Diner reservation were for seven on Saturday, December 14 Th.. We had a champagne toast and Michael, our waiter opened the byob wine. Our appetizer was served about 8:00. The main course at 9:15. My steak, the special, was terrible. Mostly Grissel and unchewable tendon with a smattering of red meat. Steak was less than 1/2 inch thick and slightly larger than palm size. It was the the chief special for $46.00. I've had better at fast food. The next day I asked two other people in my party "how was your meal?" Answer- "the filet mignon tasted bad" was reported by by both. The person sitting across from me left her steak in her plate and when asked if she wanted to take home, the answer was a resounding, NO! I got the salad for $14.00. It was a an average salad at best. To summarize. Bad food and high prices . Several hours to be served. Michael, our waiter was great. He needs to get a job at a good restraint. This is the first negative review I have ever done. I don't like reporting negative reviews but if I am totally fair this place earned it. read more

In my several visits to Whispers, we have always had an outstanding meal, fresh bread, and yummy desserts!! The staff is friendly, attentive and service is stellar. And, it's byob! read more

Took my better half here for his birthday. What beautiful elegant ambiance this restaurant has. Fell in love the minute I walked into this Bed and Breakfast. What else can I say except dinner was first class all the way! The staff, the food, right down to the Happy Birthday candle in the dessert! (Note: I only mentioned his birthday when making the reservation ... what a surprise when our wonderful waiter brought over the Birthday dessert without me requesting after dinner.) If you're looking for a special night out I would highly recommend....and order the lobster special. Outstanding!! read more

Whispers, you can kiss my ass! We came her for a family birthday party and I was not impressed. I order the gnocchi appetizer and for $15, I received 6 gnocchi with some peas and a little bacon in, what I assume was a brown butter sauce. Meh. Definitely not worth the price. It wasn't terrible tasting but it wasn't anything special and was relatively simple in a not good way. It was about this time that I noticed the pterodactyl-like fly that kept finding it's way to our table and our faces. Not fun. For my main course I had the strip steak that was on special. It came with a bourbon-mushroom creme sauce, fingerling potatoes and haricot verts. The sauce was rather nice, but I found the meat to be on the fatty side and nothing to write home about...unless I was writing, like.."Hey mom, I had an OK steak. How are you? I am fine." Over all, I did not think the food matched the prices and I was very underwhelmed. I can't say that I would come back here. The end. read more

My husband and I ordered two dinner entree specials, the lobster and the veal chop. Both were excellent. The problem was that we said we were sharing the dinners so the waiter suggested having one split first as an appetizer. We thought that was a good idea so we agreed. Then the second entree was put in the center of the table to share, and we were given two small empty plates. When the check came, there were two sharing charges added, even though we ordered two entrees, which we would've shared when they came out together, just as married couples do. We were furious that the waiter turned it into two shared dishes and we were charged extra. When we complained, the extra $10 was removed. I think it was bad business to have added sharing charges since we ordered two meals and didn't ask for the one to be split on two plates as an appetizer. read more

Came here for Valentines Days and it did not disappoint! Like Thanksgiving they had a set menu. We started with an amuse bouche of butternut squash bisque. It was divine. Different than the butternut squash soup they had at Thanksgiving but delicious just the same. For the first course my husband had the sauteed shrimp with black bean cakes. Its on the regular menu and is a chef's specialty. The shrimp was perfectly cooked and the honey curry sauce was amazing. I had the smoked trout and salmon with apple horseradish sauce. I have got to make this. Simply awesome. For the main course we got the Chilean sea bass (another signature dish) and the special Lobster with Saffron Sauce in an egg roll shell. The saffron sauce was excellent and the lobster was cooked perfectly (so easy to over cook shellfish). I usually shy away from Chilean sea bass due to its endangered status, but we splurged and it was awesome (and we wont be getting it again for sometime...) Dessert was a chocolate heart cake - chocolate sponge cake outside with chocolate mousse inside and a ganache topping. We also got the cheese plate with cheeses from Italy, France and the good ol' USA. Though a little pricey, we really thought the food was delicious and excellently prepared and this will remain on our short list of special occasion places. read more

This Saturday we stayed at adjacent hotel and had dinner at Whispers. We had reservation at 7 30 but our table was not available. After waiting about 20 minutes, hostess came to sit us. As she was walking us to an empty, perfect table in the corner with window view, we all get stopped by rude manager wearing a ugly striped shirt(my wife doesn't let me wear that around the house, never the less at work), and he proceed to tell the hostess off right in front of us, makes us turn around and walk back to waiting area. I was so pissed at this, that no matter how the food tastes, it completely ruined the experience. If hostess did something wrong, you can let her sit us, and then tell her later what was an issue(my guess table was for 4 people, not 2). I should have checked the reviews here, seems like i'm not the only one read more

Another wonderful meal at Whispers. The Lobster crepe was amazing and I had a NY Strip cooked to perfection. Great cut of meat. I rarely eat steak anywhere but a Steakhouse but this place does it right. The rest of our crew had Filet Mignonette, Snapper special, Scallops and "The Pork Chop" (wow). Our server was excellent and the owner checked on us several times to make sure we were enjoying things. Bonus - BYOB!!! A gem in Monmouth County! read more

Outstanding service, extraordinary food. We spent several days in Spring Lake at the hotel that houses Whispers, so decided to have dinner there one night. I'm so glad we did! After being seated in the tiny-but-elegant dining room, we were presented with an amuse-bouche; the offering that night was tiny, perfectly-seasoned crab cakes, which were shortly followed by some lovely rolls fresh from the oven. Our waiter was cordial and friendly, and gave such vivid descriptions of some of the specials of the day that we had a terrible time choosing! We wanted to taste all of them. I opted to start with the grilled scallops on a bed of squid ink pasta which turned out to be better than any of the squid ink pasta I had on a recent trip to Italy! Husband's shrimp appetizer was similarly good. But the highlight of the evening was definitely his entree. My halibut was excellent, but he ordered one of the chef's signature dishes, the shelled lobster served on an open wonton shell, topped with a crab cake and on a bed of spinach and mashed potatoes. That dish was absolutely first class; every part of it was perfectly prepared and exquisitely presented. IMPORTANT NOTE: Whispers is BYOB, which is not immediately evident on their website, though they informed us when we made reservations. read more

What a great restaurant. I visited my grandmother in New Jersey and had been to some good restaurants out there but Whispers blew everything out of the water. The restaurant is nestled beside a hotel and it is kind of hard to see but once inside everything changes. It is a very comfortable inside which doesn't seat too many but it was full the entire time we were there. The meal was excellent from the appetizers to the main meal to the dessert. We each had something different and we all raved about how good it was. The service was excellent as well. Definitely a great find along the Jersey coast. read more

The Worse restaurant I have ever been too. Let's see, fly in water, Flies buzzing around inside of restaurant laying eggs on my food, first steak I ordered tasted like it was going, waited an hour and 15 minutes for steak, and 40 minutes for second steak, service was poor, and decor is old and dirty looking. This was a big mistake don't waste your money, please. Does not deserve a star! read more

I would like to thank the whole waitstaff for a very professional and friendly service. We had a true dining experience. Thank you Michael our waiter it was a great conversation along with a pleasant experience. The kitchen staff presented their craft with Great food and presentation of their product that shows people who have passion for their jobs. Excellent food! This is coming from a chef that has been cooking for 38 years keep up the great job you are doing. We will be back! read more

This was one of our favorite restaurants until last night s dinner! Our service was not the best and it was quite some time before our food arrived. This restaurant is on the pricier side but the food was always good & generously portioned. Our table ordered the fillet mignon & lobster special. What was supposed to be 11/2 lbs. of lobster was most definitely not and at $49 dollars not worth it! Having had this dish before it was quite disappointing. Good service and food consistency are what makes a good restaurant! Lori C. read more

We stayed at the Hewitt Wellington and went back to Whispers as we had enjoyed it in the past. We were not disappointed. Whispers is an underrated gem in Spring Lake. The service is professional but not stuffy. The gnocchi with lobster and sage butter melts in your mouth. My husband had a veal chop that could be cut with a fork and was truly outstanding. My lobster was divine and a signature dish. The lobster was perfectly cooked and nestled in a wonton basket along with stuffed crab, spinach, and smashed potatoes. A masterpiece. We had a trio of homemade sorbets (rasberry merlot, mango, and blood orange) for dessert that were the perfect ending. We will return. BYOB read more

Every bite was better than the last. Service impecable. BYOB our own champagne was icing on the cake. Could not have been a better experience. read more

Whispers - Duck Breast - American Near Me - Spring Lake, New Jersey

See all

This restaurant is the most arrogant, inconsiderate restaurant that I have made a reservation at. In addition, I feel they are ethnically and racially biased. Made a reservation 7 weeks in advance for outdoor seating, which was only available in NJ. We luckily called in advance of our reservation to discover they had switched us, a party of six, to indoor seating, without the curtesy of telling us or asking us in advance. They arrogantly told us 2 days prior to the reservation that outdoor seating was full. If my last name was of Irish or Italian extraction, it never would have happened. None of us would ever consider going to this restaurant again. read more

My boyfriend and I came here for Thanksgiving dinner during our weekend getaway trip...and it was awesome. The restaurant was about a ten minute walk from where we were staying and is located in the Hewitt-Wellington hotel, a gorgeous old Victorian house right next to Spring Lake. Service was attentive and friendly and they started us off with a delicious amuse-bouche. It was cauliflower puree inside a tiny pastry shell, with apple something or other on top...I can't really remember what was in it, but damn, was it good. The Thanksgiving dinner was a four-course prix fixe meal. I started off with a scrumptious gnocchi in a brown butter and sage sauce. Sometimes gnocchi can be really heavy, but these were light and fluffy. Then I had a salad with dried cranberries, tomatoes, and a pomegranate vinaigrette, which was good but the tomatoes were a tad out of place. Some toasted nuts would have been a better choice. After that came the Thanksgiving plate, which was piled high with turkey, stuffing, homemade cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, green beans, carrots, parsnips, and sweet potato. Everything was seriously tasty. I was already pretty full from my first two courses so I ate about a third of my plate and took the rest to go, along with my slice of pumpkin cheesecake (YUM!) for dessert. One thing to note is that the restaurant is BYOB, but they made sure to tell us this when we called to make our reservation. We brought a bottle of white wine which they promptly opened and placed into an ice bucket when we arrived. I highly recommend Whispers if you're in the area. It's very cute and worth the money. read more

Delicious! The restaurant sits in a small hotel in Spring Lake. My parents had been here a few times and really enjoyed it, so when they offered to treat, I was sure to say yes. Our server brought over an amuse bouche of manchego and apricot crostini. Then came the butter with pieces of piping hot bread (like, hot enough to burn my fingers, yikes!) I ordered the steak with shallots and haricots verts. The steak was enormous, cooked to perfect medium rare, and the green beans crispy and a little buttery- perfect. The steak had a bit more fat than I expected, but there was still a phenomenal amount of tasty steak, so I wasn't too upset. Even though it is a byob, I expect that when a server opens my bottle and positions it out of reach from my seat, that she will notice when my glass is empty and offer a refill. Her failure to do so demoted the restaurant, as did her noticeable absence at the end of the meal once we declined dessert and waited for the check. read more

Enjoyed a sumptuous dinner at Whispers this past Friday. This was our first visit and we will return for sure. Atmosphere is warm, comfortable and quiet (maybe that's why it is named Whispers). Started off by sharing a lobster crepe appetizer with my wife. We both enjoyed it immensely. Passed on the salad course. My wife had a lobster special which was perfectly prepared and deliciously presented. I ordered the rack of lamb. Again, the presentation was spot on. I ordered my lamb medium and that is exactly what I was served. They were succulent chops roasted to perfection. Shared a bread pudding dessert that was delicious and a perfect way to end the meal. Servers were VERY attentive. If I have any criticism, I would have preferred a little more time between courses. We didn't feel rushed though. We will definitely return. read more

What a great Mother's Day lunch! I took my wife and my two adult children here and had exceptional service and great food. Menu is well designed and executed perfectly. Waitress was great. I love that it's a BYO. Started with lobster crepes, second course was a huge lobster tail over a crab cake, then finished with flourless chocolate cake. All food was done perfectly! Highly recommend, great view of spring lake while dining. read more

See all

my wife and I had dinner 9.3.2022, we have been here numerous times. my wife ordered sea bass and was smothered in oil, unedible. she doesn't like to complain. and tried to drain oil off but wasn't salvageable. waitress reply was i comped you on 2 cups of lukewarm coffee. as it was our tradition to go here for celebrations we are know looking for future alternatives. there was no one in charge since owner was out of town read more

Had a nice meal here. Tried the lobster gnocchi with lemon sage brown butter sauce, chilean sea bass and warm chocolate cake. Everything was really good, and the service was excellent. This place is BYOB. Reservations are available on opentable.com read more

We couldn't wait to eat at this restaurant. Had a reservation for the porch but, when we arrived we were informed by the high school student hostess that they were unable to seat us on the porch and we had to eat in the very dark and unwelcoming inside dining room on a beautiful summer night. They overbooked the porch and wouldn't seat us outside. The manager, Mr. Bruno, was not working and the place was being supervised by high school students. To make it worse, the food was not good. The price is high but, it would have been fine if the food were good and an adult size portion was served. the main courses were the size of an appetizer. Not one person came over to apologize and make the evening right. we were banished to a dark closet to consume under seasoned small portions. read more

The food was delicious, but the service was very slow. I also found our waitress to be kind of rude. For example, she came over and put our napkins on our laps before we were even served water. I'm perfectly capable and aware of the use of my napkin and will put it on my lap when I so choose! It did not get better from there. Almost 3 hours for dinner with lots of downtime in between. Given that it was Christmas, I expected that it would be busy and somewhat slow, but this was unbelievable. It was also extremely loud in the restaurant, and very crowded. Again, food was well above average for this area--lobster special and filet were both delicious. And it's the only place that serves on Christmas. But for $69 per person plus 20% added gratuity, I wouldn't go out of my way to return. read more

Dinner for seven last night. The service was impeccable. Our waiter Michael was delightful and managed the pace of our four courses perfectly. The signature lobster dish is always spot on and the grilled pork chop special was perfectly prepared with incredible flavor and seasoning. This place never disappoints. read more

We had dinner here to celebrate my sister's birthday. The ambiance was wonderful, the service was impeccable, and the food was divine. Three of us ordered the lobster tail and crab cake for our main course and it was amazing. We met the owner on the way out and he was such a nice guy! Looking forward to dining at this lovely BYOB next time we visit Spring Lake. read more

This place was perfect from start to finish. Maria is an incredible server. Professional, fun, and just terrific. The food was delicious, every single item. And large portions. Will be back without a doubt. Worth the ride from Asbury Park, without hesitation. read more

Great dinner last night at Whispers. Food was delicious. Service was impeccable. We partied in the private room with 17 women. Couldn't have had a better time. Highly recommend this restaurant. read more

Two stars is generous. Outdated, kind of an awkward vibe, service professional, too quick, and not overly welcoming. Been to Whispers many times, seems to me its past its' prime, and hanging on. We were worried when the amuse bouche of cold, scallop, sliced in half, with wasabi mayo, on cucumber was strikingly underwhelming. Wife's salad was nice, my butternut squash soup smooth, tasty , and the highlight of the evening. Wife's filet mignon (unfortunately a chef signature dish) was chewy, bland, and barely average, my veal osso buco special was full of fat. Sides were just ok. So- not recommended, and wont be going back. read more

We love it here and celebrate every special occasion with the long-time wait staff and consistent chef. A jewel and BYO to boot. I have ridden my bike with wine in basket. Nice dress, but at the beach, so no jackets nor ties required for men and nice casual for women is acceptable. read more

Romantic place, attentive service. Get the signature dish, Lobster w crabcake in wonton nest... amazing! Expensive but byob makes it affordable. We go here often. read more

A Zagat rating of 27 for food not common even by Manhattan standards is reason enough to pay a visit. Who knew this charming little enclave is wedged between the beaches of Belmar and Point Pleasant. This is one of the best kept secrets of the Jersey Shore! Located in the historic Hewitt-Wellington Hotel, the setting is Victorian with crystal chandeliers, fine silverware, and white linen tablecloth. Service is refined and the upscale attitude requires men to wear a jacket and tie before entering. This is fine dining at its perfection. The pomp & circumstance may feel uncomfortable at first, but once you taste the food...you realize it's all worth the trouble. The dishes are creatively conceived and elegantly presented. There are only 40 tables so reservations are highly recommended. Thanks to strict liquor license laws in NJ, you can take advantage of the BYOB without worrying about high markups or corkage fees. read more

Seriously disappointing. From the start we waited 10 minutes just to see a maitre d'. It gave us enough time to see they had not dusted the place in a year. The lamb kabobs were good but could not make up for the fact that we had more than a half hour wait for our main course. The waiters seemed overwhelmed and told us the lobster was their specialty for ten years. After we ate it we felt like telling them they should change either the cook or the menu. Do not waste your money here. read more

Just a wonderful place to eat. My wife and I celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary and we both thoroughly recommend it. BYOB Policy is obviously a plus but listen to the waiters specials. If lobster is on it order it because it is wonderful. My wife ordered the rack of lamb and that too was incredibly prepared. Just go. It's not cheap but worth every penny read more

Pretty good food, attentive wait staff - terrific service. I usually opt for a fish dish especially when I'm down the Jersey shore, but I felt like a meat dish when my wife and I went to Whispers. Dinner started out with an amuse-bouche of tuna. Main course for me was the Grilled Barrel Cut Filet Mignon of Beef, Vegetable Ragout, Gorgonzola Potato Cake, Cabernet Roasted Shallot Sauce which was very good and went well with my Tangley Oaks Merlot, but I make a tenderloin filet just as good, if not better. My wife ordered and enjoyed the shelled lobster over crab cake very much. There were other items on her dish and, frankly, I can't remember what they were, but I assure you my wife was in heaven with her dish. She loved Whispers, but for me it was just average, perhaps slightly above average considering the service which was impeccable. **Restrooms were filthy and not tended to - total turn off. read more

Had a pretty disappointing dinner here last night. The atmosphere is extremely stuffy, most of the patrons are older (I'd say 55-65) and very snooty looking, and the food was extremely overpriced. I had the spinach salad (tasted like one I could make at home) and the lobster, which was served in some sort of a wonton bowl that was soggy and fleshy when you got to the bottom - it was ok, not great. My fiance HATED his lamb shank, which was so gamey it wasn't edible. Very disappointing experience overall. We had a much better dinner at Mr. Shrimp in Belmar the night before. read more

What a pretentious restaurant with the most indifferent service. It was Christmas Day and we were a party of 6, one of which was a baby. We had a confirmed reservation, nonetheless had to wait for ever to be seated, only after a prolonged time did anyone bother to even come to the host station. The waitress scolded us to make sure we had the choices for all three courses before she would take the order. She she didn't come back for ages. The baby just needed a piece of bread to occupy her, but it took waving my arms like a windmill to get someone to bring bread to the table. They were still baking it! 3 people ordered sodas and all three had no carbonation and little sirup. Then the waiter finally poured them from cans, saying, "We know there's a problem with the soda hose." My crab cakes were eh, my fillet mignon was decent, my cookie cake a disgusting disk of unbaked cookie dough. My husband's lamb chops were inferior and tasteless. As I said the food is pretentious and over thought out. Too much garnish. Mediocre quality. Over $500 without any alcohol, but a tip of over 20% was added. We normally do tip 20%. When we got our deserts 25 minutes after coffee was served, I noted that the service was abysmal. The waitress told us there was a large group in another room. What kind of excuse is that? Our room was half empty and there was a very limited menu, so why couldn't the kitchen keep pace? read more

A local special occasion spot. Menu was a bit limited but our selections were prepared well and enjoyable.

I have had Whispers on my list for quite some time. I must say, I was disappointed. We arrived for our reservation on time, and waited awkwardly at the front desk for five or so minutes. One is unable to discern if you should wait there or move forward to get someone's eye. The restaurant is large, and a bit stuffy. We were seated in a small anti-chamber. There were not many individuals there for a Thursday evening. The waiters were not busy and seemed to be hovering a bit. The food is very good, but over-priced for the type and quality. It was very good, but not excellent. I will not be returning, too stuffy and kind of "old" looking. I can get food of similar quality for less in a better atmosphere. read more

Dinner for 4 on Christmas Eve. Lovely and intimate restaurant with friendly, well-paced service that allowed us to enjoy our delicious meal. Our experience was perfect. We have dined here before and plan to keep returning! read more