Great experience for the Friday night soiree. Great entertainment and service. Food is a bit overpriced but the drinks are great.
jo ann
We thoroughly enjoyed our dining experience. Dinner was delicious, perfectly prepared and cooked. Our server was, attentive, polite and knowledgeable about the menu ultimately helping us to choose our meal.
Angelo
Always fantastic. Took wife for her birthday and the rest of the family. 6 adults. Our waiter didn't miss a beat. Great food great service.
ANA
Food was absolutely delicious. Be sure to make reservations as I can see it must get very crowded.
Ralph
They had the Frank Sinatra live singer. It was very loud, but the gentleman was excellent. Unfortunately, while he was singing, you couldn't even talk to the person next to you without yelling. I realize that I am hoarse now. This type of performance and music is probably more intended as like a concert setting rather than background while eating. Food was very good as expected, and the service was quite good as they were attentive, and there was no rushing despite a near full house crowd. I most likely will return. Especially if there are two of us and maybe even considering eating at the bar on live music night to be away from the loudness 
Sophya
The food was delicious! The service was on point! The live music was a great addition to an already lovely ambiance. Highly recommend!
Wayne Guy
All the food was great but I had the monkfish and it was rubbery and chewy.
Parking: I prefer restaurants without valet.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Anacleto Bristol
So this is more of a review for their nightlife/Thursday night dinner parties. Somehow I had the luck of being invited to birthday dinner/banquet parties at Bottagra two (2) times in as many months. Not only did I get invited to the party, but on each occasion we were seated right smack in the middle of the tented party area. First, let me tell you, the theatrics would rival some NYC shows (that's a good thing). There were drummers, fire and sword manipulating belly dancers, as well as a live DJ. There was also a host bartender mixing shots, on-the-fly, as he passed through each party. They even had a mascot running about.
Meanwhile, if you weren't in the party mood, but you wanted to have a nice date night, their interior restaurant was fantastically and intricately decorated for the holidays. The interior was warm and inviting. The sound from the tented/party area actually didn't permeate into the indoor section of the restaurant.
Each of my party squads were like ~twenty (20) people deep, so items were pre-ordered from the Sit Down Banquet menu. So I got to sample the calamari, tomato & mozzarella, Penne Tomato Basil, salads, chicken parmigiana and rice balls. I'm probably missing some stuff but that's all I could recall. It was a little bit of a stretch to try and serve all the apps and dishes simultaneously to the whole table (a hallmark of stellar dinner service). Furthermore, I think we could've maybe used a 15% larger portion for the family style servings. I know the restaurant is Italian, but Americans can EAT.
We also ordered bottle service and again, it was a little tough for the waiter to mix and serve twenty (20) drinks beyond the first round. It's not the end of the world, but on subsequent rounds of drinks you would definitely have to stand up and go to the ends of the table to mix your own drinks. That put one in a little bit of an etiquette quandary (sit politely and wait, or do it yourself while leaning over other guests), but we adapted. It should be noted that the presentation for bottle service was always "over the top" with lights and a procession of beautiful ladies. Each birthday party had their moment in the spotlight.
I'll wrap this review up with a few final notes. I'd like to shout out my waitress on both occasions: Anne Marie. She was a consummate professional each time. First round drink success was due in large part to her. She actually had a birthday on the Tuesday before my first visit. I loved the fact that the entire waitstaff took a moment to celebrate her during the night. I hope that's a sign of a supportive workplace. Also, shoutout to security: One of them (I wish I got his name, but he was a tall Hispanic/Caucasian gentleman with a man bun) actually walked me to the restroom when I asked for its location. That's customer service tactic often encouraged, but rarely done. Valet service is great but I wouldn't mind parking my car. Lastly, the DJs were great but distinctly EDM/Dance specialists. I would've liked them to be a bit more adventurous with music genre selection.
Bottom line: If you want to celebrate a birthday, their Thursday night dinner parties are great! You'll have a good time though sadly, they shut things down promptly at 01:00 am. So if you're a New Yorker, this might feel a little early, but then again, you might be grateful for the extra time to cross the river and head back into New York.
Parking: Valet Parking; In the winter, put your jacket on before heading to the waiting area to get your car back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Ana Lopez
Came here with husband for our anniversary dinner this past Saturday. We were seated in main area (yes we had reservation). The service was good, nothing outstanding but not bad either. The food was good as well, again, nothing outstanding. We did have dessert and we shared one appetizer and one entree with our bill over $180 (for 2 people). We had the Sangria which was really good, although we asked for red wine, and were given white wine. We did not complain as we were good with either one, but important to note we were not given what we ordered. We asked for our meat to be medium well and it came medium rare. The waiter did offer to take it back to cook it again but we said it was fine. Also, we did not complain, i believe he noticed our reaction when we cut up the meat which is good that he was taking notice of these type of things. Lastly, the tip is included in the bill which is fine with us but its confusing because the bill does not title this tip. Its under fees and other charges. That is confusing. We had to ask to ensure the tip was included. Good time just not sure we will come back.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Mena H
Wife and I came for our anniversary and overall had a good time. Good atmosphere, excellent service from beginning to end, so many waiters asked how we are doing and really made us feel taken care of. Food was good.
Despite this we feel a few factors made us not wanting to return back. The food price was outstandingly too high. The price is justified if this is a restaurant by the water in NYC but not in Hawthorne, NJ. The food was good but not out of this world and we didn't think it justified the price. We ordered 3 entrées, each around $30, nothing else and our bill was $140. Again nothing wrong with it, but just not outstanding and Def an unreasonable price compared to other similar restaurants nearby in bergen County. Also we didn't have an issue with this and really did not appreciate how the tip was automatically added to our bill as 20%, we were only 2 people. The service was great, but we wanted to tip on our own. Also we ended up paying cash to avoid credit card fee. Overall price not justified, but still had a good time there.
Dined here last night-Saturday. Exceptional service, good food ( a little pricey) , but I have been to 3 Who concerts that were lower volume than the dining room. We had to yell at each other to converse. They had a vocalist ( who was good) singing to recorded music that was way too loud. We shared an appetizer, 2 drinks each, entrees and shared a dessert. $100 per person.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 5
Daniel Silva
Overpriced and the whole athmosphere feels like an disco or an circus. Definetly not going back
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 5
Service: 3
Meriç Berke Tez, MD
Starting with the food, I had the chicken balsamico. While the chicken and mushrooms with the sauce were good, I didn't enjoy the overcooked baked potatoes and undercooked green beans. One friend sent back the shrimp scampi because it was wildly sour from lemon juice. The tiramisu was also not good.
Atmosphere, we were seated in the tent which is a downgrade from the main section of the restaurant both in comfort and in ambiance. There is live singing which would be nice if the volume wasn't so high.
Considering the bill we paid, all the food should have been excellent and sadly it was not. I would probably choose a different restaurant next time.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Taryn Wennersten
First time dining at Bottagra & both my husband and I were very happy with our experience. The food was excellent (especially the appetizer spinach ricotta dumplings!) and the staff was exceptional. The manager came over to greet us & was very friendly as was our waiter. We will definitely be back!
Parking: Free valet, very helpful & hard working young men
Great experience for the Friday night soiree. Great entertainment and service. Food is a bit overpriced but the drinks are great.
We thoroughly enjoyed our dining experience. Dinner was delicious, perfectly prepared and cooked. Our server was, attentive, polite and knowledgeable about the menu ultimately helping us to choose our meal.
Always fantastic. Took wife for her birthday and the rest of the family. 6 adults. Our waiter didn't miss a beat. Great food great service.
Food was absolutely delicious. Be sure to make reservations as I can see it must get very crowded.
They had the Frank Sinatra live singer. It was very loud, but the gentleman was excellent. Unfortunately, while he was singing, you couldn't even talk to the person next to you without yelling. I realize that I am hoarse now. This type of performance and music is probably more intended as like a concert setting rather than background while eating. Food was very good as expected, and the service was quite good as they were attentive, and there was no rushing despite a near full house crowd. I most likely will return. Especially if there are two of us and maybe even considering eating at the bar on live music night to be away from the loudness 
The food was delicious! The service was on point! The live music was a great addition to an already lovely ambiance. Highly recommend!
All the food was great but I had the monkfish and it was rubbery and chewy.
Parking: I prefer restaurants without valet.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
So this is more of a review for their nightlife/Thursday night dinner parties. Somehow I had the luck of being invited to birthday dinner/banquet parties at Bottagra two (2) times in as many months. Not only did I get invited to the party, but on each occasion we were seated right smack in the middle of the tented party area. First, let me tell you, the theatrics would rival some NYC shows (that's a good thing). There were drummers, fire and sword manipulating belly dancers, as well as a live DJ. There was also a host bartender mixing shots, on-the-fly, as he passed through each party. They even had a mascot running about.
Meanwhile, if you weren't in the party mood, but you wanted to have a nice date night, their interior restaurant was fantastically and intricately decorated for the holidays. The interior was warm and inviting. The sound from the tented/party area actually didn't permeate into the indoor section of the restaurant.
Each of my party squads were like ~twenty (20) people deep, so items were pre-ordered from the Sit Down Banquet menu. So I got to sample the calamari, tomato & mozzarella, Penne Tomato Basil, salads, chicken parmigiana and rice balls. I'm probably missing some stuff but that's all I could recall. It was a little bit of a stretch to try and serve all the apps and dishes simultaneously to the whole table (a hallmark of stellar dinner service). Furthermore, I think we could've maybe used a 15% larger portion for the family style servings. I know the restaurant is Italian, but Americans can EAT.
We also ordered bottle service and again, it was a little tough for the waiter to mix and serve twenty (20) drinks beyond the first round. It's not the end of the world, but on subsequent rounds of drinks you would definitely have to stand up and go to the ends of the table to mix your own drinks. That put one in a little bit of an etiquette quandary (sit politely and wait, or do it yourself while leaning over other guests), but we adapted. It should be noted that the presentation for bottle service was always "over the top" with lights and a procession of beautiful ladies. Each birthday party had their moment in the spotlight.
I'll wrap this review up with a few final notes. I'd like to shout out my waitress on both occasions: Anne Marie. She was a consummate professional each time. First round drink success was due in large part to her. She actually had a birthday on the Tuesday before my first visit. I loved the fact that the entire waitstaff took a moment to celebrate her during the night. I hope that's a sign of a supportive workplace. Also, shoutout to security: One of them (I wish I got his name, but he was a tall Hispanic/Caucasian gentleman with a man bun) actually walked me to the restroom when I asked for its location. That's customer service tactic often encouraged, but rarely done. Valet service is great but I wouldn't mind parking my car. Lastly, the DJs were great but distinctly EDM/Dance specialists. I would've liked them to be a bit more adventurous with music genre selection.
Bottom line: If you want to celebrate a birthday, their Thursday night dinner parties are great! You'll have a good time though sadly, they shut things down promptly at 01:00 am. So if you're a New Yorker, this might feel a little early, but then again, you might be grateful for the extra time to cross the river and head back into New York.
Parking: Valet Parking; In the winter, put your jacket on before heading to the waiting area to get your car back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Came here with husband for our anniversary dinner this past Saturday. We were seated in main area (yes we had reservation). The service was good, nothing outstanding but not bad either. The food was good as well, again, nothing outstanding. We did have dessert and we shared one appetizer and one entree with our bill over $180 (for 2 people). We had the Sangria which was really good, although we asked for red wine, and were given white wine. We did not complain as we were good with either one, but important to note we were not given what we ordered. We asked for our meat to be medium well and it came medium rare. The waiter did offer to take it back to cook it again but we said it was fine. Also, we did not complain, i believe he noticed our reaction when we cut up the meat which is good that he was taking notice of these type of things. Lastly, the tip is included in the bill which is fine with us but its confusing because the bill does not title this tip. Its under fees and other charges. That is confusing. We had to ask to ensure the tip was included. Good time just not sure we will come back.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Wife and I came for our anniversary and overall had a good time. Good atmosphere, excellent service from beginning to end, so many waiters asked how we are doing and really made us feel taken care of. Food was good.
Despite this we feel a few factors made us not wanting to return back. The food price was outstandingly too high. The price is justified if this is a restaurant by the water in NYC but not in Hawthorne, NJ. The food was good but not out of this world and we didn't think it justified the price. We ordered 3 entrées, each around $30, nothing else and our bill was $140. Again nothing wrong with it, but just not outstanding and Def an unreasonable price compared to other similar restaurants nearby in bergen County.
Also we didn't have an issue with this and really did not appreciate how the tip was automatically added to our bill as 20%, we were only 2 people. The service was great, but we wanted to tip on our own. Also we ended up paying cash to avoid credit card fee. Overall price not justified, but still had a good time there.
Entree. Pork chop - cooked well but needs a sauce
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Dined here last night-Saturday. Exceptional service, good food ( a little pricey) , but I have been to 3 Who concerts that were lower volume than the dining room. We had to yell at each other to converse. They had a vocalist ( who was good) singing to recorded music that was way too loud. We shared an appetizer, 2 drinks each, entrees and shared a dessert. $100 per person.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 5
Overpriced and the whole athmosphere feels like an disco or an circus.
Definetly not going back
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 5
Service: 3
Starting with the food, I had the chicken balsamico. While the chicken and mushrooms with the sauce were good, I didn't enjoy the overcooked baked potatoes and undercooked green beans. One friend sent back the shrimp scampi because it was wildly sour from lemon juice. The tiramisu was also not good.
Atmosphere, we were seated in the tent which is a downgrade from the main section of the restaurant both in comfort and in ambiance. There is live singing which would be nice if the volume wasn't so high.
Considering the bill we paid, all the food should have been excellent and sadly it was not. I would probably choose a different restaurant next time.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
First time dining at Bottagra & both my husband and I were very happy with our experience. The food was excellent (especially the appetizer spinach ricotta dumplings!) and the staff was exceptional. The manager came over to greet us & was very friendly as was our waiter. We will definitely be back!
Parking: Free valet, very helpful & hard working young men
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Mezzi Rigatoni Bolognese, Spinach Malfatti
Amazing bartenders, food, service. Always consistent.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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