Buona Sera brings the warmth, elegance, and timeless appeal of a classic Italian restaurant to the heart of Red Bank, NJ. Located at 50 Maple Ave, this formal dining destination is known for its ornate decor, inviting atmosphere, and menu filled with beloved Italian favorites prepared to satisfy both everyday cravings and special-occasion dinners.
Whether guests are stopping in for lunch, settling in for a memorable dinner, or enjoying a quiet meal alone, Buona Sera offers a polished experience that feels both refined and welcoming.
With a strong reputation built on 2,122 reviews and a 4.50 out of 5 rating, it has earned the trust of diners seeking quality food, attentive service, and a consistently enjoyable experience.
The restaurant’s appeal goes far beyond its beautiful setting. Buona Sera is celebrated for fast service, a great beer selection, expertly crafted cocktails, rich coffee, exceptional desserts, and an impressive wine list that pairs perfectly with its Italian cuisine.
Guests can enjoy live music, local specialties, happy-hour drinks and food, late-night offerings, and a full bar on site, making it an excellent choice for everything from casual gatherings to elegant evenings out. With dine-in, takeaway, delivery, and outdoor seating available, it provides flexible options that make enjoying its food easy and convenient.
Catering services and table service add even more value, helping make Buona Sera a reliable choice for celebrations, business meals, and family occasions alike.
Comfort and accessibility are also a priority at Buona Sera, ensuring more guests can enjoy the experience with ease. The restaurant features wheelchair-accessible parking, entrance, seating, and toilet facilities, along with reservation options for those planning ahead. Accepted payment methods include credit cards, debit cards, and NFC mobile payments, adding convenience to every visit.
With its cozy, romantic, trendy, and upmarket atmosphere, Buona Sera offers more than a meal—it delivers a complete dining experience that combines atmosphere, flavor, and hospitality in a way that keeps customers returning again and again.
Popular Items
Frequently ordered and highly recommended items at Buona Sera
Our Story
Welcome to a place where great food meets warm hospitality. We believe dining is more than just a meal - it's an experience to be savored and shared.
Our kitchen is dedicated to creating dishes that bring people together, using recipes that honor tradition while embracing innovation.
Photos
A glimpse of our restaurant experience
Food & Drinks
3 U-8 gulf shrimp. Gluten free.
Gluten free.
Grilled bread with toppings.
Rapini. Green cruciferous vegetable.
Gluten free.
Gluten free.
Asparagus, roasted red peppers, broccoli rabe, eggplant, portabella mushrooms. Gluten free.
Baked with cheese.
Squid.
Baked clams in a halfshell topped with breadcrumbs and oregano.
Clam in a halfshell that has been covered in bacon and a variety of toppings.
Mollusk with a seasoned tomato sauce.
Lightly breaded Italian toast with mozzarella cheese served in a anchovy white wine lemon reduction.
Soup made with pasta and beans.
Thick and creamy soup.
Served with fresh mozzarella, roasted peppers & sun-dried tomatoes. Gluten free.
Gluten free.
Gluten free.
Grilled marinated chicken breast topped with a mixed green salad with tomatoes cucumbers red onions with a balsamic vinaigrette or a grilled vegetable platter. Gluten free.
Chicken & sweet Italian sausage sautéed in a Brandy demi-glaze over roasted potatoes.
Lightly egg battered boneless chicken breast with melted mozzarella cheese & fresh tomatoes over linguine.
Thinly pounded, lightly breaded and fried, served over Arugula with tomatoes balsamic vinegar & oil, garnished with Parmesan cheese.
A light pancetta cream sauce.
Tube shaped pasta.
Homemade tortelloni served in a pancetta cream sauce.
Fresh pork and beef sauteed with onions, mushrooms, garlic and marinara.
Fresh broccoli rabe sauteed in garlic and oil.
Prince edward island mussels sauteed in marinara served hot or sweet over linguine.
Fresh shucked clams sauteed with garlic and oil in our own special sauce served over linguine.
Calamari sautéed in our marinara, served hot or sweet over linguine.
Served in a tomato basil cream sauce over linguine.
Shrimp, scallops, lobster tail, mussels, clams, & calamari served in a spicy marinara sauce over linguine.
10-12 oz. bone-in french cut pork chop grilled with mushrooms, onions, sweet peppers, and roasted potato. Gluten free.
10-12 oz. bone-in french cut pork chop grilled with long hot peppers and roasted potato. Gluten free.
Gluten free.
Gluten free.
Gluten free.
Gluten free.
Gluten free.
Gluten free.
Gluten free.
Gluten free.
Gluten free.
Gluten free.
Gluten free.
Hear from our valued guests
We had the pleasure of hosting our engagement party here and it was perfection! I have a gluten and dairy allergy and the staff was so helpful and reassuring that I my food was safe and still delicious. The views were incredible, food was delicious, staff was incredible!
I received a surprise personal greeting by Mike, greeted me with my name? When I made the reservation, I mentioned that I was handicapped & would be arriving in a motorized scooter, he won me over immediately. This restaurant has been around, this was my first visit. Food is magnificent, the restaurant is gorgeous and the drinks are great. We were attending a concert at Count Basie theater, and Buona Sera is right next door. Anthony our waiter was very attentive and very friendly, a plus to our dining experience. I ordered Sea Bass special my wife the Veal Parmesan, outstanding. Finished with a wonderful Key Lime pie and coffee. We would certainly return, Italian cuisine at its best!
Italian food that makes old world proud! Everything we have ever had is perfect. Parings and flavor combinations are done with precision. Every dish seems to be made to exacting standards. All of the meals are delicious and cooked the way you want it. I’m the staff is charming and helpful, and the food comes out in the timeframe expected for a high end restaurant. Their bartenders need a special shout out as their beverages are made with the same exacting standards. Marvelous! The atmosphere is cozy and comfortable for parties of all sizes. It can get a little confusing, like the back allies of Italy.
We had our rehearsal dinner at Buena Sera (5/7/26), and it was the perfect way to kick off our wedding weekend. Since it's been a family favorite for years, it made the evening feel even more special. Mike made the planning process easy and stress-free, and was happy to accommodate a few substitutions so we could include some of our favorite dishes. The food and service were outstanding—our guests couldn't stop talking about the dishes, and Andrew and the rest of the team made sure everything ran smoothly from the atmosphere to the drinks and hot food. We would absolutely recommend Buena Sera for a rehearsal dinner or any special event!
We came for dinner before a show at Basie and it was fantastic!! Everything was delicious, service was great as well. The Kansa City steak we ordered was so thick, exceeded expectations and was perfectly cooked. Would recommend to anyone and we hope to come back again in the future.
Stopped in for dinner before a show at Count Basie. The food was PHENOMENAL!!! My husband and I tried four different dishes. Each one was better than the next! Our server Tina was fabulous! Super friendly. Extremely helpful. She also let us know they will “food check” items next door if we have leftovers. Never knew that!! Run, don’t walk, and enjoy a wonderful meal in a warm and inviting atmosphere.
My girlfriend took me here the other day (Memorial Day 2026) for my birthday, and it was one of the best ways I could have asked to spend the day. The atmosphere was great, especially in the back where you’re greeted occasionally by a jolly little model train set making its rounds on a track suspended from the roof just above the bar. Our waiter Sebastian was the correct amount of professional, knowledgeable, and fun, and I hope we have the pleasure of being served by him again. Oh and the food! I couldn’t imagine getting anything mediocre from this place, let alone bad. I decided to be “boring” with my entrée and get chicken parmigiana to be safe, by my other half ordered the Chicken Scarpariello, after we enjoyed mozzarella carrozza and the octopus arrabiata as appetizers. “Death by chocolate cake” topped off with a fantastic home made cream, complete with a “birthday sparkler in lieu of candle” completed my birthday meal, and everything was perfect. I don’t think I’ve eaten at an Italian restaurant of this caliber since I’ve lived back home in New York. The portions were more than appropriate as well, so be prepared to take some food home if you get a little risky with the appetizer selection. If you’re like me, and love a good Italian restaurant with good table bread, a great atmosphere, and a fantastic (but not overly complex) menu, then this is the place, man. 5/5, can’t wait to go back. Wish I took some pictures, but the food was too good to stop and waste time on any of that nonsense.
I was in town on a Friday night and decided to have dinner here. I got seats at the bar and the bartender was super friendly. Ordered Aperol Spritz and the Sardinian pizza, which was delicious. For dinner I ordered the Pork Paillard which was. Avery unique dish served with pancetta over gnocchi and the Fresh Clam Sauce over linguine, delicious flavors. These are generous portion dishes and it can be shared. They offer half or full size dishes and even the half doesn’t look half at all. The restaurant is beautifully decorated so take a tour when you visit. Overall a great experience and I’d definitely go back here.
My wife and I had dinner at Buona Sera on May 11 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of our very first date, and it was the perfect spot for such a milestone. We started with the PEI mussels in marinara, which were excellent, followed by the lobster ravioli for her and the swordfish for me—everything was delicious. The service was top-notch and the attention to detail really stood out, giving the whole place an upscale, "special occasion" feel. Visiting on a Monday turned out to be a great move since they offer discounted wines, which was a nice bonus. We’ll definitely be back to try more of the menu; it’s a high-quality experience that we’d highly recommend.
Buona Sera is one of my go to restaurants when I am home from concert touring. The food is very consistent. If you are looking for cheap eats this ain't it. If you are looking for fresh high quality ingredients that make a great meal this is the place. Fresh seafood, dry aged prime grade beef, a pork chop that would make you slap your momma. 5Lb. Lobster for $80.00. The staff is incredible. Chris, Daniella, Mike, Irish, Courtney as well as the rest make me feel at home. I travel all over the world for my job. This town and this restaurant is home. Tell them JT sent you. Enjoy.
Common questions about Buona Sera
Buona Sera is located at 50 Maple Ave, Red Bank, NJ 07701, United States, Red Bank, NJ, United States.
You can reach Buona Sera by calling +1 732-530-5858.
Buona Sera has a rating of 4.5 out of 5 based on 2122 customer reviews.
Buona Sera features the following accessibility: Wheelchair-accessible car park, Wheelchair-accessible entrance, Wheelchair-accessible seating, Wheelchair-accessible toilet.
Buona Sera features the following service options: Outdoor seating, Delivery, Takeaway, Dine-in.
Buona Sera features the following highlights: Fast service, Great beer selection, Great cocktails, Great coffee, Great dessert, Great wine list, Live music, Serves local specialty.
Buona Sera features the following popular for: Lunch, Dinner, Solo dining.
Buona Sera features the following offerings: Alcohol, Beer, Cocktails, Coffee, Comfort food, Happy-hour drinks, Happy-hour food, Late-night food, Private dining room, Small plates, Spirits, Vegetarian options, Wine.
Buona Sera features the following dining options: Lunch, Dinner, Catering, Dessert, Seating, Table service.
Buona Sera features the following amenities: Bar on site, Restroom.
Buona Sera features the following atmosphere: Cozy, Romantic, Trendy, Upmarket.
Buona Sera features the following crowd: Groups, Tourists.
Buona Sera features the following planning: Dinner reservations recommended, Accepts reservations.
Buona Sera features the following payments: Credit cards, Debit cards, NFC mobile payments.
Buona Sera features the following children: High chairs.
Buona Sera features the following parking: Free parking lot, Paid parking lot, Paid street parking, Plenty of parking, Valet parking.
Buona Sera features the following pets: Dogs allowed outside.
Business Features
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