After months of hearing about this place from a very good friends and harsh food critic as myself. I called him up, we gathered our spouses, and went there for dinner last night. As we pulled into a half vacant strip mall I was a little skeptical. Upon entering the restaurant, I was pleasantly surprised by the basic, but comforting surroundings. Upon being seated we were greeted immediately by our very courteous and smiling server. She asked to open our wine and offered us Ice water. Upon returning with our wine she also brought us some fresh, warm Focaccia bread and some Italian bread with Butter and seasoned Olive Oil on the side. We started our meal with two appetizers. Burrata Speck e Piselli and a wonderful cold Italian antipasto. For dinner my wife and I had Pollo Cardinale - Boneless chicken with prosciutto, roasted peppers, mozzarella in a light white wine lemon sauce served with roasted potatoes and vegetables Taglio Di Maiale - Double cut pork chop topped with potatoes, onions and vinegar peppers. For dessert we had the Bonboloni and Profiteroles EVERYTHING was fresh tasting and full of flavor. I was born and raised in Bergen County and grew up in my families Greek restaurants in North Jersey and NYC, so I am very hard to please and will be quick to judge food, good and/or bad. I never give an establishment a 2nd chance when presented with a bead meal. I have endured years of awful Italian food in Ocean County and have finally found one that compares to those I frequented in Bergen County and NYC. So if you want to enjoy REAL Italian "home cooked style" food then go to Senza. Or you can continue to go to the places that slap Ragu and boxed pasta on a plate and call it authentic Italian food and keep telling yourselves that that's real Italian food.................... read more

Well again Joe and Gino has impressed the 6 of us again, The specials are what you want, my red snapper was as good as it gets and my wife who is gluten free had the short ribs without any wheat. the rest of our guests had traditional Italian dishes. This is a gem among jewels, not only can you get a fablouslousl meal, but if you are gluten free its a pleasure to know that it is safe to eat here. They have gluten free pasta if you want to go for the pasta dishes make sure you tell them you are GF and you'll be ok. Service is always wonderful, great espresso gelato and Italian deserts, Be sure to make reservations on Friday & Saturday nights, remember it is BYOB , can't wait to go back again. read more

Thank god for this neighborhood gem. We needed this so badly. Prices are so low, food is delicious. Can't wait to go back again.

Had another wonderful meal at Senza's last night. We have been here many many times and have recommended it highly to family and friends. When going out for Italian food, i would never go anywhere else. The food is always so flavorful and fresh. We especially love when "Joe" the owner/chef comes over to great us and treats us like family. We just signed up for his cooking demonstration on October 5th and are really looking forward to that. Hopefully I'll learn some of his flavorful secrets!!! Thanks again Joe for coming to Bayville! read more

This restaurant is a hidden gem located in an old strip mall on Route 9. I have passed it for the past four years wondering what it was and can't believe I didn't know about it sooner! I have been there three times already in the past two weeks. Last weekend, we went both Friday and Saturday night. I wish the owner, Joe, would open one up in Bergen County! The dishes here are not your typical Italian dishes, they are like what you would get if you went to Italy! The chef/owner cooks with love and pride and you can see that in every dish. Some of the things we have tried: fig and prosciutto special with burrata cheese is amazing. The cheese is so creamy, it melts in your mouth. Rice balls are cooked perfectly and the marinara sauce that accompanies it is perfect. Pizza is delicious, perfect combo of sauce and cheese. Braciole melts in your mouth, Spaghetti carbonara is perfect combination of cream and prosciutto, my mouth is watering just thinking about it! Veal saltimbocca perfectly flat, great cuts of veal used. You are also served a pizza bread when you are seated which is delicous. Restaurant is BYOB which is nice. Desserts are also amazing. The affogatto is the perfect amount of vanilla gelato and expresso. Cannolis are fresh and the filling is creamy, not super sweet. Nice touch is the sambuca or limoncello with your dessert. Wait staff is friendly and professional. Place is very busy on Friday and Saturday evenings. Also, prices are very reasonable. For four people with two appetizers, four dinners, two desserts, four cappuccinos/expresso and tip, bill was $113.00. This is a must try and worth every calorie! read more

A negative sign on the front door said "dine in or take out only" I asked the young greeter what else is there? After a moment of awkward silence while he considered his response he said "the owner don't want people from the car show just coming and eating a slice. Odd considering the show is the reason I was there, and decided to dine with them. The first five minutes was quickly forgotten when we sat down to dine. The staff was pleasant, professional and enjoying themselves. My wife and I shared the Caponata appetizer. For a entree my wife had the Pepata Di Vongole and I had the Zuppa Di Pesce both meals were excellent. Afterwards The blood orange & lemon sorbet was the best I can remember. We will certainly return after the next car show, us car guys ain't too bad and we don't mind shelling out the cash for a good meal And for goodness sake take down that sign, it portrays an arrogant attitude which is the polar opposite of Chef Joe who was nice enough to come out of the kitchen to ask us if everything was ok and to treat us like good old friends. Great menu Chef Joe, the meals are even better then they sound! read more

This pizza bread before dinner is amazing. The grilled octopus was amazing. Entrees were unreal. It was my sons 9th birthday and service was great. Joe the owner was there and he gave us deserts which were delicious. He also gave us fried Dough with hazelnut, Nutella, and sugar. It was out of this world. Great service, great food, and a great price. Did I mention it is BYOB. THIS PLACE IS FIVE STARS!!!! Hidden gem in bayville! Would absolutely recommend! Please give this place a try! read more

Nice people .good food BUT they almost ALWAYS mess up my order....they just do not listen..This has honestly happened to me 5 time out if 6..on to go orders which us VERY frustrating because I work 12 hour days..I'm starving by 9pm and my order is messed up..hmmm..They need to start paying attention whether the staff is the owners kids or not read more

First time here, the food is beyond excellent!! Erika our waitress was fantastic right there for everything. The ownercame by several times to make sure all our food was prepared right. One of the best dining experience we have had in a while. You have to check this resteraunt out read more

Amazing hidden gem! Excellent dinner. Clams in garlic wine sauce were the best we ever had. Service was great and a nice decor. Can't wait for our next date night here!! read more

Fantastic! Food is fabulous. Atmosphere is quaint & cozy! Menu has many options. Service was stellar and the place is clean!

Check this place out! Very gud pizza, chicken parm Stromboli was awesome! In a little strip mall was not sure what to think, friendly staff. Would go again! read more

I wanted to like this place....I did not! The fish looked good but was very very dry. I asked for more scampi sauce the waitress said let me check.... she never came back! Service very very slow! The appetizer were very good! Burrata very good! The food was mediocre at best....sorry! I'm a foodie....I know food. Too many great restaurants out there ....won't be returning! read more

Great little itilan restaurant hidden in a strip mall. The staff and service is very nice and you are not rished while enjoying your dinner. They have original dishes for appetizers as well as dinners. Fresh warm bread brough to your table along with a small sample of the Sicilian pizza they make both of which are very good.Sal the waiter we had tonite was excellent very friendly and helpful he suggested dishes and was very attentive to our table and the tables he was serving. This is a very nice place to come and have a great meal with some very friendly staff and service. I would diffantly rexommend this to friends and family to try. read more

Outstanding Cuisine with legitimate Italian dishes. We felt like we were back in Avalino or Amalfi. Friendly service and a relaxed atmosphere. read more

The food is absolutely amazing. Everything is fresh and made meticulously. The atmosphere was very authentic. The wait is a little long for your food BUT it is truly worth it. This food is the real deal and that's why it takes so long. This place you'll love, I can almost guarantee it. read more

Our favorite place for Italian food. Our server is always excellent and the food can't be beat. Delicious!!

This is a really great, but small, Italian BYOB. Everyone gets a plate of mini sicilian pizza to start and some nice warm bread and olive oil. Their antipasta plate was very comprehensive and was a great starter for a group of 4. The mains were also very good and pretty massive, everything is prepared to order so don't forget some wine or beer to enjoy while you wait. read more

We ate there last night for the first time. We are new to the area and have been trying new places every week. This little gem is in an old strip mall and really didn't look like much from Rt 9. Inside it was cozy. We didn't have reservations so we didn't get to sit in the little dinning room. We were sat in the area near the counter.. Not bad, but we'll make reservations next time. The staff was great, we quickly were served three pieces of cheesy bread with sauce and bread with olive oil. We split two apps, both were very good. All three meals were large and very very good. Pasta was cooked perfectly. The waiter, knowing it was our first time there gave us a dessert to split on the house. Not sure what it was called but it was covered in Nutella. Enough said! Service reminded me of being in Italy. The staff was attentive but not necessarily in a hurry to turn the table over. I for one really enjoy that, some folks may want quicker service. I prefer the pace of Italy. read more

Great food and service every time. Ask for Michele to be your server. The veal Marcela on the early bird special is always great. Soup, salad, entree, desert and coffee for 16.99 can't be beat. read more

Went there on Friday, January 29 2016 based upon a friends recommendation. I have to say that I am glad I did. It's a small place with a friendly staff, and amazing food. Because it's BYOB my girl and I were able to bring our favorite wine. I have no complaints about any facet of my experience there. The only potential negative is that some of the tables are fairly close together making for tight quarters. Regardless of the place being small, I found it quaint and once again, the staff is very friendly and accommodating! I will definitely be going there again. read more

We have lived nearby Senza and never thought of dropping in. Well our good friends told us about the place and we decided to go. It was a wonderful experience and the food was great. The prices are good. Lov it.... read more

Love This Place The Food Is Unreal Good Ciao Grazie X L'ospitalita You Guys are the Best and The Pizza Wow

Senza is an amazing little gem in Bayville, NJ. It may be a small BYOB restaurant but it delivers big for anyone looking for authentic Italian fare. The food is outstanding and the service is excellent. It's definitely a don't miss..... enjoy! read more

Ordered 3 paninis on ciabatta bread for lunch for my family for our first time and it was delicious! The bread was amazing. Coming from a family of italian immigrants and growing up in North Jersey and moving to the shore, we are kind of hard to please. To say the least we have found a new place to get great sandwiches! Going to go for dinner soon! Thanks Senza! read more

Food is fabulous. Hostess...not so much. Don't bother making a reservation. The extremely nasty 'hostess' tried to seat us at a small table stuck between two larger tables which had been moved to accommodate a wheelchair, leaving about 6" of space between the chair and table she expected us to enjoy a comfortable dinner at. Since there was no way we could sit there I asked to be seated at one of the two other empty tables and was told that if we didn't like the table she gave us we could sit in the hallway pizza area. Made a reservation to enjoy dinner in the dining room not in the very busy pizza area. We were there for dinner...not a slice. During the week this place is empty, many times we have been the only diners there. This woman needs to appreciate the value of customers and be considerate and accommodating in the interest of good consumer relations. In the meantime, we'll take our business where we are appreciated and treated nicely. read more

My husband and I moved to this area 8 months ago and have been trying all the small restaurants. Saw raving reviews about this restaurant and decided to try it...just one word...AMAZING!!! This is our favorite place!!! Date night every Friday nite at Senza. Love the location, love the food and love the owner Joe!! read more

Sadly enough, this is one of the only decent places to eat around the Bayville area. I usually get the Senza personal pizza, which has arugula and prosciutto on it. No one is ever really dining in, even though the atmosphere is pretty nice. The reason why I am giving it only 4 stars is because a couple times I have ordered, I have received my pizza/meal on the cold side. When they make it fresh and hot, that's when it is 5 stars. read more

Our party of four waited 1 1/2 hours for three of the entrees to arrive. It took another 10 minutes for the fourth entrée. Water had to be requested 3 times before it was brought to table. Never again. read more

I was so hopeful, given this place has gotten so many good reviews. I must say, however, my visit tonight was not good. We were seated quickly, and that's where all things quick ended. Our server was slow and indifferent. It took him at least 10 minutes to come to the table for a beverage order. After another 15 to 20 minutes he asked if we wanted to order appetizers. I had the seafood salad ( fruitti mare) and my husband had rice balls. They were dry, really no cheese in them. Maybe we are a bit jaded because we are from NYC, but o do expect some flavor in my food. Our salads had house balsamic dressing which was so tart I doubt there was Amy balsamic vinegar in it. We both ordered Saltbocca and it was over cooked and dry. It was served with 6 tiny potato pieces. If we weren't so hungry we would have left the food on the plate. We spent 2 hours sitting in a drafty spot and had tasteless food. Needless to say we will not go back. I could have gone to a local pizza place closer to home and had a much better meal, with great service. read more

Ordered dinner from here back in July, and am definitely impressed! i will for sure be returning in the future. the food we ordered [spaghetti and meatballs, grilled chicken wrap on a whole wheat wrap with sweet potato fries] was absolutely delicious! the delivery driver was polite and had a clean appearance. there is no minimum for delivery nor a delivery charge. Senza also staples a loyalty punch-card to your receipt that you can redeem towards a free lunch. read more

Excellent! Service was great! Pizza bread was a great start. I had the meatballs alla Nona which were very good. Pasta was perfectly al dente. Definitely will come back if we're in town. read more

I had heard many good things about this restaurant so we gave it a try tonight. We entered and stood awkwardly in the doorway until someone noticed us. After finding out we didn't have a reservation for a table in a half empty pizza joint in a strip mall in NJ at 5:30 on a Friday night, we were shuffled to the table closest to the door on a freezing, windy night. That table shouldn't have even been there. Very unwelcoming. The food was decent, nothing spectacular. My glass sat empty through the appetizer, salad and half of my entree. And I'm pretty sure my pollo cardinale was supposed to include prosciutto somewhere, but I couldn't find it. Prices were fair and the pizza bread was delicious. I'd say they are trying too hard to be fancy in a location that screams pizza joint. read more

Im not too thrilled with the service I experienced today, I order from this place weekly, usually the food is prompt and great! today an untrained employee answered the phone, she even informed me she was "a server and didn't know how the computer worked." I work in the mall and order from them at least twice a week if not more. they have lost a customer now. she didn't put in a delivery order, so I called back after an hour of waiting, to have the girl on the phone act like it was me who didn't ask for delivery. i'm the only one in the building at my job, clearly I didn't say oh let me pick up my food and leave my work completely unattended? So like anyone would once she accused me of not asking for delivery she said she will have it brought right over, um its been sitting there for an hour? there's no way my fries are still warm, let alone edible. I asked is it still good? with another sarcastic reply "oh im sure its fine", not five minutes later the foods here, clearly re-heated in a microwave, thanks love a 9$ sandwich soggy and overpriced. never again will I call them for food. didn't get an apology, or even new fries after one of their employees messed up. I've worked at many Restaurants and never once have a treated a customer how I was treated today. read more

Server ruins our Valentine's Day. So, my girlfriend and I had a reservation for this place for 8pm. We were seated promptly. It was right next to the door but we didn't mind because we were hungry and the table was big. We were in a great mood until met our server. It took him about 15 minutes just to take our drink order. About 5 minutes prior to us getting our drinks another couple came in. They were seated, had drinks and bread before our server even took our food order. After he gave us our drinks, he was like I'll be right back with your bread. 5 minutes later....no bread....then I see him on his cell phone just hanging out. I tried to get the hostess' attention, but she was at a table and looked like she was eating with her family or something. 8:30 comes along and we decided to give it 5 minutes. If we didn't have our bread in 5 minutes we were going to leave. Sure enough, we left! I'll never go back. read more

We love eating at this restaurant. The place is clean, small and intimate and is family friendly. The quality of Italian food has to be the best in the area. The food is fresh and resonably priced. It's BYOB which is great. The place is family run and the owner always comes out and greets his customers. read more

I LOVE SENZA!!!!! A large group of us come at least once a month, either on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday. You have to make a reservation but it is so worth it. The staff is wonderful and the food is really good. It takes awhile for it to come out as everything is made fresh and on the spot but it is worth the wait. You will not be disappointed. Going there again this weekend! read more

After hearing about how great the food was, I had to try it. So my husband and I decided to do a take-out order that consisted of Fried Calamari. (which tasted like Fried Rubber). Veal Saltimbocca ( which was average for a pizza place, but the sauce was a little off, it looked very yellow and of a watery consistency) and Chicken Scarpariello ( We have Chicken Scarpiello at Jimmy's in Asbury for the past 20 years and it is always perfect). THIS WAS NOT EVEN CLOSE. I ate some of the Calamari my husband refused to eat it. I had a very small bite of the Saltimbocca and a bite of the chicken and sausage in the Scarpariello, my husband ate the rest of the Saltimbocca and some of the Scarpariello. Later on in the evening my stomach started acting up and my husband was very sick for the next 12 hours. The only reason I gave it 1 star is because the side salad they give you with dressing was excellent. read more

Never get take out from this place! I order a pizza pie and it was ice cold, tasted like it was made the day before . My garlic knots were also cold and very small. I read a lot of reviews saying it was good food, who's writing these reviews????? Never going there again. Good luck With staying in business read more

In Bayville NJ there are not a whole lot of reasons to go out to eat. Senza is one of very few exceptions. The owner has an Italian specialty food store up north and his family has other food stores and I believe, a sausage company. So, in a nutshell, they buy their ingredients from themselves. But although the ingredients shine here, it's not the main reason for coming. The owner loves food, loves people and loves to cook. And believe me, it shows in the dishes they serve. We were very early customers to this place when no one knew about them. Word of mouth really paid of for them as you can barely get in the door sometimes. OK Bottom line... haven't found a restaurant, Italian other other in Ocean County, better than Senza. Oh and this was meant to be a FIVE STAR REVIEW but Yelp censors reviews that are either 1 or 5 stars. read more