Sol-Mar Restaurant

I recently visited this hidden gem to celebrate my wedding anniversary, thanks to a recommendation from a family member. I went with my parents, husband, and a couple of friends, and we were all excited to try it out. I had high expectations, and I’m happy to say the restaurant truly exceeded them. The food was absolutely fantastic. One of the standout moments was when our steak arrived, served on a roof tile, such a unique and creative touch that immediately caught my attention. For appetizers, we ordered mozzarella sticks, which turned out to be a full meal rather than just a starter, as it came with fries. It was a pleasant surprise, and we ended up enjoying it even more than we expected. For the main course, most of us went for steak—though my friend opted for chicken. I can confidently say the steak was one of the best I’ve had all year, and considering I’ve dined at many restaurants, that’s saying a lot. It was perfectly cooked, juicy, and just bursting with flavor, simply flawless. My friend really enjoyed her chicken too, which was tender and flavorful, a nice alternative to the steak. To top off our meal, my husband and I ordered a "Happy Anniversary" cheesecake slice for dessert. It was rich, creamy, and absolutely delicious, the perfect sweet ending to an already incredible meal. Overall, I highly recommend checking out this restaurant. It’s a true hidden gem in the Portuguese dining scene, offering great food, impeccable service, and a memorable experience. If you're looking for a place to celebrate a special occasion or just enjoy a fantastic meal, this is definitely the spot!

Three of us got shrimp and garlic and we all thought it tasted bland, overcooked/ rubbery & also too much salt and overcooked. Not worth $29. The rice was fine, but the potato slices were overcooked and some burnt. We waited for the server, but he didn't come until later, and the restaurant was pretty empty (see photos). Not sure what took him so long to come out, or he was doing, but he was unattentive. They also charged us $4 for cheese we never ordered. It came to the table, we thought it was complementary. ***CHECK YOUR RECEIPT! *** The server added an 18% tip for himself on the bill. He never said anything about it, then brought over another receipt and handed us a pen to write in another tip -on top of the already added tip. (See photos). Awful and disgraceful service. Our first and last time here. I will NEVER go here again. We felt they were very underhanded.

The food was nice, but the service seemed a bit rushed. The atmosphere was decent, although it didn't feel particularly welcoming to me. However, the prices were steep – a platter for $235 seemed excessive, even with fresh and authentic food. A more affordable option might have attracted a larger crowd at the seafood festival.

Im a big foodie from New York and after hearing how great this place was from my Husband we finally got to give it a try. I ordered the snapper and my husband got thr Picanha. I have to say, he was right. The food was just delicious. My snapper was nice and juicy with a nice sauce but crispy bottom from probably high heat cooking. The sides were perfect. Spinach was delish and beans were so good. I have to say the food was just overall great. And I def would come here again. Nice homey authentic Portuguese atmosphere.

It was truly delicious and the service prompt and friendly. They were attentive and yet we were able to relax and enjoy a leisurely dinner.

Had an amazing dinner here. This restaurant is a hidden gem. The best Portuguese food I have had outside of Portugal! The service is fantastic also, we ordered the tiger shrimp, squid, octopus and cockles… every dish was better than the next… can’t wait to go back’ also great wine selection !!

The calamari dish was the best I've ever had! The service was attentive and courteous. We enjoyed the paella immensely and thought it was delicious!

We came to Sol-Mar for the first time to celebrate my birthday yesterday. The food was super delicious, but what really impressed me was how friendly and welcoming everyone was, how everyone: from the busboy to the owner was trying to make our dinner memorable and special. We had kid goat, suckling pig and Portuguese whole fish with fresh green wine from Portugal, and everything was mouthwatering. We loved fresh cow cheese they put on a table to start your meal, and we finished with pears in sweet Porto wine for dessert, and then I was surprised with a delicious flan as a special birthday treat from the owner. I couldn't be happier! It's a well-known and very popular spot, and by 5 pm it was full! Thank you so much for a spectacular dinner! I will definitely return!

Authentic Portuguese restaurant serving delicious and filling food. Great Portuguese wines. Excellent service. Free Parking across street. Valdosta verde soup is fantastic, as is flaming chorizo dish. Entrees: rack of lamb served with rice and mixed vegetables; and second, a huge piece sea bass. Wine: : Quinta do Pego (red)

First time dining here and will definitely be back! We sat in the Villa Nova room, even though the room was large it still felt cozy and loved the atmosphere. Our reservations were early on a Saturday so it wasn't too busy, but by 6/6:30 they were starting to get their Saturday night dinner rush. Started the meal with the shrimp in garlic sauce appetizer. The shrimp were nice and big and cooked perfectly. The garlic sauce was so delicious we couldn't get enough dipping the bread to soak up the excess. For dinner we ordered the Paella for two and the Steak Portuguese Style. When dinner came we were in shock, the paella could have fed a small village! There was a good amount of seafood mixed and the flavor was outstanding. The steak was just as good, it was cooked well and was a nice piece of steak. Lastly would highly recommend the sangria. We had the red, but it came in a few flavor choices, that will definitely try next time we go back.

Came here with a group of 10 for a graduation dinner and were seated fairly quickly. The staff was friendly and were cool when we asked to change a tv channel. Orders were accurate and brought out in a timely manner The ambiance as many have stated was warm and cozy. No loud music or loud commotion, and was well lit, but nothing that made it truly stand out just average in my opinion. No for the food service, we ordered a mix of drinks and water but they brought us room temperature water and no ice which was not great start. Some Items on the menu aren't too clear on what sides they include or if any at all, in return I ended up getting something I wasn't a fan of (cod fish in potato sauce!?) i tried bits of other plates and they were a bit underwhelming, just very average and not worth the prices. Overall a good experience but not a recommended or to return to.

Sol Mar is one of our favorite places to dine at because the food is always fresh and delicious. We ordered: Rice with shrimp Cabrito - stewed goat Arroz tamboril - rice with monkfish Salmon stuffed with crab meat Picadinho mixto - chorizo, shrimp, beef cubes and fries - chocolate mousse - tiramisu - creme brûlée -espresso -cappuccino As always the service was amazing and the staff was very attentive. We will definitely be back soon.

Business party for 9. Talked and drank so much sangria we never ordered dinner, just apps and dessert. Nice place, was looking forward to dinner, but people were getting tired and we drank several pitchers of sangria. Only issue was their claim to a parking lot, was really some spaces in a strip mall across the street from the restaurant. We arrived and all the spaces marked were gone. In the Ironbound, a parking lot is a must have for a restaurant.

I am not the most familiar with the food scene in Newark, so when I was invited to a dinner at Sol-Mar I took the opportunity to try something new. Sol-Mar is a family style restaurant with plenty of seating. There's a bar inside one part of the restaurant with tables around it. There's also an outdoor seating area if you want to people watch while you eat. We wound up sitting not too far from the bar and a classic diner cake/pie display. The service was great. The staff definitely makes you feel welcome as if you've been there before even though this was our first time. They are great at offering suggestions and when we did eventually order, the food came out *much* faster than we expected! Here's a rundown of what I had: Chouriço Assado (Roasted Portuguese Sausage) Sausage in general is always a good bet in a restaurant, but man, these folks go the EXTRA mile! The sausage is brought out whole in an iron pan (at least that's what it looked like to me) and then the "roasting" comes in the form of liquid that is lit ON FIRE beautifully scorching and flavoring the sausage. It is then cut up into pieces at the table for all to enjoy. The outside skin was nice and crisp while the inside was juicy and flavorful. It was on the edge of being a tad *too* salty but having it with some of the delicious dinner rolls at the table made it a perfect appetizer! Pasteis de Bacalhau (Cod Fish Cakes) Fish cakes are usually a big roll of the dice. I've had fantastic ones, I've had ones that were tasteless where you pull bones out of them so I always approach them with caution. In this case I didn't need to worry. These fishcakes were nice and crunchy on the outer layer with a chewy inner layer. The flavor was on point, offering a wonderful seafood flavor with a touch of saltiness. I knew I loved this dish when I immediately wanted another order! I held back however since I was having an entree. Linguine com Tamboril e Ameijoas em Molho Branco (Linguine with Monkfish and Clams in White Sauce) This dish combined so many of my favorite things I had to order it as soon as I saw it. Linguine? Check! White sauce? Check! Then Monkfish and clams to boot? I'm IN! After sprinkling some red pepper flakes on the dish it was perfect. The white sauce was delicious and not overpowering. The clams were tasty and fresh and the monkfish was *perfectly* cooked. I almost got another order to go but decided this was a dish best eaten fresh. My meal at Sol-Mar was a fantastic experience. Excellent food and service. Well worth a visit!

I used to love this place. I was one of my favorite spots. I went today. Soups came out cold. Medium well steak came out rare, just seared on the outside not cooked at all inside actually cold in the middle. But that wasn't the worse part. The service was terrible through out the night. So many good restaurants in the Ironbound. This one is definitely off my list.

We got the seafood platter for 2 (market price ended up being $120), and my oh my, what a beautiful platter, such a great portion. Paired with their orange rice, it was so good. The seafood here is definitely what they do best. We also ordered some other dishes (Portuguese omelette, cubed chicken/steak). The Portuguese omelette was solid. But the chicken and steak were pretty tough and dry. So I'd recommend sticking with the seafood. The fish in that platter especially was so soft, tender, magnificent!

We have been coming to this place for years. And for whatever reason, I always prefer to sit on the restaurant side it just feels like a different experience, better food and better atmosphere. Maybe it's mental but it's because of this preference that we keep coming back. The food is always spot on. They have rotating specials each week, the staff is always friendly and attentive. Their sangria is good but I've had better and overall the cocktails are OK. This time the kitchen was kind enough to make Mozambique shrimp, I love the sauce and the jumbo size grilled shrimp, along with their homemade hot sauce, which was the cherry on top. I asked if they sold it to go and unfortunately they didn't but it is amazing. My husband had the lamb served in a tile which was on the special menu. All of it was amazing and we look forward to coming back to this comfortable and cozy spot.

Food is top notch. Great service, noisy atmosphere with patrons having a good time. Sangria is the best, but 50.00 really!!! Been here many times, never had an issue. Paella for 2 feeds 3 or more. Had the suckling pig great choice at a seafood restaurant.

Went there solo. Sat at bar for quick lunch. 20% tip in bill for only me. Usually reserved for 6 or more in a party. Not cool. Then receipt comes back w another tip suggestion. Wtf going on here. Tip is determined by patron not management. Got it?? May or may not return.

We tend to go to Spanish/Portuguese places for our anniversary so we've tried many. For our 30th we tried Sol-Mar and WOW did we love it! Chorizo cooked table side for an appetizer, awesome sangria, chicken in garlic for my wife, and mariscada in green sauce for me... what a great meal! Then the brought us a complimentary dessert and sang happy anniversary. The waiter was great, we liked the ambiance, and the pricing was reasonable. We will DEFINITELY go back - and bring MORE family members!

Our family had a fabulous time dining during the festival on ferry street on June 10th. Lucky, we had made reservations in advance. The atmosphere was welcoming and the food was delicious. I was happy to have my vegetable plate, and the waiter and staff was quite pleasant and efficient. Looking forward to visiting again!

First time at this restaurant and I enjoyed myself . I purchased a full pitcher of red sangria and then a half of pitcher of white sangria . Both were delicious however the red was the best ! For my entree i purchased the grilled red snapper that came with broccoli carrots and potatoes. The meal was very good and they had a homemade hot sauce to top it off .. I would definitely return to this restaurant !! There is congested street parking however it's a bank parking lot across the street from the restaurant so park at your own risk in there... FYI : some servers : waitress : busboys: don't speak no English or understand English..

A great place! Flew up from Georgia, hanging out with the family and enjoyed a wonderful lunch. Had paella, octopus salad, and we drank some wine. Would love to go back.

Love this place. Reasonably priced food, good portion size, fresh and authentic Iberian food. Service is friendly. Place gets very busy on weekends during prime time dinner, so reservations are a must. Cocktails are big on the pricier side but the wines by the bottle are reasonable.

This was phenomenal! I wish this was my neighborhood place, because it would absolutely become a regular dining spot! Seven adults and five kids under 10. Chicken strips French fries and meatballs satisfied the weans. Two seafood paella, a halibut and shrimp DELIGHTED the adults! We were here for RedBu Charlotte MLS. I was joined by friends from Glasgow, Manchester, Charlotte and everyone was pleased! Service was first rate, expedited everything as traffic created a bit of a delay for our party assembling. Next time, I'll just order paella because it'll satisfy anyone who'll eat seafood! Oh, full bar service too!

Anytime my friend who lives out-of-state visits her parents in North Jersey, I pick her up and we end up going to Sol-Mar. It's pretty much become a tradition. This place is great! Food is delicious and they have great table service. The Portuguese food is amazing, and that bread! *drool* Tip: Finding parking in Newark can be brutal. One of the perks of Sol-Mar is its location because you can find parking in the shopping plaza lot nearby.

This place is terrible I got a $60 crab stuffed with tuna fish terrible .the waiters places a cheese on the table as if it is complementary to the table along with breads and then charges for it .what makes it worse is she lies about it saying we ask and if you except we charge .she never asked.she just placed it on the table . the sardines are salty . The crab legs were super dry and the stuffed crab was straight tuna fish with mayo .never come here. It's a Portuguese establishment and no one's Portuguese all lies. Save your money you want good seafood . Go to seagulls in South Paterson.. this place is a rip off.

I want to apologize first because pictures didn't make it!!!! When the food came out my mind was telling me to take a pic but my heart was telling me to dig in. So of course I followed my heart ‍. This place was absolutely fantastic!!!!! My fiancé ordered shrimp in garlic and I ordered the chicken in lemon sauce. Delicious isn't even the word ‼

Nice place, awesome staff, but most of all some good food. Loved them chips. The little bit of salmon I had tasted great. But loved the shrimp in garlic sauce! Omg with out that over some of the yellow rice and you have a beautiful dish. Shrimp fresh and served in abundance, the sauce has the perfect amount of garlic for my taste and all of the sauce soaked into the rice was magnifique.

Meat came burnt and had no taste, thay forgot my order so we had to wait extra,and the chairs and restaurant it self is old and disgusting. Of you are clumsy, I do not recommend either

Went to Sol-Mar last night. Maybe you offer options to serve with salmon. Not everyone likes boiled potatoes. My friend doesn't like boiled potatoes and she was served fake mashed potatoes. When we finished eating at about 8:45 pm, and our plates were cleared we sat there and sat there and nobody came to offer us coffee or dessert. I was upset because the restaurant was practically empty and five people were standing around doing nothing. I indicated to the waiter that I needed him and requested coffee. Post-Covid service, and menu options are fewer. I know there were more choices before COVID. What happened to the Sangria? No fruit.

One of our go to places for good Portuguese food! Been coming here for parties, birthdays, and or just eat out with family and friends since I was a child. There's a reason and thats because it is delicious! and the staff are friendly and remember us because we come often!

Bread came out cold Service was good and the ambiance was nice and cozy. Papaya.Plate

The food and service was perfect. It was our first time eating at Sol-Mar and both of us were very impressed with our seafood entrees, the seasoning was perfect and the ambiance was delightful. Will definitely return with the rest of my family.

excellent food in price-quantity-quality ratio, very good service and pleasant atmosphere, I eat it widely, lo recomiendo ampliamente

We (4 people) had the most horrible experience at Sol-mar sea food Portuguese restaurant in downneck Newark. Leitão a bairrada was cold (yesterday's leftover). Roasted bacalhau Portuguese style was cold in the middle and vegetables was also cold. Service was the poorest we had ever experienced, the staff were unprofessional. They added a tip charge of 18% on a table of 4. If you going to charge anything, the restaurant should have posted about any extra charge in the menus. In Nee Jersey you allowed to add the tip on a table of 6 people or more We called the owner and he was very rude and had no manners, a bully person, he came out screaming at us in front other customers, he didn't even apologized for the cold food( the waiter assured us that the Leitão à Bairrada was freshly made) and told us to go find another place to eat. We gladly will never step into SolMar again. The place is going downhill since the father gave the management to his son, There are many good Portuguese restaurants in Down Neck PS :,the bathrooms were dirty, and nasty Totally unacceptable. Especially for a restaurant. They do not deserve even one star.o or I had an impression that, they double dip on the tip, they add the 18% without telling you. I was ready to add another 20%, luckily my wife noticed. It seems it's a comum practice ... and that's a fraud

Food was cold. Service poor. Mandatory 18% tip added for a party of four? Manager was very rude to all our requests.

Came here with a group of friends. It seemed to be hard to find parking, However, when I pulled into the bank parking lot across the street, a nice man in the lot asked are you going to the restaurant I said yes and he said we can park there. We started off with some sangria that was okay. The waiter brought some warm bread with cheese and olives, nice touch. Had the Chourico for appetizers, it was really good and cooked by the table. We decided to share the grilled seafood platter and we were happy we did. Fresh and cooked perfectly with just enough food to share. Will definitely be back!

Four of us went to Sol Mar today. Two of the dishes were cold. Manager did not seem to care when we complained. Now when the check came was their sneaky surprise. They automatically add 18% gratuity AND also have a line labeled TIP!!!! If you don't check you will wind up giving a double tip. I have never seen this done at a restaurant before. Restaurants are suppose to clearly state on their menu when a gratuity or service charge will be added. They did not. Needless to say we will not be returning

Service and the ambiance of the place are fine, but the food was just so so. I had the broiled cod fish and I found the fish was a bit too fishy and texture was hard.

I have been coming here for years and after all these years I still enjoy everything from their menu! We moved 4 years ago out of state but every time I come NJ to visit I have to stop here! So if you want good service, attentive waiters and delicious Portuguese food! This is your place!

My friend recently returned froma trip to Spain and when I asked him if he had Paella, to which he replied, "Every single day for 10 days straight." Keeping that sentiment alive and now with Paella on my mind, as I drove past Newark, decided to Yelp a decent Paella place and this restaurant came up. Luckily I found parking right on Ferry st, so it was a short walk to get to this place. The restaurant is actually pretty big, Heavy wooden doors lead you in and then it appears to be a more formal dinning area to the right and a more bar type seating on the left. There is even an outside seating which pretty much incorporates the sidewalk as you could see people just walking through that covered area. Since we only came for Paella, the lady at the bar suggested Paella for two, but added that it actually feeds four. Without much discussion we were seated and the waiter came and said that he understood we wanted Seafood Paella for two, to which we both nodded. They serve some bread and olives as starters which was a nice touch and the Paella appeared maybe 20 minutes later. Not only was the presentation very attractive, it was literally Huge! It definitely could feed four to five people, but since we were hungry that was the least of our worries. The seafood Paella was pretty aromatic, you could smell the saffron, and had a lobster, bunch of clams and mussels and shrimps as the main seafood items. My only complaint was that the lobster seemed overcooked and was dry, but the rest was very good. The service was pleasant, when we got done, we still had food left for four people, so I told the waiter that we could not finish it, to which he replied, "Because you didn't eat anything." We had a good laugh and made the rest to go. Overall the experience was good, food and service were both good Thinking of calling my friend and telling him, "Guess what I would now be having for the next 10 days? and I didn't even have to go to Spain"

We love family celebratory dinners in Newark and Sol-Mar is one of our favorite spots. We made reservations for a party of 7 and were quickly seated. The restaurant was packed but the familial ambiance was great. We started with appetizers- calamari, garlic shrimp and grilled sausage. The sausage comes out in a little fire casserole and the server slices it up at the table. Everything was delicious especially coupled with a glass of sangria. Our server kept the pitchers of sangria coming and was attentive and friendly. The main courses came out and two couples ordered the seafood platter for two. I've never seen a platter so big and loaded with seafood! It's a dream come true for seafood lovers. I had the grilled ribeye with two jumbo shrimp and was equally happy with my meal. The steak was super tasty and cooked to perfection. The meals come with yellow rice and Portuguese sliced potatoes. The potatoes came out and where piping hot after being fried and they were a great compliment to our meals.As if we hadn't ordered enough food, we decided to cap off the meal with a creme brûlée. If you are a big seafood eater you have to go to Sol Mar and try the platter but even if you aren't, everything is so good! Great food and vibes in Ironbound section of Newark.

I worked in Newark for almost 19 years and had never been here before. I had been to just about all the over Portuguese/Seafood places in the area but nobody had ever suggested this place until now. A former-coworker of mine and I met for lunch on a Thursday afternoon. She had been here many times previously and had really enjoyed it. We had the option of sitting outside or inside. It was 85 degrees outside and decided to sit inside. Bad choice. The overhead fans were not on nor was the a/c. Service was slow and we had to wait a while to order. The hostess did not know anything about the menu and advised we should speak to the waiter. We began with an order of the calamari. Bland. No taste. No seasoning other than the marinara sauce on the side. Very generous size portion. We each ordered the grilled sea bass. It came with boiled potatoes, carrots, and broccoli. Bland. No taste. Boiled potatoes? The fish had no seasoning nor did any of the veggies. The veggies might have been boiled as well. Bland. The bread rolls were fresh. Overall, I was very disappointed. I expected food that would have had taste. Everything was bland. The prices were competitive for the area. Service overall was slow. There was a big parking lot across the street that belongs to a strip mall. There were signs that advise of towing if you park there for any other purpose.

I came here for a birthday dinner. The food served family style & absolutely delicious. Everything was flavorful & cooked to perfection. My favorites were the shrimp, chorizo with veggies, soup, & grilled salmon. This was by far the best salmon I ever had. Fresh, juicy, & cooked perfectly. The waiters were excellent & I especially remember Leo for being so attentive & professional. I really loved this restaurant & look forward to visiting again.

One of the most famous Portuguese joints in the Ironbound, the famous neighborhood in Newark, it's actually like leaving this tragically ruined country for a moment. Turn off the CNN and get over to these guys, Get the mariscada salsa verde get the clams get the shrimp in garlic drink some cachaca then wash it down with a vinho verde or drown your sorrows in a pitcher of Sangria. If you're hardcore get the bacalhau a bras or picanha con huevo. The people are so nice there is ample outdoor seating and you will actually forget for a moment that the leader of the free world is orange and doughy and lies and tweets lies all day every day.

Food was excellent. I had the chicken with lemon sauce, black beans and rice. I really enjoyed the meal full of lemon. My friends ate the seafood two different dishes, they also had soup. We all were completely happy with our meal. Plenty of food we will return. Service was excellent they staff was Johnny on the spot. Keep up the good service and food Sol-Mar.

My boyfriend wanted to try a new Portuguese place and this turnout to be an amazing choice. From the service to the food everything was exceptional. They have an outside dining area which we were seated immediately. We ordered a pitcher of red sangria which was pretty good got about 3 cups each. A few minutes later (I'm assuming he was the owner) a man came to check up on us which I think was a great touch. We ordered an appetizer which was the Portuguese sausage and it was incredible. You also get a couple of bread rolls and olives on the table. For a main course my boyfriend got the porterhouse steak which was very juicy. I got the the barbecue chicken which was great I loved the flavor of the chicken. The only downside was it came with potato chips which I don't like I prefer french fries but if I would've known I would've asked for fries. It was so much food we couldnt even finish it we had to take it to go. I would definitely come back here again in a heartbeat.

Not happy with this Sol-Mar restaurant the food was salty and the picadiho is not worth the price no stars from me never again lost a customer

Updating my review as I've been back a few times and my experiences lately have been great! We recently came in without a reservation on a busy Saturday night and they were willing to accommodate us and get us a table within 5 minutes. How great is that? Not only has the service improved, but the food is great as well. I have had their shrimp in garlic sauce, Portuguese Sausage (Chourico), and fried calamari for appetizers. T he shrimp in garlic sauce was fantastic. So was the fried calamari, super fresh in a nice light batter. Their chourico is delicious. For entrees, I recently had the Bacalhau com Natas (Codfish in Cream Sauce) and Arroz de Marisco (Seafood Rice) and everything was amazing. Portion size is huge, enough for 2-3 people. There were 3 men in our party and none of them were able to finish an entire entrée by themselves. There was plenty of seafood in the seafood rice (and variety too, not just shrimp). The Codfish in Cream Sauce is my Top 3 in all of Newark. Make room for Sangria. It's on point and one of the best ones in Newark. I also recently tried their Carrot cake, which surprisingly, was very good. I'm definitely coming back for more.

after being a customer for over 30 years,,,was very disappointed last Friday. me and my wife had dinner there got the bill and thought it was kind of high.... but paid it anyway with a 20 percent tip....on the way home discussed the bill....we got home and looked over our bill.... well they added on the gratuity on the bill without saying a word.....so they ended up with a $50 tip....i called and left a message no return call.....wont be going back

This place would have received 5 stars, but the waiter did not pack all of our food which resulted in food was missing from our takeout containers. Although, let me first explain everything we loved about this restaurant. My boyfriend and I came here on December 23rd to celebrate our anniversary. Right when we arrived, we navigated our way through the bar area to the Vila Nova do Sol Mar area where we were greeted and sat within minutes. The ambiance of the restaurant was great, it was a candlelit dinner, the music was not too loud and we could converse, and the space between tables was roomy and not crowded at all. After seating us and providing the menus, they quickly served us a basket of bread rolls and butter. We ordered drinks which were great by the way and put in our order for the daily special of Grilled Sirloin steaks which came with rice and beans. As seen in the picture below, we each received 4 deliciously flavored and juicy steaks. I had finished my first steak and decided to save the rest to take home. As for my boyfriend, he had cut his first two steaks into bite size pieces and only taken a few bites. When we asked for the check, the waiter took our plates and packed our food. Little did we know that once we got home to open our takeout containers, the waiter had threw away/did not pack my boyfriend's cut steaks and one of my steaks, only leaving us with two each. We were very disappointed to see that our entire meal was not present when we got home, otherwise we would have packed it ourselves instead of having the waiter pack it for us. We were looking forward to enjoying the rest of the delicious food that we actually paid for.

My friend has been trying to get me to come eat Portuguese food with her for quite some time now and I finally gave in. Sol-Mar is a neighborhood landmark from what I understand and I would call it a family business. The staff was very kind and inviting and helped us with any questions we would of had. We decided to start off with the garlic shrimp appetizer that did not skimp on the garlic one bit and I absolutely loved it. The portion was HUGE and so flavorful. We both decided on ordering the filet. When it arrived at the table I was in awe of the size of this perfectly cooked steak. Shortly after our entrees arrived a man came over to our table kissed my hand and asked me how I was enjoying my meal. Little did I know that this was the owner of Sol-Mar. I thought it was really nice for him to come and check on our experience along with stopping by other tables to check on them as well. One thing I will say is the prices are great for the quality and quantity you receive. I can't wait to come back!

I love finding gems in the neighborhood and was pleasantly surprised I haven't heard of this restaurant before. Let's get into it! Ambience: I love how the restaurant is set up. It's like a 2-in-1 restaurant where one side is more for cocktails and bar and the other side is for dine-in. Love the decor and all the tables are socially distanced to meet COVID requirements so I was impressed! Service: they have several servers assisting the main server which helps and keeps plates off the table to ensure that service is quick but also very attentive. Food and drink: We ordered the seafood platter which can feed 6 people but it says for two. The came with everything lobster, shrimps, cod, mussels, clams etc. The platter made me so excited! This comes with potato chips and rice as the sides. Price: the platter is based on market price so it was $99 which for the amount of food we got was worth it. Drink: We ordered sangria which was pretty good. I was it was more on sweet but I still enjoyed it! Parking: we found street parking. The area can be tricky when it comes to finding parking so keep that in mind. Overall the experience was great and the food was delicious. I will definitely recommend this place to anyone.

Decided to try this place our cause another restaurant i intended to go to was closed. They had outdoor seating (COVID). They open up with bread and butter + the drink order. They have the basic drink needs. The go to is sangria in the ironbound section in Newark. I ordered the stuffed lobster. When my order came, it was just a regular lobster with the potato slice French fries (dee picture). A little language barrier with the server, she spoke only Portuguese, no big issue. $45 dollar plate and i still left hungry, it's kind of hard to justify that. My recommendation is that you don't get the lobster dish. There was nothing spectacular about he dish.

All I have to say is WOW! One of the BEST Portuguese restaurants in Newark and that's saying something! First off just do yourself a favor and get everything I got. The wine was one of the smoothest I tasted and went great with the perfectly cooked and slightly aldente Octopus. Which is how you want it. The salmon was also very well cooked and very good. Next was dessert. Ask for the passion fruit Mousse!! It won't be in their little dessert cart we asked for it by name and they had it. It was so good! Come here and ask for either a table outside or in their Vila Nova back dining room. You won't be disappointed!

I eat here EVERY time I have a flight out of EWR. It's become a tradition. Some of the best red wine, lovely complimentary cheese and bread, octopus served on a roof tile and the showstopper: the cowboy steak. I can't believe this place doesn't have higher ratings. The staff is friendly and fun, especially if you have a native Portuguese speaker at the table. Just a great family vibe. Two thumbs way way up