Excellent experience. My wife and I went there as a belated Valentine's day treat for ourselves and did the 17 course tasting menu. We also sprung for the wine pairing. I think 16/17 dishes were excellent and there was only one that was "just ok". Wine pairing was excellent and pours were generous. My only advice would be to pace yourself, don't need to eat and drink everything! A little expensive but worth it for what you get.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Udochi M.
I was hosting a large internal dinner for my team of 43 people. A big dinner I know! I searched for a few places in princeton and stumbled upon elements. I made a reservation about a month in advance and communicated to their head of events about any changes that needed to be made. Upon arrival we were taken upstairs to one of their private areas. Our area had a front row view of the kitchen which I thought was super cool! Reminded me of Hell's Kitchen hahaha! We were seated and were immediately asked about drinks. Because we had a large group, everyone trickled in at different times. We honestly waited until about an hour to make orders. What I do wish happened during this time is that they'd pass the bread or some sort of sharable snack to eat. We then each ordered our 4 course meals ($89 each). Each course had a vegetarian/vegan option. I choose the Tuna Tartare to start, then the Rutabega, Kinpachi (fish), and I asked for fruit since I gave up sugar for lent. However, regardless of what you choose everyone started off with a sort of dumpling. Not sure what was in it, but it was delicious and a nice way to start us off on this food journey together. The food: 1. Tuna Tartare: This was delicious. Maybe my favorite thing in the menu. The staff recommended you eat it like a taco kinda, which I highly recommend! This had the right amount of flavors and kept me wanting more! Really started on a high note!! 2. Rutabaga: This was good. Kinda reminded me of a squash. Wasn't bad, but I kinda wish I got the squid. It's a little soupy, but delicious!! 3. Kanpachi: Now this was delicious! I wish it was a much bigger portion! I was so shocked how small it was. I was like this is it? For my entree? As I'm writing this i'm still hungry lol! But it was good, just not nearly enough! 4. Fruit: I gave up added sugar for lent, so I asked if there was anything else they could give me. They surprised me with fruit, which was delicious! You can't go wrong with fruit! Overall a really great find and a beautiful restaurant. Great service, but way too small of portions! Like give me a meal! I don't need to be stuffed, but I want to feel fed.
Melinda M.
we did the chefs tasting menu for $199 pp. overall a pleasant experience: FOOD: -the portion sizes are pretty good, i left feeling pretty full but not overly stuffed -everything was great! the courses focus on simple dishes that aren't over the top. however i was a bit disappointed by the steak since it really lacked salt (which could've been intentional on the chefs part) which made the steak pretty bland. especially since we payed extra for a slice of wagyu, it didn't quite reach my expectations despite the beautiful presentation -winners of the course: the tuna platter was AMAZING! otoro bites were best if the night -creamiest vanila icecream for desert, so good SERVICE: -the waiters are super attentive and change your utensils for every new dish -i didn't know what non-alcoholic drink to get on the menu so the waiter had the bartender make me something based on what i wanted, which i liked AMBIANCE: -very nice art on the walls and open kitchen so you can see the chefs cook -there's usually a fully booked room so there weren't any moments where we felt overly attended on or there was too much silence definitely very pricey but would go again for a nice family occasion!
Anthony M.
I have eaten here three times and every-time it exceeds expectations. Chef Scott is a culinary genius and the best chef in New Jersey. Only restaurant in nj that really has Michelin quality standards and the best foh I think in the state. Thank you chef Scott and the team for a delightful meal
Natali
Service was great! Caroline was super friendly, the food was fantastic and the drinks were delicious! We have been coming to elements for 3 years now for every anniversary and it has never disappointed! Thank you guys!
Outstanding service and prix fixe menu for Valentine's Day week. My last visit here was almost 8 years ago and this visit was as great as then. Kudos to the entire staff, from front to back of the house.
TSands
The unique small dishes are packed with delicious flavors that had us feeling like we were eating like royalty... but the staff were friendly, pleasant and courteous, which brought ease and contentment for us to savor every delectable bite.
Natalia N.
I was expecting our dinner to be more like a testing experience, not a full course dinner, but it was both! Everyone was happy with quality, deliciousness and amount of portions ( we had 5-course menu). Every meal was served at a perfect time; we were not rushed, and, at the same time - we didn't wait for the next meal, so it was great 3 hours dinner. There was no music in the dining room ( it's a big plus for me, so we were able to talk and enjoy our food without any distraction). We did not order wine paring. But the drinks from the bar were not good ( full glasses of ice cubes with almost non-existing alcohol); I was not expecting such a low quality cocktails from their bar.
JCJ
Wonderful and Michelin star worthy!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
jbske
We felt everything about this experience was top notch, a terrific night. This is our second visit and the food is always delicious and inventive. The service is wonderful and the pace of the courses was perfect. The only thing we were not a fan of was the wine list. A great night!
Nice location, great service. They had some great culinary creations, the tuna tartare was outstanding. Others, like the linguine and the main meat course were just average (deduction one star at this price point). My biggest concern is that overall it was too much food, and with a lot of salt. Both my wife and I felt super bloated afterwards, did not sleep well and got up more than once in the night to drink more water (deducting another star). As the whole experience clocked in at almost $500 for the two of us (with only one alcoholic drink), this is not what we wanted. We have been to pricey restaurants before and never had these issues. So we won't repeat going there even though we live close by.
DennisK
This is an open kitchen restaurant and you're free to converse with the chef's on your way to the restrooms! I asked what made the shashimi so delightful in flavor and the chef de cuisine explained it had been lightly marinated in ponzu sauce. Executive chef, Scott Anderson, overhearing the conversation, corrected his chef to say and it also included "the zest of orange". This is the careful attention to detail that the chef holds over his kitchen staff ...even listening to their answers. And it this attention that results in a two hour experience that will last for days. Dozens of tiny plates, each with complex layers of flavor that showcase what happens when the best ingredients are combined with such scrutiny that a few seconds in the fire too long will change the taste. This was a feast for the eyes, the tastebuds and even the nostrils. As one critic commented "you will leave either speechless or you will excessively pontificate for days!".
Ronald Kasner
My wife & I went to Elements yesterday evening to celebrate my birthday and had one of the most disappointing meals of my lifetime. I’m not sure where to begin, but when the bread and the dessert biscuits are your best bites of the evening you know the restaurant is not up to par.Here’s just a few examples of our bad food & experience:The potatoes on which our rib-eye was served were cold and gummy, as if someone put way too much guar gum in their mashed potato mix. When we sent the dish back, they returned a plate with new potatoes and our partially eaten, now re-heated & overdone steak with it. I was shocked the chef served me reheated steak, rather than prepare a new one, given the kitchen’s original mistake.The ribeye itself was ok, but the meat was completely overpowered by the smoke flavor. I fully appreciate the great taste that can be achieved by cooking over a woodfired grill, but the steak tasted like it was smoke infused vs naturally grilled.My prior course of scallops was a very good dish, but I was surprised they used tiny day boat scallops vs nice sea scallops. More surprising was that they actually charged a $20 supplement for them.The tuna appetizer prepared multiple ways was a nice course. An interesting and tasty medley from sashimi to tartar to seared. Unfortunately, whoever prepped the tuna did not do so properly. Mine included chunks of fatty tuna strung together such that it got caught in my mouth and I had to spit it out in my napkin.From a service perspective, I was disappointed that a manager never came to our table to apologize for the tuna, potatoes or steak — something I’d expect at any restaurant, let alone one of this supposed caliber.Overall, Elements isn’t worth going to. Even if the pre-fix price was cut in half, it would be overpriced for the quality of the food and experience. That could explain why the restaurant was more than half empty on a Friday night and does explain why I won’t be coming back.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 2
My wife & I went to Elements yesterday evening to celebrate my birthday and had one of the most disappointing meals of my lifetime. I'm not sure where to begin, but when the bread and the dessert biscuits are your best bites of the evening you know the restaurant is not up to par. Here's just a few examples of our bad food & experience: The potatoes on which our rib-eye was served were cold and gummy, as if someone put way too much guar gum in their mashed potato mix. When we sent the dish back, they returned a plate with new potatoes and our partially eaten, now re-heated & overdone steak with it. I was shocked the chef served me reheated steak, rather than prepare a new one, given the kitchen's original mistake. The ribeye itself was ok, but the meat was completely overpowered by the smoke flavor. I fully appreciate the great taste that can be achieved by cooking over a woodfired grill, but the steak tasted like it was smoke infused vs naturally grilled. My prior course of scallops was a very good dish, but I was surprised they used tiny day boat scallops vs nice sea scallops. More surprising was that they actually charged a $20 supplement for them. The tuna appetizer prepared multiple ways was a nice course. An interesting and tasty medley from sashimi to tartar to seared. Unfortunately, whoever prepped the tuna did not do so properly. Mine included chunks of fatty tuna strung together such that it got caught in my mouth and I had to spit it out in my napkin. From a service perspective, I was disappointed that a manager never came to our table to apologize for the tuna, potatoes or steak — something I'd expect at any restaurant, let alone one of this supposed caliber. Overall, Elements isn't worth going to. Even if the pre-fix price was cut in half, it would be overpriced for the quality of the food and experience. That could explain why the restaurant was more than half empty on a Friday night and does explain why I won't be coming back.
Missy Strong
I really wish I could give this five stars, and someways. The experience was like that, but it just wasn’t as over-the-top as I had hoped. Still, completely worth it, and a really lovely time with my dad for their Christmas Eve tasting menu. The food overall was really great, a little fish-heavy for my liking, but still fresh and well cooked. It was kind of a bummer to be stuck in the back room when I knew that there was a beautiful open kitchen concept in another space that people, who were paying the same amount of money as we were, were getting to experience. The waitstaff were lovely and warm, but there were some wait times between courses that were overlong.Again, though, I am super glad we went and had a proper tasting menu fancy dinner. Just as a note, parking was a little bit of a struggle for us, even though it was Christmas Eve. We drove around for a while and found a place on the street. So just know that it might not be completely easy to get a spot as soon as you arrive - you might want to build a little bit of time into your arrival for that.Parking: It took us a few minutes to find a street spot.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Amuse-Bouche Beausoleil North Atlantic Oyster from New Brunswick Canada Caviar Trout Roe
Excellent experience. My wife and I went there as a belated Valentine's day treat for ourselves and did the 17 course tasting menu. We also sprung for the wine pairing. I think 16/17 dishes were excellent and there was only one that was "just ok". Wine pairing was excellent and pours were generous. My only advice would be to pace yourself, don't need to eat and drink everything! A little expensive but worth it for what you get.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I was hosting a large internal dinner for my team of 43 people. A big dinner I know! I searched for a few places in princeton and stumbled upon elements. I made a reservation about a month in advance and communicated to their head of events about any changes that needed to be made. Upon arrival we were taken upstairs to one of their private areas. Our area had a front row view of the kitchen which I thought was super cool! Reminded me of Hell's Kitchen hahaha! We were seated and were immediately asked about drinks. Because we had a large group, everyone trickled in at different times. We honestly waited until about an hour to make orders. What I do wish happened during this time is that they'd pass the bread or some sort of sharable snack to eat. We then each ordered our 4 course meals ($89 each). Each course had a vegetarian/vegan option. I choose the Tuna Tartare to start, then the Rutabega, Kinpachi (fish), and I asked for fruit since I gave up sugar for lent. However, regardless of what you choose everyone started off with a sort of dumpling. Not sure what was in it, but it was delicious and a nice way to start us off on this food journey together. The food: 1. Tuna Tartare: This was delicious. Maybe my favorite thing in the menu. The staff recommended you eat it like a taco kinda, which I highly recommend! This had the right amount of flavors and kept me wanting more! Really started on a high note!! 2. Rutabaga: This was good. Kinda reminded me of a squash. Wasn't bad, but I kinda wish I got the squid. It's a little soupy, but delicious!! 3. Kanpachi: Now this was delicious! I wish it was a much bigger portion! I was so shocked how small it was. I was like this is it? For my entree? As I'm writing this i'm still hungry lol! But it was good, just not nearly enough! 4. Fruit: I gave up added sugar for lent, so I asked if there was anything else they could give me. They surprised me with fruit, which was delicious! You can't go wrong with fruit! Overall a really great find and a beautiful restaurant. Great service, but way too small of portions! Like give me a meal! I don't need to be stuffed, but I want to feel fed.
we did the chefs tasting menu for $199 pp. overall a pleasant experience: FOOD: -the portion sizes are pretty good, i left feeling pretty full but not overly stuffed -everything was great! the courses focus on simple dishes that aren't over the top. however i was a bit disappointed by the steak since it really lacked salt (which could've been intentional on the chefs part) which made the steak pretty bland. especially since we payed extra for a slice of wagyu, it didn't quite reach my expectations despite the beautiful presentation -winners of the course: the tuna platter was AMAZING! otoro bites were best if the night -creamiest vanila icecream for desert, so good SERVICE: -the waiters are super attentive and change your utensils for every new dish -i didn't know what non-alcoholic drink to get on the menu so the waiter had the bartender make me something based on what i wanted, which i liked AMBIANCE: -very nice art on the walls and open kitchen so you can see the chefs cook -there's usually a fully booked room so there weren't any moments where we felt overly attended on or there was too much silence definitely very pricey but would go again for a nice family occasion!
I have eaten here three times and every-time it exceeds expectations. Chef Scott is a culinary genius and the best chef in New Jersey. Only restaurant in nj that really has Michelin quality standards and the best foh I think in the state. Thank you chef Scott and the team for a delightful meal
Service was great! Caroline was super friendly, the food was fantastic and the drinks were delicious! We have been coming to elements for 3 years now for every anniversary and it has never disappointed! Thank you guys!
Outstanding service and prix fixe menu for Valentine's Day week. My last visit here was almost 8 years ago and this visit was as great as then. Kudos to the entire staff, from front to back of the house.
The unique small dishes are packed with delicious flavors that had us feeling like we were eating like royalty... but the staff were friendly, pleasant and courteous, which brought ease and contentment for us to savor every delectable bite.
I was expecting our dinner to be more like a testing experience, not a full course dinner, but it was both! Everyone was happy with quality, deliciousness and amount of portions ( we had 5-course menu). Every meal was served at a perfect time; we were not rushed, and, at the same time - we didn't wait for the next meal, so it was great 3 hours dinner. There was no music in the dining room ( it's a big plus for me, so we were able to talk and enjoy our food without any distraction). We did not order wine paring. But the drinks from the bar were not good ( full glasses of ice cubes with almost non-existing alcohol); I was not expecting such a low quality cocktails from their bar.
Wonderful and Michelin star worthy!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
We felt everything about this experience was top notch, a terrific night. This is our second visit and the food is always delicious and inventive. The service is wonderful and the pace of the courses was perfect. The only thing we were not a fan of was the wine list. A great night!
Restaurantji Recommends
Nice location, great service. They had some great culinary creations, the tuna tartare was outstanding. Others, like the linguine and the main meat course were just average (deduction one star at this price point). My biggest concern is that overall it was too much food, and with a lot of salt. Both my wife and I felt super bloated afterwards, did not sleep well and got up more than once in the night to drink more water (deducting another star). As the whole experience clocked in at almost $500 for the two of us (with only one alcoholic drink), this is not what we wanted. We have been to pricey restaurants before and never had these issues. So we won't repeat going there even though we live close by.
This is an open kitchen restaurant and you're free to converse with the chef's on your way to the restrooms! I asked what made the shashimi so delightful in flavor and the chef de cuisine explained it had been lightly marinated in ponzu sauce. Executive chef, Scott Anderson, overhearing the conversation, corrected his chef to say and it also included "the zest of orange". This is the careful attention to detail that the chef holds over his kitchen staff ...even listening to their answers. And it this attention that results in a two hour experience that will last for days. Dozens of tiny plates, each with complex layers of flavor that showcase what happens when the best ingredients are combined with such scrutiny that a few seconds in the fire too long will change the taste. This was a feast for the eyes, the tastebuds and even the nostrils. As one critic commented "you will leave either speechless or you will excessively pontificate for days!".
My wife & I went to Elements yesterday evening to celebrate my birthday and had one of the most disappointing meals of my lifetime. I’m not sure where to begin, but when the bread and the dessert biscuits are your best bites of the evening you know the restaurant is not up to par.Here’s just a few examples of our bad food & experience:The potatoes on which our rib-eye was served were cold and gummy, as if someone put way too much guar gum in their mashed potato mix. When we sent the dish back, they returned a plate with new potatoes and our partially eaten, now re-heated & overdone steak with it. I was shocked the chef served me reheated steak, rather than prepare a new one, given the kitchen’s original mistake.The ribeye itself was ok, but the meat was completely overpowered by the smoke flavor. I fully appreciate the great taste that can be achieved by cooking over a woodfired grill, but the steak tasted like it was smoke infused vs naturally grilled.My prior course of scallops was a very good dish, but I was surprised they used tiny day boat scallops vs nice sea scallops. More surprising was that they actually charged a $20 supplement for them.The tuna appetizer prepared multiple ways was a nice course. An interesting and tasty medley from sashimi to tartar to seared. Unfortunately, whoever prepped the tuna did not do so properly. Mine included chunks of fatty tuna strung together such that it got caught in my mouth and I had to spit it out in my napkin.From a service perspective, I was disappointed that a manager never came to our table to apologize for the tuna, potatoes or steak — something I’d expect at any restaurant, let alone one of this supposed caliber.Overall, Elements isn’t worth going to. Even if the pre-fix price was cut in half, it would be overpriced for the quality of the food and experience. That could explain why the restaurant was more than half empty on a Friday night and does explain why I won’t be coming back.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 2
My wife & I went to Elements yesterday evening to celebrate my birthday and had one of the most disappointing meals of my lifetime. I'm not sure where to begin, but when the bread and the dessert biscuits are your best bites of the evening you know the restaurant is not up to par. Here's just a few examples of our bad food & experience: The potatoes on which our rib-eye was served were cold and gummy, as if someone put way too much guar gum in their mashed potato mix. When we sent the dish back, they returned a plate with new potatoes and our partially eaten, now re-heated & overdone steak with it. I was shocked the chef served me reheated steak, rather than prepare a new one, given the kitchen's original mistake. The ribeye itself was ok, but the meat was completely overpowered by the smoke flavor. I fully appreciate the great taste that can be achieved by cooking over a woodfired grill, but the steak tasted like it was smoke infused vs naturally grilled. My prior course of scallops was a very good dish, but I was surprised they used tiny day boat scallops vs nice sea scallops. More surprising was that they actually charged a $20 supplement for them. The tuna appetizer prepared multiple ways was a nice course. An interesting and tasty medley from sashimi to tartar to seared. Unfortunately, whoever prepped the tuna did not do so properly. Mine included chunks of fatty tuna strung together such that it got caught in my mouth and I had to spit it out in my napkin. From a service perspective, I was disappointed that a manager never came to our table to apologize for the tuna, potatoes or steak — something I'd expect at any restaurant, let alone one of this supposed caliber. Overall, Elements isn't worth going to. Even if the pre-fix price was cut in half, it would be overpriced for the quality of the food and experience. That could explain why the restaurant was more than half empty on a Friday night and does explain why I won't be coming back.
I really wish I could give this five stars, and someways. The experience was like that, but it just wasn’t as over-the-top as I had hoped. Still, completely worth it, and a really lovely time with my dad for their Christmas Eve tasting menu. The food overall was really great, a little fish-heavy for my liking, but still fresh and well cooked. It was kind of a bummer to be stuck in the back room when I knew that there was a beautiful open kitchen concept in another space that people, who were paying the same amount of money as we were, were getting to experience. The waitstaff were lovely and warm, but there were some wait times between courses that were overlong.Again, though, I am super glad we went and had a proper tasting menu fancy dinner. Just as a note, parking was a little bit of a struggle for us, even though it was Christmas Eve. We drove around for a while and found a place on the street. So just know that it might not be completely easy to get a spot as soon as you arrive - you might want to build a little bit of time into your arrival for that.Parking: It took us a few minutes to find a street spot.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Amuse-Bouche Beausoleil North Atlantic Oyster from New Brunswick Canada Caviar Trout Roe