The City of Ithaca is a foodie paradise with its embrace of diversity and proximity to local sources of food creating a dynamic array of options.
There are more than 50 restaurants – nearly all of them local – grouped in or around The Commons alone, and plenty of others in the surrounding areas of the city. The area is known for its farm-to-table offerings, benefitting from the area’s surrounding farms and a community that appreciates unique and hand-crafted good.
We hope your eating experience doesn’t stop here but here are some of our favorites to get you started.
Moosewood Restaurant: Known world-wide thanks to the Moosewood Cookbook, Ithaca’s most famous vegetarian restaurant has gone through an ownership change with Diana Wilcox, the daughter of one of the Moosewood’s original ownership group, taking over the restaurant over in 2022.
She plans to continue the restaurant’s fame-to-table approach with seasonal offerings, while creating a more elevated experience than its traditional diner style. The Moosewood was an early pioneer in the farm-to-table movement.
For more information: Moosewood Restaurant
Ithaca Farmer’s Market: This is a can’t miss spot if you’re looking for the ultimate Ithaca experience.
While the Farmer’s Market is the ideal spot for local to purchase fruits and veggies for home-cooking, it’s also a great place to spend the day window-shopping, walking along the edge of Cayuga Lake and munching on snacks from vendors.
The market features products from more than 130 members, all located within 30 miles.
Along with customary baked goods that you’ll find at most farmer’s markets, you’ll also discover street foods from China, Vietnam and West Africa.
For more information: Ithaca Farmer’s Market
Mercato: Part of the Ithaca food scene since 2010, Mercato is an Italian restaurant that goes far beyond the pasta dishes that many associate with the cuisine.
Located just off “Restaurant Row” in the Commons, the chef-owned restaurant changes its menu seasonally in order providing even regular customers some variety in their experience and allowing chefs to take advantage of the freshness of their vegetables.
For more information: Mercato
Agava: Located in the former East Ithaca Train Station and a touch off the beaten path, the restaurant offers a farm-to-table experience with menus rotating frequently.
Agave offers Southwest-inspired cooking with many of the menu items cooked in a wood-fire oven and a full section of tacos and flatbreads but it doesn’t stop at small plates, expanding its offerings into larger entrees like steaks and local pork chops.
For more information: Agava
Mia Tapas Bar and Restaurant: If you’re in the mood for Asian food but can’t narrow down your list, this is the spot. Open since 2011, with a splendid patio on Ithaca Commons, Mia blends techniques and flavors from China, Japan, Thailand and India and Vietnam, along with a devotion to locally-sourced vegetable and sustainably-harvested seafood.
Owner Lex Chutintaranond was born in Thailand and has opened multiple restaurants in Ithaca that continue to thrive, either under his ownership or the leadership of former chefs.
For more information: Mia Tapas Bar and Restaurant
Purity Ice Cream: With such a prevalence of local dairy farms, no trip to Ithaca would be complete without ice cream. Purity offers all the deliciousness you expect to find in an ice cream shop and more.
The menu includes grilled food options so you can have yourself a full meal but, let’s be honest, if you’re making this stop, you’re looking for one thing.
Created in 1936 by Cornell graduate Cornell grad Leo Guentert, Purity has been a community mainstay through multiple owners. Some of the unique flavors include Bittersweet (vanilla with chocolate shavings) and boomberry (black raspberry with blackberries, strawberries and blueberries).
For more information: Purity
Collegetown Bagels: If you had a few too many cocktails – or are just in the mood for a breakfast sandwich – this favorite of Ithaca’s college crowd is right up your alley.
This is more than a cramped bagel shop. There’s plenty of space in the restaurant for you to start your morning stress-free and the menu also includes smoothies, lunch sandwiches, baked goods and even an assortment of excellent beers on tap.
The bagels are so popular that there are now three locations. If you’re in the one by the Commons, you ca check out the ingenuity of the restaurant, which saves space by attaching baskets of bagels attached to a wheel that takes a spin with each order.
For more information: Collegetown Bagels
Viva Taqueria: Sometimes you just want good food, a good deal and a good time. Viva Taqueria offers all of that.
Known for plentiful portions, reasonable prices and a laid-back atmosphere, Viva Taqueria lies just outside Ithaca Commons and offers fresh, healthy Mexican food and delicious margaritas. You can land chips and salsa for only a couple of bucks if you want something to go with your drink or fill yourself up with a hefty burrito.
For more information: Viva Taqueria
The Botanist Coffeehouse: If you’re into the mood to mellow out and sip a coffee or tea, there are few environments more unique than The Botanist Coffeehouse, which is filled with flora from a local flowershop, a partner in the space. The coffee and pastries are just as good as the atmosphere.
For more information: Botanist Coffeehouse
READ MORE
Ithaca is gorges: 5 hikes, walks to breathtaking waterfalls in this Finger Lakes oasis
Adventures in Upstate NY: Glamping feels magical at this Finger Lakes farm (video)
10 waterfalls open for safe swimming in Upstate NY
Crafting drinks: This Finger Lakes winery prefers shades of red and pink
Ad Choices