dining here more times than I can count over the last 7 years since this place opened, and it has firmly cemented itself as our family’s go-to. Whether we need a breezy happy hour, a leisurely lunch, or a fantastic dinner out with friends, this place never misses.

Crispy Calamari

Chicken Wings

PEI Mussels

Pepperoni Pizza

Let’s talk about the drinks, because they are always spot on. On this visit, Alfred ordered a classic martini with blue cheese olives. I had the Sarti Spritz, which was bright, refreshing, and genuinely lovely. Our waitress noticed I was photographing my drink and quietly appeared with a little light, which she dropped right into the glass to make it glow. It was undeniably cute and I was charmed. That’s not something you can put on a menu — that’s just someone paying attention. On a previous lunch visit with girlfriends, we enjoyed the Zesty Pear (Grey Goose Pear, Belle de Billet, Pear Nectar, Lemon) and we liked it so much we each had 3 rounds of it.

Grey Goose Martini with Blue Cheese Stuffed Olives + Sarti Spritz

Sarti Spritz + Glow Light

Zesty Pear

The Vibe and Verdict

• Buffalo Wings – Crispy, saucy, tangy and spicy
• Crispy Calamari – Perfectly fried, tender but not rubbery (a calamari cardinal sin avoided!)
• PEI Mussels – Briny, garlicky, broth-worthy-of-bread-dunking perfection. This is my absolute favorite here. I wanted to pick up the bowl and drink the white wine sauce straight up. Our waitress quietly offered to bring more bread to soak up the sauce and I regrettably declined as gluttonous as I truly am.
• Pepperoni Pizza – Because someone at the table is always a pizza purist, and Stern and Bow delivers. Crispy, thin crust, big pizza oven flavor. It’s very good. (I’m from Brooklyn so I can say with authority what good pizza is.) We will always get the pizza here to go with the rest of our meal, even if just as an appetizer to share.
• Linguini Fruit de Mer – A seafood lover’s fever dream. The shrimp was perfectly cooked and snappy. The calamari so tender, not rubbery. A little bit briny and tomato-y, pasta chewy al dente.
• Hanger Steak – Cooked exactly as ordered, so tender even for a hanger steak which tends to be more chewy. I didn’t love the chimichurri sauce but the steak was great on its own.
• Seared Bronzino – Delicate, flaky, and beautifully seasoned.

And can we talk about the paella? Because it remains, my favorite version of this dish anywhere. Every single time I order it, I regret nothing and want seconds. It’s portioned for 2 people. On a previous visit, 5 girlfriends and I shared 2 orders and we had leftovers to bring home.

Every dish was cooked with precision and seasoned like the chef genuinely respects flavor as a science. Nothing was over-salted, under-seasoned, or “fine, I guess.” It was all just… right.

Stern and Bow is that rare restaurant that shape-shifts gracefully. Happy hour with a friend? Perfect. Casual lunch? Absolutely. Big family dinner where somebody’s cousin decides at the last minute to bring three more people? They’ll handle it with a smile. It’s polished without being precious — the kind of place where you can wear nice jeans or a blazer and feel equally correct. A live singer on a random Tuesday taking song requests? Yes. A magician doing magic tricks while you wait for your entree? So fun. Between the exceptional food quality, the great service, and cocktails that literally light up your night, Stern and Bow proves exactly why it’s a neighborhood staple.

Seared Bronzino

Hanger Steak

Linguini Fruit De Maer

Paella For Two

Here’s the thread running through all of it: everything just made sense. The seasoning, the temperature, the timing — nothing was overthought, nothing was underdone. Portions, as always, are generous. 8.5 out of 10.