Cafe Giotto describes its establishment on its website as an Italian cafe in Montclair, NJ serving authentic, house-made pastries, bread, paninis, pasta, gelato and other specialties. The menu is designed by Chef Luca to “showcase the highlights of Italian cuisine.”
A friend and I went to Cafe Giotto on a Sunday afternoon in mid March. It was a lunch treat for my birthday. When we walked in, I actually expected it to be bigger. It’s a tiny place with a couple of tables and a long space to eat near the window. The wait was about 30 minutes.
When presented with a menu, everything looked amazing. They had everything from soup to margherita pizza to antipasto to sandwiches and salads. My friend and I both ordered the spinach salad which contained pancetta, walnuts, tomato, scallions, shaved parmigiano and balsamic vinaigrette. Due to my severe nut allergy, they accommodated me and left the walnuts out of mine. I topped mine with grilled chicken and my friend added shrimp to hers. The portion was large but with a lovely presentation.
The pancetta made it. My friend and I love pancetta. I actually told her it was one of the best salads I have ever had. The combination of ingredients in the salad really brought out delicious flavors.
As we were eating, the couple next to us each ordered what seemed to be their pizza and each ordered one of their sandwiches. Both items looked extremely appetizing and again the portions were large. Two people could have shared one pizza and one sandwich unless you”re in the market for leftovers.
The Cafe Giotto dinner menu is slightly different. You can find both menus on their website. I would like to try other things on the menu especially their homemade pastries. They had some sitting out for sale.
If you are still gun shy to eat indoors due to Covid, this is a small space and may not be for you. Please support this restaurant by getting take out if that’s the case!
Cafe Giotto is located at:
42 Church Street
Montclair, NJ
The Food Connection 