Menu for No. 12 in Ridgewood, NJ

Let's be clear. You are not a speakeasy if you don't serve alcohol. Sure, it's BYO, but that's not what I was expecting from a... "speakeasy". Anyway, the food was good and the service was attentive. The waiter recommended the rigatoni special which was myfavorite. But the music was awful and too loud. Really set the wrong mood for a small intimate "speakeasy". Early 2000s rapmusic does not pair well here. DMX while eating oysters? No thanks. The tables were also a bit small so they could have done abetter job spacing out the courses/plates that came out. But I was too distracted by the awful music selection. Read more

Love the speakeasy concept, but unfortunately the concept is very poorly executed. For starters, the service was terrible - our... waiter had no familiarity with the menu, read the specials right out of his notebook, and had no sense of how to space outservice of the dishes from a timing perspective to ensure our meal wasn?t rushed. Although we are fans of tapas style eating,these small plates left much to be desired. The menu consists of many appealing items, though they lack imagination. The tasteof the food was okay, though a few items, such as the octopus, were not cooked properly. The presentation was abysmal, withgarnishes restricted to parsley and iceberg lettuce. The food was also clearly precooked based on how quickly each dish came toour table - the food would arrive less than five minutes after each order (we spaced out our own orders after seeing how quicklythe first few dishes flooded our table). From an ambience perspective, the place has a fun vibe, which makes it well suited tolarger group gatherings, such as birthdays and bachelorette parties, as long as service/food quality aren?t high on the prioritylist. When we were there, the restaurant was playing 90s hip hop music, which, while fun, was far too loud for easyconversation. It was not background music - it felt more like what you?d experience at a bar. We won?t be back, or at least notuntil some major service overhauls take place. In our view, this place needs better management, needs to recruit moreexperienced staff or at least provide training to its staff on basic principles of restaurant service, and needs to get a littlemore creative/sophisticated in the kitchen. Our experience was no better than what I?d expect at the average chain restaurant. Read more

Went here for a bridal shower and everything was great. Service was quick and food was so delicious. The decor makes you really... feel like you are in a speakeasy which for cocktails and something small to eat is perfect. It is quite dark inside but that'sthe vibe of the place as they are going for the speakeasy look. I'm definitely going back to try the cocktails they make as thedrinks were provided by the hosts not the restaurant. Also, it's a bit hard to find, so when you're looking at Stella on thecorner go to the right of it and walk down the alley, it's the blue door on the left. Read more

Where do I even start! From the outside. So I love the cool speakeasy vibe where the main entrance is hidden in an alley and you... need a special door code to enter. Something totally different and unique for Ridgewood. Upon entering I was greeted by Zaid, hewelcomed us in, was super police, warm and friendly! The lighting, decor, and music fit the vibe perfectly for the speakeasytheme. Definitely works for a first date spot as well if you kinda wanna take your date to an intimate spot. To the food, Ireally liked a bunch of things on the menu so tried about 10 items. The plates are tapas style so they are great for sharing. Wehad the claim chowder fries, oysters on the half shell, ceviche, grilled oysters, scallops, foie Gras, octopus, and honey glazedcarrots. For dessert we had the beignet which was perfectly crafted. Everything was delicious! My favorites were the octopus,scallops, and beignet. Lastly the service by Zaid was top notch! He was very attentive, knowledgeable about the menu and madegreat recommendations. The service alone is a reason to go back alone. I definitely look forward to going back again soon! Read more

Had an amazing experience at No. 12. Jake was our server and made our night that much more enjoyable. Food was delicious and... came out fast with reasonable prices. Made this reservation about a month in advance and was definitely worth the wait Read more