Il Giardino Sul Mare

2 Hollywood Blvd S, Forked River
(609) 971-7699

Recent Reviews

Rob Robinson

Wonderful dinner with a water view.Food was fantastic and service by Jerry was impeccable.Martinis were spot on and the house cabernet was smooth and tasty.Specials are....special.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Entree, Salad

Samuel Litwin

I've been a customer for years at this establishment. There is an expectation when you eat at a high end / fine dining establishment that wasn't there on my most recent visit.Started when being seated that the waiter that was going to handle our table balked at being there. The substitute waitress was terrible. Wrong dressing on salads, requests were not handled for service, forgot drink order etc.What was to be a special occasion dinner was anything but.Will no longer be my "go to" fine dining restaurant.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 2

Service: 1

Stephanie Ritchie

While the food was good we had asked for a certain server and was directed to another one. Of course after we sat down the server we wanted was given another table so I don't think I would go there again. Just not my cup of tea.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Entree, Salad

Danny Scarpati

2 hours waiting for food and......it's not that busy. Maybe half full. No excuse.Update: food finally came out. I'm not sure if I caught it on and off night or not but trust me, never

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 2

Service: 2

Br Mi

Great meal friendly service. great portion size. definitely will keep coming

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Calamari Fritti, Entree, Soup

Denise R.

We were greeted warmly at the door. The atmosphere was relaxing and mellow. Live music added to the ambience. The staff were all courteous and professional and also provided help with dinner selections. Our dinners were delicious and had a nice presentation. Overall, we had a very enjoyable evening and will be returning in the near future.

Russ Morin

I've been eating at this restaurant since it opened. My children worked here with the original owners- Teresa and Geo. Since COVID , the food has come down a notch but my wife and I thought we'd give it a try for Valentines day. It's changed hands recently but our waiter- who we know- told us the chief hadn't changed. The menu was limited due to the holiday. We each chose a veal dish from that menu that was also a regular entree on their house menu.The veal was dry, over cooked, and over salted. The red sauce tasted like something out of a jar and was over salted. The olive oil I requested for my bread wasn't olive oil. The tartufo was excellent.There are many Italian restaurants in the area with better food than what we were served.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 1

Service: 4

William McMaster

I made reservations 2 weeks before valentines and then confirmed day of. showed up on time and was told to wait a couple of minutes, ok no problem. same size parties came in after us and then were seated before us???? while waiting customers who were leaving gave us a smile and we smiled back then they said good luck...this was my wife and I's first time here and while waiting was told by other customers waiting that it used to be great but it's not as good with new owners ...they were then seated and while still waiting we decided to leave because it was insulting at this point, I cannot comment on food but can say they did not have it together that night.Also entranced smelled like stale cigarettes

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

Charlotte D.

I've dined here a few times over the last year and each time it gets significantly worse. This last time I saw TWO RATS making their way around the dining room and into the kitchen. What's worse, I emailed the owner to let them know and all I got was a "thanks for your feedback". No promise to fix the issue, didn't address it other than "we have pest control". I'm not looking for anything to compensate, but coming from food service, at least an invite back for a better experience should have been offered. Something to show that they cared for their customers and business. Such a shame that new owners are driving the business Into the ground on so many levels. The only thing holding them above water is the excellent service. I watch those servers adapt to terrible work conditions and it shouldn't be that way.

John K.

Food is mediocre Service is ok with some, some service workers look like they've been through hell.. Ambiance is dated, which could be accepted but there's nothing else redeeming it Place is so dirty.. biggest red flag to me You can tell whoever owns this place is worried about their profit and the customer is second or third to that. Sad. Always felt at home here, now I feel like I need a shower. AVOID!

Jonathan F.

Absolutely horrible on every level. This USED to be one of my favorite restaurants. First time back since the new ownership and everything went from a five star to a zero star. Only three other tables all night and the only thing worse than the service was the food. Such a shame. I ordered the Chicken/pesto ravioli and it didn't have any chicken and pasta was undercooked and they took the liberty of upcharging $9 for shrimp which I didn't order. My wife ordered a Kettle One Martini but received whatever bottom shelf vodka they had there. Then upon receiving the check, they added on two additional $50 dinners to my bill. I understand these type of mistakes happen but I feel like it was definitely intentional by the avoidance I got from our server while trying to flag her down to tell her (there was only 2 other tables in the entire restaurant so she wasn't busy!) and when I finally had to walk up to the host counter to tell the owner, I got a attitude for explaining that she charged me for four dinners for my wife and I. It's not like I was trying to get anything removed besides the two entrees I didn't order/get.....definitely will NEVER go back and I suggest nobody does, sad to see what was once such an amazing restaurant with outstanding food and service take such a dive....oh I forgot to mention the mouse droppings on the window sill next to our table...place will be out of business by the end of the year.

Christopher Blotto

We are new to the area and have been looking for a nice restaurant with a full bar. There are not many Italian restaurants with a full bar and this has it. The food was outstanding, fresh and everything we had was clearly made from scratch. The carpaccio was full of flavor and authentic. My wife had the gnocchi which was delicious and I had a stuffed pork chop special that was cooked to perfection. Will definitely be back!

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Entree, Soup, Gnocchi Ala Romana

Michael Antoniotti

All we were hearing about was the mussels, stuffed Artie and a spiedini that was worth the visit alone. We say it didn't disappoint! They were incredible but then came the eggplant soup and veal parm. Thinly cut, just melts in your mouth. The eggplant soup was my first, and it was pureed and the taste was one of a kind. That was worth it right there. Great chef, great service - was like sitting at my dining room table in 1987 ?

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Stuffed Artichoke, Soup

Jason Peiffer

Was there for an event. Great atmosphere and awesome chicken and eggplant parmasean. The scenic river is very pretty to view from your table. Highly recommended!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Chicken Parmigiana

Desiree Hargrove

We had last reservation of the night and the place ran out of filet mignon and replaced with NY Strip. I've been here numerous times and typically have the same waiter. Service is impeccable but NY Strip I couldn't even cut through.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 3

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Calamari Fritti

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