Fornos of Spain Restaurant

The food was fantastic, from the Shrimps in Garlic sauce to the Paella to the Steak. The staff was excellent and very attentive to our table. My only concern was the 2 hour wait time. Aside from that, I plan on going back but during at a different time.

I love this place! I used to think this was my little gem in Newark but I went last Saturday after the Devils game and quickly learned I was wrong! Lots of Devils patrons filled the bar area! I have sat for dinner before and it is amazing! The portions are large, with your expected shared portion of veggies and rice. The ambience is special occasion romantic and the service is top notch. If you are a lover of wine they will definitely carry a section to tickle your fancy. This time I stood by the bar with a group of friends and split a few pitchers of sangria. The sangria (red) was delicious! Not too sugary and sweet like other places, (no post morning hangover) just the right amount of tart and sweet. This stuff is strong, or maybe I drank too much? That’s because it’s a short jolly walk from Newark Penn and I can very easily stumble my way home without having to walk too far in the shady depths of the ironbound! I would hang by the bar for casual but if I’m going to sit down I like to dress up for a date night, definitely an upscale atmosphere.

Paella! I eat a lot so when I see 2 for 1, I think it’s good enough just for me. Paella was enough for 2 people [maybe more] so it’s a meal to be shared, the way it was meant to be eaten.
The paella rice is on the creamier, almost wet, side. Almost in between a classic paella and a caldoso. Doesn’t hurt the flavors of the meal, but some body and texture would definitely put it over the top, especially that layer of caramelized rice on the bottom that you have to scrape off.
That would probably be a common theme for a lot of their dishes: an excess of sauces and fluids. Considering the portions here are very very generous, you’re likely to doggybag it only to get a soggy soup for leftovers later.
But is is still GOOD.
As for authenticity, it depends on the dish. In my experience here, the chicken dishes are trying to achieve something more approachable so I just don’t get the Iberian taste I’m looking for. The fish and seafood and ternera will get my best recommendations.
I’ve sat in almost all of the rooms so the ambiance varies. Large room looks like the old-​fashioned fancy dining places with a crowd of patrons in shorts and t-​shirts. Definitely more on the busy, loud and crowded side as if you’re at a wedding reception with people you don’t know. Occasionally we luck out, and got one of the smaller private rooms. Tacky with faux Spanish paintings and a TV in between, but at least it’s away from the noise.

I’m not sure if I left a review here before, but thought I’d mention my family had a small lunch here for my parents’ 40^th Anniversary. ‘Til this day, my parents has mentioned that it was the BEST family lunch they ever had! and this was 4 years ago! ¹⁄₂₉ is their Anniversary. I still remember how great the service was, staff was attentive and everything went smoothly from beginning to end! My parents are hard to please whenever we go out to eat, they are old school Asian parents where they are comfortable eating mostly Asian & other food that are familiar to them… but dining here, they were happy as a clam with the food & service they had. Just wanted to say THANK YOU! FOH staff is just as important to make the BOH hard work even more special. I’ll keep this place in mind for their 50^th! =)

Visited here on a Saturday night prior to a show at the NJPAC. They don’t take reservations for parties of two, but we were sat within 15 minutes, so no issues there.
They start you with a fresh salad, bread and olives — I really enjoyed the heart of Palm salad and olives, not a huge fan of the bread.
For dinner we tried a paella (can’t remember which one, but was made with pasta instead of rice), along with a half Pitcher of sangria. The food and sangria were bother delicious and more than enough for two ladies to share.
Service was also very attentive even with a busy staff.
I’ll be back!

Wanted something different, something out of the norm; something out of the ordinary of what I would usually order at a Portuguese Restaurant. After much deliberation we decided to order the Black Rice Paella, which consisted of Black Rice which is blackened with Ink Squid, it also contained Clams, Shrimp, Mussel, Calamari & Salmon. This meal was absolutely «Devine». Although somewhat pricey, it’s worth every cent. It’s been more than 20 years since I’ve eaten here and the food is better than what I remember. Fornos of Spain is amongst my list of highly recommended restaurants; a great date spot & a great hangout spot with the girls or guys; either way you’ll love the food. Try for yourself or reacquaint yourself, either way «Bön Appetite!»

I came here with coworkers. I pulled up in my car and valet. You have to valet if you want to park in their lot. If you don’t feel comfortable, then park off street. We ordered appetizers: sausages, garlic shrimps, calamari and stuffed mushrooms. I ordered seafood paella for main course and had glass of both red and white sangria. For desserts, I shared the pecan pie with vanilla ice cream and the walnut pie.
The appetizers were delicious especially the garlic shrimps and calamari. The calamari was breaded just right and it was crispy, not chewy. However, the marinara sauce for the calamari is too sweet. Yes, I said sweet. I don’t know what the heck they put in it but I wasn’t too thrilled but it didn’t ruin my meal. I wasn’t too thrilled with the seafood paella, but it was decent. The rice was a little too salty for my taste. Sangria walnut pie was awesome so no complaints. The pecan pie was too sweet but if you have a really sweet tooth, then I recommend ordering that slice.

Ate here last night with a party of seven. Service was very good as was the red sangria. Had a great night because of the people we were with but was very disappointed with the food.
First we only ordered chorizo as an appetizer because we had heard the main courses were so big. I ordered the Paella Valencia. It was big but it was basically a big portion of rice with 2 small shrimp, a few mini scallops, a few over cooked mussels and clams, 3 – 4 thin slices of chorizo, one chicken wing and one small chicken thigh (I think) and half a small lobster which was ok. It just seemed like someone thru the paella together and just didn’t care what the result was. No one else in my group complained but no one raved about the food either. None of the other dishes were very big either. Would have ordered more apps.

My best friend’s family and I always come here for all of our special occasions. They always remember us (and our orders) when we come and that’s a sign of great customer service! This is a great place for a special occasion — plenty of space, not too loud that you can’t hear each other, great food and strong drinks (and I mean that… 2 drinks in and I was at interpretative dance level tipsy).
You start off your meal with complimentary salad and a bread basket. The salad has hearts of palm, cucumber, tomato, mixed greens and a balsamic dressing. There’s warm rolls and garlic bread in the basket. All very delicious!
I ALWAYS get shrimp in champagne sauce as my main meal… I’ve literally never had anything else. They give you yellow rice and chips with your main course and a chip with some rice on it with some of that champagne sauce is the best bite you’ll ever eat. For starters, the grilled calamari, fried calamari and clams in red sauce are all delicious. My boyfriend had the seafood paella and loved it! Can’t go wrong with anything here.

My husband and I were looking for a quick sit down dinner near penn station before train back to DC. We agreed on Forbo’s after salivating to pictures of their paella.
Apparently we went in through a side door and the host/​hostess was nowhere to be found. One of the servers saw us wandering and immediately seated us. Warm bread, fresh salad, olives, and water soon to followed. We let them know that we were in a hurry to catch a train and promised to serve our paella in half an hr.
Warm bread — toasty yet soft — I can be happy by just having this basket alone.
Salad — lightly dressed in vinegar and olive oil. Every component was super fresh! Couldn’t believe this salad was complimentary!
Paella Mariscos — just as promised, it came piping hot right at 30 min mark! Portion was more than enough to feed 2! Loaded with scallop, shrimp, mussels, clams, and half of a whole lobster — I couldn’t get enough. The rice was perfectly cooked and seasoned. The seafood was sweet and fresh. It was hands down the best paella ever!
Overall — attentive service, generous portion, beyond delicious, well priced foods. A def must stop whenever in the area!

Great upscale resteraunt. They start you off with salad and bread. We skipped the apitizer and went to the main course. I recommend the shrimp in spicy tomato sauce, its really flavorful, savory and a bit spicy. I dipped the bread in the tomato sauce and it was so good. Pork chops and paella diablo were good as well. The caipirinhas are stong, which is good, but I personally would have liked more citrus flavor in that. We had caramel flan and banana coconut cake for desert. I liked the cake better b/​c I prefer to low sugar desserts. But the flan was very good also. The service was 5 star. Private parking lot is a plus. Great atmosphere, lighting, tableware, etc. for a upscaleish typw dinner. Price is a little high, but worth the cost for the food/​service/​atmosphere etc.

I loved the whole experience, but something that stood out was the complimentary appetizers.
Besides the classic bread and butter, Fornos brought me olives, good quality olive oil to dip my bread, and a delicious garden salad. The appetizers were a light meal on their own.
The food I ordered was excellent and the staff was super friendly. Fornos has a nice casual-​dressy ambiance and seems perfect for either a business lunch or a special dinner. They embody the spirit and warmth of Newark Ironbound with a hint of sophistication.
I hope to have a similar experience next time. I’m definitely returning!

Great restaurant in Newark we went on a Tuesday night at 7 PM and the placed was packed. Even though we were seated at a great location. The wait staff are excellent. We started with a salad everything was very fresh and I especially liked the artichokes. We shared an order of baked clams that were delicious very generous portion. For my entrée I had the filet sole. Cooked to perfection deboned and skinned. It was served with whipped potatoes that were light as a feather Also served with sautéed vegetables the green beans were fresh and crisp. For dessert we shared the pineapple, honeydew, and strawberries. They were so fresh and sweet a great ending to a perfect meal.

This place is excellent! As soon as we were seated, (which for a party of 2 without rsvp was within 5 minutes and it’s a saturday night) we got a salad, bread, butter, olive oil and olives. Their white sangria was refreshing! For the main course I ordered the grilled skirt steak with chimichurri sauce over portabella mushrooms. Just delicious and you can tell was all cooked fresh! My boyfriend oredered the T-​bone steak which was the size of a bicycle seat!!! Everything was full of flavor including the vegetables and rice.
Our waitor was not only attentive but pretty entertaining. After our meal, we were given warm wipes which I thought was above and beyond for service.
We will defintely be going back!

Came here for lunch on a weekday with colleagues, and was pleasantly surprised at the fine dining lunch experience! The service here was great, the food came out in a timely fashion, water cups were always refilled with out asking, tasted great, and the portions were large (I wouldn’t expect anything smaller from the Ironbound).
Now, my review may be slightly biased considering I had a couple glass of wine with my meal, (almost never happens with my lunch meal on the clock), but coherently enough, I will say that the food was great. Soft bread, as-​fresh-​as-​it-​can-​get fish for the Ironbound area, tasty vegetables, excellent starter salad for the table… with REAL greens!
If there is anything I would change it’s the fact that the table butter looked like they had just chopped a sticker of butter in half and served it on the table with the family style bread and salad. It wasn’t even room temp enough for pliable action on my fluffy roll.

Came here off a recommendation from my Dad and did not leave disappointed. Fornos is a great place to come to if you’re planning on attending an event at the Rock. Its located close by (kind of walking distance if you’re up to it). They have a parking lot, valet only i believe.
As son as you’re seated, you’re provided with a complimentary salad, tons of olives and bread. Pretty awesome.
As far as the food is concerned, I knew I didn’t really have to look at the menu much, I wanted to try their paella. I got one of their «new» special paellas, forget the name… but it was a huge portion (easily shared by 2 or 3 people) and it was delicious. Chicken, pork, mussels, shrimp, so much goodness in one plate. This paella has jalapeños in it as well, so the kick in this dish was very evident but I loved it. Almost forgot, I also had an amazing appetizer (also can’t remember the name of it, sorry) but it was a shrimp roll which was deep fried. It was SO good, highly recommend trying it.
On top of the good food, service was impeccable. My water glass was never left empty and dishes were never left lingering at the table. Also for all you wine lovers, Fornos has an extensive wine list. Especially if you’re looking to purchase by the bottle, they literally have a book of wines you can choose from. Pretty impressive.
My dad did not steer me wrong, Fornos was good and I would come back.

Fornos is within walking distance of the Prudential Center and the courts.
I went here for lunch in a party of 8.
This is a real Spanish restaurant which has a staff which are all native speakers. While I didn’t see the chef or kitchen staff, it wouldn’t surprise me if they were all Basques!
Clams in green sauce — delicious! Strip steak — yumb! Salad course — huge and fresh!
Great food and authentic. The place was packed for lunch. I can see why because the food was ample, fresh, and well prepared.
The service was a bit lax but that is in keeping with the whole 3 hour lunch thing from Spain.
Great place that I would definitely go out of my way for.

Yum! I came here with a group for lunch yesterday, and just finished eating my delicious leftover shrimp and garlic. If you like a lot of garlic, you should thoroughly enjoy this dish. I was thrilled at the abundance of garlic! The dish comes with a side of yellow rice and Spanish chips. I would love if the dish was served with some lemons on the side, though they were provided when I asked.
Prior to the meal arriving, we were provided with a nice portion of complimentary olives, salad, and bread. I really liked how the bread came with both olive oil and butter.
Overall, the food was delicious. I will definitely be coming back here in the future. I do wish the service was a bit faster. If you’re not in a rush, this place is definitely worth it.

I love this place. The waiters are so nice and attentive. This is seriously my family’s go-​to for all celebratory meals. The paella is so good and I he tall the time but this time I ventured out and got the stuffed filet of sole. OMG!!!
My brothers always get a hearty piece of beef and it’s always enough for 3 people. Get the sangria and apps — the rice, chips, and veggies are enough for a family of 4 for the week. We LOVE Fornos :)

My husband’s family is from Spain and we love going to different Spanish restaurants in search of something that will taste as good as his grandma’s food. This place did the trick!
We came here with a party of 6 on a Sunday afternoon. We had reservations and were seated quickly. As soon as we were seated, even before we were handed menus, the waiters brought us bread and salad. Definitely opened up our appetite! To drink, we ordered 2 pitchers of sangria. It had yummy fruit chunks and was good — not the best that I’ve had though.
For food, we have heard that the appetizers are big portions so we opted to skip main dishes and just share a bunch of appetizers (tapas style). It was a great decision. We ordered garlic shrimp, tortilla, chorizo, pulpo (octopus), croquetas, and calamari. Everything tasted excellent — the shrimp was my fave. It truly was a lot of food and we all left completely stuffed. My father in law ordered the lamb chops for a main course but he was so full from the appetizers that we all shared the lamb chops.
For dessert, we had the tiramisu, crème brûlée, flan, and tartufo. Everything, again, was excellent. The tiramisu was so soft and creamy! Everything was just honestly amazing.
As far as the service, everyone was highly attentive. We had a lot of different guys serving our table. I noticed that they always served the females first whether it was food, water, sangria, etc. Also, after we ate our tapas, they gave us warm towelettes to clean our hands.
Overall, we had a great time. From start to finish, it was a good experience. Can’t wait to come back to try the paella!

Muy bueno, peeerooo algo caro…