Each year, we travel across the state eating at the finest restaurants in the Garden State. Our mission? To name the 30 best.

The Best Restaurants in New Jersey 2025 list covers a wide range of what the state has to offer. From the rolling hills of Sussex County, to the salt air of Barnegat Bay—the shadow of Manhattan, to the suburbs of Philadelphia.

As always, our list is absent of paid partners. Just culinary excellence and hospitality. These are the best restaurants in New Jersey.

Editor’s Note

New Jersey’s dining scene has been great for upwards of a decade now, but it continues to improve each year. Nailing down the 30 best is no small feat. As the scene continues to grow, it’s gotten even harder.

Rather than expanding the list each year to a number that dilutes its meaning, we made a conscious decision to cap chefs at two spots on this year’s list.

La Lupa *

Manalapan, NJ

The unassumingly brilliant La Lupa brings some of New Jersey’s best Italian dining to Manalapan. In a state full of Italian restaurants, La Lupa stands out with binchotan-grilled steaks, baked gnocchi alla Romana, mint-laced fried artichokes, and the ever-famous Tuscan fried chicken with rosemary and honey. Inside the dimly lit, intimate dining room—MF DOOM spinning over the speakers—Chef Giorgio Ceciarelli, donning his signature Yankees hat, calmly stands behind the counter, tossing wood-fired pizzas and commanding the kitchen with pinpoint precision. Each plate is calculated and intentional. The bar for New Jersey Italian dining has been raised, and La Lupa is the culprit. BYO.

Zeppoli

Collingswood, NJ

Chef Joey Baldino’s 35-seat BYO, Zeppoli brings Sicilian flavors to Collingswood with a palpable South Philly attitude. It has all of the panache of NJ’s best restaurants without any of the fuss. Plump links of house-made sausage sit atop a bed of tender, braised broccoli rabe, head-on shrimp come with beans and a heavy-handed dose of chopped garlic. For pastas, think rustic and simple. Rigatoni alla Disgraziata with eggplant and sharp ricotta salata, or handmade ricotta dumplings drenched in brown butter. But it’s the unassuming Coniglio Pizzaiola that is the unsung hero—a tomato-stewed rabbit showered with Sicilian oregano and creamy, herb-roasted potatoes on the side. Through unapologetic simplicity, Zeppoli sits atop what remains New Jersey’s most underrated food city.

Ondo

Jersey City, NJ

Ondo is Chef Brian Kim’s contemporary Korean restaurant in Jersey City, and it doesn’t follow the usual script. The room is minimal, almost quiet, which puts the focus where it belongs. The menu is organized by temperature—cold, warm, and hot—so the meal moves differently than most places. Cold plates come first, then noodles and fried items, then heavier dishes toward the end. Galbi-jjim shows up as a reference point more than a finale (and is still one of my favorite dishes in Jersey). The cooking moves between Korean flavors and other techniques without calling attention to the shift, and that’s the point. The drinks stay aligned, built around Korean spirits and a short (but masterful) cocktail list. Even with everything Jersey City offers, Ondo still feels special.

Elements

Princeton, NJ

Within the beating heart of historic Princeton, Elements is Chef Scott Anderson’s thought-provoking tasting menu, which places a heavy emphasis on technique driven by local product and global tastemaking. Anchored by a dramatic open kitchen, the dining room enjoys a front-row view of the action. Knowledgeable servers help guide diners through the immersive Chef’s Tasting Menu, which features upwards of 10 courses, weaving between seasonal blips and longtime mainstays. Wood-fired Wagyu steak, plated within a forest of real moss and logs, remains a quintessential dish of not just Elements, but New Jersey at large. Through poise-driven technique—and guided by the local bounty—Elements continues to reach its massive expectations with ease.

Judy’s *

Asbury Park, NJ

What happens when you put the keys to a new restaurant in the hands of a Jewish woman with an eye for all things Italian? You get Judy’s in Asbury Park. Chef David Viana brings Judy’s to town, blending New Jersey red sauce classics with a distinct Jewish flair. Inspired by co-owner Neilly Robinson’s mother, Judy Rosenblum, the menu features quirky, personable touches—from ricotta matzoh balls in clear, roasted chicken broth to crispy potato latkes with bagna càuda, handmade pappardelle with veal ragu, and a zingy, Belmont Tavern-inspired Roast Chicken Savoy. Wash it down with Judy’s favorite BFM—that’s “Big Fucking Martini”—or head to the attached cocktail bar Harry’s for expert drinks and Italian small bites.

Minoru *

Montclair, NJ

Minoru opened in Montclair from the team behind SLA Thai. Jersey’s favorite Thai chef, Meiji Pattamasingcha, is back. She recently spent months in Japan before opening, studying Japanese cooking firsthand. The menu covers a lot of ground. Seafood shabu-shabu. An A5 Wagyu donburi set. Tempura-fried tiger prawns. Miso black cod. Smaller plates, too, like jackfish carpaccio with fig and yuzu-wasabi soy, were among our favorite starters of the year. Minoru is a new restaurant, but the cooking doesn’t read that way. There are lunch sets for anyone who is looking to step up their afternoon. And one surprise you’ll find here is the mocktails, which may be an afterthought at most restaurants, but at Minoru, they’re a must-order.

Grand Tavern

Neptune City, NJ

A converted Neptune City tavern with a cult following, The Grand Tavern has become one of New Jersey’s most quietly revered restaurants. Mention it to industry folk or food obsessives, and the response is nearly unanimous: it’s one of NJ’s best. The reason is simple—technique comes first. Executive Chef Paul Holzheimer turns out perfectly seared fish finished with classic French sauces, an exceptional cheeseburger that flies under the radar, and a cocktail program built on thoughtful riffs like clarified milk punches and funky Kingston Negronis. The room feels like a true tavern, anchored by a wraparound wooden bar and unfussy decor. Whether you’re in for a full dinner or a quick drink and a snack, the result never wavers. Grand Tavern delivers neighborhood convenience with fine-dining precision.

Aarzu *

Freehold, NJ

In a state with a growing lot of Indian flavors, Aarzu stands ahead of the pack. The modern bistro—right in the heart of downtown Freehold—will hook you in with the scent of ghee-toasted spices and keep you there with a flow of mesmerizing flavors and artistic presentations. The menu is vast without losing focus: crispy fried fish nuggets bathed in hot chili oil, golden samosas bursting with fragrant potato and peas, spiced-and-fragrant okra, and a steady stream of tandoor-cooked staples like charred, aromatic basil chicken tikka. Favorites such as the panko-crusted goat cutlets and ghee roast chicken curry keep regulars coming back. Aarzu stays in your mind long after the meal concludes. That’s what great restaurants do.

Viaggio

Wayne, NJ

Viaggio is the place that changed the conversation around Italian food in North Jersey. When Robbie Felice opened in 2016, he was the new kid on the block in a Wayne strip mall that feels every bit like a strip mall. That hasn’t changed, but Felice is no longer new to the game, and neither is his team. Viaggio works because it never tried to outgrow itself. The menu moves with the seasons, and the room—an ode to a Tuscan farmhouse—still operates with the same confidence and swagger. It’s the kind of place that doesn’t need to remind you what it does well because it’s been doing it long enough (but I’ll remind you, the pastas are still among the most elite in Jersey). In 2025, consistency matters more now than it did eight years ago. Robbie Felice may be off building his culinary empire, but Viaggio remains the foundation thanks to Chef de Cuisine Matthew McCormick holding down the fort—reliable, confident, and still ahead of all that surrounds it. Passaic County’s benchmark. BYO.

Ember and Eagle

Eatontown, NJ

Ember & Eagle feels like the moment where Ryan DePersio stopped holding anything back. He’s been one of New Jersey’s most respected chefs for two decades, but this is where the range really shows. Italian-inspired at its core, the menu moves easily between steakhouse indulgence and DePersio’s long-standing pasta instincts, without feeling boxed into either lane. There’s confidence here—big cuts, luxe ingredients, and plenty of room to push past expectations instead of playing the hits. It helps that the kitchen isn’t chasing trends or nostalgia; it’s focused on execution and scale. Ember & Eagle isn’t a victory lap. It’s DePersio reminding everyone what he’s capable of when the guardrails come off.

Sergeantsville Inn

Sergeantsville, NJ

This 300-year-old Hunterdon County inn once, allegedly, sheltered George Washington, but today it’s home to Chef Sean Gray and his fresh approach to tavern-style dining. Gray brings meticulous refinement to approachable fare. The menu features the likes of four-times fried chicken drumsticks sold by the piece, whimsical pickle sandwiches, and nacho plates—each available as Blue Plate specials daily from 4 to 6 p.m. A famous radicchio salad, house-cased sausages with beans, and classic steak frites highlight the main menu. Drinks range from creamy pints of Guinness and old-world wines to cold vermouth tonics and the classic 1930s Corpse Reviver #2. Sergeantsville Inn seamlessly blends three centuries of history with the culinary moxie to do it justice—making it a top destination not just in New Jersey, but anywhere.

Sam’s Table *

Montclair, NJ

Chef Sam Stymest brings the culinary talents he picked up cooking his way through New Jersey and New York to his hometown of Montclair with a non-pretentious and grounded approach to farm-to-table dining. The à la carte menu effortlessly travels through the seasons, mingling local produce and meats with the skill to elevate them without obfuscating their simple beauty with unnecessary gimmicks. Think tea-smoked duck and simply grilled steaks, or the standout charred leeks from this year’s fall menu, which saw beautifully cooked leeks drenched in horseradish foam and smoked trout roe. All of this and more inside of a tiny, streetside dining room—Sam’s Table has hit the Montclair dining scene with unmistakable brilliance, and you’d be a fool to skip it.

The Saint Clair *

Montclair, NJ

The Saint Clair is the restaurant Chef Leia Gaccione was always meant to open. It’s on Church Street in Montclair, occupying a two-story space that gives diners options depending on the night. Downstairs runs like a proper dining room. Upstairs is looser, more lounge-forward, the kind of place where tables stay put. The menu stays seasonal and flexible, moving comfortably between lunch, dinner, and a super fun brunch. Certain dishes have already taken on a life of their own, including a roast chicken with schmaltzy, hand-torn croutons people keep ordering, and the cast-iron cornbread that you simply can’t skip. Polished, yes, but built for staying a while. BYO.

June

Collingswood, NJ

Just outside Philadelphia, Chef Richard Cusack’s June sets the standard for what New Jersey fine dining can and should be. Vintage china, crisp white tablecloths, and crystal chandeliers define the room, but without the expected pretension. Instead, June feels laid back and effortlessly cool. Collingswood locals and Philadelphians alike pack the dining room nightly for Cusack’s technique-driven French cooking. Snails are dressed in bordelaise with trumpet mushrooms and tarragon, a nod to Chef Pierre Calmel’s famed dish at the now-closed Bibou in South Philly. The signature Canard à la Presse—a red wine-marinated Muscovy duck prepared tableside and finished with a sauce made from pressing its carcass—embodies a nearly extinct style of luxury. Like everything at June, it’s done so flawlessly.

Nettie’s House of Spaghetti

Tinton Falls, NJ

Nettie’s is proof that red sauce never needed saving—it just needed someone who actually understood it. Chris Calabrese runs an Italian-American restaurant that leans into (and elevates) the dishes New Jersey grew up with and refuses to soften them. The menu moves between whipped ricotta and semolina bread, lemon chicken, Sunday sauce plates, spinach ravioli, and fried meatballs that people argue about for good reason. Nettie’s sits off a county road, easy to miss, but the bar gives it away once you’re inside—think Negronis on tap, spritzes, and Italian natural wines. Some nights it’s sandwiches and drinks at the bar. Other nights it’s the whole menu. Both are a blast.

The Circle

Newton, NJ

The Circle is out in Sussex County, down a quiet road near Newton. Pulling up to the old 1700s farmhouse, you wouldn’t guess there’s serious fine dining inside. The restaurant is run by Brendan Ullmann and Tyler O’Toole, both Jean-Georges alums, and it shows. This is easily the best food being cooked in Sussex County right now. Contemporary American, seasonal, tightly executed. You can order à la carte or do the tasting, but the experience stays focused either way. At The Circle, there are no gimmicks. No trend chasing. The rooms feel lived in. People make the drive because the cooking holds up, and you should too. No matter where you sit, a charming hearth is never far from sight.

Fiorentini

Rutherford, NJ

You don’t come to Fiorentini for theatrics. Opened in Rutherford in 2021, Chef Antonio De Ieso and his wife, Brenda, have built a restaurant that rewards attention rather than demanding it. The cooking pulls from Tuscany, but not in a postcard way. It follows a very Italian logic—cook with what’s around you, bring in imports when they matter, and don’t force the rest. Menus shift quietly with the seasons. Pastas stay at the center, always precise, while other plates come and go depending on what’s working at the moment. Desserts follow the same philosophy: restrained, intentional, and never overwrought. The room has energy without pretense, with recycled vines overhead and the kitchen always in view. Fiorentini doesn’t chase trends. It cooks the way De Ieso believes Italian food should be cooked.

Black Sheep

Garwood, NJ

Black Sheep has firmly established itself as one of New Jersey’s most exciting restaurants, built on Chef Nick DeRosa’s and Vincent Comunale’s easygoing and classic-minded vision. The menu takes the minimum and sharpens it with personality and poise—beer-battered delicata squash rings, zingy fried shrimp, loaded fries, rigatoni in sundried tomato sugo, perfectly cooked fish, and meats from the family butcher shop, F.A. DeRosa. At the bar, classic cocktails, curated wines, and beer are served in a lively room lined with bottles and well-worn cookbooks. Combine it all with the best happy hour in the state, and it all starts to make sense. Black Sheep paints a picture—one defined by polished food and a laid-back attitude, proving great dining can be both relaxed and striking.

Lita

Aberdeen Twp., NJ

A wood-burning hearth is the heart and soul of Lita: Chef David Viana’s contemporary Iberian eatery located in an Aberdeen strip mall. The menu is a love letter to Viana’s Portuguese identity, combining the foods he ate growing up with the flavors experienced while traveling throughout the Iberian Peninsula. Rissóis de Camarão, a shrimp turnover, is golden-brown and crisp, oozing with a velvety shrimp filling—the perfect companion for a Fino sherry-spiked martini or a cold glass of vermouth blanco. But at Lita, it’s all about the hearth. Wood-grilled Iberico pork is served surf-and-turf style with steamed clams and potatoes, while marinated half chicken is grilled until the skin is branded with blistering hatch marks. For two, authentic paella cooked over an open fire—a constitutive piece of Lita’s identity.

Summit House

Summit, NJ

Sporting vintage digs on Springfield Avenue, Summit House delivers big-city polish without the tired schticks. Grand seafood towers, ice-cold cocktails, a deep wine list, and a striking open kitchen define the Union County staple, but it’s Chef AJ Capella’s brilliant menu that keeps the room buzzing. His approach to cooking cannot be boiled down to a single style or term. Instead, he blends upscale technique with approachability—high-brow tastes with accessibility. Think honey-lacquered duck breast, luscious bisques, dry-aged steaks that compete with NYC’s top steakhouses, and one of the best damn burgers in New Jersey. Summit House effortlessly balances opulence and comfort, delivering a polished yet relaxed dining experience that continues to raise the bar past what many thought was its ceiling.

Hearthside

Collingswood, NJ

At Hearthside, everything begins—and ends—at the wood-burning oven. In plain view inside the open kitchen, this important piece of equipment defines the restaurant’s identity. Chef Dominic Piperno’s menu is rooted in live-fire cooking, drawing on elements from cuisines around the globe. Carefully curated crudos and handmade pasta, with the likes of braised rabbit ragu, make up the top portion of the menu. From there, the fire takes center stage: wood-grilled half chicken—served cacciatore-style—thick-cut pork chops, and whole fish with charred, blistering skin. The concept is focused and unmistakable, delivering a dining experience that dishes out exactly what you’d expect, with the tricks and adeptness to keep you pining for more.

Saddle River Inn

Saddle River, NJ

Chef Jamie Knott helped build the modern New Jersey dining landscape when he took over Saddle River Inn in 2013. Since then, he has transformed the cozy BYO into one of the Garden State’s premier dining destinations. The old-world charm of the restaurant’s past is still alive, now donning a contemporary fine-dining outfit. Knott’s French cooking chops are on full display, and his knack for global tastemaking follows closely behind. How do oysters dressed with coconut milk, and seared foie gras with tart cherry, sound? For mains, take a foray into the world of hand-cut steaks, or settle down with seared duck breast, lo mein, and crispy rice, proving Knott’s ability to blend borders with ease. Saddle River Inn once pioneered Bergen County dining—it hasn’t missed a step since.

Lula *

Ridgewood, NJ

In just under a year, Lula has made a statement that catapults the Ridgewood dining scene back into the fold. Chef Conor Browne’s cozy BYO centers on a seasonal approach, with the chops to let it shine. Fluffy focaccia with a crackly, dark-baked exterior is fragrant and sidekicked by zesty compound butter; the softest ricotta dumplings come in a bowl of rich ragu bolognese. For the mains, Browne takes familiarity to the next level by elevating proteins and vegetables to the unforeseen. Roast chicken—carved for you—is served with rich chicken jus and crispy fingerlings. On the other side, a hard-seared steak hides a cool-red center, paired with the creamiest pommes purée you’ll find anywhere. Lula is hidden in plain sight. It’s waiting for you.

Clemmy’s

Waretown, NJ

Just a stone’s throw from the lagoon villages of Waretown, Clemmy’s brings refreshing New American dining to an area that needs it. The BYO is the brainchild of Chef Allen Walski—a perfect tribute to true seasonal cooking that seeks to turn the available bounty into a menu defined by deliciousness and finesse. In the fall, this might look like roasted carrots with tamarind, or local tilefish atop red curry. In the summer, marinated zucchini, or simply charred Jimmy Nardello peppers, will do the trick. On Mondays, Clemmy’s serves fried chicken, keeping things playful and delectable. Seasonal dining is surely not hard to come by, but still, Clemmy’s feels different. Chef Walski’s treatment of produce is palpable and reverent in a way that sets it apart.

Ram & Rooster

Metuchen, NJ

This is the restaurant Metuchen desperately needed. Ram & Rooster is Chef Sean Yan’s tasting-counter restaurant, built around the food he grew up with and the stories attached to it. Yan, a first-generation Chinese-American, cooks in front of you alongside his team, with most seats wrapped around the kitchen and no real separation between diner and process. The menu moves through a tight run of courses that draw on traditional Chinese cooking without recreating it wholesale. Some dishes feel familiar, others quietly surprising, but none are random. With Chef de Cuisine Roselyn Achacoso in the kitchen, the meal stays focused on narrative rather than spectacle, letting each course reveal a little more about where Yan is coming from.

OEN *

Montclair, NJ

Hidden beside the newly opened MM by Morimoto is Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto’s first and only omakase room. The 14-seat counter presents what is unequivocally some of the most polished dining in New Jersey. The meal begins with a cocktail in the lounge before exploding into a purposeful 10-plus-course tasting. A far cry from the typical, sushi-rich omakase, OEN instead expands the vision to encompass a broader range of Japanese cooking styles—plus, some other cuisines, too. Soy-braised fatty toro with hot mustard, fried abalone, tempura figs with foie gras, Maine lobster cured in brut rosé, and A5 Wagyu shabu-shabu are just a preview. This three-hour epic will leave you questioning what it is you thought you knew about dining. OEN sets an entirely new standard.

The Roxy

Jersey City, NJ

From the same team behind Corto, The Roxy proves that cozy, homestyle BYO isn’t the only trick up their sleeve. Matt Moschella, Drew Buzzio, and Justin Buzzio, along with Chef Rachel Dos Santos, looked to flip the script on what made their first restaurant a resounding success. Instead, The Roxy takes a sharp detour into the arena of global cooking, complete with a varied cocktail menu and breathtaking Art Deco digs. Cheddar gougeres with Prosciutto di Parma, jerk-braised short ribs, pork shumai, and slabs of prime rib, rubbed in “umami spice” and cooked slowly overnight until unctuous and savory. Dishes are comforting, but never expected. The Roxy begs the question: What should be done? Then, it does the opposite.

Gioia Mia

Montclair, NJ

Gioia Mia is part of why Montclair keeps pulling further ahead as New Jersey’s most exciting dining town. The restaurant is run by Mary Cumella and Chef Logan Ramirez, and the cooking never feels content to sit still. Ramirez is one of the few chefs in the state who genuinely takes risks, especially with pasta, where ideas are sometimes like nothing you’ve seen. Some dishes lean Italian, others drift elsewhere entirely, and the combinations can feel surprising without being showy. You order pasta expecting comfort and end up with something more curious than that. Gioia Mia garners repeat visits, mostly because you’re never quite sure what Ramirez is going to try next when the season turns over.

Osteria Crescendo

Westwood, NJ

Opened in Westwood after Viaggio, the restaurant marked a shift for the then-rising star chef, Robbie Felice. O.C. meant bigger swings, sharper ideas, and less concern with the nostalgia diners in Bergen County were familiar with. The room sets the tone right away with marble details and glassware that quietly signal intent. Pasta is still the backbone, and the Paradiso Ravioli remains a non-negotiable order forever. Felice may be juggling media appearances and four restaurants now, but Crescendo hasn’t lost focus. Next door, Bar Mutz—his fourth concept—adds a very 2025 kind of buzz, drawing viral crowds and turning the block into a destination.

Corto

Jersey City, NJ

Corto is in the Jersey City Heights, far from the downtown restaurant circuit. The BYO is run by Drew Buzzio, Marc Magliozzi, and Chef Matt Moschella, whose cooking pulls from cucina povera, while Chef de Cuisine Cole “Ciccio” Cabibbo nails down what homestyle cooking is at its core. The dining room is compact and textured—brick, wood, and art—while the kitchen sits in the back, fully visible, with a pasta bar facing it. A significant amount of seating is on the heated back patio, which fills quickly. The menu runs through fresh pastas, bitter greens, meats and cheeses to start, and a small group of dishes that show up again and again. People tend to order the same things, on purpose.

* = New to list this year