Cafe Michelina

I fly 3000 miles to NY every year and this is the first place I come after landing. Consistent for decades!!!

I’m writing an article that involves trying several lobster dishes in Hoboken. Tonight (a Friday) I just happened to have absolutely NO ONE to go to dinner with, so I flew solo. I was greeted by Joe and seated outside. Service was awesome — not just from Joe, but I noticed the rest of the staff was very attentive and friendly as well. I came for one thing: the lobster ravioli. I didn’t realize the restaurant was BYO, so Joe gladly poured me a nice glass of red wine. I was also given bruschetta (AMAZING) and additional bread. The lobster rav was delicious! Not only that, but Joe insisted I try the house tiramisu… absolutely INCREDIBLE. A must-​have. Wow. I didn’t know how good this place would be but I will definitely be going back (with friends… and a bottle or three of wine). It’s very casual and tables are pretty loud with people having a good time, but nothing obnoxious. I saw families with children, dates, and friends getting together. Seems like a solid spot for everyone. So happy I live just a short walk away!

We came here when it was empty and it was truly spectacular. We ordered the penne vodka and shrimp scampi. Both were fantastic: the shrimp scampi was absolutely amazing as was the penne vodka. The pasta was ideally cooked. They also give you a piece of bruschetta which was great. We also ordered their tiramisu and it was by far the best tiramisu I have ever had. Overall, I would recommend this to everyone.

This tiramisu knocked my socks off. Yeah, yeah the shrimp scampi, penne vodka, and bruschetta were delicious and the BYOB policy was rewarding. Whatever. THIS. TIRAMISU.

I just love the food here!!!
It’s been around for years always enjoy at the restaurant or delivery!!!

Love this place. My BF and I go here for casual date night all the time, Great that it is BYOB. Love the mussels and vodka sauce. Great family joint with a casual feel.

Great little Italian place right off of Washington Street. Food is authentic– really feels like the place has been here for years and years. Everything is inexpensive and delicious, and it’s BYOB, which is always nice. I’ll be coming back!

I finally tried this place and I will be back a lot! They give bruschetta for the table to start which was really good. My table ordered calamari and a Caprese Salad for apps. Both of them were delicious. The BEST part of the dinner was the stuffed rigatoni with chicken and vodka sauce. Everything was fresh. I can’t wait to go back and have more:) BTW its BYOB, which is always a plus!

Old style italian kitchen!
If you are looking for italian food that’s tastes homemade, this is the place to be. I really am obsessed with the chicken parm and the zuppa de peschi !
The service is pretty good and the food quality is always consistent. I haven’t tried tried their appetizers, but the dinner entrees are really good.
You do not want to go here if you are looking for a romantic five star atmosphere. It’s more casual and laid back.
They usually serve you brushetta before dinner and some bread. My only complaint would be that their bread is not warmed up.
Anyways I love café michelina. I come here at least once a month!
OH AND IT’S BYOB!

I loved this place! we went for new years with a group of 4 girls and lots of champers!
The food was so fresh and rustic. Not a super pretty place, but you feel like you are at a friends house
It is tight in here! be ready to ask your neighbor for a bite lol
I think its romantic in here, I would go back for a date. I like places that are off the strip
I had angel hair and shrimp so good
the salad and veggies on the side were great too!

This is my go to spot whenever I am in Hoboken and am hungry for good quality Italian food. The servers show great hospitality, the food is excellent. They give generous portions with out breaking the bank. Another big plus is it’s BYOB! Yup, I’ll be coming back

I went with a large group and had a blast!!! BYOB and OMG the food… absolutely delish from the apps to the dinner everything was sooo good that I didn’t even take any pics (that’s pretty shocking for me) we all just started eating from min we sat down to min we left. Small, homely, welcoming, Staff was friendly and owner was so sweet. Def go and try this spot!!!

Good food and sizable portions! I’ve been here a couple times and i’ve left content each time. As most places in hoboken, this place is BYOB (fyi — liquor store is around the corner by ⁷⁄₁₁). Personally i think the big reason which makes me keep coming back here is the complimentary bruschetta and great service that goes along with it.

When I was young, Café Michelina’s was a staple. It was our Italian spot like Mario’s was our pizza spot. It is there I grew to love creamy pesto, and that I will never forget.
Until, we forgot about Michelina’s.
My boyfriend and I remembered it one Monday. Our usual Italian place is closed on Mondays and I was craving a big bowl of non-​intimidating pasta. So we went.
It was practically empty, which I understand as it was Monday and relatively early. The staff showed no shortage of friendliness and openness to accommodating their guests. They even suggested some delicious concoction on the menu to appease my craving.
The menu is what you would expect of an old-​school Italian restaurant and so is the amicable atmosphere. The food was simple and delicious, hearty and heard-​felt; it was exactly what I was looking for. Each round crab and lobster ravioli was smothered in creamy vodka sauce, while the penne was coated in fragrant and flavorful pesto and the chicken cutlet was just right.
Michelina’s is perfect for a low-​key carb-​heavy dinner and excellent, friendly service. Oh yeah… and the tiramisu is super delicious. I’ll be back.

This place is OK. I can only review and comment on their take out food only (delivered through a third party —
) and I wasn’t impressed.
My boyfriend and I ordered Chicken Francese and Chicken Parm entrees and a side of garlic bread.
Garlic Bread — HUGE portion literally a whole long Italian roll of bread. Very garlicky (in a good way, cause I love garlic).
Chicken Francese — Just blah for me. It comes with a pasta — NO VEGGIES?! What the heck. I made a comment on the delivery order in the «notes» section asking for veggies instead of pasta and when I received my order… NO VEGGIES. Not only does this not come with veggies, they wouldn’t even substitute pasta for veggies. Usually restaurants include veggies in the entrée so I was unhappily surprised.
Chicken Parm — pretty good. Thin pieces of chicken cutlet, really good tomato sauce, fresh mozz on top of spaghetti. I would get this again.
The food was good, I’d like to try dining in at this place to see how it is on premises.

Solid, tasty, well priced non greasy Italian American food! I really loved the chicken mushroom with white wine and lemon based sauce: very flavorful and delightfully light! I would come again just to have this! Byob.
Lovely ambiance (we ate during the end of summer outside). Warm, hospitable, and prompt service. Will return!

I came here on a Friday night in December around 7PM and my small group did not have to wait for a table. We were immediately greeted by our server and handed a plate of delicious bruschetta. We brought our own wine and beer; FYI no corkage fees! Win!
For appetizers we had the fresh, handmade mozzarella and a plate of meatballs. The mozzarella was seasoned perfectly and was complimented with the oil and vinegar that was served with it. The meatballs were moist and flavorful and in my opinion, the sauce was perfect. It was smooth with no seeds; not too thin and not too thick. Our table had the meat lasagna, butternut squash ravioli, and rigatoni with zucchini, eggplant, and fresh mozzarella. Everyone enjoyed their large portioned meals.
My only complaint is that the tables are pretty small and crowded inside the restaurant. You can’t really help that because the restaurant is small in general.
My cousin and her husband are regulars here and now I know why. If I lived in the area I would frequent it as well!

Ugh. Why is this place so bad?
Got home from a long not great day at work a little after 11 last night. I hadn’t eaten in 12 hours, 8 of which had been spent standing in a 60 degree room. I was so famished I would have eaten a shoe with a smear of peanut butter on it.
My man had ordered penne arrabiata with chicken from here (one of my fav Italian dishes) and had leftovers for me. As opposed to making a true arrabiata sauce, infusing the red pepper flake in the tomato so it is spicy throughout, they had thrown some hot peppers into tomato sauce straight from the can that was sweet and unseasoned. The penne was so overcooked it was like paste. The resulting concoction was gross, truly inedible. Went to bed hungry.

I’ve been extremely hesitant to review Café Michelina. My reluctance was strictly for selfish reasons. I didn’t want it to become even harder to grab a table than it already is. But, alas, I decided it was time to share my love with the Unilocal community. My husband and I have been going here since we first moved to Hoboken in 2008. This is, hands down, my absolute favorite Italian restaurant in Hoboken.
Café Michelina is a quaint little Italian restaurant situated on the corner of 5^th and Bloomfield, just one block off bustling Washington St. It is a family run business. The owner, Pietro, is really friendly, and his employees are mostly all family.
Their food is awesome! When you sit down, they bring a slice of bruschetta to each person at the table. It is complimentary and yummy. They also bring a bread basket with a nice crispy crust.
My favorite dish is the Stuffed Rigatoni with Chicken in Vodka Sauce. It is to die for! This dish is considered a «special», but it has been on the «special» board every single time I have dined here. Either they don’t want to update the menus, or they do this so you won’t know the price ($ 18.95). I say it’s worth every penny. The chicken is so soft and tender, and the vodka sauce has the best flavor. The tiramisu is delicious too! And big enough to share.
Café Michelina is BYOB, so make sure to grab your favorite bottle of wine or a 6 pack of beer on your way over.
In the warmer months, they offer outdoor seating and that’s at a premium. There are only 4 – 5 outdoor tables max and everyone wants them. They do not take reservations unless you have at least 5 or 6 people. For smaller parties, they will take your name and let you know when your table is ready. The only caveat is that you need to wait there for your name to be called. They do not take your phone number.
For a small place, the restaurant can get extremely loud to the point where conversations can be difficult to hear. So, not the best place to take Grandma (yes, I brought my grandmother here once, and she couldn’t hear anything we were saying to her).
My husband and I love this restaurant so much that we wanted to hold our Rehearsal Dinner here before our wedding. Unfortunately for us, the restaurant shuts down the last week of August through Labor Day to take vacation, so we had to go somewhere else.

I am not sure how to phrase this review besides «I liked it and would recommend it to people.»
Lots of flavor in their sauces. I enjoyed the Stuffed rigatoni with chicken in vodka sauce. It was a special for the night but I believe it is offered fairly regularly as other Unilocalers mentioned it in their reviews. I ate every bite and also enjoyed some of the Caesar salad my guy ordered. With the combo… decent prices for tasty food in Hoboken plus BYO, I would strongly recommend this place for group get-​together in Hoboken.
P. S. Bread with butter and bruschetta come complimentary with the table so think twice about that order of garlic bread.