Cellar 335’s annual Sleighs and Leis holiday pop-up is back for the holiday season. The entire restaurant is decked out in twinkling lights and the menu includes creative Christmas-themed cocktails. If you’re ready to embrace the season here in Hudson County, we recommend putting on your favorite Christmas sweater and heading to Cellar 335 for a fun and festive night out. Keep reading to learn all about the menu and what to expect at this jolly Jersey City holiday bar.
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What is the Sleighs + Leis Event?
Sleighs and Leis is a Christmas pop-up at Cellar 335, a “modern tiki cocktail lounge” with Asian-inspired dishes. The restaurant is led by head chef Christopher Abbamondi who is known for working in esteemed fine dining establishments like Fishtail by David Burke and Gordon Ramsay West Hollywood.
Cellar 335 is located at 335 Newark Avenue, right under White Eagle Hall. From November 15th – December 31st, the restaurant transforms into a Christmas wonderland. Reservations are accepted — and encouraged — via Resy.
The restaurant is open Tuesday – Thursday from 5PM – 10PM and Friday – Saturday from 5PM – 11PM. The bar stays open on Tuesday – Thursday from 5PM – 12AM and on Friday – Saturday from 5PM – 1AM.
Read More: Miracle on Mercer: The Holiday Pop-Up in Jersey City That Locals Are Loving
The Vibe
As soon as you walk up to Cellar 335 you will be greeted by Christmas lights. The entrance sign is even covered with a surfboard that reads “Sleighs N’ Leis.” Since this is a cellar, you will walk down the steps to the entrance. Inside, you will immediately see tons of festive decorations — the ceiling is covered with Christmas lights and strings of ornaments, Christmas music is playing and everyone seems to be in the holiday spirit.
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HG pro tip: To make sure you get a spot, make reservations in advance. We went on a Friday night and the restaurant was packed. The tables are pretty close to each other and there didn’t seem to be any open spots at the bar.
Overall, it feels like an upscale, but approachable, Christmas tiki bar. The theme is so fun and it wasn’t too loud if you want somewhere that you can sit and chat for a date night or GNO.
The Drinks
The cocktail menu includes a few specialty Christmas drinks that are served in themed mugs. We ordered the Rum Rum Rudolph, which is Plantation 5 rum, Appleton Signature rum, Applejack brandy, gingerbread, orange, lemon, and bitters. It came in an adorable Rudolph wearing a Santa hat mug.
The Santa Morning Coffee also caught our eye. This one is a creative mix of Espolon Reposado tequila, Xicaru 102 mezcal, Xila liquor de agave, coffee, Haitian orange, pineapple, passion fruit, agave, coconut, lemon, all spices, and cacao bitters.
Other festive drinks include ‘Tis The Season To Be Tiki and Coco Lights in the Palm Tree. The drink menu also includes large-format cocktails, wine, beer, and cider.
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See More: All About the Holiday Lights Spectacular at Turtle Back Zoo in West Orange
The Food
The food menu doesn’t have a Christmas theme but the options are all very tempting. Cellar 335’s year-round menu includes Asian-inspired dishes. Everything is meant to be shared and the dishes come out when they are ready. Since there are so many great options to try, it’s fun to visit with a group to get a sampling of everything.
We ordered the Crispy Honey Glazed Brussel Sprouts with roasted peanuts and Fuji apples, Maple Chipotle Korean-style Wings, Pepper Beef with Rice, and the Udon Noodle special. The menu also includes large-format Bao Buns, Warm Hummus, Tiki Masala Chicken Meatballs, and more.
For dessert, Cellar 335 offers Banana Bread, Ube Cannoli, Chocolate Mousse, and Passionfruit Panna Cotta.
Overall, we loved the tropical tiki vibes at Sleighs and Leis. The drinks were top-notch, the decorations were very festive, and Cellar 335’s menu is always delicious. Don’t forget that reservation so you don’t miss out. And afterward, to add some extra holiday cheer, stroll along the pedestrian-friendly part of Newark Avenue to take in all of the festive holiday lights along this street.
