Firstly we'd like to say, ABSOLUTELY the loveliest experience!! When we first entered, we were alone and had exceptional service. As more people entered, our service didn't waiver, in fact it might've been even better. The food: divine. We are speechless. Both our servers were clearly very genuine and kind, so kind that when there was tip complications, all he said was "don't worry about it." Highly recommend, we will be back again. read more

Always a great place to dine out , owners are like family and always with a smile. The food is always consistent, this is one of our favorite spots. read more

My family and I tried Ancona at the suggestion of friends and we were glad we did! This unassuming little restaurant turned out to be one we will keep on our rotation. We had an early seating and started with the calamari,done perfectly and with a delicious marinara. Entrees were Chicken Ancona, Veal Ossobuco and Spaghetti with Meatballs. All very good. What was telling however was virtually every patron after us was greeted by the owner by name and vice versa. By 6pm the place was full and it seemed everyone was a regular. We will definitely be back. read more

We live right up the road. Not sure why we don't frequent this place more often . Food was great.. pasta fresh ...bolognese tasty and thick ..service very attentive.. finished with an incredible chocolate soufflé ....will definitely keep this place on our radar.. read more

Ancona Bistro - Italian Near Me - Gillette, New Jersey

I had dinner with my family here and I enjoyed my meal, lamb chops, quite allot. The appetizers prior to the meal were likewise delicious. Although it was rather similar to many other Italian restaurants nearby, it was a fantastic experience nonetheless. The atmosphere was cozy and warm, perfect for a cold January night, and the music was a nice touch. The service was also great, with very attentive waiters who clearly cared about you and the experience you have. I would definitely recommend this if you're nearby, want to try some Italian food and spend time with others in a very comfortable atmosphere. read more

Excellent food and service at this nominally Northern Italian BYOB. The menu selection has many Italian dishes one might expect as well as the chefs own interpretations and unique offerings. The owner and staff are Albanian and like the many other Albanian owned restaurants in the area strife to provide a top notch dining experience, with great service, in an elegant atmosphere at a reasonable price. My wife and I visited here just after it's spring 2013 opening with another couple. Between us we had the Veal Ancona (me), Lamp Shank, Pecan Crusted Salmon and Pasta Bolognese. The lamp was cooked perfectly. I'm not much for salmon, but each of us had a taste and raved at it's outside crunch and tender salmon. The bolognese was as expected. I usually don't order veal since it requires a certain skill to cook and maintain it's tenderness. The chef cooked it perfectly and I will likely try this again. I certainly recommend all these dishes. As another reviewer noted, Ancona has not yet been discovered so it may be quiet . It's possible you might have the owner and servers hanging over your shoulder to service. Drop a fork, ask them about their life, but relax and appreciate their intentions. The chef has some skill and I'd recommend he feature more unique specials and move away from the expected Italian appetizers and work on a signature dish. The wall decor requires a bit of change. The paintings and pictures didn't seem to match the ambiance of the restaurant during our Spring 2013 visit. Our share of the bill for entrees and appetizers includin tip was $ 65. Considering the quality of food, service and ambiance I felt this was an excellent price. Ancona is a 3.5 star with easy room for improvement so I'll noting it as 4 star. read more

Three and a half stars. We like to support places that are close to home. And when this place was a Stewart's, we were here frequently. When Ancona opened-Stewart's moved out in the dead of night, we said, do we really need another Italian restaurant in an area top heavy with them? Lately, Ancona has been very crowded. Lots of cars in the parking lot. Lots of folks dining on astro turf on the outside seating area. So, we decided to take out the other night. Two orders of fried calamari for the boy, Chicken Scarpariello for me and Linguine Torino-mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes and spinach for my wife. The food was ready in twenty minutes. Picking it up was really awkward. There is no check in area. Therefore, one must stand in the dining room in order to settle up and receive your food. That was uncomfortable. On a nice note, everyone connected with the restaurant thanked me for coming in. My son liked his calamari. Not rubbery at all. Good spicy dipping sauce. He did comment though that he wished the breading had more flavor. My chicken dish was ok. Very small portion. Only two and a half cherry peppers. I also like potatoes in my Scarpariello but Ancona's version offers mashed potatoes. So, I made a batch of sautéed potatoes before I left the house and added them to the dish. My wife's pasta dish was also ok but benefitted from a liberal dose of crushed red pepper and Parmesan at home. So, not a bad meal. But not good enough for us to abandon Marcello's and Clemente's in Berkeley Heights. read more

Fancy bistro in a quiet surrounding. The clientele look more dressed up than is commonly seen in the area. We were a party of 3 and found ourselves the last table on a Saturday night. Complimentary bread basket: Store-bought bread reheated in an oven. 3/5 Polenta: Warm and saucy. The perfect starter. 5/5 Rigatoni Ancona: Creamy and flavorful pasta. We finished this quickly. 4/5 Lamb Shank Osso Bucco: Tender pieces of lamb shaven off a large bone. Lacked flavor. 3/5 Chicken Ancona: Chicken breast in an uninspiring sauce. Couldn't finish it. 2/5 Tiramisu: This was rich and divine. Strong coffee flavor. 4/5 Creme Caramel: The custard base was rich and heavy. The perfect ending note. 4/5 Expect good but not great Italian. BYOB and come here for the ambiance. read more

As always Ancona comes through. Our 36th wedding anniversary dinner (we said nothing) and Tom and his staff plus food were perfect. An extra going home dessert on the house was a topper. We have had dinners with friends and family events here and each time it all works. This is our favorite place to go. I would and do recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a nice atmosphere, good food with a solid staff. read more

Came for dinner Friday night after 730pm and were seated immediately. A comfortable summer evening and the outside tables were empty. Shortly after us, another table was occupied. Our meal selection tonight began with eggplant rollatini which were nice and hot and quite good. The portion is rather small in comparison to other places I've been to. We shared a chicken parm dinner which came with linguini and we had the grilled seafood with vegetables (from the appetizer section). The chicken parm was a very thin slice of chicken and heavily breaded, needless to it was disappointing. The sauce and the linguini was tasty. The grilled seafood, was sad, a tiny butterflied shrimp, a small scallop (was not so fresh) and two small pieces of calamari (dry and tough) atop of cooked spinach which was done nicely. We did not have dessert , although they do have an extensive dessert menu. I was hoping for a better experience after reading some of the reviews but I was not impressed. I've had way better chicken parm across the street, sorry to say. read more

Had a great meal here with my husband in Sept 2013. The food, service, and atmosphere were all great. I had the beet salad with goat cheese. Very nice. I had the eggplant rollatini app for a meal. Two pieces - plenty for me. My husband had the spinach ravioli. The sauce was super rich and buttery. If you like that, it was great! :) As an aside, I am a pretty big tomato sauce snob. The marinara here is top notch! I ordered a veggie soup to go. Can't wait to lunch tomorrow!!! We came on a Saturday night and there wasn't an empty table. This place is new to town and think it will do well. :) read more

We dined her with friends this summer outside and had a excellent meal with great service (left a 4 star review.) This time we arrived on a Friday slightly after 6. The parking lot had only a few cars, and there were only a few diners so we were surprised that we were asked if we had reservations. We didn't, but since there were only 2 of us we were seated. Inside was lovely (the building housed an A&W Root Beer stand for years and the mugs are still etched on the front door!). There were tablecloths and cloth napkins, etc. Quiet music and with only a few diners was very pleasant. We ordered Pasta Fabiola soup and the Grilled seafood appetizer (see photo). Warm Italian bread with pesto olive oil was served. Next, the soup was good, not great. The seafood was ok, but the spinach, of which there was lots and beans, were very tasty. The main courses came soon, but not in a rushed manner. By then the restaurant had filled up, and by the time we left every table had dinners. The noise was to be expected but more than we enjoy. Next time we come back, if we do ,it will be on a less busy night. The entrees were meh- the 2 stars. My husband always orders Chicken Parmigiana in Italian restaurants so he has lots to compare to. He asked for vegetables rather than spaghetti (fewer carbs, fewer calories) Strange they substituted mash potatoes! (see photo) I love roasted pepper and portobello mushrooms, so I ordered the Chicken Paillard (see photo). This was less than meh. The chicken, mushrooms and peppers were all overdone, and they were swimming in the sauce that had not been cook enough to remove the strong vinegary taste. Though the service was fine, I think the kitchen cannot handle a full house. read more

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Best freshest Italian food you can find outside of NYC. These guys CARE about the food they serve and the service they provide. We eat here twice a week and LOVE it. read more

Love this place. Menu is delicious and specials always reliable. We pick up from there every other week or so, they'll customize like subbing penne instead of long spaghetti or no onions on a Milanese, and always have a warm smile for you. It's my husband's favorite chicken parm, which says a lot. Dessert rocks too! read more

Not a bad restaurant but didn't amaze me. The smoked salmon appetizer had flavor and was stuffed with tomatoes avocado and red onion. I had the fettuccine bolognese. It had some flavor but not that much. The soufflé is more like a molten lava cake. It was still god but not soufflé like. read more

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Absolutely amazing food. We are regulars here and they know our dishes and we even try new dishes and everything is delicious. Service is amazing. Best genuine Italian around. read more

This is a local gem for anyone who lives in the area. While at the same time is worth a drive from outside the area. We have drove past for years now and finally stopped in for dinner last night. I was blown away by the food, the service, and the atmosphere. Excellent value for the money also. We will be back soon as we live only 3 miles away. Who knew!! read more

This was my first visit to Ancona, and we were all pleasantly surprised. Between our party of four we tried the following items and were pleased with all of them: appetizers--lobster bisque, spinach/egg drop soup in chicken broth (heavenly), shrimp/avocado salad (they could have left out the red onion for my taste), and polenta on top of a chunky tomato sauce; entrees--chicken/sausage with veg. medley and mashed potatoes, a veal dish, and homemade linguini with red clam sauce, dessert--hazelnut (LOVED IT) and pistachio gelato, lemoncello cake, and a cannoli. And to accompany dessert, we all had coffee which was perfect--not too strong, not too weak. The service was attentive but not overbearing, the restaurant looked new/clean, portion sizes were perfect (you'll leave full but no need for a to-go bag), and the prices were comparable for this type of meal in this area. I would go back. read more

First time and I am looking forward to my return. Enjoyed an excellent veal scallopini al fresco along with BYOB red wine. Excellent service. read more

We did take out during the covid pandemic and were not disappointed. We had a crab cake with spinach which was perfectly done. We had Chicken Francaise with vegetables which were perfectly cooked as well and also Shrimp Fra Diavolo with just the right bang. This was the first time we had their food but know it won't be the last. read more

Excellent food and service! One of the best places in town. Always fresh, top quality food that is served in extremely delicious selections. The menu is so good, that you'll have to go back to try the dish you didn't order this time. Attentive service, but never obsequious. They easily accommodate my dietary restrictions. Highly recommend! read more

I love Ancona! It is consistently good and everything I have ordered is always fresh. The restaurant is immaculate and the service excellent without being intrusive. Ancona is my favorite local bistro. Try the shrimp, either with pasta or over grilled veggies. Excellent. I must add that the bread is delicious which is always a sign that what is to follow will be good. read more

I went here last night for dinner with a friend. The only reason I am giving them 3 stars is because the service was great and the atmosphere is very cozy. I found the food very disappointing. The appetizer shrimp were very small for the price and really overcooked. I had the salmon entree and it was also very overcooked and the horseradish crust was mushy. My friend had something parmesan which she didn't complain about but said she has had better. The garlic spinach that came with the entree was the only tasty thing I had. Based on other reviews, it may have been an off night. Which is unacceptable since their were very few other patrons. Will not go back. read more

Great service, atmosphere is enjoyable and most entrée are delicious. Only a little bit pricey but definitely worth it.

Cozy restaurant, food was delicious and the staff went above and beyond. Exceptional service & BYOB!

Visited on their second week open. Food was average and I thought the prices were a little high. What really killed it for me was a charge of $9 for a small PLAIN plate of spaghetti for my 5 year old. Don't think I will be returning read more

Fantastic food! We started with calamari, the breading was perfect. I got grilled seafood, it was very very fresh. My husband got a balsamic chicken, excellent reduction. Just delicious from start to finish. Priced very well for quality and portion size. read more

The ravioli with vodka sauce is absolutely delicious. The staff is very accommodating and very attentive. My mother was pretty full by the time her entree arrived and asked for a doggie bag. When the waiter thought she didn't eat because she was unhappy with the meal, he offered to make her anything she wanted. Now that's great service!! read more

Always get terrific service along with excellent Italian cuisine. We've been going since they opened, and never disappointed, an outstanding dining experience. read more

The service was great and they were very accommodating. My daughter had her coat on because she felt cold and the owner came over and asked if we wanted them to raise the heat. We said they didn't have to but the next thing we knew the heat was coming on. As far as the food goes, I don't know if we hit it on a bad night but the food was not that good. It was very bland and tasteless. We had the fried calamari, shrimp scampi, flounder and a seafood pasta dish. All very tasteless. read more

Went with friends and we had such a nice time. I ordered the short ribs over mushroom risotto and it was to die! The staff makes you feel so special! Highly recommend. read more

I was excited to try a new Italian place so close to home, unfortunately it was a let down. The restaurant was packed on Saturday night and they actually turned people away. The service is warm and friendly - customers seem to know the host very well. We started with the fried calamari but it was chewy like a rubber band. It was either not fresh, overcooked or both. Whatever the case, it was a poorly executed dish that should be a layup for all Italian restaurants. My wife had Fettuccine Bolognese and it was the highlight of the night. My daughter loved it. I had linguine with white clam sauce and it was a huge let down. The clams were big but they were chewy. The sauce was heavier than I would expect out of a classic white clam sauce. In the end it was a mixed bag for the night with 2 out of 3 dishes missing the mark by a wide margin. Unfortunately we are unlikely to return. read more

Pleasant setting and good service. Just beware that the food is disappointing for the prices charged. The Veal Funghi with wild mushroom and truffle oil was in reality button mushrooms in a Marsala type sauce, with not a scent of truffle oil. It was served with a small ice cream scoop size portion of mashed potato and a few matchsticks of carrots. The Shrimp Fra Diavolo was a small portion of pasta with small shrimps and a mediocre sauce. The restaurant was comfortable but if you're expecting food that is very delicious, you will sadly come away feeling unsatisfied. read more

Food was excellent. Deserts and espresso great. Just know it's byob. Monday night and the restaurant was pretty crowded, a sign the food is consistency good. read more

Food is exceptional. The service is, too very attentive. The menu is traditional Italian fare. And tastes freshly prepared and is done very well. They are a little slow over lunch, not in a bad way, in the they want you to enjoy a long lunch way. read more

Very good food! A little expensive, but the food I'd delicious good atmosphere and great service

Great Italian fare and ambience. The wait staff is very attentive and friendly and you feel immediately at home. While I am a dedicated carnivore, I must reccomend the vegetable dishes. The eggplant rotini is fantastic, but the pasta primavera is the best I have ever had. I have eaten here 4 times and each timeit is it has been impressive read more

We went last week to try and have been there 2 times again. Prices are fair and I haven't left hungry yet...and I don't fill up on bread. I tried 2 fish specials and they were wonderful! My sister loves the pasta with meat sauce. The staff is wonderful and try very hard to please. We enjoy and will return for more! read more

This is a relatively new restaurant for the area. We have now dined at Ancona three times. It's our new favorite neighborhood restaurant. The food is above average, they have an interesting menu, the prices are reasonable and décor is warm and tasteful and the service is outstanding. I would highly recommend Ancona for a romantic dinner out. read more

We had New Years Eve dinner here with friends tonight, and while the food was fine, it was nothing special at all. The others all started with the Spinach Salad, which they all enjoyed, but I noticed they all left some of it on their plates. I had the Mozzarella en Carozza, which was lukewarm and nothing special. For entrees, two had the Chicken Ancona, which one thought was ok and the other thought was bland. My girl had the Rigatoni, which she said was "eh", and I had the Chicken Scarpariello, which was probably the worst version of the dish I've ever had...hardly any peppers, no spiciness at all, a ton of mushrooms, and bland sausage...served with a handful, of carrots and broccoli and a scoop of mashed potatoes. I was hoping for, and expecting, better, but we were all disappointed..we won't bother returning. read more