Cafe 2825

I'm afraid to leave a review because this spot already is so acclaimed. I've been trying to get a reservation for some time and was finally able to get one so here we were. This restaurant is always listed as the best in AC and a top restaurant in the state. I usually worry that places don't live up to the hype.

We hear they truly delivered and everything was better than my expectations.

If you eat hear you have to do the tableside experience other wise why are you here???

Every dish was fantastic.

The tableside mozzarella was a table favorite

The Caesars salad was tableside and great.

My personal favorite was the Cavatelli. I can't stop raving about it. Was truly the best I have ever had and this is a must get in my book of you go here.

The chicken parm was great and so was the halibut

We will return

I know this review will add to making it more difficult to get in here but it's well deserved

Truly one of my favorite places to eat now

Excellent Italian restaurant hidden away in Atlantic City near the Tropicana Casino. On par with some of the best we have had in New York City and all of New Jersey.

We started off with the table side mozzarella and the seafood salad which were both phenomenal. Make sure the add the prosciutto which is thinly sliced to perfection and homemade roasted red peppers. My fiancé said they were the best he ever had as he could tell they were homemade.

Next we had a mid course of the cheese pinwheel pasta table side which was the perfect portion and added truffle which made for some of the best pasta we have ever had.

Finally finished with the bone-in veal chop which also was excellent.

Overall, the experience and service was great and the food stood out as some of the best Italian we have had. MUST TRY!

Cafe 2825 was probably one of the most frustrating reservations to get but oh so worth it. Just a heads up if you are looking to make reservations you need to do so 14 days in advanced and make sure to call. We just kept calling until someone finally picked up.. it may of took a few days but determination is key. Also there are designated parking lots for this specific restaurant as well as valet parking.

Food: The food was absolutely out of this world delicious. We got 3 of the table side experiences including the mozzarella (literally still dreaming about this and would come here solely for this lol), polenta and the cacio e Pepe. We also got the meatball appetizer. Out of all the table side experiences and appetizers I would rank Mozzarella at the top, cacio, meatball appetizer and then the polenta. Everything was delicious but some things more so then others. For dinner we split the Chicken Vodka Bolognese which was sooo tender and delicious. All of the food was PACKED with flavor and I would say decent size portion sizes. Prices are comparable to high end NYC so be prepared to spend a pretty penny when you come. We ended with 2 desserts. The special crueler which was Devine and the Italian cheesecake which we weren't a fan of. We usually love Italian cheesecake and flavor was good however it was served warm and it just threw off the entirety of it. Overall everything was exceptional.

Service: We thought service was 5 stars. We never needed anything. Our waitresses and waiters were on top of everything refilling drinks, cleaning off tables, making sure we were good. They continuously checked in with us at all points of the dinner.

Ambiance: They look like they are renovating and added on a section in the back which is where we sat. There is in an indoor and outdoor heated room. The outdoor space was very nice and trendy however those chairs they have for outdoor are extremely uncomfortable and it does get chilly outside even with the heaters. We would of easily requested the indoor room and had no problem with spending the minimum as we had already done that without knowledge. They also do not mention no cash until you get the check. So if you are a cash person make sure to bring a credit card.

Overall I do believe this place is worth the hype. It's a really great place and the food, service and ambiance deserve 5 stars. I do recommend that they alter the reservation system to not be so chaotic and give more info regarding seating when booking so we have some say with indoor/ outdoor etc. We will definitely be coming back!

I pride myself in seeking out mom and pop hidden gems with true authentic gourmet Italian dishes, and this establishment is undoubtedly the best both within and outside of AC. Superior quality compared to the rest! From the tableside fresh mozzarella paired with your choice of accompaniments such as melt in your mouth prosciutto and roasted red peppers, to the simple fresh ingredients highlighted in the cacio e pepe + truffle cheese pasta- DIVINE. The array of entrees we indulged in included a Veal Chop Bolognese Fra D'Avolo with the perfect balance of savory and heat, a table side prepared rack of lamb with crispy roasted potatoes, among many others. Greeted by the head chef and very well taken care of by front of house manager, the service was impeccable.

My husband and I enjoyed our dinner here last night. We had zucchini flowers, stuffed artichoke,stuffed calamari, tripe and tableside mozzerella. I didn't believe the zucchini flowers would be fresh in March but they absolutely were. They were the star of the night. They were so light but the filling was super flavorful in a delicate way. The artichoke was my least favorite because it tasted marinated in lemon or vinegar. I'm sure it's because I am used to the way my family makes them and no other reason. We asked for the calamari to be spicy and they were so good! The tripe was very tender. The mozzarella was made table side from curds. It was a show! We loved everything and our server, Ivan, was terrific. I recommend!!

If I was able to give this place more stars I would. This small establishment gives any NYC a run for its $. Got in here by chance otherwise I hear it's almost impossible.
The chef/owner/server is so sweet and humble.
Prosciutto bread on table was like cake.
Italian bread served warm with a super dark olive oil
Apps-Meatball Egg Roll -stuffed with chopped meat,peas, onions, mozz cheese with a red sauce
Zucchini flowers - egg battered with lemon. Ricotta on the side.
Table side prep of pasta in cheese wheel - such a treat. I've never tasted such perfect pasta and the topping of mushrooms was just beyond amazing
Entrees - chick parm and a special of angry drunkin stuffed pork chop with a side of port wine apples.
Desert - blueberry crumb cheesecake which was probably the best desert I've ever tasted.

Most of the entrees were packed to go because we were beyond busting and wanted to have desert. Even the decaf coffee was smooth and delicious

The entire dinner was an experience from start to end. The service was impeccable as well as the flavor and texture of every morsel. If it wasn't a two hour drive for me I'd become a regular even if I had to sit at the bar to dine.

Let me start off by saying, this place is amazing. However, I am going to be fully transparent and start with the cons ( you'll notice there are 5 stars so stay for the pros):

1. Reservations are nearly impossible to get if you aren't one of the people in the Cafe 2825 in crowd. If you plan to come here for a birthday or anniversary, you will have to just celebrate it when Cafe 2825 wants you to celebrate it, like at 4 pm on a random Tuesday.

2. The place is SMALL. So if you DO get lucky enough to get in, you're going to feel like you can't have an intimate conversation and you'll be seated right up against people.

They are expanding, so this could improve the situations above, so let's talk about what gives Cafe 2825 five stars:

Tableside experiences:

The tableside burrata and tableside cacio e pepe are phenomenal. If you come here and don't do at least one of these, you are missing out completely and wasted your whole trip. They also have a ton of amazing appetizers, like a meatball egg roll, but we always get the tableside experiences because these are few and far between these days.

Unique Entrees

The chicken clemente is easily one of the top 5 best chicken dishes I have ever had. I dream about it. It's rare I eat something in a restaurant that I don't feel I could recreate myself easily. I am unsure if I could do this dish justice. It's basically chicken franchaise with a ricotta based béchamel sauce over garlicky spinach and its incredible. They have a dish that combines parmigiana, fra diavolo, and ala vodka all in one and it's my husbands favorite. I wish I could speak on more of the entrees, but since I only get reservations about once a year, I always go with my favorites.

Desserts

You may THINK you're too full. Do NOT skip on dessert. They have incredible cheesecake that you NEED in your life.

If you're a foodie, you MUST make it your lifes work to get in here at least once.

The food is so consistently, good, the ambience and the service. Love the table side dishes I get them every time I go one of the best in Atlantic City.

Extremely delicious food, great atmosphere and generous drinks! the waiter seemed a little disinterested and wasn't particularly personable, but I don't care. What's important is the quality of the food, and let me tell you it's some of the best in Atlantic City

Was so excited to get a reservation at Cafe 2825 and it did not disappoint! Very welcoming atmosphere! We started with the table side mozzarella with roasted red peppers and Panelle, which was a special, both were absolutely amazing! My boyfriend had the mushroom pasta and I had salmon stuffed with crab, another special - both had the best flavor, delicious! For dessert he had the St Joseph pastry, which was a special and so good!! I had the Tartufo, again delicious! Wonderful service, award winning food. Hope we get the chance to go back soon because there was lots more that we wanted to order!!