This new Princeton restaurant features an airy, rustic-chic design conceived by restaurateur Amanda Maher with interior designer Hillary O’Carroll of Isabella Sparrow.

Maher and her husband and co-owner Amar Gautam worked closely with Isabella Sparrow to breathe life into the venue at 277 Witherspoon Street. The team enlisted local integrated design firm JZA+D as architect for the project to help transform the space, making it brighter and more spacious — a unique, vibrant atmosphere offering refined cuisine in a casual, stylish setting that exudes the concept and feeling envisioned of a bright and elegant space that feels like home.

The strategy for transforming the restaurant space started with closing off the kitchen, which was previously open to the dining room, which resulted in a more relaxed and less noisy atmosphere. The design team introduced a wall to serve as a muted backdrop to the bar feature.

The design concept also called for making the space brighter and airier, leading the team to opt for an open ceiling with light-colored finishes overhead, making the most of the natural daylight and exterior views of the Downtown Princeton neighborhood available through the full-height glass walls facing the street. Patrons eat and chat seated at traditional wood tables, chairs and banquettes in a cozy ambiance charmingly illuminated by pendant fixtures and sconces. 

The result is a space that offers an intimate dining experience whether it’s day or night out. The restaurant entrance was also relocated from the side of the venue to the front, a more natural spot for the door, presenting a gracious arrival with simplified access to the dining room.