My wife and I went to Trattoria Toscana for the first time last weekend; we enjoyed it so much we…read morewent back a few days later! The owner & staff are spectacular; attentive, friendly, & professional. Our meals both nights were excellent, from the appetizers to the dessert. Be sure to try their house specialty coffee. We are looking forward to returning soon.

This weekend I attended a baby shower at Trattoria Toscana for the first time, and the place is…read moreabsolutely lovely. The ambiance was wonderful, and the food was even better. Everything I tasted from beginning to end was delicious. My only suggestion would be to shorten the wait time between courses. The dishes were served very spaced out, and we waited quite a while for the entrée. That said, every appetizer and every dish offered was absolutely wonderful and well worth it. It's a shame they're a little far from me, because otherwise I'd probably be having dinner or hosting parties there all the time!

I guess things didn't work out as planned. For quite some time now they are private events only…read more Gotta say one thing, it's tough to get in, lots of stairs.

The wine bar is elegant and appealing. The staff were outstanding and certainly well trained. The…read moreplace had a real fine dining vibe. They have a happy hour deal with $6 selected drinks and half price selected appetizers. The choices are diverse from tuna tartar to a truffle oil tater tot. There are many small plate offerings. The entrée choice and salads see very appealing and from I'm told the portions are generous. I've heard chatter that the prices are a bit overzealous but don't let that deter you from a visit. This is the place you bring someone when you are trying to make an impression. Just don't show up in jeans and a tee shirt, think upscale casual. We did a small plate dinner and an early movie at the theater only a short walk away. Do not miss a chance to visit the Wine Bar.

Food was delicious , staff was attentive , ambience was good very scenic for photos . We celebrated…read moreafter a rehearsal there . Only complaint they forgot to make our food after we had booked this place months in advance , they made a turn around and got the food out right away ! Will for sure return

Based on happy hour only. Last summer I had walked by while a band was playing outside and thought…read moreI have to come back and check this young band out. Well took me a good year but finally got there. A hot Wednesday night. The band was setup inside due to impending storm. The place was not busy, not sure why. Maybe early? Anyway sat at the bar. Maybe there were 3 other folks there, a group of 4 or 5 sat at small tables by the band with their cute dog, great to see a dog friendly place like this (inside and outside). They have a great happy hour menu. Very good options. The band was very enjoyable (Duke Hill). Will definitely be back for more happy hours.

First time here and overall really enjoyed it. The restaurant itself looks very nice and has a…read moregreat atmosphere. We went around 2:00 PM the day before Mother's Day, and it was pretty quiet inside besides a few larger groups. Service was kind and welcoming. The food took a little while to come out, which surprised me since it didn't seem too busy, but maybe there was a party or something going on elsewhere. For appetizers, we got the Brussels sprouts and the warm feta dip -- both were absolutely fabulous and so delicious. Definitely recommend them. Next time I want to try the fried calamari too. For our entrées, I was deciding between getting a pizza, but ended up ordering the Lincroft Burger while my friend got the Charlie's Burger. We cut them in half and switched so we could each try both. Great idea because both burgers were really good. I personally prefer my fries extra crispy and these weren't quite there, but they still tasted good. The cookie skillet dessert LOOKED amazing. We were way too stuffed to order it this time, but next visit I'm definitely saving room for it. Overall, I would come again. Enjoy!

We gave it another chance and it came through. The burgers…read morewere 10/10 Server was wonderful and the Christmas decor was charming! Glad we tried again

I'm giving it a 5 stars Bec the service was awesome. Our server was very attentive and constantly…read morechecks on us. The meatballs was very tender , well balanced with the tomato sauce that's not too acidic. The sauce was not heavy at all and I love the fresh basil. The chicken parm , which I don't normally order was recommended by the server and did not disappoint. It was tender, moist chicken cutlet with crispy, flavorful breading, balanced by a vibrant, not too salty or acidic marinara sauce and, melted mozzarella, served with rigatoni. The desserts we got were super delicious and not too sweet. We had a 5 pm reservation and was able to self park on their lot.

4.75 for high quality food that is just missing that exceptional wow factor to push it to 5 stars…read more Service was timely, friendly and had a warm feeling. Ambiance was casual with families, couples, etc. There is a good amount of seating inside but reservations are highly recommended. 1. Wine list - Huge huge Italian wine list with smaller names and unfamiliar names. Did my research and got a bottle of rosso montalcino ($69) which was excellent to pair 2. Meatballs - tender, doesn't fully fall apart but light and almost melts in your mouth. Sauce is light but full of flavor 3. Eggplant parm - not spicy even though supposed to be spicy rigatoni with it. Huge portion. Took half home. Pasta was delicious with enough sauce and al denté as I like 4. Tiramisu - one of the better ones I've had. Not alcoholic. Moist and excellent balance of layers. Shaved chocolate on top is a nice touch 5. Chocolate torte - deliciously creamy and lighter than I thought. Full chocolate flavor. Comes with a fior di latte gelato which was high quality. Overall an excellent high quality Italian dinner. No wonder why it's hard to get weekend reservations. Highly recommended and will definitely be back when in Red Bank and craving Italian.

Food: Tasty burrata with the tomato compote; delicious crispy halibut with whipped potatoes;…read moreflavorful braised short rib au vin; ample amount of broccolini; no extra fee for subbing sides Service: Very accommodating, friendly, attentive Ambiance: clean, good vibes; tiny hole in the wall bathrooms; spacious parking

We chose Nicholas Barrel & Roost based on the menu and an almost 4 star rating on Yelp with over…read more500 reviews. The halibut caught my eye immediately; I'm a sucker for a perfectly prepared piece of halibut or a great pork chop, and since my partner doesn't eat meat it made for an easy share. Earlier in the day, a couple of women at our hotel bar mentioned the chef had trained at Jean-Georges in Manhattan, which only added to our anticipation. It wasn't until we got back to the hotel after dinner and did a little reading that we learned just how decorated Harary really is; his Restaurant Nicholas held Zagat's top spot in New Jersey for 15 consecutive years and earned a 4-star New York Times review. That context made our middling meal sting just a little more. We started with the bread service and the beet salad. The bread itself was baked beautifully, but the butter and ricotta accompanying it were completely flavorless. My partner and I are not salt-at-the-table people; we trust that seasoning happened in the kitchen. This was the first time in recent memory that we actually reached for the salt shaker. Not a great sign. The beet salad should have been a showstopper. Beets, when done right, can carry an entire dish on their own. Instead, they were buried under an avalanche of arugula. Don't get me wrong, arugula is one of my favorite greens; that peppery bite and beautiful texture are hard to beat, but here it was doing all the heavy lifting while the beets sat underneath doing nothing. We'd eaten most of the salad before we even noticed the sunflower seeds and a smear of mascarpone hiding on the bottom of the bowl. That mascarpone, gently flaked on top with the seeds scattered over it to catch in the folds, could have made this dish genuinely memorable. The gorgeous candy-striped radishes were a lovely visual touch, but they were raw, undressed slices with no seasoning, no acid, no pickling. Beautiful to look at; an afterthought to eat. The whole salad felt that way, honestly. For our main, we shared the Panko Crusted Halibut with bok choy and smoked shallot velouté. The sauce was the star; the smoke level was dialed in perfectly, present in all the right ways without overpowering everything else. The wild mushrooms were lovely, but the dish needed something to break up the texture. The bok choy brought good flavor, but it mirrored the mushrooms so closely that each bite started to blur together. Something crispy, something sharp, would have elevated the whole thing considerably. The fish itself was cooked well; firm, flakey, and not dried out. The panko crust was gorgeous to look at but could have been crispier. Based on its beautiful golden color, it looked like it had more crunch than it actually delivered. The cocktails were a genuine highlight. An old fashioned made with 1792 and a Black Manhattan, both well-crafted and the clearest bright spots of the evening. The three people behind the bar were another highlight. Expedient, attentive, never rushing anyone, and willing to make easy conversation without being intrusive. That is exactly what you want from people working a good bar. The ambiance, though, was confusing. The space seemed to pull in two directions at once; it wanted to feel upscale but also like a sports bar, and it never fully committed to either. Three small TVs tucked into the corners would have been fine. The oversized screen mounted prominently on the wall was intrusive and clashed hard with any sense of elevated dining. The music was classic rock, which I enjoy, but it read as wrong for the room and was a tad too loud. The music for this type of setting should be something to just add some ambiance, not for people to shout-sing too like you've had too many beers at a dive karaoke bar, which I love by the way, this was just not that kind of place. Those same women from the hotel bar had also warned us it could get loud and obnoxious in there. We figured we'd take our chances. We probably should have listened. With the legacy behind this place, the potential is clearly there. The bar staff gets it. Now the kitchen and the room just need to catch up.

My husband and I were in red bank and decided to try out this branch. We frequent the branch in New…read moreBrunswick and love their happy hour. There is a parking lot across the street you can park at so no need to worry about street parking. The first thing I noticed was that this location was much smaller than the New Brunswick location and had a more chill vibe. I thought the happy hour menu had less selection as well. I was low-key disappointed there were no clams or oysters on the menu considering we are much closer to the shoreline. My husband loved his smashburger, it was very juicy. He also enjoyed the sweet potato fries which he normally doesn't like. My wings have the perfect amount of sauce where it didn't drown the wing and it was still a big crispy. We were in and out within the hour so service was fast on a Tuesday night. But I think we are going to stick with the New Brunswick branch.

We chose B2 Bistro in Red Bank to enjoy their Tuesday Taco night. Despite the fact that this…read moreSpecial offering is listed on their website, we were told that those prices were no longer in effect and would not be honored! (Is that legal? It's certainly not ethical!) We were charged approx TWICE as much for the Website listed 'Special' tacos! They certainly were special-E'special'ly expensive! We asked to speak with the manager who indicated that she didn't even know that this 'Special' was still on their website. At that point (and in good faith), she should have offered us something as compensation! When told that they do not carry a common beverage-BLUE MOON, the waitress suggested giving me a similar beer and offered a 'taste test'. I could not tell if I liked the sample cause the shot glass had SO LITTLE beer in it-offering me NO TASTE at all. We also ordered chips, plantains, and salsa as an appetizer. For the cost of $14.00, I assumed it would contain enough chips for three people and might even be an unlimited supply. There were approx 15 chips on the plate and 6 plantains-which were tasteless. But think about it!? 15 taco chips for three people to the tune of $14.00?! They should be embarrassed! By 7:30, this restaurant was almost empty. We have been there several times over the years, but this place has deteriorated, in many ways, and we will no longer patronize this establishment!

The food was delicious, the dessert was one of the best I've ever had and Roni our server was so…read moresweet & attentive.

We recently had our wedding here and would highly recommend booking your next big event with 618!…read moreTheir reputation speaks for itself, yet they still managed to exceed our expectations. Everything was top notch and exceptional: food, drinks, service, and decor. All of our guests were blown away with the quality of service and amount of food. The staff at 618 truly took care of us and made our night special. Do not hesitate to book any event here, big or small.

My husband and I stopped by R Bar for dinner last night and had such a great time. It's a really…read moreunique and fun spot with such a great vibe, really good music, and delicious food. We sat out on their beautiful back patio and enjoyed some crab beignets, gumbo, and steak au poivre. Everything was really tasty well balanced. Our server, Lisa, was so kind and personable. Really exceptional. We're looking forward to coming back the next time we are in AP!

What a gem this place is filled with locals. They have live music and a cool and cozy atmosphere…read moreinside as well as outside. The food and drinks are amazing and the service is spot on. Our server Lisa was so lovely and kind and made sure we were not forgotten outside. We had the Blue Crab Beignets, Steak Frites Au-Pouivre and Gumbo, all very well executed and tasty! We will definitely come back! We miss you already Lisa!

Each bartender appears to make their own rules…read more One night I paid for a beer with a card. Days later I had the same beer served by a different bartender. This bartender told me I did not meet the card minimum. I'm okay with playing by their rules. I just want to know what the rules are

Made a quick stop before Starland ballroom concert. Cheese fries and pierogies were good. Didn't…read morelove the pizza. Good beer selection