Don't waste your time at this place. Made reservations over two weeks ago for 8:00. We arrived at 7:45 and was told five times that our table would be ready very soon. I understand that places get busy but they were extremely rude! After an hour and a half after they sat their friends first we were told our table was ready. We go to the table and they gave it to someone else. We left after waiting over an hour and a half. This was my third and last time I would ever go to this place. Extremely rude to their patrons. And the food isn't even that good. DON'T waste your time or money at this place. There are plenty of other restaurants. The best part is since we were a party of 8 I had to reserve the reservation with a credit card and they told us not to be late. read more

The service was excellent and the food delicious. We all had different dishes and everyone said their meal was delicious. We had two small children with us and there is not a children's menu but they did offer chicken fingers with fries or a half size portion of a pasta dish. It was a BYOB restaurant which we did not know, but they offered white wine from the kitchen that was not very good. Bring your own wine or beer and they will put it on ice for you. There was no view of the ocean as their website suggests. The decor is typical Italian with a fairly small dining area but it was comfortable. We would definitely return. read more

Labor Day weekend. We all know it can be busy... ...but imagine showing up, right on time, for a 7:30pm dinner reservation for a party of 4 - also your girlfriend's father's birthday. The host takes down our name, and asks "how many" - we should have known then and there where this was going. 45 minutes to an hour later and we were still waiting, even though he had told us it would only be "a couple of minutes". During this time, multiple larger parties were seated, multiple parties with 7:45 and 8:00 reservations were seated, and multiple people with no reservations who the host "discretely" ushered in without a peep of their last name (obviously "regulars" or bribers). When confronted with why a party who was behind us on the list was being ushered in before us, he asked us if WE wanted the table. What kind of an establishment just randomly gives out tables with no regard to reservations or the list? Then when confronted, changes their mind about who should be getting seated. Don't tell people it will be a few minutes then have them waiting for a table an hour after their reservation time. Maybe pay attention to the reservations you are confirming. Obviously we left without eating. The food could be amazing, but based on other reviews it's overpriced and the specials are quite the scam. Go somewhere else and save some time without having to deal with the bozo running this place. read more

Delicious food ! Definitely worth making a reservation. The penne vodka is our fave ! The out door seating is a nice addition

One of the members of our party warned the waitress that she was allergic to shellfish and asked for her dish without shrimp. They decided on their own to replace the shrimp with crab without telling her, which she is deathly allergic to. When we noticed we had to immediately leave the restaurant to go to the hospital. People make mistakes, I understand, however the waitress and another employee at the restaurant had an amazing reaction. While we were immediately leaving to rush to the hospital, while in the middle of our entree, they offered us a 25 dollar gift card and wanted us to pay the rest of our bill. So basically they randomly threw crab in a dish of someone who informed them of their serious allergies, without any warning to her. Then as our entire evening is thrown into chaos because we have to instantly rush to the hospital, they wanted us to pay our bill and got very upset that we wouldn't. Very classy stuff. read more

I had a 530 reservation and ordered appetizers, dinner, and dessert. Everything was brought out one on top of the other and we were rushed out in (no exaggeration) an hour and 15 minutes. By the time the check came the owner came over and asked us to please leave because there was "a line out the door" to sit down. On top of this terrible treatment by ownership, we had 3 people and the meal was over $200 which is ridiculous for a BYOB. One entree which was a special with veal and three shrimp - no pasta, no other seafood - was $40. We also split dessert which was a sliver of ricotta cheesecake from that preordered Italian company (not homemade) and that was $8. I used to love this restaurant but they have upped their prices and forcing us out this last meal has made this the last time I will eat at this restaurant. Having an owner come to your table with your coffee half finished and ask you to pay your $200 check and leave to a loyal customer is extremely disrespectful. read more

Went for dinner after July 10,2015. Just opened outside yesterday. If you sit outside you can only choose from menu or all have to order pizza. No mixing from menus as if they are two separate restaurants. We had to ask for water & bread. Took long time for waiter to come over. I ordered shrimp scampi for$24.95. It came out with a pound of pasta and 4 medium shrimp. Pasta tasted like olive oil dressing. No scampi taste. When waiter asked how everything was and I said not great he gave me attitude. Will not go there again nor to one on coast. Not a great experience. Never came up to see how things were. I hope this is helpful. read more

We have been here many times prior to the remodel and thought "food is good, prices very high" but they were usually available when other places were booked. About a week ago we stopped by hoping to try the outdoor, brick oven section but it had been raining and wasn't open yet for the night. We asked for a table inside and the man at the host stand scoffed that we didn't have a reservation. Ok...so we were seated right by the entrance. It was my husband, me and our 3 little (but well behaved) kids. We wanted to get them a pizza, but were told you cannot order the pizzas unless you sit outside. Bummer, but fine. There is no kid's menu, but any pastas can be ordered in a half size. We had the calamari appetizer, it was ok. My husband thought it was fishy, but I did not. He also thought it should include legs, but I hate legs so again, it's up to your preferences. The kid's penne vodka was good, my husband's special was unmemorable (like, we really can't remember what he even ordered), my special was amazing. It was sachetti in a truffle cream sauce with scallops and shrimp. The pasta and sauce were delicious, but there were only two scallops. There were three shrimp but I could really have gone with a smidge more scallops...especially when...this is the kicker! That special was $40. 4-0. Why so pricey?! It didn't come with a salad (no meals come with a salad, I think that is just wrong). I tried to justify that maybe the "truffle oil" in the sauce ramped up the price but later in the week Andrea Trattoria in Sea Isle had a truffle pasta for $28 (and it included a salad). Our meal for 2 and a half people was over $100 for a pretty average dinner out. I'm thinking this location feels they can over charge for average food and service because there is so little to choose from in Strathmere. read more

La Fontana is one of our reliable restaurant stops while we're staying in Sea Isle. Kinda prefer this original one to the newer one in Sea Isle proper. Virtually everything on the menu is fantastic. Be sure to get the gnocchi, and the frozen peach ice cream for dessert. read more

We waited half an hour to be served, and there weren't enough menus for all of us. Once we ordered, we waited another 50 minutes for the food. The food was decent, although the salmon and pasta were very dry. All of it was extremely overpriced. Worst of all, their pasta special was more than 50% more expensive than any other item on the menu, and they didn't tell you the price when they mentioned it. The check was a complete shock. The room was also too loud to hear the person next to you, and there was only one bathroom stall for a large restaurant, causing long waits. Perhaps the restaurant was just understaffed, but we had a terrible experience and won't be returning. read more

Went again last night 9/15/18. Overall a good experience. Food was very good but Service was challenged. We had the spinach salad which was supposed to have Gorgonzola cheese - but not a spec was there. For entrees we had the seafood pescatore and the branzino. The seafood pescatore was almost all mussels; there were 2 shrimp and 2 clams and several pieces of calamari - so this was basically pasta and mussels; which, although tasty, is not what we ordered. The branzino on the other hand was delicious and had a very ample portion of fish over pasta - the sauce/seasoning was delicious. Servers were sparse. I counted 1 waiter and, initially 2 helper/busses, (and then later about halfway they dinner, a third buster joined) for a room of about 50 people. It wasn't the servers' fault at all, they were overwhelmed and it was very obvious they were hustling - a lot. We never got a check back on how our dinner was or if we needed anything else. Water glasses were not refilled at all. Again not the fault of the poor solo waiter or the overwhelmed bussers - but the result was poor service nevertheless. And one last thing - the noise level was very high. That didn't bother us a lot but if you are looking for a quiet calm dinner, you will not get that here if the place is full. It was very loud. It was a shame because whomever the chef is seems to be wonderful but other things negatively impacted the experience. Seafood pescatore is not the same as pasta and mussels, Gorgonzola cheese would have helped the salad, and another waiter or two would have meant the food would have had the service it deserved. read more

45 minute wait to be seated with reservations. 40+ people standing outside (all with reservations) waiting to be seated. The owner was rude, offering neither apologies nor even some water to the folks standing out in the heat. We've been here at least once every year, for many years and the food is usually good, but the wait and the service were awful. And beware the specials: the pasta special was $40 buck for 3 ravioli and 3 sacchetti...should have disclosed that kind of pricing for pasta. read more

I made a 8:00 dinner reservation and specifically requested outside. When my husband and I arrived, the hostesses rushed us off to a terrible table inside and disregarded our reservation. Our table was in an awkward space close to the hostess stand. It was very busy and loud. The food was mediocre, nothing to write home about. read more

Our 2 girls went here tonight and they were treated like less than paying customers. $75.00 later- the food was good- but not a good vacation experience. read more

I heard from neighbors that you can get glasses of water with your meal inside but have to purchase very expensive bottled water on the new deck (even for children). That will certainly hurt repeat customers and make for bad public relations if the practice continues. The food is very good but pricey since everything is a la carte. I will not return there if I have to pay for bottled water. i live nearby and have been a long time customer as have my neighbors. read more

If you're looking for delicious, authentic Italian cuisine, this is your place! We went with a party of five and each of us had something different...and all of it was excellent! The only detail from the restaurant's website that was misleading was its description of the "breathtaking atmosphere" and "ocean view." While only one block from the ocean, you could not see it from inside the restaurant and it was barely visible from their parking lot. In addition, the dining room is tight with dated decor. But the food and very attentive wait staff make up for these shortcomings. read more

Host was rude from the minute we arrived. Had 7:30reservation for four and was told it would be a couple of minutes. After an hour of watching numerous people get seated with no names being called (just a slight hand gesture off to the side)we called the host on it and he got belligerent and tried to appease us with smart mouth answers.Very unprofessional; we left and will not go back! Why take reservations if you are not going to honor them? Be better to do what every place does when it's busy and not take them at all. read more

We had a reservation, so waiting wasn't an issue. We sat down to a mishmash of silverware, a random half filled glass of water (which they filled, so that makes it ok...) and dirty napkins. Service was ok, the server and waitstaff were attentive (ish). I ordered the special, lobster ravioli. I don't know that I would suggest bothering with this dish. For $39.95, I got frozen cheese ravioli with 5 pieces of lobster thrown on top. My bro-in-law had the veal osso buco, which he described as "edible" at $42. My husband and his sister each had the linguini with clams dish, which they enjoyed. So, stick with the menu and go basic and you'll be ok...? Overall, the experience wasn't terrible. But the food is insanely overpriced for what it is and frankly, I still have heartburn. read more

Servers made an effort to be warm and inviting. We were given a complimentary small appetizer while we waited for our food. The scallops wrapped in bacon were very tasty and the muscle appetizer was very generous in size. read more

They can take the reservation but they can't actually seat you anywhere near your reservation time!!!

Never disappointing at La Fontana. The staff are always accommodating and provide incredible service. BYOB makes the prices comparable to other vacation/shore spots. The food is authentic fine Italian and the outdoor seating makes this a prime spot on a warm evening. read more

Made reservations two weeks prior for 8pm and arrived at 745pm. Was told 5 times that they were getting our table ready. We left at 915pm without being seated. The host was so rude and met lying to us and sitting people who came in after us. Will never come back to this place. They way overbooked and didn't care at all. Waited over an hour and half and still not seated read more

The food here is amazing, my family and I have been going for over 10 years now. We drove from our Sea Isle shore house past La Fontana Coast to go to this location specifically, even though it was further. This year on our vacation we were extremely disappointed. We arrived for our 8pm reservation and had to wait 30 minutes to be seated. Not to mention, we were seated crammed up against a pole and another table was within 1 foot of us, causing the waiters and bus people to lean over our table in passing. The table was also not set, so they began setting the table while we sat there. We made the mistake of then just ordering our appetizers and not our entrees together. We had to ask for bread and constantly ask for our water glasses to be filled. The appetizers came out in a timely fashion, but after that we ended up waiting another 45 minutes for our dinner. The waiter barely checked on us and was not apologetic of the lateness. read more

Went to LaFontana Del Mare for our anniversary this weekend. We had a reservation and were seated promptly although there were plenty of available tables. Our server, Arjola B., greeted us and brought us beverages. She spoke soooo softly that we had no idea what she was saying and it was not even noisy in the restaurant! We were also given a basket a bread and butter. While we looked at the menu, we ate some bread. It was stale! We couldn't believe it because it was early in the dinner hour. We had it replaced which was much better, although would have been a lot better if it was warm! We asked to order an appetizer size plate of Gnocchi Sorrentina. We also ordered our entrees, Chicken Franchese and Chicken Parmigiana. The gnocchi appetizer was delicious!! We were served our entree a little while after we finished our appetizer which was perfect. All of the food was very good and we thoroughly enjoyed it. When we received the bill, we were charged for a dinner entree of gnocchi... $24.95!!! That is crazy! Our Total bill was $88.01 for 2 people. The food was good the prices are ridiculous! No worth it! The server needs to speak up!! read more

Recently ate here and was so disappointed in food and service. We went on a random Wednesday. It wasnt crowded yet we waited over an hour for the pizza. Waitress didnt even seem to care about the delay. This used to be our go to for Italian but now we go the extra distance to Mama Mia in Marmora. Food and service are significantly better there. read more

We come here every year for our end of Vacation dinner! The food and service is great! The Gnocchi is the best I have ever had!!

Had a reservation at 8pm for a party of 11 this evening. As I write this review it is one hour past our reservation without any acknowledgement or apology. From the management. The response was "oh well". There is no seating for patrons that are waiting for a table outside. Poor customer service. Will never return! read more

Tremendous food from this restaurant: Look forward to this place every year. We have tried the everyday items on the menu, as well as the specials. Don't be fooled by those that say its pricy! We live outside of Philly and lets just say that the prices wouldn't cause anyone up here to blink an eye. If you are looking to treat yourself to some fabulous food, and love Italian, then this is the spot. To be honest, I have not tried any other of the places in OC or this end of the island, so I cant speak their quality. BYOB of course. Cant wait until next year. read more

We arrived at 6:30 for our reservation andw ere seated promptly. Waiter was a little slow on the greeting, but not too bad. I ordered the house salad which was very good and the Striped Bass special which was in a red sauce with capers.My friend ordered the antipasti and the pasta Carbonara. which he said was also very good. Parking was a little difficult. I can't imagine what trying to get a spot at the height of the season is going to be like. Nice atmosphere and pleasant staff. One of the better restaurants I've been too in the area. It's worth the short drive through Sea Isle. read more

Was here in summer of 2012 with about 5/6 people had a great dinner. Just had dinner again and just as I remembered, very intimate service (it was a pre-season Friday evening)...my barometer for service in this type of place is the water service, they kept us filled, never had to ask. We called ahead because of diet restrictions, the girl that answered said she was not able to answer our questions and got someone on the phone that could and did. The shrimp Fra Dialvo is fantastic....we spent 74.00 (byob) before tip......its better than all the other Italian in this area...hands down.....go early though, it was jammed when we left... read more

ITS SO GOOD!!! Come hungry and leave happy and stuffed! There are so many options and the kitchen is very accommodating. We went twice this summer and had a great experience both times. If possible, try to sit outside. They offer the same menu but is a little quieter and with a little more space. The outside is covered which is nice. Can't wait to visit again! read more

The food was fabulous, but the rest of the experience really wasn't worth it. While our arugula, beet and burrata salad and margarita, chicken picante, and Fontana pizzas were fantastic, we waited 45 minutes for a reservation (the point of a reservation is that the table should be ready when you arrive!! Or at least close to it....) and when I told the hostess our party of 8 had arrived, she actually rolled her eyes. The bus boys were perfectly fine, but the hostess who rolled her eyes when I told her our party arrived, again rolled her eyes when we asked for the brick oven pizza menu, as opposed to the more expensive entree menu, which was beyond appropriate when you order at 10 pm when you had at 9 o'clock reservation at a brick oven pizzeria. We literally ate potato chips in the parking lot while hungrily waiting. Our server , Bettina, was less than thrilled with our order, and told us we hadn't ordered enough, but having 2 people over 80 waiting this long for dinner, there was only so much to be eaten. In the off season, if they're open,this maybe the best place in town, but DO NOT come here with a group for dinner, especially on a big shore weekend. If you do, expect to be treated poorly and feel unwelcome, as we did...maybe try hiring some experienced waitstaff. read more

Moldy-- major water damage that was never remediated. Food is mediocre. Service is okay, but limited the air quality majorly impress any enjoyment. Music is loud and cuts in and out, very distracting. read more

Went to this restaurant for the first time last night. Didn't really care for the atmosphere. We were seated right by the entrance close to a very loud blowing fan. We could hardly hear the waiter or each other. The food was good, but fairly expensive. The dinners do not come with salads. Complementary bread is given. It is byob which is nice, but the water they gave was warm and we had to ask for them to refill our glasses. Overall, was not blown away. There are better Italian restaurants in the area where you get more for your money. read more

I loved the food and the service was outstanding. Only negative was eggplant and gnocchi was not hot enough.

World class service , awesome owner . I can't say enough about the staff , thank you.

My husband and I have dined at La Fontana Del Mare for many years. The food is consistently well prepared and delicious. However, our most recent visit was very disappointing in the area of service. Our waiter appeared to have much difficulty with managing the tables, taking orders and getting our food out to us in a timely way. We had to ask another waiter if they would please get our waiter so we could even order! We will try their new location in Sea Isle City and see if that is better. read more

So disappointed... The specials were so grossly overpriced that it was astounding. 5 lobster ravioli cost $40 and for an appetizer 4 bacon wrapped scallops were $19... Neither were worth it! Also, the room was so noisy we could hardly hear each other speaking... They need better acoustics. Would definitely NOT recommend! read more

We had an amazing homemade pasta stuffed with Gorgonzola and fig. The service was also excellent. The outdoor dining was perfect for a summer night. We will definitely be back. read more

We visit this restaurant every summer on our vacation. They never disappoint!! This year I had the go to Gorgonzola gnocchi. Soooo delicious. The service was top notch as welll read more