Tre Piani

Tre Piani is a casual Italian restaurant in the Princeton Forrestal Village shopping complex, offering a spacious dining room and a large outdoor terrace that make it one of the more accommodating options in the Princeton area for groups, families, and weekday working lunches. The kitchen produces straightforward Italian cooking with an emphasis on pasta and fresh seafood — the Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe, made in the classical Roman style with Pecorino Romano and cracked pepper, is one of the most-ordered dishes and a reliable measure of the kitchen's pasta discipline, while the Branzino al Cartoccio, baked in a parchment parcel with olives, capers, and lemon, represents the seafood side of the menu well. The restaurant is popular with Princeton University faculty and staff, research centre employees from the nearby Forrestal campus, and local families who value the accessible pricing relative to Princeton's more ambitious fine-dining options. The terrace is a draw in warmer months, providing a pleasant al fresco setting for both lunch and dinner. Lunch runs Monday through Friday from noon; dinner runs Monday through Saturday from 5pm. Sunday service is suspended. Reservations are recommended for dinner and can be made by calling the restaurant. The location in Elm Ridge Center Drive places it slightly outside the main Princeton town centre, making it more convenient for those arriving by car.