Asbury Park, New Jersey, is an historic beach community located 60 miles south of New York City and 90 minutes north of Atlantic City. The city is known for its award-winning beaches, live music venues, and boardwalk, and it is experiencing a culinary resurgence. Asbury Park is home to a wide variety of restaurants, from traditional seafood to classic Italian.
Located in an historic Victorian home, Moonstruck offers Zagat-rated food and service overlooking Asbury Park's lake. The restaurant describes its cuisine as "Fresh American-Mediterranean," American grill in the Mediterranean style with a focus on healthy. Moonstruck's dishes are influenced by the entire Mediterranean region, from Italy, Spain and France to Greece, North Africa and the Middle East. Dishes include a platter of grilled vegetables, hummus, fresh mozzarella and roasted peppers, as well as walnut crusted rack of lamb with a pomegranate demi-glace. Risottos, pasta dishes, grilled meats, seafood and chicken dishes round out the menu. A cocktail lounge on the first floor features live music. During summer, guests can enjoy their meals on the restaurant's outdoor porches.
Moonstruck Restaurant
517 Lake Ave.
Asbury Park, NJ 07712
732-988-0123
moonstrucknj.com
This restaurant serves Latin-infused Spanish Portugese specialties in an elegant atmosphere. Special dishes include camarao, or shrimp in garlic sauce; paella valencia, a rice dish with sausage, seafood and chicken; and paella marena, a rice and seafood dish. Owners Deborah and Rico strive to serve authentic seafood, filet mignon and chicken dishes while retaining the small-town feel of Asbury Park. The bistro's walls feature contemporary Latin-inspired artwork.
Bistro Ole
230 Main St.
Asbury Park, NJ 07712
732-897-0448
bistroole.com
Located in the historic Steinbeck Building downtown, Old Man Rafferty's has been serving an eclectic menu to guests since 1989. Old Man Rafferty's features custom burgers, hearty soups and salads, meal-sized sandwiches and contemporary bar food such as crab lobster dip, loaded potato skins and Asian dim sum. Old Man Rafferty's full bar serves a wide variety of martinis, including chocolate and key lime martinis as well as frozen drink specialties. Guests can finish their experience with a selection from the decadent dessert menu which features no fewer than two dozen options each day, from cheesecakes and pies to an entire menu of chocolate cakes for the chocoholic.
Old Man Rafferty's
531 Cookman Ave.
Asbury Park, NJ 07712
732-724-1600
oldmanraffertys.com/home.htm
Located near the carousel on the boardwalk, Stella Marina is a two-story, light-filled restaurant with ocean and lake views. Stella Marina serves classic Italian cuisine for lunch and dinner with such specialties as antipasti, authentic Italian salads, pastas, risottos and entrees. Award-winning chefs and sommeliers add to the authentic Italian experience.
Stella Marina
1200 Ocean Ave.
Asbury Park, NJ 07712
732-775-7776
stellamarinarestaurant.com
The Harrison is popular with Asbury Park's happy hour crowd, serving fruit martinis and offering an extensive cocktail menu and appetizer menu that includes Maker's Mark clams, shrimp cakes and crab cakes. The menu is rounded out with seafood, steak, chicken and pasta specialties. The owner of The Harrison describes the ambiance as "white tablecloth meets white T-shirt." In this beachside community, especially during the summer season, anything goes. The Harrison features nightly drink specials.
The Harrison
716 Cookman Ave.
Asbury Park, NJ 07712
732-774-2200
harrisonap.com
