Zagat Names Local Restaurants as the "Hottest at the Jersey Shore"

Zagat recently listed the "10 Hottest restaurants at the Jersey Shore" on their website. 6 of the 10 are in our backyard!

According to Zagat, these hot spots in and around Atlantic City are worth a try!

***Reviews directly from Zagat***

Valentina's Trattoria Italiana

Stop on your way to Atlantic City or make a slight detour once you’re there to get your teeth on true Neapolitan pizza and authentic Italian cuisine. Longtime Girasole chef and Naples native Rosaria Conti has gone out on her own with this eye-catching Northfield BYO serving a huge menu of housemade pasta, entrees and panini to go with the brick oven pies.

200 Tilton Rd., Northfield, NJ; 609-380-2466

SAX at The Reeds

Refined tasting menus are rarely found by the water, but that all changes this summer when chef Tim Hamill launches a nine-week pop-up at Stone Harbor’s Reeds hotel. Each course in the $79 tasting will feature multiple plates with premium bites, optionally paired with selections from the restaurant’s extensive wine cellar. (Note: SAX PRIX launches June 29; the restaurant will be closed for renovations for a short period beforehand.)

9601 Third Ave., Stone Harbor, NJ; 609-961-3010

Wingcraft Kitchen & Beer Bar

Turn your Monopoly-tainted memories of Baltic Avenue upside down with a visit to this gastropub newcomer in the Tanger Outlets shopping district. Your break from Boardwalk breezes will be buffeted by comforting bites like crab guacamole and Pat LaFrieda burgers, along with pours from 14 taps or creative cocktails like The BLT (that would be bourbon, lemon and tonic).

2010 Baltic Ave., Atlantic City, NJ; 609-541-2799

Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill

This spring, the irascible British superstar chef opened his second East Coast restaurant, a copycat of his popular tavern in Caesars Palace Las Vegas. The AC Caesars outpost takes over the spot between the lobby and the gaming floor with a list of casino-priced pub fare (think fish ‘n’ chips, sliders, chopped salad) and a selection of 30 beers on tap.

2100 Pacific Ave., Atlantic City, NJ; 609-343-2600

Yozu Sushi

For an area that’s right next to the ocean, the Jersey Shore has surprisingly little sushi, but this newcomer at the southern tip is filling the gap. Taking advantage of local favorite Gecko’s move to West Cape May, the BYO offers diners a show in the form of colorful raw fish displays or hibachi performances featuring everything from lobster to filet mignon cooked on teppanyaki grills.

3845 Bayshore Rd., Cape May, NJ; 609-898-8888

Martorano's

The outsize personality of self-made restaurateur Steve Martorano has found a home at Harrah’s, where his down-home, American-Italian food is served with a dose of unapologetic Philly attitude (it hasn’t waned even though he’s been running restaurants in Florida for decades). After hours, the music shifts from Sinatra to hip-hop and disco and the dining room turns into a dance club.

777 Harrah’s Blvd., Atlantic City, NJ; 609-441-500

The other 4 restaurants are in North Jersey, but I'm sure they're great too! Check out the whole list here.