Tucked away in suburban Denville, NJ is an eclectic and unique restaurant that attracts a sophisticated and genuine customer. Café Metro, located at 60 Diamond Spring Road, might easily be mistaken for someone’s house. The building, which sports a sprawling porch and well-lit windows, is located just on the outskirts of the main town.

After conveniently parking my car on one of the surrounding streets, I went inside and was almost instantaneously seated, probably because it was a weeknight. During the weekend, I have waited at least fifteen minutes to be seated.

Unlike other restaurants who try to manufacture relaxation and comfort, Café Metro is genuinely inviting and comfortable. The waitresses, dressed in all black attire, seemed very kind and accommodating, like they wanted my party to really enjoy the restaurant. Even the hostess seemed like a cool and sophisticated person, I guarantee that no host at Café Metro could be seen donning a fake smile and obnoxious flair; these people were professional and skilled.

But the really attractive aspect of the restaurant to me, besides the obvious authenticity of the wait-staff, was the cozy and sophisticated feel in the environment. While the music was difficult to differentiate, I could tell that it was a combination of jazz and soft-Indie rock. Thankfully the music was not blaringly loud, and the two styles of music blended together nicely. There definitely was not an overriding sense that the music-volume or music-choice would ruin my meal.

Furthermore, the lighting was not too bright as to blind my party, but it was light enough to be able to look around the room and sufficiently see the other customers. With authentic pieces of art on the walls, Café Metro really resembles a scaled-back art gallery. While this aspect of the restaurant was urbane, I found it troublesome that some of the customers were walking about, slowly viewing all of the art pieces, sometimes directly over another customer’s head.

Though the general restaurant atmosphere was relaxing and comfortable, I felt uneasy about sitting below a beautiful picture of a flower, worrying that someone would soon be standing at my table, viewing the piece right above me.

Nevertheless, our waitress soon served my party a tasty assortment of roles and breads, and we eventually ordered. I ordered a Classic Caesar Salad for an appetizer and Martini’s Crazy Chicken for my entrée. My friend ordered the House Salad and the Ravioli Parmigiana for their entrée. Unfortunately, it seemed like an eternity for our food to be served. We had nearly finished-off the bread, and were running out of topics to talk about when our food finally was served.

The Caesar Salad, though, was worth the wait. The Caesar dressing was not the typical creamy and thick dressing that usually accompanies the salad. This dressing was much softer and pleasant, as it neither drenched nor burdened the salad. With its lemon, garlic and parmesan zest, the dressing really surprised me. With the added homemade garlic herbed croutons, the Caesar Salad was easily one of the best I have ever had. My friend also commented that the House Salad was delicious.

Following our salads, though, we waited another long time for our food to be served. Finally, as it seemed like my friend and I were the only two people left in the restaurant, our food was served. Thankfully, my Martini’s Crazy Chicken was delicious. The grilled chicken featured olive oil, prosciutto, sweet peas, red wine, and some cream, all served over angel-hair pasta. The chicken was cooked just right to allow all of its juices to blend with the other flavors of the meal, and the sweet peas were the perfect complement to the pasta and chicken dish.

What I loved most about the dish, though, was just how much food was on my plate. For $12.95 I was expecting a moderately-sized plate of chicken, pasta and condiments dispersed evenly. However, I was shocked that I could not even finish the meal! My friend commented that his Ravioli Parmigiana was delicious; the large raviolis were filling and decadent.

While I later learned that Café Metro really appeals to health-minded and vegetarian customers, there are obviously meat dishes on the menu to satisfy all parties. Café Metro was a fantastic restaurant experience and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in fine food, good company, and sophistication. The restaurant was the perfect complement to a fine evening, and I am excited to go back soon.

Cafe Metro
60 Diamond Spring Road
Denville, NJ 07834
(973) 625-1055