Top New Jersey Dinner Party Restaurants

• Spaces for 200-300 Guests
• 1 Restaurant

Eataly Short Hills brings together the best of Italian food, wine, and culture under one roof. Located in The Mall at Short Hills, our marketplace features authentic restaurants, cafés, and counters alongside a curated selection of Italian and local products. More than a place to eat and shop, Eataly is a celebration of Italian heritage, a community hub where guests can learn, taste, and discover through experiences like private dining, hands-on classes, and seasonal events. From fresh pasta and regional cheeses to expertly curated wines and espresso, every corner of Eataly Short Hills is designed to share the stories behind the artisans and traditions that make Italy unique. Our mission is simple: Eat. Shop. Learn. We believe the more you know, the more you enjoy, and we are proud to bring that philosophy to the heart of New Jersey.

• Spaces for 65-80 Guests
• 1 Restaurant

Columbia Inn Restaurant is a Montville, New Jersey establishment founded in 1997 by brothers Ryan and Aran McDermott, both Montville natives whose family has been part of the community since 1982. The building itself has deeper roots: constructed in the 1870s as Montville's town hall, it later became an inn serving travelers along the corridor between historic Route 202 and the Morris Canal. The McDermott family carries on a hospitality tradition started by their father, Joe McDermott, who previously opened Harrigan's restaurant in the area. The Columbia Inn is recognized for its thin-crust pizza and Italian menu. For private events, the venue offers a dedicated party room accommodating up to 65 guests, with an events team that handles all planning so hosts can focus on the occasion itself. The room is well suited for birthday parties, bridal and baby showers, corporate luncheons, holiday gatherings, and similar celebrations.

• Spaces for 200 Guests
• 1 Restaurant
• 1 Hotel
• 1 space at this venue

Lambertville Station Restaurant and Inn occupies a restored 19th-century train station on the banks of the Delaware River in Lambertville, New Jersey, one hour from both Philadelphia and New York City. The property brings together an award-winning restaurant, a 46-room boutique hotel, and dedicated event facilities in a single historic building. The Riverside Ballroom is the venue's primary event space, accommodating up to 200 guests behind floor-to-ceiling windows that frame unobstructed views of the Delaware River. In-house wedding planning and customized menu design are available for private celebrations ranging from rehearsal dinners to full receptions. The property's combination of on-site lodging and riverside dining makes it a natural choice for destination events and multi-day gatherings.

• Spaces for 200 Guests
• 1 Restaurant
• 1 Historic Space

Colts Neck Inn Steakhouse carries a rare distinction: established in 1717, it is recognized as the oldest inn in New Jersey and the sixth oldest in the United States. Located in Colts Neck Township, Monmouth County, the steakhouse underwent its first comprehensive renovation in over two decades in 2024, reopening with a refreshed interior while retaining its deep roots in hospitality. The kitchen focuses on hand-cut steaks prepared fresh daily from scratch, with custom menu planning available for private events. The venue hosts private gatherings from 25 to 200 guests. The banquet space can be divided into two rooms for intimate occasions or opened fully for larger celebrations. Complimentary Wi-Fi and live music every weekend are available to enhance private events, and the culinary team works directly with clients to design a menu suited to the occasion.

• Spaces for 21-650 Guests
• 10 Restaurants
• 1 Bar
• 1 Garden

Carmine's Italian Restaurant in Atlantic City serves Southern Italian classics family-style — oversized platters meant to be shared — inside a storied setting at The Quarter in the Tropicana Hotel and Casino, one block from the boardwalk. Private events span nearly every scale, from cozy named alcoves seating as few as 21 to a full restaurant buyout accommodating 500 seated or 650 for cocktail receptions. The rooms carry names drawn from Atlantic City's entertainment history — the Rat Pack Room, Dean Martin Room, Frank Sinatra Room, Joe DiMaggio Platform — each with its own configuration and character. A covered indoor patio with tropical greenery and a fountain offers a lighter setting for smaller gatherings of up to 30. The dedicated events team works with planners on menus, room layout, and on-site staffing for any occasion.

• Spaces for 36-200 Guests
• 4 Restaurants
• 1 Outdoor

Porta Asbury Park occupies the former home of the Student Prince — the seaside club where Bruce Springsteen first met Clarence Clemons — at 911 Kingsley Street, one block from the ocean and just behind the Stone Pony. Open since 2011, the Italian restaurant and event venue earned an Excellent rating from The New York Times in 2013. The space features three full bars, a barista bar, two Neapolitan pizza ovens, and reclaimed wood communal tables beneath lofted ceilings hung with string lights. The kitchen produces rustic Italian food from scratch: housemade pizza dough, fresh mozzarella and ricotta made daily, classic pasta, and rotating seasonal dishes. Private events range from intimate gatherings of 10 to full buyouts for up to 200 guests. Four dedicated spaces — the Abbot Room, the Monk Room, Porta National Park, and the Main Dining Room — accommodate weddings, rehearsal dinners, birthday parties, fundraisers, and other celebrations, with custom menus and in-house event coordination.

• Spaces for 16-500 Guests
• 1 Restaurant
• 1 Bar
• 3 Total Spaces

We will ensure that one of the most significant days of your life is a stress-free and wonderful event for you. Our talented event planners will collaborate with you to create a celebration that is tailored to your specific needs and reflects your own flair. Ceremonies, cocktail hours, and wedding receptions may all be held in our stunning Glass House, which boasts 20-foot-high magnificent ceilings. Enter our exquisite 5,300-square-foot ballroom, which has stunning crystal chandeliers and towering 18-foot-high ceilings, and make a big entry to begin your celebration. Our ballroom, which can accommodate up to 400 people and may be divided into numerous parts, is available for rental. Our newest event space, The Crescent, is a spectacular glass-enclosed Solarium with crystal chandeliers, 20-foot ceilings, and is encircled by a stunning outdoor terrace, making it the perfect setting for any occasion. With glass panels that are individually regulated and can be tinted darker on demand, the Solarium's glass panels block out sunlight while allowing for daytime meetings and activities to take place without glare. The Solarium is constructed with cutting-edge dynamic glass by SageGlass®. Suitable for receptions, weddings, cocktail parties, lunches, dinners, and meetings for up to 150 standing guests and 96 seated people, this multipurpose venue provides a beautiful backdrop for any occasion. This urban sanctuary is located about 15 miles from Newark Liberty International Airport, near Interstate 78 between exits 41 and 43, and is easily accessible by car or public transportation. Enjoy convenient access to The Summit train station, which provides transit to and from New York.

• Spaces for 30-165 Guests
• 4 Restaurants
• 1 Bar
• 4 Total Spaces

The Bernards Inn is a boutique hotel and event destination in Bernardsville, New Jersey, recognized as New Jersey's only AAA Four-Diamond rated hotel and restaurant. The property's historic building has been given a refreshed interior that pays homage to its original character through bright colors, large windows, stone fireplaces, and equine-themed artwork — brought to life through its partnership with Red Horse by David Burke, named New Jersey's Best New Restaurant by NJ Monthly. The culinary program centers on premium steaks and seafood under Chef David Burke's direction. For private events, the Inn brings together multiple configurable spaces capable of hosting everything from intimate rehearsal dinners to full wedding receptions with dancing. The Fenwick Ballroom accommodates up to 155 seated guests or 200 for cocktail receptions. The Bernie — an underground speakeasy-style supper club with live entertainment, hidden projectors, and a fully stocked bar — provides a distinctive backdrop for celebrations of up to 155 guests. Overnight accommodations are available on-site, making the Bernards Inn a self-contained venue for multi-day celebrations.

• Spaces for 40-600 Guests
• 1 Restaurant
• 9 Hotels
• 12 Total Spaces

Crystal Springs Resort spans Sussex County in northern New Jersey, roughly one hour from New York City. Anchored by two hotels — the AAA Four Diamond Grand Cascades Lodge and the 175-room Minerals Hotel — the resort encompasses six championship golf courses, two award-winning spas, and ten dining venues set against the Appalachian Mountain range. For private events and weddings, the resort operates four distinct venue properties: Grand Cascades Lodge, Minerals Hotel, Ballyowen Golf Club, and Black Bear Golf Club. Each property hosts its own collection of indoor and outdoor spaces, from the glass-walled Grand Rotunda and the 5,032-square-foot Emerald Ballroom at Grand Cascades Lodge to the 13,200-square-foot Canyon at Minerals Hotel, which accommodates up to 550 guests for a reception. Outdoor venues include the Big Sky Pavilion perched on a grassy knoll overlooking mountain vistas, the Fire and Water Terrace, and several dedicated ceremony gardens. All four wedding properties offer on-site accommodations, in-house dining, and spa access, making Crystal Springs a full-destination option for multi-day celebrations.

• Spaces for 200 Guests

Avos Ria Mar is a Portuguese restaurant and event venue in South River, New Jersey, founded in 1987 by Manuel da Silva, a head chef whose roots in the craft stretch back to 1969. The kitchen carries forward family recipes and cultural traditions, presenting traditional Portuguese cuisine with a modern twist in a welcoming, casual atmosphere. For private events, the venue accommodates groups from 20 to 120 guests, hosting birthdays, showers, anniversaries, communions, and weddings. A dedicated banquet room provides a classic setting, and menus are customized to each event's style and budget — with no set minimum required for room rental. Off-site catering is available as well, delivering the same food and service to outside locations.

• Spaces for 65-250 Guests
• 4 Restaurants
• 2 Outdoor Spaces
• 1 Tent

Sanzari's New Bridge Inn is an Italian restaurant in New Milford, New Jersey, housed within a historic building in Bergen County. The kitchen specializes in Italian cuisine with Mediterranean and Asian-inspired daily specials, and the dining experience spans three distinct settings. The Bar Room features wood trim, a fireplace, and live entertainment most weekends — a natural gathering space for cocktail-driven events. The Grand Dining Room is formally appointed with rich décor and an extensive wine list. On the second floor, the Ballroom is a dedicated private event space with tasteful décor and a private bar, suited for intimate weddings, birthday celebrations, baby showers, christenings, and corporate functions. For larger events, a Banquet Tent and Patio extend the venue's capacity, with configurations supporting groups of up to 350 guests. Private events include complimentary valet parking, place cards, and easels, with custom linens and additional vendor referrals available through the events team.

• Spaces for 50-200 Guests
• 3 Restaurants
• 1 Ballroom
• 3 Total Spaces

In addition to offering sweeping views of New York City and sophisticated elegance, The Highlawn also boasts an impressive 100-year history and is one of the most magical venues in the tri-state area for weddings, anniversaries, bar/bat mitzvahs, birthdays, corporate events and celebrations of any kind. To learn more about The Highlawn, please visit their website. The Highlawn, which is majestically perched atop the East Rock Reservation, provides an absolutely spectacular venue for your big day. Our culinary staff brings decades of experience from many Michelin-starred restaurants in New York and throughout the world to our establishment. They have their fingers on the pulse of all the current trends in weddings and food, and they take great satisfaction in improving the quality and prominence of every event they work on or attend. We have everything you need to make your wedding celebration unique and completely adapted to your vision, whether you want a spectacular ceremony with hundreds of your closest friends and family or a small, private gathering. From the beginning of the procession to the end of the last dance, our expert staff is devoted to making every element of your special day absolutely flawless. Our wedding event professionals like collaborating with brides-to-be to plan the wedding of their dreams. We've hosted more than a thousand weddings over the course of three decades, and we look forward to hosting more in the future. Our team takes great delight in working within your budget to ensure that every couple has a stress-free, picture-perfect wedding celebration. In addition to its award-winning chefs and excellent cuisine, The Highlawn is known for creating magnificent wedding meals that are customized to your preferences and wedding style. We are dedicated to ensuring that the beginning of your happily-ever-after is an outstanding event for you and your guests. The Highlawn, which has one of the most renowned panoramic views of the New York City skyline, makes for an absolutely breathtaking setting for both indoor and outdoor wedding celebrations. In addition to our beautifully planted gardens and exquisite entry hall, we have a large outside patio where you may have a reception. In addition to our historic structure, our outdoor garden ceremony location is ideally located at the cliff's edge of "Eagle Rock," with views of the villages below and New York City across the river. Within walking distance of our outdoor ceremony space are the more than 400 acres of Eagle Rock Reservation, which provides a plenty of opportunities for unforgettable wedding photographs. The Skyline Ballroom and Garden Atrium are two of our formal venues that may be used for indoor wedding ceremonies in addition to our outside garden wedding ceremony space if the weather is nice.

• Spaces for 120-240 Guests
• 1 Restaurant
• 1 Historic Space

The Cranbury Inn is a historic restaurant and private event venue in Cranbury, New Jersey, set in a colonial building on South Main Street. The venue offers an authentic rustic atmosphere designed to transport guests to a simpler time while maintaining modern culinary excellence—a combination the owners describe as an honored legacy with an updated twist. The grand dining room accommodates up to 120 guests, and the event team tailors each occasion to the client's specific preferences and needs. Private events span the full range: weddings, rehearsal dinners, anniversaries, birthdays, baby and bridal showers, corporate meetings, conferences, holiday parties, and milestone celebrations. In-house catering packages are available on-site, and the team's commitment to warm service and classic hospitality carries through to every event.

• Spaces for 250 Guests
• 1 Restaurant
• 1 Ballroom
• 1 Historic Space

Housed in a stone building that dates to 1892, The Smoke Rise Village Inn has been a destination for fine dining and private events in Kinnelon, New Jersey since its conversion from a dairy operation to a restaurant in 1947. The property's historic character is woven throughout: a cobblestone courtyard, country gardens, a cozy lounge with fireplace, and an enclosed gazebo dining room all reflect the warmth the inn has cultivated over the decades. The main ballroom accommodates up to 250 guests and suits weddings, galas, bar and bat mitzvahs, sweet sixteens, and corporate seminars. The venue caters to one wedding reception at a time, allowing its staff to offer the kind of attentive, personalized service that has made it a well-regarded choice among event venues in Northern New Jersey. A recipient of the 5-Star Diamond Award, the inn handles weddings, banquets, engagement parties, rehearsal dinners, showers, and private celebrations of all kinds.

• Spaces for 120-140 Guests
• 1 Restaurant
• 1 Event Space
• 1 Waterfront

Edgewater Beach & Cabana Club is a private oceanfront event venue set along the Jersey Shore in Sea Bright, New Jersey. The Stavola Family opened the club in 1957, and following complete redevelopment after Superstorm Sandy, the facility reopened for the 2013 season. The club hosts a full range of private celebrations — weddings, rehearsal dinners, bridal and baby showers, birthday parties, corporate events, bar and bat mitzvahs, holiday parties, and more. An elegant dining room accommodates up to 120 guests and includes a dance floor, full bar service, and panoramic oceanfront views. A large outdoor deck extends the event space and gives guests direct access to the Atlantic shoreline. Non-member events are available January through May and October through December, with member-sponsored events available during the summer season. An executive chef and food and beverage team design custom catering for each event.

• Spaces for 100 Guests
• 1 Restaurant
• 1 Hotel
• 1 Waterfront

Chart House Atlantic City is a waterfront restaurant situated inside the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino on the banks of the Atlantic City marina. The restaurant specializes in fresh seafood and premium steaks, with wall-to-wall windows offering panoramic views of the marina and waterfront — a setting that carries over naturally into private events. For private gatherings, the Champagne Room accommodates up to 100 guests and frames sweeping views of the Atlantic City skyline. The culinary team works with hosts to customize menus for weddings, rehearsal dinners, corporate functions, birthday celebrations, and anniversary parties, with full table service and professional staff included throughout the event.

• Spaces for 125-135 Guests
• 1 Restaurant
• 1 Waterfront

The Dutchman's Brauhaus is a family-owned restaurant and event venue in Manahawkin, New Jersey, with a history stretching back to 1952. Founded by Otto and Thelka Schmid as a small bar and dining room, the current building opened in February 1963 following the 1962 nor'easter, and has been expanded several times since. Situated on East Bay Avenue with waterfront access, the restaurant features boat docks, a waterside bar called The Quelle, and live entertainment. The German and American menu — bratwurst, wiener schnitzel, spätzle, seafood, and surf-and-turf — reflects over seven decades of family tradition. For private celebrations, the Brauhaus accommodates up to 125 guests across dedicated event facilities: an upstairs room with its own private entrance, kitchen, and restrooms, and a back dining room appointed with custom European furnishings. Catering is available through Spice Catering, the venue's affiliated service, which handles rehearsal dinners, cocktail parties, clambakes, and wedding receptions.

• Spaces for 60-1,200 Guests
• 1 Restaurant
• 5 Hotels
• 5 Total Spaces

The DoubleTree by Hilton Somerset Hotel and Conference Center sits on 16 landscaped acres in Somerset, New Jersey, 30 minutes from Newark International Airport and 45 minutes from Manhattan. The property's IACC-certified Executive Meeting Center houses 14 dedicated rooms for groups of 5 to 80, while the hotel's broader meeting and banquet wing extends to 24 rooms in total. The Somerset Ballroom, spanning 10,080 square feet, anchors the venue's social event offerings — accommodating up to 900 guests for banquets and 1,200 for receptions. The Mirabelle banquet room seats up to 130 and opens to its own patio, while the Somerset Patio hosts alfresco receptions for up to 400 guests. The hotel's Tuscany restaurant rounds out the dining options for private gatherings. With 364 guest rooms including six suites and a Presidential Suite, overnight accommodations for wedding parties and conference attendees are built in. The hotel provides in-house catering, a dedicated banquet staff, and a full audiovisual team for all events.

• Spaces for 150-175 Guests
• 1 Restaurant
• 1 Hotel
• 1 space at this venue

The Chalfonte Hotel has welcomed guests in Cape May, New Jersey since 1876, making it the oldest continually operating hotel in the nation's first seaside resort. A National Historic Landmark, the Victorian property sits two blocks from the beach and has been shaped by four eras of stewardship, most recently by the Mullock family since 2008. Weddings and private events unfold across several distinct settings. Guests gather on the sweeping verandas for hors d'oeuvres and cocktails before moving into the Magnolia Room ballroom — a grand dining and dancing space that seats up to 150 and can accommodate up to 200 when the adjacent outdoor porch and first floor are included. The Secret Garden provides an outdoor setting for ceremonies. Seventy guest rooms and three adjacent cottages allow visiting parties to extend a celebration across the full weekend. The Magnolia Room has earned a reputation as a Cape May dining institution through generations of Southern-inspired cooking, including recipes from Miss Helen Dickerson, the kitchen's head chef for more than 60 years. The venue has received the Knot Best of Weddings recognition every year from 2012 through 2023 and holds Hall of Fame status.