Best food. The service was very good. Almost everything was delicious. I alwAys recommended Ottimo. They are the best dairy restaurant in Lakewood by far read more

Ottimo Cafe - Stuffed potato skins - Sweet potato skins are topped with shredded meat, melted cheese, and drizzled sauces, arranged on a white plate. The dish is served at Ottimo Cafe in Howell, New Jersey, which offers diverse menu options including pasta, fish, and pizza. The presentation highlights the baked sweet potato halves with toppings, set against a blurred background. - Kosher Near Me - Howell, New Jersey

We came here with 2 other couples for a night out. The place is very large, and doesn't seem that way from the front. There is a large back room for the larger groups and the front, it appears that they put smaller groups. We were given the option of either location, so very accommodating. One of people in our group had serious allergies and they were very accommodating with that as well and even customized my dish. They past is handmade and was very delicious. I forgot to take photos, but we had many of the dishes on the menu and all were very tasty. They waiter was friendly and responsive and the food came out very quickly. There is a parking lot in front of the restaurant, so there is was plenty of parking. read more

Ottimo Cafe - Housemade Cheese Cake - Kosher Near Me - Howell, New Jersey

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Busy dairy restaurant with a very nice menu and pretty decor. It's tucked away on the side of a strip mall so was surprised how busy it was for a week night. Locals know this place well and later saw e-billboard advertisements for the restaurant. Had a Caesar salad which was a nice size portion and the eggplant parmigiana pizza which was excellent! Service was friendly but food came out slowly from the kitchen. Only thing that bothered me was loud acoustics, conversations carry and serving staff that were clanking silverware putting together set ups. It made it hard to hold a conversation. read more

Came here with a group of 6 on a busy Sunday night during the 9 days, when observant Jews are not supposed to eat meat. This is one of the leading kosher dairy restaurants in Lakewood, so you can imagine this was one of their busiest nights all year. Overall, they seemed understaffed for these abnormal crowds on this specific night, but there is a ton of space in the restaurant in general, and they are a professional establishment. Their back room kind of feels like a catering hall and is pretty loud, but they have cameras and an orderly system. It was tough to flag down waiters on the night we went. We had to get small plates on our own, and the main courses came at very different times. That all said, the food was pretty good. Highly recommend the fried cauliflower (comes with Buffalo sauce and other sauces as well), the eggplant parmesan meatballs, and the nachos. Wouldn't do the stuffed mushrooms again, that's just me. In terms of the main courses, this is where they really shine. Tuna steak and their fish in general is cooked well. Pastas were good too, although they took too long to come out, and the ravioli dish was two giant raviolis instead of the classic that I'm used to. Desserts were fantastic. Definitely gotta get those fried donuts. No question. Cheesecake was lemony and a bit dense but great as well. Now, despite their shortcomings, they fully acknowledged the service issues and gave us a discount on the check which we really appreciated. Definitely would come back here. read more

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Was there this past Sunday for dinner. Had mushroom pizza, eggplant pizza & margarita pizza. Food tasted fine. Service good. HOWEVER, within 4-6 hours.... had food poisoning! Sorry... won't go back. read more

Food was real good, but my gnocchi was quite salty and owner avoided my table, so I couldn't even say anything. Weird because he went up to every other table. Crème brûlée was amazing. read more

Dinner on 6 Nov. 2022: Excellent service and food. The Teriyaki Grilled Salmon, Grilled Branzino, Eggplant Parmigana, and Eggplant Parimgana were all well prepared and excellent tasting. William (Willy) provided excellent service. Please make note the 18% gratuity is automatically added to the bill. Will be for sure. read more

Very delicious salmon dishes, Italian salad and spinach ravioli. The sea bass with avocado and creamy whipped potatoes was awesome. Great service and lovely surrounding s. Cheese cake with graham cracker crust was the perfect ending. Another delicious dinner here. Chilean Sea Bass with avocado salad and lemon potatoes was marvelous. Stir fry salmon was sumptuous,as was pasta and pinwheel salmon. One of our fav kosher places. read more

Let me start by saying that I am not a fan of new restaurants, and I will not patronize one until it has been open for quite a while. I feel that new establishments do their utmost best when they first open, but as time goes on they cant keep up the momentum. Ottimo opened within the past year and the reviews have been quite mixed. I decided to take my wife there for our anniversary. Overall we were pretty impressed and we will definitely return. When we first came in we were quickly seated and immediately a bread basket was brought to our table and our glasses were filled with water. I was immediately impressed by the ambiance. Most establishments in the area are not that upscale, and I felt that Ottimo's ambiance had a feel of luxury, yet hip and cool. We ordered the Fresh Mushroom Basket as an appetizer. WOW!! Fresh mushrooms, caramelized onions, breaded mozzarella sticks, all in a crunchy edible basket! Just amazing. Next we ordered our entrees. The Ricotta Ravioli was really good, although the portion was pretty small (6 pieces!). The Tuna Au Poivre was truly a scrumptious dish. The dish consisted of seared tuna with some sort of spicy crusting, and it was served on top of mashed potatoes, with a really creamy wasabi and a sweet sauce. The tuna was exactly how I ordered it, although next time I would probably want it medium rare, as opposed to medium. We also ordered the Penne Jason. It was good, but not amazing. I probably would not order this again. The Frappuccinos (caramel and vanilla) we ordered were a great compliment for such good food. For desert we ordered a slice of cheesecake, and being a cheesecake dude, I give it 5 stars. Firm, but still creamy, topped with whip cream ans strawberry drizzle. Our server was very nice and our food came out in a timely fashion. Ironically, the only time we waited, was when we had to pay and no one was in sight. Overall, we really enjoyed our experience here, and we will definitely come back. I highly recommend this establishment, whether it be for a special occasion or for a lunch out with some friends. read more

Amazing extensive dairy menu with delicious food. So many options it's hard to pick! Also accommodating with kids. We got the salmon teriyaki and the Snapper Reuben and the kids got a pizza. Everything was delicious and the service is quick and caring. They come to the table often to ask if everything's okay. read more

Ottimo Cafe - Kosher Near Me - Howell, New Jersey

Nice ambiance for Lakewood. Good food and generous portion size. The stuffed mushrooms are to die for. But they didn't have a catch of the day nor gnocchi. They didn't have bread at the beginning, either. read more

Ottimo Cafe - Kosher Near Me - Howell, New Jersey

We had a party in there large back room. The staff was friendly and very accommodating. The wait staff took orders for our appetizers while we prepped for our party occasion. All of our selections were very good and we did not wait long to have them served. The main courses were very good also. I enjoyed my Espresso-crusted tuna and I believe everyone else also enjoyed their selections. Even though the room was being used for another party after us, the entire meal went smoothly and we never felt rushed. We would definitely return the next time we are in the vicinity. read more

The food we got actually didn't look anything like the pictures shown on the web. Layout of the tables are not server friendly, and menu/atmosphere not family friendly. Had reservations and seated promptly, however table settings missing, menus stained and grungy looking. QSC, quality average at best, service not aligned with pricing, cleanliness, not impressed with dress standard of staff, open shirts, sleeves rolled up. Great concept but they dropped the ball on follow through. Yes it was dinner hour so they expect to be busy, no excuses there. But nothing served made big splash or great visual impact. Maybe popular but not for us. read more

This used to be one of our favorite places, but it seems to have dropped a few notches the last 2 summers. The food was simply not good last night. salad very plain, pasta was literally swimming in a pool of sauce, pizza tasted like it came out of a supermarket freezer, and even the fish tacos, which were very good last summer, were bland. I don't like posting these types of reviews for kosher restaurants, but Ottimo, which used to be excellent (and kosher was a bonus) is now the opposite - it's kosher, so you take what you can get with the limited options. I hope this restaurant can restore itself to what it was 2-3 years ago when it first opened. read more

Incredible resturaunt. Food deserves 6 stars. Service and atmosphere is all pretty much perfect.there fish is sensational and always as fresh as possible. I am here at least once a week. By far the best dairy resturaunt in the entire Lakewood/ Howell area hands down. Great job ottimo. Also, as a side point. There coffee is probably the best coffee I've ever tasted. Not sure what kind it is but it's incredible. read more

Service was good. Very accommodating. Asian tuna was good. Cheesecake is good. Great kosher dairy restaurant

Food might be good it you might not get a chance to taste it because the service is horrible. They are arrogant! They forgot where they came from. If you drive a Range Rover they offer you desert, if not they clean your table before you finish your last bite. So beware. Make sure you come with friends with fancy cars and slick hair!! They'll take care of you. Also, they close at 10pm. So, if you go at 9:45 and they're busy they will not fulfill your takeout order. Maybe I should have greased my hair. Oh and maybe I should have borrowed my friends Jaguar. read more

From the delicious fish to the thick freshly made pasta to healthy salads and end off with some savory desserts you can be sure to be served with excellent food and a great experience. Order yourself a warm drink or a nice cold frappe to top off your meal. The store might not be visible from the highway but it's from the finest in the area. Enjoy! read more

Very impressed. On the phone, and ever moreso when we were there, every single person we dealt with was efficient, polite, professional & friendly. The decor was simple & stylish. The food was delicious---everything done just right---and also interesting: everything we ordered had a distinctive twist, the sort of interesting combination of ingredients, unexpected seasoning and/or presentation that puts a restaurant notches above commercial food (& justifies the not-cheap prices). The wait staff and the manager (or proprietor?) come by periodically to ask how everything is, and whether we needed anything. A classy operation. read more

Delicious dairy vegetable kosher food right outside of Lakewood. First things first: the stores in the strip mall where this restaurant if located wrap around the sides of the shopping center, so don't be distressed if you can't see the restaurant from Highway 9. Look for Amazing Savings. Ottimo's interior is elegant and somewhat formal, although the wait staff did not flinch at our casual attire. The wall was decorated with a beautiful design that was actually raised. Great for dates and more formal occasions and a large party room in the rear. The soups were tasty and hot--tomato basil was tops. The pizza was quite substantial, and although it is called "personal size" it was more than enough for two. Many other entrees to choose from. Specialty coffee drinks. Dessert was fabulous--cheese cake and several other interesting choices which we'll save for the next visit. Usual kosher pricing. Service was excellent and the bathrooms were very clean. Gratuity built into check. This will be a special dining experience you won't soon forget. read more

Ottimo Cafe - Cheeeese Cake with whipped cream tower - Kosher Near Me - Howell, New Jersey

I was not a member of yelp until I ate dinner at otimo and felt compelled to sign up so I can leave a review for this establishment. The food at this restaurant is absolutely delicious - I had the mozzarella sticks which were the best I have eaten which is saying something being that I always order this anywhere I eat. I than ordered potato crusted salmon which was also great. Waiters were courteous and the owner even walked over to our table to ask us how everything was. Excellent food and great place to enjoy a nice dinner. read more

Food is outstanding! Service is friendly and knowledgable as usual! Best kosher dairy restaurant in lakewood!

This is the best kosher restaurant in lakewood. Food is great and service is even better. The menu is already changing but everything is always great read more

I gotta say I was super skeptical about going here because I thought I would feel excluded because it's almost an exclusively Hasidic spot. However I felt fine once I sat down and the owner/manager treated me like any other customer. They don't have any meat but they have fish so that's okay. I gotta say the food here is really impressive. The portions are not that big and the prices are on the high side (menu is a la carte), but the food is so good I can't stress that enough. Give it a shot you won't regret it. read more

Had a great time here last night! I got there half hour past my reso time (navigation took us the craziest route) and we were seated instantly. The waiter was nice and our food came out pretty quick. First we got the fish tacos, fried mozzarella, and French fries. The tacos were very tasty the shell was perfectly crisp and fresh and the fish was cooked perfect, the guacamole that comes with it was great too! The French fries were seriously amazing I know it sounds crazy like how good can French Fries be but they were that good because they came with the most amazing sauce ever! It was some type of spicy creamy sauce that I put on everything (went great with the fried mozzarella). The gnocchi in a cream mushroom sauce was next and it was the best pasta I have ever eaten! We also had a Caesar salad which was good but I think a little bland maybe it needed some salt. We also got the creme brûlée for desert which was gone in 4 seconds literally delicious.. Thanks for great food great service and a great night! read more

Ottimo Cafe - Gnocchi in a cream mushroom sauce. Best gnocchi ever - Kosher Near Me - Howell, New Jersey

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Nice variety, friendly wait staff. Make sure to ask how long each dish will take to prepare as some take 20 minutes or so and some take 5 minutes. Large portions, we always come home with extra! Try the personal pie. read more

GREAT FOOD, Great service. The ambiance is awesome very classy place. read more

My favorite new spot in Lakewood. Every meal I've had has been delicious. I don't know which soup is my favorite-they are all fabulous!! Enjoy it very much there. Keep up the good work. read more

Food: I'm pretty sure this is the best Kosher dairy fare I ever had. Their pasta and gnoochi are made in house and taste so good. They have a good selection of salads, fish, pastas and pizza. Desserts are also made in house and are really yummy. They update the menu occasionally and aim to use seasonal produce. Service: Their service is upscale and professional. The owner really looks to make sure everyone is happy and it really shows. I once had a mix up with my order and the owner immediately made sure to make everything right (and was super nice about it). Pricing: Most entrees would run in the 15-20 range, more for some of the fish dishes. They run a $35 lunch special for 2 (salad+2 entrees+dessert) which is a great deal! They have a party room read more

Good food, good service, good ambiance. What more can you say? We really enjoyed ourselves here. If milchigs is your thing, be sure to check out Ottimo. And make sure you call ahead, we saw many people being turned away that night. read more

I went there this past Sunday night and the place is extremely hard to find if it is your first time there. It isn't visible from the highway and it ended up being in what looked like an abandoned shopping center. When we got in the place looked very nice and modern and I thought this place might have been worth getting a bit lost to finally find. We sit down and I order the Tuna Au Poivre cooked medium and a diet coke. They come back to me with a 20oz bottle and a straw. When I ask for a cup with ice to put it in the waiter says we are out of cups and out of ice. Oh and when I asked for a bread basket they were out of that too. They were very quick with getting the food out of the kitchen which was nice, but since my dish was under cooked I wouldn't have minded if it took longer. Overall the Tuna Au Poivre was very good. The waiter didn't talk to us at any point and the staff could be seen laughing and hanging out behind the counter. They put an 18% tip on my bill but at that point I just wanted to leave. I will never be back there but draw your own conclusions. read more

Great customer service! Food is great! little overpriced and not as sanitary as I would expect such a place to be.

BEST dairy kosher restaurant of all time!! Love all the salmon dishes, as well as the apps. Very impressed!!

fantastic food, very nice staff everything made fresh while you are there

Classy dairy spot in Lakewood. Everyone recommended the Gnocchi but I went with the Tortellini instead. Was a little bit too sweet for my liking. My friends all got Pizza, which they enjoyed, and Penne, which they weren't overly impressed with. Got a free cheesecake for checking in on Yelp, so make sure to do that. An overall enjoyable experience. read more

Been back to Ottimo many times since my original review and I remain extremely impressed with their food. In this town, (state?) there is no better dairy restaurant- at least as far as kosher food is concerned. The menu is regularly updated with delicious and unique dishes. The wait staff is efficient if not amazing, and the management truly cares about their customers being happy. I plan to come again and again so keep up the great work! read more

Went here on a date once and the service was horrible! They ran out of clean cups when the restaurant wasn't busy. Then I spoke to the manager and he had someone clean one for us, he was pretty helpful. Then when I asked for some ice, wouldn't you be able to guess they were out of that too! The food was pretty good I have to say but the waiters were hard to put up with, very unhelpful. Maybe it was a bad server or a bad day but if I'm going out for an expensive meal I would appreciate some service. read more

My husband and I ordered the brussel sprout salad which was very good. For entrees we ordered the zucchini crusted sea bass and pan seared spinach gnocchi. Both were very good and the portions substantial. However, we had a few issues which would probably prevent us from returning soon. The cashier, and vitamix blender, are right up front near tables so it doesn't bode well for "fine" dining. While the server was a pleasant young man, his professionalism was lacking. First, our appetizer plates weren't taken away when the main was ready to be served. That was awkward. Then , when they were served they weren't placed down gently as one would expect. But probably the worst offense to me, and it should have been addressed easily as there were atleast three guys hanging around the cashier area, was the bathroom was untidy and the garbage was overflowing. Never a good sign in a restaurant. It might be ok in a pizza joint, but not in a restaurant such as this. read more

Great kosher dairy option in the Lakewood/Howell area. The restaurant itself is clean and has a pleasant ambiance, and the people working there are friendly. Now to the fun part, the food! We got the Pappardelle and the Gnocchi which were both fabulous. I believe the pappardelle dish was featured in Joy of Kosher; the tomato cream sauce was so yummy and bursting with flavor and had an interesting kick to it. The gnocchi was creamy and yummy, and as a mushroom fan, this one especially stood out to me. Both were wonderful and the ingredients tasted super fresh. The hazelnut latte and caramel coffee milkshake were also fabulous and the milkshake had a nice coffee flavor without being too strong, and neither were too sweet. We also got the cheesecake on the house for checking in, and that was also very yummy. The raspberry sauce drizzled on top of the cheesecake was a lovely touch. The price point is pretty reasonable for kosher dining. Next time we have to try the rolled gnocchi. Definitely a quality dairy dining experience! read more

Where to start...... We got here with a reservation and had to wait an hour for a table. They seat us down and it takes about another 45 minutes to get menus. The waiter comes and puts a glasses in the middle of the table without setting them up, totally disgusting. Then the waiter comes to take our order who has zero patients and was covering half the restaurant. About 45 minutes later we get half the food we still do not have any forks, knives or silverware on the table we had to scream across the restaurant to the waiter to bring us when he does he just dumps them down in the middle of the table. He only brought us 6 sets! We are 8 people, he walks away with out saying anything. About 1.5 hours later from when we sat down we get our food witch was just blahhh nothing special at all, kind of like the pasta i make myself at home and i am not to good a cook lol. The waiter did not check up on us once the whole meal! My friend has to stand up and go get himself a soda, time comes for the bill and the waiter is not to be found we had to walk up to the counter to pay. I hate this place and i hope they close down asap or get a new management in there. I will never go back here if you paid me! They made me feel like a 3rd class citizen!!!! read more