Restaurants in Verona

Seven days a week, every day of the year, the chefs at Roka Mediterranean and Turkish Cuisine fill crispy phyllo dough with feta cheese and blend hummus with olive oil and lemon juice. Cooks make each dish from scratch, using vegetables straight from farm fields and breads and pastries that are baked onsite. Patrons are free to pair dishes with bottles of wine brought from home in this BYOB restaurant. In the dining room, the decor keeps the atmosphere light, with crisp linen tablecloths, white trim, and puffy clouds of falafel floating overhead.

NY Bagel Cafe & Deli's kitchen bakes its bagels fresh every day, fueling a savory expansion to locations across seven states. At the Newark site, a glass case displays doughy circles infused with ingredients such as sun-dried tomatoes and blueberries. Patrons can opt to decorate their bagels or the eatery's pumpkin-colored walls with cream-cheese spreads flavored with scallions, bacon, and strawberries. In addition, deli sandwiches enfold Boar's Head–brand meats and cheeses in italian bread, wraps, or rolls.

Patrons engage every sense at Twenty 20, savoring the scents and flavors of Spanish and Latin-American cuisine and following the upbeat sounds of salsa music to the dance floor. As the chefs spoon chimichurri sauce over grilled skirt steak and bake servings of saffron-scented paella, the bartenders deftly mix mojitos and pour sangria for thirsty crowds. Fueled with drinks and vibrant cuisine, guests quickstep past a kaleidoscopic wall mural and dance while DJs or live bands play pulse-quickening salsa hits and acoustic French lullabies. The restaurant encourages patrons to take the stage themselves on Thursdays when it hosts karaoke nights.

The sound of mojitos and caipirinhas clinking fades into the rhythm of salsa and merengue tunes at Havana Alma de Cuba every night. At the heart of the restaurant, the kitchen prepares a rich spread of Cuban, Latin, and Spanish dishes rated very good to excellent by Zagat and recommended by New York Magazine. Chef Gerardo Tlapa marinates fresh fish in citrus juices to create daily ceviche specials and prepares traditional entrees by braising shredded skirt steak in tomato and covering pork chops with a rich chorizo-tomatillo sauce. Flickering votive candles and a wall-size mural of Cuban streets and musicians playing conga drums create a lively atmosphere in the dining room. Beyond the bustle inside sits an outdoor patio with seating for private events including wedding rehearsals and staring contests.

Live music from Son, Mambo and Rumba serenades guests Thursday–Saturday nights. Tuesday and Wednesday nights bring a different sort of show. Special guest Jose Martinez crafts complimentary cigars for each diner, expertly rolling each one before their eyes. Martinez draws on 30 years of experience that began with his training in the Dominican Republic and continues in his current position as a cigar maker at La Rosa Cubana, which Ciagar Aficionado calls "the old grand dame of New York's mini cigar factories."

Plumes of fragrant steam swirl above bowls as waiters deliver hefty portions of paella to red-linen-topped tables inside Vivo Tapas Lounge. In the paella, clamshells, shrimp, mussel shells, and pearly scallops pop amid a heap of golden saffron rice. The eatery’s paella complements a list of hot and cold tapas, all of which exemplify the restaurant's Zagat rating of very good to excellent food. On small tapas plates, chefs arrange tiny patties of spanish tuna or mushrooms stuffed with onions, bacon, pine nuts, and mozzarella cheese. After meals, the crowd can get to their feet and dance the night away amid colorful beams of light and exposed-brick walls. Sheer curtains cordon off private seating with tufted, high-backed banquettes for VIP parties and laid-back tax audits.

Canteen Indian Bistro draws in customers with a lengthy menu of traditional dishes prepared with halal meats, from the chicken malai kebab to lamb chops. The restaurant's BYOB policy allows customers to dine in and supply their own beer or wine, and its carry-out service allows guests to enjoy a meal provided they supply their own home to eat it in.