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Rats Restaurant - Grounds for Sculpture, Hamilton, NJ

Rats Restaurant - Grounds for Sculpture

4.5
4.5
5933 Reviews
$31 to $50
Contemporary French
Top Tags:

Rat’s Restaurant is the perfect dining destination. Named for the fabled entertaining character in Kenneth Graham’s children’s classic, The Wind in the Willows, Rat’s Restaurant is designed to give visitors the sense they have stepped into a village reminiscent of the impressionist painter Claude Monet’s beloved town of Giverny. Rustic fireplaces, country French cuisine, seasonal hand-crafted cocktails and an eclectic beer and wine list are just the beginning. Regarded as one of the most romantic and beautiful restaurants in our region, Rat’s was named Philadelphia Magazine’s “Most Romantic Restaurant. Rats Restaurant and catering is proudly managed by Constellation Culinary.

Make a reservation

2 people
May 2022
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8:00 PM
Booked 114 times today

Additional information

  • Dining style

    Casual Elegant

  • Cuisines

    Contemporary French

  • Hours of operation

    Lunch Thu–Sun 11:00 am–3:00 pm Dinner Thu–Sat 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Sun 5:00 pm–8:00 pm

  • Phone number

    (609) 584-7800

  • Website

    http://www.ratsrestaurant.com/

  • Payment options

    AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa

  • Dress code

    Smart Casual

  • Executive chef

    Richard Freedman

  • Catering

    Rat’s Restaurant and Ground For Sculpture offers a full complement of resources and services for a wide range of social, private, and corporate functions. So many events—from weddings and holiday parties to meetings & trade shows have been inspired by the unique interplay of nature and art. Only the unparalleled service and dedicated staff’s attention to detail rival the setting itself. Rat's provides award-winning menus for groups up to 200 with flexible space and tiered food and beverage packages that may be customized to your specific need and budget <br />

  • Private party facilities

    When looking to host a memorable affair, Rat’s Restaurant at Grounds for Sculpture is the ultimate venue for a unique and elegant event. Whether planning a small wedding, intimate cocktail party, or corporate dinner, Rat’s private dining rooms, lounges, and outdoor spaces is just right!

  • Location

    16 Fairgrounds Road Hamilton, NJ 08619

  • Neighborhood

    Princeton

  • Cross street

    Sculpture Way

  • Parking details

    Abundant parking is available in our private parking lot.

  • Public transit

    Less than 3 miles from the Hamilton, NJ Amtrak/NJ Transit complex

  • Additional

    Banquet, Beer, Cafe, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Popular dishes

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 5,933 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.5
4.5 based on recent ratings
  • 4.4Food
  • 4.5Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.1Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

  • New Jersey - Central

    Outdoor Dining

  • New Jersey - Central

    Most Booked

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Filters

  1. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    New York Area

    13 reviews

    vip
    1.0

    13 reviews

    Dined today

    overall1food3service1ambience3

    Beyond horrible. It was our 20th wedding anniversary and we got engaged there. Our order was lost so had to keep asking for drinks and even silverware. Service exceptionally slow and they ask for you to be done in less than 1 1/2 -2 hours. Takes that long to get the order straight. We were given a gift certificate as a gift from family knowing the special meaning to us of Rats. Tried to use gift card. Lost that too. Waiter apparently thought he should get a $35 tip for a $65 meal. Took 20 minutes and still couldn’t find the gift certificate given to him. Tried to speak with hostess station but not any help either. Took an hour both ways so imagine the gas and then being robbed. Needless to say our day was terribly disappointing and we ALWAYS recommend Rat’s. Will never make that mistake again. Will not return. People deserve better treatment.

  2. C

    Carmella

    New York Area

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 3 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Went here for my birthday and I loved this place. The staff is very have and the food is very good. I got the seafood risotto and I highly recommend it.

  3. RL

    ReneeL

    Philadelphia

    22 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    22 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Always a great meal with wonderful ambiance at Rats. We arrived 45 minutes early to enjoy a drink at the bar before dinner and much to our delight we were seated. Our server was attentive and informative. Love Grounds for Sculpture - consider becoming a member!

  4. j

    jenniferm

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined 3 days ago

    overall3food3service5ambience4

    There is not a variety if you have food allergies or if you are a vegetarian. Very expensive for the quantity of food that is received.

  5. RG

    RogerG

    New York Area

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 3 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Waitress and staff were friendly and knowledgeable of food menu to include guests food allergies. The food was fantastic and we will.be returning guests.

  6. DS

    DeeS

    New York Area

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 3 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    A Swiss chalet decor & setting provides a charming backdrop for Rats. Coupled with friendly attentive service and delicious food, I look forward to going back soon!

  7. IP

    IllyPiwo

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 3 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Loved it! We had an excellent experience at Rat's restaurant!! Our server, Alexa, was wonderful and we loved the popovers! Would definitely recommend others to go!

  8. MZ

    MikeZ

    Washington DC

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    It was really good experience. We were able to have the table one hour earlier. The host is very nice and patient.

  9. DS

    DonnaS

    New York Area

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 4 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    We enjoyed our dinner at Rats. We were able to sit outside and take in the beautiful setting.

  10. TR

    TommyRock

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 4 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Wonderful experience, we ate outside and it was as if we were on vacation. Beautiful grounds and delicious food. Even the kids loved their food. Top notch service and ambiance.

  11. K

    Keff

    Philadelphia

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 4 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Unique setting with excellent food and service.

  12. AS

    AudreyS

    Philadelphia

    7 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    7 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    overall2food2service2ambience5

    The seafood risotto wasn’t good , service was slow and I had to ask several times, it was my husband’s birthday and there was no acknowledgement of it, even after I had it in the reservation notes, and I told our waitress when we first sat down.

  13. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    New York Area

    10 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    10 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    overall5food4service5ambience5

    Awesome dinner! Excellent service & great experience!

  14. MR

    MichaelR

    San Francisco

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Angel was perfect waiter - warm personality, attentive but not intrusive. Leisurely pace - I mentioned it was my wife birthday and when we got our dessert, happy birthday was written out in chocolate on the plate - that was a a nice touch.

  15. BS

    BarbaraS

    New York Area

    9 reviews

    4.0

    9 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    overall4food4service3ambience5

    Great place to eat when visiting Grounds for Sculpture. Setting is beautiful and food is quite good. Only issue is that we were told that they could only split the bill between 2 credit cards, not 3. An inconvenience when three friends are dining together. How odd.

  16. CS

    CliffordS

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined 5 days ago

    overall4food4service4ambience4

    Our first-time dining there and it was pleasurable.

  17. TF

    TracyF

    Philadelphia

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 5 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Lunch was outstanding and reasonably priced with excellent service and a view of the beautiful grounds. A perfect celebration for our college graduate!

  18. JS

    JeanS

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 5 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    I really enjoy the food , the service and the whole experience.

  19. DR

    DianaR

    Philadelphia

    23 reviews

    4.0

    23 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    overall4food4service5ambience4

    Friends of my sister and I related so many wonderful stories of their experiences at the Garden and Rat’s restaurant so when my sister arrived from Arizona for a visit we both wanted to lunch at Rat’s. What a delightful afternoon! Every bite of our meal was excellent as was the wine. Benjamin, our server, was attentive and entertaining. Look for me to return soon as there are several dishes on the menu that I am eager to try.

  20. R

    Rose

    New York Area

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 6 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Never disappoints. We have all of our family birthdays here and it’s also a great place to meet up with friends. Highly recommended.

  21. CF

    CarolynF

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 6 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    One of the best dining experiences! Staff was friendly, informative and most importantly attentive. Kudos to the chef and his staff for unique offerings. Plated beautifully and delicious. I was sooo glad to see that he sourced products locally from small farms. Will return

  22. DD

    DorothyD

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 6 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Excellent in every way. Disappointed I was told no outside table because I did not click on open table button. Girl(young,hostess), just dismissed me and we did have a great seat inside but I love sitting outside, She made NO attempt to accomodate us and clearly there were many unoccupied tables, the whole time we were there. She said they were all reserved. It was as usual a good experience, wonderful service. I do love outside though(our 3rd visit there)

  23. D

    Danny

    Philadelphia

    4 reviews

    4.0

    4 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    overall4food4service5ambience5

    We had an enjoyable lunch. The service was good. The front desk people were kind of standoffish. They gave us a hard time about moving our reservation up earlier and then when we got there half the place was empty. Didn’t make sense to us. Food is very good

  24. FW

    FineWine

    Philadelphia

    6 reviews

    3.0

    6 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    overall3food5service4ambience5

    Food excellent. Wine service poor. Cabernet served ice cold. Undrinkable. Very disappointed.

  25. BP

    BarryP523

    Philadelphia

    10 reviews

    1.0

    10 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    overall1food1service2ambience4

    I can't understand what people see in this place. After walking the Grounds for Sculpture which was very nice, we had a reservation at Rat's for lunch. Our reservation was for 1.00. We went to the host stand at 12.45 and were told to come back at 1.00. Went to the bar and had a drink and returned at 1.00 to be seated. Once seated, about 10 minutes later a hostess came to the table asking "did a host seat you here?" as if we just walked in, somehow grabbed two menus and sat at a table. Once a waiter came around, we ordered drinks. My wife ordered a vodka rocked with lime and lemon and I ordered a beer. The vodka was full of lemon juice like you get out of a bottle and was terrible so had to be sent back. While we were waiting to order food, we noticed the table next to us had gotten Burgers. They were obviously frozen patties, that were about 1/4" thick and two were in the bun with some aoli on them at $22.00 Are you kidding me......looked like something from McDonalds! So, we knew not to order that. We ordered a Charcuterie tray, an onion soup, and a Fig and arugala salad. And said we would order main items after that. After about a 45 minute wait the apps were served. The onion soup was good but not great. The Charcuterie was not very good at all and luckily the salad did not arrive. After we ate the two apps we did receive, we decided to cancel the salad and leave. We didn't want to waste any more money on overpriced lousy food. Maybe lunch isn't their thing, but we will never be back.

  26. MV

    MarieV

    Philadelphia

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 7 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience4

    The food was excellent and so was our server, Jennifer. Check in could have been more pleasant but everything else made up for it!

  27. JT

    JanetT

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 7 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Not only was the atmosphere and food amazing but our waitress Nadine was an absolute doll baby.

  28. TB

    TiffanyB

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 15, 2022

    overall4food4service3ambience5

    Lovely outdoor setting at the pond’s edge. Food was tasty.

  29. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    New York Area

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on May 15, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Second time in a month... unbelievable dining experience.

  30. L

    Lona

    New York Area

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on May 15, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    A wonderful table in a separate room, great as we had an infant baby with us. Food was yummy, prepared perfectly! Service was very attentive and responsive to all requests! Highly recommend!

  31. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Philadelphia

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on May 14, 2022

    overall5food4service5ambience5

    Always good!

  32. CF

    ChristinaF

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 14, 2022

    overall5food4service5ambience5

    Beautiful ambiance. Most of the food was amazing some things were not worth it.

  33. n

    nadiaz

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 14, 2022

    overall4food5service3ambience4

    Empty place and they want guests with reservations wait until their time minute to minute. It was heavy rain, what made our impression even worse. Food is fine, good level.

  34. TD

    TheaterDude

    Philadelphia

    14 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    14 reviews

    Dined on May 13, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Birthday for our daughter. Alexa was so full of personality and attentive to our needs—thank you!

  35. NM

    NancyM

    New York Area

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on May 13, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    The atmosphere and the decor is very warm and nice. The staff is incredibly friendly. The food was delicious.

  36. r

    robertp

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 13, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Beautiful ambiance in a wonderfully exhilarating, incredibly artistic setting.

  37. D

    Diane

    Atlantic City

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 13, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    This was a special lunch to celebrate my Mom’s life. Everything was wonderful.

  38. NA

    NeilA

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 13, 2022

    overall5food5service4ambience4

    Excellent menu - I would definitely go back, even on my own.

  39. XP

    XPUCTUHA

    New York Area

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on May 12, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Excellent as always!! Food, ambiance and walked before dinner to enjoy the park

  40. FR

    FazziRippa

    Raleigh

    9 reviews

    5.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on May 12, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    My wife and I had a great time spending our 43rd Wedding Anniversary at Grounds for Sculpture with a great lunch at Rats! Will definitely make a return visit!

Safety precautions

  • Cleaning & sanitizing

    • Surfaces sanitized between seatings
    • Common areas deep-cleaned daily

  • Physical distancing

    • Limited number of seated diners

  • Screening

    • Sick staff prohibited in the workplace

FAQs

Rats Restaurant - Grounds for Sculpture is rated 4.5 stars by 5933 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
May 2022
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8:00 PM
Booked 114 times today
Google Map for Rats Restaurant - Grounds for Sculpture

16 Fairgrounds Road Hamilton, NJ 08619

Additional information

  • Cross street

    Sculpture Way

  • Neighborhood

    Princeton

  • Hours of operation

    Lunch Thu–Sun 11:00 am–3:00 pm Dinner Thu–Sat 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Sun 5:00 pm–8:00 pm

  • Cuisines

    Contemporary French

  • Dining style

    Casual Elegant

  • Dress code

    Smart Casual

  • Parking details

    Abundant parking is available in our private parking lot.

  • Public transit

    Less than 3 miles from the Hamilton, NJ Amtrak/NJ Transit complex

  • Payment options

    AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa

  • Executive chef

    Richard Freedman

  • Additional

    Banquet, Beer, Cafe, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

  • Website

    http://www.ratsrestaurant.com/

  • Phone number

    (609) 584-7800

  • Catering

    Rat’s Restaurant and Ground For Sculpture offers a full complement of resources and services for a wide range of social, private, and corporate functions. So many events—from weddings and holiday parties to meetings & trade shows have been inspired by the unique interplay of nature and art. Only the unparalleled service and dedicated staff’s attention to detail rival the setting itself. Rat's provides award-winning menus for groups up to 200 with flexible space and tiered food and beverage packages that may be customized to your specific need and budget <br />

  • Private party facilities

    When looking to host a memorable affair, Rat’s Restaurant at Grounds for Sculpture is the ultimate venue for a unique and elegant event. Whether planning a small wedding, intimate cocktail party, or corporate dinner, Rat’s private dining rooms, lounges, and outdoor spaces is just right!

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