Stern & Bow Restaurant

I went to Stern & Bow in Closter last night to celebrate a friend’s birthday, and I absolutely loved it. The space has elevated décor, a lively vibe with a DJ, and incredible food. The oysters, wood-fired pizza, and steak were all exceptional, perfectly paired with beautifully crafted cocktails that (literally) lit up the table. The staff was warm, attentive, and genuinely welcoming — our waiter even sat with us to connect and walk us through the menu, which made the experience feel so personal.

The whole night was polished, inviting, and celebratory. A seamless mix of luxury dining and fun atmosphere. I have to take my Morkie, Winston Paul back here for brunch as they are dog friendly outside. He would love it.

We hosted a bridal brunch at stern and bow of about 35 people on a Saturday. From the minute we called to inquire, John and Russ (and all other staff we came in contact with along the way) were pleasant, professional, and most of all, helpful. They were able to accommodate a growing party number, multiple dietary restrictions, and wheelchair guests. Everyone at the party commented that it was the best food they’ve ever had at an event, and I agree! The food was delicious and VERY generously portioned. The drinks did not disappoint! The service was TERRIFIC- plates were cleared and refilled promptly, drinks (alcoholic and non) were never empty, and the staff was always smiling and friendly. Truly, I can’t say enough good things about the atmosphere, the service, and the food. 10/10 recommend and will be back 100% for events and casual meals alike!

If you’re looking for delicious food, a welcoming atmosphere, and top notch service, Stern and Bow is your spot!

My husband and I had a reservation with our 3 pups on the patio. The space is large and the atmosphere was very welcoming. The staff immediately served both us and our pups water and brought over Milkbones and marrowbones for them.

Rather than cocktails, we ordered a bottle of rosé which was perfect for the whole meal. For appetizers, we ordered the clams oreganata, bang band shrimp, and PEI mussels. Everything was incredibly flavorful but my favorite was the PEI mussels hands down! The broth was so delicious, I was ready to order more toasted bread just to sop it up! We split the frutti di mare for dinner and the seafood was so fresh with perfectly al dente fettuccine. We were too full this time to get dessert but we will definitely make sure to save room next time.

As for our pups, their 3 course menu started with marrow bones for each of them. They each had one of the main entrees (grilled sirloin with pumpkin puree and carrots, turkey meatballs with zoodles and gravy, and seared salmon with pureed broccoli and squash). To finish, they had the pup-kin pie.

To top off the evening, we loved the fact that the owner, Russ, made a point to visit every table and pet the pups. This was by far one of the BEST dog-friendly dining experiences we’ve had! We will definitely be back!

2nd time attending the Doggie brunch event and each time has been amazing! The atmosphere is fantastic, the food is incredible and made safe for everyone’s furbabies. They have a professional photographer to take pictures of the dogs and families enjoying their meals and a cute little smooch booth to take pictures with your dog. Everything is so well put together! I’d like to thank those who organized the event, it’s such a little fun date with your dog. I can’t wait for the next one 😄

What a delicious meal!
The packed parking lot just tells you how good this restaurant is.
We ordered the lump crab meat ceasar salad and calamari for appetizers. Delicious salad and perfectly cooked calamari. For meals we had the ribs, sea bass, the lobster pasta special, and mussels. Everything was perfectly cooked and delicious!
for dessert the churros is a hit. the apple beignet was also good but had a totally different expectation for beignets. The caramel sauce was delicious.
Can see and taste the NOLA influence on the main dishes.
If any critique, the noise level once the restaurant was full got a little too loud.
Otherwise the service and the food were amazing! Will definitely be back to try the brunch menu!