Ye Tavern Restaurant and Bar — Restaurant in Princeton

In town for work, we decided to stop for some dinner and celebratory cocktails. We were dressed unassumingly but the atmosphere definitely has a swanky vibe. First round of cocktails were good--balanced and strong. Appetizer was typical bar food--nothing to write home about. Entrees were phenomenal. Compliments to the chef as the duck confit was some of the best we've ever had. Similarly, the salmon was perfectly cooked and the farro with butternut puree was a perfect compliment. Here is where the review takes a hard right turn.... We both ordered a .5 oz pour of Louis XIII. Afterall, were celebrating! Familiar with the lore of the spirit and the dignity which it commands (coupled with the fact that were in an Ivy League town so you figure.....high class) we ordered with high hopes. But alas, we were gravely disappointed. After begrudgingly using the ladder to bring the bottle down from its perch atop the bar, the manager mumbled something that clearly matched the disdain on his sullen face. Sorry for the inconvenience!! He appeared to mock the process and our order as he poured it in front of other patrons--something that should have been done tableside. We then watched in horror as this premium spirit was poured (incorrectly) into a streak laden snifter that was not worthy of a liquor of this caliber. For reference, Louis 13 is supposed to be served in Baccarat crystal. Our server, Peter, was excellent to this point. He grabbed the two snifters and walked them to the table and plopped them down in front of us before scuttling off. Dejected, we consumed our Louis after giving it the proper respect. When the check came and Peter asked how everything was, we told him about our disappointment. He agreed that the handling of the situation was less than ideal and was extremely apologetic. Good honest server--piss poor management. Consider the customers experience, not just clearing tables. Won't be back until Im certain they're upping the standards.

P.S. pack light if you're sitting at a 2 Top--my night stand has more surface area than this...

As we were walking around Princeton on a Wednesday afternoon, we ran into someone who told us about The Graduate hotel, and to try the restaurant at the hotel. Since we hadn’t planned on where to go for lunch, we gave it a try, and we were glad we did. When you walk in, your greeted by the hotel Café bar. To the right is the café lounge, which looks like a 19th century library. To the left, is the tavern, which definitely draws inspiration from an 18th century or 19th century English Tavern, and yet also seems to draw inspiration from an upscale early 20th century French brasserie. We sat at a two top next to the windows. Though the table is a rather small café table (fits 1 dish/person, a side dish, and one glass/person [had to put the water carafe on the floor]) the chairs are large, comfortable, wingback chairs, which looking incredibly inviting. I decided to try the lobster roll, and vegan chili. I must say, the lobster roll was one of the best I’ve ever had. It was full of lobster! A satisfying lunch choice with homemade potato chips, and a side of clarified butter to pour over the lobster roll, which is absolute decadence, but incredibly tasty! The vegan chili was the spicy, satisfying chili that I was hoping for. You would never know it was completely vegan. It really seemed like a beef chili. I thoroughly enjoyed it! As someone who is a vegetarian/pescatarian, I’m always happy to find vegan options. However, for the lunch menu, I think that was the only vegan option. My friend ordered the fish and chips, and couldn’t stop praising it. He felt it was some of the best he had ever had. The service was very friendly. Our server was very personable; she made us feel so welcome and comfortable. There is a beautiful looking bar that is part of the restaurant. I would definitely be interested in going back for dinner at some point, and giving...

One of the only real cocktail bars in the greater Princeton area. The back bar is stocked with your typical liquors as well as more illustrious bottles of chartreuses and amaros. Great spot. The atmosphere is warm and inviting with a more “dark academia” vibe, very fitting for Princeton. They have a shared space with a coffee bar and large lounge/reading area. The cocktail menu is themed and rotating. For example when we visited it was Light Side vs Dark Side so all the cocktail names elicited thoughts of Star Wars and other intergalactic adventures! The cocktails that we tried were great— and our bartender even pointed out which ones he created himself which was really cool. Can’t wait to...