Ancona Bistro

My wife and I recently dined at this establishment after deciding we wanted to try a new local Italian place. The service here was very good and on point; you definitely feel welcome upon arrival. The décor was okay but quaint, typical mom and pop interior style, nothing too fancy but not terrible either.
For our dinner we split an eggplant rollatini which was very tasty. We then both ordered salads, I ordered a Caesar and my wife ordered a beet salad. My salad was enghh. It was chilled which was nice but you could tell it had been sitting out for a while because some of the lettuce was a bit wilted. My wife loved her beet salad which resembled a beet tartar with arugula on top. She loved it but I’m not a huge beet fan in general so I’ll take her word for it. My entrée was the veal parmesan and my wife ordered the sole on the specials menu. My veal was decent but not great either; the portion size is good though so you won’t be hungry afterwards. I’d have to say I enjoyed my wife’s sole a bit more, well prepared and flavored. We did split a chocolate mousse for desert which was decadent and flavorful.
I’m giving this place a 3 because some of the items were good and others were just okay; nothing was great though in my opinion. It is a nice intimate local Italian restaurant and not a bad choice of you’re in the mood for Italian food. You’ll definitely be full when you leave.

Fantastic food! We started with calamari, the breading was perfect. I got grilled seafood, it was very very fresh. My husband got a balsamic chicken, excellent reduction. Just delicious from start to finish. Priced very well for quality and portion size.

Good local place but stretching for fourth star. Service is ok for a busy Friday night, very friendly but kind of slow. Polenta appetizer was very good, veal with mushrooms was very good but fish was dry and lamb shanks were good but not exceptional. We had pastas last time and they were good. Chocolate mousse cake is serviceable. We will probably be back but it’s not destination dining.

On a nice summer evening and looking to try somewhere new for a weeknight dinner, my husband and I decided to stop at Ancona Bistro. We were quickly seated outside on their lovely patio and greeted warmly by either the manager or owner. Service was great throughout the meal. I enjoyed their Caesar salad and fettuccine bolognese, and my husband raved about his crab cake appetizer and capellini primavera. Overall a nice dining experience in a very unassuming location, and definitely an upgrade from the Stewart’s root beer that used to be in that same building a couple of years ago! We’ll definitely be back!

Fantastic
The food is great and great authentic red sauce ! Staff so accommodating and our favorite place to go. Family friendly but also great for couples, byob
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BYOB starts things off and that’s always a plus. Have eaten here a few times and meal was always good with excellent service. Soups are very nice and always served hot. Hate when soup comes out cold. Stuffed pork chop was very tasty with home made mashed potatoes. Only wish that they would have more specials because if you go there often you can get burned out on the menu.

Always get terrific service along with excellent Italian cuisine. We’ve been going since they opened, and never disappointed, an outstanding dining experience.

Excellent home made Italian food in a nice casual atmosphere. Great for couples or families. Accommodating kitchen for requests.

The ravioli with vodka sauce is absolutely delicious. The staff is very accommodating and very attentive. My mother was pretty full by the time her entrée arrived and asked for a doggie bag. When the waiter thought she didn’t eat because she was unhappy with the meal, he offered to make her anything she wanted. Now that’s great service!

Great staff and food, a delight to go to. Nice selection in the menu, and Tom the owner does his best to accommodate. Be sure to call for reservations on the weekend.

I was excited to try a new Italian place so close to home, unfortunately it was a let down. The restaurant was packed on Saturday night and they actually turned people away. The service is warm and friendly — customers seem to know the host very well. We started with the fried calamari but it was chewy like a rubber band. It was either not fresh, overcooked or both. Whatever the case, it was a poorly executed dish that should be a layup for all Italian restaurants. My wife had Fettuccine Bolognese and it was the highlight of the night. My daughter loved it. I had linguine with white clam sauce and it was a huge let down. The clams were big but they were chewy. The sauce was heavier than I would expect out of a classic white clam sauce. In the end it was a mixed bag for the night with 2 out of 3 dishes missing the mark by a wide margin. Unfortunately we are unlikely to return.

We had New Years Eve dinner here with friends tonight, and while the food was fine, it was nothing special at all. The others all started with the Spinach Salad, which they all enjoyed, but I noticed they all left some of it on their plates. I had the Mozzarella en Carozza, which was lukewarm and nothing special. For entrees, two had the Chicken Ancona, which one thought was ok and the other thought was bland. My girl had the Rigatoni, which she said was «eh», and I had the Chicken Scarpariello, which was probably the worst version of the dish I’ve ever had… hardly any peppers, no spiciness at all, a ton of mushrooms, and bland sausage… served with a handful, of carrots and broccoli and a scoop of mashed potatoes. I was hoping for, and expecting, better, but we were all disappointed. we won’t bother returning.

The food here was superb! Rich creamy alfredo was a favorite and the olive oil bread dip was exceptional! I get annoyed with the cheapos who complain about cost because really, you have to pay for quality which this place delivers on!

This is a relatively new restaurant for the area. We have now dined at Ancona three times. It’s our new favorite neighborhood restaurant. The food is above average, they have an interesting menu, the prices are reasonable and décor is warm and tasteful and the service is outstanding. I would highly recommend Ancona for a romantic dinner out.

Food is exceptional. The service is, too very attentive. The menu is traditional Italian fare. And tastes freshly prepared and is done very well. They are a little slow over lunch, not in a bad way, in the they want you to enjoy a long lunch way.

We dined with friends at Ancona Bistro a few weeks after their opening a year or so ago. My fish special was just ok and I tasted what my friend’s had and it was pretty good but nothing to rave about.
My husband wanted to give this place another try so we went for dinner. We played it safe and had some pasta dishes. I had the shrimp scampi. Pasta was good but I felt the shrimp were cooked a minute too long but my husband thought it was perfect. He has no clue. He had the chicken parm and my son the fettucini bolognese. Both were equally good. For dessert, I had the tiramisu and that was good as well. Overall, dinner was good, not great, just good. But it was better than last time though. We will eventually dine here again but there are other places I’d rather go with better food for the money.

Good service, good food, good price. Local places are the best. Nice variety of fish, meat and pasta, without being too heavy on cheese and sauce. 3.75 stars

Very good food! A little expensive, but the food I’d delicious good atmosphere and great service

Three and a half stars.
We like to support places that are close to home. And when this place was a Stewart’s, we were here frequently. When Ancona opened-Stewart’s moved out in the dead of night, we said, do we really need another Italian restaurant in an area top heavy with them?
Lately, Ancona has been very crowded. Lots of cars in the parking lot. Lots of folks dining on astro turf on the outside seating area. So, we decided to take out the other night. Two orders of fried calamari for the boy, Chicken Scarpariello for me and Linguine Torino-​mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes and spinach for my wife.
The food was ready in twenty minutes. Picking it up was really awkward. There is no check in area. Therefore, one must stand in the dining room in order to settle up and receive your food. That was uncomfortable. On a nice note, everyone connected with the restaurant thanked me for coming in.
My son liked his calamari. Not rubbery at all. Good spicy dipping sauce. He did comment though that he wished the breading had more flavor. My chicken dish was ok. Very small portion. Only two and a half cherry peppers. I also like potatoes in my Scarpariello but Ancona’s version offers mashed potatoes. So, I made a batch of sautéed potatoes before I left the house and added them to the dish. My wife’s pasta dish was also ok but benefitted from a liberal dose of crushed red pepper and Parmesan at home.
So, not a bad meal. But not good enough for us to abandon Marcello’s and Clemente’s in Berkeley Heights.

Lunch was very reasonably priced. Veal parm was 12.95 and Chicken parm was 2 bucks less. Both were served on a bed of pasta. Breading and red sauce were light. Chicken Francaise was not too eggy or buttery. They serve bread with pesto oil. Food has zero spice by default. Service was friendly and attentive. They have outdoor seating on astroturf. The road is a bit loud. Clean bathrooms too.