Il Colosseo - New Jersey

The only drawback I have is that it was very loud! I would have given the best review except for that reason. I actually lost my voice a bit from speaking so loud so that my dining partners could hear me! Although it was a bit uncomfortable it will not stop me from coming back.

AC was having problems so it was warm, and the noise is so loud...but the food was delicious though pricy. I'll come back on a weekday.

Very noisy.. service is great and food outstanding…hard to hear people at your table especially with large groups there.

Fantastic restaurant! Food and service were great. The only reason I gave ambience 4 stars was that the A/C was not working properly, especially at the front of the restaurant, and we were very uncomfortable throughout our dinner. The manager did acknowledge the A/C was not functioning correctly and proceeded to provide our dessert on the house... Thank You!

I will certainly be returning and highly recommend the restaurant to anyone one looking for a great meal at fair prices (though I hate doing that as it will make getting reservations that much harder). We were a party of six and everyone thoroughly enjoyed their meal. See you soon...!

Food was of good quality for sure. Ambiance was noisy and crowded. No clue who our waiter was because four different people had approached us over the course of the meal. Someone walked up and said “I got Chilean sea bass as a special tonight.” Honestly we were treated like we were inconveniencing the staff by being there. Small location and crowded.

Il Colosseo is a new restaurant that opened up a few months ago. I've eaten there a few times and was always pleased with the food and service. Last night we ordered the seafood salad as an appetizer to share. It was a sizable portion and tasted delicious. Just the right amount of lemon. I ordered the swordfish as my entree. It was moist and flavorful and served with crispy roasted potatoes and string beans. My friends had pasta dishes: puttanesca with gnocchi and Pescatore with white sauce. Both were pleased with their selections. The noise level is a bit much, however. It's difficult to have a conversation without shouting. I hope they are able to rectify this at some point. But other than that, I would recommend you give Il Colosseo a try! BYOB

Our first time here was great! Unfortunately, this was our 2nd visit and it was a real disappointment. Wait time for food is not great. It was better than our first time, but it still was longer than it should be to get appetizers and/or dinner. We ordered the baby octopus appetizer, and honestly it felt like they just took a whole octopus and slapped it on the plate. Really bland, no sauce or seasoning, it was huge, and not cut up in anyway shape or form. It wasn’t good. Then for dinner we ordered the branzino stuffed with lobster special. I’ve never seen a branzino served at the size it was - I mean, small, like a piece of tilapia small. The skin was basically torn off for the lobster, and it was thick. It honestly looked like the size of an appetizer.

Unfortunately we will not go back for a while until we hear that these kinks are worked out.

Great food

My friends rave about this place so we tried it out. The food was delicious, server unfortunately focused his time on a larger table.

The noise level was also extremely loud, you could hardly hear the person next to you. That was a big turnoff for us.

This place is an absolute GEM. Set in a shopping center (great for parking) close to main-town Red Bank, Il Colosseo should now be considered both a NY and NJ staple in my opinion. The place itself is beautiful. The seating is set up nicely. The waitstaff are incredibly friendly and knowledgeable. And, you don’t feel rushed or corralled. Most importantly, the food is just unbelievable. Had some great oysters, bufala mozzarella, fried artichokes (amazing), soft shell crabs and a seafood papardelle both from the specials menu. Everything was prepared exquisitely and presented well. It is BYOB, so know that. Il Colosseo is top notch for any occasion.

What a great surprise. Food was outstanding! My new favorite Italian restaurant in Monmouth County. Definitely reminded me of being in Italy.

Food was great. Staff was very accommodating. Not too crowded in. Very loud.

Excellent food and service. Wait staff and owners are very friendly, nice menu allot of choice and great specials.

It was our first time dining here. Food was awesome staff were very attentive and the restaurant itself is very nice. Also, the owner walking around to make sure everything is ok is a nice addition. Would definitely go back again.

Great meal and even better service. We cannot wait to return !

Went for my mothers birthday dinner for the first time and we were blown away. The food was incredible, the service was excellent and the ambiance was nice. Love having another great restaurant in the area.

So glad we went ! Food was delicious and everything from service to dessert was fabulous.

Food is amazing! It was definitely a boisterous crowd on a Saturday evening, but just glad to see the restaurant industry reviving.

Food and service is great, noise level is high

Food was excellent, did not mind waiting between courses because everything was cooked perfectly The only thing I wish they could do is absorb the sound a bit. It was loud but lively.

I had read and heard great reviews about this restaurant. First let me say the service was great. Our waiter was very attentive to us and our food was timed perfectly from appetizers to entrees. To start we had the grilled octopus, fried calamari, and the meatballs. The best out of the three was the calamari. It was fresh and lightly breaded and was not overdone. I can't say the same for the octopus. It was a good size portion but it didn't taste as good as I have had in other restaurants. It was not seasoned enough

Outstanding food and service

Great food and service

Noise level was horrific as voices could be heard outside when walking in from the parking lot. Will not recommend this restaurant.

Great food,service and vibe.

Fixed Mother’s Day menu was great! Every dish was made to order and fresh, perfect portions. Food was outstanding! Can’t wait to go back and try the regular menu

I brought the whole family to Il Colosseo for lunch on Mother's Day. The menu was fixed at $85 for adults and $35 for kids. The price was a bit of a surprise for lunch, but it included four large courses. We took home a lot of leftovers. The food was exceptional.

Great first for a new local spot. They were very busy and backed-up. All things you’d expect from a new restaurant. Waiter & service were great as we stayed patient. We’ll try it again soon - food was outstanding. One complaint- very loud.

This is a great new Italian restaurant in the Middletown/Red Bank area. Our food was EXCELLENT! Really authentic and good Italian food. The only reason we gave it a 4 out of 5 was because the service was really slow. We went on a Saturday night, 7:45pm reservation, so the heart of the evening. But it has only been open for 3 weeks, and the place was full & extremely busy. Once a few tables were finished and people started leaving, things started moving a little faster, so we think it’s just a matter of them getting the timing down. But the food made up for the wait, and we will definitely be going back again soon!

Impressive, food was excellent -- however, the noise level was nearly unbearable. Early dinner for a party of 5 on a Saturday - no chance to have a table conversation, could barely hear the person sitting beside you. May want to consider acoustic panels for the ceiling or keep music volume lower so people don't shout over it. If it weren't for the noise level, this would be a 5 star review.

Absolutely outstanding! We just moved to the area and are always looking for a good Italian restaurant - Il Colosseo knocked it out of the park! Hands down the best Italian food in our area. Every dish we ordered was delicious and fresh. The staff was also great - very attentive, knew the menu well, and extremely friendly. We will definitely be regulars here.

Awesome Italian restaurant! We had the pizza as well as a few entrees and loved everything! The owner is hands on and welcomes feedback! The italian egg roll appy is a must try! Will def be back again!

Food was very good, atmosphere quiet due to Tuesday evening small crowd

Loved the food - fresh, delicious whole Branzino, crispy, cheesy pizza, outrageous zuchhini flowers and it’s a BYO! So happy to have a little of that Brooklyn deliciousness here in NJ! Can’t wait to go back!

We always loved the Brooklyn location and are so happy to finally have the same quality food right here in Middletown! Everything we ate from the fish salad to the chocolate profiteroles was delicious!!

Only complaint noise level off the charts. Would be a gem if not for this. It was unbearable to the point we skipped dessert to give our ears a rest. I really hope the management takes this under consideration and possibly seek out ways to cut down on the acoustics.

Food was delicious and attentive service.

I would give this place a few more weeks to get it all together. The food was good however the service was lousy . Seems like everyone was eager to try this place. The servers were overwhelmed. They were apologetic and did try to compensate us with some fruit at the end of the night . I would definitely go back after the rush.

Food was exceptional! Was very busy so noise level was above how we like to dine! Servers seemed a little overwhelmed hopefully they will get the new kinks out and this will be one of our favorite Italians restaurants

Amazing food!