Call it next-door neighbor Egan’s fancy cousin. A fish palace whose maturity and preciousness may be a barrier to entry for some, but for others may be a draw. Halcyon isn’t a restaurant where your college-aged son is going to bring a date. It may feel a little too much like his great aunt’s place, or his swinging bachelor uncle’s 80s pad. Plus, fish may be a tough sell for youngsters. But for a small group of adult humans with disposable income, Halcyon will present as a pleasant experience in a dark space with candlelight, decent seafood and drinks. Sounds like an adult night out on the town.
I’m not really sure how to describe the interior of Halcyon other than to call it fussy. A word that, when repeated a few times, starts to lose its meaning. But, between the plants and the flowers and the ornate mirrors and marble and oddball, lit-from-behind, etched-glass deep-sea-creature kind of stained-glass-but-not-stained-glass panels above the bar to the hodge-podge of booths and table tops and awkwardly placed columns it’s just a lot. The shades on the front windows also seem to always be down, so the whole thing feels a little bit claustrophobic and cave-like. And the lighting follows the old-school nature of more upscale restaurants, keeping it somewhere between dim and pitch black. Which, for some, may be a plus. But for others with aging eyes means getting out that iPhone to read the menu. Another option since COVID is a tent out back in the parking lot that has been fancified into an alt eating area and is actually a great option to get out in the open air on a nice night.
I will say, their crispy calamari is some of the best I’ve ever had. And we’ve sampled a lot of fried squid rings over the years. It’s a delicate balance, this stuff, getting the right amount of fry without weighing it down with grease. I also got a paella that was super-tasty. I did eat around the chorizo, but how can saffron rice, scallops, shrimp, mussels, clams, and chicken be bad? Seriously, paella is not something I’ll be making at home. And, honestly, at $36 it might cost me just as much to buy all of these ingredients, and I wouldn’t be able to make it this well — not even close. I mean, is it as authentic and amazing as a couple Spanish joints in NYC at which I shoveled seasoned browned rice and seafood into my maw? Not quite, but it’s a delicious experience in and of itself. I do feel like people probably order oysters here, as I understand it’s a tradition to suck down chewy sea chunks with alcohol, but it’s not a thing I engage with. I believe Halcyon and Egan & Sons share a kitchen (and a booze license), so I’m not sure how similar their Halcyon fish tacos are to their neighbor’s, but they’re my go-to at Egan’s, so I would definitely grab those here on my next visit (despite them being listed as an appetizer) with the hope maybe they’re an elevated version of my faves.
So, if you’re a grown-up and/or have a date with one, Halcyon is a decent option. If you have out-of-town, older parents visiting who don’t want to be deafened by chatter or overwhelmed by “weird” food or ingredients and just want a “nice piece of fish,” this is also a good choice. Your uncle who loves a stiff drink or four and has a penchant for looking around and saying things like “Wow, Joanne, this is one classy joint, they must be paying you pretty good at that fancy job of yours” would also be happy as a clam. So, Halcyon will please a large swath of folks on the spectrum of folks. It might just not hit that Gen Z pleasure center. Mostly because it’s not Chipotle and doesn’t have TVs with MMA or makeup influencers on a loop. But what do I know?
114 Walnut St. – Montclair
973/744-4450
halcyonmontclair.com
