Taking A Trip Upstairs in Upper Montclair

“Do you know the name of that restaurant we were just in?”

That was the question a couple asked Holly and me, as the four of us were leaving Upstairs, the bar/restaurant that opened above Dai-Kichi in July. The question isn’t as strange as it sounds.

Like the bewildered couple we met on our way down from Upstairs, visiting the restaurant the first time feels well, trippy, but in a really good way. First impression — a mysterious blue staircase. There’s no name or sign yet, but the light from those “ice stairs” definitely beckons you to ascend.

Once you reach the top, the space before you is visually arresting — with a decidedly different vibe than other Montclair eateries. Tucked away above street level, entering Upstairs feels like leaving Upper Montclair far behind, and like Alice, entering a secret world (unlike Alice you go up instead of down). One thing is for sure — the secret is clearly out. On two recent visits (dinner on a Wednesday, drinks on a Tuesday) Upstairs was packed with a mix of singles and couples at the bar (on an earlier visit Yankee fans had their eyes trained to flat screens above the glass bar); a girls’ night out group chatting amicably at a cozy banquette; and plenty of diners seated at tables along the long space (which runs parallel to the dramatic bar and open kitchen before leading back to a separate, more conventional-looking dining room).

Upstairs (that really is the name) was originally envisioned as an upscale Japanese restaurant (note the rest room’s high-end heated Japanese toilet and its many cleansing options.). That vision changed when Dai-Kichi owner Aki Kaneda was convinced by restaurant manager Scott Hirschberg to go a different route. Hirschberg’s call was a good one. Montclair liquor licenses are few and far between, and let’s face it, people don’t typically go to a Japanese restaurant to sit at the bar and sip for instance, a Smoking Corpse, or an Im-pear-ment (pictured below). The decision to take Upstairs in a different direction also meant owner Kenada, like the owners of Egan & Sons/Halcyon, is able two offer two distinct restaurant experiences sharing one liquor license.

The menu offers everything from small plates to share and sustain you through cocktails (or combine to make a meal) to larger, more substantial offerings (think seared scallops atop grilled bacon steak with creamy corn poblano or grilled pork chop, kale with chili and sweet potato chipotle gratin and candied bacon). Just don’t get too attached to any one item, because it might not be on the menu the next time you come.

The cook likes to mix it up (I say cook because the culinary brain behind Upstairs, Dave Van Morrelgem, prefers that title to chef). Van Morrelgem and his team (Chris Bertram, Chris Arturo and Travis Anderson) are constantly tweaking the menu not just seasonally, but weekly, to reflect what’s fresh and to deliver a more farm to table experience. The menu is small — about 14 items total, not counting dessert — and Hirschberg says the plan is to keep it that way. On a first visit, we tasted a small plate offering — actually a quite generous serving of creamy polenta with house made lamb sausage. Next time around, the polenta was gone, but the delicious lamb sausage was elevated to star status, served with grilled bread, red onion marmalade, mustard and cornichons.

Now about those drinks. Bartender/evil genius Joe Landolfi whipped up the Smoking Corpse which could easily be Upstairs signature drink — it’s a hip cocktail that also manages to be disconcerting. Bring the glass to your lips and you smell a smoky scent. Start to sip and you taste a heady mix of gin, chartreuse and citrus. We also tried the Im-pear-ment, a mix of prosecco, pear and St. Germain, which would be perfect at brunch (something Montclair sorely needs and Hirschberg plans to do). On our to-do list, testing the Elastic Band (spiced rum, ginger and rhubarb) to see if it gets one loose.

Upstairs, 608 Valley Rd., Upper Montclair, 973-744-4144. Hours are Monday-Sunday, 5 p.m.-1 a.m. Food photos: Upstairs Facebook