Jersey City Heights has been abuzz the past few weeks waiting for The Cliff, the newest cafe and restaurant in the neighborhood at 38 Congress Street, to open its doors. With self-proclaimed killer coffee and a Icelandic-inspired health conscious menu, they are very much vegetarian friendly {and even offer vegan options}. The Cliff, owned by husband and wife Eva Johannesdottir + Gary Keating, debuted last summer at the the Jersey City Project: EATS street festival. And since then, JC residents have been anxiously awaiting opening day. Between Eva’s Icelandic roots, and the fact that their very own “Cliff Blend” coffee {a compilation of beans from all over the world} completely sold out within two days of their opening, we’d say The Cliff was worth the wait.
First, let’s talk about that “killer coffee”. The flew-off-the-shelf Cliff Blend we mentioned earlier was hand picked by the husband and wife duo — and is roasted locally. And if that wasn’t cool enough, they offer “pour over” coffee where you can watch your cup be brewed fresh in front of your eyes. But if this whole coffee thing really isn’t your scene, they also offer loose tea and soon hope to include breakfast sandwiches and pastries on their to-go menu. But if you’re planning on dining in, The Cliff will be open for breakfast and lunch on weekdays and for brunch on weekends.
Did somebody say brunch? We did. Some of the highlights on their opening brunch menu include smoked trout {straight from Iceland} with tarragon creme fraiche, hearty bread, greens and pickled vegetables; brioche french toast with fresh berries, toasted almonds, coconut and mascarpone; avocado on multigrain toast with poached egg, mushroom “bacon” and greens {warning: this is not your basic avocado toast}. While they have not debuted the lunch menu yet, you can expect it to feature sandwiches, soups and salads.
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Headed to work and don’t have time to sit and eat a full meal? Fear not {because really, who has time for any of that and fear}, they offer healthy snacks to grab and go — such as almonds, yogurt and house-made granola — so you don’t miss your train.
If you do choose to sit and stay a while, you’ll notice that the owners have put so much thought into every little detail around the restaurant. From the light fixtures, to the table decorations, to the most ah-mazing zebra wallpaper {no, we’re not kidding — see above} you will feel as comfortable as you would in your own living room. To top it all off The Cliff has a secluded backyard, offering you the option of dining al fresco {which is pretty hard to come by in JC Heights}. This is just the beginning for The Cliff in Jersey City Heights and we can’t wait to see what else they have in store for us!
Read more: Exploring Jersey City: Paulus Hook Neighborhood
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