The Rook is located a couple blocks north of the Commons. The staff were very pleasant and…read moreexplained everything on the menu. The menu itself is short and focused, while the interior of the restaurant features wallpaper with anthropomorphic animals, and large windows. I opted for the Burger, and my wife the Salmon. We also ordered the grilled dates and collard greens. I also decided on a Ginger Beer. They serve Goslings (since 1806), with all 47 grams of sugar, over ice and a lime. Highly recommended on the ginger beer flavor scale. The Burger came with a massive amount of their duck-fat fried fries, certainly more potato than burger. I also liked the burger with the added bacon. But my wife's Salmon was even tastier. It featured a nice hunk of fish, skin-on, crispy, and not some half-or-quarter fillet that other places might serve. Plus, it comes over a bed of green peas and canneli beans and green asparagus sauce on the bottom, and a small bed of frisée on top. The combination with the lemon cream leads to very satisfying bites. The grilled dates wrapped in bacon, with goat cheese, Marcona almonds, and honey were presented as a drumstick. The collard greens were nice, though on the saltier side. Seating here can be had inside or out. The bathrooms are located in the hallway next to the restaurant.

Unique mac and cheese and good gnocchi!…read more I am debating giving the rook 3 or 4 stars... I was not a fan of the salmon mousse... far too salty and I wish it was paired with crisped bread or at least something other than Ritz crackers. I did, however, enjoy the presentation and taste of the macaroni au gratin. The square shape is very unique and I liked the cheese sauce. The lamb w gnocchi was also quite good. Pillowy and soft. The lamb was cooked well. Overall, I would maybe return. I enjoyed the macaroni au gratin as well as the lamb w gnocchi!

Wonderful bar for drinks. I've been here a couple times and have sat both inside (darker, moodier,…read moremore intimate) and outside (livelier, great when the weather is nice, more relaxed). Very unique cocktails! My first visit, I tried the ruby slipper, braulio sour, and the mango lassi. The mango lassi is incredible! It is my favorite drink at Argos! The ruby slipper and braulio sour were also quite tasty but I preferred the ruby slipper a tad more. My second visit, I tried the grapefruit soda (not artificial tasting at all), the Shark Juice (tasted a bit too much like cologne, wasn't a fan), and the Gigi (couldn't taste the hojicha, liked the concept more than the execution). I would get the Gigi again, but would pass on the Shark Juice. Sitting inside, I enjoyed the quieter and calmer atmosphere as well as the soft lighting. The interior decor is very cosy and slightly eclectic. I came with a friend on a weekday evening and it was pretty empty which was nice. The outdoor patio space is very nice- I like the lanterns on the walls and the whole space is quite charming. I left with a few mosquito bites though. Overall, I would recommend Argos Inn!

As the weather warms up make your way to Bar Argos! They have a quaint outdoor patio with tables…read morelarge enough to accommodate larger parties. While sitting under their string lights enjoy a craft cocktail (or a couple) while catching up with old friends. Of the multiple cocktails we had there wasn't a single one we didn't like. If you find yourself having a hard time deciding, ask a friendly server for a recommendation!

We stayed at the Statler Hotel for work and enjoyed dinner here both nights. Not pictured are all…read morethe appetizers we devoured (crab dip, chicken bites, sweet potato fries, and the fried polenta). I personally wasn't a fan of the fried polenta, but also did not try it with the sauce. The first night I tried their lavender lemonade (non alcoholic), which I thought was good, but fell in with the Lemon Tree cocktail the second night. Both nights I ordered the "burger of the month" which was a pesto burger. I added bacon and asked for a Caesar salad instead of fries. We ordered two of the chicken bites so the group could try both sauces, but since I'm not a fan of spicy, I only tried the honey truffle one and loved it. Our servers were very nice and patient (we were a group of about 10), and if I'm ever back in town, I'll be sure to try some of the other entrees!

The Regent Lounge is one of those hidden gems that never misses. The food is consistently…read moredelicious, the drinks are thoughtfully crafted, and the vibe strikes the perfect balance between relaxed and elevated -- whether you're out for date night or catching up with friends. What truly sets this place apart, though, is the staff. Lowell and Brooke are fantastic!!!Every time I visit, I'm met with genuine hospitality, great recommendations, and the kind of service that makes you want to come back again and again. It's one of my favorite spots in the area -- cozy, stylish, and always a good time.

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.

we made a resy for 5 for a wednesday night dinner, not crowded at all and our server was the most…read moredarling lady. she checked on us many times and would call us "love" after she would take our orders or give us more water. it was very nice and homey. we came here initially because in the past it's been a tapas place and we were looking forward to sharing small plates. unfortunately they changed their menu so they mostly do individual entrees now with a plethora of options from spaghetti to steak to burgers to thai noodles (lots of options) thai mussel bowl - 3/5 mussels a little ocean-y fishy tasting and the thai sauce a little liquidy brazilian cheesy bread gluten free 4/5 - yum appetizers delicious crunchy with cheese inside. the red dipping sauce was just tomato sauce a little strange but not bad osco bucco 3/5 - a little salty but a solid pork shoulder. the gnocci was also fried which was interesting italian sub with house salad 4/5 - good solid sub, i could only finish half and ate my entire side salad which had nice breaded croutons (not the dense thick ones) red clam linguine 4/5 - not bad, only about 4 clams but some more inside the pasta penne alla vodka 3.5/5 - a solid pasta nothing special

I have been going to Cent-Dix for 10 years and let me tell you this restaurant doesn't disappoint,…read moreand is probably my favorite in Ithaca. We are talking about great execution on basic french dishes here with excellent service on the commons. It's also the most elegant of the restaurants in the commons in my opinion. None are particularly elegant, but Cent-Dix feels the nicest. A must get is the beef tartare. It's so good, it's better than many tartare's I've had in france. Just hands down an easy winner. To cut it's richness I think you should get the Frisee aux Lardons. No matter the table size this is a perfect salad. You can always get more salads or greens, but if the table size is 2 or 6, everyone will like this. The fat, acid, bitterness is perfect. Steak frites are amazing, but even better is the cote de bouef on Saturdays. Either way you won't go wrong, but this restaurant does steak so well, and has good wines to pair with the steak. I've personally never had room for dessert, but everyone always orders it and I have some. It's good, but my favorite is that the espresso machine is always running after dinner for a nice pick me up before my walk on the commons!

One of the better restaurants in Ithaca!…read more I enjoyed the coursing- they did a very good job with timing. Service in general was very good. I also like the flowers on the dishes. I came with a friend and we tried the pear appetizer, mussels, leek and gruyere tart, and the ricotta gnocchi. Honestly, everything was really good. The gnocchi was pillowy and the tart did not have a soggy bottom. For dessert we tried the Pear frangipane which was also good. Quite a strong almond flavor and a little on the sweet side. Overall very good, I would recommend!

I was on a search for a quiet cafe-style spot with indoor seating, for days where I want to post up…read morefor a couple hours to get some work done but also be out in the world. The Greenhouse, with its cafe-by-day and lowkey bar-by-night atmosphere is perfect for this. I arrived at 3pm and there were two table occupied, with a few more folks trickling in between the time I arrived and 5pm. This was ideal for a quiet afternoon of studying and working. I note this, because the space can become much livelier later at night, when folks transition to (delicious) cocktails and enjoy occasional live music. I recommend the Blue Skies gin cocktail, but I'm looking forward to trying multiple others on their menu. I ordered chicken sliders, which had a great aioli. Felt reasonable for $12 -- could easily be shared with another person. The interior is delightful, with a gorgeous seated bar and lots of healthy plants. The people working were lovely too. Happy to have a new spot to haunt.

Nice atmosphere. Best to order the simplest foods on the menu as this is really more of a cafe. The…read moremenu is a bit too ambitious for the restaurant.

Friendly, cozy, retro-inspired cocktail bar in the West End. Nice range of signature cocktails,…read moredraft beers..Plus snack machines, a dessert case and vintage movies streaming on a big screen. Such a great addition to the neighborhood.

Great drinks, cute vibe; wish it wasn't so dark inside but amazing otherwise, the bartender was…read morelovely

Must visit! Five stars! I visited years ago and somehow never got around to leaving a review, but I…read moreremember having a wonderful experience. The atmosphere was great, the service was friendly, and everything came together for an enjoyable visit. Even after all this time, it's one of those places I look back on positively. Definitely worth checking out if you're in the area!

Impressed on my first visit to this restaurant! After a day of hiking 15 miles on the FLT, we…read moreneeded to refuel and recover with a drink and dinner. We decided on Bickering Twins, because can you go wrong with Mexican food and a margarita? Luckily we had no wait on a Friday evening at about 7pm. I was worried that since not many people were there it was a bad sign, but that was not the case. We were seated at a nice, sort of private high-top table near the door, which made it feel like we had privacy and our own little space. We ordered drinks, and I wimped out and went with a paloma instead of the tamarind maragarita. The paloma was great, but I'm still wondering whether I shouldn't have risked it. Our group of three decided to get chips & salsa (because why wouldn't you), and then we ordered three dishes to share. Our choices were as follows: Peruvian Ceviche, Birria Quesadilla and Chicken Enchiladas. First of all, the fact that they had ceviche and it was good just hands down made my day. It was good - I only wish there had been some corn kernels served with it. The birria quesadillas weren't what we had expected, but they were very flavorful and the juice was tasty. I Really enjoyed the enchiladas for the mix of flavors and textures. There were so many vegetables with our dishes and the sides of rice and beans were more than filling. My only complaint is that the rice was too much of a yellow rice - I prefer a white rice, but that's just personal preference. Even though we kept the menu at the table anticipating that we would want to order more, we ultimately were stuffed and the portions (while they looked small were actually quite filling!). Jose our server was kind and friendly. I would definitely come back as there are a variety of other meals I would try, and they have flights of Mezcal and Tequila that looked tempting. After a long hard day of hiking, this fabulous meal made the day. We returned to our hotel with sore legs, but our bellies full!

This is a really cool bar in Ithaca NY. We were staying in the Canopy by Hilton right next door and…read moredecided to go in on a whim because it looked interesting. The bartender was really friendly and welcomed us and pointed to a table. He mentioned the rules on wearing masks and social distancing clearly. I got a trial by Wombat New England IPA and my partner got a cocktail. They were out pretty quickly and the drinks were good. The service was also good. While we were here, I also happened to use the restroom, which was clean and well maintained. This is a really good bar for having first and second dates if it's just a drink and conversation. The ambience is just right for that. They seemed to have a bike theme but I couldn't really see many more bikes. They also apparently offer bike storage if you are tipsy (check this with them. I remember seeing the sign but I can recall what exactly it said for sure). Definitely a solid five star bar experience.

Food was pretty decent, service was fast. The burger tasted…read moregood but became soggy really fast. The

We had a most excellent drink experience here. First time staying the night in Ithaca. Went into…read morethis bar solely for its name but was pleasantly surprised by the quality of craft cocktails. The bartender was excellent and friendly. Atmosphere was quiet and respectful

This is a sad review for me to write because my husband, friend, and I regularly started our…read moreevenings out downtown by getting a cocktail here. We loved the atmosphere and menu. We have found some of the bartenders to be stand-offish and would only call one of them really friendly, but that just rolled off our shoulders - all three of us are industry veterans. I have never in my entire career as a server and bartender (and customer) observed an interaction like the one we had Friday night. The bartender was so incredibly rude to my friend that we will never return.