Anjelica's Restaurant

Outstanding establishment. Wonderful food, atmosphere, and staff. And such prompt and professional service. If you are traveling from outside of New Jersey, I know it is tough to enter the state, but I would do it again for Anjelica’s. Quite literally everything was good but highlights were the vodka pasta, the linguine. cannelini beans, long peppers, and bread. Along with our server Anthony and the whole staff. Excited to be back one day!

All around the exact expectation of a high quality restaurant. I fully understand the hype. Everything was delicious- but not the typical east coast “good”. This was high quality dining. We ate a really good amount to be fair and I didn’t leave feeling bloated and gross. It’s BYOB so we brought our own wine to pair. Everything was phenomenal & if we can manage a reservation we’ll be back 🤣

I have patiently been waiting to try Anjelica’s for about 3 years now. The staff was incredibly friendly upon entry. I explained that it was my birthday and wished to dine there along with 4 others plus a baby, as I was not able to make a reservation. To my absolute surprise, we got sat within 3 minutes. All of the food was incredible. I do recommend trying their famous spicy vodka sauce with whichever pasta they have. I look forward to planning my next visit there with friends, and will gladly make the reservation very well in advance for lunch. Thank you Anjelica’s and your beautiful staff.

Great ambience and service. Was tastefully decorated for Christmas and the staff was super friendly. Food was great as well and the spicy vodka pasta is great. Pistachio cake was super good but the pistachio gelato was a bit of a let down. Do get the potato chips as a side dish with extra peppers.

this place is WORTH ALL THE HYPE!! The best roasted peppers I’ve ever had, the ribs fell off the bone and were cooked perfectly, and the meatballs and fried olives and pasta were delicious!! I didn’t care for the mixed fried seafood to be honest however the rest of the meal was amazing so I still give this place 5 stars 🌟 you can skip the fried calamari/scallops/shrimp/fried clam dish !! DONT SKIP THE ROASTED PEPPERS TRULY AMAZING and I know your thinking Cassidy I can make better roasted peppers at home and maybe you can but these will not disappoint you or your taste buds they were truly amazing I licked my plate clean go get yourself a reservation to Angelica’s and try the roasted peppers for yourself and you’ll see what I’m talking about

Great food and service. Went with group of 7. Everyone enjoyed their meals. We ordered every appetizer for the table, amazing. The meatballs and stuffed olives were standouts for me. All of the entrees were perfect. Chicken milanese and the sole were great. We had several pastas for the table, all great.

Anjelica’s defines excellent quality of food. Entering this restaurant will transport you into Italy. This place is worth every penny. All of the dishes we had tasted were phenomenal. I was skeptical about anything pork; not a big fan. But, the pork meatballs were perfect and I was left wanting more. My wife ordered the spicy burrata and I got chicken parm with a side order of penne vodka; this was not a disappointment. We finalized our dinner with the pistachio cake gelato combination with a cappuccino. A perfect ending to an outstanding night. This was probably one of the best cakes I’ve ever had. 🍝🤍

Had a beautiful evening sitting in the alley tonight enjoying wine, appetizers, dinner, and dessert. The food was to die for and the service was outstanding. Oscar and his staff were attentive, friendly and made our experience extremely enjoyable! We look forward to coming back very soon!

In town visiting relatives for the holidays. Brother in law had been hyping Anjelica's up for 2 months. It lived up to it. We were a party of 8. The only reservation we could get was for a Sunday at 4pm. The inside is small and they pack as many tables and chairs in as they can. If you're claustrophobic, you're not going to like it. As for the food: Stuff olives: A+ Meatballs; A Garlic bread: A+ Branzino: A+ Pasta with vodka sauce: A Sole: A Ragu: A- Stuffed lamb chops: A+ Tiramisu: A+ Waiter was friendly and accommodating. Overall great experience. Bring your own booze if you want to drink.

Food here is incredible. I see why it's so hard to get a reservation. Service is friendly, attentive, and fast. We sat outside in the fall and they set us up with blankets and heaters. It made for a cozy experience. We devoured our dishes. He particularly liked the meatballs and I liked the Sole and and the Anolini. We both thoroughly enjoyed the ricotta cheesecake. There were more items on the menu I'd like to come back for. Reservations definitely needed. The place was packed even on a Monday night. Food tips: it's all good!

We decided to try Angelica's again in Sea Bright. It was wonderful! Such a fun vibe too- we enjoyed the ambience and had a nice time. The staff was top-notch notch taking amazing care of us throughout our meal. Also, they were great with food allergies- thx you!! ( shout out to Tyler!) Plus constantly checking on us- filling up our glasses, etc. ( great service all around) We had an array of things to try- apps, entrees, and desserts. We ordered a ton of stuff to try. Eggplant parm app Meatballs app Seafood app Two pastas ( spicy vodka and a bolognese) Chx milananse and chx parm with a side of pasta. Plus two desserts Everything was AMAZING and delicious. We all loved our meal and plan on coming back sometime soon. Reservations & BYOB. On a side note, the serving dishes were so pretty and beautiful! Enjoy!

Luck was with us on a beautiful Saturday in early October- scored a reservation at Anjelicas. We sat outside and enjoyed a leisurely and delicious meal. Service was good overall. Appetizers Eggplant parm Octopus over cannellini beans Second course Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe Entree Sole Meunière Dessert Ricotta/mascarpone cheesecake Another amazing dinner. Food is always fresh and on point.

Food and service always consistently excellent, also BYO! The menu is pretty standard but the do have specials!

Well we finally got a reservation at Anjelica's and it was worth the wait! Absolutely loved the old school Italian ambiance in here. It's also BYOB and there's a liquor store right next store! We started with the meatballs and baked oysters - baked oysters were absolutely delicious! I had to get the spicy rigatoni and my boyfriend had the baked chicken - both amazing! We ended the night with the pistachio cake dessert. 10/10 experience!

Undoubtedly the best meal I've had all year. Not only is the food truly incredible, but the service and ambiance of the beautiful outdoor patio made for a magical experience. The hype surrounding Anjelica's is a true sentiment to its excellence. Everything we ordered was a home run. The stand out dishes for me were the classics - the meatballs and the raviolis. Both tasted so incredibly fresh, and satisfying yet light. Just absolutely perfect. Honestly, no other meatball or ravioli I've ever had has even come close. Another must order is the spicy blush pasta. So flavorful, so creamy, so delicious. To finish the meal off? One of the best tiramisu you'll ever have, paired with a cappuccino. With so many winning dishes on the menu, you really can't go wrong with whatever you choose to order. The wait is well worth it if you can snag dinner reservations. The Jersey shore is lucky to have this gem of an Italian restaurant.

4.5 stars. Great place for a great impression, the ambiance and the mood. The music could be a bit lower to make conversation more enjoyable. The food is exquisitely prepared and the service is impressive. Reservations are required and sometimes hard to make. Be flexible with them. Average cost pp is $75. Enjoy yourselves and dine here. Probably better to go in Spring/Autumn. It's hectic in the summer. As per the food? Superbly done. Explain what I had? , not important. If you're a foodie, just order!!!

Drove just under an hour to get here and it was well worth the drive! A lot of Italian restaurants have spicy rigatoni. But Angelica's spicy rig separates itself. Perfectly spicy, not too much, not too little. The chicken cutlet was also incredibly flavorful. As for the beans, I never thought I would enjoy beans of all foods at a restaurant, but it was amazing! All in all this was one of the best meals I have had in a while. The ambiance was also very nice. Dimly lit. Great spot for a date night or a catchup with friends.

My first time coming and SO worth the hype. Amazing service, happy caring staff. All pastas were cooked perfectly. Beautiful menu and amazing tiramisu for dessert to celebrate my friend's birthday. Can't wait to come back

Best Italian food in NJ! The pasta is homemade and cooked to al dente perfection! Wonderful blend of flavors and authentic pasta dishes. They had a chicken special of the day which was tender, juicy and bursting with flavor (some kind of butterflied chicken with spinach rolled in). Even the Caesar salad was somehow elevated! We ordered a classic tiramisu and some kind of chocolate cake with olive oil ice cream for dessert, and both were delicious and light! It's over an hour from me but definitely will be returning! Edit: I forgot to mention, the service was top notch!

Not worth the ridiculous antics required to get a reservation. Good food, but......we're in the NY tri-state area - authentic and delicious Italian restaurants with incredible ambiance aren't hard to come by. Won't be back.

All of the amazing things you've heard about Anjelica's is true and I confidently say this is the best Italian food in NJ. We dined here for the first time last night and are already planning our next visit. We sat outside under the heat lamps and it made for a cozy and charming ambience. The service was also wonderful, they couldn't have been more kind and attentive and the pace of the courses was perfect. Now on to the true star of the show, the food. You can't go wrong with anything on this menu, our group decided to dine family style so we could sample as much as possible and nothing disappointed. The straciatella soup on special was incredible, the texture of the spinach eggs and noodles combined with the flavor of the sharp parmigiano was perfect and the serving was huge. The meatballs are also a must, the best I've ever had from the texture to the flavor and even the marinara sauce. A MUST order was the Tagliolini, the bechamel sauce was so rich and creamy and like all of the dishes, the pasta was perfectly cooked. But what really showed the range of this menu was the Caesar salad, they took something so simple and typically average and elevated it. For entrees we shared the Pollo Milanese, Orechiette, Ravioli and the Artichoke Hearts. These were all incredible, the chicken cutlets were thin, juicy and so flavorful, all of the pasta was perfectly al dente, the ricotta filling on the raviolis was so creamy yet light at the same time, and the spicy blush sauce on the orechiette had the same qualities. We ended the meal with the tiramisu and it was the best I've ever had, the perfect balance of espresso, the lady fingers were soft but not soggy, and the cream was light and delicious. Set your alarms and make your reservations because this experience is not one to miss.

You know when a place is hyped up so much and then you go to the place and it doesn't live up to the hype?? Yeah you're not going to find that here at this restaurant! Anjelicas lived up to the hype and then some. The food was absolutely amazing. Hands down the best spicy rigatoni and the best chicken cutlet Parm I have ever had. The ambience was adorable. We sat in the little alleyway off to the side, and it was absolutely beautiful. It was expected to be slightly chilly this day they provided blankets on the back of our chairs as well as heating lamps. The service was so on point...there are constant waiters walking around, replenishing your drinks, pouring your wine, taking away dirty plates and getting you whatever it is that you need. I cannot wait to go back to this establishment. I absolutely loved it!

This restaurant makes me happy. My friend raved about this place and I can see why. I drove an hour to get here. The head chef, Angelica, can be seen in the kitchen cooking. She runs that kitchen like a machine. I've never had a spicy vodka sauce like this one. The ricotta stuffed in the fresh ravioli tasted so fresh. Lastly, I HATE mushrooms, but I LOVED this ravioli. When I think I mushrooms, I typically think of dirt, but for these I thought of fresh herbs when I took a bite.

Nice place 4 stars all around Definitely not 5 stars. Sorry. Eggplant parm appetizer underwhelming. Great service BYOB they brought us ice, lemons and limes, a great glasses for our vodka!!! Nice touch

One of the best italian restaurants in NJ! Been coming here for years and the food is always solid and you have to get the napoleon for dessert. Will definitely be back soon!

Food was very good. Service was great. Wish there were more choices for entrees. Went at 4 in the afternoon. Difficult getting reservations at normal dinner hours

First off the restaurant was beautiful and the service was amazing. The food was absolutely delicious. My only issue was the portion sizes were small for the price of the meals.

Everything we had was delicious. The olive oil cake was one of the best I've ever had. We ate outside in the alley and it was really romantic and cozy. The server was great. BYOB.

We dined here the other night after waiting quite awhile to get a reservation but it was well worth the wait! Everything and I mean everything was delicious and top notch. Their Chicken Parm was one of the best we ever had, appetizers were on point and the service was spectacular. We. loved the spicy rigatoni one of the best ever, cant wait to go back even if it takes another few months!

If I could afford to come here every weekend, I would, probably the best Italian food in Monmouth County. The penne vodka is just spicy enough if you like spicy, the veal chop is to die for and of course, olive oil cake for dessert.

Reservations needed, this byob speakeasy restaurant impressed me. Wait staff was attentive and our waiter had a great personality. Operations run very smoothly and the large window that shows the kitchen gives you a sneak peek of the action. Started off the night with ordering the lamb chops chef's special appetizer with Barbabietole, their beet salad. The presentation of the meals allows you to admire the plate but it doesn't compare to the flavors that you will experience eating at Anjelica. My main entree were the lemon pasta (agnolotti al limon) and the veal scallopini (saltimboca alla romana) and cannot rave about how delicious the meal was. A restaurant that their main entree is as delicious as their appetizers. Nothing was left on the plates. Finished the evening with their pistachio cake. I am absolutely returning to Anjelica's.

I came here on a Saturday for lunch with a reservation and it was very busy. There is a big parking lot right across from the restaurant. I got the spicy vodka orecchiette and it tastes just like Carbone's. It was $28 for this dish. Definitely recommend.

Wow! Starting with the welcome, to the ambiance of the outdoor seating area, the attentiveness of our server and finally the food it was truly a 5 star experience. The food was fresh, loaded with flavor and delicious. Will certainly be returning in the future. Celebrated 35th wedding anniversary.

If 10 stars were an option, I would surely rate Anjelica's with them. Service and food was absolutely outstanding.

The food was delicious and recommended to my family and friends The customer service was also a good experience and the restaurant was very friendly and clean

Since my last review I've returned three times. I really consider this the best Italian restaurant in New Jersey. I was able to enjoy veal parm, the spicy vodka, lamb, meatballs, octopus and several other dishes. Everything stood out. I find the meatballs here to be perfection. Nobody comes close. The service is phenomenal every time! We have had date nights and family meals and the food here makes each time special. I can't say how wonderful it is to have such beautiful food so close by. 100/10 always recommended.

First time and did not disappoint! Hard to get a reservation but worth it! It's also Byob! Place is great and service was excellent, would definitely go back. Food was delicious. Situated on across from the beach on a great strip. We sat outside.

The king of NJ. No Resteraunt in NJ can touch this place. A close second is Belmont Tavern. Feels like your in your neopolitan grandmothers house when you step foot into the place and the food follows suite. Every dish is exactly as expected And they will make any traditional classic off menu item as requested Prestine service, beautifully decorated. A NJ classic

Unbelievable dining experience. Food, service and atmosphere was old school Italian. If we can snag a resy- we'll be back!

Overpriced Food below average Wedding soup not as described it was a bowl of water with 4 tiny meatballs priced $16.00 Pasta dishes overcooked

Being Italian, I thought it was incredible that the food accelerated to my roots. Level attention. One of my favorite desserts is the basket cheesecake intense in flavor and delicious don't forget to try the food it's a moment and that moment has to be unique.

Great food and always a fun time. Good luck getting a dinner reservation. Love this restaurant

I was so excited when I was able to get a reservation because since moving to the area I've heard nothing but incredible things about Anjelica's. It did not disappoint. My friends and I shared several dishes (beet salad, cauliflower, eggplant, salmon, chicken, a creamy pasta with pancetta, and tiramisu. Legit, everything was amaaaaaazing!!! And I found the prices to be extremely reasonable. The ambiance is so pretty, all the wait staff are incredible, and Oscar (I believe the maitre D) was so awesome and took the time to take a bunch of nice photos of my friends and I. This is easily the best restaurant in the area and worth all the hype. Can't wait to go back!

Brought my wife to Anjelica's today for a Valentine's Day lunch. Everyone was very nice that the staff vs customers ratio was great. We had great appetizers meatballs and artichokes. Very tasty. We ordered pastas and that's when things changed. I had raviolis and my wife ordered cavatelli. We waited 25 mins for the pasta. We did not get our dishes at the same time. I had my raviolis first and they were under a heat lamp for a while as the sauce was filmy, I waited for my wife to get her dish and it came 10 mins later. The waiters avoided my table until she got her pasta. Ruined the experience and meal. Also it was quite expensive, which wouldn't have bothered me if the experience was worth it. This wasn't. Not going back.

What exceptional experience! Went there for a business dinner, and took some terrific wine but the food was spectacular. Great service, great ambience well worth the hour and a half drive The dinner started with some appetisers, including calamari and octopus, as well as salads to share. Wonderful ingredients and well prepared. Calamari was not oily and octopus was really tender. In-between we had some pastas to share. Must do the meatballs. Firm and not dry. Sauce was excellent. Must have bread to dip! Entrees consisted of multiple choices and were shared and thoroughly enjoyed. Lots of fish dishes and some chicken. All perfectly cooked. This is the go to place. Don't know why I have missed for so many years well worth a visit. I will try and be back if they'll let me make a reservation. I highly recommend this place!

Fantastic place, great food, service top notch & ambiance classic. Always busy, reservations a must & worth the wait. When visiting Sea Bright NJ there is no other place to each. BYOB makes it fun & special daily are always wonderful. Nick Marino

One of the best Italian restaurants I have ever been to hands down! The food was spectacular and so fresh. I really enjoy restaurants that are farm fresh and the difference really shows. The service was so welcoming and homey. It's not a huge place but the seating indoor is very comfortable spacing wise and the outdoor seating is very picturesque and straight out of an Italian magazine. Definitely make sure to get a reservation because it gets very busy!

Delicious! We did take out bc couldn't get a reservation . Now I know why!! We got the salmon, eggplant sandwich, and the spicy orecchiette. The eggplant panini and spicy pasta were so good! The salmon was good but nothing too special. Highly recommend.

I was not impressed with the food. The service was painfully slow at lunchtime. The atmosphere was ok.

This restaurant is outstanding. The food is by far and wide the best food in NJ. It's always consistent and delicious. It's a bring your own and the space is tiny but the veal chop, beet salad was incredible. Service is excellent too. Wish I could get a reservation more frequently.

​I met with five of my friends at Angelicas, Sea Bright expecting a great dinner and unfortunately did not. The waiter was hard to understand and insisted we order appetizers and main courses at the same time to make things run smoothly, BS, I think the restaurant is looking to turn their tables faster. Although the appetizers were good, the servers were rude and unprofessional. My main course was a dried out piece of Salmon, my friends ordered Sole and pasta that looked better. Sorry, this is just another average local seashore spot that has a captive audience, and is not special here in any way!

How do you even get a reservation at this place !?!?!?! I tried RESY, calling the restaurant numerous times , emailing , no one responds or picks up the phone . Ridiculous! Have dined here before and yes it was very good. Would love to return again if only I could SCORE a reservation!

All I can say is it was worth the wait. I had to wake up early 60 days out to get a reservation for 6:30 on a Friday night in March. We walked in, were greeted promptly and the host even hung up my coat for me. Our server, his name is escaping me, was outstanding. All the specials were memorized and he was hustling as everyone was being seated at the same time. The bread they served was great and had a great crispiness to it. We started with the Cacio e Pepe for an appetizer. They split it into 2 bowls and I thought it was really good. I got the double cut pork chop which I had heard great things about and it did not disappoint. If you want it you need to order it right away as it literally takes almost an hour to prepare. It is MASSIVE and comes with broccoli rabe. My wife got the chicken scallopini which came with garlic mashed potatoes. The chicken was pounded so thin and it was delicious. We finished with the Ricotta Cheesecake. I admittedly have never liked cheesecake... never. I ordered it for my wife but found myself eating more than half. She likened it to a cross between cheesecake and flan and I got more of an angel food texture out of it. It was legitimately my favorite part of the meal. It's pricey but BYOB so it saves a few bucks but you're there to splurge a bit. The restaurant was filled with regulars and you can tell it's a bit of an "exclusive" place but it did not have the pretentious vibes that you might expect. Sure there are some wealthy people in there but we were not treated any differently than the regulars. We felt right at home. We hope to come back with some friends in the future. It would probably be nice to sit outside in the summertime. My one gripe - our table location. It was a 2 seater right by the kitchen and staff did not stop coming by at all. Our waiter could not even stand next to us to take our order as there wasn't enough room for other staff to get by. It was very busy so I get it, but I would request a table towards the other side next time. It didn't detract much from our overall experience though.

First visit in 2025 did not disappoint - eggplant appetizer was just perfect ( don't touch that plate it's hot allright) pasta al forno and cauliflower rounded out the apps - sole and bronzino were done just right - bronzino had a delicious crispy crust on a sun choke puree - pistachio cake is killer as always - just the best food at The Shore - well done all

Food is always top shelf. Chicken relation special was superb. Service is impeccable. This is a don't miss stop!

This was an outstanding dinner. All the food was amazing and the spacing between courses was not rushed. The tagliolini al forno was particularly delicious and I highly recommend. I plan on coming back very soon. Also, special thanks to Pedro who made it a memorable dinner for us.

Best meal in NJ! Service was exceptional and the pork chop was perfectly cooked- worth the 40 minute standard cook time listed next to it on the menu. And the meatballs are a MUST. If you can get a reservation, do not hesitate on this one!!!