Over the last decade or so, I feel like I’ve watched Atlantic City experience a rebirth. When I first started going there (in 2015-ish), you still had a handful of crumbling casinos that were slowly breathing their last breath or even headed toward demolition (like the Trump Plaza and the Trump Taj Mahal).
Over time, though, the old was replaced by the new. We saw newer and more luxurious resorts come in and take over. The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City and the Ocean Resort Casino both opened in 2018. Long-standing properties like the Caesars’ and Harrah’s underwent extensive renovations. Today, it’s a lot easier to see why Atlantic City, with its 27 million visitors a year, still retains its historic legacy as an East Coast playground.
Luckily for traveling foodies, with all that new life comes new, fantastic dining options (don’t worry; you’ll still find long-standing favorites on this list, too). While Atlantic City doesn’t have quite the food culture as, say, nearby Philadelphia, it does offer a lot of favorited restaurants with coastal, beach and dockside views, so you can indulge after a day spent at the slots, shopping or on the sands. Here are some of the best places to eat with a coastal view in Atlantic City.
Nobu Atlantic City
You’ll find plenty of restaurants in Atlantic City that boast a celebrity chef stamp. Gordon Ramsay has a Hell’s Kitchen outpost. Guy Fieri planted a handful of eateries along the coast. However, I’d argue that no celebrity chef-helmed restaurant gets quite the recognition that Nobu does.
Nobu Atlantic City, which opened in October 2022, is the winner of a 2024 OpenTable Diners’ Choice award and situated inside Caesars Atlantic City. You’ll find the signature Nobu experience here, in an upscale dining room that overlooks the beach and boardwalk via an expansive wall of windows. Dine on sushi, sashimi and nigiri, or stop by the bar for Tanoshi Hour, 4:30–6 p.m. daily. It’s the restaurant’s take on a happy hour, with signature cocktails, sake and sushi and sashimi specials.
Want to extend your Nobu experience? A Nobu Hotel, the luxurious accommodations arm of this quickly growing hospitality brand, opened in 2024.
Amada
Snag your reservations at Amada for stellar ocean views, a Spanish-inspired fine dining atmosphere and a Mediterranean-infused menu. The generous menu includes a nice array of traditional tapas, entrees like whole roasted branzino and paella for the table. One of the house specialties is the whole roasted suckling pig (but that’ll come at a hefty price tag: $475—and you have to give the restaurant 72 hours’ notice if you want it).
If you’re the type to put yourself in the chef’s hands and trust them implicitly, you might opt for the Chef’s Selection tapas arrangement, or the Chef’s Selection of cheese, charcuterie and accompaniments.
The many happy diners who’ve left Google Reviews further rave about the restaurant’s presentation, authentic flavors and service.
Linguini by the Sea
When you find yourself lurking on the travel recommendations side of Reddit, you’ll find that some of the most recommended Atlantic City restaurants—view or no—are Amada and then Linguini by the Sea.
As you could probably guess by the name, Linguini by the Sea is an Italian eatery. Not quite as upscale as Amada, the restaurant has more of a comfortable, warm feel and happy reviewers call it a major hidden gem. Favorite menu items include the various seafood options that are available, including the Blue Point oysters, calamari and seared salmon. If, though, you’re looking for strictly classic Italian, you can’t go wrong with the house-made meatballs.
Gilchrist
Not every recommendable restaurant in Atlantic City is situated in a casino resort, though. If that’s not really your scene, you have options. Additionally, if you’ve maybe lost a bit more than expected playing your gambling game of choice, you can find affordable eats that won’t break the bank.
A very long-standing restaurant that delivers on both these fronts is Gilchrist. Open since 1946 and situated on a dock near the marina (there’s an outpost in the Tropicana, too, if you don’t want to wander too far from the boardwalk), this is as casual and low-key as it gets. Specializing in hearty breakfast and lunch fare, it’s the perfect place to go when you wake up after a big night out and need something to renew your spirit, and you just don’t have the energy to get gussied up.
Think hotcakes, omelets and breakfast sandwiches. You can even try a New Jersey staple while you’re there: pork roll. Often served grilled on a roll with cheese and egg, pork roll is bologna’s better, tastier cousin.
Back Bay Ale House
Another dockside, super-casual eatery, Back Bay Ale House wins high marks for its waterside patio outfitted with plastic deck chairs, huge menu of cocktails served in Mason jars and incredibly affordable prices.
As for the food, expect casual coastal pub eats, such as fried seafood, chowders, crab cakes and fish tacos. For the non-seafood eater, there are plenty of other options on the menu, too, including salads, chicken and burgers.
If you’re on vacation and really want to test your liver’s stamina, try ordering the 32-ounce Mason jar filled with “The Trash Can,” which is a mixture of vodka, rum, gin, tequila, blue curacao, OJ, Coke and Red Bull. A trash can, indeed.
LandShark Bar & Grill
So you don’t want to leave the boardwalk or stray too far from the casino, but you still do want a more casual vibe, ocean views and affordable prices. You don’t mind a celebrity affiliation or a chain. Go to LandShark Bar & Grill.
With its Jimmy Buffet/Margaritaville connections, it’s nothing fancy, whether you’re looking at the atmosphere or the menu, but that’s exactly why this was one of my favorite restaurants on the boardwalk back when I was living off a just-graduated-from-college salary—and I’m certainly not sticking my nose up at it now.
Sometimes, you just want to look out at the beach or adjacent Steel Pier, drink a frosty beer and chow down on accessible eats like taco nachos, fried pickles or fish tacos. (I also won’t say no to a slice of key lime pie, no matter how far away I am from Key West.)
Want even more menu options and a very similar vibe? The restaurant’s sister eatery, Margaritaville, sits right across the boardwalk.
Capriccio
Capriccio is another resort-set Italian restaurant in Atlantic City and, while the décor is a bit over the top (chandeliers! murals!) and some might even argue garish, it still offers outdoor seating with coastal views and it earns high marks across the board, whether you’re looking at reviews on Google, TripAdvisor, Reddit, etc. People just love it.
Favorite menu items include the seafood zuppetta (filled with lobster, scallops, shrimps and crab, and served over linguini) scallops and house antipasto, and reviewers also consistently mention how great the service is. The menu is somewhat limited, but reliable.
The VÜE Rooftop Bar
Vue isn’t going to be for everyone, but for those who want a great view (see what they did there?) and don’t mind more of a bar atmosphere while they’re enjoying a meal, this spot delivers. While it is located off the beach, its position as the tallest rooftop bar in the city means you get views of the ocean, beach and all of the surrounding buildings, with ease. Given its location a little off the beaten path, the rooftop bar is also considered a bit of a secret spot and the attentive service makes it stand out even further.
As for the menu, expect basic bar fare, including the bar’s award-winning wings. Try a regional favorite: long hots. They’re popular in the New Jersey/Philadelphia area and are technically considered Italian. Basically just roasted hot peppers, Vue serves the peppers covered in garlic, parmesan, basil and a balsamic glaze, all with a side of grilled pita.
Ocean Steak
When the Ocean Casino Resort reopened in 2018 following extensive renovations (it was previously the Revel resort), the owners really knew what they were doing in terms of outfitting it with restaurants that visitors would love. The property is home to not just Ocean Steak, but also the aforementioned Amada and Linguini by the Sea. Whereas Amada is Spanish and Linguini offers Italian, though, Ocean Steak’s focus is all in the name.
A go-to steakhouse for many, and with the same spectacular views offered at Amada and Linguini, Ocean Steak is as classic as it gets, offering you a raw bar, typical steakhouse salads like a wedge and Caesar, and then a handful of steak options plus accompaniments such as foie gras or some surf to go along with your turf.
Not a big meat eater? Keep in mind that you’re not going to find much here, as this is a place for carnivores, unless you go with a salad or cobble together a meal out of the various available sides.
