Guidebook for Ithaca

Jonah & Alicia
Jonah & Alicia
Guidebook for Ithaca

Food Scene

Some of the finest dining in Ithaca, and it is delicious Italian food. May be open Wed-Sat for dinner. Check first. Just cross the footbridge at the intersection of Giles St and Columbia St, head right up the stone path, and look for the big fish statue. You might need to get buzzed in to enter the building.
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Gola Osteria
115 S Quarry St
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Some of the finest dining in Ithaca, and it is delicious Italian food. May be open Wed-Sat for dinner. Check first. Just cross the footbridge at the intersection of Giles St and Columbia St, head right up the stone path, and look for the big fish statue. You might need to get buzzed in to enter the building.
This is definitely a local favorite. Good price, great menu with all kinds of nori rolls, noodles, and other Korean, Chinese and Japanese favorites. They have long-term staff, and they do it right. Just off the Commons on Aurora and Seneca. Call to order and you can pick it up. They do not do delivery or online ordering. And sometimes they are closed on Wednesdays.
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Asia Cuisine
126 N Aurora St
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This is definitely a local favorite. Good price, great menu with all kinds of nori rolls, noodles, and other Korean, Chinese and Japanese favorites. They have long-term staff, and they do it right. Just off the Commons on Aurora and Seneca. Call to order and you can pick it up. They do not do delivery or online ordering. And sometimes they are closed on Wednesdays.
Messy and delicious. Try the flatbread. Just past the Commons on State St.
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Gorgers
116 W State St
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Messy and delicious. Try the flatbread. Just past the Commons on State St.
An Ithaca tradition. On the Commons.
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Taste of Thai
216 E State St
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An Ithaca tradition. On the Commons.
Great Korean food in Collegetown
Four Seasons
404 Eddy St
Great Korean food in Collegetown
New Orleans style restaurant and bar that does it right.
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Maxie's Supper Club & Oyster Bar
635 W State St
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New Orleans style restaurant and bar that does it right.
Fun place to taste outstanding local beer and food. Lovely views. It's on the way to Treman and Buttermilk Parks. And families love the outdoor seating when it's not too cold outside. There is also a newer location up in Collegetown.
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Ithaca Beer Co.
122 Ithaca Beer Dr
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Fun place to taste outstanding local beer and food. Lovely views. It's on the way to Treman and Buttermilk Parks. And families love the outdoor seating when it's not too cold outside. There is also a newer location up in Collegetown.
Fancy and delicious Asian Fusion. On the Commons. Has outdoor seating in nicer weather.
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Mia
130 East State Street
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Fancy and delicious Asian Fusion. On the Commons. Has outdoor seating in nicer weather.
Great restaurant and bar very close to the amazing Ithaca Falls. Has outdoor seating in nicer weather.
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Northstar House
202 E Falls St
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Great restaurant and bar very close to the amazing Ithaca Falls. Has outdoor seating in nicer weather.
Upscale Trumansburg style, about a 20 minute drive away and 6 minutes from Taughannock Falls Park. Check the hours and make a reservation before you go. So lovely.
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Hazelnut Kitchen
53 E Main St
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Upscale Trumansburg style, about a 20 minute drive away and 6 minutes from Taughannock Falls Park. Check the hours and make a reservation before you go. So lovely.
Very delicious and within walking distance. It's just past the Commons.
Thai Basil
118 W State St
Very delicious and within walking distance. It's just past the Commons.
A smaller restaurant with great food
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Tamarind Thai Restaurant
503 N Meadow St
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A smaller restaurant with great food
Fun and funky place on Restaurant Row (Aurora St) with outdoor seating in nice weather, a delicious menu, drinks, and quick service. The whole front of the restaurant opens so there is plenty of air circulation when it's not too cold outside. If Viva Taqueria is full you can head a couple doors down to Luna.
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Luna Inspired Street Food Downtown
113 N Aurora St
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Fun and funky place on Restaurant Row (Aurora St) with outdoor seating in nice weather, a delicious menu, drinks, and quick service. The whole front of the restaurant opens so there is plenty of air circulation when it's not too cold outside. If Viva Taqueria is full you can head a couple doors down to Luna.
So delicious. You might have to wait a while for the food, but it's always good. It's on the less-traveled other side of the Commons (Cayuga St). Call the restaurant to order pickup.
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Hawi Ethiopian Cuisine
113 S Cayuga St
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So delicious. You might have to wait a while for the food, but it's always good. It's on the less-traveled other side of the Commons (Cayuga St). Call the restaurant to order pickup.
Great bread and sandwiches and fun atmosphere. Tons of outdoor seating. Not the best bagels or coffee, but we all love it! There is also one in Collegetown with a lot of outdoor seating.
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Collegetown Bagels
420 College Ave
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Great bread and sandwiches and fun atmosphere. Tons of outdoor seating. Not the best bagels or coffee, but we all love it! There is also one in Collegetown with a lot of outdoor seating.
They do brunch! We aren't fans of this restaurant, but people who enjoy Americana menus seem to love it.
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Simeon's American Bistro
224 E State St
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They do brunch! We aren't fans of this restaurant, but people who enjoy Americana menus seem to love it.
Coffee lovers love Gimmie! Order online or in person for contact-free pickup. And they do delivery. That's right. Fancy coffee delivery.
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Gimme! Coffee
430 N Cayuga St
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Coffee lovers love Gimmie! Order online or in person for contact-free pickup. And they do delivery. That's right. Fancy coffee delivery.
They even have gluten free ramen! Awesome Korean food.
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Maru Ramen
512 W State St
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They even have gluten free ramen! Awesome Korean food.
Complete with kitty cats!
Alley Cat Cafe
112 E Seneca St
Complete with kitty cats!
Amazing tequila selection and margaritas. They also serve guacamole, burritos, salads, tacos, etc.
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Viva Taqueria & Cantina
215 E State St
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Amazing tequila selection and margaritas. They also serve guacamole, burritos, salads, tacos, etc.
One of the best Farmer's Markets in the US. Right on the lake. Not to be missed! Check for seasonal hours. It's open most of the year on Saturdays 9am-3pm and May-November on Sundays. You may also get lucky and find Macro Mama's peanut lime noodles, Cambodian food, Tibetan momos and other great prepared food and produce. Beautiful art, pottery, Ithaca's own Silk Oak clothes, etc as well.
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Ithaca Farmers Market
545 3rd St
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One of the best Farmer's Markets in the US. Right on the lake. Not to be missed! Check for seasonal hours. It's open most of the year on Saturdays 9am-3pm and May-November on Sundays. You may also get lucky and find Macro Mama's peanut lime noodles, Cambodian food, Tibetan momos and other great prepared food and produce. Beautiful art, pottery, Ithaca's own Silk Oak clothes, etc as well.
Yum. Yum yum yum. Great vegan and gluten free options too!
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Bickering Twins Restaurant & Tequila Bar
114 N Cayuga St
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Yum. Yum yum yum. Great vegan and gluten free options too!

Sightseeing

Everyone loves taking a break in this wooded paradise along a creek. It is on Giles St just on the other side the bridge over 1st dam (aka Business Man's Lunch). You'll pass by Jim Sherpa's one-of-a-kind sculpture garden featuring a hovering platypus, giant bowling pins, and a monster in the making...
Mundy Wildflower Garden
320 Caldwell Road
Everyone loves taking a break in this wooded paradise along a creek. It is on Giles St just on the other side the bridge over 1st dam (aka Business Man's Lunch). You'll pass by Jim Sherpa's one-of-a-kind sculpture garden featuring a hovering platypus, giant bowling pins, and a monster in the making...
Our favorite park in Ithaca
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TREMAN STATE PARK
105 Enfield Falls Rd
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Our favorite park in Ithaca
The best way to get from downtown Ithaca to Cornell...walking up the side of the waterfalls!
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Cascadilla Gorge Trail
Cascadilla Gorge Trail
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The best way to get from downtown Ithaca to Cornell...walking up the side of the waterfalls!
Big powerful waterfall that is fairly easy to walk to. And you can walk over to Northstar and have a drink and dinner.
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Ithaca Fallsin luonnonsuojelualue
Lake Street
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Big powerful waterfall that is fairly easy to walk to. And you can walk over to Northstar and have a drink and dinner.
The 5th floor hosts a lovely Asian Art Collection and the best 360 degree view of Ithaca. Open Tues - Sun 10am-5pm. Closed Mondays.
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Johnson Museum of Art
114 Central Ave
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The 5th floor hosts a lovely Asian Art Collection and the best 360 degree view of Ithaca. Open Tues - Sun 10am-5pm. Closed Mondays.
Great for hiking. Has a magical feel different than Treman, Taughannock, and Buttermilk.
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Shindagin Hollow State Forest
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Great for hiking. Has a magical feel different than Treman, Taughannock, and Buttermilk.
A beautiful place to hike along a creek
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Thayer Preserve Lick Brook
454 Sandbank Rd
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A beautiful place to hike along a creek
Paradise on Giles St. If you are walking with downtown behind you, the bridge over first dam will be in front of you. When you are about 20 feet from the bridge, take a left at the big gate. The path down is steep, so wear good hiking shoes. The bare sycamore tree roots and abandoned factory above the gushing waterfall will take your breath away.
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Wells Falls (Businessman's Lunch Falls)
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Paradise on Giles St. If you are walking with downtown behind you, the bridge over first dam will be in front of you. When you are about 20 feet from the bridge, take a left at the big gate. The path down is steep, so wear good hiking shoes. The bare sycamore tree roots and abandoned factory above the gushing waterfall will take your breath away.

Drinks & Nightlife

Family friendly with some outdoor seating and delicious beer. This place is a little walk from the Commons, but it's worth it. And Silo Foodtruck will bring delicious food to your table while you enjoy your drink!
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Liquid State Brewing Company
620 W Green St
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Family friendly with some outdoor seating and delicious beer. This place is a little walk from the Commons, but it's worth it. And Silo Foodtruck will bring delicious food to your table while you enjoy your drink!
Fun bar that celebrates bicycles and delicious beer. Have dinner on Aurora St and stop here for a beer.
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Bike Bar
314 E State St
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Fun bar that celebrates bicycles and delicious beer. Have dinner on Aurora St and stop here for a beer.
Owned by a local fiddler, they often have great live music and always have delicious local cider.
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South Hill Cider
550 Sandbank Rd
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Owned by a local fiddler, they often have great live music and always have delicious local cider.
One of the few places downtown with live music.
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The Range
119 E State St
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One of the few places downtown with live music.
This is a nice newer bar with a very interesting menu
The Greenhouse Cafe & Cocktail Lounge
320 East State Street
This is a nice newer bar with a very interesting menu
A hopping and classy space with great cocktails
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Argos Warehouse Lounge & Event Space
416 E State St
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A hopping and classy space with great cocktails
A great live music venue with a big deck on the inlet. See what shows they have scheduled for when you are in town! It's also a fun bar on nights without shows. It's about a 30 minute walk from Giles St, so it's farther than the Commons but still walkable.
Deep Dive
A great live music venue with a big deck on the inlet. See what shows they have scheduled for when you are in town! It's also a fun bar on nights without shows. It's about a 30 minute walk from Giles St, so it's farther than the Commons but still walkable.

Essentials

The smaller version of our amazing food co-op. Great grab and go and staples and natural pharmacy. 1 block from the Commons.
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GreenStar DeWitt
215 N Cayuga St
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The smaller version of our amazing food co-op. Great grab and go and staples and natural pharmacy. 1 block from the Commons.
Huge, amazing store with great produce, prepared food, ethnic food, natural food, and just about everything else you can want in a grocery store.
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Wegmans
500 S Meadow St
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Huge, amazing store with great produce, prepared food, ethnic food, natural food, and just about everything else you can want in a grocery store.
The best co-op I've ever seen. Delicious (vegan, gluten-free, meat, etc) grab and go food as well as produce, bulk, bakery, etc. The biggest location is on Meadow Street and there's a smaller Greenstar Dewitt near the Commons and another location up in Collegetown. We are so grateful to have Greenstar!
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GreenStar
770 Cascadilla St
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The best co-op I've ever seen. Delicious (vegan, gluten-free, meat, etc) grab and go food as well as produce, bulk, bakery, etc. The biggest location is on Meadow Street and there's a smaller Greenstar Dewitt near the Commons and another location up in Collegetown. We are so grateful to have Greenstar!
A fun place to shop with young kids! They have second hand kids clothes, many useful items for infants and young children and toys throughout the store. If you are traveling with a small child, you can rent car seats, strollers, cribs, pack'n'plays, etc from Kelly, the owner of Jillian's Drawers.
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Jillian's Drawers
609 W Clinton St
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A fun place to shop with young kids! They have second hand kids clothes, many useful items for infants and young children and toys throughout the store. If you are traveling with a small child, you can rent car seats, strollers, cribs, pack'n'plays, etc from Kelly, the owner of Jillian's Drawers.