Diners' Choice: Innovative restaurants in New Jersey

OpenTable

Updated June 05, 2025

Looking for the best restaurants that are fit for foodies 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!

Mission Spirits

5.0

5 (207)

$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

Helen

Dined on Jun 8, 2025

Always an exceptional experience! My daughter from Brooklyn, NJ adores it!

That Supper Club

5.0

5 (327)

$50 and over

Italian

Park Ridge

About the restaurant

Indulge in an unforgettable culinary journey at our exclusive supper club in Park Ridge, NJ, where the visionary Executive Chef Nicolas Pescatore and his bold, innovative techniques to craft culinary masterpieces. Chef Pescatore creates a dynamic six-course Michelin-style tasting menu that elegantly fuses Italian, Japanese, and American influences. Nicolas's meticulous attention to detail and creative approach, combined with daring fusion of French precision and Southeast Asian flavors, elevate each dish to an extraordinary level. Freshly made pasta, farm-to-table ingredients, and cutting-edge techniques merge in this ever-evolving works of culinary art that change every three weeks. This $85 per person, BYOB dinner promises a captivating and unforgettable dining experience. Join us to witness the seamless collaboration and harmonious artistry of culinary master at work.

Top review

Danielle

Dined 4 days ago

This was our second time dining. Both time it was delicious and inventive. Each dish is a work of art and the hosts are fun and friendly . We will be returning soon !

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Popular dish

PASTA

Experience

Six course Eccentric Italian tasting

Elements Restaurant

4.8

4.8 (2052)

$50 and over

American

Princeton

About the restaurant

Executive Chef Scott Anderson chose the name "elements" for the restaurant because he is passionate about sourcing fresh, local, organic ingredients and sustainably raised meats and seafood. He wants the very elements of your meal to play a major role in the taste of it. Then he and his team work to reveal the complementary flavor dimensions inherent in the elements by skillfully combining them—often in edgy new ways. Restaurant menus change constantly here, making this the dinner restaurant that is excitingly different every time you return.

If you're a foodie, you want to know where—and how--your food grew. It's fascinating, it's a good health practice and it provides extra pleasure from everyday experiences, like a meal with friends. elements is the American restaurant serving local steak and seafood, but with global influences in seasoning and cooking methods. A true culinary adventure!

Top review

EileenVIP

Dined 4 days ago

What a beautiful night at Elements. Everything was just fantastic! Honestly, we cannot wait to return. Thank you 😊

Finnbar

4.8

4.8 (286)

$31 to $50

Mediterranean

Frenchtown

About the restaurant

A lively bar & restaurant with seasonal, produce- driven food, well-made cocktails & and the best local beers & natural wines. Our Chef, Cal Peternell, is an acclaimed cookbook author and was the head chef for many years at Alice Waters' influential Chez Panisse in Berkeley, CA. Join us for celebrations, a casual beer and a snack, or just to say hello.

Top review

ThomasVIP

Dined 4 days ago

We had a large crowd that included a baby….everything was perfect. The food was superb, service outstanding and the atmosphere charming.

Shamone

4.7

4.7 (576)

$31 to $50

Tapas / Small Plates

Cape May

About the restaurant

♢Please be aware, our music is played very loud and contains explicit lyrics, and the lighting is very low. Because of this we do not accommodate children. We are CASH only and BYOB.♢

Shamone offers a multi-course tasting menu experience for dinner, designed for both those in search of a curated culinary adventure and those who simply don’t know what they’re in the mood to eat.

At our 7PM seating, you’ll enjoy a many unique recipes and dessert in an upbeat, party atmosphere with lights down low and the music turned up!

And in the morning, get ready for your day or recover from last night at Cape May’s first Unlimited Brunch! If you’re looking for something more interesting than eggs and bacon, Shamone Brunch is it.

Please be advised there will be fees charged to your credit card in the event you do not show up for your reservation or cancel within a 24 time period.
Brunch No Show $15p
Brunch Cancel within 24 hours $5p
Dinner No Show $50p
Dinner Cancel within 24 hours $25p

Top review

Victoria

Dined 1 day ago

Excellent vibe and food! We enjoyed our time there and the service was awesome!

Jane Doe

4.7

4.7 (52)

$31 to $50

American

Jersey City

About the restaurant

Jane Doe tops the list of the best Modern American Restaurants in Jersey City. We take pride in providing an exceptional dining experience in the heart of Jersey City. We have designed our menu to be a perfect blend of modern American cuisine with Asian fusion at our restaurant in Jersey City.

All of this amazing food pairs perfectly with our signature cocktails. The bar is the pride and glory of the Jane Doe experience. Each of our drinks is made by mixologists, not just bartenders looking for weekend work. This helps you taste every ounce of the passion and dedication we used to make these drinks perfect!

The warm and inviting atmosphere of our cocktail bar is accentuated by vinyl records playing throughout. We think this makes the perfect setting to enjoy our cocktails and makes both intimate dinners and lively gatherings complete.
Guests Ages 21+ Welcome

Top review

Cris

Dined on Jun 21, 2025

Great cocktails, excellent service, solid menu choices.

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Experience

Large Party 6+

Experience

Happy Hour (Bar Only)

Ryfe Bar and Restaurant - Moorestown

4.6

4.6 (107)

$30 and under

American

Moorestown

About the restaurant

Innovative cuisine, creative cocktails and a community atmosphere are brought together to offer a unique and comfortable dining experience for our guests. We also offer private dining, host events and offer catering and take-out and delivery options. With a focus on top ingredients that include U10 Dry Scallops, a locally butchered 20oz Rib Eye steak, lump and super lump crab cakes, U16 shrimp scampi, and local, fresh herbs and vegetables, our menu is both diverse and upscale while leaving pretentiousness at the door. Our $6.99 children's menu assures an economical visit for families while our 14oz lobster tail fried rice, seafood bisque, or bleu cheese filet mignon offer more upscale options for those wanting elevated cuisine options. Plus our gameday experiences, specials and everyday happy hour create a fun atmosphere for the entire family and sports fans. Simply put, Ryfe has something for everyone!

Top review

Cathy

Dined on Jun 11, 2025

Super happy hour at Ryfe! The wine tasting is fun with a great group of people.

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Experience

Wine & Cheese Wednesdays at THE HUT at Ryfe

Experience

Chef-Tasting Experience

Ryfe Restaurant and Bar

4.3

4.3 (833)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Atlantic City

About the restaurant

Familiar but re-imagined, classic but elevated, socially accepting, energetic and forever optimistic. It's how Ryfe approaches everything we do. We're Ryfe about food, Ryfe about friends and family, and believe everyone deserves respect and acceptance. At Ryfe we offer a classic bar environment, a swanky lounge area, a 50+ person dining room, outdoor dining, and a 200+ person event venue. Acoustic Night, Comedy Shows, Dueling Pianos, Wine and Cheese Ladies Night, Ryfe-After-Dark DJs and Menu, all in a family-friendly setting.

Top review

Carolyn

Dined on Jun 21, 2025

Very good food and we had a great server. We sat outside because of a big party that had booked the entire restaurant. The music was a bit too loud and slightly inappropriate for dinner music. Overall good experience.

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Popular dish

Grilled Calamari

Bar Boutique

4.3

4.3 (93)

$31 to $50

Wine Bar

Ramsey

About the restaurant

Bar Boutique is a fun and unique place in Ramsey, New Jersey where we look forward to welcoming you to our full bar stocked with only the best wines and handcrafted cocktails served by our talented mixologists. Enjoy a light bite in our heated outdoor seating area or get cozy inside where you can shop for high-quality items in our artisanal retail store. We partner with B&M Market in Park Ridge to supply all your wine, beer, liquor and specialty cocktails for offsite catering events.

Top review

ZakVIP

Dined 3 days ago

Nice surprise in suburban NJ. Great wine list with some gems. Good BTG program. Food could be better.

Capitano

4.0

4 (156)

$31 to $50

Italian

Beach Haven

About the restaurant

At Capitano Italian Coastal Kitchen, we bring the flavors of the Italian coast to Beach Haven, New Jersey. Our passion for authentic Italian classics and fresh seafood has been a culinary dream years in the making. Our chefs meticulously craft each dish with the finest ingredients to ensure a memorable dining experience.

We are BYOB.

Please Note: Due to the nature of our kitchen, we regret to inform our guests that we are unable to accommodate shellfish allergies. While we take great care in preparing our dishes, cross-contamination with shellfish products is possible. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding.

Top review

Samantha

Dined 4 days ago

Delicious food! Accommodating. Very nice staff. Loved it.

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