Upper Montclair's best Israeli-Mediterranean restaurant, known for its scratch-made dishes, offering brunch, mezze, pita sandwiches, bowls, salads, and catering.
Marcel Kitchen is an award-winning Israeli-Mediterranean restaurant and café located in Upper Montclair, New Jersey. It's known as a neighborhood staple, offering fresh, flavorful food made from scratch. The establishment functions as a kitchen, bakery, and café, providing a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere for dine-in, takeout, and catering.
Customers consistently praise Marcel Kitchen for its fresh, healthy, and delicious food, often highlighting it as the closest experience to Tel Aviv's fresh salad cafés. The staff is frequently described as friendly, accommodating, and welcoming, contributing to a genuinely pleasant and relaxed atmosphere. While some reviews mention occasional long waits, the overall sentiment is highly positive, with many considering it a 'Montclair gem' and a community staple.
Additional Details
Beyond its restaurant offerings, Marcel Kitchen also operates as a bakery and café, serving a variety of coffee drinks like cappuccinos and iced Americanos. They also provide catering services.
Marcel Kitchen is a popular spot for breakfast, brunch, and lunch. It's also suitable for a casual coffee or dinner. The restaurant is open daily from 8 am to 7 pm.
5
We had a lovely breakfast at Marcel and really enjoyed sitting outside in the warm sunshine. The food was fresh, flavorful, and honestly the closest thing I’ve found to the fresh salad cafés of my beloved Tel Aviv.
I added halloumi to my salad, my sister added chicken shawarma to hers, and she also had an iced Americano. Everything was fresh, well-prepared, and delicious.
The atmosphere was relaxed and welcoming, making it a great spot to sit and enjoy a slow morning. I’m already looking forward to coming back and trying the shakshuka ! it looked absolutely amazing when it came out to other tables!
Highly recommended. 😊
I love to ride my bike to Marcel with my family. The food is good and so is the atmosphere. I love both the halva and chocolate rugalach. The mushrooms quantity in the breakfast burritos are not ideal and sometimes the wait is long but this place is overall great.
Marcel’s in Montclair is one of those rare places that simply gets everything right. No drama, no fuss—just consistently good food, great drinks, and a genuinely pleasant atmosphere every time you visit.
The staff are always kind, polite, and welcoming, which makes the experience feel relaxed from the moment you walk in. The patrons tend to be calm and respectful as well, creating a comfortable environment where people keep to themselves and enjoy their time.
It’s a lovely spot whether you’re meeting someone for a quiet breakfast date, stopping in for a quick coffee, or gathering with friends for brunch or dinner before a stroll through town. Marcel’s has that easy, reliable charm that keeps you coming back. A true Montclair gem.
A long time- from the beginning-family of customers -- big fans of Marcel Kitchen. The owners and staff are warm and lovely people. Always friendly and easy going. Food and service are consistently delicious and excellent; stay in or take out. We love Marcel Kitchen!
We are regulars at Marcel for good reason. The staff is friendly and accommodating. The food is fresh, healthy and consistently delicious. The falafel, chicken shawarma and lentil soup are the best around. They have great vegetarian options. We feel lucky to be able to frequent and support a great small business that has become a staple in our community. Thank you Marcel!
