AMAZING Italian restaurant! Very intimate setting great for small parties or date-night. The Spicy Vodka Sauce is literally the best I have ever had, and I order that WHEREVER it is served. Must go! read more

We had a great meal and a great time when we came back from overseas in October. We hadn't see the owners Joe and Steph since summer, and were happy to introduce dear friends of our from Bronxville to Little Buca. I think you won a new regular despite the drive! They raved about it, and sounded fed up with the antics in NYC at this point. We were all very please with everything on the table, and as always, the service and ambiance were magic. But maybe that magic was my wine. Who can tell? It's so nice to bring what you like to drink and pick a wine from the cellar instead of a menu (my wife says I'm very picky, but she hasn't said "yes" yet when I ask if she'd "prefer a slob for her next marriage?"). I haven't had lamb in a lamb's age, and almost forgot how good it can be when it's done right. Joe made a special order for us, and told us about his new place opening up in Long Branch, and the lamb blew everyone away. I had the Scarpariello, which was also off the charts, and I'm glad I brought the wine that I did to hold it's ground. Big bold flavors. Josh was our main man serving, never leaves you hanging. If you're going on the weekend, call early to lock in your times. It gets very busy. read more

Little Buca Restaurant - Rigatini with a nice dollop of Fresh Regott. - Italian Near Me - Little Silver, New Jersey

Excellent all around From the food to the staff A small hidden gem It's a byob so bring a great bottle of wine to match a great meal read more

See all

Probably the best Italian restaurant in Monmouth County. Better than the one in Sea. Bright or Point Pleasant .... Mindful of NYC in the 70's and 80's. Great quality and style for a BYO. read more

Great food as always with great service. Love the ambiance as it is small prob only 12 tables

Nice atmosphere wide open noise level, medium, and acceptable. Service was good. Prices were not astronomical as others have indicated, especially since the portions are good size. Everything was very tasty except a couple of dishes had way too much salt. Normally I would say 3.5 stars, but that too much salt on at least three of our dishes was definitely not a one off and needs to be corrected. We will return in a bit to see if that has changed. Hopefully it will because it was definitely not an acceptable practice and the kitchen needs to adjust asap. read more

Prices are too high for the dinners. The food was mediocre. I've had better for a lot less. The service was excellent. Our server was courteous, knowledgeable and friendly. In all honesty I cannot recommend this restaurant to anyone. read more

Amazing food, service, and atmosphere. Pasta dishes are off the scale good! BYOB is the best! Don't miss out of this fantastic hidden gem!

Cute little restaurant with excellent food! Reservations are a must and it's byob, cash only. Waitstaff was attentive and friendly, did not rush. Small charcuterie when seated with some bread, cheese, etc to nibble. We got a shrimp oregananta and caprese appetizer that were both excellent! We ordered a seafood pasta and a rigatoni dish that were both super flavorful. We will definitely be back! read more

Very nice place atmosphere was great and the food was excellent. I'll give it a five star. 5 star Recommended very highly read more

There were definitely some highlights to our visit to Little Buca. We appreciated that they take reservations and were seated right away. The complimentary bread and fried zucchini were a nice and welcoming touch. It's also BYOB, which is always a plus. The burrata appetizer was excellent--creamy, fresh, and flavorful. Unfortunately, the rest of the meal didn't quite live up to the promising start. The chicken parm was just okay--not fork-tender as I'd hoped, and at $48, I expected a much higher level of execution. It really could have used a serrated knife to get through. What was even more surprising was being charged $30 for a side of linguini for two of us to split. It's hard to understand how a simple pasta side isn't included at that price point but if you are going to charge it shouldn't be the same cost as an entree. For dessert, I ordered biscotti and vanilla gelato, but they were out of gelato. I passed on dessert altogether at that point, and after that, it felt like we were forgotten. We waited quite a while just to get the check, which was a disappointing end to the night. Not sure if it was just an off night for the kitchen, but with so many great options in the area and the high prices, we won't be returning. read more

Little Buca Restaurant - Chicken Parm with side of pasta - Italian Near Me - Little Silver, New Jersey

Food was very good and inventive. Service was very good as well Nice place but very expensive shared one salad and two entrees price was $145 with tax and tip . If your Ok with the prices i would say go and try it read more

The food, service and ambiance are terrific. We have never had a bad meal or experience. Highly recommend!!!

Great food and Service well run family oriented restaurant in a comfortable environment

This was our first time at Little Bucca. The evening started out promising, but went downhill quickly. The fennel salad, artichokes, and burrata appetizers were delicious. However, the three entrees did not live up to the expensive price. We had to send back the cold, over cooked seared tuna entree (which was not removed from the check). We also never saw the waiter, Josh, after we sent back the meal. We sat for nearly 40 minutes after dinner and were never attended to by Josh again. We felt neglected. We had to tell the busboy we wanted to order dessert. He kindly took the order and brought dessert. Josh sent over additional dessert and some grappas as an apology for the returned meal, I guess. The place is too expensive for the quality of food they serve and the poor customer service. Maybe the owner could eat at some other similarly priced restaurants in the area to see how a restaurant with these prices treat customers. We were billed $31 for "beverages" (a cup of coffee and one bottle of Panna water???) read more

Little Buca is the kind of neighborhood gem you want to keep secret -- but it's too good not to share. This cozy Italian spot delivers big flavor in a warm, intimate setting. From perfectly cooked pasta to rich, comforting sauces and desserts that hit the spot, every dish feels homemade and heartfelt. The staff treats you like family, and the vibe is effortlessly charming. A true local treasure -- can't wait to go back! read more

Lovely intimate spot with excellent food and service. Every thing we had was delicious.

this is one of the best if not the best Italian restaurant in NJ. Usually, we drive to Brooklyn for good Italian, and we never expected to find such an authentic restaurant right in our backyard. We have now been there several times, and we have taken our staff there for special occasions and everyone love it, the food is delicious, and the service is always great. it's a small place but it feels special and trendy. perfect for date nights to special celebrations. The best part it's a BYOB ! cash only though and make a reservation because this little secret has been discovered by some foodies instagram influencers, read more

Welcomed by 2 at front door with a bright smile Josh waited on us and was very friendly and knowledgeable We had 3 appetizers the octopus carpaccio which was amazing, meatballs and the burrata special Followed by the black truffle lobster pasta delish and the chicken scarpariello (spel?) and their Rome pasta which was truly amazing It's BYOB which is always nice especially since they had proper glassware for every varietal we had To finish off the meal they gave us a honey fig grappa which was so delish A must try and we will def be going back read more

See all

The service, the ambiance, and WOW the food. Overall, perfect dining experience and my new favorite restaurant. Impressive and delicious!

Everything was delicious and well prepared from the baked clams, the lobster special + a generous side of broccoli and carrots, full of garlic and finishing with the biscotti. Of course, the service is always top shelf. Everything is shareable and plentiful. read more

Josh our server and the entire staff that worked last night were so attentive. This place is a hidden gem. Everything is made fresh to order. They never rush you and courses are spaced out nicely. Our meals were excellent. The complimentary focaccia board with fried zucchini and parmigiano cheese is a nice touch compared to the typical basket of bread. The Sicilian Salad is so fresh and delicious. We also had the Sunday Sauce, Chicken Parmigiana, Pasta with broccoli rabe & sausage and Bombas for dessert. We had a great evening and will be back. Thank you! read more

Pasta Romano or their Nerano makes you feel like you are back in Italy. Hidden gem in Little silver and it is BYOB!

My pasta was ok. The chicken parm wasn't worth 48. Food should be top notch for those prices Service great read more

I was reluctant when I made reservation to sit outside, I've been to Buca and loved the cozy ambience inside the restaurant, however, we were very comfortable sitting outside. Great service" and the waiters took excellent care for all our request, The food we ordered was so delicious. I had the salmon my family had the lamb chops. I loved the mixed green salad. We will be back again soon. read more

top notch food and service in a beautiful setting. lobster over fresh pasta with a light cream sauce couldn't be beat. Wonderful red sauce on thin pounded chicken cutlet parm. Desserts were home made. cheesecake was light and whipped. coffee was wonderful. See you soon, new friends! read more

Little Buca Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Little Silver, New Jersey

We had a wonderlful time. Joe made us feel very welcome. The food was excellent. We will be back soon!

The food and service was very good. The price was not worth it at all. There are restaurants in the area , very good restaurants, that are a better value. Restaurants that only take cash are not ones I often visit either. It's worth a visit but for me once was enough. read more

Great food, really well prepared and we compare this to how well we usually eat in Manhattan. We had baked clams, tuna crudo, lobster special, two different snapper dishes and spaghetti with clams, all perfectly cooked, super fresh and delicious. Yes, the prices are pretty steep, but the portions were huge and since it's a BYOB you save on paying for alcohol and it evens itself out. Oh, and the service was warm, friendly, fun and professional. We usually to stay on the beach when we visit Long Branch, just for the experience but the food was so good, we'll do the short drive to Little Silver again soon! read more

Best new gem in the shore area. NYC quality food and service in a modern chic space. Have been a few times now and everything we've tried has been delicious. read more

Very good service. Ambiance is pretty cute. Food was good but prices exorbitant. I absolutely understand post-pandemic pricing but this was beyond. $48 for chicken parmigiana that came without any pasta or side. $42 for pasta with tomatoes, eggplant and cheese. read more

We had a great dinner last Saturday night. Baratta salad was amazing , spicy rigatoni was delicious & omg Just loved the Branzino.

Happened on Little Buca by happenstance. Small, intimate, dare I say classy Italian restaurant at the end of a little strip mall in Little Silver. See the pattern here? We were surprised by the ambiance so we ordered the real imported Bufalo mozzarella appetizer with very nicely aged prosciutto and left my lady to run across the street to grab a bottle of Amarone because the menu called for a good bottle of Italian red. She ordered the rigatoni in a very special bolognese sauce, and I had the chicken scarpariello. Both were excellent. The service was spot on, too. It's a bit pricey but the food was well above par. Give it a try, but I'm told it gets very busy on the weekends. read more

The food here is excellent. Chicken parm, chicken fran, tuna crudo and pasta dishes are awesome. Service is great (Josh is a true professional). Ambiance is very nice for every occasion. read more

Excellent food, service and atmosphere. You feel right at home at Little Buca. The owners are wonderful and go out of their way to stop by each table. Josh is engaging and knowledgeable about each menu item. We will be returning soon. read more

Everything about this restaurant is top notch! The food, the ambiance, the service it's all great!

Little Buca: A Disappointing Experience I had high hopes for Little Buca, a fine dining Italian restaurant in Little Silver, NJ, but I was let down by the mediocre food and poor service. The wait staff was friendly and attentive at first, but they ignored us once the food was delivered. My husband asked to see the dessert menu when we ordered and the waitress refused. The food was okay at best, nothing to write home about. People raved about the chicken parm so we ordered it...it was bland and dry. Even Olive Garden does it better. The mushroom risotto was acceptable, but I couldn't distinguish it from the frozen mushroom risotto from Trader Joe's. It looked and tasted much the same. I had the cannoli for dessert. It was weird tasting and served in a pool of espresso which added nothing to the dish. My husband has the ice cream bombe...he did like it although the menu description and what he received were not the same. I will say that the amuse bouche's (three of them) between courses was a nice touch. Little Buca is byob and cash only. Bring a LOT OF CASH, because the menu is pricier than most Manhattan restaurants. Expect a meal to cost about $100 per person. They do have an ATM inside the restaurant. I would not recommend Little Buca to anyone looking for authentic Italian cuisine or a pleasant dining experience. It is overpriced, overrated, and underwhelming. Save your money and go somewhere else. read more

Very expensive, small portions and food whose taste is just mediocre. Recently, I had better veal parmigiana that even came served with spaghetti and a salad fthat tasted way better and was about one-tenth the price. Keep looking you'll be glad you did. Veal parmigiana for two for $110 barely serves one. What a rip off! read more

So my wife and I decided to enjoy a meal at little buca the other night. The place was fairly empty but we are early eaters and it was a Thursday night. Music was on point and ambiance was very nice. They start with a small complementary dish with bread, fried zucchini and a few pieces of salami. Menus came we chose tuna cruda($32+/-) gnocchi pesto($36) and chicken parm solo ($48). The staff was fantastic and very atentive. Food came out on time and all was very good. My hang up is in the pricing. I don't review as much as I'd like so don't judge from lack of reviews but I do eat out at least once a week. For $30+ for a tuna app, it was 6 thin sliced peices of tuna with a light sauce over sliced oranges. It was very good but underwhelmed by the portion. And to not bore you, all was underwhelming for the price. The food was good, but the simple explanation was overpriced. $48 for chicken parm is just not warranted for a strip mall restaurant in Monmouth county. All of the dishes we ate were over priced by at least $10-$15 each. Mind you, I knew prices before we went, so I knew it was a little over priced before we went but wanted to try anyway. I'm fine paying more for going out and good food. The food was very good again, but prices are far beyond most fine italian in this are by far. It would be hard to lower prices for them obviously but not sure I'd go back as I've heard many italian meals in the area for far less $$ and I've enjoyed equally. read more

Good very good but very expensive more than a 5 star restaurant in Manhattan also no bar , ok but 48.00 for Chicken Parmigiana without pasta not even in the best restaurant in NYC or Philadelphia, to be sure to not have a menu online is to suck you in because who asks the prices when you go out for a chicken or a pasta dish really? This can be avoided by posting a menu with prices !! read more