JERSEY’S TOP 40 RESTAURANTS

CHEF JAMIE KNOTT – ADDS STYLE TO NJ’S VIBRANT DINING SCENE.

By New Jersey Monthly | | July 23, 2024 | 

The Garden State’s dining scene has it all—from incredible Italian food to amazing Asian fare, French cuisine and more.

One unifying force in New Jersey, something that all of us can agree on, is that there are countless great restaurants here. Everyone has a favorite neighborhood pub, sushi spot, pizza place—and the list goes on. That’s one reason our annual Best Restaurants list is a must-read for New Jerseyans.

Crafting the list is no simple task. Throughout the year, our editors and critics have checked out hot new restaurant openings, revisited old favorites and tasted countless dishes and drinks—culminating in a meeting of the minds to whittle down our list.

In recent years, the list featured 30 restaurants, but with so many great places to dine in our state, our editors felt that it was time to increase that number to 40. This new list reflects the growing diversity of New Jersey and its variety of cuisines. Several recent openings made the cut, too, which shows the vibrancy of our food scene as well as its resurgence since the pandemic.

KINJO

159 Washington St, Newark NJ

Located in downtown Newark, Kinjo is the latest spot from chef Jamie Knott (Madame, Cellar 335, Saddle River Inn, Saddle River Cafe) for hip foodies—but this time, he’s created innovative variations on Japanese food. Knott says he wanted to open a restaurant where people could share small plates, relax with a cocktail, and listen to music when a DJ sets up on the weekends—and he delivers. The food is fun and interesting, starting with the bread service, where Knott makes simple steamed bao buns extraordinary with miso butter, crispy scallions and furikake, a Japanese seasoning. Warning: A fight could erupt over the Korean fried chicken wings and smashburger bao buns, already going viral on social media. —J. Mroz
159 Washington Street; 973-944-2828