Mistral

Amazing food! Amazing drinks! Amazing Staff! Amazing Vibe! Honestly though, the Szechuan Wings WILL be the second best if not the BEST Wings you'll ever have in the entirety of your time on Earth. Why 2nd? Personally because I've experienced an exceptional recipe that would put Master Chefs to shame and we all know everyone is a critic and will say something is better just because. But nothing else besides that compares. Its not close. Honestly only one thing was mildly disappointing the one time we went and it was some type of seasonal limited time dessert. It wasnt nasty or anything, it was just a texture thing for us. Flavor was good, presentation was good just wasnt for us. Server took care of us and we got one of the main stay desserts. Perfect Date Night spot. You will want to come back!!

Delicious food and a surprisingly laid back atmosphere make this a great spot for a quick but elegant dinner. The specialty cocktails were original and well done, and there were plenty of other options for the less adventurous. Grab a high top if you'd like to watch the kitchen in action! Come early and be prepared to hunt downtown for parking on a busy night, though!

Came here for a date with myself. Reservations are highly recommended. Since I was alone I was able to sit at a table by the bar. They are first come first serve. The bartender came to my take and took my order. Everyone was very friendly and attentive. He gave me good recommendations for what appetizer to pick. I chose the Salmon bites and they were delicious!! The steak was so tender and flavorful. The bartender paired it with an excellent red wine. He then recommended the s’more’s dessert. It was AMAZING!! I truly enjoyed my solo date. The service was excellent!

A solid restaurant with decent food and drinks. Crispy salmon bites were perhaps a bit too crispy. Devastator is an excellent bourbon drink. Service was prompt and waiters were very friendly.

Very very pleasant plating. The food was awesome. They have 15 different dishes. All of them are very unique and different. We also had wine pairing and I suggest to order 1 pairing for 2 people because its a lot of drinks. The service was great, we sit in front of the kitchen and we enjoy seeing them prepping the food. It was a great experience eating here

Follow me on Instagram for more reviews! @hopeless_ramen_tic 📍 Mistral - Princeton, NJ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Food: Buttermilk Biscuits – Warm, comforting, and perfect for brunch. – Drizzled with honey and paired with an incredible ancho chili honey butter. – Mostly sweet with just a slight kick from the chili—such a well-balanced flavor! – A top-tier dish. Crispy Salmon Bites – Beautifully presented. – Fresh, flavorful, and perfectly crispy. – The combination of tayaki sauce, nori, and togarashi added so much depth. – A must-order! Corn Beignets – A unique dish I had never tried before! – Crispy on the outside, warm and soft inside. – Absolutely delicious for brunch. – Paired perfectly with a rich bacon mascarpone spread. Drinks: Cappuccino – A solid, standard cappuccino. – Nothing extraordinary, but definitely enjoyable. I came here for brunch with my friends, and we had such a great time! The restaurant has an open-kitchen concept and a cozy, cabin-like atmosphere that makes it feel warm and inviting. Everyone at the table enjoyed their meals, and I was especially happy with my choices—I feel like I got a great sampling of what the restaurant has to offer. The service was fantastic, and I love that they have a rotating menu, which makes me even more excited to return. I’d love to come back to try more dishes and experience their cocktails, which looked amazing. I definitely recommend Mistral for brunch, but since it’s a popular spot, I highly suggest making a reservation in advance! Date Visited: 2/8/2025

For a cold winter night, Mistral offers a cozy atmosphere with great flavors! Each dish was unique in its own way and a visual treat. The steak with coconut curry sauce was a nice touch. The pan seared salmon skin was super crispy. While the Fava Bean Toast was colorful and fresh, the toast was soggy. Also, the salmon bites were yum except for the crust - bit hard. Service was friendly & prompt. Overall a great experience.

This place wants to be a fine dining establishment but none of the dishes are exceptional. The plating also makes it seem like the dishes came from a food truck. Hostess is anything but helpful. Also, what’s up with the paper menus? At least print them out on quality paper

Great work behind the bar by Gary. Nelson recommended the tempura mushrooms, which were awesome. Indirectly Gary talked me into the pan seared duck. Flavor and finish it up with one of Gary's good cocktails.

Mistral is still my go-to when I need to show visitors that Princeton does, in fact, have a dining scene--but the bar remains low. Lately the kitchen feels stuck on CAPS LOCK: every plate blasts you with spice, smoke, and citrus at once, while the finesse that once set it apart keeps fading. Service is usually solid and the food is always decent--just a bit shouty. Some dishes are excellent, but they vanish from the menu without warning. Weeknights are enjoyable; weekends feel cramped and frenetic. The crispy salmon bites never disappoint, but sample widely because consistency varies. I wanted to give four stars, yet after eating in NYC every week I can't do it. A Princeton four is a New York 2.5, so let's call this a generous three.

Went here for friend's bridemaid reveals! Great food with great ambiance. Their seating areas were cute and food was overall delicious! Very well enjoyed :)

We got the oysters, crispy rice salmon, tuna tostada, salad, scallops, and corn beignets. My favorites were the tuna tostada and corn beignets. The oysters are always good too, they always add some flavor on top. The cocktails were tasty and service was decent.

This place came highly recommended to me by several people so I knew I had to give it a try. I'm happy to report that it's excellent! I started with the mandrake speciality cocktail and it was so good. I had the Szechuan wings and French toast to start , the wings in the sauce were incredible and the French toast was phenomenal. Then I ordered the pork memelas after reading some reviews of how good they are and yes indeed they are delicious . For entree I did the bavette steak and eggs and woahhhhh it was sooooo amazing . I loved it all! I definitely recommend coming here!

For a cold winter night, Mistral offers a cozy atmosphere with great flavors! Each dish was unique in its own way and a visual treat. The steak with coconut curry sauce was a nice touch. The pan seared salmon skin was super crispy. While the Fava Bean Toast was colorful and fresh, the toast was soggy. Also, the salmon bites were yum except for the crust - bit hard. Service was friendly & prompt. Overall a great experience

I came here for brunch and sat outside with my friend's dog, and it was great vibes! The inside is more upscale and the outside seating faces the street outside the Princeton library. For two people, two bites and one large plate was the perfect portion. We got the crispy salmon bites which were my favorite, and it came with 3. The szechuan wings came with spicy chili sauce, and they were not my favorite but my friends liked them! This was the most disappointing dish of the three. However, the french toast was to die for. I am normally not a french toast person, but these were very creamy with berries and not too eggy. It was not overly sweet or soaked in honey. The menu here changes seasonally but I really enjoyed what we ordered. I would come back here to try the country fried steak. But would not recommend the soba noodles.

Loved the food but not the food timing. We arrived for brunch and were promptly seated. The waiter was ok but not a ball of fire. We both ordered salads and soft drinks. The decor is lovely and I didn't realize it's an open kitchen. Be advised, due to this fact, the room was quite warm and it's only May. The salads were delicious. Fresh, creative. My cousin and I both cook and can be critical. She loved the salmon and was surprised how good it was. I had grilled chicken on mine and it was memorable. The salad had those little touches of texture, surprise flavors and temperature differences that made it note worthy. However, they came out so quickly that our waiter didn't have time to bring our drinks. He seemed surprised they were out already. So were we. The timing of the food made me feel rushed when the restaurant itself doesn't give that impression. I also didn't like that they require a credit card for a reservation and have 48 hour cancellation policy (Due to the busy weekend a $50/person fee, which is steep). They texted and called to remind me of my reservation. But to have my salad entree come out within 5 minutes of ordering was off putting.

Im visiting from out of town and stopped by Mistral for dinner. I was alone so sat at the bar. The bartender was friendly and made me a great martini. I asked for recommendations and ultimately ordered some oysters, a salad I cannot recall the same of and the spicy shrimp noodles. They were all amazing! The topping on the oysters was so unique and the salad was fresh and delicious. The spicy noodles were very spicy which I loved but may be too much for some people. The place was busy and everyone seemed happy and well taken care of. I will definitely recommend to others visiting!

Different vibe w open kitchen! Great wine and beer selection, dinner menu was different, I got duck breast, which was excellent, my husband raved abt. the oysters and the Bavette steak, just to name a couple of things. Our waiter was friendly and very attentive. I will def. recommend Mistral.

Really enjoyed this place for brunch this weekend. The wait staff was lovely and offered up recommendations of the food, the atmosphere was relaxed and we never felt rushed and they impeccably timed all food. Now onto the food, we had the corn beignets, pork memelas, heirloom tomato salad and the buttermilk fried chicken sandwich to share for the table. The corn beignets were crispy and delicious sitting in a little (but not overwhelming) pool of syrup and came with a great butter. The pork memelas were the star dish of the brunch and so incredibly flavorful and unique. I could have even like 5 of these. The tomato salad was a unique combination of different ingredients and flavors with the ricotta bringing it all together, but the tomatoes were a bit on the soft side. The fried chicken sandwich was not super fried, I feel like half of it was or maybe the fried shelf came off of in the sandwich but the flavors were all there. The French fries that came with this dish were also awesome! I would definitely come back here again and devour the pork memales. Highly recommend for more elevated food in Princeton.

I have mixed emotions about this restaurant. Such a beautiful dining area and everything we ordered was excellent. The issues I have here is with the service. We started out for drinks at the bar and the bartender obviously did not want to be working - there were only a few people at the bar so he was definitely not overwhelmed. No smile, no hello, nothing. When my wife complimented him on her drink he said "oh cool" In the actual restaurant itself we felt rushed to order. When we wanted to taste the wine that we were not quite sure about we were made to feel like it was an inconvenience. Great food is not enough to make someone come back - you have to look at your service. Shame because food is top notch

Exciting food and unexpected menu featuring creative applications of spice and unexpected pleasure.

Mistral is a good restaurant choice in Princeton. However it has gone down for both food and service. Service was slow food was not at the correct temperature and not well prepared. Overall a disappointing experience.

Came back for my birthday and everything was great! I usually don't like going back to the same place to eat but I made an exception since I was blown away last time. We were given seasoned rice paper chips which was a nice twist to a childhood snack. We started with the yuka poutine and it was indulgent, cheesy, flavorful. I got the braised pork belly and it was amazing, melts in your mouth tender and loved the sauces that pairs with the dish. The red drum fish was crisp and delicious as well. Service was attentive and the interior was modern and sophisticated. Can't wait to return and try their future items.

Came to Mistral with a party of 7 for a birthday dinner at 8PM. Tons of options for parking, either on the street or at the multiple parking decks surrounding the restaurant. Table wasn't ready on time due to the previous table not leaving yet, but not a big deal. Once we were sat, menus were available on a QR code on the table. I was a bit confused with the menu. As a restaurant that considers themselves "Contemporary Americana," there were dishes from Korea, Peru, Japan, and India. I didn't have high expectations of these international dishes. Everything was WAY too salty. All 7 of us agreed. The cripsy salmon bites, the smoked fish gourges, and the brussel sprout kimchi; really not tolerable. I ordered the crispy pork belly; 2 small pieces of pork for $32? I wouldn't do that again. Ordered a Godfather from the bar; way too sweet. The shrimp ceviche was prepared well, and was probably the best dish that night. I likely wouldn't come back.

Best happy hour in town! Don't waste your time anywhere else. Get bar seating. Order some apps. Enjoy the beautiful drinks and food delivered while you people watch. Always recommend. Always coming back for more.

Came here for Mother's Day dinner with my wife and had a really good time. We ended up parking in Spring Street garage since it's so close, but we actually noticed that there were empty spots in the dedicated lot as we walked in :) Darn! We were seated immediately and were pretty entertained by the decor inside. Giant tree branches jutting out this way and that way! The open kitchen was also a nice touch. I ordered the Smoked Salmon Crudo for my first course and it wasn't bad at all - some really vibrant flavors on the plate. For my second course, I chose the Grilled Bavette Steak, which once again was a winner. My wife got the Ramp Linguine and it definitely did not pack as much flavor as my choice. Usually I feel like I pick the wrong dish in these situations but I actually won out in this case :) For my third and final course, I chose the Peach Panna Cotta, and it was once again pretty solid. Basically, nothing was absolutely outstanding but we also didn't feel ripped off by the price tag of the meal. Service was decent throughout. I would consider coming back here for a special date night.

Quintessential Food!!! Everything I ordered: East Coast Oysters & Champagne Gelee; Pan Seared Snapper with Celery Root Purée, Buttered Leeks, Potato Sarladaises, and Confit Tomatoes; and Burnt Honey Custard with Camomile Ash, Roasted Strawberries, and Whipped Cream was good enough to use my mileage plus points just to return to Princeton to dine here again. Beautiful setting, memorable food, and classy service. This restaurant gets my "All Time Favorite Vote"!!!

Came here for a dinner with colleagues and it was great a lovely summer evening. A bottle of wine for the table, dishes that were delicious and nice service. We sat in their back area, plenty of space for larger parties, I would definitely go back

Inventive menu is the best way to describe it. The food is good and they are able to accommodate all dietary restrictions. Great atmosphere and good service. We had the salmon bites, shrimp baos, and poutine appetizers and I had the chicken for dinner- I'd order all again.

Excellent service, excellent atmosphere, excellent everything! Food came out quick and just enough time between starters and main meals. Brunch is my favorite here. No complaints!

Came here after work with my gf. First time for both of us. The food is delicious!! I love the location and interior. The service is excellent! After dinner, we still wanted to continue our conversation and we moved to the bar. We were so engrossed in our conversation we didn't realize the bar and restaurant has closed. They didn't kick us out and we probably stayed for close to 45 mins to an hour after closing. Will go back there again!!

Decent agnolotti, red drum fish - overall great shared plate format. not too happy with the service - took my partner and I more than 15-20 minutes for our order to be taken after we sat down.

The vibe of this place transports you to France! We went for a Sunday brunch and now this is going my place for Bruch! Food is delicious, so fresh and prepared right front of you in an open kitchen. French toast is the best! Never seen staff working so hard and being attentive! Kudos!! This is a must try and you'll feel bad that how you missed a place like this!

Nice ambiance and a lively trendy vibe. The service is great and servers are knowledgeable about food and recommendations. The place will help with making alterations to the meal based on your dietary needs. The food was fresh and good. Enough to share and try multiple things. Am

I enjoyed the happy hour here. I had the wings and the yuca poutine. The service was good as well.

Very pricey, small portions, some food was delicious others were mid. The espresso martini were delicious. Along with the salmon bites and croquettes are a must! The Ruben was kind of disappointing, wasn't a big fan along with the kimchi. For entrees the table ordered the steak, buccatini, pork chops. Steak was so small, was only $35 but still only 5 thinly slices pieces and an okay potato cake.

Pretty great restaurant in the heart of Princeton, my family and I always enjoy a visit here when I'm back in town. It's an American fusion restaurant with some hints of Asian / Mediterranean flair sometimes (?) Ex - pork ramen + Asian style sea bass. We've enjoyed all of their dishes, especially the Szechuan wings, market salad, smoked fish dip and ceviche. I definitely prefer their apps over their entrees (the steak is decent.)

We came here on a busy Sunday afternoon for brunch. We made reservations ahead of time so we didn't need to wait. Our table was right across the kitchen area. The brussel sprouts were really good and crispy. It was very flavorful and definitely glad we got this for the table. I had French toast which smelled really good and was sweet and yummy. One of my friends ordered potatoes as a side and falafel but the potatoes weren't a lot better than the falafel. The falafel looks pretty though. Another one of us got a burger which looked great and was more than enough that she had to take it home. Service was decent. It was quite busy so they did forgot our drinks in the beginning. We had to remind the waiter once our entrees arrived. Bathroom was clean. There's two by the way. We didn't try dessert but the options seem quite diverse.

Not sure what happened to Mistral, but they have taken a nosedive. Not only have their menu offerings become a little lackluster (still have the best fries though), but they've fallen into the Princeton trap of offering fine dining pricing with amateur waitstaff. During a meal for 6 in a 75% empty dining room on an early weeknight, we were repeatedly told we couldn't order additional drinks and tapas as needed because the kitchen and bar were focused on Elements restaurant upstairs and couldn't accommodate. But the reason I will never return is because after two friends returned from the restroom to report the roach that visited them both, I spotted one in the dining room. When I discreetly pointed it out to the nearest staff member, her merely said "Oh no."

Ordinarily any restaurant where you have to stare at a parking lot would normally annoy the sh_t out of me but Mistral enjoys a get out of jail free card just because they also happen to be one of the finest restaurants in a state well known for parking lots and concrete. As usual, the present but not intrusive service was impeccable followed by some simple fare that made our taste buds hate us for not coming here more often. Dinner featured a power trio of Brussel Sprouts, Szechuan Beef Noodle Soup and Buccatini so well prepared and tasty that taking any home would have been a sin. In other words, microscopic portion sizes courtesy of a stingy chef or a vengeful warden simply do not exist here. Simply put, I'm a fan of Mistral and parking lots. The easiest of five stars.

My favorite restaurant in Princeton. I've been there a bunch of times over the years and have never been disappointed. My old favorites includes the shishito peppers (who would have thought those little peppers could be so yummy!?) Sadly those are no longer on the menu. However, what they currently have are still excellent, such as the salmon over crispy rice, steak, Szechuan wings, kale salad, waffles as I can recall from the most recent visit. All are pretty simple dishes but the flavors are definitely not basic. Their ability to make simple/unassuming dishes so delicious is why I love this place so much.

This area has a great set of restaurants that are befitting. Mistral is one of those. We were here in a large party and thoroughly enjoyed the food and drinks. Everything we ordered was really good, the special shoutout is for the crispy salmon which is salmon served on crispy rice. Yum squared! Service was good. One nit was the long wait between the apps and entrees.

menu was such an odd combo of food for a seemingly upscale place that you'd expect everything to taste kind of meh but it was actually pretty good. went with some friends and got a noodle dish, eggs and bacon, and french toast and all were good in their own way. interior was super cosy as well - would def come here again.

Several of our family members dined here on News Year's Eve. Although the ambiance and service were terrific as usual, the prix fixe menu , the choices and quality of the food were substandard. For example, it was hard to believe that there was no choice of fish on the menu. For those of us who do not eat poultry or meat(there were several options for this), we were stuck with cooked cabbage that was neither tasty or could literally be cut with a knife. of the 5 entrees for people who do not eat meat, this charred cabbage was the only choice. Dessert was lovely but overall the experience and particularly the food were a major disappointment.

Been here twice, once for brunch and the other time for dinner. Dinner was definitely the more quality experience in terms of food programming. An interesting selection of dishes, some Asian inspired fusion and also new American style. -oysters had a granita sauce in them. I didn't love it but I can appreciate the thought. -thai crab salad was probably the most disappointing because it sounded the most delicious. kinda soggy, not enough flavor, no pungency or spiciness lol. really gave nothing -falafel was CRAZY! have you ever seen a falafel presented like that? Beets and hazelnut were a fantastic trio for this. Must get -Szechuan wings were at the top of my list. Great flavor, perfect chicken crunch -dessert could have done without, too sweet Lastly I didn't love the service. I feel like we waited too long without menus and water, not enough waiters for amount of diners. Service needs to be more professional, would have gave this 5 stars otherwise

Dined at Mistral several times, mostly for brunch, when our son was a student at Princeton U. Great food and great atmosphere. Our vegan daughter liked the cold soba noodle salad and our son enjoyed the buttermilk fried chicken sandwich. The classic breakfast is also very good, as are the specialty cocktails. The indoor/outdoor room with the fireplace is a favorite spot. Definitely recommend.

Beautiful ambiance for a date night--rustic setting! Inventive, seasonal menu from award-winning chefs who work with local ingredients. Menu is meant to be tapas-style, i.e. shared small plates. Food tasted very fresh, and the flavor combinations were creative yet still highlighted each ingredient.

I decided to try Mistral for dinner on a Monday night around 7 pm. I was dining alone so figured I would be fine without a reservation but there was no table available for me until 8 pm. Luckily the bar seating is on a first come basis and I was able to snag the last empty seat. I ordered the steak with a side of broccolini and wild mushrooms. The mushrooms were 10/10!!! Would come back just to have the mushroom side. The brocollini was just alright- I did not enjoy the flavor of the Caesar dressing in this dish. Finally, my steak was good but slights overcooked. I had the ordered the steak medium but it was probably closer to well done. I also got one of their house-made sodas in the pineapple flavor which was the perfect amount of tart, sweet, and bubbly. I would give this place another try and opt to order some of their other dishes. The ambiance was nice but definitely got pretty loud.

If you're going on order one thing here (or one appetizer), get the Szechuan wings! Perfectly fried, perfectly crispy with a little bit or spice...topped with this amazing salsa verde-ish gremolatta-esque topping! I want more! We ordered the oysters and shrimp ceviche as well. Our server was very prompt and nice and friendly to our 18 month old. Entrees were great too! We ordered the steak and scallops!

The service was a bit slow but it's ok as it was the lunch rush hour. The French toast was filling but overly sweet and hard to finish. The restaurant had an upscale dinner vibes.

I came here for a work dinner, so my experience will be a littlr different from the average person. We had a large group, so it was a pre-determined/limited menu. For starters we all had the Great Medaow Farm Salad. That was so delicious and I loved the addition of beets. As my appetizer, I choose the Brussel Sprouts and oh my gosh they were so delicious! If you are allergic to peanuts, i'm sorry this isn't the dish for you, but it was so rich and had an amazing combination of flavors! I honestly would have been happy if my meal stopped there. As my entree, I opted in for the Pan Seared Salmon. That was so delicious. Perfectly cooked. And for dessert I got the Mocha Pot De Creme. By this point I was stuffed, but it was rich dark chocolate and basically was a cut up brownie! I loved it. Overall greay dinner. Only con was that I found a strand of hair in my Brussel sprouts, but besides that I loved it! Great service: They were always coming around and checking on our table, refilling drinks, and moving any plates out the way. and a beautiful restaurant. Ambiance: We sat outside on what I believe is their sort of backyard deck. It had fans, but it was pretty warm outside. Not enough to complain, but we were baking lol.

Had dinner here and it was delicious. Staff is super friendly and service was wonderful (thank you Jamie!). Food is flavorful, atmosphere was cozy. Will definitely be returning

The service was quick and attentive. Had dinner on Sunday. Have Ben craving scallops and they were fantastic, scallops with a delicious salad and butternut squash puree on the plate. Absolutely 0 complaints. We had in the back room which was cozy, a beautiful long stretched fireplace in the back with heat lamps above. Very nice presentation with the food as well. Absolutely delicious GF had steak and it was super tender and cooked to her liking

Mistral has been on my list to try in Princeton for a while now. First off, their "outdoor" seating is practically indoors with heat lamps, a fireplace, and being completely ENCLOSED. So no need to dress warm if you're seated "outside". It's plenty warm! The appetizers we ordered were fantastic. My favorite was between the fried Burrata covered in a tomato based sauce and the octopus with the perfectly crispy potatoes. The oysters were tasty but quite small for the price, and the ceviche could've used a bit more hamachi as well. The scallops were delicious and tender but a bit small for a $30 entree. The Chicken Paitan Ramen was okay, but definitely not great. The egg was completely cooked through and not runny or marinated, and I think the broth could have been a bit thicker, but I'm more used to tonkotsu broths. The chashu also could've been softer and maybe torched? Overall, I would go back, but I think I'd focus on those appetizers!

Our server was very dizzy, her name was Lizzy. We ordered 2 appetizers and 2 entrées for brunch, we were very specific. Then one appetizer and our entrées arrived together. The manager who left our food just said "that's how it was ordered" So condescending. She knew were weren't happy and came back and took entrées. Salad appetizer arrived in 5 minutes. They were nice enough to take off one appetizer from bill. Lizzy never did apologize, servers should knows to order appetizers separately. Food was okay, nothing like like it was.

The waiters were excellent. The food (five plates) was over-done and even burned. Everything, (three courses) tasted the same. I've brushed my teeth twice and can't get the flavors out of my mouth. Third try momentarily. Won't return.

That's a better choice in Princeton Township. Lots of people think this is a Japan restaurant. Maybe is an American food. Who knows