Diners' Choice: Best Ambiance restaurants in New Jersey

OpenTable

Updated December 05, 2024

Looking for restaurants with the best ambiance in New Jersey? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Canal House Station

5.0

5 (366)

$50 and over

American

Frenchtown

About the restaurant

Christopher Hirsheimer and Melissa Hamilton—the women behind Canal House Station—are cooks, writers, and artists. In 2007 they founded Canal House, which includes a publishing venture and a culinary, photography, and design studio. Their cookbook "Canal House Cooks Every Day" received a James Beard Award in 2012.

In 2019, Christopher and Melissa opened Canal House Station, a hidden gem tucked into an elegantly restored 1870s train station on the banks of the Delaware River in Milford, NJ. Their idiosyncratic, modern American cuisine is inspired by local ingredients that are ripe and in season in Hunterdon and Bucks County. They are two women, cooking together, and sharing their love of gathering people around the table to eat good food. They have been nominated twice for a James Beard Foundation “Best Chef: Mid Atlantic” award.

Canal House Station offers "Sunday Dinner" every Sunday. It is available for Private & Corporate Events, and Celebratory Gatherings throughout the year.

Top review

SuzanneVIP

Dined 7 days ago

Such a wonderful experience - phenomenal food, service and atmosphere.

Mission Spirits

4.9

4.9 (200)

$31 to $50

Cocktail Bar

Millville

About the restaurant

Mission Spirits is an artisan, small-batch spirits distillery. We produce & bottle hand crafted spirits made from our proprietary fermentation, distillation and aging processes. Using a practice we call 'technique blending', we modify and employ a variety of different techniques, new and old, to create original flavors. We take bold risks and learn from trial & error - all in the name of good spirits. Join us in drinking our successes and let our spirits elevate yours for whatever Mission you may be on.

Top review

kelly

Dined on Dec 8, 2024

Great experience! Only 1 star on food as I don't think they are allowed and the review made me pick something. Excellent drinks, Excellent atmosphere!

Beach Plum Farm Kitchen

4.6

4.6 (56)

$50 and over

Farm-to-table

Cape May

About the restaurant

Immerse yourself in the beauty and fresh flavors of Beach Plum Farm’s Farm-to-Table Dinner Series. These dinners are a celebration of Beach Plum Farm’s seasonal harvest, featuring our farm raised meats, organic produce, and garden herbs. Dine under the stars, or in our festive hoop house, depending on the weather.

Please note that our Farm Dinners are best enjoyed by those age 21 and up.

All dinners are BYOB.

Top review

Katie

Dined on Dec 7, 2024

We have previously enjoyed the summer dinner series at Beach Plum Farm and were very excited for our first holiday dinner. To say that it was magical would be a complete understatement. Every single detail was beautiful and the evening felt so special. Every single staff member was absolutely wonderful and we're looking forward to returning again!

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Experience

New Year's Eve at The Farm

Matisse 167

4.8

4.8 (1278)

$50 and over

Contemporary American

Rutherford

About the restaurant

Think of us for artful cuisine and a great dining experience! We are your preferred "Bring Your Own Bottle" BYOB destination for special occasions, milestones, small corporate parties and get togethers. Chef Greg's acclaimed, seasonal four-course Prix-Fixe Menu is offered Wednesday through Sunday evenings. Our garden patio awaits you for a delightful outdoor dining experience. Matisse's elegant main dining room is adorned with Matisse silhouettes and bejeweled chandeliers, and our front dining room displays a Moroccan themed decor. Our team looks forward to providing you and your guests with excellent cuisine, great service, and a special evening to remember!

Top review

Denise

Dined on Dec 14, 2024

Cafe Matisse was DELICIOUS and a FABULOUS experience ❤️ we were celebrating my daughter Rachel’s birthday. Everything was WONDERFUL❤️Chef Greg Power and Adrian were so GRACIOUS and WELCOMING to us. We LOVED it and plan to go back again soon❤️ THANK YOU CHEF GREG AND HIS ASSISTANT ADRIAN for making it an AMAZING experience ❤️

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Experience

Private Igloo Dining Experience

Experience

Private Igloo Dining Experience

Il Villaggio

4.9

4.9 (668)

$31 to $50

Italian

Carlstadt

About the restaurant

Welcome to Il Villaggio. For more than 34 years, as one of the most authentic restaurants in Bergen County NJ, Il Villaggio has been perfecting our traditional cuisine and service. With the freshest ingredients, we are certain to deliver one of the best meals around. Every day we offer a variety of specials, prepared perfectly by our chefs, consistent with one of the top Italian restaurants in Bergen County. With our intimate yet spacious dining area that is capable of seating 95 guests, Il Villaggio offers an extraordinary dining experience unlike any other. Dine at one of the most New Jersey Italian restaurants tonight. Dine at Il Villaggio.

Top review

WilliamVIP

Dined 6 days ago

Just love this restaurant. Great friends, service and fresh food.

618

4.9

4.9 (6812)

$30 and under

American

Freehold

About the restaurant

Top 1% of restaurants in the world
Ranked #32 most romantic restaurants in the United States
*Reservation times are not guaranteed. As a high-volume restaurant we will do our best to accommodate you as close to that time as possible

The 618 experience doesn't have to end after dessert. Bring a piece of 618 home with you or send it to family & friends. We offer an array of our signature items such as an Espresso Martini Candle, Decanter sets or the most comfortable sweatshirt you'll ever own!

*** https://www.618nj.com/618athome ***

Top review

Toni

Dined 4 days ago

First time at 618 and the service and food were amazing. Joe N made sure, as first timers, provided us with some amazing recommendations and didn’t steer us wrong! Will definitely be coming back!

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Short Rib Ravioli Appetizer

Giorgio's Ristorante - South Orange

4.9

4.9 (482)

$31 to $50

Italian

South Orange

About the restaurant

Giorgio's of South Orange has always been one of the landmarks in the area. Specializing in fine Italian cuisine and catering, we have a wide range of signature soups, salads and of course, our special, main-course, all-time favorite items.

Top review

LorraineMVIP

Dined 3 days ago

Outstanding! This is our second time dining here as the first was exceptional. The quality of the food and taste are top notch. The presentation is flawless as well. The service is equally amazing. The servers are attentive, knowledgeable and kind. The atmosphere is cozy but elegant. We are officially on our way to being regulars here.

Dolce Bene

5.0

5 (159)

$30 and under

Italian

Bridgewater

About the restaurant

Parking is Available On-Site: Located in the back of the restaurant.

Party sizes over 8 people must reach out to the restaurant directly for a reservation.

Top review

PaulVIP

Dined on Nov 30, 2024

Delicious food and considerate service. Excellent.

da Benito Ristorante

4.9

4.9 (861)

$31 to $50

Italian

Union

About the restaurant

Exquisite cuisine complimented with our extensive award winning wine list featuring the very best from Italy, France and California. This makes for a unique and memorable dining experience at this top New Jersey restaurant. Attention to detail defines “Fine Dining” at restaurant da Benito. Immaculate Italian table linens on every table and a professional wait staff will cater to your every wish. Our menu is as rich in flavor as it is diverse and incorporating local grown vegetables, homemade pastas, aged steaks that rival the best steakhouses and fresh wild seafood creates a menu that has to be tasted to be appreciated.

Top review

ROBIN

Dined on Dec 14, 2024

Always a pleasure to dine at DB. The service is polished and competent, the food is delicious and beautifully plated. To start, we truly enjoyed the excellent selection of breads presented. Garlicky and savory, the Caesar salad truly pleases the palate. Fried calamari, tender and lightly breaded paired with their special hot and spicy marinara, was a real winner. My filet mignon prepared Pittsburgh style ( cooked perfectly) really hit the spot. The other entree, rack of lamb, did not disappoint. Coffee and homemade DB biscotti for dessert, rounded out an amazing dinner.

The Gables

4.7

4.7 (2340)

$50 and over

Contemporary American

Long Beach Island

About the restaurant

The Gables offers exclusively a 3-course pre-fixe menu starting at 120 per person plus tax & tip. Menu changes weekly. Please note, supplemental charges apply to select menu items.

We offer a lovely selection of red and white wines by the bottle from Bellview Winery.

Wear designer socks when dining at The Gables, our Beach Haven, NJ restaurant. They may well be knocked off by the imaginative seasonal fare at our 2007-08 Zagat rated 26
"Exceptional to Perfection"

This historic Victorian Jersey Shore inn is open nightly for dinner during the summer season, and Thursday through Sunday from Fall to Spring. We also host memorable private parties and weddings in this most romantic of settings.

Prime Parking: Tesla and EV charging stations available for guests upon request.

Top review

thomasVIP

Dined 2 days ago

We always enjoy a great dinner at the Gables. The food and atmosphere is exceptional

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Popular dish

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Popular dish

Flourless Valrhona Chocolate Cake

Popular dish

Grilled Pork Chop

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