Typically, I don't write reviews - but I had such a disappointing experience tonight for dinner at Rat's that I need to share it here. I did not take pictures or complain because we were with friends and I did not want to make this an uncomfortable experience for anyone, but I have to express my disappointment by writing this review. We had a reservation and got seated quickly: it was a 6pm Wednesday dinner. Drinks and 1 piece of multigrain bread came quickly. The appetizers: a cheese platter (I was shocked how terrible it looked - the small pieces of cheese, nuts thrown all around the wood board - for $31!!!), three spreads were ok, and octopus (about a 4" long tentacle for $22!!). The main dishes: chopped salad (which was NOT chopped!! If I wanted just a tossed salad, I would have ordered it! I ordered chopped meaning you use a knife and chop everything - and again, I did not want to send it back because we were with friends and complaints like that make it awkward for everyone); scallops (4 medium size) came with a tea spoon of corn, hap-hazardly arranged on a platter. It was rushed and maybe the kitchen was understaffed but it was not worth the price of $38!! The wait time between courses was just too long. The dessert - they ran out of Creme Brule! Are you serious? It's a Wednesday night dinner, how do you run out of such basic dessert? There wasn't any other good choice of dessert on the menu but we each did order one (at $17pp). Strawberry shortcake was .. well I couldn't see what was there because it got dark, the lighting in the room was poor, and I didn't really even see what I was eating: I know there was vanilla ice cream in there. We left around 9 - it was a 3-hour dinner on a weeknight for 4 people! That tells you how much we waited between our courses. Our bill was over $400 for everything and we are unlikely to be coming back. read more

Lucky to get an amazing warm fall day...enhanced with the perfect outside table right next to the pond. Truly very fortunate. Loved that the duck walked right up to us...he knew we were suckers and would share our bread. We started with adult beverages...Negroni was made perfectly and a nice pour. Prosecco with lemon and ginger a true winner (I tasted it). The big disappointment was the French dip sandwich. Meat was tough and hubby endured half. Should have sent it back but Hubby didn't want to make a big deal and ruin the moment. My rotisserie chicken salad was much larger than our friend's portion. For $20 a salad her portion was a bit sad. The winner lunch was the Croque Croissant sandwich. That looked delicious. Love the whimsical vibe of the inside. Not sure there is a bad table in the entire restaurant. We were surprised just how crowded it was for lunch. Even with the few mishaps I would come back. I think it is more about the vibe and atmosphere than the food. In fact my 4 stars is probably bc it is such a "feel good" place not as much about the food. read more

Came here for lunch last Friday and what a perfect day, luckily we had reservations because it was very busy. We sat indoors although the weather was perfect for outdoor seating and if it's a little chilly they do have outdoor heaters. To the table they provided a complimentary charcuterie board and some delicious fresh bread with an herb butter. For an appetizer I asked for the octopus with squid ink aoli and small potatoes on the side which I loved, my entree was the Rats Burger.. it was perfectly cooked nice a juicy with a brioche bun the was a pickle and potatoe wedges, my mother ordered the parppadelle beef bourguignon which was to dry for my taste it needed more sauce and flavor although the pasta was fresh it was hard to appreciate, the banana bread pudding for dessert was delicious very popular saw many other tables ordering the same. I did try a pear martini and the pomegranate cosmo both delicious I would definitely return for happy hour. After our meal we stepped outside to enjoy the art and sculptures read more

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Over the past several years, I've routinely met a friend at Rats as it's a great halfway point for us. Whether seated inside or outside there's so much beauty and interesting decor. The service is spot-on and the food always delectable. Unfortunately, the host/seating service leaves much to be desired. One person in particular is never warm or welcoming and rarely acknowledges guests as they arrive. I will continue to meet my friend at Rats for all the wonderful reasons mentioned but please ensure the guest experience is superior from start to finish. read more

If there was such a thing as perfection..... I felt like a fairy princess . The scenery is breathtaking. I literally felt like I was having dinner in a fairy tale. The food was outstanding. Started with a great salad with fresh anise , radish and quinoa. The cheese board was delish I fell in love with the berry jam on the crostini. For vegans there is the cauliflower which was unreal such a unique taste . The bronzazi fish was also a highlight. I have to add the sangria was tasty and you only need one it has so much kick read more

We had dinner at Rat's before Night Form's. The food was great! I highly recommend the Coq au Vin. My husband had the short ribs. They were delicious too. We shared a charcuterie board with friends. It was en I ugh for 4. Everyone was very happy. read more

This is one of the nicest looking restaurants I have ever been to! The restaurant itself is connected to Grounds for Sculpture - an awesome sculpture park located in Hamilton, NJ. When you get to Rat's, you feel as if you've been transported to somewhere on the French countryside. The building is designed to look like an old farmhouse/chalet. When you go inside, you're greeted with tons of art and bright colors. The outdoor area is a great spot in the summer. There's a large pond right next to the tables giving the opportunity for tons of ducklings to visit you. It's very cute - you feel like you're in a fairytale. The food is based on French cuisine. It's pretty decent. Nothing extraordinary, but definitely a good meal. The spotlight is definitely on the restaurant aesthetics. I like to make a day trip and combine Rat's with Grounds for Sculpture. Grab lunch and hit the park or explore the park first and then get a nice romantic dinner! An awesome experience! 4.3/5 read more

This was my second time dining there and the first time was great. I love the ambience - it's a unique and special place that is just lovely. The bar is cool and they have a great wine list. The prices are definitely in the upper range ($30+ entrees) so we expected a higher level of quality and service. We got neither. It took 45 minutes to order our entrees and didn't get our food until about 90 minutes after we arrived. We are not looking for a rushed experience by any means but having to constantly flag down the server isn't fun. We watched other tables get water and checked on as we sat mostly ignored. When the food finally arrived it was luke warm at best. I have no idea if it sat so long it just got cold but none of us finished our meals. It's just super disappointing as we really were looking forward to this dinner. Management didn't really seem to know any was going on and we honestly just couldn't wait to get the check and leave. I really hope this was a one off but at those prices I'm not sure I want to risk coming back again. read more

Really great experience! We had visited about 5 years ago and had lovely memories of the place. We came on a Saturday with our 3yo and 3 month old. The staff were super accommodating in helping us get set up with our stroller and high chair. The drinks were excellent. We both had the prime rib sandwich which was amazing! Our son loved his kids meal with crayons and coloring book. Highly recommended! read more

First time visit 2 pm Saturday lunch - with reservations Warm, friendly greeting upon entering Trying French Onion Soup, Steak Frites and a Watermelon Kiwi Punch Great atmosphere read more

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Stoned waitress couldn't remember anything (basic stuff, like I'll have the fish she'll have the steak, no special requests). She had to come back to ask what our bottle of wine was twice. I killed 5 flies while eating dinner. One started swimming around in my wine. Loopy waitress didn't offer me a complimentary glass. It was also 85 degrees inside. My wife's steak was under seasoned and was not medium rare, but basically raw inside. On a positive note, I got the Branzino fish which I admit, was fantastic. French onion soup was good too. I also thought the restaurant was beautiful inside and had a great ambiance once I killed the fifth fly. It wasn't horrible, but there are way better places to drop $200 for dinner. read more

Yesterday we celebrated my daughter's high school graduation. I booked my reservation at Rats months ago because I wanted to ensure she had a "picture perfect" ending to what was a perfect graduation day. The graduation ran long so I called the restaurant to ask if we could push our reservation back by 45 minutes. They graciously agreed to do so which couldn't have pleased us more. But once we got there, the experience went sour. It took over 2 hours to be served our lunch! Despite the nice server and the manager apologizing to us, there was nothing done to rectify the situation. We ended up buying more drinks and didn't even receive bread or an extra appetizer to appease us. The table next to us complained several times and their meal was comped. I don't like to complain and told my family to wait patiently and just enjoy the view. Considering we hadn't even eaten breakfast because of the graduation morning chaos, we sat there at 3:00 still waiting for our lunch to be served. Trying to be polite and not cause a scene got us nothing. While the table of 2 had their meal comped, my graduation party of 6 got nothing to appease us. We were starving, our puppy had been left longer than expected, and my daughter was late to her friends' graduation party. It was such a disappointing graduation luncheon after what had been a perfect day. I never write negative reviews but this experience warranted one. So disappointed and we paid over $400 for that luncheon! This is not the Rats I remember. I felt so badly for picking this restaurant for my daughter's graduation. read more

Such a bad experience. 1. Even though we made reservations, we had to wait 15-20 mins to get seated. 2. We get a seat super close to a door, which got opened every 2 mins which blew super cold air on us 3. The chairs were so dirty even stains on it, felt so awkward sitting on it 4. Waiter was nice but never came to our table to take order. 5. Food was just ok or less than ok. We left after appetizers. Highly not recommend read more

Had a fabulous lunch for my birthday. The smoked octopus with pineapple and yogurt sounded odd but was actually delicious. My husband loves his tuna appetizer. We also got the mezzo plate and onion soup at our table which everyone else enjoyed. They have a kids menu and were very nice about making some minor changes. The seafood salad was perfect for a light entree after an appetizer it also would've been enough on its own. Marco was out waiter, very attentive and we never had to look for him. He always appeared before we needed anything at all. I can't imagine anyone not loving this place! read more

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We had a great experience here. I was a bit hesitant to go due to the mixed reviews but the day we went service was wonderful, food was good and ambience was amazing. We went at night so the lantern lit entry drive was a great start to the night. The restaurant was decorated inside for the holidays with Christmas trees and ornaments. For appetizers the cheese plate and bread and popovers that were offered were delicious. I had the roasted eggplant dish which was pretty hardy and had great flavors. My husband enjoyed the branzino. Their tea menu was nice and tea was served in a little teapot. We had put on our reservation that we were coming for our anniversary and they were thoughtful enough to bring out the dessert we ordered with a happy anniversary message on the side. read more

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Beyond disappointed and literally robbed us of our money. Tried to use a gift certificate and it's seems the waiter lost that along with our order. Waited and waited and waiter offered no recourse for balance on gift card which was over $30. Guess he assumed he was to get a $30'something tip for exceptionally lousy service. No silverware. Food was fair but nothing special. Had to ask multiple times for everything. Waiter had hearing issue. The front desk girls were just as useless and don't stay at their stations. Spent an hour driving each way to celebrate our 20th anniversary as we got engaged there. Will not return. Ruined our day and are total THIEVES. Place is looking run down and lawn leading to the Grounds look horrible. read more

I got the crispy duck salad. I was greasy, chewy with fat and tendons not to mention tasteless. My partner got 3 scollops that were served alone for 45$ and definitely underperformed. The food at this establishment is so substandard I will suggest if you are going to enjoy the ambiance make sure to go when it is still daylight because the food and prices are horrid coming from a foodie. Was it worth it, not for me. read more

Food was amazing here as well as the service! Been wanting to come here ever since I saw one of my Yelp friends post about it on here. Me and my boyfriend came here for an early lunch before we were headed to the grounds for Sculpture. The exterior of the building is huge and has so many different sculptures to look at while walking in. It was a bit difficult finding the main door, but when we did, we opened these large doors that looked like they were from another time. The interior of the restaurant is warm and intimate and has a lot of nice paintings. When it came to the service, it was impeccable. We started off with a bread service that had a few different types of bread, then we ended up ordering some drinks. My boyfriend ordered the french onion soup, which was popular there, I ordered the turkey blt on a croissant with a side salad. The food was so fresh and tasted so good. I cant wait to come back here again some time soon. read more

Beautiful atmosphere,unique design,great service,nice food ,wonderful location.located in grounds for sculpture-picturesque romantic park

The amount of parking spots available for customers is a joke for such a big venue. I had a reservation for brunch, but because I could not find a parking spot, my reservation was canceled. read more

I give this a star because the ambiance is gorgeous. They were out of different things on the menus and the food was nothing to write home about. I won't be going back. read more

If you haven't visited Grounds for Sculpture yet (beautiful park like setting with acres of amazing art that people ages 1-100 will enjoy!), or if you do and haven't tried Rat's yet.......its a perfect one-two combination ! I admit, I take my family to Grounds for Sculpture (GFS) quite often but only went to Rats the other day with my wife and what a treat. Spring and Fall make perfect weather for a nice lunch or dinner on the patio. Food is excellent and the servers are friendly and accommodating. The hand cut potato wedges were amazing, seasonal lemonade and sangria were very refreshing. Plus at the end......my wife and I split the chocolate cremeux - perfection ! read more

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Stay away from this place. First of all, terribly overpriced for the quality of the food and the service they provide. But that was not the worst part for us, the worst was the condition of the table and area where we were seated. The table was literally greasy and the floor around us dirty. This place used to be really good years ago, but it's not what it used to be anymore. We complained to the waiter but he smiled and shrugged it off. We will never be coming back to Rats. read more

We were really looking forward to the great dinner that we had heard about. The venue is wonderful. It took 2 full hours for our food to be served. The "Charred" broccoli Caesar was not even warm let alone charred. The scallops were over cooked. The duck was raw. The sauce on the duck was so salty we had to scrape it off. The poor waitress (she was wonderful..and the reason that I gave it 2 stars rather than 1) kept apologizing for the lackluster food and the delay in meals. read more

Wait staff are incredibly courteous and professional. Excellent management. Definitely the most visually impressive restaurant that I've been fortunate enough to dine at in New Jersey. The complimentary bread is a nice touch and the house made herb butter is excellent. Great restaurant for a special event, romantic dinner, or a beautiful lunch. Particularly inviting when it's nice enough to dine outdoors. The burger, french dip, soups, and appetizers have all been excellent. read more

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This is a review on the service I received today. I accidentally rolled my ankle right by the restaurant (I wasn't even planning on eating there). It felt like I was going to faint so I sat down and had asked one of the servers (bald older man with eyeglasses) for Coke to help raise my blood sugar and he just pointed to the bar saying I have to get it. Where's the humanity? I'm never going back here. It's too bad because I've had a lovely experience eating here before. read more

The second time around at this restaurant was beyond disappointing. Turkey sandwich was cold cut meat; chicken salad was with too much mayo on awful sourdough bread; the Tuscan kale salad was probably the worst of all. About 1/4 cup of kale, tasteless beets and a couple of candied nuts. Best part of the meal was the complimentary multi grain bread. Service however was great and Sitting upstairs was nice because it was a lot quieter. read more

Rats Restaurant is the perfect place after an amazing trip to Grounds for Sculpture. The prices are very high upscale but the food is delicious. I do not believe it is worth spending as much as I did for two people. But for the views and service for a birthday, I did. All of the food was great and would definitely go back (for a special occasion only) read more

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This restaurant is the perfect French cuisine in the mitts of grounds for sculpture. You can definitely spend a whole day here visiting the museum and sharing a meal at this restaurant. The escargot was super chewy and tasted exactly like mushrooms and the French onion soup was also really rich and filling. Definitely check out the museum while you visit this restaurant. The ambience inside the restaurant is also super unique and the upstairs section feels like your dining in a home read more

Rat's Restaurant - Petite Escargot and Traditional Onion Soup - French Near Me - Hamilton, New Jersey

Our visit to Rat's was solely based on Yelp reviews and after looking at the photos, especially the views, we decided to give it a try. It was a special occasion so we made a reservation just a day before and were lucky enough to get a table on a Friday evening! The table was ready right on time. The place surely is fancy, you know like dressy crowd and a wine bottle on every table kind. The menu is pretty compact so it didn't take much time to decide what we wanted, french onion soup (ordered just because it seemed like a pretty hot seller), Black bass in a green curry with roasted egg plant, guinea chicken with some pistachio thing. The food overall was not something to rave about, but definitely was quality stuff, a little bland for our palate though! What was fascinating was the outdoor seating and the beautiful views, the indoor ambience was equally good too. While we were waiting for the food to arrive, we hesitantly (considering this was a classy place) took the liberty to go outside to click a few pictures, and there you go! A bunch of other diners were doing the same thing, so no shame after all ! :) For an additional charge, you could enter the grounds to admire some sculptures. However even without entering the grounds, the restaurant seemed to own quite a bit of landscape to be explored, take a walk around the pond, watch golden fish, and stroll on the wooden bridge, full points if you were on a typical dinner date :) The staff was very accommodating and courteous, and surely were on top of their game. Our evening ended on a high note, all thanks to the delicious dessert! Torta Barozzi (chocolate balsamic torte, mascarpone, chantilly, rosemary poached peaches) No idea how in the world people think of these ingredients to create a dessert out of it, but it was simply delicious! Highly recommend Rat's for the overall experience! read more

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Excellent! Awesome food and service. My wife and I had the French onion soup which we agreed was one of the best we have tried. We followed up with the short ribs and my wife had the steak frites. They were both delicious. We will be back. read more

They ran out of 2 of 5 desserts by 8pm. Our server was nice but was late in clearing plates and did not provide utensils. The food was mediocre, the mussels were old not fresh and overcooked. Our table was ready 20 minutes after our reservation. This place is not worth the trip. read more

Rats Restaurant is such a Gem in the Mercer County area. The restaurant is tucked away with amazing sculptures surrounding the grounds. The restaurant has antique furniture throughout and they also offer outside dining when the weather permits. The staff and servers were very friendly and attentive. All of the staff did very well with social distancing. I went for brunch, I only ordered a salad which was ok. I will go back and order other things from the menu to give a full review of the food. read more

Rat's Restaurant - Menu - French Near Me - Hamilton, New Jersey

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Delish food, cozy interior and breathtaking view Can't wait to visit again. Suggest to make a reservation read more

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Rats is should be a part of any visit to the grounds of sculpture. The warm atmosphere and friendly service is noticeable before the meal even starts. Lunch started with a bread service in which I had a choice of 3 different presumably French breads. I had a raisin bread and some kind of white bread. Both were good. Rats is known for their French onion soup, so I had that next. It seems everyone was ordering it. It was really cheesy and delicious, but I did have one large piece of bread in the soup that was too large to fit in my mouth without difficulty. I had to leave that in the bowl. My entree was the bacon cheeseburger. As soon as I cut it juices started flowing out. That's what I like to see! The burger was so juicy and messy with perfectly cooked bacon that I was in burger heaven. But... the roll was not toasted and was a bit too thick. I suspect they got cheap rolls to cut costs, but a better toasted roll would have been perfect. The fries that came with the meal were tasty thin cut fries that served as the ideal accompaniment to the burger. Don't let the awful name scare you off from having a meal at Rats. read more

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This was my first time at Rat's and i must say I had a wonderful experience. The atmosphere was lovely and cozy. The service was excellent. I ordered the French Dip Sandwich and it was amazing. Completely exceeded my expectations. I will definitely be returning. Do yourself a favor and give it a try. read more

Beautiful place. Service is up and down. Food is usually quite good. HOWEVER-I do know someone who was hospitalized from food poisoning after eating there. read more

So this place is located on the Grounds for Sculpture- you are able to access it walking from the park or you can drive to the entrance of the restaurant from the service road on the left side of the welcome center. Check website for times but it did stay open past 6pm ( weekday) in which the welcome center etc closes. You can sit outside on the patio marveling at the beautiful pond/garden that resembles Monet's actual house and garden in Giverny, France. It's f'ing gorgeous!!!! ( view is 5 stars) You can also sit inside ( AC during the summer is refreshing lol). There is a dining area and a bar room. Decor is romantic and old fashioned. Happy hour is 4-7pm which was when I strolled in and I must say it was pretty crowded for a weekday. Tried a cocktail (watermelon Sangria) which wasn't that great I must admit but it had rosé and I'm not that fond of it - but I was so parched that I was willing to down anything with ice in it lol. I should have tried wine because I tried a cheese plate Appetizer ( which I loved). You could chose from 3 cheeses and I opted for the blue ( yum) - came with nuts and cherry liquid jam. Bread and herb butter (shallot) was served with it Staff was super friendly and helpful I would like to return to have a full meal so stay tuned for that :) Cheers darlings Xoxo read more

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Venue is beautiful- love how you can walk around after dining and also have fun with sculptures placed throughout the venue. It's definitely entertaining- Food tasted delicious as well. All of the dishes I had from there were all very satisfying. I took one star off for cleanliness. I reserved an outdoor table which was a great choice after all but they placed my utensils directly on the glass table without napkins being under it or anything. The table were all glass that's not being sanitized after each party leaves so I felt extremely uncomfortable after seeing that. Our server was a bit too busy and always had to look for him to get his attention. I would recommend this place for post pandemic to be safe. read more

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Simply the best. All atmosphere, food, drinks, service, etc.. were top notch. If you are considering this place for a special night, I urge you to stop searching and make the reservation, you won't regret it. For me, dinner was part of the moonlight tour, which was cancelled because of weather. They were willing to reschedule us, but we couldn't find a date that worked, so they still accommodated us for dinner and comped our drinks. We were still allowed entry into the park for our own self guided tour, which was probably even better because we weren't rushed through dinner to make the tour. It was lovely. read more

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