Mistral

Dependable, full of surprises. Awesome for dates, meeting friends, anything. Love the ambiance and service is usually solid. I recommend taking your time and telling the server to slow it down so you can enjoy the meal at a slow pace.

Had lunch here with friends. The food was all very delicious. Clean and nice atmosphere. There is a nice attention to detail observable in what they are doing here. The smooth latte was a nice finish to the meal. The only reason I didn’t give them five stars was having felt a little rushed by the waitstaff despite there being open tables.

So this review has the caveat that i came for lunch, which i dont think is a truly great indicator of a restaurant unless its like a sandwich place or deli. The food here is amazing. Had the tuna tartare and the burger with my mom. Really had some unque flavors that really came together. The 4 stars is for service… i didnt think it was terribly busy but we waited 15 minutes before a server greeted us. I realize that it doesnt take much for that to happen (all it takes is a host not telling a server) but service overall was pretty slow/​behind. That being said i would go back to to try their dinner menu

After our first visit lunch very impressed. Very well done in all respects. The space is well laid out and very attractive, especially liked the one kitchen and «trees». Outdoor area looks great weather permitting (winter at this writing)). Service excellent, friendly & casual but always ready and never false or obsequious.
Food is spectacular, and offers some truly unique takes using unusual ingredients, not for show or fashion but for taste. Tuna carpaccio was splendid, if slightly over sauced for my taste, broccoli binget such a beautiful blend of sweet and savory — as the desserts are.
Oh, the dessert — we shared the apple tart with vanilla Brie ice cream, the pasty and filling were amazingly good with flaky tasty crust and a filling of fresh apple but the ice cream puts it over the top, — sweet but tasting of the Brie and offsetting sweetness of the apple in a perfect balance.
Cocktails well made the way I asked for them, and I’m very fussy about my more bitter less sweet old fashioneds, lots of premium liquor choices and wine too.
Costly but in regard to the quality and the location in downtown Princeton not too expensive. We will become regulars.

I love this place! If you are coming for dinner, definitely try at least once to sit at the chef’s table just for the experience of watching magic happen. Brunch is very lovely as well, and the ambiance is very pleasant for either time of day. Chef Scott Anderson has indeed put together a remarkably inspiring and innovative menu, from phenomenal tapas to exquisite desserts, at a decent price range. Beyond the cooking, the service is usually on point, and I should note that they are also quite accommodating for various dietary preferences. This is a really fun place to brunch with friends, or dine out with family too– you won’t be disappointed.

I went here on a Wednesday night for a birthday dinner with my husband and would definitely recommend Mistral for a unique dining experience.
We shared a bunch of dishes — fall vegetable salad (my favorite dish of the night — fresh greens, roasted root veggies, with a crunch and delicious dressing), rye Dan Dan noodles (spicy and super flavorful), kung pao sweetbreads (delicious), and cornmeal buccatini (pasta cooked perfectly al dente — wasn’t as wowed by this dish as the rest but it was still satisfying).
I had the spiced pear lemonade which was like a combination of apple cider and lemonade and perfect for a super chilly night.
We share an apple tart with brie ice cream — which was delicious and the ice cream was like vanilla with the perfect hint of brie.
Only thing holding me back from a 5 star rating was that we ordered another small plate and dessert which didn’t come out (and weren’t on the check). Everything was delicious and we certainly had enough so there were no complaints, but due to the staggered nature of how the dishes are brought out by the time we realized they weren’t coming we didn’t need them any more. Also my drink was forgotten but that was an easy one to realize was missing. Service was great and though the dining room was full and our server had a lot of tables we did not feel neglected — just would suggest the orders are written down.
In sum — a delicious and special dining experience. I would definitely recommend to others looking to taste a variety of dishes and flavors that are executed perfectly and will be back!

This is definitely one of the best restaurants in Princeton and a great place to go for a special occasion. Their food definitely falls under the ‘pretty presentation’ & ‘high seasonal’ categories. You have to be in the right mood to enjoy a place like Mistral because the place can come off as pretentious if you’re not. I really enjoyed myself here and will likely come back.
Here’s what we ordered (shared everything family-​style)
— Pumpkin Toast: I learned that boquerones means anchovies and the flavor combo between salty fish and sweet pumpkin worked out well
— Cruciferous Salad Many Ways: Really good! This was one of my 2 favorite dishes of the night, and I highly recommend you get this to share
— Cauliflower Chowder: My other favorite dish. The raisins were sweet notes in this hearty soup. I could have gone for seconds.
At this point I was full… but we did order more food
— Aged Beef Brisket: Very filling and heavy. After the light apps, this was a bit jarring. I shouldn’t have ordered this. Next time, I would get the three dishes above and swap out the beef brisket.

My friends took me to Mistral for the first time recently for a friend’s birthday. They had been here before and I love tapas, so I was really excited. The ambiance was cool and trendy when we walked in. My friends noticed they had recently expanded. We were even more excited to try out the place now that it seemed that it was bigger and better. We were sadly mistaken.
They called us the day before to confirm our reservation for 6. When we arrived, they were frantically searching for our reservation — apparently it had been cancelled. Odd, considering they called to confirm the day before. After some waiting around, the manager approached us and apologized, and said we could go get a drink at the bar on him while we waited for our table to be ready in 20 minutes. Sure.
About 2 minutes after waiting at the bar and feeling very in the way, the manager came back over and told us the table was ready and we could come back around, but to walk outside because the restaurant was crowded. We waited even longer at the front, again feeling very in the way (the waitress had no problem letting us know), and decided to wait outside. They insisted we come back in because the table was ready, so we did — but the table was still not ready. We were even more disappointed when they told us our custom birthday dessert had been cancelled with our reservation and did not offer to give us something to replace it.
At this point we felt very shuffled around and disgruntled. We ended up waiting a very long time. Our waiter was friendly and courteous, but the food running/​busing service was very slow and we often felt ignored. The food itself was inoffensive at best. We did like the Broccoli Beignets, Cauliflower Chowder, and Fall Vegetable Salad. Everything else we ordered was bland, flavorless, and disappointing. They kept coming over to bring us new plates and never took away the empty ones that we even stacked on top of one another. They also did very little to reconcile the issues we had with the reservation cancellation.
Personally, I think the place got too big for their britches and expanded too quickly. The place was packed and there were only two single bathrooms (and only one of them was working). They were clearly understaffed and operating in a very disorganized manner. I would consider coming back if they get it together, but it was a really disheartening first impression.

Sat at a 4 person table in the bar area on a Saturday night. The party before us spilled a glass of water (because the table was so unstable) and the person managing the area (the bald guy with glasses) was so unprofessional about it. He was giving us attitude because he was annoyed about the spill. The waitress and young man who cleaned up the mess were both really nice. The food was pretty terrible.
Broccoli beignets — terrible. A weird deep fried mash of something.
Chicken wings — edible but didn’t taste good.
Rye dan dan noodles — weird flavors mixed together and just tasted bad
Shrimp sausage bucatini — not very good, but edible.

When you think of brunch, you tend to think of the typical go to breakfast selections like pancakes, French toast, eggs and hash browns and for me, feeling like a stuffed pig when you leave!
Not here! This was the most elegant brunch I’ve ever had, boasting gourmet food to die for!
I opted for the ‘Dutch baby’, which is a thick type of pancake with apples in it. It was served on my own personal skillet with real maple syrup. I also got one scrambled egg that was cooked so perfectly — it was light, buttery and had some scallions (I think?) on the top. And I thought I made good eggs!
Okay — my coffee. What made it so good, I’m not sure but it was slightly ‘thick’? I loved the cute silver mini milk container shaped creamer and sugar cubes that it came with too.
Vince shared his smoked ocean trout crude with me. It was really so good (and beautifully plated). I know I felt kind of badly ruining it by eating it!
I also tried his Huevos Rancheros and OMG! I’m not sure of all the ingredients but they were perfectly paired — soooo tasty! I’d actually order this if we go again.
We left happy, not over stuffed and ready to conquer the day!
Go if you get the chance!

Just a quick update regarding brunch. Since it is only once a week, Unilocalers have not commented very much on this excellent option at Mistral, much better in my opinion than a lunch I had in the summer.
Cynthia was our excellent server, and she pointed out that they had just begun a new 2 course menu that comes with a Mimosa or a Bloody Mary for $ 33. Or you can order items a la carte. Usually they require the whole table’s participation (which honestly is a bad policy, and limits the diners options when with companions) but Cynthia went to bat for us and I did the 2 course and Tricia got the only sweet choice on the menu.
She loved the Dutch baby, REAL maple syrup and quince elevated this peasant fare to brunchtastic heights. Love may be too mild a verb for my choices. First up was a lightly smoked ocean trout crude. I regret not adding a photo as there were already several of this dish, but the plating was as superb as the flavor. It was delivered by chef Ben himself, and I was immediately impressed that he is here to oversee this early Sunday meal. Next up was Huevos Rancheros, something I rarely order out since I make a very nice version on my own. Or so I thought until I tried these. Best ever, and everything made from scratch. I hate to order the same things on subsequent visits, but I really can’t see ordering anything else but these 2 choices after tasting them. But to be fair, there were other savory options from both parts of the menu.
To end I will say this: your experience here for brunch will be unlike that at other area spots. For some it may be too savory sided, and I kind of wish there were a few other sweets selections. But this is as good as brunch, or any meal for that matter can aspire to be. Definitely the best pre-​noon meal of the year, and one that I can’t wait to come back for. Cinco Unilocaleros

This is a fairly new tapas place in downtown princeton, which seems to have good reviews from critics and customers. Went to visit the place for dinner last time I was down there after making a same day reservation. The space is larger than what it looks from outside, and there is a small private place on the side for a bigger group. It was an open kitchen, which is too trendy now that it is almost getting old. We were seated at the edge of the kitchen, which we asked to be seated elsewhere but they said all other spaces are fully booked.
We were started with some sort of fried rice chip (in for pre-​course bread), which tasted pretty good, but a little oily. We also ordered polenta salad. We thought it was well seasoned. We also understood the chef was trying to make it more citrus-​y, but acid ended up overwhelming all the other flavor unfortunately. Our entrees, poussin and lamb were well seasoned and tasted good. Service was adequate, we thought. Overall, it was not a bad experience in a city which really needs a consistently good mid to high level fine dining.
Now, as I mentioned earlier, we made a last minute reservation, and we were seated on the edge was the kitchen, which was very inconvenient because of the traffic by staff. We asked the hostess to move to a different table as we saw a table close by not being occupied at the moment. She said that table was reserved for a slot in the next 15 minutes, and we understood, but we kept watching for the status of that table because we somehow felt that the hostess didn’t want to change our table. Voila, for the whole time we were there that table was never occupied. At the end of our meal we let them know about that table and that we were not amused by how our request was ignored. They apologized and took our drinks from our bill, but also mentioned that the table was reserved around the time we were signing my bill (well that ‘party’ never showed until we physically left). Maybe I am overreacting, but I hope this wasn’t one of those ‘let’s sit certain people on better spots and others on the side where it is not seen from outside’. If so I think they deserve my comment.

Wanted to eat some seafood for our 1^st dinner in Princeton and came here solely for their grilled squid salad item. We arrived at the restaurant at around 6ish and the hostess said that the wait was 45mins! We’re with our baby so waiting that long wasn’t an option. Luckily we looked over and noticed that they had a pretty empty bar area. The host mentioned that it was a first come first serve basis and they do serve their dinner menu here as well as a bar menu so we were welcomed to dine there. Score! We opted to sit outside since it was a nice and mild night. We also had a stroller so it was perfect to be out there and out of the way. Service was friendly and at times our server was a bit slow and forgetful. Luckily there were other servers helping out which saved him.
We saw a lot of good looking items coming out of the kitchen. Beautifully presented. The menu was quite eclectic and had an Asian Mediterranean flair. These dishes were definitely perfect for sharing. Unfortunately, the squid dish was sold out! They replaced it with a monkfish dish which did not disappoint.
We weren’t that hungry so we ordered 3 plates to share:
Grilled scallop salad — perfectly balanced with savory, sour, and sweet notes. There were contrasting textures that were pleasing to the palate: soft, creamy, & crunchy. Overall, delicious and interesting.
Monkfish special — the brown jus along with the oyster mushrooms gave this dish such a rich and luxurious mouthfeel. The monkfish was perfectly cooked and unctuous. The hollandaise was surprisingly light with a right amount of acidity. Superb!
Jerk pork ribs — this dish wasn’t as thrilling as the other 2, but my hubby enjoyed it very much. The pork could have been cooked a touch bit longer. I’m not a big fan of savory applications of sweet spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, & allspice. The seasonings of this dish had all of these flavors, I guess that’s what jerk is composed of. The pineapple relish was a nice compliment to this slightly spicy dish.
Overall, I would definitely come back to this restaurant to try their other dishes. I was skeptical of their Asian and Mediterranean fusion, but it actually works. The plating of the food was spectacular, food runners and servers were nice, and the outdoor seating was lovely. We thoroughly enjoyed our evening and can’t wait to try their squid dish.

We went to Mistral on a Saturday night with another couple.
The location is convenient, but parking is a bit tricky, as it always is in Princeton. If you really luck out and are patient, you can grab something in front of the restaurant at the metered parking.
Dinner and appetizers were great. We ordered several «Small Plates» for the table — fingerling poutine, baba ghanoush, smoked bluefish, and the focaccia ratatouille (my personal favorite). My husband and I ordered the whole Grilled Poussin and enjoyed it very much.
Dessert lacked a bit. We ordered the milk chocolate caramel bombe, and the texture/​taste of the marshmallow was unappetizing to me. My husband enjoyed the dessert though, and the other couple at the table tried the summer peach tart and enjoyed it.
Our server made a few mistakes when bringing us our orders — forgot an appetizer and brought out the wrong one twice, but he was still very personable and did a great job.
Of course the place is a bit expensive, but the food and atmosphere were very nice. I’d recommend Mistral.

I have very mixed feelings about this place. We came on a Sunday for an early dinner with some friends. We sat in the outdoor area which was beautiful. You are outdoors, but it is covered which creates a comfortable atmosphere in the summer heat. Our server was very nice and was happy to provide us with suggestions. We ordered some glasses of wine from the wine list and the specialty soda– which everyone was happy with.
Since this place is known for the small plates and sharing we decided to order almost all of them to start out meal. The small plates were a hit or miss depending on the person. We started with the smoked bluefish, which everyone generally liked. The Egglplant Miso Baba Ganoush was good– but was only served with a few small pieces of pita so after a bite we had nothing to finish the dish with. The oysters and buratta were ok, but both had overpowering flavors that ended up taking over the dish. Corn hushpuppies and Foccaccia Ratatouille were both decent, but nothing outstanding. The Tater Tot Poutine was served with barely any shortrib, I could barely describe it as a bite. Lastly, we had the Beef Tendon Chicharrones which I actually enjoyed. It was very unique.
For entrees, we all decided to order our own plate. We expected the servings to be much larger, but ended up being consistent with the small plate portion. I had the Grilled Scallop Salad. The scallops were good and cooked well, but served over green beans and not a salad.
We ended up skipping dessert and going somewhere else in the area. Overall we all had similar takes and that was the dishes were either bland in flavor or composed of a flavor so overpowering that it took over the dish. I think some changes to the dishes to create a more balanced flavor is necessary.

Returned after a week to eat at this place and what a disappointment ! We loved our first visit.
The food was different, the consistency was not there, the taste was not the same as a week ago, including the service ! We ordered many of the same small plates.
I do not like to think that the Labor Day holiday was a factor. Not sure if I will return, truly disappointed.

Mistral is a breath of fresh air for a town who’s dining scene can sometimes cling desperately to the past. Princeton restaurants can be hit or miss, with the hits being amazing and the misses being surprising. Mistral is a hit and seems to be only improving.
To start, the open kitchen concept is perfect. There’s something about being able to see into a restaurant kitchen that creates excitement in the atmosphere. That excitement is then sustained by the high quality of the food.
I’ve had many dishes here such as their pineapple crusted wings, mushroom beignets and tandoori half chicken to name a few. All the dishes are incredibly creative and tasty. I’ve had a few dishes that were just ok, like the sweet potato pancake, but overall the meals here are excellent.
All of the dishes are shared and served in small portions. It’s more of a tasting style menu that encourages everyone try as many dishes as possible.
The most exciting part of Mistral, in my opinion, has been the opening of the bar. What Princeton has been missing is a go to cocktail bar. There are other places, but I’ve found their drinks to be average. Mistral however, steps it up in this category with high experienced bartenders who know how to put together a good cocktail. While not perfect cocktails, they are definitely the best in town and the bar area itself has a contemporary/​slightly trendy vibe that makes for a great place to hang.
Mistral will be in Princeton for years to come and it’s likely making a few other restaurants in town step up their game.

For a weekend visit to Princeton NJ, this was a great pick for lunch right in the heart of town with all the shops. We made a reservation, but on a Saturday afternoon it wasn’t completely filled so we probably didn’t need one. I noticed right away they had an outdoor patio, but we sat inside.
Instead of a bread basket, they give rice chips while you wait. Little odd but different, I snacked on it only because I was hungry. Their lunch menu was pretty limited so I’m curious if there are more options for dinner… I didn’t get the vibe it’s a tapas place for lunch so that must be for dinner. Though limited, their choices of sandwiches all looked unique and delicious– one of the few menus I would have been happy with any of the choices but I went with the kimchi chicken sandwich. I believe my first time having kimchi, added amazing flavor, and the chicken was cooked well. I was surprised for the price the sandwiches came with fries as a side, but it instead came with a salad (so much for being healthy– I got fries as a side of course!). For some reason the fries came before the meal (as an appetizer??) rather than a side but that’s okay, I enjoyed them anyway.
Very professional staff and service, creative dishes, and unique presentation of the dishes on a black charcoal plate (idk how to describe it), but either way, left a great impression.

Tries too hard and delivers too little.
All cool atmosphere with outdoor heated dining and then cozy small kitchen side indoor seating.
The menu is printed on the paper placemat and fills ²⁄₃ of it at most. This place is BYOB by the way so forget the wine list.
Started with half dozen oysters. 4 were good and 2 were putrid. The topping was diverse and not needed, it detracted not added.
The soup based on coconut milk and chicken stock with chile oil was a very nice take on tom Kha gai.
Tuna tartar was ok and the wagyu beef flank steak was less than an appetizer. The half tandoori chicken was a winner.
Service was attentive.
Chef needs to settle down and focus a bit more on solid instead of eclectic offerings.
3 stars for me at this time maybe next time better.

Ok I am really at a 3.5 Star here but I will round up. Like many other reviewers/​complainers say the prices here are steep and the portions are small. Well, if you are not paying attention to how the menu works your setting yourself up for failure and really your review is not worth reading.
The menu is set up into four sections. Land, Sea, Garden and Dessert (something like that). So this being a «small plates» restaurant, order one in each category. If you order a meat and a veggie yes you will spend 35 bucks and leave hungry. The one of each recommendation of mine will run you about $ 60 give or take a few dollars. So for a dinner for two your at $ 120 plus tip off the bat just on food. All of the food was excellent, I really enjoyed the flavors and the overall discussions sparked with each bite. This is a place you can keep going to over and over and always want to get something different.
They are BYOB but they also have a liquor license. BYOB seemed to be the way to go, I don’t even think I saw anyone order a drink. Beers will cost you 5ish, wine 11sh and cocktail 13ish. So yea $ 120 for food then add a few drinks and some coffees and your out well over $ 200 bucks.
That said for a $ 175-​$ 225 dinner for two, Mistral was lacking. Overall the food and service were excellent but like on top chef when you expect to be at this level there is room for nit picking.
Nit picks–
–Runners had no clue which dish was for who
–No silverware change between courses
–Disposable napkins
–Unisex bathrooms– God I love putting the seat down in a public restroom.
For this kind of money I don’t want the last course’s sauce still on my knife, I don’t want to «ask for more napkins» lol and I sure don’t want to stick my finger up like i’m hailing a cab to declare which dish is mine when the runner arrives.
Another note– this place is small. I get the point of these types of restaurants. The chef wants to have his hand on each dish. Awesome– but must we shove in so many tables that it is legit difficult to walk about. Every time the table next to us got a water refill I got an ass in my face. My purse was bumped into so many times I eventually just put it on the floor which I never ever do. Gross
So Mistral here’s my two cents. Lower prices about 15% to better reflect the overall value of the dining experience, remove one or two tables and make one bathroom men’s and one women’s.