Our first visit to Dolce Fantasia, and it will not be the last. My wife and I attended the Beer,…read moreWine and Spirits event in Asbury earlier in the day and decided to stay in town for an early dinner. Even though they only opened at 5pm, there was already a lively crowd at 5:30. We started with Polpettine Di Pollo, organic chicken meatballs with bell pepper, garlic, spinach and pomodoro. The order was large and delicious! Piping hot as well. Carol chose the Pappardelle al Telephono Nostro, house made pasta, mozzarella, tomato-cream sauce and fresh basil. this was a large order and my wife loved it. I chose the Tortelloni alla Bergamasca, veal tortellini with black truffle and rosemary veal reduction. Excellent as well! Dessert consisted. of a shared Pistachio Creme Brulee that was perfect. The restaurant is BYOB and I recommend making a reservation. Our server, Khrystna, was superb

Asbury Park is one of my favorite food towns, and a huge reason is because it still has the ability…read moreto pleasantly surprise me. Case in point - this restaurant has apparently been in the downtown area for several years and I had no idea. I stopped by here for lunch on Memorial Day with the Millennial Chum, and in a totally risky move, didn't make a reservation anywhere and just decided to wing it. The Millennial Chum's only requirement was that it be a place neither one of us had been to before, so after a very quick search/walk, we noticed this place and also decided we had a hankering for Italian. Done. I don't know how to describe the interior, but "yellow" and "modern" comes to mind. This isn't a stodgy white tablecloth kind of place; it's vibrant and hip, I'm sure trying to capture that classic Asbury demo. Really unique. The weather was a little meh, which worked in our favor - although there was a decent amount of foot traffic in the downtown area 70% of which were pooches, only one other table was occupied in here. We were able to sit down and were served very promptly. We were both very intrigued by one of the apps on the verbal specials menu - mango burrata, which sounded like sort of a mess, but also worth a try. Definitely more of the latter. Never would have thought to combine these two ingredients together, but it was really excellent and an interesting palate pairing. The presentation was solid as well, and this...didn't last long, although given that we both ordered entrees perhaps we should have been more responsible in that regard. Something I'd recommend for the regular menu in the future for sure. A lot of the entrees looked interesting and pretty authentic; this isn't just spaghetti and chicken parm (I'm not actually sure either was even on the menu). The one that emotionally spoke to me the most was the Pappardelle (one of my fave pastas and always pleased to see it) Al Telefono Nostro. Really hit the spot, and as you can see a really hardcore portion. The tomato cream sauce was light and flavorful, and the only nitpick I had (just a personal palate preference) was the inclusion of the sliced tomatoes. I'm sure a ton of people love those, and it basically adds a level of authenticity to the dish that a barbarian like me just can't quite appreciate. I made sure the Millennial Chum had a few tomato pieces though. Really good dish and would order it again. Honestly not sure what possessed us to even look at the dessert menu much less actually order from it, but I thought Oreo Tiramisu sounded interesting, despite the Millennial Chum's yowling that she despised tiramisu. It turns out she doesn't, because once this dish arrived she happily helped herself and decided that her opinion on tiramisu was likely based on a traumatic/misleading childhood incident. Bare minimum, this place gets solid marks for rewriting history for her in the Italian dessert department. But it WAS delicious, which was a theme of our meal. The service was top-notch; our waitress was over regularly and had a strong command of the menu (which I think deserves bonus points, given that this was not Americanized and it helped to have a metaphorical lifeguard helping us navigate some of the trickier stuff; I studied abroad in Florence over 20 years ago, but you'd never know it). Very pleasant. BIg recommend; not a ton of establishments under the radar in Asbury, but this might be one of them.

Was lucky enough to get a table outside for lunch on a rare sunny & warm day of the season…read more Cardinal has always been on my radar after hearing only great things and I can finally now vouch for them as well. We were seated right away on a Thursday afternoon on their front sidewalk patio. I ended up ordering the Green Machine bowl (normally vegan and gluten free) but added grilled chicken to it. It was delicious! A combo of roasted broccoli, warm lentils, parsley pesto, avocado, and marinated kale. Everything was cooked perfectly, and while this is basically something I make on rotation at home, I loved the pesto sauce and will definitely be trying to replicate that on my own. Perfect lunch that left my full and not even a little sluggish. They do have a few drinks on the menu like kombucha, cold brew, and sodas, but if you are looking for anything more than that in the coffee arena, you'll need to pop by a neighboring cafe afterwards. Service was friendly but not too fast. It was a busy day and we were in no rush, so we didn't mind. All in all, a great place for a delicious brunch.

Asbury Park has a moderate case of "Beacon Syndrome" in which restaurant abundance hasn't kept up…read morewith tourism levels. (It's more dire over in Ocean Grove, at least Asbury has the option of longer walks for non-touristy spots). The acclaimed cacio e pepe scrambled eggs is a solid pick, but based on a few bites I think the spring benny may have a higher BPM. Credit is due for beverage innovation; I enjoyed the black and hibiscus tea with pineapple nectar.

ASBURY PARK: The latest addition to Asbury Park's vibrant scene, The Berkeley Backyard is a stylish…read morenew restaurant located inside the historic Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel--and the best part? Leashed and friendly dogs are welcome both indoors and out! Open for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch, the space is beautifully designed to bring the outdoors in, with green floral backdrops, hanging string lights, and framed flower displays that create a fresh, modern ambiance. The outdoor patio offers views of Ocean Avenue, Convention Hall, and the iconic Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel--which is also dog friendly! Be sure to check their social media for the latest hours and upcoming events.

Excellent service, very good drinks. I tried the Coco Lychee Martini . This place is also…read moreconnected to a pool area where day passes are available for purchase. Serene ambiance

I fall more in love with this place each time I go!…read more Grabbed a Vegan Cesar and vegan hot honey pizza. Unreal! The Cesar salad was amazing - I'll be dreaming of it the next visit. The pizza, as always, a FAVORITE. Truly the best place ever!!!

Wanted to like this spot. Good vibe, cool decor…read more... Pizza was overworked, crumb non-existent. Zero flavor. Also undercooked and gummy. Toppings were ok, but didn't really matter on top of a soggy, bland mess...pizzas shouldn't flop over and drip. Service was friendly but slow.

This place was GOOOOOD. Honestly blown away by this establishment…read more Was in town for work & everyone from the area to told me to come down to this area for dinner. Walked around & landed on this place. Such a swanky cool kind of new age hipster but also vintage vibe? Lol No idea! But I sure was digging it! The bartender was super sweet in helping me make a decision for dinner, because I wanted to try it ALL. I folded on the Lemony Shrimp & Bean stew (absolutely spectacular and this is coming from someone that doesn't like being or vegetable type soups) the leeks were so yummy but the shrimp was the star, just look at how huge they were. Sliced Flat Iron - SO JUICY. Such flavor! Literally haven't had any steak til this day that could replicate that flavor of the scallion chimichurri and celery root purée. It has been over a year now since I've been here, and I still CRAVE, I'm talking I have full on dreams about having this place again. Can confirm, I AM Homesick.

Had brunch here this past weekend with a group of girls. Our server was so sweet and attentive and…read moregot everything right. Inside is clean and cute and nicely decorated. The food was excellent. I highly recommend the burger, and the drinks were perfectly created. Not too strong, but not too weak. Would definitely come back.

ASBURY PARK: after all these years hanging out in town, we finally visited Toast, a breakfast,…read morebrunch, and lunch destination right downtown. They have tables out front that are friendly to leashed dogs while enjoying the buzz of Cookman Avenue. The menu is full of omelettes, pancakes, toasts, burgers, bowls, salads, and more! BYOB and enjoy a summer day with excellent food!

Always a fan of the breakfast bowl. The staff is always super friendly and the coffee hits the…read morespot. Great ambiance and they are open early.

We are here for a brief vacation at asbury park breach and we are with dog so found chat and…read morenibble in our search for pet friendly dining. Don't sleep on this spot. It's not in the typical boardwalk or Cookman location. It's about .8 miles in the opposite direction from the board walk but we enjoyed our stroll with the pup.. the food was fantastic. My daughter got the asbury special which was two eggs, toast and a choice of potato and I got the Mediterranean omelet with feta, spinach, onions and tomato, toast and home fries.. and of course a pancake order for the table.. service was fantastic and the outdoor seating was nice.. they might benefit from some shade or umbrellas, but at 8 am it was not an issue.. if you're looking for a fantastic breakfast, dog friendly is a plus, but I'd recommend even without a dog.. very glad it came up in our search

Breakfast special of eggs, meat and bread meant egg whites, cinammon raisin french toast and…read morechorizo. Superb food, quick service, very reasonable prices, and a "locals/IYKYK" feel that made a gret place to wrap up first weekend of 2026. We will definitely be back.

Saw a 1 star review saying "one and done" , "dessert was good", "all atmosphere", "just okay"…read more As much as I disagree with that assessment and personally feel that Pascal and Sabine is way better than "just okay"... that review should not equal 1 star. You're only review, you've only been once and decide to go onto a public forum and give 1 star. Anyway off my soapbox. Pascal and Sabine not only has some of the best cocktails and bartenders in Asbury but possibly NJ. I have been countless times with my wife, my kids, large groups you name it. My favorite way to experience Pascal is to sit at the bar get a couple cocktails (The Jackal is a staple), the Madame Smith Burger (my wife gets the Mr Smith) the fries are amazing, and maybe the escargot and just enjoy. It's up there with some of the most perfect nights out in Asbury you can have. Hope this 5 star review balance out a ridiculous 1 star review. - YH

This place is a standout…read more I came with my mom during happy hour and everything from beginning to end was excellent. Lovely hostess, great round bar seating with huge windows for people watching, and a genuinely charming and attentive bartender (Mike). We started with oysters from Newfoundland and cheese off the happy hour menu -- both great. My mom loved her lavender French 75 (a drink special), and my white wine was perfect (the name escapes me at the moment). The garlic soup deserves awards. I first had it two summers ago and still think about it -- I made my mom try it and she immediately understood my rave reviews. For entrées, her burger was cooked perfectly medium-rare, and my fish & chips absolutely hit the spot. Both came with generous portions of house-made fries and an unexpectedly addictive house honey-mustard. We had enough fries for leftovers, and I even asked for extra mustard to take home. Food, service, atmosphere, lighting, noise level -- all dialed in. A 10/10 experience!

Quick and friendly service. A bit expensive but good food…read more Tater tots & scotch eggs: probably the biggest tater tots I've ever had. Crispy and hot. Scotch eggs were good. Pasta: can't remember the name of the pasta I got but it's the one that was recommended by the waiter. It comes with burrata which made the dish so so good. I would get this again.

Unfortunately we did not enjoy our lunch. We started with Bloody Mary's, our server told us they…read morewere delicious. Unfortunately they were nothing but a salt bomb of tomato juice, they were horrible! I had the fish & chips, the batter was so thick that I had to pick off the batter, it was too much! The fries were good. The Cordon bleu sandwich was very greasy and basic.

Delicious food! Warm and friendly staff. Our waitress was very on her game and took such great care…read moreof us! We would very much like to return! Love the Speakeasy in the basement!!

3.5 stars I had been…read morewanting to try REYLA for a while, but when I looked at their dinner menu, I found it rather limited. Their brunch list, on the other hand, had much more to offer, so my friend and I stopped in there for a late afternoon meal. We had gotten held up shopping around town, so we arrived close to the end of their brunch time window, and the place was completely empty. The restaurant's rustic, Mediterranean elegance was not lost on us, however. We kept it simple and only ordered main dishes. I opted for the Tofu Scramble, which was plated with a side of Calabrian deep-fried potatoes and some sort of spicy tomatillo salsa that was studded with chickpeas. The whole dish had a lot of seasoning, but it was greasy. I tried a few of my friend's za'atar fries, and they were also very oily. She thought her Fried Chicken Sandwich was decent, though. We both felt like REYLA was a stunning restaurant with just above mediocre food. I would not be opposed to going back there, but I would not rush there either.