Discover the Secrets Behind New Jersey's Best Restaurant Reviews and Ratings 

New Jersey Leisure Guide's  restaurant rating criteria for exceptional dining.  Avoid the costly pitfalls of trusting to hearsay with subjective comments.

Restaurant Ratings are Based on a 4 Star System

1/2 Star - Poor. Not recommended This is considered to be unsatisfactory and should be avoided.

One Star - Below average. Has not achieved a level above other similar restaurants in its class.

Two Stars - Average. A good restaurant, comparable to other restaurants in its class.

Three Stars - An excellent restaurant, usually a destination worth the extra distance to travel to.

Four Stars - Best in Class. An exceptional rating given to the top restaurant in its class and geographic area.

The Criteria Used to Evaluate a  New Jersey Restaurant

Our  criteria for evaluating a restaurant to determine whether an establishment stands out in the culinary world include;

• Food Quality:  
• Quality of Ingredients. Committed to high quality food ingredients such as imported items not available in the supermarket, with emphasis on local seasonal farm-to-table produce, wild caught seafood, & meats without the use of antibiotics and growth hormones.
• The Chef’s culinary techniques and mastery.
• Flavor Harmony, ensures that flavors harmonize seamlessly.
• Chef’s creativity.
• Consistency. Diners should experience the same level of quality every time they return.
  
  
• Ambiance/Décor:
  • Color Scheme. Different colors evoke specific emotions.
• Furniture and Layout: The arrangement of tables, chairs, and booths affects comfort and flow.
• Lighting: Proper lighting enhances the dining experience.
• Decor Elements: Artwork, wall hangings, plants, and decorative items contribute to the overall feel.
• Background music
• Noise level
• Comfort and seating:
• Space between tables

• Service
• Staff Interaction, friendliness, and welcoming Attitude
• Knowledge and professionalism
• Pace, efficiency, and consistency of Service
• Attention to details
• Table maintenance
• Menu knowledge
• Knowledge of wine and beverage pairings adds value.
• Problem resolution
• Empathy
• Efficient Billing

Having said all of that, if you are looking for that exceptional dining experience, be prepared to pay more for a top restaurant. The best restaurants incur higher costs to achieve this distinction and need to pass them on in the form of higher prices.

The Methodology Used to Determine Our Restaurant (Analysis) Reviews and Ratings

New Jersey Leisure Guide restaurant reviews are not solely restaurant critic or diner patron comment-based.

The methodology used is research, analysis-driven, as opposed to that of a restaurant critic or a viewer popularity posting board.

New Jersey Leisure Guide strives to achieve objective restaurant analysis (reviews).

Data is gathered from our viewers’ e-mail restaurant comments, interviews with restaurant chefs and management, internet research, and input from professional restaurant critics. The criteria used are in line with professional restaurant industry criteria. See "The Criteria Used to Weight or Rate a Restaurant" above.

Input is reviewed and assessed. After removing biased, subjective, and out-of-consensus comments, where obvious, the data is sorted and analyzed, and a review is created.

The high bar for our standard of measurement is a 4-star restaurant, which is the gold standard for achieving excellence.

While we also research the popular Internet diner comment websites that use diner comments to establish their restaurant reviews, we recognize that these sites are not a reliable source of data as these diner posting boards are known to be based on diner comments that reflect personal budgets, tastes, subjective, and anecdotal experiences.

Diners tend to have a narrow range of subjective tastes and budgets and will typically eat at restaurants that fall into their range or preferences.

For example, diners who frequent one or two-star restaurants rarely, if ever, have eaten at a four-star restaurant. Consequently, when they visit one of the very popular restaurant review sites to post their comments, they tend to enter their rating against other one or two-star restaurants that fall into their tastes and budget. If they have experienced an enjoyable dining experience, they tend to give it a 3 or 4-star rating. On the other hand, one and two-star diners that have been to a three or four-star restaurant, in posting their comments, have been known to take off stars or downgrade their reviews because either the price was too high and out of their budget range, or because of smaller portion sizes. A three or four-star restaurant is not going to be cheap!

Our challenge is to get inside the mind of the dining patron to determine their personal preferences—taste, budget, and restaurant knowledge—and to conclude that we are hearing from either a one-star, two-star, or four-star diner. We also look to spot instances of bad reviews from disgruntled ex-employees and overly favorable reviews from restaurant owners and their families or PR people.

Also, the current status of a restaurant is considered. Recognizing outdated dining patron comments and restaurants that publish awards and reviews based on previous ownership & management and previous executive chefs that render these comments obsolete.

Our reviews are aimed at upscale New Jersey restaurants

Restaurant consumer posting platforms, such as Yelp, etc., do a decent job with one—and two-star restaurants, where consumers tend to post short, cursory, anecdotal comments about a one-night experience. The downside is that these reviews are posted by people who aren't culinary experts and have subjective tastes and interests. High-volume chain restaurants and lower-tiered restaurants tend to dominate reviews.

With over 20,000 restaurants in New Jersey, it would be impossible to stay abreast of them all and create an informative, in-depth analysis.

Accordingly, we no longer publish reviews on lower-tier (lower than 2 stars) restaurants.
Instead, our focus is on New Jersey's high-end, destination restaurants. These are restaurants where diners are willing to travel outside their neighborhood for a full evening's dining experience.

The categories of these restaurants include:

Chef-Inspired Fine Dining:

• "Old World" with sophisticated and romantic dأecor.
• Most expensive. Priced higher than other upscale restaurants to cover the cost of the added amenities.
• They are chef driven by chefs with impressive credentials including formal culinary education and skills honed at award winning restaurants.
• Committed to high quality food ingredients such as imported items not available in the supermarket, with emphasis on local seasonal farm-to-table produce, wild caught seafood, & meats without the use of antibiotics and growth hormones.
• The wait staff is rigorously trained --- professional, knowledgeable, and attentive.
• Has an alcohol menu with high end wines and specialty cocktails and with a staff knowledgeable in wine pairings.
• Additional amenities include linen and fine China table settings, carpeted flooring, chandeliers, and complimentary amuse-bouche, dessert chocolates, etc.

Chef-Inspired Casual Dining:

• The current trend of upscale, high quality food focused restaurants.
• They are chef driven by chefs with impressive credentials including formal culinary education and skills honed at award winning restaurants.
• Serves an approachable, more casual menu with creative food preparation.
• Uses high quality food ingredients such as imported items not available in the supermarket, with emphasis on local seasonal farm-to-table produce, wild caught seafood, & meats without the use of antibiotics and growth hormones.
• Chic, trendy ambiance with a casual atmosphere and a casual dress code.
• The wait staff is professional, knowledgeable, and attentive.
• Can be BYOB or have an alcohol menu with a variety of wines, specialty cocktails, and beers.
  
  Upscale Contemporary Casual:

• Ambiance is trendy, chic with Instagram-worthy decor.
• Upscale, yet with a casual atmosphere and a casual dress code.
• Has an approachable, more casual menu.
• Not regarded as chef driven. Chefs credentials, though competent, tend not to be highly acclaimed or trend setters.
• Has a large alcohol menu with a large variety of lower – medium priced specialty cocktails, imported and craft beers, and wines. Centerpiece is often an attractive bar and lounge setting with a vibrant crowd.
• Table service tends to be less professional than other upscale restaurants with staff having a limited knowledge of menu items, though friendly and attentive.

Why restaurant owners and dining patrons are
apt to disagree with our analysis and reviews?

It must be acknowledged that dining patrons, based on personal or subjective preferences, tend to have specific views on what constitutes a quality, average, or poor restaurant. If their mindset and experience don't align with our review/analysis, then they are likely to disagree. This is to be expected.

It is not uncommon for restaurant owners to disagree with our restaurant reviews, and this is certainly understandable. However, this is a service for our viewers who seek a brief summary based on an independent analysis of a restaurant's performance.

Many of these restaurant owners also say that they don't take much stock in restaurant reviews. For the most part, they are correct. They shouldn't rely on a review from just one restaurant critic or a review from a popular diner comment-driven restaurant review site. Despite this, they are quick to put up plaques at the entrance of their restaurant that provide favorable commentary from either a single restaurant critic or a popular restaurant review site, even though the review may be dated, (from past chefs and management) or does not arrive through a careful analysis of what the savvy dining public has to say.

Reviews should be taken as informed opinion

While we attempt to do extensive research and analysis to ensure the most objective and representative review of a restaurant, we often consider input from restaurant patrons, restaurant management, PR firms, and other sources that may have a stake in the game. Like movie and book critics, our reviews should be taken as informed opinions and not facts.

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