Dinner Before a Show in Montclair: Theater and Film Nights

Dinner before a show in Montclair is a pleasant puzzle: the township has a historic theater, a film festival, a university with its own performing arts and a lively music scene, and each draws a crowd to the same few blocks. Plan the meal around the curtain, and the whole evening runs smoothly.

How do you plan dinner before a show in Montclair?

Work backward from the doors. Check the start time on your ticket, subtract the walk from the restaurant to the venue and allow well over an hour for a relaxed dinner, or less for a quick one. A meal at five-thirty before a seven-thirty show leaves comfort. Tell the server at the start that you have a curtain, and most kitchens will pace the meal accordingly.

Eat close to the venue. A ten-minute walk is easy, and a hunt for parking is not.

What is a Montclair theater night like?

Lively and local. The historic Wellmont Theater, on Bloomfield Avenue, hosts concerts and events, and other stages in the township and at Montclair State University present theater, dance and music. Many audience members are regulars who eat nearby first, which means the restaurants around the venues are used to a pre-show crowd and open early on show nights.

Check the venue's own calendar for your night. The township has a long tradition of the arts, and that shows in the food: kitchens that cater to an audience know to offer a dish that can arrive in twenty minutes and a dessert that can wait until after. If you are taking a first-time visitor to a show, a walk along the avenue before dinner shows off the town as well as the theater does.

Where do you eat near the Wellmont?

On Bloomfield Avenue, within a few blocks, where cafes, bistros, pizza counters and noodle shops line the street. A quick option is a slice or a bowl of noodles, and a fuller option is a bistro with a seasonal menu. Expect the popular rooms to fill by six on a show night. Phone ahead if you are a group, and be flexible, since the street offers many choices.

Is a Montclair film night different?

A little. Film audiences tend to arrive a little earlier and linger longer, and discussions after the screening spill into the cafes and bars. The township hosts a film festival and a regular cinema schedule, and the same pattern holds: eat early, then see the film, then find somewhere to talk. A late dessert or coffee is easy to find on the avenue.

Check the festival's own site for this year's screenings. Film nights suit smaller plates: a shared pizza, a bowl of noodles or a plate of vegetables arrives quickly and leaves room for popcorn. If you are going to a late screening, eat a proper meal first, since the cafes thin out as the evening goes on and the kitchens close earlier than the cinemas do.

What about a Montclair State University performance?

The university's performing arts spaces host concerts, plays and dance, and the campus sits a short drive or bus ride from the township center. Audiences include students, faculty and townspeople, and the surrounding streets fill on performance nights. If you are driving, check parking rules and leave extra time. Restaurants near the campus serve students on a budget, and the center offers more choices. A common plan is to eat in the township center, then drive or take a bus to the campus, which spreads the evening over two places. Another is to eat near the campus and skip the drive after the performance, which suits a family with young children and an early bedtime.

How do you manage a group on a show night?

Agree on one meeting point and one restaurant, and have a backup. Tell the restaurant the group size and the time you must leave. Decide in advance how you will divide the check, because a long discussion at the end costs the first scene. Choose a place where everyone can eat what they want, since a single vegetarian or a person with an allergy changes the options.

If the group is large, eat in smaller parties and meet at the door.

How do tags help for a show night?

In the Mosey app, raters add tags when they rate a meal, and diners look for them in the Find sheet. For a show night the useful ones are Date Night, Quick Service, Group Dining, Live music and Late Night. A tag is a note from someone who ate there, so phone the restaurant to confirm opening times. Tag your own show-night dinner and the next audience eats better.

Where next in Montclair?

The Montclair restaurants guide covers the main streets, and the Montclair brunch guide covers weekend mornings. For another pre-show guide, see pre-theater dinner in Ashland, and the US food guides hold the rest of the country.

Eating your way across New Jersey? The Food in New Jersey page links every town we cover.

After the final bow, open the Mosey app, rate the dinner you had by the dish, add a Date Night tag if it fits and share the list with whoever bought the tickets.