The Dinky Bar & Kitchen — Restaurant in Princeton

I have come here four times prior and have had a delightful experience each time.

However, today I came to the DINKY bar with my cousin. She and I waited as the host, who I now know as manager Keith, talked two other patrons. We were ignored and confused, however I was hopeful and patient. After 5 minutes, the two others left and Keith asked us how he could help. We were finally sat down. The host asked us for our drink order right after we sat down, however we still hadn’t had a chance to look at the menu. We asked for a few minutes to look over the menu. To set the scene there were only 6 patrons at the bar, and three other tables inside, one outside, that were occupied. It was the least busy I’ve ever seen in my time going to DINKY bar. Then we proceeded to sit for an extended period of time then waiting for someone to return and attend to us. Other wait staff walked by and looked, however ignored us. We were not even offered a cup of water. Eventually, I had to speak up and waved over the host. He asked if we finally figured out what we wanted to drink. I responded yes and that we would also like to put in our food order if he had the time. He took down our order.

Slowly, the drinks came to us. I did not like the drink I had selected and looked around to speak with someone to see if I could get something different, yet once again was ignored. Several wait staff walked by and noticed that we were trying to get their attention, but did not do anything. It wasn’t until someone appeared with our first dish that I had the opportunity to speak up and let them know. The waitress, Kaylah, was kind and made the adjustments. She even offered to give me a different drink.

At the end of our meal, my cousin and I spent yet another significant amount of time just waiting to be able to order dessert. The same waitress, Kaylah came over with the waters I had asked for and I was able to ask her to order both dessert offerings. The first dessert came out, however the second never made it out. We had finished the first and were waiting another 10-15 minutes. By that point we no longer wanted it and searched around for someone to pay attention and look toward us. We caught the attention of Kaylah and asked for the check. She immediately began apologizing for the other dessert not coming our and asked us if we’d like to wait or pack it up, however I was already frustrated and disappointed with the way we were being treated.

The other tables around myself and my cousin were getting checked in on and were brought water. We felt disappointed, upset, and disheartened by how service was run today. The host and manager, Keith, made no effort to come over and speak with us even with all of these encounters.Upon us leaving, I noticed the business cards by the door. I took one and he stated passive aggressively, “My name is Keith if that’s what you’re looking by for.”

I appreciate Kaylah’s effort to alleviate the situation, however even with it, it was sporadic and only until we needed to wave her down. I am not going to be coming back until changes are made. I hope to encounter the same welcoming and vibrant environment I’d...

We have visited this restaurant twice, and we have been thoroughly underwhelmed. We've gotten a variety of items, and only a few have been stellar. The best item taste wise was the slider, but it was only one, and we were expecting a few. It was very tasty and cooked perfectly. The worst of the items we ordered were the onion soup dumplings. We've actually had these at a restaurant in NY City, and the ones from the Dinky pale in comparison. The mush that fills the dumpling is indistinguishable and tastes more like mashed potatoes than anything to do with French onion soup. There should be a burst of onion-soupy liquid when you bite into these to give you the semblance of soup. But no- it's missing. This menu item is just a disaster. The buffalo wings are ok, while the parmesan garlic wings are gross with some sort of gooey( in a bad way), almost tasteless whitish sauce drizzled over the wings. I asked for some buffalo sauce on the side after I tasted these wings, and we were able to salvage our wings by dipping them into the buffalo sauce. The calamari were nothing special and cold when we got them. The glazed Brussel sprouts were fine and actually tasty. We also ordered the hummus and pita- the pita was fresh and yummy, but the hummus was totally subpar and way too cumin forward. Hummus from Whole Foods or Shop-Rite is far superior! All in all, this restaurant is a fun place to go in terms of the atmosphere, and the service is great, but the kitchen- the chef and the menu- need some serious overhauling. When we left, we talked about how we recently had had much better meals at Chili's and Longhorn at a much less...

A few months ago, after an unfortunate dining experience at Agricola, I wrote a less-than-flattering review. To my surprise, their PR manager reached out, sincerely apologized, and offered me a credit to try out one of their affiliated restaurants. So, my son and I decided to give The Dinky in Princeton a shot—famous for their tapas—and let me tell you, it was an experience worth sharing!

From the moment we sat down, our wonderful waitress was on point. Not only was she incredibly knowledgeable about the menu, but her recommendations were spot on. She had us convinced that tapas should be a competitive sport, and let me tell you, we were winning. Oh, and the specialty drinks? Absolute perfection. I’m pretty sure the cocktail I had is now my new favorite way to start a meal!

As for the food… every dish we tried was a knockout. My son and I may or may not have had an unspoken competition over who got the last bite of each plate. Sharing? Yeah, that was quickly forgotten once we started tasting how good everything was!

A huge thank you to The Dinky for turning what started as a rocky experience with the restaurant group into a truly memorable one. From the top-notch service to the drool-worthy dishes, this place has officially won me over.

If you're looking for a meal that will leave your taste buds doing a happy dance, head over to The Dinky. Just make sure you bring your appetite—and maybe someone who’s better at sharing than...