My friend lives in the area and had been raving about La Mondina. Our friend group went to dinner here and had an amazing experience. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The restaurant is gorgeous as you can see by the video of that fountain, you feel like you're transported to Italy.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] But the restaurant isn't just pretty, the food is absolute phenomenal too. Every dish I tried was excellent from the focaccia (one of the best breads I've ever had in my life, to the meatballs and right down got my entree everything was packed with flavor and cooked to perfection. The truffle gnocchi was one of the best Italian dishes I've ever had in my life and the chicken cutlet I ordered on top was also one of the best chicken cutlets I've ever had in my life (don't tell my mom or my wife). Our waitress was super attentive and kind as well so the service doesn't miss either. This might be my new favorite restaurant by the shore, definitely come check it out. read more

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Unfortunately, our experience last night wasn't the greatest. We've been here three times over the past few years, and while the food has always been amazing, we've had some less-than-ideal experiences with the overall service. The first time we visited, our table was directly next to the bathroom, which wasn't ideal, but the food and drinks were so good that it made up for it. We decided to come back again last night, and once again, the food was wonderful. The veal parmesan was amazing. Unfortunately, the service was lacking. We arrived at 7:25 for a 7:30 reservation but weren't seated until around 7:50. We then didn't receive our drinks until about 8:20, and our food didn't come out until around 9:00. Giving four stars because the food truly is amazing and has been consistently great every time we've visited. We just wish the service and overall experience matched the quality of the food, especially when dining with a reservation. read more

La Mondina - Italian Near Me - Brielle, New Jersey

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Great vibe. Great food. Great service. Have been a number of times and always a good experience. Reservations are recommended as it does get very busy. Pastas are homemade. The risotto dishes are a favorite. The focaccia is fantastic. They also have a really good cheese plate. I've not made it to desserts. Always too full from the delicious entrees. Overall a solid place. read more

La Mondina - Cavatelli and clams - Italian Near Me - Brielle, New Jersey

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Great restaurant, very well staffed and the food is great. The menu has many options but would highly recommend the veal chop and the eggplant fritta. Service was great and timed perfectly, amazing dinner on the weekday. read more

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My husband and I had dinner on Sunday night at La Mondina. From the moment we walked in we felt pampered! We were a few minutes early we were immediately shown to our table. Our server Alexis P. was amazing! She had our drinks full without even asking. Her recommendations were perfect and she was extremely friendly and pleasant in the best way. We ordered a shrimp Cocktail to share, my husband had the rib eye and I had the veal chop. We finished with the bombolini's we both said it was probably the best meal we've ever had. Thank you for an amazing evening! read more

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Came here for a Saturday dinner starving with a group of 8 and left absolutely stuffed and happy. Started with the homemade focaccia with ricotta & fig jam and it was so fresh and light. The house bread they give with EVOO was also super fresh and high quality, I could eat that all day. We also got the meatballs, penne vodka with chicken cutlets, and the gnocchi with truffle cream. Honestly everything was just done so right. The gnocchi was rich without being too heavy, and the truffle cream sauce was legit. Chicken cutlets were perfectly crispy, penne vodka was solid. Don't skip dessert. The bombolini (light fried doughnuts) were the perfect way to finish, airy, not too sweet, went fast. Service was attentive and the vibe was great. Would definitely recommending planning a night to come try this place read more

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We dined here for the first time to celebrate my daughter's birthday. For a Friday night at 6:00 it was already packed. They have two parking lots that fill up fast and we were lucky to find parking. There is an upstairs for private dining/events and a downstairs dining area that is pretty big. Our server Sean was so friendly and very attentive. The food was delicious from beginning to end. We ordered: Crispy calamari Charred octopus Burrata plate Mafaldine with pork ragu Risotto carbonara with grilled chicken Shrimp scampi risotto 22 oz bistecca ala florentina Gnocchi with black truffle cream and chicken cutlet Chopped salad with shrimp and crispy goat cheese Cocktails Espresso They do change a $40.00 flat fee for cakes you take on your own, but they do provide a sparkler candle and slice and serve it for you. We will definitely return. Highly recommended. read more

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Outstanding meal, excellent service and a charming dining environment! Must try the lemon meringue cheesecake! Home made pasta, simply the best! read more

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Great place. Good menu nice environment. Busy but not too long a wait. Very enjoyable for a nice evening out with friends.

Updating this review to 5 stars. From middlesex county it is 45 minute drive which is long for dinner but it is completely worth the drive. This is my 4th time coming down here and i have to say the service and food are excellent. Even with a wedding going on everything arrived on time, hot and fresh. read more

La Mondina - Bounty on the beach - Italian Near Me - Brielle, New Jersey

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Pleased to say - I returned back a year later (with some hesitation) and was very happy with this dining experience. We arrived at the restaurant and received a buzzer. Walked over to the bar for a drink before hands. Grabbed an espresso martini. Shortly after, was seated at our table. Our server was very kind and explained the menu well. Offered suggestions and checked in often and provided plenty of water. We ordered the special, the Sunday gravy, steak and veal as the main dishes. For apps, we have a Cesar salad, calamari and oysters. Everything was fantastic. Very fresh and full of flavor. The meals itself were huge! Excited to have leftovers. Celebrated my parent's birthdays (they are one day apart). The server brought over the blueberry lemon treat with a sparkler! Happy to say - I'll definitely be returning back again!! read more

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It's too dark - so much so I couldn't see my food. And the club music is obnoxious. For a "fine dining" establishment that's difficult to get in to, I don't think Anyone paying over $200 a meal for 2 Wants to listen to loud club style music Also. The steak this time was charred on the bottom and the potatoes were underdone. Prob won't be going back any time soon unfortunately. The menu needs a revamp IMO. read more

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This is one of my favorite local restaurants. I have been here five times and have yet to order something that wasn't delicious. The dining area has grown over time so you may be seated in a dining room, an open area near the bar. If you prefer a more intimate space, do request to be seated in the main dining room when making a reservation. The bartenders and wait staff are experienced and polished. They are very good at running and managing a restaurant at this place. read more

Fantastic spot down the shore for any occasion! Beautiful space for indoor dining with 2 bars + an outdoor area that is enclosed for when the weather isn't cooperating. I went with 4 girlfriends and we split a few appetizers and 2 entrees. It was the perfect amount of food. Would recommend this spot to anyone! read more

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Top notch food, excellent service, and beautiful atmosphere. It checks all the boxes. Highly recommend to anyone looking for a meal that won't disappoint and that will have you coming back again and again. read more

Service is excellent, food is delicious and every single dish is rich and indulgent, excellent wine and beer selection, fun and delicious cocktails. Reservations are definitely recommended as this place is packed even on weeknights. It is pricey given that entrees do not come with sides like a vegetable, and you can expect to spend $40+ per person without beverages or any extras--but the food is PERFECTION. Ambience could be improved, went on a Wednesday night and it was very loud, packed with people and club style music blasting, and required my party of 4 to shout in our conversation. Some nice ambient or instrumental music playing softly would truly make it feel like an upscale restaurant. read more

Big busy restaurant set up vey well. The staff is friendly and and know the menu well. We had meatballs and buratta for appetizers all delicious the home made roasted peppers on the plate were the star of the show. For dinner I had the pork chop Al's amazing read more

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Every single time it is a 10/10 experience!! Best restaurant in the area. Food is outstanding and service is impeccable!! read more

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La Mondina is one of our fav Italian spots! Food, drinks, service, and ambiance are all great and it's really good for any occasion. Reservations open up a few months in advance and I would definitely recommend making one if you plan on dining here - the place is always poppin. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu but some standouts are the complimentary bread (I ate way too much of this), the Eggplant Frita and the Seafood Tagliatelle special with a coconut cream sauce, lobster, shrimp, and scallops. If they have this, get it. We did also enjoy the Gnocchi, Tagliatelle Bolognese, Veal special and Sausage and Broccoli Rabe app. We added crispy chicken to the Gnocchi after seeing several pictures of people doing that and I would recommend you do the same. Martinis and cocktails were perfect and they even have blue cheese olives. Another nice touch was the sparkler they brought out with our dessert for my mom's bday. Overall you can't go wrong with a dinner out at La Mondina for any occasion. read more

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Amazing Italian!!!! The service was excellent, food was delish, and atmosphere was wonderful. Great spot for a family/friends gathering or date night. We got lucky with a last minute reservation and it was well worth it. read more

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Very busy place. We didn't have a reservation, but managed to get 2 seats at the bar so we got lucky. Very nice inside with great for a date or special occasion. I started with a Negroni Bianco, which was made perfectly. All the staff were super friendly and knowledgeable. We ordered the meatball appetiser which was delicious. For my entree I chose Tagliatelle Bolognese and my wife chose Rigatoni A La Vodka. Both were excellent. We finished the night with Bombolini, small italian doughnuts and they were incredible. Great spot. Pricey but worth it. Very nice selection of wines. Make a reservation or you might not get in, especially on a weekend. read more

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La mondina. Wow. Make sure you got ur reservation booked bc this place fillllllls up. I came here with a party of 4, got 2 apps, the calamari and the burrata plate. Both were fantastic. Would like to see more prosciutto on the platter but to each their own. Our waiter walked us through the specials of the day. Very nice and very thorough. I will say it's very hard to hear in the there with the loud parties and the music. We got the beef bolognese with meat balls on top, the pasta special which was a light sauce on pasta with a scoop of burrata and we added meat balls. I had to get the $85 ribeye to see what it was all abt and then we also got a vodka sauce. I'll say this, the food took a little bit to come out, especially our apps. When food takes long it rlly doesn't matter especially when there's bread on the table, just we got full off bread and apps we barely touched our entrees. So each entree, My ribeye was served over a crispy potato mound with garlic, rosemary and some cheese. I ordered medium rare because everywhere I go never hits the nail on the head and either goes medium or rare. I'm fine with both as long as it's tender. So I cut the steak and it's more medium, again fine, because it was well marbled and very tender. $85 worth?? No not really. It's 22oz but no it wasn't worth $85. 7.9/10 The beef bolognese was very good. Perfect size and the meatball on top was quite good. Very good flavor and cook on the pasta. 7.3/10 The pasta special had a light simple tomato sauce, with creamy burrata and a meatball that we added. There was like charred tomato skin within the dish which was tough and just burnt. 6.1/10 The vodka sauce dish was simple but good, what you'd expect from a vodka dish from home. Very wholesome flavors like nonna was in the back mixing the sauce with love. 7.9/10 The whole experience, get the dress up, put on your best outfit and have a nice dinner experience with your family/friends. We enjoyed ourselves tho had to save our conversation for the car due to how loud it was inside. The outdoor seating looks very elegant and peaceful but I had reserved for 8:30 indoor seating. YES you HAVE to reserve in advance advance. This place FILLS with reservations, no walking in this place. Even placing our reservation for the day in advance the only open spots were 8:30pm+. So if you're planning on an early dinner you may wanna place ur reservation 3-4 days in advance. Oh and please, I say this with every nice restaurant I go to and STILL see this everytime... take the damn hat off. Do your hair and leave the baseball cap at home. Idc how much money you got, who you know, what you do... respect the restaurant and take the hat off. Thank you. For the 4 of us, all got entrees, 2 appetizers the total came out to little over $300. WITH the overpriced steak, next time I won't get that and the total won't be as much. read more

La Mondina continues to offer delicious food and a lively vibe. We celebrated 2 birthdays and had a fantastic evening. Although quite busy, our server was great and very much on top of things. Appetizers Hamachi crude Eggplant parm Shrimp cocktail Octopus Meatballs Entrees Tagliatelle Bolognese Shrimp risotto Orrechiette w sausage Salmon Dessert Bombolini Gelato Overall an excellent spot for delicious Italian cuisine. read more

La Mondina - Italian Near Me - Brielle, New Jersey

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I wanted to love this place, but [[HIGHLIGHT]]the vibe is always very confusing. Is it a nightclub or elegant dining place!?!?[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We came early (5:30) for a quiet dinner upstairs, and it started off great with families and couples. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Around 6:00, loud club music came on and completely shifted the atmosphere.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The apps were great but as the bass started to pump my dinner arrived. It felt more like a bad nightclub straight out of a Real Housewives nightmare than a restaurant. Dinner was okay... the shrimp risotto was a bust, saturated in a circle of butter. The clam pasta was the winner. The other risotto meal was extremely rich & cheesy and only a few bites could've been eaten. Service was intense and someone was hovering clearing our plates as we took our last bite.... I actually had to borrow someone's fork to finish my plate bc the staff cleared my silverware prior to me finishing. Overall - it was a disappointing for a dinner experience. If dinner and a club is your thing... enjoy. If you're looking to speak with your tablemates and enjoy conversation steer clear of this place. I would've given this place a 3.5. [[HIGHLIGHT]]I love the decor, drinks and apps but only eating one of three meals, plus the quick clearing of plates and the pumping bass....really left our whole table quite disappointed.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

If I could give 10 stars I would! We walked in extra early for our reservation, thankfully we did! We were greeted by a bunch of young ladies with a great welcome. We were given a buzzer for when our table was ready. We went to the bar for a starter cocktail. I ordered the Sicilian revenge and I have to say, no exaggeration, Best cocktail ever! Everyone loved their drinks. I was able to ask bartender for a recommendation, she recommended the oysters and the pork chop. We ordered both and then more!!! Mussels,crudo,oysters, Absolutely phenomenal! I ordered the pork chop, one of my friends ordered the fried veal chop, another ordered Cavatelli with clams, another one ordered the eggplant pasta, I believe it was Nonna. We basically licked our plates!! Some of the best food I've eaten in a very long time! We were full but how do you pass on dessert after such an amazing meal?!?! How is it possible that everything was perfect?!? The service,food,ambience etc were so perfect, this has to be my new favorite!! Bravo! read more

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Special occasion place. At these prices you're not going out with the kids on a "grab a bite" weekday. Staff is great, food and cocktails exceptional. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Spacious but noisy.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Great place in the heart of south jersey. Place has a great bar area, and plenty of seating inside and outside. Our server Tina was fantastic. She was attentive. Food was excellent. We ordered the meatballs to start with calamari and sausage and broccoli rabe. They have an extensive cocktail menu. Our main course was the pasta special and the pork chop. For dessert the Bomboloni with Nutella was delicious! Everything was prepared perfect! We will definitely be back. read more

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What a place for dinner! La Mondina is a wonderful Italian restaurant in Brielle, NJ that both treats you like family and feeds you like family. I went with my parents and we had a wonderful evening. The service was so attentive and thoughtful; our server even asked us our wine taste preferences! The team was amazing. Cocktails were great, and including the "dirty ice" from the mixer on the side was something I've never seen. We got the meatballs (3) to start, which were great. All of our mains were delicious, and the portions were generous. We had risotto (the rice was perfectly cooked), homemade cavatelliwith clams, and a branzino (a huge treat to not have to clean your own fish). Also, huge bonus for free bread! Perfect for a special occasion or date night, in my opinion La Mondina is worth the price and has great Italian fare that will feed your heart and stomach. read more

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Where do I start? This was my first time here and I wasn't sure if it would live up to the hype but it absolutely did. The salad was fresh, the bread was soft, warm, and a little dense (which I appreciate!), the meatballs were hearty and flavorful, and the eggplant fritta was probably my favorite and I'm not a big fan of eggplant! We ordered a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc, so crisp and refreshing. Then we ended dinner with an espresso martini. Supposedly one of the best at the shore and I can attest to that! Courtney, our waitress, was kind and had us laughing all night so thank you Courtney and thank you Dennis. The ambiance was nice and calm, though, a decent amount of tables were filled for a Wednesday at 8 pm. Can't wait to go back! read more

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We had a sit down dinner upstairs and it may have topped one of the best services and dinners I've planned. I'll break it down where the staff went above and beyond. Planning - Brianna was on top of everything and made sure I got everything I needed. She was very accommodating with some last minute changes and was even present during the dinner to make sure everything went as planned. Bartender - Mike was so patient and one of the best bartenders there. He made delicious drinks and everyone truly enjoyed his friendly and funny comments while he was working hard to make sure everyone was served at the bar Servers - They were so attentive and very accommodating, even taking our drink orders at the table. I can't say enough about their service, just very patient and nice. Dinner - The appetizers were amazing, the antipasto was delicious and the fried calamari was one of the best. The salad was just as good. The main entrees were sooo good, it didn't feel like you were served at a large dinner party. The entrees came out hot and presented like you were dining in a restaurant. The pork chop scarpariello was very tender, the salmon was tasty, the chicken parmigiana was amazing, but the penne vodka (the best I've had). We were so grateful our server bought us out an extra plate to share. The dinner wrapped up with the staff helping us clean up and got out of there in an amazing time to continue the party elsewhere. It can hold up to 65 people, prices are up there but it was totally worth it. Book your next event here, you won't regret it. read more

Ordered two Sunday gravies today, honestly it was MUCH better a couple of months ago. This time, there was barely any sauce or meat. The sausage was disappointing too: partially pink inside with big brown spots. Definitely not the same quality as before. read more

La Mondina - Sunday Gravy - brown spots in sausage... - Italian Near Me - Brielle, New Jersey

Steak was very fatty and not great. Service was pretty bad as well. Overpriced for what it is. read more

My favorite place. Love the Burrata app. Cocktails are the best and service is always top notch.

If I could give 20 stars I would, but Yelp only allows 5, and in this case pretend its 20. Our son married the love of his life, a true match made in heaven and we couldn't be happier. They chose to have their nuptials and the reception at La Mondina, Brianne is the Event Coordinator is a absolute goddess with planning events and she helped my husband and I surprise our son and his new bride with paying for the event. Kids wanted to pay it on their own, and we let them think they were----but we said nope and Brianne helped keep our secret and run the card before they arrived to the venue. Let me say the room was perfect, it was on the main floor to the left when you walk in, the bar was perfectly stocked and the dance floor was in such a way that everyone could dance without knocking into each other- we had a brunch / lunch served family style as the reception after the wedding and it was exactly what the kids wanted. Plenty of fresh bread and butter at each table. Caesar salad, I am not sure what ingredients they use to make the dressing but it was so good! then it was onto some of the best roasted baby potatoes I have ever had in a restaurant, perfectly seasoned and enough olive oil to carry the flavor, salmon in a beautiful and not overpowering sauce, chicken parm, lightly breaded and the sauce and cheese was just the right amount. Of course, the rigatoni vodka which was inhaled by everyone and broccoli rabe, when this is made right YOU KNOW and considering my Mother In Law is particularly picky about it, she gave a huge thumbs up and enjoyed her meal, there were a couple more dishes I think, but I can't remember, but they even had these little doughnut puffs rolled in cinnamon sugar with nutella sauce, salted caramel & creme anglaise-TO DIE FOR!!! yepp I had about 4 of these and have no regrets. bar also made the two drinks for the Bride and groom, but in this case, named after their dog Leo, which was a whiskey drink and a berry margarita for Puurly their kitty. Leftover food was packed up and ready to take home. Such a beautiful experience and I will post photos soon, I am still just so thrilled that we have a new daughter in our family and are truly blessed that these two are so happy together. Thank you to Brianne and her staff for also remembering, that the kids were getting married on my MIL 95th birthday and what would have been her 69th wedding anniversary, so they even had a special area for both grandfathers photos and memory photos that the kids wanted, and brought out a plate of cannolis and vanilla ice cream with a large sparkler for my MIL - while everyone sang her Happy Birthday, there wasn't a dry eye in the house! It really made the whole day so special. Could not have pulled all this off, without Brianne and her team being so professional and personable, I highly HIGHLY recommend having your special event here, it was literally magical. Jumping off my soapbox now!!! read more

All you could ask for in fine Italian dining! Incredible food and portions, impeccable, service, and the most wonderful ambience! Book your reservation! I'm not sure if Italian dining can get better than this. Just simply loved everything. The entire night was such a joy! And starting off with the complementary bread, which was cooked to perfection. We ate so many wonderful things here. I don't remember them all but I'll name a few things. Their salmon dinner was absolutely amazing. And usually when you order salmon out it's pretty good but never spectacular. Here it was the best salmon I have ordered to date in my entire life! it came over beans and spinach and an incredible broth that was poured over the salmon. Never had better! The pork chop here is incredible! Also, the past here are to die for. The possible vodka sauce was perfect. But the pasta, Bolognese was something to write home about! I highly recommend ordering that for the table as an appetizer, everyone will be amazed! Not to be overlooked is the wonderful interior and ambience they create here. As well as the top-notch service. Both were very much appreciated. For dessert, we got donuts with dipping sauces, absolutely delicious! I highly recommend this place for that superb Italian dinner! read more

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From our drinks at the bar, to appetizers, dinner and dessert everything was great! Our server Tina was terrific, with good recommendations for all! read more

visited saturday 5/16. birthday dinner for my wife. outstanding dinner top to bottom. barstaff welcoming and friendly. Our server Tina helped make the night special. can't wait to go back. read more

DONT EAT HERE. Its the second time I have experienced severe illness after dining there. Additionally, [[HIGHLIGHT]]I observed rat feces in the bathroom, which is alarming, given its association to Hantavirus[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

This place is great ! Reservation is a must in a good friend and I can't get it some times. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The place has a nice atmosphere and parking is very convenient.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

I really wanted to like this place, but unfortunately it just didn't deliver literally or figuratively. The food was painfully average at best, but what really stood out (in the worst way) was the quality of the ingredients. The tomato sauce tasted like it came straight from a can, the pasta was overcooked and mushy, and the cheese... I'm not even sure it was real cheese. For a place claiming to serve "authentic" Italian food, nothing tasted fresh or remotely homemade. The salad was limp, the bread was stale, and the Sunday gravy meatballs were extremely dry. Service was fine, but it's hard to enjoy anything when the food is this forgettable. There are too many good Italian spots around to waste time or money here. Save yourself the disappointment and go literally anywhere else. read more