Senza in Bayville, New Jersey has closed its doors. I saw the post on April Fool's Day and hoped that it was just a bad joke. Sadly, it appears not and Senza has permanently closed ending a great tradition of great Italian food in the Bayville area. The service and ambiance were both always good and the food was definitely enjoyable. I wish all involved the best in their future endeavors. read more

Love this restaurant! My salmon entree was moist, flavorful and creative. My husband's chop with cranberries was excellent. Service good. Cute place. read more

Senza - Salmon - Italian Near Me - Bayville, New Jersey

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Delaney, server, was seasoned and very capable. A lot of elderly diners:: a sign of good reputation and repeat business. That was confirmed at the end of the meal. Food excellent. We had Grandma's meatballs with Cavatelli. A combination of pork, veal, and beef, meatball with a Ricotta-based sauce.$24. Portion was large. read more

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Our original review is the following: My husband & I have been going to Senza continuously a few times a year since 2020. It is time to provide my first general review of Senza. Overall, Senza appears like a small strip mall byob Italian restaurant, but that's what makes it fabulous. Senza is a hidden gem. The inside seating area is not large, but it is cozy. They recently expanded their interior to allow more tables, which is a great addition. I order many traditional meals and also try many unique dishes. I have not had one bad dish. Between the menu, atmosphere, and very friendly staff, Senza has become our favorite local Italian restaurant. We don't typically order out. We are fan of their restaurant. I highly recommend it. Make reservations a week ahead of time. We will be back and provide more specific reviews on meals. Below is a quick video of a special dish Senza offered that night. The other dish is Eggplant Parmesan with pasta. Updated Yelp review with another great meal out in March of 2024. Another fabulous meal & night out at Senza. My husband had the Polpette Della Nonna (Meatballs, Pasta, Ricotta). I had a special pasta dish of the week with seafood and spicy San Marzano tomato sauce. We also had two special appetizers. One was gnocchi cover with cheese, diced pears, and crumbled walnuts. The other was a delightful Burrata appetizer. Desert is amazing as always two serve with two decaf cappachinos. Waitresses & waiters are always pleasant and on top of things. The atmosphere is perfect. Always a satisfying, tasty Italian meal. read more

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GREAT food. Terrible wait staff Hostess was in a hoodie. Waitresses were carrying on during our ordering & dinner like they were in a high school cafeteria. If you go, order the veal parm, fabulous. Daughter ordered gluten-free pasta, and it didn't work out too well. I'm not sure where the cross contamination came from. read more

Ordered take out while in town for the weekend and we were quite disappointed. They chicken in both entrees we got was quite tough/chewy. The sauce was surprisingly lacking in flavor. The meatballs had a great texture - nice and soft, but also very flavorless. Wouldn't come back, unfortunately. read more

Tried Senza for the first time. It was OK. The grilled food tasted very bitter likely due to overcooking. The food that wasn't grilled was fine. Meatballs, for example, were great. We will try it again. read more

Our party of six was seated promptly with our reservation time. I know it was a Saturday night in summer, however it took quiet a while for water and bread to come to the table. The bread was OK but noting special. There was 1 very small plate of olive oil with spices provided for the table - disappointing that a olive oil carafe was not on the table, so we had to ask for more, 2 times. Our server introduced herself when she was finally able to get tot he table, I believe almost 10 to 15 minutes after we were seated. She took our appetizer orders and again we began our wait. A party was seated about 15 minutes after us and within 3 minutes they had their appetizers. When a woman who seemed to be in charge left their table after greeting them I inquired as to why they received appetizers and we were still waiting. "They're friends of the owner" was her reply and she walked away. None of our party could believe that she actually said that - how unprofessional! Food - Appetizers - Two orders of spicy shrimp, both were enjoyed. I ordered Arancini, OK but found them a little tasteless, but the sauce help them along. - I am fussy about Arancini - so someone else might like them. Entree -All enjoyed their meals. BRACIOLA ALLA GRAZIELLA with fresh pasta - delicious, tender and the pasta was fresh. TAGLIATA AI FUNGI TRIFOLATI - filet was tender, vegetables & potato croquette very good. VITELLO PARMIGIANA QUATTRO FORMAGGI - veal was tender, a little to much breading for my liking, the sauce was good but there was quiet a lot of mozzarella atop. Deserts - Tortuffo and Apple cake won the night. I had wanted the Tiramisu however it was not homemade, so I opted for a chocolate lave cake with ice cream, it was OK, tasted store bought. After discussing our experience and food, we all decided that we would try it again and all of us would recommend for you to try. read more

Good food excellent service We'll be backI had the Sunday special that included pasta, short ribs, meatballs and bracciole and Italian sausage and we didn't take anything home bc we Ate it All! read more

I've been to this restaurant several times, and food was always amazing. This last time, not so much. Food was bland, room temperature, and just not good. The other women I was with felt the same. Service was fine, except for the waitress telling us she waits bonfire up" our meal until our apps are done. We said, we're done, expecting to wait a few more minutes for the "fire up". 2 minutes later our food arrived... Not sure I'll be returning. There are a lot of restaurants around. read more

Have you ever gone to a restaurant countless times and you find yourself ordering the same exact thing every time because the chef has perfected it? I cannot escape from ordering the braciola. Perfection would not fully explain the dish they serve me every time. With a side of large perfectly cooked freshly made floopy paccheriand some beautiful sauce. Thank you!! read more

Food was great! I will go back again. BYO must be family owned. Chicken was fresh. Pasta is fresh. Meat was fresh. My mouth is watering thinking about it right now. read more

We ordered food from Senza for take out and loved it. My husband got Chicken Parm, and I got Chicken Franchise. Both were excellent.

Drive 20 minutes to come here at 8:15 only to find out they stop seating at 7:30 , yet closing hours posted say 9pm. Now trying to get to find another restaurant being that we are behind. Get your website right! read more

Wonderful food. Expensive but worth it. Hubby and I go there to eat every chance we get. The artisan pizza is amazing. I especially love their weekly specials. This place is a must try . read more

We tried Senza twice in the last 2 weeks & it was Great. The 4 different dishes were very good & we tasted each others as well and each were a quality dish. I will now try the catering side too. I have heard their meatballs are one of the best in NJ as well. Brian read more

Lived in BAyville for over 25 yrs , never came here , we went on a Sat night for my birthday . The artichoke appt was delicious, and the saltimbocca was yummy as well . But the dessert was fabulous, tiramisu was amazing. Everything was soooooo good . We will def be back . Our waitress was sweet & helpful . read more

Senza Cucina (where NOT to eat) review: Beware! Very disappointing. Sad because the food here is very good but the waitress staff is absolutely awful, aside from Jackie. So if you're a loyal, weekly, all year round patron of this business you WILL be mistreated by mgt. and some of the waitresses!!! Guaranteed! Read more reviews, it's mentioned often! Let's start with we have been dining here for years, recommended dozens of friends, family and neighbors!! So we make 5:00 reservations, Our friends (retired Police officer & his wife) arrive on time 5:oo sharp one busy Friday for dinner and they were immediately told they have a 2.0 hour time frame for tables. (yes, finish or were going to basically ask you to leave) We happen to be stuck in bumber to bumper traffic on the paryway and walk in 45 minutes late. Our REGULAR waitress let us know they are very busy and we made every effort to work with them as we are loyal and understanding patrons. (we had our friends order our app;s before we got there to be considerate) so 7:00 on the dot, we were told that Cecilia the mgr, was upset that we were still there and still eating. We were handed the check and yes, not offered desert and it was clear they wanted us to go. We asked for to go boxes so we could gather up our uneaten food, we get approached by a 2nd beyond rude waitress, a blonde hair girl with glasses and was told very bluntly; "you have to leave! I have a table waiting and they have been waiting 40 Minutes" (mind you there is an open 4 person table with no one sitting at it for the last half hour) The 2 couples sitting closest/next to our table were appalled, I noticed one of the lady's jaw dropped in utter shock! Who allows or speaks to anyone/elderly people like that??? It was deplorable and very rude from this young waitress. So what were we supposed to do stuck in traffic? Not come at all and leave our friends there? Or should this place understand things like this happen every day, people may run late & be delayed, thats life! I know carma will bring the same rudeness and embarrassment the staff mentioned above exactly what they deserve! With all that said I I feel we owe this to the owner and his fine team of Chef's. The food is very good but I would avoid stepping inside Senza with their current mgt. & staff because you will be mistreated and embarrassed to say the least. In fact, if you read many other reviews, you will clearly see this business has many complaints about their waitresses!!! So this establishment is not run based on the principles of good customer service and caring about their patrons, doesn't matter if your loyal, repeat customers they basically will tell you they need to turn tables and they're nice as long as you're OUT in two hours when they're busy FYI!!! (So don't hope your food takes a long time to come out which did not come out quickly this evening!) This establishment would probably produce double the revenue if it wasn't poorly managed, staff was properly trained and supervised, and they didn't treat their customers (their very bread and butter) like crap! If you're looking for good authentic Italian food BYOB'S with a pleasant, professional staff who knows how to speak to customers and provide good customer service and know how to properly SCHEDULE reservations.... Try; Buon Appetito also in Bayville (they have live entertainment on the weekend too) and amazing food!!! Biagio'sTrattoria another cozy spot with great authentic food,! Mario's all within a few miles!!! Oh and Tardis in Tom's River will never disappoint (yum!) Il Guardino and villa amalfi are amazing although they are not BYOB PS for Cecelia, don't bother replying to us now after I reached out to you for the last 7 days and asked you to call us to discuss our treatment! We weren't worth your phone call and you obviously don't appreciate or value our business so we will not be stepping foot back in your establishment and I'll make sure our 100+ people we have sent and introduced to your restaurant does the same! read more

Used to Love Senza but last few times have been not up to par. This was a credit for last time that order was screwed up when they gave me the wrong sandwich, counter girls fault on that one. Now yud think they would be on the ball this time but that wasn't the case. Sausage , what was even on the sandwich was only a few sliced thin pieces... maybe 1 whole sausage on the whole hero... and the sausage was dry as wood. Terrible. Also ordered a sicillian pie and it was as thin as the grandma , thats not a sicillian pie. Last time i had it there it was delicious. Think I'll give them a pass next time. I don't know what happened in the last yr but it's gone downhill sry to say. I really liked this place and have been going there for the last 5 yrs. read more

Senza - Brocolli rabe and sausage hero - Italian Near Me - Bayville, New Jersey

Excellent food. Wonderful service. Never disappoints. Been going there for years. Attention to detail. Authentic Italian cusine.

This is our third trip to this restaurant. First time was amazing. Second time we were rushed getting out third time everything was just bland. There's lots more places to discover we will definitely not be going back. Clams were fishy service was great, but the food was subpar again we will definitely never go back, some people might think it's great. The prices aren't bad but the people who think it's great. May think Olive Garden is a great place also read more

Excellent food and service. Small place. BYOB is a plus! Make a reservation as it is always crowded

Staff was ok until we asked them to reheat our cold pizza. Very rude. Received an attitude for asking such a simple request. Slices were cheap but nothing special, too much cheese. read more

Senza - Italian Near Me - Bayville, New Jersey

Picked up a pizza to go. Was ready as promised and had a nice crust and flavor. Always have quality food here.

Wow. Walked in the door with my husband and the first dining room was empty and the other dining room seemed to have a few patrons. The hostess yells from her station in the back of the restaurant that she will be with us in a moment with a huff and puff ! The someone breaks a glass and she proceeds to say I need a fucking break! O.K Then proceeds to clean up and then come to us and say - I can seat you but it's going to be awhile I'm busy. We said we would come another time she said ... simply ok. Rude and even though I haven't had the food (my brother in law is a big takeout guy from here) I'm NEVER GOING BACK! Keepin my money in my pocket for another restaurant that can at-least greet you properly. Customer service so below par and truthfully unacceptable! She should be fired! read more

Seeing all the negative reviews here I felt compelled to say that we had great dinners here twice in the last month. Service both times was impeccable, friendly and fast! One of new favorite places at the Jersey Shore! read more

This restaurant deserves more than 5 stars! Sal, our waiter, was very kind and hospitable which always makes a dining experience even better. Highly suggest making reservations as this restaurant because it is small but it is well worth it. Also this restaurant is BYOB and in the same plaza there is a great and cheap liquor store! Fresh ingredients for delicious dishes, something we will come back for. read more

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We stopped in here and ordered a slice of pizza and one of their sausage, pepper and onion rolls. Excellent! The pizza slices are pretty good size, and are good. Thin crust and good taste. Nothing that blows me away, but it's good pizza. The rolls, on the other hand, are absolutely delicious! It's a pizza crust shell loaded with sausage, peppers, onions, and cheese. It was awesome! Can't wait to get back there for another one! Service was also great. The guy working the counter must have a degree in customer service. He was friendly, attentive and accommodating. Great all around dining experience. Will definitely be back! read more

Senza - Sausage slice - Italian Near Me - Bayville, New Jersey

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Came here for my wife's birthday dinner with family. The food was very good but the service was the worst for a restaurant that serves high priced food in a nice setting. Our server would disappear and we sat for 1-1/2 hours and only got our appetizers. I had to get up multiple times to ask for plates to be cleared, see where our food was, get food containers to go. The servers, all were talking and laughing loudly with a couple they knew a few tables away, practically ignoring us (party of 9). Very disappointing and very unprofessional! The bad service OUTWEIGHED the food by far. The way I see it, it's a reflection of management. I will never go back again. read more

No no no!!! Very disappointing since the new owners took over! The staff and owner are now nasty! They penny pinch at every chance they get. They charge you for an extra order of bread and 10.00 to share a plate. I read this somewhere and found out for myself it's true. Spend your money elsewhere where you are appreciated as a patron read more

My wife and I went here for dinner for the first time. An old-world Italian restaurant with the music of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin playing in the background. Nice decor, warm friendly atmosphere, reservations suggested. Food was very good. We had a Clams Oreganato and a Roasted Sweet Pepper appetizer. My wife had a Cherry-glazed Pork Chop (outstanding) and I had the Zappa de Peshe entree that was very good but the calamari was a little over cooked. We were both satisfied with the meal and we will definitely be going back. read more

Ordered: Chicken Parmesan 2/10 The most rubbery chicken I have ever had. The Marinara Sauce was just ok at best and the cheese was nothing out of the ordinary. Chicken Francese w. Spaghetti 5/10 The chicken was normal. Nothing out of the ordinary as well. More watery than buttery. The spaghetti was slightly over cooked but expected since it was delivered and combined with the chicken. Garlic & Oil Spaghetti 6/10 Came just a little above all dente which was good. The Garlic flavor was present and tasty. 2x Salads 5/10 Dressing was ordinary. Decent mix of greens. Overall Food Rating 5/10 I will be continuing my journey of finding a better Italian Restaurant in the nearby area. read more

Our friend recommended that we have a dinner here and the reservations had been made for 7 of us. The service was excellent, very attentive, gave them a happy birthday big cupcake for my friend, they brought it with a birthday candle at saying happy birthday after we finished eating. The food was excellent came out in beautiful. Display dishes. The food was hot and everyone was happy. There were no negative remarks on how the food was and there surely was enough on each plate. The best of all was the bread and the beautiful salad and of course the tartufo we will be coming back here again. read more

Always consistance!!! Great food and service!!!! There almost every week dining in or to go

Once was enough! If you enjoy rudeness and indifference, it's on the menu. We brought out-of-state family to enjoy what we hoped would be another pleasurable dining experience. Instead, we were met discourteously by the woman greeter. Her abruptness and dismissiveness caused us to leave and go to Manera's, where we are always welcomed graciously. read more

The food is not like it was before. The food was disappointing. The pasta was mushy and bland. My granddaughter and I shared an entree without knowing they added a share fee of $10.00 on the check. And $3.00 for bread. Mind you we were a table of 7 ppl. We ordered 6 appetizers and 6 entrees. We asked the waitress why all these extra costs . She said the owner tells the want staff not to tell patrons about the share fee! My granddaughter is 6 years old and they charged me to share a plate. That is ludicrous! The owner took his fat finger and obnoxiously pointed out on the menu in small font a share fee. Seriously? 10.00 to share with my 6 year old??? Never will we return. Check your bill everyone! read more

Really original. Senza is a hidden gem. Must make a reservation as it is small but worth it. It is a bring your own which I prefer. Prices are great for what you get read more

it's such a nice place with amazing employees and food! everything about this place is top notch!

Nothing except my dinner companions was good. Appetizers were still frozen! Calamari was inedible it was so rubbery. Entrees and desserts might as well have come from the frozen food section. Service was tolerable but not pleasant. Ambiance was like a pizza place with dim lights and cloth table linens. Would not go back. Everyone in the party agreed. read more

Senza's never disappoints their customers. Today, we enjoyed takeout because of COVID19, we decided not to dine outside Senza's, and Giuseppe did not disappoint u with a takeout order. The appetizer, Fiori di Zucca was excellent. Our entries, Vitiello Parmegiana Quattro Formaggi and Involtini di Vitello Farciti were outrageously delicious. The sides of green salad w/ dressing and pasta w/ marinara sauce was more food than we needed. A very good warm toasted Italian bread accompanied our dinners. Needless to say, we have leftovers for tomorrow's dinner enjoyment. Short of dining at Senza's to enjoy their very welcoming staff, our dining experience this evening was the best under today's pandemic. Thank you Senza for continuing to provide the quality food we enjoy. Salute! read more