Montclair has roughly 13 consumption licenses, the type that lets a business serve drinks on premise, for a town of 41,000 people. That scarcity is the reason the best bars in Montclair, N.J., aren’t just the ones with buzz. This guide covers the town’s bar and pub scene in full, organized by what you’re in the mood for: cocktail lounges, pubs and restaurant bars, the one brewery, and the wine bar that rounds it out.
Why Montclair Doesn’t Have More Bars
A 1947 New Jersey law set the cap: one consumption license per 3,000 residents, a formula that hasn’t moved much since. It’s why some of Montclair’s best restaurants are BYOB instead of full bars, and why a license here can sell for well over a million dollars when one changes hands. Not every business below competes for those same 13 slots, though. A brewery or a wine shop operates under a different license category, one that isn’t capped the same way. For the complete history, including what a license costs today, read the Pod’s breakdown of Montclair’s liquor license system.
With that context in mind, here’s the full list.
Best Cocktail Bars in Montclair
Bar Franco, 5 Church St. This is the spot with the most Manhattan energy on this list, a cocktail lounge with the feel of a side-street bar you’d stumble into downtown. Outdoor seating is limited, so go early or book ahead if you want a table for negronis rather than a quick drink at the bar. Its sibling restaurant, Fresco da Franco, sits next door at 15 Church St. for a full Italian dinner and more room to sit.
The Splendid, 690 Bloomfield Ave. Montclair’s only rooftop bar, on the ninth floor of the MC Hotel. It feels, as Farnoosh has put it, like a sports bar on the fifth floor of your Upper East Side townhouse: flat screens and a lively crowd on one side, a clear sightline to the Manhattan skyline on the other. It was known as Alto Rooftop until 2025, when Stout NYC Hospitality Group took over food and beverage at the hotel and relaunched the space under its current name. Server Alani Coni described how the room shifts as the night goes on: “You’ll see jerseys during the day, and by 10 or 11, this area turns into a dance floor.” Reservations are worth making on weekends…