Great local Italian restaurant with outdoor seating. Menu has many options always accompanied by a few specials. My favorite on the menu is the Veal Sorrentino. Staff is also fantastic. A must try if you're in the area. read more

Don't know where to begin. The food is amazing and the service is excellent! I love going to cafe Azzurro.

The food and the service is very good. The staff is very nice. If you are looking to have a nice dinner? This is the place to go. The price is reasonable too. read more

I agree with the general public on this one: 3.5 stars! Super cute outdoor seating area and beautiful building but a lot of the charm is lost once you go inside and the decor feels a little stuffy and tired. The hostess and server situation was a little disjointed but we ended up getting a nice table and apparently our server was "in a good mood" that day! It's BYOB so bring your own libations! We got the beet salad, asparagus salad, and prosciutto appetizers. Everything was good but nothing was mind blowing and I found them a little too salty. The seafood salad had pretty good flavor though and wasn't too chewy or fishy. The seafood risotto was a little al dente in my opinion and lacking some flavor but I would definitely go back to try more! read more

A good representation of New Jersey Italian food. The dining room is tightly packed and very noisy. The atmosphere is a stereotypical Italian place (Sinatra? Really? ), like someone trying to do their best idea of what a classy place would be like. The food was well-prepared, but my wife and I agreed that it was exactly what we'd be served at any of the other similar Italian places in every town in the state. The waitstaff was attentive, but clearly under orders to keep the tables turning over quickly (and as we left, there was a sizable line waiting to be seated). If you're already in town, it's a safe bet, but not worth traveling for because you'll drive by plenty of places just as good, no matter where you're coming from in NJ. read more

I am writing this review while waiting for 2.5 hours to get served our dinner. After complaining 3 times to 3 different employees we still have not been served. We are five people on the table and we are ready to walk out. Horrible!!!!!!! read more

I got here on a Wednesday night to meet a group of friends for dinner. We had 7:00 reservations for outside. When we got there (a few mins after 7) the hostess told us we could not be seated for at least 20 mins or until the group of people at our table "finished dinner", despite the fact that we had reservations! Needless to say, we went elsewhere (as there are plenty of similar and better Italian places in the area). This is not the first time I have had problems with the rude waitstaff at Cafe Azzuro, I have given them too many chances and will never be back. read more

I came to Cafe Azzurro this evening for dinner with some friends. I sat down and was immediately impressed by the atmosphere and decor...I was reminded of some of the restaurants I've been to in Europe. Unfortunately, that's where the similarities ended. The fried calamari appetizer was very chewy. The entrees were unremarkable. When it came time for dessert, we ordered coffee and four items, two of which happened to be chocolate soufflé. We were told the soufflé would take 15 minutes, which was expected...it is soufflé after all. Around the 15 minute mark, the soufflés and one other dessert came out. After realizing the fourth dessert and the coffees were probably not coming, we inquired, and the waiter made it seem as though he had no idea what we were talking about, despite being the very same waiter that took the order. While not the greatest dining experience up until this point, I wasn't compelled to write this review until the very end of our dinner. As soon as the desserts were finished, our table was quickly cleared, including the wine glasses that some of us were still using. We ended up having to cork our bottle to take it with us. If that wasn't bad enough, shortly after, a staff member came to our table and asked us to leave because they needed the table for another party! I found this to be in extremely poor taste, and from reading some of the other reviews, not an isolated incident. I'm giving Cafe Azzurro 2 stars...1 for the outside seating area and 1 for the soufflé, which was very good. Sad that I can't give it more. read more

Not the dining experience we were expecting. We had a 6:15 reservation this evening for dinner. We were dining with two friends (4 total in our party). We were led to an adequate table in an overly crowded dining room, with no distancing and no COVID protocols. The entire staff was MASKLESS. Our dinner consisted of appetizers, salads, entrees and desserts, and which were all brought out in a hurried fashion. Although the food was good, the service was rushed and it felt like we were in a fast food restaurant instead of a $30-$50 per entree establishment. As soon as we finished our desserts, the check was handed immediately and after we paid, we were asked to leave because they needed the table!!! I guess our $260 bill did not warrant a few more minutes to chat with our friends?! We were expected to be in and out within 90 minutes to make room for the next party. Rude and unheard of and we will not be returning! BEWARE!!! read more

Good food, cozy local spot, byob. My unsolicited advice to those complaining about having to wait on Friday and Saturday nights: stay home

We had dinner here on a recent Saturday evening and the restaurant was crowded at 6:30pm. We arrived on time and were seated immediately. We ordered a veal dish and penne vodka, calamari and a mixed green salad. All the dishes were excellent. However, the servers circled our table every couple of minutes, clearing dishes as soon as we finished, refilling water glasses, and wine glasses (after our repeated requests not to refill). We felt very rushed, and we did not overstay. We left the restaurant after less than an hour. The tables are packed in, and it's noisy. The major downside is the service: the servers are obviously instructed to turn over the tables. We felt as though we were surrounded by sharks during our dining experience. read more

Our favorite spot hands down! Food, ambiance and service are all amazing every time. You feel like home when you walk in the door! Rollatini, coconut shrimp, veal piccata, rigatoni Azzurro & chicken Buci (not on the menu) are all a must!! Thank you Benny & CA team! Xo read more

We went with a group for NYE. The place was very busy and the staff did there best to accommodate us during our 15-20 minute wait to include opening a bottle of our champagne to enjoy. Wait staff was courteous but meals were slow to be served and I waited an additional 10 minutes after our table was served for my veal dish. They clearly missed the my order and not something I would expect from such an establishment. Upon being served, no one apologized for this delay and inconvenience. Veal was good but for the price I would have expected more than two very thin patties with a small scoop of mashed potatoes and a few vegetables. I'm give them the benefit of the doubt because of a busy NYE and will try them again. An update June 2017: we went back last night for an 8pm reservation, waited at least 45 minutes and then was seated. Service was okay, we waited longer than customary for our food and then 4 waiters hovered over our table watching us eat. The entrees were okay, portions were small. Thank goodness we could BYO wine. I don't think I'll be back. read more

This was my favorite restaurant so naturally I planned my birthday dinner at Cafe Azzurro and booked a table for eight for my closest friends and I. The food was great; everyone ordered an appetizer or salad and an entree. It being my birthday we ordered every dessert on the menu and passed them around the table to share. Some drank coffee while others finished off the bottle of wine we brought. We had never once procrastinated during our dinner--we ordered right away and payed our bill promptly. Immediately upon payment our drink glasses were being cleared. We had to tell the waiter to let us finish our wine. Five minutes later the host came over and before she spoke to us we told her we'd like to finish ours drinks. She left us alone. Five minutes more and the waiter came over. He said, "I need this table now. A reservation has been waiting for 45 minutes." At this point our table of eight people had only been sitting for two hours. And, yes, I made a reservation three weeks in advance. I explained to the waiter we weren't wasting their table; we'd spent a lot of money ordering multiple courses and we'd just like to finish our wine. That we'd leave in a minute. The waiter nodded his head and left. We downed our wine and I opened my gifts on a bench outside the restaurant. I will never come back to this place and I will never recommend it to anyone. If this is how good paying customers are treated I want nothing to do with Cafe Azzurro. read more

Cafe Azzurro is one of those locally-known restaurants that never disappoints. The food is always fresh and well-prepared. The wait staff is attentive and knowledgeable. My wife is addicted to the Rigatoni, Sausage & Peas. The dish is simple but incredibly flavorful. Every dish I have ordered was very good. And then I have some of my wife's which is even better. Prices are very reasonable and it is a BYOB place. There is a liqour store a few steps away if you need it. You will always see the same customer faces in Cafe Azzurro. I am convinced it is a conspiracy to keep everyone but the locals out. And for that I am thankful. read more

There were 4 in our party last night, our first visit. The weather was beautiful, and we had a table outside. It was a Saturday night, and the restaurant was very busy. Good: My appetizer and entree were good. They were eggplant rollatini and sea bass special of the day. My husband's beef capaccio appetizer was excellent, very fresh beef. Good execution, and I rate a restaurant with good beef capaccio. Not so good: Sadly my friends did not have as good an experience food wise. My friend had the caesar salad there was no anchovies, and anchovies were not offered. Her chicken parmesan, my husband's veal saltimbocca, and our other friend's veal milanese were all OK to above average. Not great, just fine. The complain from my husband was that his veal tasted like it sat under the heat lamp for a bit long. Likely because it was ready way before my fish (my fish was fine). The service was nothing special. We waited 20 minutes to get seated even with a reservation. The hostesses were running around looking tense, not bothering to let us know the status of our wait. After we got to our table the wine was opened promptly. The time between appetizer and main course was at least an hour, and during that time they did not come and refill our water. After we finished our dinner we noticed that the folks at other tables were offered fresh ground pepper with their food (and we were not). We did not bother with dessert it was getting very late. The restaurant was hopping at 9:30, business was very good. Based on other reviews I read about this place it fits the profile of an eatery that is trying to cram in as many patrons as possible sometimes at the expense of service and food quality. I believe we were there at one of those times. There were too many tables crammed into the outdoor dining space. We feel like we were too close to tables around us. We did not feel relaxed, it was not a great dining experience. read more

This is the third time we have dined at the restaurant. The reservations are honored and the staff is attentive. The day was spectacular and the outside seating comfortable and relaxed. The food was average to poor. The soup was adequate. The veal chop special for $29.95 was dry and appeared to have been either under a heat lamp or cooked earlier in the day and reheated. The stuffed pork chop special for $25.95 was tasteless and undercooked, while the accompanying risotto was good. The filet mignon similarly appeared to have been held under a heat lamp or cooked earlier and reheated,the filet was diner average with three over cooked and dry asparagus and a really small portion for $29.95. The pastas were average for $17.95 and a boring selection. Overall despite the al fresco dining we will not be returning anytime soon. read more

Al fresco dining at its best! BYOW. Italian dinners with fresh ingredients, savory sauces, and impeccable deserts. Try the Tiramisu! Service with sharply well-dressed wait staff attending to every need without you knowing they are doing so. Excellent restaurant, with consistent quality all around. Try it. read more

Food is excellent but the waitstaff is even enter. They aren't overbearing but they are always there- you never wait for anything. The outdoor seating is great. Excellent all around! read more

Great food, attentive and friendly waitstaff, we love dining at Cafe Azzurro! We have been going for a few years and have never been disappointed! read more

Very enjoyable meal with attentive staff. We had the lobster ravioli, veal Bianca and veal Milano. All were excellent in taste and presentation. read more

Really unhappy with the service tonight. First off, the staff there tonight knew nothing about the menu. When I asked about the sauce the cheese ravioli came in, all our server could answer was cream. After our appetizers, we waited at least an hour for our entrees. A manager did come over to apologize and say that our food would be right out, yet it took another 15 minutes before we asked someone else about our food. The food itself was delicious. Yet when it was time for dessert, they were out of 2 of the 3 sorbet flavors, and when our server mentioned a limoncello sorbet we asked for further description. Again, all he could say was that it had limoncello, cream, and came in a champagne glass. But we ordered it because we wanted lemon sorbet. Desserts came, the "limoncello sorbet" was like a cream swirl ice cream and the iced cappuccino had no ice and was not cold. It will be a long time before we go back. read more

Food was excellent and the service was good. I had Risotto Pescatore and it was very tasty. It was a little short on the seafood for a $36. dish (2 shrimp, 2 scallops, 3 clams and some calamari). read more

I work in NYC. Live in NJ. And I have to say that Cafe Azzuro is one my top 5 restaurants. Ever. Benny who took care of my 7 guests and me tonight manages one of the most incredible restaurant teams I have ever seen. And the menu--incredible. The avocado salad-- to die for. Gnocchi-- amazing. Chicken Milanese-- phenomenal. Cannot say enough about this place. Outside dining-- a must ENJOY! read more

We had a wonderful lunch today. The service was outstanding food was awesome. I highly recommend this restaurant. I have been going here for years and for some reason never reviewed. They must go to place read more

I still give Cafe Azzurro 3.5 stars mainly because the portion sizes are so small and seem to have gotten smaller since my last visit a few months ago. Food is consistently good, but I would prefer if they raised the prices a couple of dollars instead of cutting the portion sizes. I basically got a tablespoon of mashed potatoes and a couple of pieces of zucchini with my chicken dish. The service was much friendlier this time. Maybe they've read some of the reviews that had pointed out how unfriendly they could be. Outside patio is nice in the summer months, but tables are really close together. They should also consider using some citronella candles or other bug repellents, as the bugs were out of control once it got dark. Overall, a good place if you are in the area. read more

It will be a cold day in h@#$ before I go back to this restaurant!! What restaurant ignores a reservation made 2 weeks in advance and offers to seat you ONLY outside because they had 2 parties inside and no other tables available? I had made the reservation for a friend's and my birthday and gave them my contact phone number. They never called to inform me that they only had outside seating: plastic sheeting around their patio with space heaters! It was cold and windy. Leaves from the trees were falling on our table. The food was good, but the ambiance was awful. They offered us blankets to wrap around our coats. This is no way to get repeat business; and they lost my business. Had the restaurant not been so far off the beaten path, we would have left and gone to a different restaurant. read more

My expectations are high when it comes it Italian restaurants. This place does not disappoint. To start we had the eggplant roll atini and it was delish! The ricotta was perfect and the sauce flavorful. Portion could be bigger though. My husband had branzino which was very good and I had the risotto pescatore as an entree. My risotto was a little too saucy for my liking and the larger pieces of calamari could have been more tender. Still the red sauce was very tasty, and of the dish of high quality. read more

My husband and I booked Cafe Azzurro for my daughters 1st birthday party 6 months in advance. As the party was scheduled for the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend, we were informed "the place was ours." Nick assured us any time and anything was fine, so we provided an estimated 60 guests would attend from 12-4 pm. Long story short, we invited 75 guests under the impression we secured the entire restaurant for the party. Well, I discovered the back room had been booked for another party when I called three weeks prior to the event to discuss table placements. Their plan was to squeeze all 75 of my guests into the front room! When I said that we would not fit or be comfortable as we had friends with babies, strollers, wheelchairs etc, I was told they could book the back room if they wanted. If I were the owner I probably would have called to check on our head count prior to booking another party, but they apparently knew better... Long story short, Benny was unapologetic and rude so we moved our entire party elsewhere. It was fabulous, and I'm glad they lost our business. read more

Food was Good as Usual, but Service was Awful!!! We had reservations on a beautiful Friday night. The restaurant was full. We arrived ahead of schedule, and didn't get seated for an hour after our reservations. When we arrived, the hostess was frazzled and kurt. She yelled at us, and everyone else. She sat MANY people who just showed up with no reservation. Reservations mean absolutely nothing to this place. The waiters were completely off their game. We had to actually stand up in front of the waiter a few times to get water or bread. Refills of water were non-existent. There was no one in charge to get the place under control, and many people left, and said they would never come back. The manager tried to apologize, and offered us coffee and desert on the house. When the bill came, they charged us for everything. To my followers: I would stay away until they get their act together. read more

Made a reservation on Saturday night for 7:45PM. Was not seated until 8:45PM. This was totally unacceptable. Hostess kept saying we would get the next table but she kept seating others before us. Food was good however. Bus boy service was very rough and not very professional. After dinner, I was still not happy about waiting so long, etc. Left a tip but not as generous as usual. The manager followed me out to complain about the size of the tip. This has never happened to me anywhere. This was totally unprofessional and unacceptable. I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone. read more

We just returned home from Azzurro,time & time again we had a great dining experience.We have been coming here for ten years and always left feeling we certainly got our monies worth always a quality meal with a very warm atmosphere,from the owners to the wait staff,very homey yet professional.The best restaurant in the area,our go to place. read more

The service and food is excellent, comperable and often better than most Italian restaurants in NY. Its BYOB - but if you forget your wine, there is a liquor store a block away. Depending upon the season, nothing beats the outdoor patio. Don't miss the mixed green with pear salad, the pasta is fantastic and fresh, the deserts are out of this world. read more

First time diner at Cafe Azzurro as I was looking for BYOB in the Bridgewater/Peapack area as a central location for a party of 6. Recommended by a friend I thought we'd give it a try. A fantastic overall experience!!! I'll start with just a few very minor critiques. Tho I like "dark" restaurants for the atmosphere it creates the darkness where we sat made it very hard to read the menu (several other diners were using the flashlights on their smart phones) and tho there is a parking lot in the back it is small and seems to fill up fast (we were lucky and got a "last spot" as several other cars pulled in behind us...BTW, our reservations were for 7:45 on a Saturday night). But that's where the complaints end. Everything else was perfect. The greeting (we were met warmly and our table was ready on time), the service (e.g., our wine and beer bottles were opened immediately and we were attended to regularly), the atmosphere...and, of course, the food, which was fantastic. We ordered appetizers, 6 different meals (chicken, beef, fish and salads) and dessert. Everyone loved everything. I had heard that reservations were needed and would suggest others heed that advice (I'm not even sure if they take "walk-ins"). But this local jewel exceeded our expectations and we WILL be back!!! read more

This place is great.. (but I went with my parents who go here like every weekend so the owner and every single waiter knows them.) The food was great and the service was great too !! read more

Beautiful restaurant but meals are very skimpy. We had two dishes of shrimp and avocado appetizer which had maybe 1 chopped up shrimp. Main course of cavatelli and sausage had 12 pieces of cavatelli. Normal size cavatelli was probably enough to feed an infant. Disappointed we left there hungry. The rack of lamb was wonderful however. I guess for $35 it should of been. read more

Had a wonderful experience at one of the best restaurants in northern NJ. Their Carpaccio is outstanding all their meals are exceptional and the Creme Brulee was the best I ever had. I felt I was dinning in a restaurant in New York or Italy that I visit often. read more

One of our favorite restaurants...excellent food, very nice and friendly staff, reasonable prices, and it's BYOB. Just moved to the area and love this spot... Would highly recommend. read more

We just had a wonderful dinner at Cafe Azurro. My minestrone was simply delicious, and the my main course, a chicken dish, was also wonderful. My husband's pasta was also delicious. This restaurant is always full; and when a restaurant is always full, there is a reason. JFC read more

Absolute joke. They overbooked their reservations on Christmas Eve, and made us wait in the cold for over an hour. Unacceptable. Their greed ruined our Christmas Eve dinner. And their food is not that good. Mediocre basic Italian food. These people suck. We didn't even get sat, we got the food to go and went home. Do not give these people your business read more