Avenue

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

Where the cotton-blue sky meets the Atlantic along the Jersey Shore, Avenue occupies a prime stretch of Ocean Avenue in Long Branch — a beachfront address that sets the tone for everything on the plate and in the glass.

The Concept

The restaurant draws a clear line of inspiration: Parisian brasserie ease crossed with the sun-drenched coastal spirit of St. Tropez, translated to the New Jersey shoreline. The result is French-Mediterranean cuisine grounded in seasonal ingredients and daily coastal catches, served in a setting that moves fluidly between bright daytime informality and a more animated evening atmosphere. Adults linger over craft cocktails on the terrace while the beach sits just beyond — a dynamic that makes Avenue work equally well for a relaxed weekend brunch or a proper dinner with sweeping ocean views.

What to Eat and Drink

The all-day menu leans into the French-Mediterranean pantry: fines herbes, truffle butter, Gruyère, and hollandaise appear across brunch dishes that include an asparagus omelet with Gruyère and truffle butter, Eggs Norwegian with smoked salmon, and brioche French toast with Chantilly cream. The smoked salmon plate — served with capers, everything bagel, and cream cheese — signals the kitchen's comfort with both French technique and coastal ingredients.

Cocktails follow the same register: a French 75 with Tanqueray and fresh lemon, a Kir Royale, a wine spritz built on Muscadet. The wine program earned Avenue a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for 2025, recognition that reflects a list curated with real attention rather than afterthought.

Atmosphere and Occasions

By day the space is bright and breezy; as the sun sets, the indoor-outdoor layout comes into its own, with ocean views that shift from gold to deep blue. Beyond à la carte dining, Avenue handles private celebrations and corporate gatherings through a dedicated events program, and the adjacent AVA Beach Bar extends the experience closer to the sand.

For anyone seeking genuine French-Mediterranean cooking with an unobstructed view of the Atlantic — without traveling to the Riviera — Avenue makes a straightforward case for Long Branch as a destination worth the drive.