February 2024: Best New Restaurants

Hungry for fresh dining experiences in 2024?

Check out our hotly anticipated roundup of the best new restaurants in New Jersey.

These spots opened their doors in 2023 and knocked the socks off our editors and restaurant critics, who spent the past year traversing the state to find the latest, greatest local dishes and drinks.

Bon appétit!

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GARDEN VARIETY

Why You Should Indulge in NJ Wine and Chocolate This Valentine’s Day

New Jersey’s Wine and Chocolate Trail Weekends offer a “magical” pairing, says Devon Perry, head of the Garden State Wine Growers Association.

black and white photo of woman sitting on rocking chair on porch

Rare Photos of Old New Jersey on Display at NJ State Museum

“Discovering Grant Castner” showcases candid, unvarnished snapshots of our state’s ordinary people and places at the turn of the 20th century.

Ex-Rutgers Hoops Star Geo Baker Now Mentors Young Athletes

His Woodbridge-based foundation trains and mentors young athletes, including those from underserved communities.

Need Snowshoes? A WiFi Hotspot? A Violin? Try an NJ Library

Libraries lend so much more than just books, from garden tools to instruments. Did we mention they’re free?

Why This NJ Couple Got Engaged Before a Polar Plunge

He popped the question last year at Manasquan’s Valentine Plunge. They’ll return to this year’s event as husband and wife.

group of young bikers with adult leader in bright yellow jacket waving

The School Bike-Bus Movement Is Gaining Traction in NJ

Groups of kids are cycling to school together with adult chaperones in Montclair and other Jersey towns.

Spoon + Salt founders Courtney Curzi Murray and Amy Tomlinson at an outdoor tablescape

This Rentable Tabletop Service Makes Entertaining a Piece of Cake

Spoon + Salt takes the drudgery out of party planning and clean-up by offering pre-styled table decor for parties, showers and weddings.

Valentine’s Day Gifts You’ll Love

Love is in the air with these romantic presents.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the March on Washington in August of 1963

Black History Month: Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. And His Power to Unite

Dr. King, who lived in Camden for a time and began his initial fight for civil rights in Maple Shade, had “an ability to speak across lines: Black and white, North and South, left and right.”

Brian and Amanda Maher at the Clinton Hill Early Childhood Education Center in Newark’s South Ward

Early Education Center Finally Replaces Vacant Lot in Newark, Thanks to Maher Foundation

The Clinton Hill Early Childhood Education Center is revitalizing Newark’s South Ward neighborhood and bringing hope to its families.

The dining room at Kinjo in Montclair, a modern Japanese restaurant from chef Jamie Knott

The Best New Restaurants in New Jersey

Here are the hottest additions to our state’s vibrant dining scene that you won’t want to miss this year.

French toast at the Table in Jersey City

5 NJ Restaurants We’re Loving Right Now

Delicious new spots in Atlantic City, Hoboken and more.

Japanese Restaurant Kinjo Is a New Foodie Hot Spot in Newark

At the prominent chef’s newest eatery, the aesthetic and ambience are a treat for the senses. But the food is the real reason to visit.

Illustration of several large hands pointing toward a backpack-wearing schoolboy

A Culture War Could Be Erupting at a New Jersey School Near You—If It Hasn’t Already

Raucous school board meetings have become intense battlegrounds over gender policies and protections, sex education and parental rights in NJ’s public school system.

Exterior of Hunterdon County church turned home

NJ Couple Transforms Old Church Into Their Dream Home

They got married in the spot where sermons were once preached. They sleep in the former choir loft. And they want to be buried in the adjacent cemetery.

A performance at Superfrico in Atlantic City

Superfrico in Atlantic City Is a Wild Good Time—But the Food Isn’t Nearly as Exciting

With its impressive theatrics, lively vibe and whimsical decor, the adults-only Superfrico is the most fun and unique restaurant at the Jersey Shore—perhaps in all of NJ. The menu, however, doesn’t rise to the same level.

These Cannabis-Infused Chocolates Are Among First to Be Made in New Jersey

Fairfield-based Jersey Canna, helmed by a former accountant, makes chocolate edibles with marijuana that’s been grown, extracted, processed and sold here.