Cafe 2825

Café 2825 is a crown jewel that serves as a beacon for a better Atlantic City experience. I would drive to AC just for another perfect dinner with them. We started off with a fresh seafood salad that was chock full of seafood. Our server suggested it as a lighter way to start our dinner and he was spot on. Each bite left a satisfying clean lemony feel that danced well with the sauvignon blanc we were drinking. Next up was Bolognese over capellini. The sauce was thicker and browner than most I’ve experienced and it was also more meaty and flavorful. For our main course, we elected the Veal Chop Valdostana that was oven roasted tender and stuffed with prosciutto, mushrooms and cheese.
However, the best out of several reasons to have a great Italian experience at Café 2825 is its tableside services, the highlight being the Cacio E Pepe. The inside of a Pecorino cheese wheel is flamed with brandy to warm it before pasta is put into it and coated with ‘Cacio e Pepe’ or ’ Cheese and Pepper’. A visual delight not to be missed. It will be at the top of our list next time we dine there. Reservations for the weekend are a must and have to be made two weeks in advance, so plan accordingly. It will be well worth the wait.

This place lived up to its reputation! Everything was beyond amazing. We will be back.

An amazing little Italian restaurant off the beaten path in the shadow of the Tropicana hotel. Joseph the owner is very personable and knowledgeable and said he’s been in this business for 30 years. The shrimp was excellent. I enjoyed the angel hair pasta. The waitress was a bit weak but Owner made out for a short comings and the quality of the food was excellent

The service and quality of food was fantastic.
Suggestion: call ahead and make reservations. The place gets full by 6pm.

Was told this place had legit Italian food. I figured many of the places in the downtown area are more like Italian American food. Just do yourself a favor and get the fire cheese wheel pasta appetizer. They bring a cheese wheel the size of a tire out, peel some out, add truffles, and peppercorn, light it on FIRE and then melt it in the cheese wheel while adding freshly cooked pasta with olive oil. Unreal. Got the arrabbiata calamari which was very good as well.

I’m late in my review. usually when I go down to AC, this place is closed. We finally went for an overnight on a Thursday (May 26) and were able to get reservations. This is the second time I have been here. GREAT place. Delicious food and incredible staff and ownership!
My mother and I started with the stuffed artichoke. Some of the best stuffing I have ever had. I am not a big stuffed artichoke person but my mom loves them so I agreed. Delicious.
For dinner I had Spaghetti Luigi and my mom had the Veal Rollatini. I more or less left about a quarter of the food on my plate. I normally would never eat a huge dish of pasta in full like that. The fresh flavors kept me wanting more. My mom got two huge pieces of veal and had one wrapped.
We spoke with the owner Joe and explained where we drove down from for the night and how we can never eat there because the place is always closed. He bought us dessert. My mother had a cannoli and I had the Coconut New York Cheesecake. OMG. I love coconut. It was amazing.
I would definitely go back again. If you plan on going, you should make reservations two weeks in advance because not one table was available.

This place is absolutely a must try!
But you must call exactly 14 days before to get a reservation! It is so worth it!
Actually went there 2nights in a row for anniversary weekend. OMG, the homemade table side fresh mozzarella is to die for. I had stuffed Veal chop first night and flounder franchise 2^nd night which was fabulous. Hubby had veal sorrentino and veal parm on the bone both where incredible! Coconut cheese was good but I loved the Italian cheese cake. Wish there was a place like this closer to home!

Cute, cozy Italian restaurant. We walked in without a reservation and were able to get a seat at the bar, which turned out to be quite nice.
Complimentary bread — This bread was amazing. Perhaps the star of the night. The bread basket had a normal bread, a sesame cracker, and a breaded with specks of meat in it, along with a delicious olive oil.
Grilled calamari salad (special) — This was my favorite dish. I loved the grilled calamari, with its slightly charred taste, and the way it paired with the arugula leaves and citrus juice that was sprinkled over it.
Shrimp Oreganata (over spinach) — This was okay, although I enjoyed the shrimp in the sea bass special more.
Black Sea bass (special) — The shrimp in this was cooked extremely well (better than the shrimp Oreganata), although I found the actual sea bass underwhelming in flavor.
Tiramisu — This was only okay, I’d probably skip dessert next time. The cake part of the tiramisu was a bit rough and soggy, and the parts didn’t come together quite as smoothly as would be liked.
All in all, I really enjoyed my food (although I was a bit underwhelmed by some of the mains) and I’m bumping it up due to the nice atmosphere and environment.

Good option when looking for ambience away from the masses, just a few blocks from Tropicana. Attire is casual but neat and I spotted at least one Chanel in the room. Older crowd, mostly couples but accommodates larger parties. Fresh ingredients, decent service, can get crowded.
— Homemade mozzarella was tasty but more of a novelty experience. Part of the appeal is the «show» of it being made at the table.
— Brooklyn chop was dry and needed a good dose of salt even though it came in a plateful of balsamic sauce. Couldn’t help but compare this to the pork chop at Babbo, which at the same price point, exceeds it handily.
— Chicken Sorrentino was the star of the night. Thin layers of eggplant on top of moist chicken with a fresh tomato sauce; would recommend this dish.

Everything they say and more. Worth breaking weight watchers for a night.
The restaurant has a delightful atmosphere with a dark tin Ceiling and wooden floors. Tonight’s clientele appears to be more men than women. There are 3 large tables and 7 small tables with the waiters move quickly. The owner is cooking table side making homemade mozzarella caprese salad and pasta out of a parmesan wheel. As first timers taking a night off of our «points» we are happy the table next to us is ordering these delights. They look amazing.
We started with a glass of baby amarone and baby Brunella which was dreamy. The Clams casino were small but rich and delicious.
My husband ordered his favorite bolognese which was slightly spicy in a homemade rigatoni that Did NOT Disappoint. And he is critical of bolognese.
I, as usual took the Unilocal recommendations of Sunday Gravy… «Marone». It was incredible. Braciola, sausage and a meatball with ricotta cheese dab in the middle. The gravy was to die for. I couldn’t touch the side of homemade rigatoni…
My husband finished with an incredibly light tiramisu… Well it was perfect.
A great meal, fabulous service and the perfect way to break weight watchers and celebrate our tenth anniversary.
All the reviews were right on. Took weeks to get in here but it was worth it!

Came on a saturday night at 9:30. The restaurant is fairly small but very comfortable. Love the «family owned» atmosphere of the space. Awesome service and really good food. The crowd was a little dressy (leave the flip flops at the hotel before dining here.)
To start I had the pinot noir and the 3 of us shared the calamari. It was good but wasn’t the highlight of the meal. Next time I’m in town, i’ll try the fresh mozzarella and table side parmigiano pasta (?). For main, I had the special; diver scallops and jumbo shrimp over white wine, garlic and lemon Capellini. DELICIOUS and not too heavy. fresh ingredients and yummy sauce. My friend had a Parmigiana ala bolognese which was REALLY GOOD. portion was quite large. For dessert, we shared the tiramisu which was also very good.
Overall, a solid italian restaurant that i’ll definitely visit again if i’m in AC. Also makes for a great date night spot!

Do not get caught up in the hype and absurd month long waits that some of the other Italian restaurants in Atlantic City have, this place blows them all away! (Trust me, I’ve been to them all)
This was our first time here and from the minute you walk in Joe, the owner, greets you and will continually check on you and joke with you throughout the course of your meal. It’s truly awesome to see the owner of a place physically involved making sure everything is spot on.
For appetizers I recommend the mushroom risotto (cooked perfectly), calamari (light and crispy), and the table side mozzarella! Not only is it delicious, but it is cool to see it prepared right in front of you!
For dinner I have to recommend any and every pasta dish! My girlfriend ordered the rigatoni bolognese that was out of this world…
Dessert we had the coconut cheesecake that was yummy! I really wanted to try the coconut cream pie, but unfortunately they don’t always have it!
Full bar and nice wine selection!
Overall, our whole experience was awesome and we will definitely be returning!

I can’t rave about this place enough… Everything from the ambiance, to the staff, to the food was amazing. My boyfriend stumbled upon this place through facebook because he saw an article that ranked this restaurant among the best in NJ. So naturally, we HAD to try it.
I met the owner, Joe, upon walking in… He showed me to my table while my bf was still parking (street parking or valet only) the car. Service was great from start to finish. Do yourself a favor and order the tableside mozzarella. It is out of this world and hands down the best I’ve ever had. Joe himself made it for us, while explaining the entire process. It was pretty cool and informative! We also got the tableside caesar salad which was equally delicious.
For entrees, I got the Chilean sea bass, and my bf got the gemelli a la vodka. I wasn’t crazy about my meal as it was a bit bland, but I tried the gemelli and it was so good! Wish I ordered that!
We ended with coffee and two gelatos — sea salt caramel and chocolate hazelnut. Again, so good!
Despite my disappointing entrée, I still have to give this restaurant 5 stars. The service, the owner, and THAT MOZZ (!!!) were enough to win me over. I can’t wait to go back.

Wow. This place is a diamond in the otherwise baron landscape that is Atlantic City. Not in a casino, nestled on Atlantic Ave. just outside the Tropicana, I just had one of the best meals of my life.
First of all, this is a really welcoming, family-​run establishment. The owner, Joe greets everyone with warmth and love, from first timers like us to the many regulars scattered around the room. Throughout the night we saw him sitting at tables, shaking hands, giving hugs, and creating a fantastic atmosphere at his restaurant.
We started with the table side mozzarella. Watching them make it was a really cool experience and definitely worth the price. And the taste and texture were out of this world.
We also did the table side Caesar salad (yes, we like the novelty of table side preparation). It was also outstanding.
When it came to the main courses, our shrimp oreganata over spinach and linguini was perfectly cooked and a nice dish. But it was the chicken parm bolognese ala vodka fra diavlo that was the star of the show. Look at that name again. It’s everything amazing about Italian food all in one dish, and it works perfectly. All the elements work in unison to create something so unique. The chicken parm is perfectly done, and the vodka sauce adds a layer of complexity to the dish that’s complemented perfectly by the spicy fra diavlo preparation. It’s rare to find a dish this bold and unique in Italian cooking, where classic dishes are the norm. This dish was an absolute must try.
We finished off our meal with a slice of the coconut cheesecake. Light, creamy and a wonderful end to the meal. Probably one of the top two or three pieces of cheesecake I’ve ever had. We were stuffed. We can’t wait to come back again.
Total for two with a bottle of wine was $ 247, so this place isn’t on the cheap side, but this was definitely worth every penny.

I went to Café 2825 based on all of the great reviews on Unilocal.The food and the service was very good and the décor was elegant.
However, in my humble opinion I still prefer Carmine’s when it comes to Italian food in Atlantic City.

This place was quite the experience. The owner was super friendly. He made us HOMEMADE buffalo mozzarella right in front of our table, which I must say was out of this world AMAZING! I’ll be dreaming about it for months, so if you go here and don’t order it you’ve lost your mind. I ordered the veal chop parm which was also fantastic! I went with a work group, and I’ve heard it’s hard to get a reservation here but it’s definitely worth the wait and I hope to visit again soon!

I was looking forward to this meal after I saw the great reviews and that Open Table picked Café 2825 as one of the best rated in the area.
The owner first brought out a huge hunk of Romano cheese and shaved off some slices. The cheese was really good. Then the server brought out some Italian bread with olive oil. The bread was so good, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. We wanted to make the most of the evening so we started out with two apps; the grilled octopus and the stuffed artichoke. The grilled octopus was fantastic. The sweet cabbage mixed well with the grilled octopus. The octopus itself had a nice char. The stuffed artichoke was very tasty but I found the stuffing to be just alright. Tasted too much breadcrumb. I’d get it not stuffed next time. For the main course my wife and I chose two pasta dishes and split them. We choose the Wild Mushrooms and the Seppia Arrabbiata. The wild mushroom pasta was awesome. Loved the flavors of the mushrooms, truffle oil, and the pasta. It’s going to be hard to order anything else when we go back. The Seppia Arrabbiata was good but not to the level of the wild mushroom pasta. I asked for spicy and it was far from it. For dessert we split the Tiramisu and I had a coffee to go with it. The Tiramisu was one of the best I’ve had. The coffee not so much. Needed to be stronger.
The service is really great here. Always attentive but never really intrusive. The place itself is really quaint and homey. The parking is not the best. I parked around back in a very tight space. Unfortunately the parking lot right next to the place is off limits. Too bad since it had so many spots.
Overall the food was great and the service was fantastic. The only reason I gave it 4 stars and not five is the price. To me it was really too pricey for the pasta dishes that we got.

Fantastic meal from start to finish! The food was outstanding, the service first rate, and the owner/​chef, Joe was so hospitable and warm. He made an amazing mozzarella app table side. Best. Meal. Ever.

This is the highlight of our trip to AC every time! I am from New York the capital of Italian Food and this blows it away. Best Italian food I have had, plus they have new recipes and the old favorites.
For appetizer we had the make at the table mozzarella. It was amazing and nothing like I have tasted before. For dinner I had their version of gnocchi in vodka sauce. I also had a side of their risotto. Everyone at the table was blown away by their food. You can close your eyes and pick any meal and be happy.
The service combined with the food is what makes this place so special. It’s family owned that cares about their customers. The owner made my toddler a special cheese and bread dish that was amazing. He was so accommodating and sweet, it’s like dinning with family.
Please support a family business and skip the big named and high priced hotel strip restaurants. You can tell every dish is made with love!

Either I was there on an off night, or ordered the wrong things, because my experience was not great.
I loved the homey atmosphere of the dining room, and I have to say that the service was excellent — exceedingly friendly and very attentive. Atlantic City customer service generally stinks, but everyone at 2825 was so warm and welcoming, which we really appreciated. The atmosphere is upscale so I recommend that you dress up a little bit.
The food started off good. We loved the eggplant rollatine, which was a perfect start to the night. Things went downhill with the entrees.
I had the swordfish special, which was talked-​up by the friendly owner. The fish itself was excellent; a somewhat small cut for the price, but perfectly cooked. The biggest disappointment was what was billed as «risotto.» I love risotto, and I can cook a killer risotto. What they served me was not risotto. It may have been arborio rice, but it was totally overcooked, had no cohesion, and was flavorless.
My friend had the flounder. He said it tasted alright. I took a bite and I thought it was fine but nothing amazing. However, for an almost $ 30 entrée, the presentation was so bad. I rarely make note of the presentation because to me, taste is what matters most, but this was hands down one of the worst presentations of a meal I’ve ever seen at a nice restaurant. What he got was a piece of fish on a sauce-​covered plate, and a side of pasta barely covered in some of the of cream sauce. It was the most basic, pedestrian presentation and not what I expected at an upscale, fine-​dining establishment. It really needed some additional colors or textures to liven-​up the plate.
We decided to cut our losses and leave without dessert. 2 entrees and 1 shared starter came to $ 90 with tax and tip, which was not a good value relative to what we received. In general, I though that the entire menu seemed overpriced for what it was.
Based on how good the eggplant rollatine was, as well as other Unilocal,your best bet might be to stick with the red-​sauce favorites and avoid seafood dishes.