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    Ancora!

    3.9 (95 reviews)
    Open 4:30 pm - 8:30 PM

    Order Ancora! Takeout or Delivery

    Ancora! Photos

    Ancora! - a dessert with strawberries and chocolate - Tapas Bars Near Me - Utica, New York
    Ancora! - Tapas Bars Near Me - Utica, New York
    Ancora! - Seafood Paella - Tapas Bars Near Me - Utica, New York
    Ancora! - Fried Meatballs Tapas - Tapas Bars Near Me - Utica, New York
    Ancora! - a skillet of pasta and sauce - Tapas Bars Near Me - Utica, New York
    Ancora! - Tapas Bars Near Me - Utica, New York
    Ancora! - a pizza and a salad on a table - Tapas Bars Near Me - Utica, New York
    Ancora! - Haddock Oreganato - Tapas Bars Near Me - Utica, New York
    Ancora! - the outside of a restaurant - Tapas Bars Near Me - Utica, New York
    Ancora! - Fried calamari appetizer - Tapas Bars Near Me - Utica, New York
    Ancora! - Tapas Bars Near Me - Utica, New York

    +113

    Ancora! - Lobster ravioli (special) - Tapas Bars Near Me - Utica, New York

    Business Info

    ANCORA! ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Trendy
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Ancora!

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    Ancora 's Original Paella for two.  One split lobster tail, 8 mussels, 4 large shrimp and Spanish rice seasoned with hot peppers and pork.
    David P.

    Had a very nice dinner at Ancora tonight. Based on fellow Yelpers reviews I had my sights set on the seafood paella for two. Service was top notch - waitress was attentive and well schooled. I appreciate the beer list on a chalkboard in the dining room and apologize for not snagging a picture. We had a couple beers and the paella for two - it was ginormous. We started working on the mussels and shrimp and ended up still needing a to-go box as we couldn't finish the very flavorful Spanish rice mix. Very good meal, excellent service, would love to return and try something else!

    Honey Glazed Salmon w/ Sesame Seeds
    Shihintha S.

    We had the calamari and arancini for appetizers. I didn't have the arancini but my coworkers said they've had better. The calamari wasn't bad but definitely needed salt. I remember reading in other Yelp Reviews that people kept talking about the lack of salt and I didn't get it....Until I had the food. My honey glazed salmon was exactly that. Salmon with some honey glaze on it. The salmon itself was too burnt on the outside and therefore the honey glaze was just sitting on it. It wasn't flavored into the salmon probably because of how burnt it was. The risotto also lacked salt. One coworker got the steak and she said the same thing. It was lacking salt and flavor. My other coworker however had the Chicken Riggies and that dish was actually good. Overall, this place is good for its drinks and the Riggies from my experience.

    Homemade Cavatelli. Delicious, after adding salt.
    Ev L.

    In CNY, Italian food can be a little hit or miss, even in the same restaurant. Ancora's staff are attentive and professional. No complaints there! The space is a bit loud, but the booth bench seating, at least, is comfortable. Now for the food: Ancora Greens: The more of this dish I ate, the more I enjoyed it. The flavor of the dish really stewed into the greens in a lovely fashion. It was quite enjoyable. A classic Utican dish. I might have added a little bit of cream or cheese to it, but I really cannot complain. I almost ruined my appetite, eating it. Homemade Cavatelli: This dish was excellent- once we added salt, pepper, and cheese. It was oddly underseasoned before that. Otherwise, however, the pasta was lovely, rich, and filling. I would order this again. Chicken Francesca- Sadly, I cannot recommend this dish. I ate a small portion of it, and then took it home to give away to my housemate, who is surely dressing it up as I type. It was incredibly bland and underseasoned. There was a lemon flavor, but that was it. No salt. The sauce was watery, which isn't a great combination with something that is breaded. It didn't stick to the angelhair pasta in any significant way. The sautéed spinach on top was incredibly bitter. I just really didn't enjoy it at all. I instead ate some of my partner's cavatelli. The bread you get at the beginning of the meal is pleasant, but would be better were it warmed up a little. My tropical drink tasted like slightly alcoholic pineapple juice. Not very complex. My partner's whiskey sour was a bit better. The Tiramisu- this was delectable. I would absolutely eat this again. It also came with some rich chocolate ice cream. I would consider returning for the greens, the pasta, and the tiramisu. It's not a bad choice for downtown Utica.

    Parmesan Polenta Fries
    Miranda L.

    We absolutely love Ancora! For us it is one of the top local restaurants in Utica!!! Every time we have visited it has never disappointed. We went last night for my birthday dinner and it was everything I could've ever hoped for. I knew hands-down I wanted dessert so that I would be bringing some stuff home. We started with the parmesan polenta fries and Arancini and they were both delightful. I had never had the fries before in the texture to me was spot on and the marinara was incredible. I got the special which was shrimp with homemade gnocchi and pesto cream sauce and I cannot even explain in words how scrumptious it was. The shrimp was cooked perfectly in the sauce was plentiful and beyond. But the highlight of the meal the piece de resistance was the tiramisu!!! I love the coffee flavor and the texture and cream were so delightful. The chocolate ice cream was an incredible surprise as it was smooth and creamy and so good! I highly recommend visiting!!!!

    Greens Ancora
    Johannah C.

    Traveling through for work. Super cute and clean! Everyone was very friendly. Service was great. The patio is adorable, but I sat at the bar since I didn't have reservations and it really didn't matter to me where I sat. My drink was strong and the food was delicious. I got 2 Utica staples, the greens and chicken riggies. Yummm

    Ancora 's Original Paella
    Savannah C.

    I will return time and time again to Ancora. The food is simply delicious, what more is there to say! The service is great and the food is made so fresh. I highly recommend this restaurant to others-- for any occasion!

    Arancini, calamari, riggies - ALL amazing!
    Tina C.

    SO pleased with this restaurant. My husband and I took our daughter for her first night in a hotel during our Father's Day weekend and we were desperate to find local Italian fare that offered takeout. The first restaurant I called at around 7 told me it was going to be over an hour and a half for an order... but Ancora! to the rescue! I should have just called them first. 20 minutes flat and we walked up the street to pickup our order that was well packed and hot. We ordered 5 different items that were all large portions and beautifully cooked. The riggies were hands down the best I've had, and I've had A LOT of riggies.

    Chicken Riggies (hot)
    Cherry N.

    Everything was great about this place! Their chicken riggies is probably the best in the Utica area. You have to try the arancini, it was delightful. We had the vanilla creme brûlée for dessert and that was delicious! I was planning on our next visit while we were eating our food, that's how good it was! The staff there were very welcoming and accommodating!

    JY H.

    Another chicken riggie! I'm checking out chicken riggies in this area. Not intentionally though. The pasta was cooked al dente but I had a moment doubt it was under cooked. I suppose it still needs a bit more cooking time. Chicken was fine, reasonable sized chunks with about right cooking time, and texture is between juicy and dry. So not the best ones I had but defiantly in the "better" groups. Sauce is creamy and tasty and it actually helped eat the pasta. It somehow covered the texture and taste a bit. I like the peppers in the pasta and it provided me with more vegetables without having extra salad. The Parmesan fries are tasty and fried perfectly. Price was alright and reasonable for its size and taste. Environment is okay with some grease smell. Will go back. #chickenriggies #thisisutica

    Chicken Riggies
    Anna S.

    Came to Ancora for my first restaurant meal since the shut down. I was so happy to be outside dining in beautiful weather. I was very happy with the quality of the food and the staff were very helpful!

    Spinach alone was amazing. Chicken cooked perfectly and sauce perfect combo of lemon and wine.

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    Page 3 of 3

    Ask the Community - Ancora!

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    Always a great time whether it's me and the folks or hanging with the girlfriends When with the…read moregirls we do have a tendency to do brunch where we order one of everything and sit and enjoy for a few hours Highly Recommend

    A real struggle on graduation weekend:…read more Party of 12, Saturday night. We were told that it wasn't going to be a prix fixe menu as we were a party of under 12 when the reservation was booked (we asked). It was. Selection was somewhat limited particularly for the vegetarians but the waitress said that they could swap veggies in for the trout in the risotto. They didn't. It was just risotto. Potato leek soup. So salty that it was inedible. Like sea water salty. Three of us sent it back. NY Strip. Boring and clearly hadn't been seasoned before cooking (ironic). Not quite cold but really, really close. A little tiny ramekin of chimichurri sauce which I was supposed it make it interesting or tasty I guess. It was neither. The whipped potatoes were delicious. Desert was a borderline interminable wait. And then they served gelato and sorbet to four of us. Think milkshake. A thin, runny milkshake, approaching soup. The food runners and waitress were so embarrassed they couldn't look at us when they dropped the desert and ran. Who lets ice scream, posing as soup out of the kitchen. It used to be a quaint little place with fantastic food ... And now, an overpriced, industrial'ish place with sub-par food (although the owners are clearly cashing out, leaning on its prior reputation). Unfortunate. $85 a head, $1,500 all in with drinks and tip.

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    Laci's Tapas Bar

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    My friend and I went to Laci's last night and decided to sit on the patio. It was a beautiful…read morenight. Our server was Marianne. She brought us Cucumber water which was absolutely delicious. She told us about specials and about ordering tapas. I ordered a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. It was a fantastic pour and the light fruitiness of the wine was perfect for the big flavors of the food we were about to explore. Bacon Wrapped Jalepenos. Sometimes I can't handle spice but I'm so glad we ordered these. They were balanced perfectly with all the ingredients and the poblano sour cream dip so that you could taste the flavors and a little heat but it cooled quickly. These "poppers" were crispy and way better than battered and fried! Grilled Asparagus Aranchini. If you don't like Asparagus, try them anyway. It is not an overpowering flavor in this dish. I usually eat aranchini with a tomato sauce but the Lemon Beurre Blanc it was served with was absolute perfection. Shrimp & Grits. Perfectly cooked shrimp topped the most delicious cheesy Grits. Bacon and Scallions put this dish right over the top. Portobello & Truffle Flatbread. Portobello mushrooms, goat cheese, Truffle oil, and arugula. Flavor Bomb! We had our eye on dessert too but apparently we ordered too much food. We were both so stuffed! Marianne checked in with us several times and kept refilling our waters before they were needed. She was one of the best servers I've had in a long time. It had been many years since I've been to Laci's. I can assure you I will go back much sooner this time.

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    Tabla Catskills - Everything was delicious.

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    BEWARE OF HIDDEN FEES!! I wish I could give zero stars. We…read morehad a group of 11 for my friend's birthday and the experience was a disaster from start to finish. The service was not good. Although our server was nice, she was often slow and not readily available. She and other runners/servers did not bring many things we ordered/asked for. 1 friend never got his side of pasta for his entire meal, another did not get his glass of wine when others who ordered at the same time as him got theirs. My girlfriend had to ask 3 times for a steak knife and we were constantly begging for basic items like drinks and ketchup. The predatory billing practices here are shocking: 20% Automatic Gratuity: ok, this is not unusual for large groups in many resistant, but clearly explained why the staff felt no need to actually serve and take care of us. 10% "Living Wage Fee": A mandatory tax on the customer because the owner refuses to pay their staff properly! Never experienced this fee firsthand only saw it online. An absolute joke to expect us to give an extra 10% to your staff because you're not paying a reasonable salary! $30 Cake Slicing Fee: We brought a birthday cake. They stored it and brought it out, but we ended up taking it home without them ever touching or slicing it. They still had the nerve to charge us $30 just for the "privilege" of having it in the building. When we spoke to the manager about the 10% surcharge, he acted like we were the problem and talked about how they are trying to make a living. We were all asking ourselves why he's not paying them a fair salary?? why is it our responsibility to pay even more, particularly for poor service! The food is fair at best and wildly overpriced. Definitely go anywhere else as this place is an overpriced tourist trap with lousy service!

    This was my first time here, unfortunately the service and food were very lacking. We arrived for…read moredinner and we were seated next to the restrooms, I kindly asked if we could switch tables and the server said it was not possible even though the restaurant was basically empty. Then shortly after, another couple arrived and they also asked to switch tables, and they were accommodated. So what was the issue then? Now onto the food, we ordered the Sunday Sauce and the Chicken Parm. The first dish was great. However the chicken parm was basically cold/luke warm -- this noticeable because the restaurant was freezing and we wanted something to warm up with. We let the server know about the issue with the food and she said she'd look into it. In the end since I ate most of it, she didn't even offer a discount. Cold restaurant, cold food and colder service.

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    MIX Kitchen & Bar - Weekend in Cancun!

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    I joined Cornell CHAARG, an organization (rather scammy one but that's beyond the point) dedicated…read moreto showing college-aged women that fitness can be fun and fulfilling. Anyways... what did I get out of it? An awesome group of people and well... MIX. Updating my review because MIX deserves a proper shoutout and I haven't done it justice. This place is unequivocally my absolute FAVORITE brunch spot. The selection is vast, the portions are hearty, and the staff? They're the kindest, most accommodating folks you'll meet. It's like they've mastered the art of making you feel right at home. And the food? Oh, the food is ABSOLUTELY divine. Every bite is a delicious reminder of why I've converted to the church of brunch. Seriously, I went from a casual brunch-goer to a full-fledged brunch enthusiast, all thanks to CHAARG for leading me to this culinary gem. My brunch game has never been the same.

    I've had brunch, lunch, and dinner at MIX, and all with varying levels of enjoyment. My recent…read morebrunch experience included ordering a Where the West Begins omelette, which includes "Braised short rib, butternut squash, red onion jam, spinach, smoked gouda". I wasn't sure how to feel about butternut squash with everything else (I'm not necessarily a huge squash fan - but I'm trying to learn to enjoy it), but the omelette was decent... it's the other side on my plate that looked less than appetizing. The biscuit was still covered in flour (and who wants to bite down on a clump of flour?), the cheddar hashbrown casserole lacked in flavor, and the brown sugar cinnamon oatmeal just... wasn't doin' it for me. Other recent experiences have been similar... there's usually one item on the plate that's flavorful or imventive (sometimes a main dish, sometimes a side), and the other parts of the plate are lacking. In reality, I think MIX is suffering a bit from rising food costs and inconsistency in their service and offerings. They've also changed the style of their menu from the original tapas-style to now being more typical entree options. Again... they've lost some of their innovative, experimental approach. In terms of ambiance, it really depends. I've been here for a work event and, because of the number of people, it was SO LOUD... they had also done a buffet offering for the event. As you can imagine, the food from the buffet was lacking, but that's often what happens when you're more mass producing your food (and it's left in a chafing dish, trying to be kept warm). On the other hand, I've been here for a dinner on a random night and was able to enjoy one of their Thai noodle bowls (and split some other apps with friends). The reality is that experiences at MIX are... well... a mix. Whether service, menu offerings, etc., I've found MIX's recent inconsistencies to be a disappointment. Will probably only visit in the future if it's suggested by others.

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