Food is excellent, service is excellent, so why 3 stars. Because even if you have a reservation for 7:30 and show up at 7:30 you'll be standing there and won't be seated until after 8. Then you have to listen to several tables of screeching, cackling, obnoxious, obese women the entire time. So the excellent food and excellent service just aren't enough to make up for the auditory abuse. Remember the scene from Dumb and Dumber where Jim Carrey asks do you want to hear the most annoying sound ever, EEEEHHHHEHEEEEHEHEEHHEEHEHHE!!!!! Is nothing compared to the screeching you'll hear there on a weekend. read more

My parents held a surprise 50th birthday party for myself and my husband. The restaurant catered to all our needs! The service, food and attention to detail was exceptional. Highly recommend it! read more

Make a reservation :-) Not our first time here. Tortalioni en brodo and pasta fagoli bean soup both were good. Chicken parmigiana.. even while we are waiting to sit people were saying to get it. It was amazing. Pasta bolognese was good, but hard, almost unfair to compare when the chicken parm was just so much better. Cannoli was good as well. Will be back. read more

Good is top notch, service friendly and attentive. My fave Italian eatery in central NJ.

This place doesn't care about their customers, just the all mighty dollar! I called a few months back to make a dinner reservation for a communion celebration, figuring it will book up fast I called early in the year. I was told there are no other parties at the time and we even discussed the menu. Just to receive a call today and was told they cant accommodate my party cause they have a lot of parties. What happened to first come first serve? so you booted me for a larger party. And not to even apologize, I asked where you will sit us and was told I'm not sure I can. Ate you kidding me?' who runs a business like that. To top it off, he said oh you have kids, no it will be loud. I had the whole thing planned, to now be scattered looking for another place. I'm very understanding, and understand places get busy, you should have handled this differently and maybe apologize and come up with a solution! RUDE RUDE RUDE! That's not how you run a business. So disappointed and I've had events there. Will never come back! You don't replace a party for a larger party! read more

The Friday night we were there in July 2024 was so noisy we couldn't even taste the food. Yeah. Seriously. Zero ambiance, slow service. I guess the food was OK but it was not an overall positive sensual experience. Maybe it was a bad night, but still bad enough for not ever wanting to try it again. It's a shame. It was highly recommended but our experience was poor, at best. read more

I couldn't have been happier with my first time here! The food, service, wine and dessert was incredible. Highly recommend. read more

Cafe Emilia - Pollo Tourville - Italian Near Me - Bridgewater, New Jersey

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This restaurant is phenomenal! Got take out (due to covid) to celebrate my anniversary with my girlfriend. Got an app, salad, dinner and dessert. All of which was delicious. Paid for the food and left. About halfway home, not sure if it was the owner/manager, but he called me and asked for my address. Thought he forgot to give me the dessert. He was planning to drive out 20 minutes to bring me a dessert he thought he forgot to put in my bag. Thankfully, the dessert was in the bag. But the fact that he was going above and beyond just goes to show how they treat their customers. I'll definitely be coming back again! read more

Six stars! We celebrated our mom's 85th birthday at this wonderful restaurant. Everything was fantastic from the pre-dinner cocktails (old fashion and dirty martinis), appetizers (eggplant and arugula salad), entrees (bone in veal, monkfish, Bolognese and chicken parmigiana), wine selection (Baby Brunello) to the dessert cart (fresh coconut cake!) and the after dinner drink (limoncello). The service and staff exceeded every expectation. They treated our party of nine like family. I only wish there was another star for this review! Bravo!! read more

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Dinner out on a business trip took us to Cafe Emilia on a weekday evening. We shared a bottle of Super Tuscan wine. We had some fresh baked bread. My dinner was Vitello (veal) Stanski (scaloppini mushroom asparagus onion in Marsala sauce). The service was excellent. The prices and serving sizes were fair and adequate. The ambiance was warm and inviting. I highly recommend it. read more

Let me tell you something. I haven't had a meal in a long time that didn't have something wrong with it. I'm impressed. From the appetizer to the meal, then dessert. You could choose something with your eyes closed and be satisfied. The staff is amazing, kind and friendly. The lighting inside is dim and just comforting. The atmosphere is great, all you hear are people laughing and enjoying themselves. I chose a chicken entree with spinach and roasted potatoes. Whoever is cheffing it up in the back has serious skills. Everything tasted fresh and it was perfect. One thing I hate is choosing a desert from a menu without being able to see what it looks like and being disappointed when it comes out. NOT here, they bring out the desert menu on a cart for you to choose from; naming all the options. I highly recommend the organic banana chocolate cake, I didn't get a photo because I devoured it. I would go here again! read more

Cafe Emilia - Pollo Tourville - Italian Near Me - Bridgewater, New Jersey

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The service was excellent and the food was incredible. The restaurant was very busy and the atmosphere was inviting! Andy and his team never disappoint. Thank you for another enjoyable dining experience. Donna read more

Elegant for special occasions. But comfortable for all. Summertime they had the backyard tents available.

Please folks- skip Olive Garden and all the silly faux Italian in the area and pop over to Cafe Emilia- it is like going over your fun Italian cousin's dining room - appropriately social distanced. This is the kind of place where you think someone is going burst into song because they had 1) the special arugula salad with grapes, walnut, and goat cheese 2) chicken parmigiana (yeah I know but it is so good) 3) veal scaloppine with creamy risotto 4) whole Branzino with lemon pepper or just a good glass of wine. Service is exceptional and parking right in the front of the building is helpful. read more

Here in Bridgewater on business for a few days. I've learned In the suburbs of Jersey the Yelp game isn't too strong. Don't get me wrong the active Yelper's here do a good job but every restaurant I've found has minimal reviews. I opted to choose this place based on a recommendation from a colleague. Very convenient location, right off 202. Lots of parking. The ambiance and decor is aesthetically pleasing. Intimate vibes. Dark, lots of wood. Service was super slow but I wasn't in a rush so it didn't bother me. Somewhat limited menu for an Italian joint. Food was ok but not great, a true three star experience. I will say the bread was really good and I like that they threw us a free bruschetta app for no reason. I didn't care for the arugula salad, too much endive. Main course was Bolognese over fusilli. Not as rich as I was expecting. Pasta may have been made in house but it didn't feel like it was. My experience wasn't bad, it simply wasn't great. Because the logistics are so attractive I may come back and give it another whirl. read more

For our appetizer, we had the Involtino di Melanzane: thinly sliced eggplant rolled with peppers ricotta fresh plum tomatoes in a béchamel sauce. We really enjoyed this dish and was my favorite part of the meal. For dinner, I had the Pollo Giordano: grilled chicken sautéed in garlic topped with artichoke onion potato & peppers. The chicken was bland and unseasoned with the veggies strewn on top. I would not recommend this dish. The service was OK and the outdoor dining set up was decent in their parking lot. Parking itself was difficult and we had to drive down the side street to get a spot. read more

Old school Italian, family feel to the place. Great staff- make you feel welcome and like family. Chicken Parm is a favorite - best in the area. read more

Cafe Emilia good food good service ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha hs

We held our Wedding Reception at Cafe Emilia and it was the most wonderful day you could imagine! From my first meeting with them they made everything easy and enjoyable! Each step of the process was stress free- including the day that just flowed seamlessly! The only question I remember them asking me during the reception was how many olives I wanted in my martini. And it was not only us who loved it- our friends and family raves about the food and many have said they can't wait to go back for diners and celebrations! We now consider these wonderful people family and can't give them a higher recommendation for your events! read more

Thinking this was a relocated restaurant I frequented many years ago, I was excited to eat here. Finding out it wasn't was disappointing, but the ambiance was very nice, and the menu was attractive. After a few minutes, bread arrived, and it was delicious. We started with salads. Mine was a pear with goat cheese, not a lot of flavor, but in its simplicity, delicious. The Caesar salad my dining partner ate, in his words, sucked. When the main courses came, we were offered grated cheese. When I asked for the waiter to put more cheese on my dish, he placed the container on the table and told me to take what I wanted. Neither waiter ever asked if everything was okay throughout the meal. As to the main courses, the special homemade fettuccine with shrimp and arugula was flavorful, but the shrimp were very small. The shrimp fridiavlo was flavorful and, surprisingly, had larger shrimp. While the food was enjoyable, the service and salad failed to encourage a return visit. read more

Nice place but beware. The sneaky waiter will tell you about a hot antipasto before you even sit down. Little did we know it was $20 per person. Never mentioned the price read more

My girlfriend and I haven't seen each other in 2 years due to the pandemic. We couldn't have chosen a better place to have dinner. The service was great. The staff couldn't have been nicer. The atmosphere was warm and cozy. They were so welcoming. The food was out of this world delicious. The menu was full of choices and really diverse. There was no rush to leave. I can't wait to go back. read more

Met a friend for dinner and decided to try Cafe Emilia. Atmosphere was very nice as we were seated in a room to the side of main entrance. Staff was attentive without being overbearing. The best was the food! Everything served hot and tasted amazingly good. It was the perfect place to catch up with a friend! read more

We just moved into the Flemington area. As we started to explore the local restaurants we stumbled upon Cafe Emilia. It was Tuesday night and it was packed at 7 o'clock. We were greeted by a gentleman named Alan, whom I believe is the owner. He couldn't have been nicer. I was with two elderly people. He quickly went and got them chairs to sit on while we waited. Every employee of this restaurant was moving fast and catering to every customer in the restaurant. I immediately saw that service was not going to be a problem. Our total wait time was about 10 minutes. Once we sat down we were quickly met by a waiter who offered us cocktails of which we ordered a bottle of wine. We also ordered a few appetizers. Three of us ordered off the specials menu and the fourth person in our party ordered off the regular menu. All of our dinners were fantastic. Our appetizers also were wonderful. I personally had a pasta dish from the specials menu that was absolutely spectacular. I never finish my meal. Not only did I finish my meal but I also had some appetizers and I tasted my boyfriend's veal dish. I can guarantee that this will be on our go to lists for restaurants. Alan came over and talked to us to make sure that everything was OK. He also bought us an after dinner drink which was not necessary. He welcomed us to the neighborhood which was really a nice touch. We look forward to going back. Make sure you don't miss the spot. I highly recommend making reservations. I have never passed this parking lot where it hasn't been packed. I forgot to take pictures but I will next time. read more

It has literally been years since I have paid a visit to this restaurant and I still speak on it excitedly and positively. I love this place for its Chicken Francise. I hope I spelled it correctly. It's the first place that I have been served this dish other than with pasta. Here they serve it with a nice side of veggies and potatoes. It is my favorite dish to have made by my better half at home and it's lovely to enjoy it when I go out. The service when I went was amazing super attentive and warm. The restaurant it's self was beautiful and romantic. Great for a date night especially when he wants the dessert cart being rolled to you and to pick from. I had the added bonus that when I was taken here on a date my partner at the time knew the owners maybe that helped ‍. Nonetheless I had an amazing time and definitely have to go back sooner rather than later. read more

Went here for the first time last night. We are in their outdoor area, which was perfect! The tables were spaced out making us feel comfortable. The ambiance created under the tents was amazing. We started with two appetizers, Mozzarella en Carozza and Vongole Oreganata. Both were absolutely delicious. A perfect way to start the meal. We then ordered the Chicken Parmigiana and the Penne Arrabbiata. The chicken was done perfectly and served with green beans and roasted potatoes. The penne was cooked perfectly and the sauce was spicy and flavorful. No dessert from us as we were so full from the amazing food. read more

We found Cafe Emilia by cross-checking with Opentable. We came before a movie, tried a bunch of different dishes and enjoyed them all. We started with complimentary bruschetta, a special ravioli with vodka sauce, off menu calamari and a Emilia salad (greens with Mediterranean flares). We followed with our main courses: baked penne with a tasty red sauce and gamberi fra diavolo (shrimp in a spicy sauce). Everything was delicious! Dessert was espresso and tea over a lemon sorbet served inside a frozen lemon vessel. I highly recommend Cafe Emilia. Prices were fair, definitely at the right price point. It's a bustling restaurant that can dress up for a date night or down as an everyday restaurant. The staff was great, drinks and food came quickly, and they were very willing to accommodate any food requests, such as creating a calamari app for us. We will be back! read more

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Dinner this evening with friends. While the service was good the food was subpar. As shown in the pictures I posted will show, the presentation of these plates and the overall taste was not on par with similar plates I've had elsewhere. In the future I hope that for the time needed to prepare these plates that the quality will improve. read more

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Food is spectacular! Service is even better! By far my favorite Italian restaurant yet!

This is a really nice looking Italian restaurant that also has a bar located in Bridgewater. The service here is really impressive, and everyone was very nice and accommodating! A great place to celebrate a birthday or any special event. I dined here last Friday, and for appetizer I had the eggplant rollatini topped with a bechamel sauce which I thought was good. For dinner I had one of my favorite entrees I usually order when I see it on a menu veal chop parmesan with spaghetti. The veal chop was nice and tender, and it was really good! The portions here were generous which is a plus! They came over with a dessert tray when I was finished with dinner. I couldn't decide which to choose so I had a carrot cake there, and took a hazelnut mousse cake to go. The carrot cake was so good, but the hazelnut mousse cake looked good, but I didn't think was that great. I recommend dining at Cafe Emelia in Bridgewater! read more

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This is probably the worst Italian restaurant we've ever been to. The food is either very bland or too salty and they charge more than what the quality of the food deserves. We had the fruit de mare and it was like a basket of deplorables. The clams were so salty it made me cringe. On top of it all we ordered just one order but they charged us for two. They gave us two plates of it but I feel like it was just one plate split into 2 and since they didn't have very many customers. They wanted to make some extra money. Rest assured they won't be making any more money from us. read more

Cafe Emilia - Plate for fruit de marre (sp?). Terribly salty in the proteins and bland in the noodles. - Italian Near Me - Bridgewater, New Jersey

We had a business dinner here, unfortunately on a BOGO night so the place was packed and noisy. The decor was fitting for an Italian restaurant. When we couldn't find parking, the host (manager?) was very accommodating and even came out into the parking lot to show us where to park and escort us into the restaurant. His grace and humor made us feel welcomed. We started our meal with bruschetta that had a juicy chopped tomato and onion topping. The bread seemed homemade and was served with a tasty pesto and olive oil sauce. For our entrees we had the specials: salmon with balsamic reduction, veal scallopini, and homemade gnocchi with sautéed veggies. We all enjoyed our dishes and cleaned our plates. The meal was capped off with tasty cappuccinos, tiramisu, and apple cranberry tart ala mode. Everything tasted homemade and authentic, and the service was great. I'd love to eat here if I ever pass through the area again. read more

After hearing about how good this place was from friends that are regulars , we finally wanted to try it . Well, where do I start ? The quaint , cozy Cafe Emilia did not disappoint ! The appetizers and veal dishes were the best we've had in a long time !!! The manager, waiter and server were extra friendly and attentive! And then the cake cart ! Cheesecake to die for ! Socially distant seating was appreciated . We will be back very soon !!! Bravo gentlemen! read more

Service and food was excellent. It's a bit dark but great place out for a romantic dinner. Coconut pie for dessert was delicious.

Love the warm, inviting ambiance upon entry. Family owned and cared for. Small bar, but attentive service and wide variety of quality California and Italian wines to choose from. Started with a nice variety of hot antipasto which included fresh roasted eggplant wrapped around mozzarella topped with marina which was the best of the selection. Freshly made Italian bread with pesto was nice and complimented my lightly dressed Caesar on surprisingly fresh greens. The home made pappardelle bolognese cooked al dente stole the show and was amazing. Excellent and impressive selection of desserts to choose from to conclude dinner presented elegantly and convincingly from a cart. Shared the cheese cake and tiramisu with my friends and did not disappoint. Practically had to roll home as a very satisfied customer. I will be back upon my next visit to New Jersey from California! read more

Cafe Emilia - Nice ambiance with casual bar. Amazing Italian cuisine. - Italian Near Me - Bridgewater, New Jersey

This is my favorite restaurant in NJ. It is the only Italian restaurant in NJ that is worth the value. Every dish is just right and delicious. The services is amazing! It is so hard to find a real authentic Italian restaurant around here and this is the only one that never disappoints. It's truly a hidden gem! read more

Went here as part of a group for a birthday party. I have been here numerous times in the past. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming. The staff is very friendly and helpful with the menu. I ordered the mozzarella en carozza for an appetizer. I was disappointed in it. It looked like a filled cheese sandwich on a plate. I have had much better and much nicer presentation. My main meal was a chicken dish wish was excellent and the presentation was beautiful. My only complaint with the staff was the waiter always reached over me and had his arm out in my face. That's just my luck. read more

Had a great business lunch here today. Classic Italian menu, great atmosphere. I went with a Cod special, very well-prepared, over generous portion! read more

Cafe Emilia - Italian Near Me - Bridgewater, New Jersey

Service is 5 star , food was good but nothing to compel me to want to return and prices are absurdly high . Steve from Branchburg read more

So many things are done wrong. Very expensive meal with very bland sauces. Our family had to salt almost every dish! Their homemade pasta did not taste at all homemade. I am very disappointed in Cafe Emilia and will not be giving them another chance. The veal was ok, but such a small portion for the $. Homemade ravioli were ok, also tiny amount for the $. So take you chance and try them but in my opinion you're better off with Maggianos! read more