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Congress Hall Announces 2026 Veranda Dinner Series in Cape May

Experience oceanfront, family-style dining with themed culinary evenings

Published by New Jersey Stage

originally published: 05/07/2026

(CAPE MAY, NJ) -- Congress Hall, America's first seaside resort, is once again offering guests a one-of-a-kind dining experience with the 2026 Veranda Dinner Series, an immersive seasonal dining series set against the backdrop of its iconic beachfront property. Beginning Thursday, May 28, these dinners will be held from 6:00-8:00pm on the ocean-view lawn.

The Veranda Dinner Series invites guests to gather for a collection of thoughtfully curated evenings celebrating coastal cuisine and community. Each dinner features a themed, multi-course menu created by Executive Chef John Zaitoun and is served family-style at long communal tables, encouraging a lively and interactive atmosphere. Designed to highlight the flavors and influences of the seaside, the series emphasizes fresh, seasonal ingredients and a shared dining experience that reflects the spirit of Cape May.

The 2026 lineup includes several distinctive events, such as the Summer Kickoff Dinner on May 28, the Seafood Table Dinner on June 11, and the Shuck & Sear Dinner 2.0 on September 24, each offering a unique culinary theme and experience for guests throughout the season.

Set at one of the nation's most historic beachfront resorts, Congress Hall continues to blend timeless elegance with modern hospitality, making it a premier destination for dining, events, and coastal getaways.

Congress Hall is located at 200 Congress Place, Cape May, NJ 08204. Tickets cost $115 per person and reservations are required. For more information or to book a reservation, click here.




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Cape Resorts is a leading regional hospitality investment and management company with eight distinctive classic American resort properties in New York and New Jersey. Cape Resorts continues to win accolades and awards for its properties' delivery of classic seaside hospitality.

Widely known for its expertise in adaptive reuse and historic preservation of resort and hospitality properties, Cape Resorts manages multiple hotel and rental properties including America's oldest seaside resort, Congress Hall; the impeccably-restored 1879 boutique Virginia Hotel and five elegantly-furnished historic Virginia Cottages; the laid-back ocean front Beach Shack; the classic seaside inn, The Star; the recently-renovated Congress Place Suites offering fully-equipped apartment-style accommodations; the fully equipped Sandpiper Beach Club condominiums; and five charming Beach Plum Farm Cottages on Cape Resorts' very own 62-acre working farm in Cape May, NJ from which it sources fresh, local, sustainably-grown fruits, produce, poultry and meats for its restaurants. Cape Resorts also owns and operates the waterfront Pridwin Hotel & Cottages, Shelter Island, NY.




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