The most consistently dependable restaurant in the area. Great service, always. BYOB - but show up without? They gave me the # for a place down the street which delivered a bottle of wine in about 6 minutes - right to my table. But the food is the deal. Several standout veal and pasta dishes. A special they have regularly is a swordfish on the bone; if they have it, GET IT. It's a whole different experience than a regular (dry) piece of swordfish. The owner Ron walks the restaurant throughout service to make sure everything is running smoothly for everyone, so it does. We've been coming here since it opened 14 years ago and we've never once been disappointed. I don't generally post reviews, but after a fantastic birthday dinner this week I realized it was time to share! read more

Came into Christine's in Atlantic Highlands on a Sunday for dinner. First off, the service was great. Very welcoming and hospitable from the hostess to the servers, and even the chefs made a point to say hello. You can definitely tell it's a local spot with a loyal crowd and friendly atmosphere. The appetizers were honestly the highlight of the night. We had the fried burrata, baked clams, and the egg rolls, and all were flavorful and enjoyable. The bread was also delicious. For entrees, we ordered the Chicken Margherita and the Rigatoni Alla Sharon. The chicken was decent, simple and comforting, but nothing particularly memorable. I felt like the chicken itself could have used a little more seasoning and flavor. The biggest disappointment of the night was unfortunately the pasta dish. The Rigatoni Alla Sharon was extremely overcooked to the point where the pasta was very soft and mushy. It lacked salt and overall just didn't have the texture or flavor you hope for in a good pasta dish. We were excited to share it and it just fell flat. Overall, I'd say the appetizers alone are worth trying, but the entrees were a bit hit or miss based on our experience. The atmosphere is cute, welcoming, and clearly loved by locals, and the staff truly were wonderful throughout the night. read more

we came here as a group of 6 and although the space was cozy, it didn't feel tight at all! The servers were great - super attentive, gave great recommendations and very friendly. Every dish we ordered exceeded expectations. They're very big portions but the quality is what stuck out the most. Ingredients felt fresh and dishes masterfully put together. Definitely a restaurant we'd come back to! read more

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Love this place! Great food and great service! Owner is a character. We had a group of 6 and he came over a couple of times to talk to us and he was very entertaining. Great touch. It's not a big place so you need to call at least a week or two in advance to get a weekend reservation. Definitely recommend it! read more

Omg!!!!! If you haven't tried this GEM you are missing out. From the appetizers to the desserts, everything is delicious. Steaks made right on point. An attentive 5stars service, BYOB. Oh! And the owner is a sweetheart! Love Love this place. read more

Christines Italian - Tartufo - Italian Near Me - Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey

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A favorite of our family for special occasions. The food is superb, the owner snd staff friendly and helpful and obviously take a lot of pride in their food and service. The inside dining area is cozy and attractive. They offer incredibly delicious steak , pork chops,shrimp, etc. as well as salads, pasta, appetizers and desserts - we haven't had anything less than delicious there at all. And unless you are extremely hungry, you will definitely have enough to take home for a second meal tomorrow. read more

Great food and service and ambiance .. with lots of daily specials. Chef Marino cooks his family recipes

Super awesome. Ronnie and Trevor were so nice and really made you feel like family. The food was 10/10 and it was very chill environment. read more

Christines Italian - Pork belly salad - Italian Near Me - Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey

I cannot say enough good things about this restaurant. The owner and servers are friendly and personable. It was so hard to pick what to get because of how many delicious options they have on the menu. The restaurant has a cozy classic Italian vibe. Also - it is BYOB! read more

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Went with friends and felt like part of the family Christine's is a must visit. The Italian egg roll is must order. The scallops were cooked to perfection and the veal chop is delicious. Christine's is our new favorite place. read more

Christine's ALWAYS brings the A+ game!! Consistently solid since day one! The Italian egg rolls are the BEST app on planet earth!

Haven't been in a while but will return soon. Food is delicious and authentic BYOB service is always superior and the ambience is rustic and romantic. There are tables outside in summer months. I have had friends travel from mikes away to return here. See u soon! read more

Go! This is my 2nd visit and so worth every morsel. Food A+ Service A+ You won't be disappointed. read more

The food had no taste ordered veal Milanese It was drowned with tomatoes and some argula as soon as I got it I scraped the tomatoes off too much had no taste basically ate some my neice got veal chop no veg or sides came with it covered it cheese got it to go and threw out no going any further $200 later plus tip never going back what a waste of money etc read more

I had dinner on New Year's Eve at Christine's with good friends and I started off with the Veal Meatball appetizer and then had the Chicken Danielle which was excellent! The restaurant is located on First Avenue and the place is family run with a great staff and service. The interior is tastefully decorated and the seating is very comfortable. This is the third or fourth time here and all choices on the menu are great. Reservations are required and you can call 732-872-4790 or visit them online at www.christinesitalian.com We ended the night with a New Year's toast and I highly recommend Christine's as a priority on your bucket list of choices. HIGHLY RECOMMEND! read more

Great restaurant with a nice atmosphere , good service and the food was excellent ! We'll be back!

Danielle, please read this to Ronny! My boyfriend and I picked Christine's for our date night this week, and we will one million percent be back. The main dining room is on the smaller side, so be sure to make a reservation! There is an outdoor seating area that is covered and I peeked into it before I left. It has coolers for the summer and heaters in the winter so can be used year round! The service was outstanding, the team worked together seamlessly. It is also BYOB, (who doesn't love that) and we were offered a bucket of ice right away. Ronny, the owner, came out right away and greeted every table. He was so funny and a fellow new yorker! The food was just like my family made it. We got the hot pepper special and the peppers were stuffed with bolognese sauce. My boyfriend ordered the veal parm and I got the pistachio flounder special with potatoes and broccoli. We also ordered a slice of the junior's cheesecake. The portions here are HUGE and everything we had was delicious. We left so full and happy. I hear the Italian egg rolls are to die for, so I will definitely be back for those. I am surprised I haven't heard of Christine's before, but this place is legit. read more

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So my wife loves to have a celebration for her birthday that lasts the month. We were in Napa last week to celebrate and had a memorable experience. We brought back some really good Cabernet Sauvignon. My wife wanted to open this Stag's Leap bottle at a byob in NJ and have a good steak with it. After asking around and reading Yelp reviews we decided on Christine's in AH. Was our first time there and won't be our last. It's a small restaurant but that adds in a positive way for a romantic evening with someone you love. The hostess,servers, chefs, owner all make you feel welcome and are very attentive. The food was also very good. We started with the baked clams and Wagyu beef special. The clams were tender and fresh. The Wagyu was cooked to a perfect medium rare. Seasoned well and a perfect exterior char. For an entree we shared the NY strip. Again, seasoned well and cooked perfectly. The meal paired perfectly with our CS. For dessert we had the cheese cake and chocolate cake. Christines gave my wife another great birthday memory and will now be in our rotation for restaurants to frequent. read more

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Amazing service and food. The owner is so nice and this place is definitely one of the last of its kind. Cannot recommend enough especially if you want traditional Italian with a family atmosphere! read more

The food, atmosphere and staff never disappoint. The portion sizes are also generous, if you like leftovers. And it's BYOB, which I like!

This place is the real deal. Super friendly and the food was excellent. The veal meatballs and Italian egg rolls are to die for. Highly recommended! read more

The place was a bit of a pain to get to because I live 40 minutes away. However it was worth the trip. The place is a bit small We ended up in the outside area. Which was comfortable. It was chilly and the outdoor heaters worked fine. The service was fantastic. The owner stopped by numerous times to make sure we were ok it's BYOB. We had baked clams. Which were great. Eggplant rollitini yummy. A giant swordfish steak. Shrimp oreganata All the food was top notch read more

Christines Italian - Shrimp Oreganata - Italian Near Me - Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey

Just had a strip steak at Christine's. The food is always amazing but I have to say this was sincerely one of the best steaks I have ever eaten. That is high praise coming from a bonafide meat eater! Well done, Ron and staff! Merry Christmas! read more

My family and I went to Christines last night for a holiday gathering dinner. Being that I have been here before, I knew what to expect and as usual, they did NOT disappoint!! The service was impeccable and everything that was put on our table was a10 out of 10! I would HIGHLY recommend Christines Italian to anyone who is looking for incredible food in a cozy, quaint, lovely setting served to you by a friendly, personable, knowledgeable staff who really pays attention to your needs throughout your entire dinner. You absolutely cannot go wrong with a single item on the menu. A huge thank you to Ronnie and Christine for another delicious and memorable evening! read more

Hole in the wall, Best italian food ive ever had. Gives Anjelica's a run for their money.

my chicken dish which consisted of semi boneless over cooked chicken swimming in oil with potato chips was bizarre. the pasta with Italian sausage and rabe was bland and again swimming in cooking oil.the appetizer which read sausage egg roll was just that. 4oz Italian sausage wrapped in egg roll wrap and deep fried, everything was way overpriced and the framed picture of pedophile woody Allen creeped me out. lastly the music consisted of mixed 80s rock, all I can say is don't wasted your money at this train wreck read more

Always a great dinner from this wonderful restaurant. Wishing one day they would put a soup on their menu, and change up their potatoes like a nice mashed or a rice on side ( this time around potatoes was hard) we are frequent flyers so we know this menu. But other wise food was delicious. read more

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You know those restaurants that you go and you think the food is OK but the Staff is amazing ? This isn't it You know the restaurant that you go to and thing the food is good but the ambiance is amazing? This isn't it What you have is the absolute best local Italian restaurant with best service and friendliest owners ever. Stuffed artichoke bottoms, Italian egg rolls and the best ever baked clams I've ever tasted in my 54 years of living in NYC Let's talk about the veal chop...Wait I can't talk while I am drooling... BYOB so what more can you ask for.? Small intimate dinner or a small family gathering. This is the place. read more

What a great place!! Ambiance, beautiful, table great, service, top notch. With that said the food was fantastic!!!! I diddnt even know swordfish had a bone !?!? . The steak was a steak house quality, the crust was unreal. I started a new paragraph just for the pork chop !!! It was delicious!!!! No lies bro!!! Now I would like to talk about the swordfish .. the crust was out of this world tasty!! The size of the dish was huge!! Wat a fantastic dish .. Lastly the deserts are outstanding! There was 4 different tartufo !!! get the pistachio !!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!! read more

I cannot say enough great things about this place!!! Ok let's start with the staff. Everyone on the staff was SUPER friendly. I was mostly impressed by how the owner came to our table and made us feel like family. Not only was he so nice, he was super funny!!! Our waiters were so efficient too. The food.... Where do I begin???? The appetizers, main course and dessert were phenomenal. For appetizers, we had the carpaccio, long hots and little neck clams. Everything melted in your mouth. For the main course, We were a table of four so we all ordered something different so we could share since we couldn't decide. I'm so glad we did. Everything was amazing but the sword fish and steak stood out. Dessert was amazing but I cant recall exactly what we had. Mine was like a salted caramel but we also had a gelato and chocolate type of cake. I highly recommend this place and cannot wait to go back!!! read more

I don't know what to say. What a great restaurant in a very secluded area in Atlantic Highlands. The owner is doing more then could possibly be expected and the food and the portions are exceptional. How lucky we are to have business owners that care so much about doing the best they can do to keep things clean and keep the customers happy. Thank you so much for a wonderful dinner read more

Christines Italian - Perfection - Italian Near Me - Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey

A true classic. Small, intimate, charming ambiance with delicious food. The wait staff were very attentive but not intrusive. Ronnie was the funniest person. This was one of the best dinning experiences we have ever had in the 25 years we've been living in NJ. It is that good. Our first time here but we plan on being regulars. read more

I love visiting the Atlantic Highlands/Highlands and Christines gives me one more reason. The owner, Ron, makes everyone feel very welcome along with his staff. The service was excellent. This BYOB is in the center of First Ave with street parking or a municipal lot close by. We started with some tasty (light on the garlic) bread and roasted red peppers brought to the table. Appetizers: Italian egg roll-stuffed with sausage/broccoli rabe- different and very good Eggplant rollatine-very good Stuffed Artichoke bottoms oreganata-delicious! Rare seared tuna with bruschetta topping- this was a special- nicely down Entrees: Veal chop Milanese Halibut with spinach/roasted potatoes Veal special All the entrees were very good. My halibut was prepared with my special request-kudos to the chef. Dessert limoncello cake and Tartufo. Christines is well worth the trip as it offers great food, ambiance and friendly service. Can easily be a favorite in the Atlantic Highlands. We already have plans to return. read more

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Amazing food . Big portion . Unique flavor. Little pricy for jersey shore . Lol But worth try if you have not been read more

Finally made it over to Christines after hearing about it from a lot of locals. They most certainly didn't disappoint! First and foremost GET THE ITALIAN EGG ROLLS! These were outstanding, the flavor was amazing, and it is a must try your first time there! For our main courses we got a pounded veal in a fontina cheese white wine sauce. We also got the sword fish which was extremely unique. I was worried about this because sword fish is normally a tougher fish but this cut was incredible and fell right off the bone! On top of great food, nice romantic decor, and great service, it's also BYOB! Give this place a try! read more

Christines Italian - Italian egg roll! - Italian Near Me - Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey

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Nice evening here, great bread good service. The food was just okay - needed some extra sauce on the meatballs for more flavor. The broccoli pasta also lacked the flavors we were looking for read more

Good food. Decent service. Dark room but that can work if you are looking for that type of evening. Will go again read more

I first have to say that the food was phenomenal! The owner was so friendly and so helpful for my best friend's bridal shower. I am in the entertainment business and know have met many owners of restaurants and he was superb. However, we were told (by Rose) we could get there by earliest of 11:30 AM to set up. We got there at 11:45 (11:30 was NEVER set in stone it was just a time that we could START decorating ...Rose said that also over the phone) myself, and the other bridesmaid walked in with arms full of decorations, ready to go. The hostess Rose, started yelling not even.. she was scolding us in a nasty way, It wasn't." Hi welcome to Christine's" it was more of a you ARE 15 MINUTES LATE!I had a cancel my class in Red bank to be here! You were very rude blah blah... I looked at her and thought she was joking at first and she kept on going ON AND ON... After a few minutes, she was nicer and helped us set up tables, but I have never been spoken to like that when I first walk in the door at a restaurant. Maybe Rose should have better time management herself. What a way to put a damper on the beginning of such a beautiful day for our friend. For someone who is a local and a foodie and who has an influence I will definitely recommend Christine's for the food but dEFINITELY will tell you to stay away from ROSE she got some thrones!! If you're having a bad day go scream into a pillow. read more

Amazing fine dining food at a reasonable price! The owner makes the place ten times better, although all the food here is awesome. Never had anything mediocre when eating at Christine's. I highway recommend getting a steak or a pork chop because they are to die for. Great ambiance that makes you feel as if your eating at a friends house. BYOB but great service when it comes to icing down your bottles and getting wine uncorked, it's like you don't even have to ask! Definitely recommend if your looking for a great night out with good food! read more

I had heard rumors about Atlantic Highlands and this small, sometimes difficult to get a reservation at restaurant named Christine's. I had heard rumors about their legendary Italian eggrolls. I had also heard that their pork chop is on par or better than Anjelica's in Sea Bright. I am so pleased to report that all of these rumors are true and I now consider Christine's one of my favorite restaurants in New Jersey. Having been fortunate enough to travel to many great culinary countries and eat at some of their best, Michelin-rated restaurants, I will confidently put Christine's Restaurant in the same discussion as any great restaurant I've ever been to. As great as the food is, their staff is just as wonderful. Ronnie, the owner, treated us like royalty and his daughter (who happened to just be visiting home from college) was such a delight. You get the feeling when talking to the staff that they all look up to the Marino family... One young waiter actually confessed us that after dining just one time at Christine's, he decided to pursue his dream of being a chef. I highly recommend Christine's restaurant of Atlantic Highlands and will no doubt be going back there with my wife very soon! read more

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