Papillon 25

Timiqua was wonderful and very friendly. She took care of us! The food was so good. I got the red snapper. It was so filling and worth every penny. The drinks were amazing. The service was also amazing. The bread was awesome. The mimosa was so good.

I wanted to share some honest feedback about my recent visit. I came in wanting to support a Black-owned restaurant in South Orange, but unfortunately, I left disappointed. The braised oxtails I ordered weren’t tender—they actually got stuck in my teeth. The flavor was okay, but the texture made the dish unenjoyable, to the point where I didn’t even want to take leftovers home. Service-wise, I ordered a Cabernet Sauvignon but was never asked if I wanted another glass, even though my water was refilled. After sitting for about 10 minutes, I was given a dessert menu, but the server didn’t recommend anything or offer guidance about what was good. Lastly, I noticed a 20% gratuity was automatically added to my bill, even though the menu seemed to indicate it only applied to orders over $100. That was confusing, and honestly, the service didn’t feel like it matched the level of gratuity charged. I’m sharing this because I truly want to see the restaurant succeed. With more attentive service, clear communication, and improved consistency in food quality, I believe the dining experience could be much stronger. Thank you for your time

An absolute staple in South Orange…..Essex County. While I have only eaten here 2-3 times in the past 15 years, this is the place to go for EXCELLENT martinis. My goto is lemon drop, but I have had that and the blood orange cosmo. But I must say my Absolute favorite drink they make is the French 75! AMAZING. The bar tenders are and have always been amazing. It’s like home. A very comfortable welcoming atmosphere.

The ambience of the space is nice. However, the food was absolutely tasteless. I ordered the catfish with collard greens and macaroni and cheese. The sparkling water that I had was more tasteful than the food. I was hugely disappointed with this meal especially for the cost. I could have went to Cracker Barrel and Texas Roadhouse, got 3 full catfish dinners with much better tasting food for the price of what I paid for here. All in all, they need to get a new cook. Although I may never know if they do, because I have no plans on ever going back for their food.

Since 2003, the brainchild of the husband-and-wife duo team, Albert and Yanick Ranieri, have opened this premier restaurant and martini bar located on Valley Street in South Orange. Upon entering and translating from the French, a “butterfly” insignia floated above the bar, illuminating the various hues of the 57 martini and specialty cocktails offered. The interior evoked a sophisticated and modern vibe, with the lighting being subtle. Reservations were made by one of our party members calling the restaurant yesterday for some of us as first-timers. Greeted by the host, a table was waiting for us. The menu merges American, Caribbean, French, and Italian cuisine, leaning toward Southern and Cajun-style dishes. As an appetizer, my partner, our friends and I decided on the corn and crab croquettes. For our main meal, we opted for Stuffed Jumbo Shrimp with Maryland Crab Meat, Jambalaya, Coq Au Vin, Organic Roasted Chicken Breast, and Linguine with Shrimp. A complimentary assortment of breads with butter started our meal, which some of us washed with French martini. The food was delicious, and the sauces were flavorful. However, there was a slight snafu with the wording of one of the items on the menu, which was brought to the manager’s attention. Listed was organic roasted chicken breast served with caramelized carrots, but what was received was the breast with part of the wings and carrots not caramelized. The service was wonderful, and our server was Mohammed. It was a nice time spent, which we could recommend.

Had a couple of apps and some drinks—food was solid. Tried the Ménage à Trois Jerk appetizer, which is supposed to be spicy, but it was pretty easygoing (I do, however associate spice with heat, so in that sense it was plenty spicy just not a lot of heat, which is probably a good thing for most palettes.) The real draw here is the vibe. On a Thursday night the bar is packed—music going, people mingling, great atmosphere. Service in the dining area wasn’t bad, but fair warning: once the night gets going, it is a lounge. The music and crowd make it tough to have a dinner conversation or hear your server. Overall, I’d recommend it. Go earlier if you’re looking to eat, or head in later if you want the nightlife scene.

The food was pretty good. The dessert was even better. I didn’t really have the martinis that they seem to be known for but I do believe the food was decent. I’m not gonna lie. The food was kind of on the maybe soon to be old side, it did have a bit of a Refrigerated almost rotten kind of taste to it but it wasn’t the worse and it wasn’t unbearable. I honestly believe that nighttime would be the best time to go to a place like this to enjoy dinner. But I did enjoy my lunch. It was definitely a chill kind of quiet , I think someone who likes ethnic eclectic vibes would enjoy this place overall, I think it was great. It was pretty cool friendly staff

Delicious, not disappointed at all, and the server was a vibe by herself. 5 stars to Tamiqua...

i had the fried chicken with mac and cheese and subbed the greens with asparagus. very good! everything was cooked perfectly. chicken was flavorful and crispy. little greasy but it was fingerlickin good :). asparagus was very good as well. on the thinner side which i like because it was easier to chew. the mac and cheese was very good as well. not the best i ever had but still very good. i also loved the red hot sauce they give you. not too spicy. nice flavor and kick. me and my dad split the cesar salad and we both loved it! nice and creamy dressing and fresh lettuce. nice vibes in there. friendly staff. clean bathrooms. perfect night and meal!

Came here for a quick drink. The tall brown bald bartender was nice and quick. We ordered a couple of drinks, the pour was good and tasty. We got the jerk wings they were good jerk wings, seasoned well. The best thing was that ginger dipping sauce! Yes that was fire!! The music was good and a nice local crowd.

I enjoyed the ambience and patrons of the restaurant. The food was just ok, priced a bit high for what you get, but loved the variety. The Bartender was the best part, Brianna W, knows how to mix those drinks. Will definitely be back for drinks !! She is the rock star of the restaurant from what I could tell.

Had a great experience here. Staff was pleasant. Was seated right away on a Friday night approximately around 845pm. Ambiance was good. Bar was full but tables were available. For apps we ordered jerk wings and ménage de trios. I had the wings and loved them. My friend had the other app and she was in love with the jerk scallops. Said it was the best scallops she ever had. Drinks: lychee martini was delicious. The lychee itself was so good. Tasted fresh. I had two of them. My friend had some sort of blue martini with coconut flakes. She like it. Alright for dinner....i ordered a lot . I ordered the shrimp with grits, a side of collard greens and a side of djon djon rice. Shrimp and grits: shrimp was delicious. I wouldn't change anything about it. The grits were a little too loose for me. Would've liked them to be a little thicker and less cheesy however the flavoring was great. It came with a side of green beans which I don't recall seeing on the menu. Djon djon rice: flavor was there but I wish it had some moisture to it. It was dry but flavor was good. Had a nice level of spice. Collard greens: I needed to flavor it with hot sauce. I typically don't put hot sauce on my greens but this needed flavoring. My friend ordered the braised short ribs. She said it was delicious. Neither of us could finish our meals and took the leftovers home.

This place has a nice calm vibe and great portions of food. The aunties and uncs take over the bar and provide great entertainment for the folks eating at the tables in back.

Friendly neighborhood spot... The food is good, service is good, worth a try for sure!!!

I like to pop in every now and again for happy hour. The food is "meh". I've eaten here so many times and it fell off over time. The service is always good and respectful and well as the ambiance.

Bad vibes and unseasoned food. Very low vibrational setting. And they add gratuity for subpar service .

My friends and I came on a Monday night 7/21 to celebrate and a birthday. The bartender ( receipt says Terdoo ) the young lady with blonde braids, was rude & unprofessional. She served us shots then proceeded to ask for one ID after we took the shots bc my friend asked about the lemon drop. I also dropped my drink on accident & the bartender was annoyed and told us that the manager was watching the cameras like I purposely spilled my drink. This was unfortunate experience, we immediately got our food to go and left, This was my first & last time here.

Since 2003, the brainchild of the husband-and-wife duo team, Albert and Yanick Ranieri, have opened this premier restaurant and martini bar located on Valley Street in South Orange. Upon entering and translating from the French, a "butterfly" insignia floated above the bar, illuminating the various hues of the 57 martini and specialty cocktails offered. The interior evoked a sophisticated and modern vibe, with the lighting being subtle. Reservations were made by one of our party members calling the restaurant yesterday for some of us as first-timers. Greeted by the host, a table was waiting for us. The menu merges American, Caribbean, French, and Italian cuisine, leaning toward Southern and Cajun-style dishes. As an appetizer, my partner, our friends and I decided on the corn and crab croquettes. For our main meal, we opted for Stuffed Jumbo Shrimp with Maryland Crab Meat, Jambalaya, Coq Au Vin, Organic Roasted Chicken Breast, and Linguine with Shrimp. A complimentary assortment of breads with butter started our meal, which some of us washed with French martini. The food was delicious, and the sauces were flavorful. However, there was a slight snafu with the wording of one of the items on the menu, which was brought to the manager's attention. Listed was organic roasted chicken breast served with caramelized carrots, but what was received was the breast with part of the wings and carrots not caramelized. The service was wonderful, and our server was Mohammed. It was a nice time spent, which we could recommend.

Good atmosphere, mature crowd. Not happy at all though about the 20% service charge for just drinks at the bar! Especially since female bartender was rude to me which my friend picked up on, and upcharged me for a drink another bartender made for me. Friendly bar patron shared a jerk chicken wing with me, which was very tender. Prices were higher than expected glasses were small. Parking is tight in the area.

We went for a late Valentine's Day dinner and was still able to order from their Valentine's Day menu so that was fun. The inside is always nice. The waiters were attentive and food was served timely. We order buffalo shrimp, surf & surf (shrimp, scallops, and lobster in a sauce with white rice and veggies), surf and turf (lobster, steak, mashed potatoes and spinach w/ mushrooms) and dessert was a run raisin ice cream and chocolate covered strawberries. Lost a star bc we didn't like the lobster (not sure if it was overcooked but texture was off) and the ice cream wasn't for us (texture was off but maybe for you). Oh we had a sangria pitcher and it was great Will definitely be back

Automatic 20% tip added to bill. Poor service from bartender, likely because the tip was already included . Customers should never have to pay an automatic service charge. I will not return.

Nice atmosphere, food was a little underseasoned for me. Service was 5/10. Drinks were good!

Great Friday night vibes with Valerie Adams and the band playing. The place was pretty packed the entire night. My bloody orange cosmo was great... the first time. Okay, the second time. But the third time..... it was even orange. Clearly, I had three different bartenders. I ordered the jerk chicken with mashed potatoes and veggies.. it was just okay. Felt like they basically Slattered the jerk sauce over pre made chicken to make it jerk. Bread pudding was sweet, but good

The food is good. Service is good and the overall style of the restaurant is nice. However, the prices are way too high for what they are serving. I guess they are trying to make up for their lack of customer's by charging double the prices. For example, they were charging an extra $15 to add shrimp to pasta. That's crazy!!! I had a Ceasars salad and pasta with a water and my bill was $60 and on the bill they added a 20% tip! $80! They not right! I want to support a black owned restaurant However not if they going to overcharge... I wanted to give a 5 but because of the whack bill I give it a 3.

This restaurant served up wonderful authentic recipes. The ambiance COZY although I went alone I would take a date there. The service was excellent & parking after 6pm free. The lovely owner greeted & thanked me for stopping by

Amazing martinis! Terdoo was an excellent host and crafty bartender. We are coming back for lunch as I've been told that the scallops are the best in the city. It's a toss up between the Sidecar and Mango Martini.

Really great menu and cool vibe. Huge selection of specialty cocktails. Would definitely recommend

The atmosphere was very pleasant. With the exception of the bartender over charging for the happy hour drinks. The owner was very nice. The bartender seem like he was a little over worked. I not sure I would ever visit the establishment again.

This spot has easily become one of my favorite spots! Everyone is so warming and welcoming. The blood orange cosmo is by far my favorite. It packs just as much flavor as it does alcohol. I tried the calamari and it was perfectly fried and crisp. I also tried the Cajun catfish filet, the Mac and cheese was exquisite, and the catfish was perfect. Everything was honestly good. The only thing is the dish comes as is and there is no substitution so make sure you're ok with everything before placing your order. I will definitely be back again!

This place is horrible only good thing is the drinks and bar staff the owner is rude and nasty as well as the food.

My diner was not good, black own business should do better then this... You're going to serve Italian dish it should be equivalent to or better than anything you could get in an Italian restaurant.

This was one of my FAV spots before the pandemic I haven't been in awhile I went last night and I was completely disgusted my food was HORRIBLE!!! My Mac & cheese was hard and rubbery and bland. Fried chicken was dry and collard greens tasted yuck! I asked for a side of sweet potato soufflé it tasted like there was too much nutmeg an cinnamon it was awful. Never have I been so disappointed this made me sad I really use to love this place not sure what happened. The workers were very nice the food was just a fail.

Waitress was AMAZING and attentive. The food was so good!!! Even the salad was great. The vibe was fantastic. The martinis are always on point.

Great environment great food. Great drinks. My family and I had a blast year after coming here after my daughter's recital down the street not to mention is black on so we definitely took great pride in supporting this establishment can't wait to be back might make this hour yearly stop after the recital since we always bicker back-and-forth about where to eat this place is down the street perfect location and great food can't go wrong with that

I dropped in here for a pre-dinner drink with my aunt because our restaurant didn't actually serve alcohol. My aunt lives locally and she had heard great things about this place but not been yet so it was perfect timing to drop in. We came by on a Monday night at about 6pm and there were plenty of screens for football and only a handful of people at the bar. When we walked in it had a sort of chemical clean smell to it which I didn't love but I didn't take is a bad sign either - it was only momentary. The cocktail list is massive! We were only here for drinks but the food looked very tasty as well. It's a French Creole menu but the cocktail list comes from all over the world with any spirit you can imagine. One thing I love doing is having the seasonal cocktail so I went straight for that list. It's November so there were plenty of autumn inspired flavors but the pumpkin pie Martini really jumped out at me. There were so many fun ingredients I had to have it. And I was not disappointed! The bartender was friendly and attentive and she always poured to the perfect lip of the drink. That pumpkin pie Martini will stay with me for years. I love pumpkin pie spice and I love cinnamon and honestly I am usually not a fan of milky cocktails because they get sickly sweet but this was literally so delicious I wish I could drink it right now and it's 6 AM on a Wednesday morning. Anyway all that to say the menu is creative and the staff is friendly. By 7pm the restaurant was packed with locals and people who were having a great time catching up w/ fun conversations. A nice gentleman offered to buy us another round at the bar but we had reservations so we had to go. I believe if I lived locally I would be back - there's just so many cocktails to try! Seeing as the special cocktail list changes monthly, I would want to see what else they came up with! Go for drinks or for dinner or for both! You won't be sorry!

Amazing food (Zucchini bread... OMG!!!), drinks, atmosphere, and staff. Siobhan (or Shivonne?) was the perfect waitress. We loved her smile and cheery disposition!!

Oh my God, the food, the Service, the clientele so wonderful. See Tajh;our bartender, waiter, really catered to us. An amazing southern comfort spot. Do not miss this!!!!

Visited here a few times and had different experiences in terms of food quality each time so the consistency is not here. Overall a sum of my visits the food is ok. The only time I kept coming is it was local and the only time I can get jambalaya with turkey sausage vs pork. They also have a brown bread that is good. That too is inconsistent sometimes it comes with your food other times it don't. But overall just ok. Not somewhere I'd run back to.

They charged a mandatory 20% for sitting at the bar...I emailed the restaurant to request that this tip be adjusted as while the service was decent I decide what percentage I will tip. BEWARE this restaurant includes a mandatory tip on all bills, which is illegal and not explained prior to dining. We( 2 ppl) sat/ate at the bar by no means did the service require a 20% tip.

Food, service, ambience all first rate! We had no idea what to expect, and took a chance before we went to a concert at SOPAC. Wish we lived closer to make it a regular place for us!

I went with a group of about 10 people. The bartenders were great as they usually are. The service at the table however was not so great. The food took forever to come out and the waiter was very absent. When I said something to him he had the excuse of having home issues and had an attitude. This is why I choose not to eat here. I will stick to drinks only.

Safety...safety and knowing every iota of your menu is KEY...it's crucial...it's a matter of life & death. Last night we (a party of 6) dined here. A member of the party whom I've never met before casually mentioned he could smell the fish upon entering the restaurant and he's allergic to fish. Fast forward we're seated and ready to order. The gentleman who says he's allergic to fish orders the Caesar salad with chicken. I informed him Caesar salad has anchovies (fish) in it. The waitress says, "We only give you anchovies if you ask for it." I told her anchovies is in the dressing, not the body of the salad. She disagreed. I asked her if Papillon 25 makes their own dressing she said yes and went to inquire with the kitchen. She returned and stated anchovies was indeed in the Caesar salad dressing. How does she not know the menu? Fast forward to the meal. I was highly disappointed in the lack of seasoning. I was excited to try the Djon Djon rice; but the texture was hard as if it could have cooked longer. On to dessert, we order apple dumpling. I specifically asked if it was a whole apple stuffed with dumpling or if it was aesthetically like peach cobbler but with apples, she replied, it's more like an apple turnover. She must not know what an apple turnover looks like. This was a whole apple wrapped in a singular pastry sheet with an entire cinnamon stick shoved in its core. Additionally, it was a bad idea. Again, how does she not know the menu? I'll be rooting from the sidelines for this establishment. They seem to have a nice crowd which stays around the bar. Perhaps the drinks are better than their food. The waitress kept asking, "Can I get you anything from the bar?" ‍ The staff is friendly and the layout is nice. I like the way their booths are set-up. The bathroom was clean. It's a hard pass for me. I didn't bother to take pictures.

I remember coming here some time ago and having an awesome experience full of good food and live music that kept my attention the entire night. It was a classy evening in a classy restaurant. I am guessing a lot has changed. I returned on a Friday evening and was never greeted. The bar was packed and loud, and I had no clue as to who worked there and who didn't. We were waiting awhile just eyeballing everyone in there trying to figure out if maybe the dining part was closed for the night. After watching someone who was standing right next to me be seated by a gentleman that I now realized worked there, I then flagged the same guy down. The dining room side of the restaurant was pretty much empty when we sat down. It got a bit busier as we were waiting for our dinner, but there was still only one server working the entire dining room. Overall, the server did pretty well and was very nice; although we did have to wait longer than expected at times for service. I ordered the Cajun catfish with macaroni & cheese, collard greens, and sweet potato soufflé. The catfish looked burnt; however they were well cooked inside and had a great flavor. I would've liked a whole portion of catfish rather than the "chicken" fingers style that I received or at least wish to have been alerted of it in advance. I asked the server if the mac & cheese was microwaved, and I was told no. If you look at my picture, the mac & cheese looks as it was bagged for storage then thrown in the microwave per order. My date and I ordered the same exact meal, and both of our mac & cheese looked exactly the same, with the edges taking on a hard plastic-like round shape. The only part of the mac & cheese that was edible (and tasty) was the center. The sweet potato soufflé was okay but not sweet. The collard greens lacked seasoning. I have this thing about bread pudding, so when I saw it on the dessert menu, I ordered it to go. I tried it when I got home -wasn't a fan. Also, their seating chart needs some help. There's no way for the staff to reach certain tables without bumping another table or constantly having to excuse themselves. The third star is because of my previously positive experience and the server. I used to refer everyone to Pavillon 25 but won't be doing that right now.

The jerk wings here are the main event. It comes with this green dipping sauce, and OH. The flavors paired really well. The Mac & cheese could've been better, especially since it wasn't Haitian macaroni au gratin. The Caesar salad? YUM. It was super filling- I almost didn't make it to the wings. I've been here twice so far & the waiters/bartenders really add to the experience. They made the best drinks & were so kind and friendly. I love coming here after work with friends & they have a great happy hour. Don't think twice about stopping by!

If I could give 0 stars, I would. Do not come to this restaurant! The waiters were unprofessional, and the food came out late. They asked us to give up our glasses because they needed them for other customers and blamed us for the long wait for the food. They also scammed us by claiming we ordered extra food, resulting in a bill four times what we initially owed. The chef/owner left early and had her kids deal with the customers alone. This place is very unprofessional and they gaslight their customers. I work in customer service, so I don't usually take reviews seriously because people always lie. The fact that I took the time to write this, despite hating to speak poorly about black-owned businesses, shows how disappointed I am. They need new staff and a new owner. Please avoid coming here if you plan to throw a group party.

The food taste great the service was really friendly and nice and the is ambience the of sexy. I remember the music being nice. It was a nice vibe open space

The food was excellent- I had the whole snapper and my wife had Shrimp stuffed with Maryland Crab. The breads they start with are great. The drinks were amazing! They specialize in "martinis" but most are sweet cocktails. I had two bourbon based drinks which were excellent. *The check /billing needs to be addressed. Adding an automatic 20% tip for a couple, after drinks is a bit distasteful, but ok. The worse part was when using the QR code to pay, it adds 18% automatically on top of the 20%, resulting in 38% applied on top of cocktails. Our $115 dinner became $175 had we not caught it. I would highly recommend the restaurant, but watch the bill

here in new jersey for a family trip and my cousin took us here. MAN! i loved the ambience right away. the music was amazing, they were playing afrobeats most of the night. i love the way they served our drinks (by pouring it out right in front of us) and the drinks were BOMB!!! they do not play about their drinks! we had a bunch of appetizers they were all so good. loved the jerk wings!! the service was phenomenal and i just loved it all together. if i was a jersey local, i would be there ALL THE TIME.

The food is very good, the martinis amazing. Lovely space and charming owners. This is definitely a place we'll return to.

Papillon 25 is a great meeting place for locals as well as anyone who is interested in having their special event there. The vibe is hip & upscale with there being more of the young than of the old.

Ambiance: nice restaurant but the dining room is dark and not well-lit. Only part of the restaurant with appropriate lighting is the bar. The dining room is so dark, you can barely read your menu. Service: there were at least 6 employees working but only one person was greeting people at the door, taking orders at the tables, etc. and one other person was behind the bar. What were the others doing? Attire: entrance says business casual attire and men can't wear hats but it's not enforced since people were in workout clothes and men had hats on indoors Food: food was okay. I ordered the snapper. Couldn't substitute the sides which was unfortunate cause I didn't want rice. My mom ordered the shrimp and grits and they were separated which we found odd. Shrimp was well seasoned but she wasn't a fan of the grits Drinks: martinis are good but I think majority are sweet. I ordered the butterfly martini (sweet) at first then decided to switch to the lychee martini. The one server was busy serving everyone drinks so I didn't get my lychee martini until 25 mins later. Lychee martini was pretty strong but delicious. Highly recommend if you want something with a kick Tip: they automatically add 20% gratuity to all checks. In other comments, the owner says the automatic gratuity is only added to checks of 6 people or more but it was only 2 of us so that's inaccurate. Overall: 6 out of 10. I would definitely go back but would probably just sit at the bar and order drinks only

I ordered the catfish and I personally wasn't a big fan. And the bread was a little stale. I'm originally from Mississippi and I'm use to the way we do catfish in the south. The ambience and music was really nice and great service. I would suggest towards the evening when the lights are dim, to brighten it a touch because a lot of guest were using their phones to see the menu.

Update Mar.1.2020 -I'm really impressed with the bar service. Last time I reviewed I mentioned the Gin available. The have since changed it up and added much more gin. Love the live music when it's there. Again always a pleasure guys keep it up.

This is what you call a Black Vibe! The ambiance is priceless. Food is tasty & delicious. Drinks ....much try for yourself!

Tried to like this place but they always seem to disappoint. Ive gone here for large parties, catching up with friends and date night at the bar. I always leave dissatisfied. Never enough trained bartenders but they have horrible attitudes. A limited wine selection. Apart, of my food order is always cold. Example, out with girlfriends at the bar we ordered drinks and fries. All the fries were cold. When I bring it to staff attention, the eye role is upsetting. The regulars are the only ones that get good service.

I wrote a review yesterday about my experiences but I didn't express my experience with the workers. Everyone was pleasant and professional. Thank you staff.

I recently went to this restaurant to celebrate a friend's birthday. This restaurant is less than 10 minutes from my house....but I probably won't be rushing back soon unless someone else has something there. The ambience was great. Nice and cozy environment, artsy decor, bar area, and they even have a private area they showed us. The staff was nice, very prompt with refilling water and very polite. The food was okay. I got a combo of a meal. I got the Coq du Vin but got Mac & Cheese and collard greens as sides. Neither of the three parts of the meal gave me a "Mmmm" reaction. They weren't bad enough to ask for something else but they weren't good enough to offer to refer anyone else to. So I left there with no intention to come back on my accord even with it's close proximity to my house. Great place overall but the food could definitely be better.