Review Iccara Italian Bistro - Cape May

4.5 is UNDER rated. It actually deserve Michelin star. The food was too good...from appetizers to all the way coffee and desert. We had salads, fetuchini pasta where sauce was definitely as cheesy as it can be , and lobster pasta was a hit! We finished off with teramisu that was just a perfect finish. Home made with love! Place to go back to and enjoy service, atmosphere and certainly FOOD! Thanks to chef!

Loved this place! We had 7:00 tickets for a play, so the Early Bird dinner was perfect. The only complaint I have is that the salad was dressed, and the chilled, before it came to the table. It was a bit slimy and congealed. I should have asked for dressing on the side. Our shrimp scampi was perfect. The shrimp were perfectly cooked. The service was attentive without feeling the “bum’s rush”. The experience reminded us of a fabulous little restaurant we ate at in Buonconvento Italy this past May.

Restaurant has moved from previous location. Much more modern and food is delicious as always. Will always dine here when in Cape May.

Our first time dining here and we really loved it. However one unfriendly aspect is the reservation policy which seems pretty harsh. Have to use a credit card to secure the reservation and there is a hefty no show fee. The interior of the restaurant is really lovely and the menu has a wonderful variety of selections. I love that they have gluten free pasta as an option, which I requested when I ordered the lobster pasta dish. The gluten free pasta was delicious and the creamy tomato sauce was heavenly. My only complaint was they were not very generous with the lobster. My husband ordered the swordfish, and that was also excellent. We wish we had room for dessert but dinner filled us up. Will definitely come back the next time we visit Cape May. Yum!

Very nice BYOB restaurant! Service was very attentive and friendly. I definitely recommend making a reservation as it does get crowded/fully booked. Came here for a nice dinner on a short vacation. We started with the rice balls which were amazing - highly suggest ordering! I got lasagna which was a good size portion and i loved the sauce. My friend ordered the special of blackened chicken over parmesan risotto which was also very delicious. The 4 stars is because the seafood bisque was not a hit. It wasn't very flavorful and it went uneaten. Despite that, would return again!

The service and decor deserve 5 stars. Our server couldn't be more charming. What loses the star is: 1 the fact that you can't buy wine by the glass, full or half bottles only. I wasn't drinking and my partner wanted just one glass. She never had one. 2 in my partners octopus salad, the octopus was cooked tough while the rest of the salad was delicious and well dressed. My cacio y pepe, while cooked perfectly, could have used a little more pasta water in the sauce. While it tasted good it was a little thick and pasty instead of velvety and luscious. 3 you have to pay to park, only the first hour of parking is covered. Who eats a meal in a restaurant in an hour? Would I go back? Maybe.

First time here for all 4 of us, and most of the evening was very pleasant. Heads up... don't order the veal. It was waaaay too chewy, and we let the waitress know... gee, I'll let the chef know. No comps of any sort... on well. All desserts were good, plus the cappuccino was well made. It's a BYOB, but don't order the freakin veal!

Very good. I try not to give too many 5 star reviews, but some just earn it. From the atmosphere, to the service, then the food. The pasta was cooked to perfection, the lobster was as tender as could be, and the sauce was light and tasty. Definitely will return....Soon.

Looked at reviews for an hour trying to find a restaurant. Wow.. Lobster pasta, my wife had sea bass. Absolutely fantastic!!! Price reasonable for a tourist eatery. Never know what to expect. We'll be back again. Think the waiter was marka,perfect for this place

The restaurant was clean and the staff was friendly and attentive. We had reservations so we were seated quickly. Our table was indoors but outdoor seating under a tent was available. The fresh Italian bread was warm and delicious. The chicken parmesan is served with spaghetti and asparagus. The serving size was spot on but a little small compared to some other restaurants. The sauce was a bit sweeter than I prefer and the spaghetti was fresh and tasty. The seafood scampi serving was a good sized portion. A perfect balance of shrimp, mussels (nice and clean; no sand), scallops, crab and clams in an exquisite sauce over linguini. As for dessert the cannoli was good but not exceptional. The lemon cake was light and fluffy. It was very nice to see the restaurant was fully staffed in these difficult times. This restaurant is a bit expensive but I highly recommend it.

First time visiting here on our 40th wedding Anniversary. The atmosphere and decor is lovely and our server Alex was excellent. It’s close quarters dining so be aware of that as well. We went with two of their most notable entrees, I had the Lobster Pasta and Annie had the Lasagna ( she was feeling old school) both were very good. The lobster pasta sauce was quite rich and the lobster was very tender. Often in a dish like this one the lobster can be tough or overcooked. Not tonight the dish was delightful but I brought half home as we wanted dessert. The lasagna was very good even though the sauce was a tad sweet for my taste. The only complaint was the calamari appetizer. All the tentacles were quite tough and even the tubes just weren’t that good. I’d skip that one. The desserts? I had a wonderful pistachio cake that was light as a feather and Annie had the tiramisu, both were excellent. There’s a number of other pasta dishes I’ll return to try. All in all pretty good. Not fabulous but pretty darn good.

I was afraid this restaurant was going to be a tourist trap with mediocre food. To my pleasant surprise the food is amazing. The restaurant is a little tight because it is a converted house but was comfortable. Every table is given bread with a pepper/onion/olives sauté spread, which I could have made a meal out of alone. The menu looked great and we started off our meal with arancini balls and fried calamari. Both were very good. Calamari tender and the arancini balls were creamy and flavorful. I wanted a salad with my meal because you know healthy. I went with the octopus salad. This was a good choice. The salad had a light dressing and was simple. For the entrée portion of dinner I went with the lobster pasta and my husband got the veal Mediterranean. The cream sauce that my pasta came in was so good I may not try another dish on the menu. Just reorder it every time. We usually get a dessert but were so stuffed we couldn't. Another reason to come. This is byob and would definitely recommend reservations during peak season.

Great experience. Staff is amazingly friendly and helpful. The food is off the charts good. Family friendly, the kids loved it. BYOB and very good with the wine service. Starting with the home made Caponata, which reminded me of childhood. Only thing I can think to complain about is so minor -- grilled octopus salad had only a small amount of pre-cut octopus on top, not sure if thats their normal but it seemed odd to me. Otherwise, this place was great and I highly recommend it.

Celebrated my birthday here. Food was amazing! Made a reservation ahead of time outside, but then it rained and they were able to move us inside! Great service, definitely recommend this place for a fine dining experience

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 pasta again.