NORTHEAST
Where to Eat in Princeton: 16 Essential Restaurants
By Eric Barton and Maria Rodriguez
Nov. 8, 2025
Elements
AUTHOR BIO: Eric Barton is editor of The Adventurist and has reviewed restaurants for two decades. He splits his time between Miami and Asheville, N.C. Email him here.
AUTHOR BIO: With a day job that requires constant travel, Maria Rodriguez is likely a frequenter of your favorite restaurant. She’s reviewed restaurants since 2007 in publications from Barcelona to Bakersfield.
Princeton eats like a town twice its size, a place where professors debate over crudo and students learn the power of a proper neighborhood bistro.
This also isn’t a college town with nothing but sports bars: the best restaurants in Princeton keep landing somewhere between campus casual and white-tablecloth ambition. Call it Princeton dining’s sweet spot—smart, seasonal menus, rooms that feel grown-up without trying too hard, and service that still remembers your name.
This guide gathers where to eat in Princeton right now, from long-running favorites to headline-grabbers like the ambitious new Princeton University Art Museum restaurant and a revived Triumph in its sleek Palmer Square home.
Whether it’s date night, parents’ weekend, or a quick lunch between lectures, these are the best restaurants right now in Princeton, NJ.
Agricola Community Eatery
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Witherspoon Street’s OG farm-to-table spot was founded by Jim Nawn, Agricola stakes its identity on communal tables, wood-fired cooking, and plates meant to be shared—like roasted carrots or crispy trout salad. I showed up during Princeton’s Restaurant Week and saw no flash, just flavor that lands: warm, rugged, and right. —Maria Rodriguez
Best for: A warm, unpretentious night of farm-to-table done right
Aspendos Mediterranean
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Aspendos Mediterranean Cuisine is the newest kid on Nassau Street, with brothers Bilal and Celal Bodur behind it who have two decades in restaurants. Their crispy octopus and baklava that should become Princeton crowd pleasers and weeknight staples. No frills here, just clean flavors and a room that feels like they mean what they’re doing. —Maria Rodriguez
Best for: Grilled seafood and baklava that taste like summer abroad
Ayat
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At this outpost of a regional Palestinian chain, the first thing you smell is smoke, the kind that only comes from a kitchen where someone still grills over charcoal instead of convenience. Abdul Elenani’s menu trades the usual falafel platters for mansaf, or lamb braised slowly with a yogurt sauce, shawarma shaved crisp, and maklouba that lands at the table upside-down and steaming. Ayat is loud, lively, and wonderfully Palestinian. —Maria Rodriguez
Best for: A reminder of the depth of Palestinian cuisine
The Dinky Bar & Kitchen
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What was once a train station is now a Harvest-backed hang with rustic beams, locally sourced snacks, and a surprising small-plates menu. Chef-driven yet unpretentious, the Dinky does things like wood-fired pizzas, bao buns with crispy chicken, and seasonal desserts—plus craft beer and cocktails that actually pair. I slip in solo after work for a beer, pickled egg, and the roasted local seafood plate—zero attitude, maximum flavor. —Maria Rodriguez
Best for: Cocktails and conversation in a stunning space
Eddie V’s Prime Seafood
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Every town eventually gets its see-and-be-seen steakhouse, and Princeton’s just showed. Eddie V’s brings the full production: martinis stirred until perfectly chilled, raw bars stacked like skyline towers, thick-cut filets. It’s polished in that corporate-expense-account way, as you’d expect from a Darden Restaurant Group location, but the oysters are cold, the jazz trio’s tight, and the lights dim enough to make everyone look a little richer. —Maria Rodriguez
Best for: Old-school indulgence from a dependable chain restaurant
Elements
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One of Scott Anderson’s labs, tucked into Witherspoon Street. Anderson’s been a James Beard semifinalist more than once, and this is where his art meets pragmatic plating—think scallops with miso glaze or Laughing Bird shrimp on tiny plates that swear they’re bigger than they are. Princeton has lots of restaurants these days swinging way above their weight, but Elements consistently hits it out of the park, every time. —Eric Barton
Best for: Tasting menus that turn dinner into performance art
Elite Five Sushi & Grill
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This tight spot on Witherspoon delivering well-made nigiri, ramen, yakitori, and sushi rolls—all BYOB. Tony Yu, the chef/owner, sources from award-winning suppliers, leans on 15-plus years of experience, and curates sauces in-house. Go when you need precise dumplings, ramen that doesn’t fake depth, and a sushi bar you don’t need to apologize for. —Maria Rodriguez
Best for: Upscale sushi and omakase precision in a surprisingly relaxed room
La Mezzaluna
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Chef‑owner Michael Moriello is Naples-born, an alum of Big Fish, and has been quietly turning out regional Italian dishes for over a decade. Highlights: seafood risotto, hazelnut-crusted rack of lamb, seasonal pastas. The cozy upstairs setting with minimalist decor offsets dishes heavy on flavor and light on fuss. Book it when you want rewarding without the flash. —Maria Rodriguez
Best for: Regional Italian comfort from a chef who obsesses over sauce
Laurea
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Start with fried calamari or a spinach ravioli that’s richer than it has any right to be, then move on to rigatoni ragu or the Icelandic cod, bright with lemon and capers. Under chef Christopher Tavares, Laurea has turned the Hyatt into a place where hotel guests don’t have to leave to find a well-executed meal. It’s hotel dining with restraint—a modern Italian spot that values execution over ego.
Best for: Polished Italian cooking that finally gives hotel dining a reason to exist
Mediterra
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Palmer Square’s Mediterranean darling has a wine list that owns its label. This place feels like summer nights in Provence, minus the passport. I’ve stalked their lamb kebabs through two seasons, and they still taste like they nailed it the first time. —Maria Rodriguez
Best for: Pretending you’re in Provence without leaving Palmer Square
Mistral
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Next door sibling to Elements, and also steered by Anderson, Mistral’s focus is lighter, smaller plates, with bright flavors and more playful combinations. Chef Anderson still gets the Beard nod here, and the menu flexes seasonal produce like it’s the guest of honor. Perfect when I want to sip something and snack slowly while someone else does the savory heavy lifting. —Maria Rodriguez
Best for: Small plates that surprise without trying too hard
Mosaic
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Now reopened in its stunning new home, the Princeton University Art Museum’s third-floor restaurant comes with a terrace that stares out over campus, the kind of perch that makes a coffee feel like a field trip. The restaurant stays open during museum hours, meaning breakfast and lunch that ends before 5. It can be booked on Resy, so plan a few extra minutes to duck through the free-to-everyone museum. Even though it’s a breakfast-lunch setup, this isn’t a grab-and-go, with prices to match (the matcha really is $13). With sourcing from local farms, the menu from chef Eric Dantis includes ambitious composed dishes, but don’t skip the honeynut squash soup with snapdragon salsa and tahini, or the shakshuka with charred bread. —Maria Rodriguez
Best for: Campus-view brunch after a lap through the galleries
Olsson’s Fine Foods
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Palmer Square’s gourmet wonder is part cheese shrine, part café, all delight. Owned by Rudie and Jennifer Smit, the shop is run by manager Michele Adams, the only certified salumière in NJ. Olsson’s boasts over 200 cheeses, plus house-made grilled cheeses, mac and cheese, and soups. I wander in at lunch, inhale enough charcuterie to feel like dinner already, then leave with a baguette and something I didn’t know I wanted. It’s a mercy for your lunch plans—and your pantry—that this place exists. —Maria Rodriguez
Best for: Cheese pilgrimages and impromptu lunches
Peacock Inn
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This 18th-century boutique hotel’s restaurant is led by Le Bernardin alum Manuel Perez, offering refined New American fare. Recognized by the Beard House and known for its wine pairings, the venue balances stately architecture with dishes like seasonal fish or local farm proteins. I bring people here when I want a room that speaks history and a menu with its own quiet swagger. —Maria Rodriguez
Best for: Old-Princeton elegance with a proper martini
Triumph Restaurant & Brewery
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Triumph has come back swinging, swapping its old Nassau Street digs for the landmark former post office on Palmer Square. The new room feels grown-up—an upstairs bar and dining spaces, live jazz on weekends, and even a gentle dress code—without losing the brewery’s easygoing pulse. Settle in with a house pour (the robust porter is a crowd favorite) and a plate built for sharing, then watch the town wander past those big windows like a Princeton parade.. —Eric Barton
Best for: House beer, big tables, and a night that runs itself
Witherspoon Grill
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This downtown staple is helmed by Alejandro de Casenave, “Chef Alex,” formerly of Big Fish. They hand-cut beef in-house, source local poultry, and keep a raw bar that feels earned. Tuesday jazz night is officially a thing—picking your music and your meat in the same session. I roll in when I crave a steak or burger I trust, with zero second-guessing. —Eric Barton
Best for: A steakhouse evening that still feels local
