Came for the first time on a busy Thursday night. Had a reservation and was seated immediately. Ordered a specialty spiced rum sour, which was pretty refreshing. Got the ricotta to share and it was unexpectedly very very spicy (3.5/5). Wish they had provided more bread for the amount of ricotta. Got the veal piccata for entree and it was decent (4/5). I knew it wasn't coming with pasta but it was a little subpar and the sauce was pretty watery. My friend got the Bolognese and they said it was really delicious. Server was slow and didn't check up on us enough. Would recommend for a nice dining experience, but make sure to make a reservation in advance. read more

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This place is such a gem! They do upscale, authentic Italian food in what I believe is a dorm building, so it's a unique experience. The food is fantastic, and I believe they change the menu daily based on what's in season and available. We opted for ordering a few appetizers over the tavola fredda, which is an assortment of cheeses and other antipasti they display as you walk into the restaurant. I highly recommend the mozzarella--they say it's hand-pulled that day and it was absolutely delicious. Everything we ordered was delicious, and I especially appreciated how all of the pasta was cooked to the perfect al dente. They know what they're doing! We came on a Friday night with a reservation, and the only drawback was that the service was slow getting our mains out after the antipasti. Our server was awesome and gave us some great recommendations throughout the meal, I think just the kitchen must have been busy with orders. We were sitting on the deck, which had a pleasant view of the forest, but later on in the evening it got chilly, so we asked one of the servers if the portable heater could be turned on and brought closer to us, and they did it immediately. Overall, Gola was a fantastic experience and I really enjoyed the food and atmosphere of the restaurant. read more

Excellent food, atmosphere, and service!! We had a party of five and all were very happy with our choices, leaving with left over.

Creative menu, fun location, and experienced staff. Bravo! This is my favorite spot in Ithaca.

Absolutely lovely restaurant. A great experience from end to end. The salads, pastas, the wines, the knowledgeable waitstaff- all lovely.

One of my favorite restaurants in Ithaca. If you are visiting and have the budget for a nicer dinner one night, do not skip this place. Incredible Italian food; I don't even have anything specific to recommend on the menu because truly everything I've had has been delicious! read more

Gola Osteria - Meatballs - Italian Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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We had the most odd treatment at Gola. Having been here before we knew the food is amazing and it was. Our server was great also. However I was very disappointed that our graduation reservation, made months before and confirmed was not honored. We arrived and the host asked if we minded sitting outside at the table we reserved even though it was chilly and raining? I insisted that out reservation was for the dining room, and she denied it, and offered us a seat in the bar area. We then sat in a completely empty room during gradation weekend wondering what the story was and why the poor and unprofessional treatment. Later when I went to look at the opentable reservation that the host insisted was for outside, it had vanished, preventing me from writing a review. We will not be back here, but only because my daughter is graduating. The food here is the best in Ithaca! The room is drab and sorely needs a refurbish. Our server was wonderful, although he tried to make excuses saying "the host is 14 and hired yesterday". Wow nobody likes being lied to their face, and then to listen to excuses. Once they saw we were upset, an apology and a glass of free wine would have done the trick. I really should give one star, but I do not want to be a Karen. read more

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I would give this place 3.5 stars, if possible...but I'm not quite convinced that I can give it four stars. Gola Osteria has only been open for a couple months, and it's an interesting addition to the Ithaca restaurant scene (I mean, who doesn't enjoy a good Italian restaurant?). The first thing about eating here though? PARKING. It's tricky. There's no clear parking location for this place, which leads to a lot of confusion. The restaurant is tucked into a building behind a lot of the new grad student housing/apartments. The problem? All the parking areas are marked as permit only or resident only, indicating you'll be towed otherwise. There's no indicator of what can be considered acceptable parking for those eating at Gola Osteria, though the hosting staff did tell me that you can park pretty much anywhere as long as you're not blocking the fire hydrant/hose connections. It'd be a lot less awkward though, in my opinion, if there were some kind of signs noting sections available for restaurant patron parking. The other interesting thing is that you actually have to be buzzed into the building that contains the restaurant (I think it's #, then 01, then waiting for someone to pick up and buzz you in). It's not a major inconvenience or anything, but it's just something a little quirky about this place. When my friend and I got inside the main doors, we followed the random signs down some hallways until we got to the restaurant. We were seated after a few minutes, and I immediately noticed my chair felt super wobbly (like the legs of it weren't secure). Above us were some empty nails in the wall, where you imagine some art was supposed to hang... but the art is just not there. Not big deals, of course, but it all kinda adds up to one realizing this place hasn't been open for long and has some awkwardness to work out. Our waitress though, for what it's worth, was super adorable and such a sweetheart. She took our drink orders quickly, then our food order after bringing our drinks out. She seemed knowledgeable about the food and didn't hesitate to answer questions for us - or any of the tables she was tending. The food was generally very good. The focaccia and olive oil to start the meal as delicious (I looooooove fresh focaccia), though the pork meatballs probably could have used a tad more binder of some sort (they just kinda fell apart when you cut into them with your fork). I ordered the gnocchi lungi for my dinner ("lungi" on the menu, though I think I usually see it "lunghi"), which is definitely a different type of gnocchi than one usually expects. Good in its own right, but I think I prefer the typical "pillowy" gnocchi. Dessert was perhaps my favorite dish of the meal - a delicious chocolate budino with hazelnuts that my friend and I split. Sweet, but not too sweet, but deliciously decadent and pudding-like in texture. If there was one thing from our various meal orders that I would recommend? It's the chocolate budino. (Side note: the after dinner drink menu includes a couple aged scotch options - including 12 yr Macallan, 12 yr Balvenie Double Wood, and 16 yr Lagavulin... definitely options I appreciated, though I was driving and didn't partake.) TL;DR Pricing seems fair for what you get. Odd parking, and the place still feels like it's trying to work out some kinks (though our waitress was adorbs). Tasty food though, and a can't miss dessert. read more

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Gola Osteria catered my wedding and it was the GREATEST experience my guests and I have ever had! It started with planning and menu selection; Gola was very receptive to our ideas, made recommendations, and combined our creative efforts for a unique and personalized event. Our guests were blown away buy the choices offered which included fan favorites plus delicious chef specials! The staff was attentive to EACH AND EVERY guest and the service was flawless. Our setup was "family style" for 80guests and the usual compliant is that half the room is served warm food and the others cold; definitely NOT here! The presentation was beautiful, details fit our theme, and Gola even had a coordinator available to tie loose ends and collaborate with all the other vendors. The guests left satisfied and my wife was happy...perfect start to our "happy wife, happy life!" read more

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This restaurant is located in a Cornell University dorm. You heard me right: It's in a dorm. Went here for a Ithaca U Grad party a couple of weeks ago and sat on the patio overlooking the dorm parking lot and a construction crane and some wooded area. I did not select it--we were hosted by the proud parents of the graduate. I am from the Los Angeles/Beverly Hills area, but the prices here are comparable to what we pay for a similar meal in my area--one of the most expensive in the United States. Are Ithaca restaurant lease rates the same as Beverly Hills?? But let's talk about the food: It is good to very good depending on the dish, but not outstanding. But given the prices, I would probably not return here. I did not see the value if I had to pay next time. Service was very good. Here is a summary of what I ate/tasted at this meal: Salmon: 4 of 5. It was fine, a bit overbaked, but fine. (Leave the Olives off next time.) Octopus: 1 of 5: You may like it, I could barely digest it--had a weird taste. Table Bread: 1 of 5: Bland, tasteless. They should be able to do better. Homemade Spinach Fettuccine with Red Sauce:P 4.5 of 5. Loved it. Artichoke Appetizer: 3 of 5. Good, nothing special. Cheese: 3 of 5. Okay Service: 4 of 5. No problems. --- Just a side comment on the rest of the menu: They have pork meatballs and other pork italian dishes. Why not just use beef? Where's the beef? In my area, pork is a poor man's substitute for beef served in low end places. You would insult the owner of a high end classy Italian restaurant if you even asked if there was pork in the meatballs or meatsauce. This place may be your cup of tea, it really wasn't mine--but again, overall we had a great time, the graduate loved it, and the meal was fine. I will remember it forever. read more

Gola Osteria - Black Spaghetti with seafood. - Italian Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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From the exemplary service to the incredible food this restaurant has it all. The furniture is beautiful and top quality. Cocktails were tart and sweet. Meatballs were outstanding, grilled octopus with white beans was fantastic and we loved the rice balls. Porchetta was perfect, tender and crispy with a sweet reduction and parsnip purée!!! Squid ink pasta with clams!!!! We also shared pumpkin ravioli and lasagna. The Brussels sprouts were melt in your mouth amazing with pancetta. I cannot say enough good things about this new culinary addition to the Ithaca dining scene. Please go! You will be completely satisfied. Thanks to Michael for being such a friendly and informative server. read more

Gola Osteria - Beautiful dining room - Italian Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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Yelp basically led me to my wife and I dining at Gola Osteria in Ithaca. I was looking for a nice date night type restaurant on my way to a weekend at the Finger Lakes. While Gola was not universally loved by all, the upside seemed to have more potential than the downside from what I read. The location is definitely wild. It will either turn you off or you'll find it charmingly interesting based on your taste. Gola is behind dorms on a dead end street in what appears to be an apartment building. I think the building may have been an old hospital way back in the day. It is that old. You can park in the lot with the residents and need to get buzzed in, much like an apartment building. After some winding halls and some signs pointing you in the right direction, you arrive at a door with "Gola" on it. There is not much of a bar there (3-4 stools) to have a drink before dinner or an after dinner drink. So i suggest showing up around your reservation time. I used Open Table and had no issues whatsoever. The room with the bar has 4 or so tables and the main dining area has maybe 15. I requested a dining room table when I made the reservation. We were promptly seated and waited on. Our waiter was very nice, he came back multiple times to the table, as we weren't sure of what wine we wanted or because we had questions about the menu entrées. He took time to talk with us an gave us good recommendations. Ultimately, for us, it was all great. I started with the pork meatballs ($15) as an app and my wife got a salad much like a Ceasar ($13). The meatballs were incredible and I think my wife enjoyed them more than me. Unfortunately, there were only 4, but with soft ricotta dabbed in the middle of the plate, crispy basil on top, and a delicious sauce, they are a must get if you like meatballs. The Ceasar like salad was good as well. My wife really didn't know where to go with her entree and as I said earlier, the waiter was a huge help. I was dead set on the pork chop ($38). My wife got garganelli pasta ($27) in a truffle butter cream sauce. We chose well. These 2 entrées were pretty much outstanding. The portions were nice and left us room for dessert. My wife and I normally would wrap up a great Italian dinner with some tiramisu, but inexplicably, there was none on the menu. A minor setback, as she got chocolate cheesecake and I got an almond cannoli. There is a nice choice of after dinner Italian liquors to have with coffee and dessert. Overall, we would definitely go back to Gola. The bill was beyond reasonable considering having glasses of wine, 3 courses and after dinner drinks. I wish there was a better bar to get there early and enjoy a drink and some tiramisu for dessert, but these are minor gripes. I'd say 4 1/2 stars for my first experience there. read more

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Came here second time after a few years. While the vibe seems cool the execution isn't great. I had the black spaghetti with shrimp and homemade sausage and was very disappointed. It was tasteless. No garlic, no olive oil and very little seasoning at all - never mind Italian. Also had the eggplant parmigiana starter which tasted like premade food from Wegmans. The bread was warm but clearly was bought from Wegmans as well. Lastly our waiter was a bit surly and didn't seem to want to be there. If you are in the mood for a relatively quasi Italian meal that is decent quality in Ithaca head to Taverna Banfi instead. read more

Four of us went to Gola for dinner on a Thursday night. Service was okay and prices were about normal for fine dining establishment. Everything was a la carte. Music was so loud it was hard to talk and listen even though we were seated in a far corner. Food was so-so. I had veal saltimbocca on a bed of very bitter rapini $38.00. Instead of veal cutlets, it was a large fairly thick piece of veal, semi-tender, with some prosciutto. (I saw no sage leaves.) It was ok but not terribly tasty considering the reputation of this restaurant. I had 2 fried artichokes which were ok for $14.00, coffee $2.50 and a single cannoli for $10.00 that was pretty good. A glass of Chianti was $14.00 but list did not specify if it was "Reserva", denoting the best. I was expecting a spectacular meal based on other reviews but I have to say this was quite disappointing. I would not recommend. read more

Sam and his staff have created an amazing restaurant out of a very unique location. Rhe hand cut pasta and especially the black spaghetti are amazing dishes. The drinks are always unique and the wine list is outstanding. A must have! read more

Gola Osteria is home to some of the best pasta this foodie has ever tasted outside of Italy. Stepping into the dining area feels a lot like crossing the threshold into someone's home, with dim lighting and comfortable furniture offering a delightfully cozy ambiance. My dining companions and I started off the evening with the house-made mozzarella, which was served on a bed of sun-dried tomatoes and dressed up with roasted squash. The cheese was splendidly soft with an ideal balance between salinity and creaminess, making my companions and I wish we had each ordered a plate for ourselves! For the main course, I could not help but opt for the spaghetti cacio e pepe. The portion was generous and the flavors sublime, offering a rich blend of Pecorino Romano and black pepper. My acquaintances chose the linguine alle vongole and the gnocchi, each of which looked delicious in their own right. Although we were each stuffed to the brim by the time our plates were clean, it would go against my own personal conscience to skip dessert. I was craving chocolate and thus picked out the flourless chocolate torta, which was perfectly complemented by a topping of slivered almonds and candied cherries. I also tried a bite of the pumpkin tiramisu, which offered a creative twist on a classic by using ginger snaps instead of lady fingers. For a meal you'll be dreaming about for days, make your Gola reservation right away! read more

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Gola Osteria was one of the two restaurants I was looking forward to the most when I moved to Ithaca. Italian cuisine is also one of my favorites. I could defintiely say the food was fresh and enjoyable on paper, but a few small things distracted me from truly enjoying my dining experience. For appetizer, we ordered the grilled Mediterranean octopus. I appreciated the use of celery, lemon, sesame, orange with the octopus and cannellini beans, a combination not unexpected from a Michelin-rated restaurant. However the glaring mistake (quite visually) was the severely burnt ends of the octopus arms. I understand that due to the shape of the arms, the narrower ends would cook faster but you would think the chefs would account for this because burnt meat isn't very enjoyable, it was incredibly bitter and unpleasant. I rarely leave food uneaten, especially when I'm hungry but this was one of those times. For the main course, I ordered the oxtail tagliatelle and my date ordered the linguine with Alaskan crab. Again, the flavors were on point. Where the ball drops is the level of attention from the chefs. My date found two pieces of shell in hers and I found two pieces of bone in mine, one larger disk-shaped bone and a smaller bullet-shaped one. The larger one could be easily removed by the chef, and the smaller one seemed like the result of poor butchering. I understand that oxtail has bones, hell Chinese oxtail soup is filled with it. However, when you go to an upscale restaurant, you don't pay for the experience of taking bones (or shells) out of your mouth when you are in the middle of a conversation. If I wanted to deal with bones, I'd go to KFC. Service was okay. However, service failed to address my concerns each time I brought up the issues (burnt, bones, shells). I felt like I had to really explain why the issues left a poor taste in my mouth because the immediate response was that I should expect these flaws here and there and that "I'll bring it up with the chef" came out when the servers realized I was still unsatisfied. Otherwise, parking was decent. I also had a problem with reserving a table. I called Thursday for a table Friday. tables weren't available for my ideal times (though there were quite a few empty come that time), and the person said she would get back to me confirming my reservation, except I had to call Gola to confirm it myself after giving her more than an hour past when she said she would call back. The bio on the website says the chef has trained at the Michelin-level, but to me it seems like at Gola that stops at the recipe. The quality control and general service elements are lacking. read more

This restaurant was terrific! The outdoor seating was wonderful. The location is so quiet and relaxing. The food was delicious. The meatballs are amazing! Great service! read more

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I visited the restaurant last year and was so impressed. Very different experience this year. Food was salty beyond being edible . The server did not acknowledge/ apologize . Would not go here again. read more

Too much olive oil on everything and I've heard their kitchen and dishwashing facilities are disgusting.

The restaurant is oddly placed down a maze in the back of an old building. The lasagna was good, the steak was tough with a good flavor.

This place was recommended to us by our AirBnB host. Reservations were easy to make, they are on open table. It is located in an apartment complex but it's easy to find. The service was impeccable. The restaurant is not that large but the tables and the chairs are huge. I felt far away from my companions when sitting next to them. Definitely more spacious than any NYC restaurant. All the sides are openly placed on a side of the restaurant. It looks a bit odd but it's old school I guess. We shared a few appetizers; the caprese salad (colorful and tasty), clams (the broth is delicious), arugula salad (ok, very simple), side of beets. For our entrees we got a lasagna (amazing), eggplant lasagna (great), fish (fluke, it was just ok, a bit dry), pork chop, black pasta with clams (amazing). We were all stuffed and happy. read more

Gola Osteria - Market fish - fluke - a bit dry and bland. - Italian Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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Seriously delicious. I'm serious. When it comes to delectable, Gola is the definition and nothing short of fantastic. The ambiance is cute and cozy, quite romantic. The service is on point, and we very much enjoyed everything we had. Started off with the Potato Gnocchi ala Sorrentina and Grilled Mediterranean Octopus as an appetizer. The octopus was so good, we ordered a second. The texture of the gnocchi was so pillowy...so soft. It's more fun to share, and try everything on the table, that's what we did. In order of favorites, here's the scoop: Pumpkin Ravioli- The black truffle butter complimented the pumpkin well. So flavorful and savory. Whole Roasted Branzino- came with braised turnips and lemon. The fish was so buttery, melt in your mouth, I need more, can't stop eating more, oops there's a pin bone, keep eating, can't stop. Halp. I still have more food to finish. Ok, one more bite. Roasted Beets- Love, love! The beets were sliced thin probably after being roasted, drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with rock salt, and snips of dill, and parsley. So simple, yet so good. I'm totally going to recreate this at home. Local Potatoes- omg(arlic)! So much garlic. I loved it! The pecorino was a nice addition. Crispy Sweetbreads- Perfectly breaded and crispy. Probably some of the best veal sweetbreads I've had. While I'm not a huge fan of fried food, the texture complimented the rest of what was on the table. My favorite part about this dish was the black truffle vinaigrette. I found the quantity of onions to be too much, and only had a few. Wish there was more polenta. House made focaccia- I loved the texture of the bread and especially the addition of fennel in the olive oil. I didn't want to fill up so fast, so only had one small piece. Pappardelle- Now although I've listed it last, it's only because something has to be last. The flavors melded together well, but left something to be desired. An herb, some citrus, an acid. The dish could have benefited from another flavor or more depth. The pasta though, loved how al dente it was. This dish was really rich, if it were mine I wouldn't have been able to finish it. We skipped dessert because nothing on the menu jumped out, and after table tetris, we were waaaay full. After spending most of the day restaurant hopping, I have to say, this place is one of the best in Ithaca. read more

Gola Osteria - Italian Near Me - Ithaca, New York

This place really just rubbed me the wrong way from the moment we walked in. I made a reservation for 6:30pm on a Saturday about 3 weeks prior to the actual date. The day of I received a phone call from Gola confirming my reservation. When we arrived 20 minutes early we asked if it would be possible to grab a drink by the bar and wait, the hostess looked confused but eventually told us, "yes you can grab a drink and we'll grab you when your table is ready". As we hung out in the small waiting area right by the entrance we noted there were a few couches and two high top tables with seating. In what would later become an ironic remark, my friend said, "wouldn't it be crappy if someone had to dine at these tables, they're kind of the "last seat in the house tables ". Fast forward 20 minutes it is my party that is being seated at this same shitty table. Immediately after being seated I asked if it was possible to sit in the actual dining room as there was ample seating, I was told, "those tables are for folks with reservations. -_- I responded, "we have a reservation, it's been made for 3 weeks." They clearly did not care because when they returned to our tiny table we were told that was the only option but if we wanted to wait for a table in the dining room it would be about 40 minutes. In hindsight, I should've taken a photo of the setup but the table was placed in such a way that when enough people waiting to be seated started to fill the restaurant, they surrounded us in an uncomfortable and intrusive way. This persisted for most of the night, folks coming in, crowding in the waiting room, listening to our conversations, bumping into chairs to squeeze by... What was most insulting beyond the fact that we had a reservation and were seated at the backup table - nothing sets the mood for a nice Italian dinner like starting at a dark wall, hearing chefs yell in the kitchen, and having other patrons who are bored and waiting to be seated stare at you and your table while you catch up and chat -- was the fact that when we got up to see the table of appetizers in the main dining area, we saw an empty table with enough room for four. When we asked out waiter why we couldn't sit there he responded, "that table is always reserved for the building owner". This place is exactly what you'd expect out of a nicer Ithaca establishment. They feed into the hype of the local hysteria but this place is just okay. I would speak about the ambiance, but my overall exposure to Gola was a five step walk through the door to the hostess stand and a quick turn to the left to sit in the bar/holding room for dinner... The food is great, probably some of the better Italian food I've had, but the service was so slow. From the time we sat down and ordered to the time we got our food it was a good hour and a half. The drinks were alright too but there is literally no compelling reason to come back to this place for dinner, especially considering the apathetic service we received. read more

The bread is tender and warm, awesomeThe appetizer combo plate was fabulous. Beets and salami were my favorite. I ordered venison leg, it's cooked great, but the sauce was not what I expected, needs more flavor. My friends grilled pork chop was tender and juicy, cooked perfect. The service is good. It's a great Italian restaurant. But my friend is not very used to the Italian flavor. read more

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Wife and I had dinner there last night. Foods are great. Pasta are cooked perfectly. The texture is one of the best I've had. My wife had black spaghetti with clam. I had spaghetti with meatball. Wish the dish has 3 instead of 2 meatballs. Meatball is full of garlic flavor. It's moist and tender. Oh. Bread was warm, fresh and tasty. You can ask for more bread. When you are there, pay attention to the hall and doors. You can tell it's either a nursing home or rehab center before it got converted into apartment rental read more

Gola Osteria is definitely a must try restaurant in Ithaca! The pastas here are made fresh in house each day and they are so unique. The baked rigatoni was good but nothing too spectacular. There was a strong tomato flavor from the sauce and crispy exteriors from the oven. On the other hand, that day's garlic mushroom pasta special was to die for!! I do not like eating mushrooms at all but when I tried it I was floored by the taste. The garlicy oil flavor was very strong and complemented the noodles and the chanterelle mushrooms so well. The mushrooms didn't have the characteristic earthy "mushroom taste" that I usually don't like; instead, they had kind of a meatier taste. I highly recommend trying their daily specials (especially if you can try this mushroom pasta)! Our server was also extremely friendly and helpful answering menu-related questions. While the price is quite high, it's still worth coming at least once to try the food and enjoy the view (sit outside). read more

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Always an exceptional, authentic Italian meal from start to finish. I would drive the five hours to Ithaca just to eat here.

I was really excited to find Gola as I used to live in that apartment complex a long time ago ago. It's our favorite place in town for Italian -- we love their pastas. Combined with the unique ambience, it is our go-to restaurant when we have guests from out of town. read more

A little pricey but great fresh food. The building looks a little sketchy because its old and creepy looking on the outside but do not be alarmed!! Its part of a student housing complex so be prepared to follow the signs to the restaurant deep in the recesses of an ancient building Food was delicious! Mozarella was my favourite and you could tell it was fresh. The lasagna was pretty good too! Nice decor and ambience. The place can be pretty packed on weekends so I would recommend making reservations. Their take out menu is a little different. The manicotti is pretty good but their eggplant sub was pretty freakin' terrible. No cheese, sauce or dressing. Just some grilled half cooked eggplant, tomatoes and wilted lettuce between 2 buns. This place is better suited for dining in! read more

Gola Osteria - House Cured Prosciutto House Made Mozzarella - Italian Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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Yay! it's 7min walking distance from my home! 14 years ago I met my husband in SF and it's time to celebrate it. Gola it is! I've heard about this restaurant for a while and finally I have a day-off to try. Oh la la March 19th! and it was still cold! oh Wow strange entrance.( the customers have to press the button like apt entrance... )Next time I will go around the parking lot ( you should do that too :)) Nice deco; simple but tasteful. Comfy chair, great service. I felt like I was in Tompson house ( Mcgill's graduates house) because around us, most of people looked like professors and their friends and spouses :P Yummy food! I love restaurant with small bite thingy. My husband and I ordered ( we are big big big eaters) 3 small bite plates, 3 appetizer and 1 pasta, 3 cocktails :) Between appetizers and pasta, we had to wait long time but it was understandable since by the time, it was PACKed! . Everything was fine except most of them were too salty. Really salty that I had to drink 10 glasses of water. I am a big salt fan but it was too much. The chef is a big fan of Fleur de sel perhaps. Well but that's easy thing to fix right? Next time I will ask them to make my food little easy on salt. It was little sad thing since I had to drink so much water that I could eat more food :) The back patio looks promising. It'd be very nice place to go in the spring to fall and sit outside and enjoy the so-very-short warm and beautiful upstate NY. Try Arancini, Pork meatballs, Grilled Octopus. The must! read more

Gola Osteria - Arancini, Love pockets, Hot pastrami - Italian Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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The overall experience here was so memorable and I cannot wait to go back. The location is a bit of an experience in itself. It is located in what is now a mixed residential/commercial building and you have to be buzzed in. If I remember correctly it is an old Hospital that still shows the extra wide hallways and doors. You walk down a long hallway before hearing the sound of voices, to find a bustling Italian restaurant. We opted to sit outside because it was a beautiful, cool summer evening. The back patio is Dimly lit and situated in an quiet area in the back of the building. The food was all so fresh. From the fresh mozzerela to the papperdelle pasta, I highly recommend checking this place out. read more

Gola Osteria - Entrance, look for the fish fountain. You have to get buzzed in at front door - Italian Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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Having visited Gola Osteria on a few occasions, and always loving their food and service, we decided to book the graduation dinner for our daughter there. When I received the fixed price menus available for graduation weekends I was a little surprised at the prices -- particularly for the lower priced menu ($50 per person for family style arancini, salad, house made shells, chicken parmesan, and cannoli) but knowing how great their food has been in the past and given how generous their portions usually are, that was the menu we selected. We were all terribly disappointed. I had assured everyone that the restaurant was wonderful and that the food would not disappoint. I am a chef and am often relied upon to make restaurant recommendations. The service was very good but the food was no better than what you would get at a local pizza/italian joint and certainly no where near their usual quality and given that it was VERY overpriced. The arancini was overcooked and they were very stingy with the "family style" servings. The salad was fine but nothing special. The complimentary bread was not good. The "house made shells" were not what you might expect, stuffed shells, just boiled shells with a red sauce. They were served almost raw---not al dente mind you.....almost raw. Clearly not house made but a dried pasta. Also, the red sauce was awful. Completely lacking in seasoning and flavor. We each took one bite and then sent it back. The second platter was cooked properly but the sauce was still awful. We ate none of that dish. The chicken parmesan was decent but again the "family style" portion was very small. Finally, the cannoli's were excellent. We all felt completely cheated. $50 a person for a meal that was barely passable. We will never be back. What a rip off. Oh, i emailed a very nice letter to the person with whom i made the reservations for the graduation dinner. She assured me that I would hear something back from the chef. She was apologetic. it has been 2 1/2 weeks and nothing, despite a follow up from me to see if I would hear back from someone. read more

We came for my birthday this year. First things first - the parking and location is a little weird. It's in the building with the fish fountain, and you can park anywhere BUT in the garages, even if the spaces say resident parking only. We walked around the back to the patio, but to go in the front just press the buzzer. The food - it was amazing. I had the special with black truffles. It was such a simple dish, but something about it make it amazing. And the portion was just right - enough that you could clean your plate without hating yourself afterwards. My boyfriend had the lamb, and kept saying that he couldn't decide what was better - the lamb itself or the veggies and yogurt sauce. Both entrees were total winners. We also had the arancini appetizer, which was hands down the best arancini I've had. They were smaller than usual which made the crispy exterior to soft interior ratio just right. They're made with pork sausage and come with whipped ricotta (OMG) and chili and basil oils. We also finished it up with a dessert - the chocolate semifreddo. Delicious and a perfect end to the meal! read more

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Disappointed with the place. First off, the service was great, but the food was disappointing to put it nicely. My wife and I were excited to eat at an Italian restaurant with good reviews when we arrived. The octopus appetizer is great. The black spaghetti that my wife ordered was good, according to her. My dish however, made me nauseous. The bucatini with pork jowl tasted like a pig smells, not pork, but smelly pig. Couldn't do it. My wife tried it and confirmed. Then we decided to get that taste/smell out of our mouth by ordering dessert. Tiramisu and cannoli. The tiramisu wasn't firm like it should be and was disappointing. The cannoli would have been forgettable had it not been for the lemon seed somehow in the filling. Found it! Crunch! Hopefully they can figure out things in the kitchen. read more

Best dinner in Ithaca. Ok, so the restaurant is in a musty apartment building that used to be a hospital and shoddy paper signs guide you through the building to the back corner where the restaurant is located. But once you get inside the restaurant itself, you're in for a treat. Wine selection is quality Italian-centric. House bread is very fresh and paired with a unique olive oil concoction. Ordered the arugula a salad which was seasoned perfectly. Went with the lasagna and this was the star - toasted at the edges with the perfect consistency in the middle. Healthy amount of meat that didn't overtake the excellent tomato sauce, cheese and pasta. Partner went with the grilled eggplant which was also done exceptionally well. Prices are high for Ithaca, but well earned. Will come back again and again. read more

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My husband and I loved this Italian restaurant. Finding it was a little puzzling as the restaurant is located on a small street off of a hill and inside a building that looks like it's also apartments for college students... You'll have to buzz in to get to the restaurant. Apparently it was an old sanitarium converted to restaurant. The inside is very warm with original wood furniture, kind of Art Deco ish which I love! We were seated on the patio, which was very lush with greenery and quite comfortable for a summer evening. Now for the food: - grilled octopus: 5. This was grilled perfectly with a solid char and tenderness. Great flavor. - black spaghetti: 5. (which is actually squid ink - also love this). My husband and I shared this, and they brought it out on two separate plates. We couldn't believe that it would have been one serving - it was very generous. The pasta had a perfect al dente. Definitely recommend this. - branzino: 5. I had the branzino special which was great. The only thing that was a little odd... It came with a large portion of tomato based vegetable stew, but the tomato flavor was overwhelming the flavor of the branzino. - lamb chops: 5. Husband loved his lamb chops - got his medium rare. One quirk... We arrived a little early and they have a policy of not seating a party before the reservation time... And there weren't anymore spots at the bar so we awkwardly sat at one of the empty tables. read more

Gola Osteria - Branzino - Italian Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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I received extreme top notch service. We had Sam come to our table late in the evening. We had a couple different wait staff stop by and accede to any request - checking on us a few times in the 2 hours we were there. Very friendly. The food was well-prepared and clearly made with pride. I took the advice of many below and got the black spaghetti. Also had a caesar salad - with fresh anchovies - a treat for me. Both were excellent; fresh ingredients; good mix of spicing. Of course, had to have dessert as well. Appropriate size. Big enough to be more than a couple bites; not so big that you couldn't or didn't want to finish. The style is Italian but far above and beyond the Olive Garden fare. I would stress that this place is very hard to find. It is right off State St - but... you don't see a sign outside. Parking is sparse close by. When you get there, you need to walk through a sizable section of a former hospital to get to the actual restaurant. For travelers, one would think one was in the wrong place. I was lucky and had a couple of locals with me. Cost is reasonable; on the high side - but that's commensurate with the quality of the food and service. read more

I came here last week (I've been before but several years ago). It was my best restaurant experience during my entire trip to Ithaca. The outdoor seating area was well spaced out for social distancing. The service was great and the meal was well timed. Everything we ordered tasted amazing - next time I'm in Ithaca I will definitely be back. read more

This place is amazing, and our server Kyle, was top notch, we noticed how great he was within the first 5 minutes. The menu is a little pricy, but you know what? It's worth every penny and more. The food was fantastic, the wine list was extensive, and the atmosphere was ..... unique, to say the least. An absolute MUST for a romantic night out. Definitely returning and we live 4.5 hours away. read more