Iccara Italian Bistro — Restaurant in Cape May

Saw this place from the parking lot when my partner and I went to Washington street mall. Didn’t really know what to expect but the smells that were coming from the restaurant were fantastic. Since this was a spur of the moment decision to go, we weren’t sure about the wait or if we needed a reservation. Luckily they were able to fit us right in. Was all outdoor dining so can’t really comment of the ambiance but the outdoor dining tent was a decent size with nice Italian music playing.

The food was amazing. The fresh bread was nice and doughy inside with a nice crust of the outside. The sauce that came with it was nothing I’ve ever tasted before. Was sweet and spicy and salty and sour; all the flavors were beautifully balanced. We ordered the fried calamari. A very generous portion. Nicely fried and decadently tender. The sauce was on point as well. Could have eaten a whole bowel of the sauce as a soup. My partner and I both ordered the lobster pasta. Beautiful chunks of sweet tender lobster tail meat. The sauce was like a vodka sauce but it wasn’t; it was fantastically balanced between savoriness, just the right amount of sweetness, tartness and umami. The main reason we chose the lobster pasta was because of the squid ink fettuccini. We were both curious about squid ink as neither one of us has ever had squid ink. The flavor of the squid ink gave the pasta just that little bit of something extra but it was hard to explain. It wasn’t fishy at all, just tasted lovely. I think the pastas were freshly made in house. Was perfectly al dente with a great chew and toothsomeness.

Our waitress was super nice and very efficient. I think her name was Kristal.

This was during COVID times. All outdoor seating. Reservations recommended, especially on weekends cause of its proximity to Washington street mall. All staff wore masks. The tables were sufficiently spread apart. Also, they had us use our phones to scan a QR code to get access to their menu. They do have physical menus if you don’t have a smart phone.

Overall, highly recommend. Would come back to Cape May just for the...

My husband and I go to Cape May every year but this was our first time eating at Iccara. One of the reasons we chose it is because despite the challenges and restrictions of the pandemic they did not seem to increase their prices like other restaurants we frequent did. They have a broad selection of pasta and seafood dishes on their menu for very reasonable prices! They also had the early bird menu which had a lot of options!

They had a very large, lovely tent with cafe lights strung throughout and white table cloths set up outside in their parking lot. It was a very romantic atmosphere and you could tell they strive to create an intimate fine dining experience. They also followed social distancing and sanitary precautions and took your temperature before guests were seated.

I chose the crab cakes and risotto and my husband got the branzino and risotto which was the special of the night. My husband does not eat very much seafood or fish but he wanted to try something different and said the flavors of his meal were fantastic! I loved my lemon risotto which paired perfectly with 2 delicious crab cakes loaded with fresh crab and barely any filler!

Unfortunately, a very bad rain storm came during our meal but we were lucky enough to stay sheltered under the tent. Our waitress, Crystal, was the true rockstar of the evening! She never stopped making sure all of the guests had everything they needed including holding up umbrellas to shield them from the rain! The whole time she had a smile on her face even though she was drenched from the rain! We were so impressed with how attentive she was from the start of our meal helping us choose our entrees and making recommendations all the way to the very end making sure we were dry and sheltered from the rain! Overall, we had an amazing experience at this restaurant and can't wait to come back again and...

Very disappointing experience here. Was told to wait outside with my elderly grandparents in the rain and heavy winds because of lack of space. The waitress was unbelievably rude and dismissive starting when we sat down and ultimately caused an embarassing scene after we asked for an ETA on our food. We had waited an hour without her or any other employee checking in with us. The young manager did very little to help the situation and she was in fact the one who had told us to wait outside. She had claimed the owner was going to call us in the morning to go over the details yet they have failed to do so. Their predatory 25$/person reservation cancelation fee, pushy sales tactics on wine and appetizers and too many tables packed in such a small space all point to to this being a money hungry tourist trap masquerading as a fine dining experience. Separating the terrible experience, the food was truly dull and uninspired. The table next to us sent their plates back and we followed suit. Avoid this restaurant at all costs, $120 wasted. I will be telling this experience to absolutely everybody I can, there are many locals and prospective travelers who would gladly appreciate the warning.

If you are the owner and can read this, we are still awaiting your call.

Update 9/21/2024 Their owner, Noemi, has reached out and apologized profusely for hours on the phone and promised to refund us. She claims to have sent a check for said refund but it never arrived....