Lula, the intimate 54-seat restaurant in downtown Ridgewood, has officially been named one of the 50 Best Restaurants in New Jersey by New Jersey Monthly. The accolade highlights the rapid rise of the neighborhood dining room, which has become a focal point of the Bergen County culinary scene.
Owned and operated by chef Conor Browne, the establishment has built a reputation for its inviting, community-focused atmosphere. Browne brings a practiced hand to the kitchen, drawing on his experience at Turtle + the Wolf in Montclair to develop a menu that balances sophisticated execution with a welcoming, neighborhood-oriented feel. The physical space is designed to foster connection, with regular patrons frequently stopping by adjacent tables to converse in a room characterized by its warmth.
The culinary program at Lula centers on elevated New American and Mediterranean dishes, emphasizing high-quality execution and local sourcing. Distinctive menu items include a crispy, hot honey-glazed Peking duck-leg starter, a signature house-baked focaccia served with whipped herb butter, and poultry sourced from local purveyors such as Goffle Road Poultry Farm. This blend of technical precision and approachable dining has established Lula as a premier destination for local and regional diners alike.
While Lula represents the newer wave of celebrated dining in town, other local establishments continue to demonstrate the long-term strength of Ridgewood's food scene. Shumi, a modern sushi destination on Ridgewood Avenue known for its high-quality chef's tasting menus and daily fish imports from Japan, is celebrating 10 years in business this year. The ongoing success of both long-standing pillars like Shumi and critically acclaimed newcomers like Lula reinforces Ridgewood's position as a dominant culinary hub in Bergen County.