Checks all the boxes. Try the sausage and broccoli rabe! You won't be disappointed...

Went there on Christmas Eve and the menu was very small. They started by telling us we ran out of calamari which was one of the appetizers as well as one of the entrees. We waited almost an hour and half to get appetizers and there was only three other tables in the whole place. When we asked the woman owner why we still did not get any food she was very fresh and dismissive! The entrees arrived an hour later and the quality of the food was just average. Will never return read more

Amazing Italian. Great classic byob place to bring some red wine. Great Milanese, carbonara, pastas, etc. amazing ambience inside. Nice wait staff. read more

Oh boy. What happened to this place? Grew up coming to this restaurant was always a quality meal, great service and always packed. Ate there for Mother's Day dinner and can honestly say it was the worst dining experience any of us have ever had. Waited 30 minutes after sitting for the server to come over. No bread, no water, nothing. Had to ask the hostess for the wine opener and a server and they eventually came. Drink order was messed up. Was an hour before we were able to order food. Apps took another 30 minutes to arrive, they were actually very good. Food arrived TWO HOURS after sitting down and by then we all just wanted to leave. Someone must've called out, but I have to say the restaurant was empty and even if you blame the kitchen, we were never checked on, waters never refilled, no apologies or acknowledging the ridiculous wait or anything. So disappointing that this place went downhill and the prices were out of control. I felt bad for the staff but it was just all terrible. Next time, New Corner. Very sad. read more

I am so sad this place has gone down hill. I hope they read reviews and improve cleanliness and food. I loved this place.

I cannot express enough great things about La Pastaria in Red Bank, we had a private surprise party there and everything was fabulous. the Service, the food, Not one person in our crowd of 45 was disappointed. The servers were so attentive, the food came out family style and there was so much we ended up taking some home. Lisa the Hostess was so accommodating and gracious. We all had a great time and I will be back again. read more

Worst meal I have ever seen as I did not eat my main course. Grilled fish & veggies should be an easy standard dish. I have never seen or tasted anything so bad! Beet salad was ok. 3 Inedible main courses, Disorganized in general, & still paid a lot of money for almost no food. Waitresses were kind & apologetic so this was the only plus on a totally ruined evening for 4. I heard this place is wonderful in Summit. Here's hoping they are able to turn things around & improve. read more

Went there this evening with friends for dinner. Food was very good, service was excellent and ambiance was very nice. BYOB is a great plus and definitely not over priced. Worth a visit if you are in Red Bank or the immediate area. read more

Attended a family dinner on Sunday. We were seated quickly and our water glasses were filled right away. The waitresses were very friendly and cordial and they took our orders right away. Everyone at the table, there were 14 of us, enjoyed their food. For appetizers we had several pizzas (so good!!), and several orders of fried calamari. I had the cavatelli con ricotta and it was delicious. I had the small order and I couldn't even finish it; it was so large. I really enjoyed the dinner and I would definitely like to return to this restaurant. I also loved the paintings on the walls. read more

We have been going here for 20+ years. The service is always great. Food is served timely and has always been delicious. Gave a good rating based on past experience. Our disappointment - now they are no longer allowing ANY (even very minor) modification. I have always asked to just change to a side pasta for the shrimp arrabiatta to cappellini. I was told it's no longer permitted unless I paid for a whole separate entre of pasta. Seriously. It was so disappointing as I literally have ordered it this way every time we go. The waitress was extremely apologetic and was very attentive. She offered me a side of pene with red sauce. Completely not the same item at all but it was the best she could offer. I asked for a side of cappellini with no sauce. She said not allowed. I had to buy a full dinner of that style of pasta. It may seem an insignificant issue to some, but when your favorite entre is no longer available the way you always ordered it, I may as well go a block over and get it that way. There's 20+ Italian restaurants in town that will be happy to accommodate changing the side pasta style. read more

Met friends tonight and had an absolutely amazing time. First off, our waitress Jennifer was first class. She took care of us like we weee the only table in the Restaurant. Very intuitive to our needs. Great team work from other colleagues supporting Jennifer. Food was amazing! Met Chef as I returned back from my table. He accommodated a special request for my dinner Good ambience. Our overall experience was well beyond expectations. Can't wait to come back! read more

Outstanding service and amazing food would recommend all my friends and family. Me and my family had dinner here tonight outstanding. read more

La Pastaria - Fire Cracker Salad - Italian Near Me - Red Bank, New Jersey

We had reservations the other night for the seven of us. It's a byob so we brought some beers and wine. For appetizers we got the calamari, risotto balls and this bread. Calamari wasn't good it was like chewing on a rubber band. The bread we got wasn't that good either, best thing was the risotto balls. For my entree i got the chicken Valdostano which was chicken with peppers and prosciutto inside of it with mushrooms on top. That was pretty good, service wasn't great also. Limited parking on the streets, I've had better places. read more

La Pastaria - Chicken Valdostano - Italian Near Me - Red Bank, New Jersey

the worst dining experience of my lifetime. waiter didn't know the menu, he ordered the wrong app for us and said "oh, i hit the wrong button on the computer". the shrimp dishes were horrible. served in a swimming brown sauce loaded with pepper flakes. couldn't eat it. the accompanying pasta was suppose to be in a white wine sauce. it came just boiled with burnt garlic on top. horrible! the best part was the bill. for 3 people we were charged over $1200. our daughter worked with the waiter to get it corrected. it took two tries. I paid $150 with a tip??? for 3 people. I think they owe me a refund! horrible, horrible. I am not exaggerating don't go. get a Big Mac. read more

The food was not great. Too much sauce on the fish-and too heavy. Bread was dry cubed. Service very basic. We had a stomach ache afterwards all night. Desserts unimaginative. Save your money! read more

Chicken parmigiana was great. Fun place nice atmosphere and BYOB. Service was exceptional.

WORST RESTAURANT I HAVE EVER BEEN TO IN NEW JERSEY!!!! ***UPDATE*** spoke to the owner today, because this morning 2 people had food poisoning from the night before, and 2 people who ordered the grilled pork chop and brought their food home were nicely surprised to find COMPLETELY RAW PORK. The owner had no issue raising her voice at me, calling me names and letting me know that she was upset I posted my reviews. She also told me to DRIVE THE PORK CHOPS BACK TO THE RESTAURANT TO PROVE IT. I posted a picture of it instead..hope that's sufficient proof for ya. Talk about a vile person. Because apparently as a customer I don't have the right to post my experience. But after reading other reviews it's no surprise the owner has no idea how to behave or manage a restaurant...THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT NEEDS TO GET INVOLVED. I will make sure they are aware of this. ********************************************* Made reservations for a party of 12 for a birthday, weren't seated until almost 8:40. Sat 12 grown people at a table for 8. The owner is clueless, the manager NEEDS TO FIND a different career path because this guy is CLUELESSSSSSS, nasty, and the whole table was pretty sure he was intoxicated. When I came to voice my concerns on how it was now 10 pm and no one got more the a caesar salad he said to me "the pandemic was hard on everyone" were trying to get back into the swing of things...I can't begin to explain how delusional and ridiculous the whole experience was. He then looked me straight in the face and said.."i don't know what you want me to say, or do" YOU SIR, belong managing a MCDONALDS. I would rather make reservations at my local pizzeria next time. The wait staff is disheveled and messy looking. The service was HORRENDOUS. The food was mediocre at best. My chicken parm was 2 cutlets drowned in sauce...still waiting to find the parm part. Only Italian restaurant in New Jersey to RUN OUT of calamari on a saturday night. THESE PEOPLE DID NOTHING TO even remotely make the situation right. The best part...we heard them disparaging our table and making comments that should have been said behind closed doors...then again if anyone in there had more then 2 brain cells, none of this would have transpired to begin with so it doesn't come as a shock that they would be stupid enough to talk about us next to us. Great management skills bravo. And as a final parting gift, left things on our check we didn't even get...no ones asking to get something for free. But when you completely destroy a birthday, you can try to make things right. SINGLE HANDEDLY THE WORST dining experience i've ever had. It was embarrassing as a person who made a reservation for someone's birthday. You should be ashamed to call yourself a restaurant and serve people this way. WILL NEVER COME BACK, and will make sure others know not to as well! read more

I don't understand how this place gets ANY great reviews! The menu looked promising but.... The salads were great. For entree I ordered grouper marechiara, as did three others in my party. The marechiara part was 2 tiny mussels and 2 tiny clams beside the grouper filet in a pomodoro sauce. The fish/sauce was so salty it seemed that it was salted three times and was practically inedible. I love salt, and this was way too much for even me. One mussel shell and one clam shell were empty. The other mussel shell never opened but had a hole in the shell on the top. Well, I'm certainly not taking a chance on that. I sent it back. What returned were tiny, and one mussel was RAW. The sides of penne with marinara... the marinara was bland, and the penne was unsalted making for a rather blah side dish. I am leery of any Italian restaurant that can't get this small part right. The cannelloni were heavy and goopy. The pasta puttanesca lacked a flavor punch. The lasagna was "good" but not outstanding. The coconut cake dessert was served refrigerator cold which we didn't like. People have forgotten what good Italian food should taste like and because it's so increasingly hard to find, they are thankful for anything that is served to them. Not me. If you don't give me a sauce that so darn good that I can't keep sopping it up with the bread, then you've wasted my time. No need to return here. read more

Food - the food was very average. The bread on the table was cold, not room temperature, but cold. I got the Cavattelli con ricotta as my entree and it was pretty bland - it needed more salt and flavor. For dessert, I got a single espresso and a cannoli. The espresso was not hot, and the cannoli did not seem fresh. On a positive note, there was a good selection of vegetarian options on the menu. Drinks - BYOB Service - it seemed that there was only one waiter working outside that Saturday night, so the service was very slow Atmosphere - the atmosphere was very cute and nice for a summer evening. There were string lights, statues, and flowers in the outside seating area, which is on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant. Covid - The waiter was wearing a mask and the main menu was a QR code. Due to the small outdoor space available, the tables were a little close together, but it wasn't uncomfortable. Overall it was a nice atmosphere but due to the food and service, I only give it 3 starts. read more

La Pastaria - Espresso and cannoli - Italian Near Me - Red Bank, New Jersey

See all

Before you go to this restaurant, you should be aware of a few things. The menu has changed in that it is streamed-lined with many of our favorites eliminated. Also, small portions are no longer an option and prices have increased, some dramatically. They printed new menus, but have not updated their website, so dishes and prices on website do not reflect the new changes. We love their Giovanni Verda salad pizza, which is no longer on the menu. Our waitress was wonderful and said she would see if they could make that salad pizza for us and they did. It was delicious! I ordered the grouper special and the grouper was very fresh, but the dish itself was somewhat bland. My husband ordered his favorite dish, Chicken Valdostano, and it was wonderful. It used to come with a side of pasta for a total price of $25.95. Our waitress said she would put the order in with a small side of ziti and they did include the side of ziti. When we got our bill, we were surprised to see that we were charged $23 for the pizza, when we used to pay $18. That's an increase of $5. My husband's chicken dish used to cost $26. Now it went up in price to $33, with no side of pasta. They charged us an additional $8.50 for the small side of pasta. So now the same chicken dish costs $33 plus $8.50 totaling $41.50. That's an increase of $15.50 for this dish. BTW- we were not told of the increase in price for the pizza, nor were we told that we would be charged an extra fee for the side of pasta. We later found out that there are new owners. I understand that running a restaurant can be expensive. But, for old customers like us, the dramatic increases took us by surprise. Website should be immediately updated, so customers know ahead of time what they will and won't be getting and the true cost of what they will be charged. read more

Due to the begging of my sister in law, who loved this place back in the day, I was forced back.... Maybe it was better years back? Last experience was NYE pre Covid... I'll give them a chance cause it was a busy holiday? Still terrible. Putting my foot down if someone ever asks to come here. Save your money and please go to another spot in town. Can I suggest Buena Sera for a real Italian spot? read more

Delicious food. Make sure you allow enough time to savor it. Very nice restaurant and owner. We will be back.

Like it's 3 star review, it was just ok. Totally underwhelmed. I hate to be this way in a pandemic, but NJ has indoor dining and they should be lucky and wow the guests. NYC gets shafted. Appetizers were good, but good isn't great. Meatballs were lukewarm and cold in spots. Poor job just reheating. Pasta entrees could have been made in any kitchen anywhere. Pasta was not fresh, nor is it advertised as such. It was edible. read more

Food just wasn't good. Tasted off. Service staff didn't seem to care about anything except for one waitress who was working her butt off, unfortunately she wasn't our server. Was there three hours, not a single refill of my water (dirty glass too). To top it off, I got super bad food poisoning and was up all night vomiting. (AVOID mushroom ravioli, procuitto & mozzarella app) Shame, had really high hopes. Must be new management or ownership. read more

My husband and I went for our weekly date night/night out.. When we walked into the restaurant, we noted that the decor was very heavy, and dated... the aroma coming from the kitchen was pleasant. We were seated promptly and started with salad...the salads were fresh and size appropriate and you had the option of getting a larger portion, which nice if you want just a salad for dinner. The only thing that could use improvement regarding the salad is the dressing...both salads were a bit overdressed. My husband ordered pizza, and I ordered the fish of the day. It all went downhill from there. The pizza looked good...unfortunately, looks aren't everything.. the sauce tasted like it was from a jar, and was not very good. The fish of the day...I don't even know where to start... I have a gluten sensitivity, so I have to be careful eating out...I ordered the fish to be broiled... What I got was slop on a plate. The fish was covered in some brown sauce that was thickened with flour( you could actually TASTE the flour , as the chef didn't it cook when he was making the base for the sauce ). I tried to eat the parts that weren't SLATHERED in it...and ended up eating the potato's that accompanied the fish...there was literally a PILE of tomato's and eggplant( I think...hard to tell because of the ocean of brown liquid on the plate ).. Anyway, we know that places are struggling due to the pandemic...so we paid for the awful meal and left a decent tip.. If the owner reads this: People eat with their EYES first. Plates should look neat and appealing, not like a pigs trough. It's important to note a customers allergies when you are taking their order...and to make sure that NO allergens are in the food they order. It's also very important to make your own sauce for pizza and any other Italian dishes that you serve. You actually SAVE money by doing that, instead of buying jars of sauce and using that instead. The decor is a disaster. Swans collecting dust in the window...glass, thick with dust, containing pasta, gaudy decor on the walls that make zero artistic sense. Simple, rustic decor is always better, and will make the interior look larger and less cluttered. PAPER table covers...booths with cracked seats... now that's just unacceptable. You expect to see that kind of stuff in a DINER, not a nice eating establishment. Then... your staff: They're pleasant...but coming out of the kitchen pulling up their yoga pants over their stomach and running for...the bathroom? Music blaring from the kitchen? Overall a very sloppy appearance...from the staff...to the decor...to the food. Staff should have a uniformed appearance..so you KNOW that they work in your restaurant...and are not just people that are customers. Long hair should be up and back...and NEAT. No loud conversations between them..and certainly no "yoga pants" and running to the bathroom. That's gross. No doubt that it's difficult for a restaurant to make money in NORMAL times, much less these times...so you have to go out of your way to stand OUT and attract customers. Unfortunately, that ship has sailed for us. We won't be back. read more

It's funny reading the mixed reviews on here because it's almost like two entirely different La Pastaria's exist. Fortunately I had the pleasure of eating at the better establishment last evening. Although they were doing good business at the time, we did not experience any issues with seating or service. Our waitress, Jennifer, could not have been more pleasant and helpful. She thanked us at the end of the evening for being so patient with her as the restaurant was busy as she had multiple tables to wait upon - but honestly there was no need for her to have done so because we had not felt ignored at any point during the evening. She was great. The food - I ordered the Stracciatella soup - which is an Italian chicken broth egg drop soup. It was extremely tasty. For my entree: Linguine Aglio e Olio which consisted of extra virgin olive oil, garlic, hot cherry peppers and anchovies over linguine. It was truly amazing. Maybe the best I've ever had. It was a large enough portion that I brought a good deal home with me to have for lunch the next day. My dinning companion ordered the Meatball appetizer (delicious) and the Pear Salad (gigantic and she couldn't have been happier) I should note that they offer bottomless bread for the table - the bread being delicious. Additionally, this is a BYOB establishment, so make sure to bring that special bottle of wine with you. In my opinion, you will not be disappointed by La Pastaria. So again, I'm not giving a lot of weight to the poor ratings that are on here. We visited on rather busy evening and were treated extremely well with great food and service. This was a great experience and I most definitely will be back. read more

I cannot rate the food, because we never received our order. We arrived ten minutes before our reservation, was greeted by a staff member who walked us to the back of the restaurant and left us standing in the aisle, failing to inform us which table was ours. Fifteen minutes passed before a server approached the table. We were given water and bread. Another ten minutes passed before the server took our pasta orders. Nothing complicated. Just pasta, no appetizers, salads, nothing else. Twenty minutes passed, still no food. We were given another basket of bread. We waited fifty minutes after the server took our order, and still no food. The people next to us came in thirty minutes after us and received their appetizers, which were more complicated than pasta. We left, having never received our meal, but we did get excuses from the server, and the owner. I do not recommend. read more

We just got take out and wow, I'm shocked at how horrible it was. We've enjoyed this restaurant previously but they really screw you on takeout. Our very simple order: Caesar salad (regular size) $12.95 .... Was in a 3x3 plastic container and the lettuce was old and wilted. Inedible. Original pizza: Rivals a Celeste frozen pie Farfarelle with chicken and mushroom sauce: Bad order on my behalf but I wanted something simple and creamy. The sauce tasted like a powder gravy mix, chicken was questionable and the pasta was cooked as if it was being served in an elderly facility (very very very soft). 0/10. Never again. read more

From appetizers entree and dessert all were wonderful. Our waitress was personal friendly and helpful.

it's so nice to go out to eat and have the staff and owner greet you like a celebrity. That's what we experienced tonight. My husband and our guest were at La Pastaria tonight. The staff, the owner, and the food was excellent. The best part was at the end of our dinner the owner came around and gave us a delicious dessert on her. Thank you Emanuela! We will be going back. read more

We went here for lunch and it was a great experience! The lunch menu was above anything I could have wanted. (I recommend posting it on your website as I was only able to find your dinner menu.) The servers were dressed very professionally and were attentive. The food was great. I look forward to returning for dinner. read more

Jennifer was so wonderful! We had a party of 11, 6 of which were little kids. They took great care of all of us and were super patient with the kids. Jennifer described her favorite dishes and all her recos were spot on. We will be back!! read more

I have not been to this establishment in a long time. There were lots of pictures of people who attended the restaurant and other favorable décor as well I thought. The service was appreciated. The food also came out in a timely matter. For appetizers, the polenta parmigiana ($8.95) and black squid ink linguini ($14.95 for half an order) was ordered. The linguini was not listed as an appetizer, but we all wanted to give that a try. The polenta parmigiana consisted of sausage, mozzarella and tomato sauce. There was loads of mozzarella in the dish and plenty of sausage. The polenta was cooked to perfection and all of the ingredients blended well with one another. The black squid ink linguini was solid. The homemade linguini was a little hard, but other than that, there were no complaints about this dish. The dried hot peppers I believe was the key to this dish. It added a little heat to the calamari, which I was a fan of. The calamari was cooked just right, not chewy or too hard. For an entrée, I ordered the pork osso bucco ($24.95?), which was a special. The pork was served over a fettucine pasta. There was a ton of meat on the bone. I had osso bucco before at various places and this was probably the most meat I ever had. The meat was very tender and succulent. There was also shaved parmesan over the meat. This fettucine pasta was cooked right. My only disappointment was the lack of bone marrow meat. . For dessert, tartufo ($5.95) was ordered. This was a normal tartufo with vanilla and chocolate ice cream with a chocolate shell cut in quarters with a cherry. However, there was also a strawberry, which was a pleasant surprise. This was a nicely constructed tartufo. Will I go back? Easily. Lots of interesting menu options. read more

See all

Really disappointed with the service this Saturday night. Waited 30 minutes to be seated which is understandable . However, it started when the host said the kitchen is backed up so it will take a while to get your order. Well he was right it took 1.5 hrs to get the tables order which was not very good. What a shame after 10 yrs of dining here with many friends and guests; the time has come to say goodbye. 1 strike and your out in my book. I do thank you for comping the soda read more

Food was not good. Honestly the stomachaches we had after were horrible. My mistake was telling the truth that I didn't like the food. They basically held our credit card while they tried to make another dinner within "2 minutes" it was pretty rude when I just said I honestly was thankful but I just wanted to leave as I didn't feel good. No reputable Italian dinner can only take 2 minutes. We got our card back, paid and left. We walk past it often and it's never crowded, that should've been a giveaway. Will stick to the other Italian restaurants in Red Bank every week. read more

2.5 hour wait and still no entree!!! Our servers Kevin and Sam were great and did what they could an reason for the 1 star rating. Half the restaurant walked out furious and hungry. So did we. Incompetence , mismanagement and egregious conduct of the owner are to blame. Do Not recommend!!! read more

I fell into this restaurant today and had one of the best overall restaurant experiences I've ever had. The staff is so genuinely sweet and generous. The pear salad blew me away. Ten out of ten. read more

Wait staff is terrible! Food is terrible! The waiter said I could only order off their pre-fixed menu. But that wasn't true. Only 1 other customer came in and she questioned him why she couldn't order A La carte and he finally caved in and said she could. It was expensive for the poor food quality and service. Save your money and go somewhere else. read more

This is one of the best restaurants in Red Bank. The ambience is amazing. The service is excellent and knowledgeable. And the food is out of this world. My only company is the nose level. We couldn't hear friends 2 people away. But visit this restaurant. read more

See all

Decent food, slow, at times no service, ridiculously expensive. The food was just not that good. $100 for 2 people, its a byob. For that kind of money I expect very good to excellent. The dessert was awful (that's usually my favorite part!). It was supposed to be a molten lava chocolate cake with ice cream, it was a piece of dry, cake with ice cream on it. There are many better places around that are way more worth that kind of money. read more