For a town that’s known for its diverse cuisine, it's a little shocking to realize that Montclair only has a small handful of restaurants that specialize in seafood. While most of the spots around town cater to fried fish takeout, Fin Raw Bar & Kitchen separates itself from the pack by providing a fresh lineup of seafood and maintaining the expectations of a fine dining atmosphere at the same time.
The Setting
The entrance for customers is a shady, long hallway that mimics the aesthetics of a pier. The walls resemble clouds and the floor is actually covered with creaky, brittle wood. At the end of the hallway there is another door that opens up to the restaurant.
This place is almost dim enough to turn someone with 20/20 vision into Stevie Wonder. There are a series of lights hanging near the bar and a few hanging above the tables, but they’re probably near 10 watts each. It seems like they heavily rely on outside light to set the mood for their establishment.
In addition, the table setup and the overall décor serve their purposes in helping the patrons simulate a nice dinner near the water.
The Food
I went with a starter instead of ordering an entrée since I still had to go to a night class. I ordered the Lobster Sliders, which consisted of shredded lobster, Applewood Smoked Bacon strips and a tomato slices sheltered inside of Hawaiian Sweet Rolls. The order came with three sliders with a side of potato sticks.
The sliders were great and the Apple Pie I ordered after was even better. It was served on a rectangular platter, accompanied by whipped cream and ice cream. The caramel sauce was a unique compliment to the dessert because of the slight coffee flavor it had.
Location
Fin is located at 183 Glenridge Avenue, just two blocks away from the ‘hub of everything,’ aka Bloomfield Avenue. It’s clustered between its sister restaurants, Saluté Brick Oven Bistro and The Crosby (still under construction).
If you’re walking from the direction of Bloomfield Ave, you might notice the large space of tables covered in white cloth before you actually see the sign for Fin. Just be aware of the correct entrance, because I doubt you’d want to walk through the door where everyone would be eating like I almost did.
Fin Raw Bar & Kitchen is open during the week from 5pm to 10pm, but they’re closed on Mondays. I'd definitely suggest checking out the exceptional seafood and the awesome apple pie. It's safe to say I have a new favorite in town.