February 2025: Best New Restaurants

Most people have a short list of go-to neighborhood restaurants for a casual dinner and a few they love for a date night or special occasion. But every now and then, it’s fun to shake things up and eat somewhere new.

This issue highlights the best new restaurants in the state, spanning North, Central and South Jersey. All 21 of the restaurants on our list opened their doors in 2024. That gives New Jerseyans a lot of new restaurants to visit in 2025.

To compile the list, our editors and restaurant critics traveled to dozens of new restaurants throughout the year, trying the dishes and cocktails, studying the menus, observing the environments, rating the service. We made sure that every single restaurant on our list features top-notch food, service and atmosphere. You’ll also find a variety of cuisines and some restaurants with truly interesting offerings.