Although some fk my favorite staff members from eno terra ended up here, it is not as polished and good as eno terra. The attention to detail and quality of everything is one notch down from eno terra. That being said, it is still wonderful. The menu is versatile and the wine selection good. I recommend the octopus appetizer and the chicken cacciatore made in the traditional style with tomatoes, potatoes and mushrooms but with a twist with the capers and kale. Sorry we started off strong with the drinks so this is the only picture I captured from the night ;) read more

Mediterra Restaurant - Wall of butts - Italian Near Me - Princeton, New Jersey

"Like locusts, we descended upon the food...Or at least upon the appetizers." Eating at Mediterra is an exercise in seeing whether or not the food lives up to one's expectations...The ambiance of Mediterra (casually elegant with wood paneling and muted light), as well as a menu with higher-end pricing, sets the stage for some high-quality and even artisanal cuisine. So with high expectations in hand (and invariably a lighter wallet), one dines... Upon being presented with the appetizers, one is not disappointed..visually or in taste. My dining companion and I sampled upon two choices. Sumptous, juicy, and color-blazed grilled and roasted market vegatables amazed the mouth with a multitude of nuanced flavors (the mushroom medley, japanese eggplant, and shredded morrocan carrot stood out amongst at least 10 vegetable choices) ...next, raw oysters on a bed of ice from an estatuary reflected the promised reduced salinity...these appetizers were consumed with much satisfaction, and dare I say it, exceeded expectations. But, as Freud noted in his pleasure principle, habituation occured...excellent appetizers paved the way for higher entree expectations, which unfortunately were not exceeded, and thus not met. We each had a pasta, a blue-fin crabmeat and potato ghnocci and a mushroom pappaderelle. Each was enjoyable, but rendered more bland, in terms of both taste and appearance, after the stunning appetizers. A prior dining experience, with a pumpkin ravioli (particuarly tiny portions) and a dish of veal (excellent), also affirmed "the good but not as great as one woud expect" experience. The daily specials and changing menu do make this place worth revisiting. And the service, will keep you smiling (either with charming or zealous waiters). I'm being critical--but when a restaurant sets itself up-as Mediterra does- it needs to do much to meet those expectations. read more

I have dined at the other Terra Momo restaurants, so I was eager to try Mediterra and see how it compared. The atmosphere was nice and elegant, but let's be honest, the food should be the best aspect of the dining experience. Unfortunately, it was not. I had the prosciutto bruschetta as an appetizer, which was actually pretty good, except there was way too much onion for the amount of bread served. The real problem, however, was with the entree. I ordered the sweet potato gnocchi, which came with about ten (or less) miniature pieces of gnocchi. Disappointing to say the least. I was honestly expecting the dish to be prepared differently by the way the menu was worded, so that was disappointing as well. The lamb platter looked decent, although I can't comment on it because I did not try it. Service was okay, the waitress definitely seemed like she just started working there but was friendly nonetheless. In the future, I'd rather just eat at Teresa's or Eno Terra (the company's other restaurants) as the quality of food is definitely superior, for whatever reason. If you're thinking about coming here, you should probably check out one of those places first. read more

Nicholas made our meal so enjoyable last night at Mediterra. The food was also pretty exceptional from the tuna ceviche, mussels, calimari to the tile fish, salmon and swordfish and then the choc cake, creme brulee, panacotta all washed down by a perfect French martini and Rose bubbles. A 3.5 eating isn't deserved it ls a 4.5 to a 5. This restaurant really does try to deliver exceptional service and well thought out food read more

We ordered all three pasta dishes for dinner and they were delicious and plentiful. We also ordered the lamb shank and it was fantastic. The calamari was very good with two dipping sauces, one was spicy marinara and the other was tartare sauce. The desserts were awesome, an ice cream topped with espresso and a vanilla wafer cake. read more

Absolutely loved the place. I went there on Valentines Day! the place was beautiful, the food was excellent & every was exceptional! read more

Mediterra Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Princeton, New Jersey

Very pricey and disappointing. I had the Pan Roasted HALF CHICKEN 26 cauliflower-toasted walnut "rice", sumac carrot zucchini & peach-ginger chutney. The presentation was very nice but absolutely covered in a sugary sauce. Who needs dessert after that? It was sickly sweet. And I felt ill for the rest of the evening. The restaurant also gets very crowded and noisy with all the tables tightly crammed together. Disappointed! read more

I really enjoyed my meal here. Ever since I first visited the Princeton campus I knew I wanted to come to this restaurant since it looks so pretty from the outside! I had dinner with one of my sorority sisters who was a vegetarian and she had no issue finding something to eat on the menu. We both enjoyed our meal and our waiter was really nice. The atmosphere was upscale but casual at the same time which I loved. I recommended it to my director (we were all on a project in Princeton) and he said he enjoyed his business meeting here as well. read more

The overall dining experience rates as a 3, however, I give the food a 2.5 because although the ingredients was fresh and well prepared the combination of the ingredients didn't meld well. The fusion was off in my opinion. However, we experience excellent service and started out our meal with great selection of fresh bread with delicious olive oil from their sister business, The Witherspoon. It was nice dining in their outdoor patio which is far from the street. I would like to see them serve more traditional Mediterranean dishes. This place has the potential to be a top notch restaurant. read more

One of the best restaurant experiences I've had in Princeton. Table for 2 inside. We thought it was a romantic atmosphere and it was perfect to get a little dressed up. We loved the food. My branzino was awesome....cooked perfectly, no fishy taste, and flaked right apart. Delicious. Branzino is something that can go either way...if it's not done right it could be a disaster (such as Blue Point Grill), but this was as good as it gets. Good wine list too. The service was excellent. Attentive but not overbearing. We were able to take our time and enjoy ourselves. Our waiter was helpful with the menu as well. For dessert, we had the affogato. They brought out the ice cream and then poured the espresso over it right at the table in front of us. I think this is the right way to do it since I've had it at places where they bring it out to you already mixed and the ice cream melts so it's not as good. Plus it's more fun this way. Luckily we each had our own, because it was so good I don't think either of us would have wanted to share. Sure, it was pricey, but I don't mind paying for a great meal and a great experience. read more

Very nice, quite, elegant, simple, casual restaurant with good outdoor, courtyard seating in the heart of Princeton. Very good wine list. All of the food we have had on several visits has been at least good if not very good. The charcuterie is excellent. read more

I came here with my girlfriends after searching around online for a nice Friday night dinner spot. We settled on Mediterra based on everyone's love for Mediterrean food and we were not disappointed. The ambiance and decor of the restaurant is very nice. We sat in the backroom close to the wine racks. Excellant Sangria. Our favorites were definitely the Vegatable Risotto and the Skirt Steak, cooked well. The Pork Saltimbocca was So-so. Overrall not a bad spot. Would consider coming back again. read more

These days I try to be less critical of everything but I must agree with my fellow Yelpers, the food at Mediterra needs a boost. We went this past Saturday and started with their cheese board which was nice enough if a bit sparse. Our duck breast was perfectly cooked and served with calasparra rice, chorizo and peas We also shared the dhal vegan stew which had red lentils, garbanzos and roasted carrots. Overall Mediterra does a nice job but the flavor profile of their food needs refinement. read more

Had a wonderful meal here with a group of people. We ordered a variety of appetizers. The best was definitely the mussels --the saffron broth was so flavorful. It was great for dipping bread as well. The calamari was also well cooked tender and crispy. The bruschetta was unique with peach on top so a little more on the sweet side. The zucchini manchego empanadas were fine nothing special. We also had the hummus which was fine as well. Having multiple appetizers was good since portions weren't huge. For dinner we all got the paella which was delicious. The rice was really rich in flavor and had a hearty amount of seafood, sausage, and chicken. Would recommend and come back. read more

Huh, reading the other reviews, I wonder if my fondness for Mediterra has to do with the homesick feeling whenever I travel from California to New Jersey. Medittera's decor is very nice, and is nicely situated right next to a parking garage and in Palmer Square (I had to google that one!). The bread basket is wonderful, and I've never had a problem with service. My dinners have always been very tasty, and dessert was wonderful. Between the flavorful food, good service, and nice interior, Mediterra is a wonderful restaurant to relax after a days work. read more

Came here on a weekday for dinner and sat outside. Great atmosphere, okay food. Ordered the salmon which came with spinach and fingerling potatoes and it was definitely pretty good, but definitely lacking given the $28 price point. Nothing was 'stellar' or stood out. Paired the meal with a glass of rose ($10), which was very nice. Overall very nice place to go out to eat on a date. read more

Mediterra Restaurant - Salmon entree. Was pretty good, nothing spectacular though. - Italian Near Me - Princeton, New Jersey

Came late to business dinner; ordered meatball from appetizer menu; it was so good I ordered another. Waiter was very attentive and professional. My colleagues were very satisfied with their entrees. read more

This review is solely based on the bar scene, since i haven't had the opportunity to have a meal there. after our work holiday meeting, me and my coworkers tiredly (but seeking to imbibe) sat down at the one end of the bar (conducive to conversation, since it juts out and you have three on one side and two others facing you) and had two rounds of drinks. The cocktails and specialty drinks are expensive, think 11 bucks for a bellini and 10 bucks for a g&t. their red sangria was heaven sent for our newest member who just moved to the area not too long ago. the place was pretty empty save a regular or two since it was a sunday night, and the waitstaff seem to be amused by our fancy get-ups (fancy holiday meeting i may add) and our boisterous conversation. will get here soon to nosh, hopefully! read more

I'm neither fan nor a detractor. I've eaten here maybe 3 times: once for a private event, and twice for lunch (and it's been at least a year since the last time). That being said, the food was unmemorable, if not unremarkable. I have met people for cocktails on more occasions than I have dined here, and this is a great first date spot if you are looking for one. The drinks are pricey, but that sentiment echoes throughout all of the bars in Princeton, save the Ivy. They make a good classic cocktail, however it would be nice if they would stock some rye whiskey! (Sometimes a brother wants an old fashioned). Regardless, it's one of the better spots in Princeton. But I'd stick to the bar. read more

The food is pretty good here, but I'd give them one more star if it wasn't so ridiculously expensive, even for simple items. For example, $23 for a vegetarian risotto is a bit unwarranted, don't you think? It was good, but not knock-your-socks-off good. I could've made it myself. Same applies to a lot of the entrees here. So far I like the appetizers/tapas items the best. The baby octopus is yummy, and smells tantalizingly like a summer campfire, and the oysters were slurpy-fresh. The service is so-so. I think they tend to stereotype the clientele. When I came here with a friend's parents, they were attentive and eager to cater. When I came with a few friends, the waitstaff was off-putting and condescending, even though we racked up a respectable bill per person. The ambience is quite nice, and the outdoor seating is very lovely in the summer. Would be great for a date. read more

The atmosphere is really amazing. Great for dates or a group of friends. Loved the live music and the patio where we ate. Came here with my boyfriend and two friends. If one word could describe our waitress, it would be disoriented. I ordered sparkling water and she had no reaction as she poured most of the contents of the bottle onto the table instead of in my glass. Half way through our meal she also asked if there was a fire across the street. There wasn't and there was really no reason to ask. I think our dinner would have been better without that awkwardness. The food was OK. Fried calamari was not good. Skip it. I ordered the Paella. That was also not up to my expectations. Paella isn't a dish that chefs should alter but it was and the result was sub-par from authentic paella. The place is nice. I would give it another shot just because of the atmosphere. read more

I've been to Mediterra a few times, during company holiday parties, typically with a group of 20+ people. It's a decent sized restaurant in the middle of busy Princeton (parking is such a pain here), with a fairly decent decor that showcases their large wine collection. The staff have always been friendly, although on more than one occasion I found myself wondering where they'd gone off to, as I sat with an empty glass. The food was good, but in my opinion was hardly memorable. I'm told their seafood dishes / appetizers are fantastic, but as I don't eat seafood I stuck to chicken, steak, pasta, and lamb dishes. The preparation of the food isn't at question here - no, it was all cooked exactly as expected, and the plates come out LOOKING perfect. The flavors just don't seem all that developed, often striking a singular or dull note, and the portion size for pasta based dishes is relatively small. Mind you, the food is still good, we aren't talking Olive Garden or diner flavors here - I'm just not sure I'd put it in line with what they charge. The desserts and mixed drinks are another story - both are fantastic and tasted expertly prepared. Of the times I've been here, I don't think I've had a single dessert that disappointed me. Bartenders are fairly talented as well, and will (usually) make any drink you ask of them, although they seem to have a problem with making whiskey sours with raw egg (aka, the proper way), something that I don't have an issue with at some of the bars in the New Brunswick area. All in all, while I'm ever grateful for our host treating us to a nice dinner, I probably wouldn't come here on my own. Decidedly so-so food and smaller portions at fairly inflated prices means an OK, but generally forgettable experience. read more

I really love Mediterra. I always enjoy the food and wine and I like that they have seasonal menus. The downside to Mediterra is that depending on where you are seated it can be quite loud. The last time we were there we were seated at a 2 person table which was really long. It felt like we were yelling to each other when we were trying to talk. The tables were also really close together so it was hard to concentrate when we were hearing 2 loud conversations on each side. Sitting outside is really really nice but once it starts getting warm the wait becomes really long. If the ambiance was better I would come here more often. read more

This place is solid. I enjoyed their tapas menu and the decor has a simple modern feel. I've come in here for drinks, lunch, brunch, tapas, and dinner. I find their lunch/brunch menu a bit lacking in variety but it was decent. I do think that their dinner menu was much more appealing than their lunch. I had their paella (which feeds 2) and it was full of seafood. It came in a paella pan but I wish they left it on a little bit longer so I can have some crispy bits at the bottom. Oh well. It was still very good. I think this is one of the finer restaurants in Princeton so I will probably be back here many times in the future when we visit my fiancé' mom. read more

The restaurant is located in the heart of Princeton. The service is pretty good. The quality of food is good, and I would recommend this place. read more

Awful. They somehow get away with charging $12 for a Greek salad made up of too much romaine, one cucumber, less than one tomato, an olive and a pin hair size piece of feta cheese. And $3 for less than a quarter of a brown avocado. And don't list "sausage" as a main ingredient of the soup if it doesn't have any sausage in it. Our waiter was nice but uneducated about the menu. They sat us at 3:57 with the dinner menu before having their dinner staff meeting (so the waiter had no idea anything about the specials) probably so they could charge us a lot more for mediocre food. This place used to be good, maybe 4-5 years ago. Don't ever go and expect to be satisfied by your food. read more

It was Sunday night and I wanted to try "Italian" one more try before giving up on NJ Italian forever (Yeah I made fresh pasta every day in an NJ Fine dining restaurant for a few months so I have high standards). Initially we wanted to go to Eno Terra however it was booked out. The atmosphere is nice, decor is welcoming... the menu also looked very good and "varied" while being cohesive. There were spanish/portuguese influenced dishes as well as very Mediterranean dishes but nothing WAYYY out there. We had a party of 7: We shared all our appetizers: Mussels (Shallot/garlic/cream/saffron) - tasty sauce, mussels get cold really quickly so they got to our table sort of warm =( but they were cooked well and pretty plump (not over) Dipped tons of bread in the sauce. Octopus salad - Tiny fried potatoes/capers/nicoise olives/paprika and a bit of octopus. It was tasty, but capers + olives = salty/briney as hell... and there was WAYYY too much of it for the rest of the dish. Lost some stars here. Bruschetta - Terrible. Bread was fat (the house bread) smeared with pepperonata (which tasted bland and old) and just soggy and boring. Little "quenelle" attempt of ricotta with a leaf of parsley on top... didn't save the dish. Thick soggy/old bread with tasteless crap on top. Yellowfin cevichle - Not bad. Fish wasn't too oxidize/old, fresh tasting and well seasoned. Red onion and peppers were cut very irregularly... should have been a simple/tighter brunoise or an uniform small dice... at LEAST. Looked like a mess but tasted pretty good. Buffalo Mozzarella - Very tasty. Seemed like fresh housemade mozzarella too. Blanched broccoli rabe, roasted red pepper (seemed jarred, but still tasty) and a nice vinaigrette. Very tasty dish. Entrees: 12 oz ribeye with truffle butter, falafel, cauliflower gratin. Ribeye was really thin unfortunately, but still well seasoned and flavorful. The thing was probably mid rare but it rested to almost a medium well, unfortunate. The falafel tasted good but seemed out of place and the cauli gratin lacked seasoning. Salt/cheese/cream all lacking. Bland as hell. Osso Bucco: Served with Couscous and dried apricots almonds and herbs. VERY nice dish. Fresh and very tasty osso bucco! Almond Crusted Merloza: Didn't taste much of this one but it looked good but relative to everything else it was a small portion. The fish was very cod-like. Well seasoned. Salmon - Pan seared on one side/ovened and finished with a "salsa" of sorts. Very flavorful and served with potatoes whipped with some nut and stone fruit (similar to the osso bucco). Nice dish. Well cooked salmon. Scallops - 3 Hefty 1.5 - 2 oz scallops which were cooked and seasoned VERY well. However the cauliflower puree was cold and crappily plated over some wilted romaine or something.. but it had a nice cold but very well seasoned lentil salad. Also a few parsnip chips which were done quite well. Nice dish, needs re-thinking on the puree. Pastas: Orrechiette - tasty shell pasta with housemade sausage and other things. Not bad at all, my younger brother finished it all. Fettucine - seemed pretty fresh. The pasta had a few noodles that were stuck together so it seemed like freshly boiled and slightly oxidized in color which made me feel like it was fresh made (maybe 2 days old though). Good bite to the pasta itself but could have used more salt. The entire dish was a mess though. Slightly overcooked haricot verts, chunks of canned tomato, tough to chew braised short rib... it was "tasty" but I only had like 4 - 5 bites and I'm a BIG EATER. Disappointing. Desserts: All desserts came with a sorbet or ice cream which was freshly made in house. I liked that. The Marscapone cheesecake was REALLY nice. with strawberries and a jam + lemon sorbet. Pear Tart had a great crust but was not as tasty as I had hoped. Baklava which was tasty and a honey-sugary mess as baklava often is. All in all... not a bad spot. Good decor, decent but inconsistent food (some dishes being well thought but others just... really really shitty). Going to try Eno Terra next. read more

To me, the restaurant was kind of mediocre. I ordered the Cesar Salad, of which I was not too impressed with. I ordered the steak frites, and there were two major problems. For 1, no fries! I mean, what? Steak Frites is supposed to be steak with fries, not just steak! I had no fries. For 2, the steak wasn't even all that good. After that, I made sure that I wouldn't come back here again. read more

Average food, too expensive for the quality if the food. Doubt I will be coming back anytime soon. Well priced wine read more

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3.5 stars It was an enjoyable but forgettable meal. I had the branzino a la plancha with sweet potato purée, farro, and greens. The dish was light, and the crispy skin contrasted well with the flaky fish. Good, but not worth $29. Service was surprisingly fast, given how full the restaurant was. The atmosphere was lively and warm, but the tables were awkwardly placed too close together, and too long so that it was hard to talk to my dining partner. I wouldn't go back for the price. read more

I liked Mediterra a lot. My friend and I were the 1st to arrive in a group of 6, but they still seated the two of us right away (granted, it wasn't packed on a Thursday night, but it was still nice). The older gentleman who acted as the sommelier was very welcoming and pointed out several good bottles as options for our group. He recommended a nice Cab that we ended up ordering two bottles of. They had a reasonably priced wine selection for downtown Princeton, as our medium quality bottle was about $50. We each ordered an appetizer. I had the bruschetta with prosciutto. It was ok, but not spectacular. While most ordered pasta for their entrees, I split the Paella (you have to have at least 2 people order it for them to make it). The seafood was pretty amazing, and the rice was also solid. I'd definitely order it again. Each plate was a pretty generous portion too. The 6 of us split the pot de creme and cheesecake, each of which was pretty good. Neither was too much, but then again, we each only had a 1/3 portion. The total came to about $85 each in the end, which I'd say is about right. read more

Came here for a Princeton Restaurant Week $25 3-course deal (which, foremost, it was awesome that Mediterra was included and the menu was by far the most extensive of all of the restaurants participating). I had a lychee gin gimlet, some meatballs, a chicken/broccoli rabe/potatoes entree, and a mocha tart for dessert. The cocktails were nice (albeit pricy for the quality), and the food was better than average. The chicken was succulent (though the rabe was extremely acidic), and the dessert was wonderful. The staff were also accommodating for our large group (though we were bummed that many items on our prix fixe menu weren't available). I'd certainly go back for some of the small plates and a glass of wine, but the bar isn't terribly extensive if you don't like wine, and the food is fairly pricey for a typical dinner. read more

This is a beautiful restaurant with so-so food and service. We dined on a Saturday night and it was loud!! We can barely hear the waiter when he goes through the specials. I tried the paella for two. It was tasty but not spectacular. This is not a bad restaurant but for the price, there are definitely better option in the area. read more

This place is just OK. Don't go out of your way to find it, or dine here. However, if you dine here and expect 2 star service and food you won' t be disappointed. read more

I wasn't as impressed with this place as I'd hoped. The ambiance is great, I went there on a double date with my husband but the food was just basic. We got the veal meatball for appetizer which was very moist. We also got the half chicken which attempted to be flavorful but was not anything special. The food didn't seem very fresh as if it was heated up when you ordered it. Overall- I didn't think the meal was worth the cost. read more

This is a really great place. I loved the atmosphere, and the food was outstanding. Really quality ingredients, very well prepared. I will return here as often as I am able. Service was excellent, we just showed up, 7 of us, on a saturday night, and they sat us immediately, in a very busy place, they really went out of their way to make us happy. read more

For the last few years I have resisted going to Mediterra, ever since I had lunch there once. The burger I had wasn't great and the service was worse. I'm happy to report that things were way better this time around. I try to give restaurants atleast 2 tries, especially if during my first visit I didn't try the specialties of the house. It was late in the evening and I wanted to have dinner where I could sit outside and enjoy the weather. Mediterra is located just by Palmer Square on Hulfish Street in a great location so I surpressed my original opinions of the place and decided to go there. Mediterra bills itself as a casual, upscale restaurant serving food from the 21 countries surrounding the mediterranean. We were three for dinner and were seated outside. The weather was just perfect. The only annoying thing was a lone diner on the table next to us who spent most of dinner talking loudly on his phone and then yelling across to some people he knew as they walked by. Boy was he annoying as hell. I think cell phones should be banned in restaurants, though I did get a call and quickly ended it, probably in under 30 seconds. For once I decided to skip the appetizers and just eat the main course. I need to watch the calories! I ordered the Paella which was excellent. Just the right size portion and perfectly seasoned and flavored. One of our party ordered the cod which he said was excellent. The 3rd in our party wanted to go off menu and got a bespoke pasta dish which the chef was happy to do. That too was very good. I had a red wine sangria to acoompany my meal, very refreshing. Live music was playing at the restaurant. It wasn't too loud and quite pleasant. Our waiter, Pedro was very attentive and chatty. He took his job seriously which is what I like to see. He was so eagar to make sure everything was perfect. We skipped dessert and went somewhere else for some excellent ice cream. Dinner for 3 turned out to be under $70. Great value. I may have to start changing my opinion of Princeton area restaurants. www.foodielifestyle.com read more

WOW, what an experience? The food and spirits were amazing. Had the watermelon salad and morrocan scallops which was incredible! For dessert had three tiny scoop of the most unbelievable "bent spoon" Creations. Thought I had died and went to heaven. Was not your run of the mill check either - 125.00 for two with 2 drinks. All-in-all, a gastronomical treat!! read more

Excellent ambience, good food and drinks! This was the first time I ate here. We went to celebrate my nephew's engagement. It was wonderful! The food was delicious and the drinks were great! Great place for a quiet, intimate celebration! A bit expensive; however, I recommend it for a special occasion. They have dining inside and outside. Large picture windows make dining inside almost as nice as out. No reservations for outdoor tables. read more

What a waste of a great location. Line out the door for a blah menu, ehh service, and so-so food. This overpriced menu features nothing special in particular. I honestly have no idea why this is such a popular place with all the other restaurant choices in the area. The food is very inconsistant, sometimes what you're eating is worth it and other times it seems like they just didn't care at all about your meal. The establishment itself looks nice, I'll concede to that point, but the quality of the food simply does not stack up to its price. If you're looking for a place to get a quick drink before going out to a better restaurant for food, I'd recommend Mediterra. read more