Reyla

Reyla is Asbury Park's destination for Levantine and broader Mediterranean small-plate dining, operating from an intimate space on Mattison Avenue that has quickly earned recognition as one of the Shore's most exciting independent restaurants. The kitchen produces inventive interpretations of Middle Eastern and Eastern Mediterranean dishes — lamb kofta finished with saffron yogurt, mezze spreads that vary by season, and composed small plates that draw on Turkish, Lebanese, Israeli, and North African traditions without being confined to any single one. The Lamb Kofta with Saffron Yogurt has become one of the restaurant's most emblematic preparations, while the mezze spread allows the kitchen's range of preserved, fermented, and fresh accompaniments to be sampled across the table. The natural wine list is one of the most thoughtfully assembled in New Jersey, emphasising low-intervention producers from the Eastern Mediterranean and southern Europe alongside American natural wines. The dining room is small, simply furnished, and carries an intentionally convivial intimacy — tables are close-set, the room is warm and unhurried, and service has the genuine enthusiasm of a chef-owned project rather than a corporate dining operation. Dinner service runs Wednesday through Sunday from 5pm; the restaurant is closed Monday and Tuesday. The room is small enough that reservations are strongly recommended; reylanj.com and the phone line both serve as booking channels.