Highlawn Pavilion

Highlawn Pavilion Restaurant Review:

Highlawn Pavilion is one of New Jersey's showcase restaurants. Housed in a restored 1909 Florentine-style building atop Eagle Rock Reservation, the view is nonpareil. The elegantly arched dining room windows afford a spectacular panorama of New York City's twinkling lights and distant landings and takeoffs at Newark Liberty International Airport. The interior, with its soft pastels and vaulted ceilings, lends a feeling of intimacy despite the structure’s dimensions. This is the restaurant one might choose over and over again as a place to bring visitors from out of state or to celebrate a milestone occasion. The menu tempts with appetizers such as lobster ravioli or burrata with grilled eggplant. Then for entrées, there's braised American lamb shank served a ragoût of French white beans, diced carrots and wild mushrooms with a merguez sauce, or Arctic char Provençal with Basque Espelette pepper sauce. The wine list is extensive and well-chosen to accommodate the menu. You will beg for a few more minutes to decide on dessert, headlined by a lush lemon tart with candied citrus zest that comes with a helping of homemade raspberry sorbet and fresh raspberries. And, of course, it will be granted, because service is very good.