Archetypus Cafe
266 River Rd, Edgewater, NJ
(201) 941-0609
The River Road area in Edgewater over the last several years has attracted a number of new condo housing developments, and to service the needs of these new residents, a number of interesting restaurants have sprung up. One of the weirdest Cafe concepts I have come across in a while is Archetypus, which I sometimes like to call Architeuthis, because on the inside it kind of looks like you've been swallowed by a giant squid. The place is going for this whole ancient-world Atlantean-Minoan-Etruscan thing, with weird trancy music playing in the background. Clearly its going for the 25 and under set. Their primary menu consists of Pizza and sandwiches, but they make some really interesting coffee drinks and serve some interesting ice cream sundaes. Definitely a date joint.
Archetypus from the outside. Beleive it or not the place used to be painted lime green, inside and out. I guess they thought making it white would make it LESS weird.
Uh Huh.
Sundaes are big enough for two people to share. This one is the Redragon, with Strawberry Ice Cream, Vanilla Ice Cream, Pound Cake and Strawberry Sauce and Whipped Cream.
Off The Broiler 
When it was green, the inside looked like the belly of a whale or something. Now its just kind of like some weird idealized version of a cave in ancient Greece or something.
The “Open” sign is new. You used to have to either know, or just guess, since no inner lighting shows out through those windows.
fyi…this place isn’t new! It is just easier to see it since construction has been done.
It has been around for 15-20 years.
It may have had a name change along the way but the interior has remained the same.
I LOVE THE BUILDING.
HOW OLS IS IT????????????????????
This place is great. I can forgive the times it has been slow. I am not going there for the great service nor the great food. I am going for the great experience. It is like going into a semi 500 BC, semi Modern artwork cafe. It rocked when they had the poetry readings on Thursday Night. I have a call in to them to see if they have started the reading up again. At that time it was like stepping into a philosophers gather with the poets being the philosophers stretching your mind while you ate and had coffee.
The dishes at the time ran from great to a plate of grass. LOL. But even the grass was an experience you had to have once. I am planning on returning again shortly. I miss this place drastically. It is far better then all of Artistic places in Montclair NJ put together.
Yep, this is definitely not new. I am not sure when it opened exactly but I remember it being open as early as 1989 when it was Cafe Enigma. It was one of those places you found out about by word of mouth or friends. They had some of the best desserts…a truly unique little place. I don’t live in the area anymore…but I did for many years and we went to Enigma often. Glad to see that they kept the unique decor. It was definitely ahead of it’s time back then!
This is is great, it’s so pretty, you step in and pow your in Greece.
I love the ice cream and the Quesadillas. Cool place to visit.
I know the owners and the management very well and the compliment stream in these notes are quite accurate. In fact they are all artists who just happen to remember to eat once in a while and decided others may like an epicurean delight too— For the unfortunate souls who have never experienced this — urge them on!!!