Jenna Giustino No matter the season, there is something about a restaurant with an ocean view that instantly makes the food taste even better. The Jersey Shore is home to some of the best coastal cuisine options with a picturesque beach view that will be hard to resist capturing a photo of. The Jersey Shore Girl compiled a list of the best Jersey Shore restaurants with a water view for anyone looking to dine with the ocean as a backdrop. Keep reading for a guide to restaurants with a beach view at the Jersey Shore.
Asbury Park
The Break | 1000 Ocean Avenue North
The Break has oceanfront dining with live music and coastal cuisine. This restaurant is the spot for those looking for sushi on Asbury Park’s boardwalk. It has traditional rolls, signature rolls, chef’s specials, vegan signature rolls, and sake (to put it short — the sushi options are endless). Customers who aren’t into sushi can try one of its Mexican-inspired plates like the various tacos, burritos, or Boardwalk Bowl (rice topped with guac, sour cream, pico de gallo, cheese, + choice of protein). Its handhelds, salads, and starters also add to the laid-back environment created in this oceanfront restaurant.
Iron Whale | 1200 Ocean Avenue, Unit 504
Iron Whale is a restaurant specializing in innovative seafood dishes and various meat presentations. It has fun options on the menu, like the Taco Bar, which features seafood-focused taco options, like mahi mahi, grilled shrimp, crispy cod, tuna, salmon, and blackened chicken. The Iron Whale has upscale protein dishes, including steaks, pork chops, and swordfish. It also has pasta, salads, small plates, and a vegetarian section on the menu. This restaurant is located directly on the boardwalk, giving visitors a direct view of the ocean, and this nautical atmosphere is topped off with a rustic aesthetic featuring an open kitchen and fireplace that customers love.
Read More: A Guide to the Jersey Shore’s Boardwalks
The Robinson Ale House | 1200 Ocean Ave North
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The Robinson Ale House has an extensive beachfront outdoor seating area ready and waiting for those craving contemporary American entrees. JSG loves that there is a salad option that anyone would love, and they are as filling as they are good, especially when topped with a protein of choice. The Robinson Ale House also has plenty of burger choices, and the best part is that the burger can be substituted with a portabella, chicken breast, turkey, or 10-ounce USDA prime patty. The menu has a raw bar, flatbread, and soup section, which is mixed in with an array of mains and starters. The Robinson Ale House also has happy hour specials, signature cocktails, and live music that can all be enjoyed while sitting by the ocean.
Swimcrush Bar + Grill | 800 Ocean Avenue
Swimcrush is a beach bar + grill that serves all the boardwalk munchies one would want while dining amongst coastal decor that brings all the beach vibes. Swimcrush’s menu has snackable apps like pretzel bites, chips, and guac or wings. There are salad options and classics like burgers, sandwiches, and chicken fingers. The cocktails at Swim Crush are fittingly beachside festive with frozen drinks, rum buckets, and its specialty “Crushed” cocktails, which taste like a spiked 7/11 slushie. There is indoor and outdoor seating with the ocean in easy viewing, and customers can even play its bar games inside while still getting a background look of the beach.
Avon-By-The Sea
The Columns | 601 North Ocean Avenue
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The Columns is a bar and restaurant that looks like a mansion by the ocean. It has fine dining with a twist. Some of The Columns’ favorites include grilled shrimp + burrata, surf’ n turf lobster roll, filet mignon, and tuna tacos. Its Grill Room Menu is only served Friday through Sunday and includes casual eats like mini cheeseburgers, griddle dogs, and a boat of fries. The Columns is known for its live music, so keep updated on its schedule here.
The Promenade in Avon | 600 Ocean Avenue
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The Promenade in Avon serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Avon-By-The-Sea’s boardwalk, so it is sure to have a clear view of the beach. There are views of the water from every seat at Avon Promenade, and live music is often on deck. Avon Promenade also has unique features like a coffee bar and windows that can be kept open on those breezy summer days, which makes visiting this spot a must-try.
Read More: Things to Do in Avon-by-the-Sea | Jersey Shore Getaway
Belmar
La Dolce Vita | 400 Ocean Avenue North
La Dolce Vita has Instagramable seaside views and Italian food making it a good choice for an evening dinner in Belmar. The menu has everything one would expect from an Italian restaurant, like seafood plates, pasta specialties, salads, proteins, and antipasto. JSG recommends looking out for its bar specials — on Mondays, there is a deal on meatballs and martinis, and on Tuesdays, there is a deal on Tito’s cocktails, wings, and pizza.
Long Branch
Rooney’s Oceanfront Restaurant | 100 Ocean Avenue North
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Rooney’s is a coastal cuisine restaurant with a bi-level outdoor deck and ocean views. The dinner menu has a fish board section that gives customers choices by allowing them to select a fish, the preparation, the sauce, and two sides. Seafood lovers can get live Maine lobsters here that can be boiled, steamed, or stuffed. There are also pasta options and a large portion of the menu with traditional dishes such as chicken, pork chop, lamb, and steak.
Avenue Long Branch | 23 Ocean Avenue North
Avenue Long Branch is a French restaurant + lounge with a raw bar and extensive wine options. It has elevated selections such as escargot, caviar service, and crab cocktails. Avenue also serves salads, proteins, and pasta. At Avenue, diners can enjoy the fireplace, ocean backdrop, rooftop lounge, and beach bar, all of which add to this dining experience conveniently located in Pier Village.
McLoone’s Pier House | 1 Ocean Avenue North
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McLoone’s Pier House is a restaurant + event venue by Long Branch’s beach that serves American food. It has indoor and outdoor seating with views of the ocean and is the place for weddings, parties, and entertainment. Its dinner menu has classic appetizer options, pasta + risotto, salads, seafood plates, and a raw bar. McLoone’s has a Sunday brunch buffet, Night Caps (which includes boozy desserts), and a Sunday Sauce with Joe Racioppi, a pasta deal that starts at 2PM on Sundays.
Charley’s Ocean Bar + Grill | 29 Avenel Boulevard
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Charley’s Ocean Bar + Grill promises to provide customers with a “local summer” experience all year round with its view of the Atlantic Ocean, which is right by Seven Presidents Ocean Park Beach. The beach-going atmosphere is topped off with its New American cuisine concept; customers love its signature prime rib roast, steaks, and chops. At Charley’s Ocean Bar + Grill, fresh seafood is sourced daily, so look out for its daily specials. The access to its private parking lot makes going to this restaurant convenient after spending a day under the sun.
Sirena Restaurante | 27 Ocean Avenue
Sirena’s name means mermaid in Italian, which is fitting due to its views of the ocean and the Italian plates featuring both land and sea. Sirena aims to create a romantic environment with its floor-to-ceiling windows that reveal beach views, and an extensive wine list featuring bottles from all over the world. The menu at Sirena features fresh meats, pasta, and seafood, which are either made in-house, sourced locally, or imported from Italy. JSG tip: get there early if you want a spot outdoors, as Sirena does not accept reservations for outdoor seating, so customers are seated on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Point Pleasant
Jenkinson’s Pavillion Bar + Restaurant | 300-308 Beach Front
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Jenkinson’s has oceanfront dining in a pavilion overlooking Point Pleasant Beach. It serves up boardwalk favorites like wraps, sandwiches, tacos, and burgers. The sides include casual classics like onion rings, french fries, and coleslaw. Jenkinson’s also has various seafood options and fun cocktails like frozen drinks or buckets. There is often live music to accompany this coastal dining experience.
Sea Bright
Drifthouse by David Burke | 1485 Ocean Avenue North #2225
Drifthouse by David Burke has pretty views of the ocean and an event calendar featuring live music and activities like bingo or comedy night that adds a bonus incentive to dine here. Its menu features a raw bar, seafood towers, whole lobsters, and main entrees besides fish like pasta, steaks, and chicken. Drifhouse by David Burke has specials like happy hour, Tuesday Burger + Taco Night, Wednesday Lobster + Prime Rib Night, and Sunday Supper.
Seaside Heights
The Ocean View Restaurant | 2 Boardwalk
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The Ocean View Restaurant creates a fun atmosphere with its on-beach dining area, indoor seating, and large outdoor decks. Its menu has options one wants while dining by the shore, including handhelds, salads, a raw bar, and appetizers. The Ocean View Restaurant has frozen drinks and handcrafted cocktails.
See More: 16 Beaches Accessible by Public Transportation From Hoboken + Jersey City
Spring Lake
Amelia’s By The Sea | 1505 Ocean Avenue
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Amelia’s By The Sea is a fine dining restaurant located inside the Grand Victorian Hotel across from the Atlantic Ocean in Spring Lake. Amelia’s By The Sea combines contemporary cuisine and old-school Italian comfort food. It has seafood options like a daily oyster selection of chilled clams on the half-shell, wild-caught shrimp, and salmon. Amelia’s By The Sea also has pasta, chicken + veal plates, eggplant parmigiana, and pork chops for those not fans of seafood but who want to experience this oceanview restaurant.
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