Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States New Jersey Hamilton Township Rat's Restaurant
Gastro Obscura

Rat's Restaurant

Step into Monet's world at this fine-dining restaurant in the middle of a New Jersey sculpture park.

Hamilton Township, New Jersey

Added By
Reina Gattuso
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
  Katelyn/Used with permission
  Yuriy Yuryev/Used with permission
  Yuriy Yuryev/Used with permission
  Yajing/Used with permission
A giant, meaty leg from the restaurant’s holiday brunch buffet.   Mark Rosati/Used with permission
  Sequoyah Simpson/Used with permission
  Sequoyah Simpson/Used with permission
“Guests” on their way to the restaurant.   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Rat’s Restaurant entrance sign   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Rat’s stylish front door   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Rat’s back patio   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
  icatsstaci / Atlas Obscura User
View of Rat’s from across the pond   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

A lady who's lost her clothes in the middle of a forest. A fairy pathway through silvery-thin trees, their orange tips burning under an amethyst sky. A woman clutching a parasol on a hill of plastic poppies, red as the flowers in dreams. These are just some of the sights you'll find at the Grounds for Sculpture, a meandering sculpture park near Princeton, New Jersey, which features both original works and full-scale sculptural reproductions of famous paintings. And when you get hungry from strolling through the great scenes of world art (or get lost looking for Rousseau's "The Dream"), you can hop over Monet's "Water Lily" bridge and enjoy a meal in Rat's Restaurant, an upscale dining experience that pays homage to the famous French Impressionist. 

Rat's is inspired by Claude Monet's hometown, Giverny, and its decor resembles a French countryside tavern. Its chefs take advantage of local New Jersey produce to create a distinctly French menu, including specials such as trout amandine, the fish luxuriously dripped with brown butter and almonds, and roasted duck breast on a bed of farro, piquant with tart cherries and chili walnuts. Despite the high-brow food, the restaurant's name comes from a rather quainter reference. No, it's not inspired by the movie Ratatouille—though rumor has it that the restaurant houses, somewhere on its premises, a delightfully bawdy sculpture of an actual rat. Instead, the restaurant is named after the rat from The Wind in the Willows, the children's book about rats, toads, and moles who enjoy chilling out by a river under the titular willow trees, and downing a few after dinner.

You, too, can relax in the sweet green shade of swaying willow trees, part of a recreation of Monet's "Water Lily" pond. And you can down—or, rather, slowly savor—a couple cocktails from Rat's menu, including Rat's shandy—smoky-tart with charred lemon—and the peach-and-pecan Old Fashioned. Just watch that you don't get too intoxicated, or you may end up falling into Monet's pond—or, in another grand French tradition, sidling up to the park's reconstruction of Manet's "Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe," au naturel.

Related Tags

Restaurants Unique Restaurants & Bars Art Sculptures Paintings

Know Before You Go

The menu is seasonal, so frequent visitors can expect regular updates. The restaurant offers a regular series of events, including Restaurant Week specials and periodic comedy nights, so check the website for any upcoming fun. 

Community Contributors

Added By

Reina Gattuso

Edited By

icatsstaci, blimpcaptain

  • icatsstaci
  • blimpcaptain

Published

January 16, 2020

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Rat's Restaurant
16 Fairgrounds Rd
Hamilton Township, New Jersey, 08619
United States
40.237707, -74.71624
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Grounds for Sculpture

Hamilton Township, New Jersey

miles away

Hamilton Station Statues

Hamilton Township, New Jersey

miles away

Old Barracks Museum

Trenton, New Jersey

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Hamilton Township

Hamilton Township

New Jersey

Places 3

Nearby Places

Grounds for Sculpture

Hamilton Township, New Jersey

miles away

Hamilton Station Statues

Hamilton Township, New Jersey

miles away

Old Barracks Museum

Trenton, New Jersey

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Hamilton Township

Hamilton Township

New Jersey

Places 3

Related Places

  • The abbey entrance.

    Valence-sur-Baïse, France

    Flaran Abbey

    A treasure trove of fine art is hiding inside this small medieval abbey in Gascony.

  • “Maid of the Mist” sculpture.

    Sanborn, New York

    Native American Museum of Art

    This overlooked gem outside Niagara Falls preserves and celebrates Iroquois culture.

  • Carton King Creative Park.

    Taichung City, Taiwan

    Carton King Creative Park

    Life-size animals and furniture made entirely from cardboard fill this odd paper-themed restaurant.

  • One of the corridors.

    Zacatecas, Mexico

    Rafael Coronel Museum

    Mexico's largest collection of masks is found in the ruins of an abandoned convent.

  • Christ carrying the cross - Aleijadinho

    Ouro Preto, Brazil

    Museu do Aleijadinho

    A display of works by one of the world masters sacred art, an 18th-century Brazilian sculptor nicknamed "the little cripple."

  • New York, New York

    Albertine

    Though its celestial ceiling is impressive, the true star is the vast collection of French books.

  • Tin man junk art

    Chloride, Arizona

    Chloride Ghost Town

    All of the 20 occupied houses in this mostly abandoned town feature some curious display of junk art.

  • Stonehaven, Scotland

    Stonehaven Boardwalk Sculptures

    A series of mysterious metal artwork adorn this harbor walkway.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.