There’s never been a shortage of great restaurants on and off the Atlantic City Boardwalk, which is why it’s one of our favorite New Jersey restaurant towns. The city’s casinos have certainly helped celebrity chefs like Gordon Ramsay open upscale restaurants here, while many other establishments have more traditional charm.
Below you will find our top picks of the best restaurants in Atlantic City, listed in alphabetical order.
Why should you trust this list? Simply put: New Jersey monthly knows the New Jersey dining scene. Our editors and restaurant critics spend endless amounts of time crisscrossing the state, dining at all kinds of establishments, from fine dining to pizzerias, from old favorites to new restaurants bringing their own twist to the New Jersey culinary scene.
Enjoy!
(RELATED: The best restaurants in New Jersey)
Angeline’s specialty is lasagna, which is prepared by chef Michael Symon according to her mother’s recipe. Photo: Felicia Peretti
Angeline at Borgata is the first all-Italian restaurant by Michael Symon, a Iron Chef and James Beard Award winner and co-host of the talk show The chew toy. The modern restaurant is named after Symon’s mother, Angeline, and its signature dish, lasagna, is made from her recipe. From homemade pasta and arancini to the popular chicken parm, Angeline’s menu offers all facets of soulful Italian cuisine, along with an impressive wine list. It’s one of our favorite Italian restaurants in all of New Jersey.
The Borgata, 1 Borgata Way; 609-317-1000
Although it has been open since 1986, this cozy Italian restaurant is still an insider tip. (NJM Critic Victor Fiorillo called it the best Italian restaurant in Atlantic City.) The small, 52-seat eatery exudes old-world charm and offers excellent takes on Italian classics like eggplant rollatini, stuffed artichokes, veal chop parmigiana and several homemade pasta variations. Particularly noteworthy are the table experiences, such as the burrata, where owner Joe Lautato makes fresh mozzarella straight from the curds, which is then sliced warm and served family-style on plates. Other table experiences include cacio e pepe, made in a hollowed-out wheel of pecorino cheese. The wine list includes bottles from Italy and California.
2825 Atlantic Avenuenow; 609-344-6913
Michael Brennan, one of South Jersey’s hottest chefs, returned in 2023 with his long-awaited (and much-delayed) successor to his now-closed Ventnor restaurant, Cardinal Bistro. This Atlantic City spot offers a sleek menu that’s more approachable than his previous restaurant. Enjoy everything from jazzed-up versions of familiar finger foods (like the duck wings with a peppery hoisin glaze) to a selection of unbeatable mains.
201 S. New York Avenue, 609-246-6670
This family-run Italian restaurant has been a fixture in Atlantic City since 1921 and even appeared on the HBO series. Boardwalk Empire. Dining in the basement of Chef Vola’s is an intimate experience that’s cash only and features a secret side door. The menu is simple, with homemade Italian classics like bone-in veal with parmesan and shrimp fettuccine. Reservations recommended. Bring your own drinks.
111 South Albion Place; 609-345-2022
This modern, upscale seafood restaurant at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino offers stunning ocean views and fresh local catches. It features one of the Coast’s best raw bars, featuring steamed or chilled king crab, blue crab and Maine lobster, chilled shrimp, raw oysters and mussels, and tableside caviar service. Popular menu items include New England Clam Chowder, a two-pound Maine lobster cooked over a charcoal grill, and four shellfish pots. The wine list includes more than 2,700 bottles.
1000 Boardwalk; 609-449-1000
Guests dine, drink and socialize at the seafood-focused Dock’s Oyster Bar. Photo: Paul S. Bartholomew
Dock’s Oyster House opened in 1897 and was run by four generations of the Dougherty family through world wars, the Great Depression and the decline and resurgence of Atlantic City. Dock’s closed in 2015 for a multi-million dollar renovation and expansion. What hasn’t changed with the 2016 reopening is the family’s commitment to fresh seafood. Behind the bar, chilled lobster, oysters, mussels and shrimp glisten on ice beneath the daily specials chalkboard. Oyster lovers can expect about a dozen rotating selections. You can also get littleneck or topneck mussels on the half shell.
2405 Atlantic Avenue; 609-345-0092
When owner Gino Iovino opened Girasole in 1992, just a block from the Boardwalk, he wanted to offer an experience that was different from what tourists get at the flashy, crowded casinos nearby. Once inside, you are reminded that sunflower is Italian for sunflower. The dining room is decorated in deep blues and sunny golds. The family-run restaurant is known for its classic Italian dishes: house-made spicy Italian sausage with turnip greens and cannellini beans; calamari baked in tomato sauce; carpaccios of filet mignon and yellowfin tuna; and more than a dozen pasta dishes, some of them made in-house.
3108 Pacific Avenuenow; 609-345-5554
At the Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill at Caesars, the celebrity chef has created a true British pub experience. Think: Scotch eggs, fish and chips, shepherd’s pie, beef Wellington, bangers and mash and more than 25 beers on tap.
2100 Pacific Avenue; 609-343-2600
One of Atlantic City’s oldest restaurants, the venerable Knife & Fork Inn opened as a private club in 1912 and then, as the story goes, became an exclusive dining room in 1927, on the eve of Prohibition. Today, the upscale eatery offers steaks, chops and seafood, classic steakhouse sides and an extensive wine list.
3600 Atlantic Avenue; 609-344-1133
Atlantic City
The best casino in Atlantic City is the Ocean Casino Resort, so it’s no surprise that the city’s best steakhouse, with its recently renovated bar, is located in this towering building. Start with a classic wedge salad, East Coast oysters being shucked, and local scallops in a Jersey corn puree appetizer. Then go for the massive tomahawk chop for two, with a side of shrimp scampi, of course. —Victor Fiorillo
500 Boardwalk; 609-783-8000
(RELATED: The best steakhouses in NJ)
Tacos on tortillas made to order at Pancho’s. Photo: Morgan Ione Yeager
Located next door to the famous White House Subs, Pancho’s is a no-frills spot for excellent Mexican food. Colombian Fabiola Sanchez opened Pancho’s in 2006 “as a typical Mexican taqueria to serve Mexicans and Latinos who work in the casinos,” says her son Joshua Cruz. Together, they cook everything “in front of our customers,” says Cruz. Even the tortillas are made to order. The results are terrific: great tacos with tender brisket or pineapple-flavored al pastor pork; and enchiladas in a mudslide of mole poblano, heady with cinnamon and clove. Bring your own food.
2303 Arctic Avenue, 609-344-2062
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