Matisse voted best of Outdoor Dining by America Online

Matisse is located in the former Belmar beach bathhouse. Its mock neoclassical facade, with weather-beaten, paint-peeling columns, makes it perhaps the most visible beachfront landmark in Belmar. The interior is pretty and airy, with tall, wide windows opening onto a lovely view of the ocean, and the food, prepared by chef Anthony Wall, is reputed to be some of the best you can get at the Shore. It's a familiar blend of contemporary American cooking infused with Asian elements, tending toward fresh seafood like seared red snapper with ginger, garlic, cilantro, soy and sesame sticky rice, or pan-seared salmon fillet with apple-braised red cabbage and English mustard sauce. You will want to be here in the summertime, when the season is in full swing, and you can eat outside, cooled by the soft, delicious ocean breeze. -- Wesley Yang AOL City Guide



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