Annata Wine Bar — Restaurant in Hammonton

We went here for a celebration and were extraordinarily disappointed with the atmosphere and service. To begin with, my husband and I showed up for our party of 6 first and were seated directly in front of the door. We didn't mind so much because it wasn't too cold and at least we were away from the live music that was at least 2 notches too loud. We offered to go to the bar to get drinks but were assured the waitress would be right over to take our drink order. Spoiler alert: she wasn't.

We love live music with dinner as background but this was so loud even from the back of the room that we could barely speak over it to talk to each other. Not to mention the singer was off key which just honestly hurt our ears even more. This is a huge space and a few panels on the ceiling to dampen the sound would go a really long way. Also, if you are going to have a musician, make sure his volume is appropriate for a setting of a quiet dinner not a loud dancing bar.

The rest of our party arrived 15 -20 minutes behind us and we had met our waitress once in that time, where she asked what type of water we wanted but didn't stay around long enough for us to get a drink order in. Once the rest of our party arrived, she came to the table a prompt 10-15 minutes later. Yes the restaurant was full but there are maybe 25 tables and 4 waiters....it's not overwhelming by any means.

We finally get a drink and appetizer order in and plea to also place our dinner order as we aren't sure of when we'd next get the opportunity to do so. To be fair, all of the food and (mixed!) drinks we got were amazing. The martinis were great and the good was well cooked and mostly as described (the greens with the tuna were covered in oil and if you are lactose intolerant like me, don't order the hearts of palm dip because it is essentially greasy cheese dip).

However, we are seasoned wine drinkers and I am a certified sommelier and the wine recommendation by the waitress was appalling. She clearly had a very basic level understanding of wine. We told her the Sharrot rose she gave us was not to our liking and she told us , "Yeah well most Rose's are sweeter." No, you're just wrong. And then proceeded to recommend the Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc after that which tbh was extraordinarily overpriced. I did what I normally do and found a moderately priced wine from a region that appropriately and expertly executes that varietal and we were pleased. But for a wine bar, the staff knows NOTHING!

Lastly, and most offensively, again our waitress was rude and misinformed. After dinner, we placed some orders for coffee and dessert. There were a few espressos, espresso martinis, and desserts. My mom ordered decaf espresso, I ordered a regular espresso martini, and my husband ordered an espresso (because he had to drive). She brings all the desserts and drinks but brings a decaf espresso for my husband. Totally an honest mistake considering all the orders at the table. However, her response when my husband said, "Oh, I ordered a regular espresso," was, "OK well then I guess I'll just drink this decaf myself!" I'm sorry, you messed up the order, how dare you use that sarcastic tone when we're tipping you on a $300+ bill! I was so disgusted by this one comment alone I will NEVER go back to this establishment.

Also, on another note, most of the food was tasty but my sister's "molten lava cake" was dry as a bone. I'm sorry, WHAT?! How can lava cake possibly be dry?!

All in all/TL;DR Tasty-ish food and cocktails but WAY overpriced; OK wine selection but terrible recommendations/uneducated staff, terrible and...

It's upsetting to give a negative review to any establishment but this is for an opportunity for Annata to improve in several areas. The bread was meh with a dip which tasted like bottled dressing with capers. Appetizers: Escargot severed over fried base which was not a compatible. Try good rustic bread drizzled with butter-garlic sauce topped with escargot.

The Vineyard salad was a Vintage salad. Not fresh lettuces; one step to wilt-throw out tomorrow. No crunch when fork picked up any leaf-not good!

Plain Oysters on half-shell with lemon; only 5 were served. In dining from East & West Coast and Europe "6" oysters were always plated, unless bought per oyster. After inquiring the servers were totally confused. 15 mins later I was told "That's our policy." Googled it; 6 is the normal serving across the board.

The Chilean Sea Bass was cooked well. Unfortunately it sat in a both that was laden with oil one couldn't dip the mediocre bread into it if desired. There was a ring of oil in the bowl with herbs stuck to the sides.

My birthday guest ordered prime rib ravioli with a lump of burrata in the middle. It was not warm enough to blend into the skippy amount of sauce. The ravioli was al dente, very good. Burrata serve with pasta should be blended into both creating a creaminess that uplifts the sauces clinging to the pasta. This did not.

Looking for tiramisu but disappointed as it a "no show" in the dessert menu.

The atmosphere was tired & uninspiring. Servers are pleasant but not experienced.

Bathroom was almost clean.

I'm very sorry that I can not recommend this...

So we moved to Hammonton in 2019, right before the Holidays, a couple of large family gatherings, and then BOOM Covid hit...being in Healthcare, plus caring about others meant not eating out during the pandemic. Flash forward 1year plus and our first dinner in a restaurant, post pandemic-ish, also happened to be my wife's Birthday dinner, she chose Annata Wine Bar. So glad she did, I would describe Annata as Elegant comfort, plenty of elbow room, with a Tuscan Winery feel, not pretentious at all- no dresscode- (but for those of us who care-dont look like a bum please)- Waitresses and Staff are super attentive, but not at all intrusive. A simple 10 item entree menu, with 4 or 5 specials. I'm already writing a novel here, so I'll try not to go much longer. Appetizers- 1 special 1 standard, Nonno's Clams Casino & Burrata Crustini w/Strawberries, Entrées- 2 specials, Filet Mignon Bolognese stuffed Ravioli with Prime Rib Meatball & Miso Seared Salmon with Mushrooms, 2 Family sides with Entrées, Truffle whipped Sweet Potatoes & Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Pancetta. Delicious is not enough of an explanation, Flavors were layered exquisitely- someone in that kitchen loves what they do, & you taste it in every bite. Warning unless you're a foursome, don't order the Large Size Entrée, their huge, but perfect for family size. This is a must stop...