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Where to eat in Ithaca
Ithaca eats from the farms and vineyards around Cayuga Lake: a lakeside farmers market, ice cream from Cornell's own dairy, and Riesling from the slopes above the water. The town claims the first written record of the ice cream sundae, from an 1892 newspaper ad, and Moosewood has cooked vegetarian food downtown since the 1970s. With Cornell and Ithaca College on the hills, the Commons and Collegetown stay busy with cheap counters, bagel shops and a few serious dinner rooms.
Ithaca at a glance What to eat Ice cream sundae; Finger Lakes Riesling; Vegetarian plates; Bagel sandwiches; Tacos. When to go Best: June–September. Also good: May and October. Hardest: January–February. Where locals eat Local favorites off the prestige lists include Cornell Dairy Bar, Purity Ice Cream, Glenwood Pines and Hawi Ethiopian Cuisine. Markets Ithaca Farmers Market. 24 places in Ithaca, ready to save to your trip
What is in the 24 11 local favorites2 hot right now1 markets5 walking tour stops9 chef's picks4 sandwich shops3 romantic dinners5 breakfast spots4 new openings14 dish spots
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Food walking tour: Steamboat Landing to Quarry Street: an Ithaca Saturday 11.0 hours on foot, 5 stops, in eating order. Add the whole tour to your trip, then give it a day.
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Chef Amazing picks: where to eat in Ithaca An Italian dinner room, the vegetarian restaurant behind the cookbooks, the university's own dairy, the Saturday market and a lakeside roadhouse; then an Ethiopian table, the town's sundae shop, a taco counter, a coal-office breakfast and a new Korean kitchen.
The well-known five Gola Osteria Downtown
Italian $$$
Order: Pasta and grilled squid
Best Fancy Restaurant in the Ithaca Times poll in 2025; Italian cooking with Finger Lakes produce and an Italian wine cellar.
Best for: dinner out · Reserve: book ahead
115 S. Quarry St, Ithaca
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Moosewood Downtown
Vegetarian $$
Order: The seasonal vegetarian menu
The restaurant behind the Moosewood cookbooks; a Cornell Sun reviewer in 2025 found candlelit tables and a seasonal menu.
Best for: dinner · Reserve: book ahead
215 N. Cayuga St, Ithaca
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Cornell Dairy Bar Cornell campus
Ice cream $
Order: A cone of Cornell Dairy ice cream
Ice cream made in the same building from the university's own milk.
Best for: afternoon · Reserve: walk-in
Stocking Hall, Tower Road, Ithaca
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Ithaca Farmers Market Steamboat Landing
Market $
Order: Breakfast at the stalls, then produce
The town's cooperative market on the inlet.
Best for: Saturday morning · Reserve: walk-in
545 Third St, Ithaca
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The discoveries Hawi Ethiopian Cuisine The Commons
Ethiopian $$
Order: Vegetable platter with injera
Ithaca's Ethiopian restaurant since 2015; family style, BYOB per a local listing.
Best for: shared dinner · Reserve: walk-in
113 S. Cayuga St, Ithaca
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Purity Ice Cream Fall Creek
Ice cream $
Order: A sundae
Ithaca's ice cream maker since 1936, in the town that claims the sundae.
Best for: dessert · Reserve: walk-in
700 Cascadilla St, Ithaca, NY
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Tacos CDMX Downtown
Mexican $
Order: Al pastor tacos
A former Elmira Road shack, cash only, top of local taco lists.
Best for: cheap lunch · Reserve: walk-in
Worth confirming: hours and that it is still open; we do not have a verified street address.
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Coal Yard Cafe Maple Avenue
Breakfast cafe
Order: Shakshuka, Ranch Eggs or Flap Quacks
A breakfast room in a 1901 coal office.
Best for: breakfast · Reserve: walk-in
143 Maple Ave, Ithaca, NY
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Maru Korea West end
Korean
Order: Bulgogi, tofu stew
Turned fully Korean in January 2026.
Best for: casual dinner
Worth confirming: hours and that it is still open; we do not have a verified street address.
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Showing only the picks we could confirm are open. The rest are still being checked.
New and buzzing in Ithaca Restaurants that opened or relaunched recently, from current opening guides. In no ranked order.
Patsy's Pizzeria New opening reported
The Commons · New York pizza
Coal-oven pies from the Harlem original, inside the downtown Marriott.
Order: Coal-oven pizza
Sedona Mesa Grill New opening reported
North Aurora Street (Restaurant Row) · Southwestern
A Southwestern menu with Native American, Mexican and Spanish influences.
Maru Korea New opening reported
West end · Korean
Korean comfort dishes: bulgogi, tofu stews, rice bowls and fried chicken bites.
Order: Bulgogi, tofu stew
NouNou's Authentic Lao-Thai New opening reported
Lansing (Triphammer Marketplace) · Lao and Thai
Lao-Thai cooking just north of Ithaca.
New places change fast. “Provisional” means a guide or directory lists it as new but we have not confirmed the opening date. Check hours and book ahead before you go.
Memorable breakfasts in Ithaca Five places chosen for the food, the room, the history or the local character. In no ranked order.
Coal Yard Cafe Maple Avenue
Order: The Ranch Eggs or shakshuka
Visit Ithaca's breakfast pick, in an old coal office.
Closed Tuesdays per a listing; check.
Milkstand North Meadow Street (215 N Meadow St)
Order: Buttermilk pancakes or a breakfast sandwich
All-day breakfast and lunch, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. per Visit Ithaca.
Ithaca Bakery North Meadow Street
Order: Bagel sandwich and coffee
The bakery behind Collegetown Bagels.
Collegetown Bagels Collegetown
Order: A bagel sandwich
Where Cornell eats breakfast.
Lines; order online.
Ithaca Farmers Market Steamboat Landing
Order: Breakfast from the food stalls
Saturday breakfast by the water.
Outdoors April to October.
Orders are suggestions, not guaranteed menu items. Confirm opening hours and morning service before you go.
Sandwich shops in Ithaca Five sandwich counters worth the trip: delis, bakeries, market stalls and local styles. In no ranked order.
Collegetown Bagels Collegetown
Bagel sandwich Order: A bagel sandwich
A Cornell institution on Ithaca Bakery bread.
Order online to skip the line.
Ithaca Bakery North Meadow Street
Bakery Order: A sandwich on house bread
CTB's parent bakery, open since the early 1900s.
Short Stop Deli Downtown
Deli Order: A late-night sub
Visit Ithaca's late-night food stop downtown.
Glenwood Pines West shore
Roadhouse Order: The Pinesburger
Cheeseburger on French bread with Thousand Island, on the menu since 1974.
Picks come from press and guide coverage. We have not confirmed opening hours or current menus for every shop, so check before you go.
Romantic dinners in Ithaca Ten tables that come up again and again for date night, anniversaries and quiet candlelit evenings. In no ranked order.
Gola Osteria Downtown
Romantic dinner Taverna Banfi Cornell campus (Statler Hotel)
Romantic dinner Moosewood Downtown
Romantic dinner Picks come from romantic-dinner lists on booking and review sites. Confirm dinner service, menus and availability before you book.
Food walking tour
Steamboat Landing to Quarry Street: an Ithaca Saturday Breakfast at the farmers market, a sundae where Ithaca says it was born, a Meadow Street lunch, Ethiopian plates on the Commons and an Italian dinner.
Start 9:30 at Ithaca Farmers Market, Steamboat LandingTime 11.0 hoursDistance about 4.0 kmBest days Saturday, April to October, when the farmers market is outdoors (9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in 2026). Hawi opens at noon on weekends.
Ithaca's flat downtown runs from the Cayuga Inlet to the foot of the hills. Start at the cooperative market on the water, walk to Purity for the town's claim to fame, eat lunch on Meadow Street, then Ethiopian plates on the Commons and dinner just above it.
1
Ithaca Farmers Market Market Steamboat Landing
Order: Breakfast from a food stall, then cheese and produce.
A cooperative market on the inlet, open Saturdays 9 to 3 through October.
Around 9:30 · 75 min
545 Third St, Ithaca, NY
Hours: Sat 9 a.m.-3 p.m. (2026 season)
↓ on foot (approx.): Walk south and east from Third Street to Cascadilla Street.
2
Purity Ice Cream ice cream Fall Creek
Order: A sundae, small.
Ithaca's ice cream maker since 1936, in the self-styled birthplace of the sundae.
Around 11:30 · 30 min
700 Cascadilla St, Ithaca, NY
Worth confirming: opening hours.
↓ on foot (approx.): Walk west to Meadow Street.
3
Milkstand Cafe North Meadow Street
Order: A breakfast sandwich or a lunch plate.
All-day breakfast and lunch until 3:30 p.m.
Around 13:00 · 45 min
215 N Meadow St, Ithaca, NY
Hours: 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. (Visit Ithaca)
↓ on foot (approx.): Walk east along State Street to the Commons and Cayuga Street.
4
Hawi Ethiopian Cuisine restaurant The Commons
Order: The vegetable platter with injera, shared.
Ithaca's Ethiopian table since 2015.
Around 16:30 · 60 min
113 S Cayuga St, Ithaca, NY
Hours: Fri-Sun from noon (Visit Ithaca)
↓ on foot (approx.): Walk east past the Commons and up to Quarry Street.
5
Gola Osteria restaurant Downtown
Order: Pasta and the grilled squid.
Best Fancy Restaurant in the Ithaca Times readers' poll in 2025.
Around 19:30 · 105 min
115 S Quarry St, Ithaca, NY
Worth confirming: opening hours.
Pacing: Share the platter at Hawi so there is room for pasta.
Plan B: In winter, swap the market for breakfast at Coal Yard Cafe and the sundae for Sweet Melissa's on Seneca Street.
Avoid: Cornell and Ithaca College graduation weekends in mid May and move-in weekends, when tables are scarce.
Bring: Layers: the lake wind is cool even in summer. Walking shoes; the walk from the inlet to downtown is flat, Quarry Street is uphill.
Skip it if: Skip it on a graduation weekend.
Ends at: Gola Osteria, 115 S Quarry St.
Walking times and distances are approximate, and opening hours change: confirm before you go.
Hot right now in Ithaca What people are lining up for and posting about this month. Entries expire after about four months unless they are reported again.
Hot now Reported Aug 2026
Patsy's Pizzeria The Commons
The thing: Coal-oven New York pizza
The Harlem pizzeria's first location outside New York City, opened Aug 2026.
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Always a line Last confirmed Sept 2026
Purity Ice Cream Fall Creek
The thing: Sundaes
The line: Summer crowds
The town's sundae stop since 1936.
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Crazes move fast. “Just spotted” means one report so far, and most entries rest on a single source: confirm hours and expect a wait.
Tell us what is hot in Ithaca Plan my days in Ithaca Tell us what you like and we will line up the places on this page into a day-by-day plan. Only places from this guide, never anything else.
What to eat in Ithaca, and where Each dish comes with the places that do it best. Tap Add to my trip on the ones you want, or find them on the map above.
Ice cream sundae Ithaca points to an 1892 Ithaca Daily Journal ad for a 'Cherry Sunday' as the oldest written record of the sundae.
The 3 best places to eat it in Ithaca
1 Purity Ice Cream
Fall Creek · $
Order: A sundae
Ithaca's ice cream maker since 1936, under new owners since 2021; a local staple for sundaes.
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2 Cornell Dairy Bar
Cornell campus · $
Order: A sundae or a cone
Made on site from Cornell's own milk.
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3 Sweet Melissa's Ice Cream Shop
Downtown · $
Order: A cone or a sundae
A classic mom-and-pop scoop shop, in the Cornell Sun's 2026 ice cream guide.
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Finger Lakes Riesling Cayuga Lake's slopes have grown cool-climate Riesling since the AVA was recognized in 1988.
The 3 best places to eat it in Ithaca
1 Sheldrake Point Winery
Ovid, west shore of Cayuga Lake
Order: A dry or late-harvest Riesling
A Riesling-focused estate on the lake's west shore, running vineyard tours in 2026.
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2 Heart & Hands Wine Company
Union Springs, east shore
Order: Riesling
A small producer (about 2,000 cases) known for cool-climate Riesling and Pinot Noir; book a tasting online.
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3 Hosmer Winery
Ovid, west shore
Order: A dry Riesling
An early Cayuga Lake Wine Trail member known for estate Rieslings.
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Vegetarian plates Moosewood made Ithaca a vegetarian town; Ethiopian vegetable platters on the Commons carry it on
The 2 best places to eat it in Ithaca
1 Moosewood
Downtown · $$
Order: The seasonal vegetarian menu
The restaurant behind the Moosewood cookbooks.
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2 Hawi Ethiopian Cuisine
The Commons · $$
Order: The vegetable platter with injera
Ithaca's Ethiopian restaurant since 2015; Best Ethnic Restaurant in the 2025 Ithaca Times poll.
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Bagel sandwiches Collegetown Bagels and its parent Ithaca Bakery are where Cornell eats breakfast and lunch
The 2 best places to eat it in Ithaca
1 Collegetown Bagels
Collegetown and the Commons · $
Order: A bagel sandwich
A Cornell institution; its bread comes from Ithaca Bakery.
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2 Ithaca Bakery
North Meadow Street · $
Order: A bagel sandwich and coffee
The bakery behind CTB, on Visit Ithaca's breakfast list.
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Tacos A former Elmira Road shack and a downtown tequila bar
The 2 best places to eat it in Ithaca
1 Tacos CDMX
Downtown (started on Elmira Road) · $
Order: Al pastor tacos
Began as a metal shack on Elmira Road in July 2022; top of a Feb 2025 Yelp-based list of Ithaca Mexican places. Reported cash only.
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2 Bickering Twins
The Commons · $$
Order: Soft tacos, ceviche, a tequila flight
An underground Latin American room on the Commons with creative fillings like beef tongue and beef cheek.
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Korean comfort food Bulgogi, tofu stew and fried chicken bites on the west end and in Collegetown
The 2 best places to eat it in Ithaca
1 Maru Korea
West end · $$
Order: Bulgogi or a tofu stew
Maru Ramen turned fully Korean in January 2026 after nearly eight years.
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2 Koko
Collegetown
Order: Ask what the Korean kitchen recommends
Visit Ithaca's Korean pick in Collegetown.
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The award-winning tables The award list for Ithaca is being compiled. Check back soon.
When to go and what is in season Ithaca food calendar: month by month → What is in season, what to eat and the food festivals each month.
J F M A M J J A S O N D
Peak Jun–Sep Shoulder May, Oct Hard Jan–Feb
Why these months The Ithaca Farmers Market runs outdoors at Steamboat Landing from April, Saturdays 9 to 3 through October in 2026 (WENY). Hotels and restaurants fill on Cornell and Ithaca College graduation weekends in mid May (Moosewood takes graduation bookings) and on move-in and homecoming weekends.
In season Sundaes and Cornell Dairy ice cream May–Sep Ithaca promotes itself as the birthplace of the sundae. Apples and cider Sep–Oct Apple Harvest Festival weekend downtown. Food events Downtown Ithaca Chili Cook-Off Mar March 7, 2026 on the Commons (28th year), with about 40 chilis. Chicken barbecue fundraisers Jun Cornell chicken, Bob Baker's vinegar-and-egg barbecue recipe, at summer fire company and club fundraisers. Apple Harvest Festival Sep Sept 25-27, 2026, downtown; free, with a pie contest. Closures to plan around Cornell Dairy Bar keeps campus hours; check Cornell Dining before going. Hawi's hours differ between listings; call ahead. Angelhearts Diner moved and rebranded as Angelhearts Donuts, mostly catering. MIX Kitchen & Bar on Elmira Road closed Jan 2026. Cornell Dairy Bar and much of Collegetown slow down when classes are out. From published guides and tourism boards. Months are our mapping of how guides describe the seasons; 2027 event dates are expected, not confirmed. Prices come from single sources of varying age, so treat them as a rough guide. Compare cities by month
Every place we have in Ithaca (24) Search or filter, then tap Add to my trip. Places you add go straight into your trip planner.
All 24 Local favorites 11 Hot right now 2 Markets 1 Walking tour stops 5 Chef's picks 9 Sandwich shops 4 Romantic dinners 3 Breakfast spots 5 New openings 4 Dish spots 14
All neighborhoods Downtown (5) The Commons (3) Collegetown (2) North Meadow Street (2) Cornell campus (Statler Hotel) (1) Cornell campus (Stocking Hall) (1) Fall Creek (1) Maple Avenue (east of Collegetown) (1) Ovid, Cayuga Lake (1) Ovid, west shore (1) Route 89, west shore of Cayuga Lake (1) Steamboat Landing (1) Union Springs, east shore (1) West end (1)
Coal Yard Cafe Local favorites Chef's picks Breakfast spots Maple Avenue (east of Collegetown) · cafe
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Collegetown Bagels Local favorites Dish spots Sandwich shops Breakfast spots Collegetown · counter
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Cornell Dairy Bar Local favorites Dish spots Chef's picks Cornell campus (Stocking Hall) · ice cream
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Glenwood Pines Local favorites Sandwich shops Route 89, west shore of Cayuga Lake · classic
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Hawi Ethiopian Cuisine Local favorites Walking tour stops Dish spots Chef's picks The Commons · family-run
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Ithaca Farmers Market Local favorites Markets Walking tour stops Chef's picks Breakfast spots Steamboat Landing · market
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Maru Korea Local favorites Dish spots Chef's picks New openings West end · family-run
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Moosewood Local favorites Dish spots Chef's picks Romantic dinners Downtown · classic
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Purity Ice Cream Local favorites Walking tour stops Hot right now Dish spots Chef's picks Fall Creek · ice cream
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Sheldrake Point Winery Local favorites Dish spots Ovid, Cayuga Lake · winery
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Tacos CDMX Local favorites Dish spots Chef's picks Downtown · street
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Patsy's Pizzeria Hot right now New openings The Commons · Coal-oven New York pizza
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Gola Osteria Walking tour stops Chef's picks Romantic dinners Downtown · restaurant
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Milkstand Walking tour stops Breakfast spots North Meadow Street · cafe
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Ithaca Bakery Dish spots Sandwich shops Breakfast spots North Meadow Street · Bagel sandwiches
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Short Stop Deli Sandwich shops Downtown · Deli
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Taverna Banfi Romantic dinners Cornell campus (Statler Hotel) · Romantic dinner
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NouNou's Authentic Lao-Thai New openings New opening
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Sedona Mesa Grill New openings New opening
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Bickering Twins Dish spots The Commons · Tacos
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Heart & Hands Wine Company Dish spots Union Springs, east shore · Finger Lakes Riesling
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Hosmer Winery Dish spots Ovid, west shore · Finger Lakes Riesling
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Koko Dish spots Collegetown · Korean comfort food
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Sweet Melissa's Ice Cream Shop Dish spots Downtown · Ice cream sundae
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Show 25 more Secret discoveries
Locally loved places that are not on the big prestige lists.
ice cream
Cornell Dairy Bar Cornell campus (Stocking Hall) · $
Order: A cone of Cornell Dairy ice cream; Cornelia's Dark Secret is a known flavor
Cornell makes the ice cream down the hall, with milk from the university's teaching barn a quarter mile away.
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ice cream
Purity Ice Cream Fall Creek · $
Order: A sundae
Locally owned since 1936, when Cornell graduate Leo Guentert started it; a new owner took over in 2021.
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classic
Glenwood Pines Route 89, west shore of Cayuga Lake · $
Order: The Pinesburger (a cheeseburger on French bread with Thousand Island) or the haddock fish fry
A roadhouse over the lake since the 1940s; the Pinesburger has been on the menu since 1974.
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family-run
Hawi Ethiopian Cuisine The Commons · $$
Order: The vegetable platter, eaten with injera
Ithaca's Ethiopian restaurant since 2015, with spices from an Ethiopian spice company; Best Ethnic Restaurant in the Ithaca Times poll in 2025.
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classic
Moosewood Downtown · $$
Order: The seasonal vegetarian menu
The vegetarian restaurant behind the Moosewood cookbooks, at 215 N. Cayuga St.; the menu changes with what is local.
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market
Ithaca Farmers Market Steamboat Landing · $
Order: Breakfast from the food stalls, then produce and cheese
A cooperative market on the Cayuga Inlet, open Saturdays 9 to 3 through October in 2026.
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street
Tacos CDMX Downtown · $
Order: Al pastor tacos
A taco shack that outgrew Elmira Road; students call it the best tacos in Ithaca.
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counter
Collegetown Bagels Collegetown · $
Order: A bagel sandwich, ordered online to skip the line
A Cornell fixture whose bread comes from Ithaca Bakery.
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cafe
Coal Yard Cafe Maple Avenue (east of Collegetown)
Order: Shakshuka or the Flap Quacks (johnny cakes with duck confit)
A breakfast cafe in an old coal office; Visit Ithaca recommends the Ranch Eggs.
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family-run
Maru Korea West end
Order: Bulgogi, tofu stew, fried chicken bites
Rebuilt from Maru Ramen into a Korean comfort-food menu in January 2026.
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winery
Sheldrake Point Winery Ovid, Cayuga Lake
Order: A Riesling tasting
A Riesling-focused estate on the west shore, a short drive from town.
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Food markets in Ithaca
Plan a food trip to Ithaca
All 131 food cities Explore the 250 food markets
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Awards come from the guides named on each listing (2026). Researched November 7, 2026. Restaurants change; confirm hours, reservations and current stars before you go. Some addresses, phone numbers and websites come from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), so call ahead to confirm. Local favorites are editorial picks, not rankings.
Chef Amazing’s lists for Ithaca : where locals eat, new openings, romantic dinners, ice cream, cooking classes and more, each place with what to order. Cooking classes in Ithaca : who teaches, what you cook, how long and how to book.
Every place in this guide, A to Z (23) 