The Blue Bottle Cafe

Feb 2024 - Another great dinner here. House-made gnocchi with Jersey tomatoes, cream, white wine, and grana padano was delicious. The Duck Confit Strudel and Baby Arugula salad appetizers were equally wonderful. Dinner was pan seared Day Boat Scallops, perfectly prepared and a Flat Iron Steak with roasted potato's, onions, mushroom, and blue cheese and shallot sauce .... spectacular! And even though there was no room for desert - we had the Profiteroles with Caramel Sea Salt and hot fudge .... you'll find a way to make them fit in! Again, busy on a Wednesday night - Make reservations!

Dec 2023 -- Great dinner here with two friends. Appetizers were delicious and good portions. The main dishes were the same. Though I had Horseradish Crusted Salmon, perfectly prepared, one of my friends shared a piece of his Hanger Steak which was superb. Dessert was definitely not needed but that didn't stop us from sharing one that topped off a great dining experience. Only distraction was the noise level being a bit high but it was a Friday night and every seat was occupied ... For good reason! BYOB.

Had a great time here celebrating a birthday! The outside is totally unassuming; you wouldn’t expect the most delicious food to be inside.
I thought I read a review that said the apps were small…oh no. The gnocchi was a very good portion for an app, and so were all the others!

My entree was the duo of beef. AMAZING. Everything perfectly done. Oh and I had to try my aunt’s chicken dish with the truffle orzo…so good. Everyone at the table loved their entree, from the scallops to the duck, and the chicken.

The dessert somehow almost trumped the dinner, that’s how good it was. I got the caramel ice cream stuffed profiteroles and went to heaven. The chocolate pots de creme, also outstanding and the cobbler was a big hit.

We loved that it was BYOB, and a small, inviting atmosphere inside. Everyone was so impressed and can’t wait to come back for another special occasion!

I didn't know anything about the restaurant. I was tired and hungry, driving from Lawrenceville to Princeton. I saw a few cars pull in the lot, so I pulled over and quickly checked out the menu. Intrigued, I walked in. On the wall they had a NY Times review. The homemade gnocchi was delicious as well as the beef duo. The staff was super friendly. I would have ordered dessert, but I was stuffed! Stopping there was the best decision I made that day. I will definitely go back. I highly recommend eating here.

From the beginning to the end, we had an amazing experience at the Blue Bottle. We went as a large party (14 people) and had a lot of questions but our waiter David and the owner Rory handled us seamlessly with kindness and patience. They were super friendly and funny. The food was also amazing. You could tell it was all fresh and made with exceptional ingredients. Would definitely recommend this place!

We really enjoyed our dinner at Blue Bottle.
4 of us shared duck strudel, gnocchi and arugola salad appetizers. Delicious, every single one of them.
Our main dishes didn't disappoint, either. Scallops were perfect, steaks were very tender and came thinly pre-sliced, and we LOVED the baby "lyonnaise" potatoes that were pan-fried with blue cheese that gave them an amazing flavor.
Monk fish was very well presented and both the flavor as well as its texture were great.
Shared Profiteroles were kindly served on individual plates, we also had a very good Banana Foster with a caramel sauce - it was an unexpected dessert (we actually ordered apple strudel 😁).
Service was very attentive, and we really appreciated a decanter for our very good bottle of St Julien (gotta love BYOB!)
The restaurant was well worth the 40min drive! We'll be back!

The food was phenomenal. The menu is small. It is bring your own bottle. Everything is super fresh, so be prepared, it takes awhile for the food to come out. Make a reservation!

Great place to go. They had just changed the menu so the vegan option has been taken off but the chef made this amazing the desserts were amazing.

Very good farm to table lunch and dinners. You can tell that each tasty dish was made with love. Service was prompt and friendly. Dine indoors and out. BYOB. Tip: reserve in advance!

Best local restaurant in the neighborhood. Love the hospitality and food. It was a BYOB place with the best food in town. From appetizer to main to dessert, everything was wonderful.

Blue Bottle is the go to BYOB in the princeton area for fine wine lovers. The food is consistently very good and the servers know how to serve fine wine. My recent experience was exceptional for just how committed the owners and staff are to outstanding customer service. The attentiveness and caring in the service breeds a warmth and generosity among the diners and we had the pleasure of sharing tastes of some great wines with a neighboring table. The meal also deserves praise as the ingredient's are super fresh and the preparations of non-traditional meats (game)are always outstanding. And of course the gnocchi is my favorite.

What a nice surprise. We went with a family member familiar with the Restaurant. This was one of the best meals I have had since moving to PA. The Blue Bottle is BYOB. The building and dining room won't knock your socks off but whatever is lacking there is made up with the excellent friendly but professional servers and a meal that was close to perfect. The menu offers something for everyone. I saw the staff being flexible with children's food choices. This is definitely a regular spot for us in the future. This may sound strange but in comparison to other recent dining spots in the area, I thought the Blue Bottle cafe was beyond reasonably priced. Sorry I got so caught up in the atmosphere and food that I didn't take any pictures. My bad.

Very reliable, delicious BYOB fine dining restaurant. Went for Valentine's Day, and the kitchen was ultra-slow. Things went much more smoothly during a recent visit for Hopewell Restaurant Week. Look

Delicious food! Best salad I’ve ever had. The salmon was pretty delicious. I was lucky enough to go with 4 other people and tasted different desserts and each one was delicious. The service was also great! What more can I say. It is BYOB!

The Blue Bottle Cafe was wonderful! The kind and caring staff and the food were simply amazing. I had the Beef Duo as my entrée on Mother's Day. It was literally one of the best meals I've had in a long time. 5 stars all around!

Great seafood dishes!! Very impressed with quality, presentation of the dishes and great service! All these years have heard good things and finally went. Look forward to next meal there!!

Excellent wine selection, great antipasti and perfect steak

This is such a lovely restaurant – the best food we’ve had in Mercer County :-) The tastes are so inventive and the waitstaff, so hospitable. This is one of our favorites in the neighborhood!

A real gem. Well prepared fresh ingredients put together by a chef who knows what he's doing. Four of us tried different starters and main courses, all were excellent. Desserts were below par versus the main meal but still fine just not as wow. Our go to place from now on for a great meal.

Attended a company dinner here (party of nine). Though outside of my typical budget ($10-$15 apps, $25-$40 entrees), the food was fantastic and the service staff was very attentive.

The Wednesday night live music was pleasant and appropriate for the atmosphere. The dishes were paired well and were all cooked as desired. Dessert is always really good and seems to be made in house. This is definitely one of my favorite intimate little restaurants in the area