23 Best Bars in Ithaca

“I got fired from Chili’s a few years ago but I still love the food. Our waitress Riley was super nice and helpful. I got druunk last night and this was my hangover meal. The only thing I don’t like is the AI responses to the reviews on here. A chilihead should respond instead. I’ll still come back though“

“The NYS Orchard Burger is beyond amazing! My go to when I’m in town!“

“Chef Joey has a gift for elevating meals both in flavors and textures. I wish I lived closer, I’d be here at least once a week…“

“We had a really fantastic experience here. The owner was extremely knowledgeable and helpful on our first experience with kava. The whole place has a chill vibe and he had a drink with us on our first try too.

Highly recommended, we would revisit this place next time we're in Ithaca. Boola!“

“Bike bar is a great addition to downtown and nice to see the expansion. The menu is simple and more geared towards cocktails than lots of beer options. The service was inconsistent. One bartender was friendly and nice and another was curt. They have 2 snack options but we did not get any.“

“Awesome food, fast service and great prices!!! Highly recommend!!! 5 stars!!!“

“We decided to give this place a try and so glad we did! What a nice little hidden gem. We went before 5 pm, and the craft beer was $4! Can't wait to go back when the weather is nicer to go to the beer garden. We didn't get food but we did have the free popcorn! Don't snooze on this place!🍻“

“Great vibe, especially on Queer/LGBTQ+ nights. It's always a great vibe and fun time, love when Spirit Posse is performing for gay night and themed nights (Beyonce CowboyCarter was absolutely epic. Kim is a fantastic bartender, too, and very attentive and welcoming.

Parking: Has its own parking lot and after work hours if their parking is full there's more close by“

“A true dive and a gem at the same time.
Limited options of beer bottles/cans and the basic liquors but the prices are stuck back in time like the bar itself. Classic male restroom perfect for the vibe. A pool table hides in the back.
CASH ONLY.“

“They have a good selection of beers on tap, friendly bartender, excellent music events in a very hip environment and located in the coolest part of town. I highly recommend the place. It reminds me of some of my favorite college town bars I used to go to years back. Michael Callahan“

“long time patron, hell I had a shot at the Chanti the day I turned 21. Played so many games on that table, and been chastised at other bars for the red chalk left on my cues. the staff over the years became friends. it WAS a place I would recommend, but not now. Not with what they've done here to the existing staff. Lost a lifetime customer with that move. #NeverAgain just asking, for friend, what were you thinking?“

“Feel compelled to offer a 5 star review just to counter the campaign of Karen’s upset over then staying open 8 months ago over a flare up in COVID cases shown to only impact .001% of college age students. Stop the nonsense and pay attention to the statistics.“

“This is the bar I've been looking for since I moved to Ithaca. The bartender is friendly and funny. Drinks are reasonably priced (a rarity in this neighborhood) but there's still a large selection. The music playing was great, and the game was on a big screen TV right behind the bar, though I still spent a lot of time chatting with the people sitting next to me. I had a great time, and I'm looking forward to stopping in again.“

“Always a great experience !! Check out my review on Ithaca food dude“

“They have a good selection of beers on tap, friendly bartender, excellent music events in a very hip environment and located in the coolest part of town. I highly recommend the place. It reminds me of some of my favorite college town bars I used to go to years back. Michael Callahan“

“Great meal today. Check out my review on Ithaca Food Dude 👍“

“This was our first restaurant during a 4 night visit to Ithaca and area. I say that because we wanted to return later but unfortunately it was closed for two nights for a private event. My wife is celiac and she ordered the fish and chips with sides of mac and cheese and fries. She found the order plentiful and excellent. The fish was lightly breaded, properly cooked, and VERY tasty. The fries were excellent and the mac and cheese also tasty. It was a real treat for a celiac to be able to order delicious gluten-free fish and chips. I ordered the blackened fish and grits and it too was delicious and plentiful. Unfortunately, I gave this restaurant 4* because of the very long wait for our meals to be delivered and then for the bill to arrive later. And this despite the fact that the place was less than half full. However, the three staff were all moving very quickly and our server was quite helpful when we placed our order. So I suspect that maybe the restaurant was short-staffed that day or unable to hire sufficient staff. In any case, even with the wait we were willing to return if we could.“

“Excellent food, great service and the price was reasonable. Will be back on our next US trip.“

“Good beer and drinks. wonderful helpful staff“

“This place is amazing , food is great Definitely authentic Italian food . We love it 100% ❤️ The only disappointment is this guy named Steve (sever) he’s so rude. The way he talked to he’s coworkers is unbelievable. No respect at all specially with young people. Hopefully the owners are aware of this guy behavior.“

“We had a fabulous dinner at The Boatyard Grill! My husband ordered the ribeye and I ordered the strip steak. The steaks were cooked perfectly, great cuts. One thing that makes these steaks so good is the wood fired grill taste.

The mashed potatoes were flavorful and delicious! Green beans were also fantastic, so glad they weren’t soft, but had a slight crisp as they were cooked perfectly. My husband’s ribeye was presented beautifully with mushrooms and roasted garlic! We split 6 coconut shrimp, these were excellent. I hope to return and next time try the scallop or lobster, shrimp, and scallop risotto! There were so many great options, we will be back!

Also, our waitress, Amy was fantastic! She provided excellent service and she as so friendly. We also enjoyed the atmosphere— so cozy with a fireplace and nice seating options!

Update: We visited a second time and it was just as wonderful! This time we ordered the Georgia peach grilled chicken and smash burger!“

“Great food, great guac and fast delivery..just wish they had dessert 💜“

“This is a wonderful place to eat, have some excellent drinks, and socialize.“