Fav spot in Ithaca for boba!…read more I really like their panna cotta and creme brulee additions. I don't love my milk teas too sweet so I typically order them with less sugar. The creme brulee topping is a tad sweeter, creamier, and not quite as jelly-like as the panna cotta topping in my opinion. It's more custardy which I slightly prefer over the panna cotta one. Good flavor and topping selection!

We had some great bubble tea here! They have a huge menu with lots of unique options, including…read morecheese foam and crème brûlée drinks. The inside is really big with tons of seating options and a cute but simple decor. The servers were very nice and made our drinks quickly. I got the mango yakult drink, which was exactly was I was looking for. It wasn't too rich or creamy, but was a delicious sweet drink with boba. My friend got a matcha drink they said was perfect. The cups are high quality and cute. Unfortunately, after we were long gone, I did find a hair in my drink. If it wasn't for that the drinks would have been perfect!

Visited for the first time today. Was very busy with teenage children. They seem to love the place…read more It's very much like Jamba Juice on the west coast. Has a surf vibe. Nice interior space. Well built wooden tables. THe back space is dark and should be lit up better. I grabbed a smoothie it was refreshing and tasted very good strawberry banana. They should have one more staff member working as a float between register and smoothie and bowl making.

All my workmates rave about Playa so I decided to try them. They did not disappoint! So many…read moreoptions it was almost overwhelming. I tried the Mucho Mango. I had no idea it was a cold dish, but I enjoyed it all the same. Very flavorful and filling! It'll definitely be my "go to" when it warms up a little more. Highly recommend!

We booked a table for Thursday night and were seated right away -- even had our pick of sitting…read moreinside or out on the patio. A glass of Pét-Nat from Osmote made for a great start; I'm a huge fan of this winery. Service was decent, and the food came out impressively fast. The patio was lovely, if a touch noisy thanks to the busy street nearby. We shared the broccoli to start, and it didn't disappoint. Naturally, the Thai Green Curry was a must-try -- and a good call it was. Only downside: the portions ran on the small side.

Fresh, healthy vegetarian recipes. Smallish menu…read more Whenever we are nearby, we try to make time to stop into Moosewood restaurant, for old-times sake. This time (Jul 2026) was like our visit a couple of years ago. The menu was rather short, and we didnt see many middle-of-the-road or ordinary comfort-food offerings. Their local sourdough bread appetizer was fresh and nicely flavored, and we chose the fresh olive oil side just because it's so luscious. We could have had chive-butter. The marinated olives were flavorful and a little spicy. Their NY-cheese board had a tasty selection of soft and hard cheeses. The salads had choices of a chutney-paneer based mix, which was refreshingly creative. And we liked the Farmstand berry-cherry goat-cheese almond salad. These were all appealing. Chickpea salad or stew, tofu or salmon over steamed veggies, or smoked-trout open-face tartine sandwich, each sounded good, but we didnt bite. None of the mains called to us. I guess we just felt that none of those menu items screamed out we-gotta-come-to-this-restaurant. The food tasted like just homemade and fresh, but not exceptional. The food was ok, no complaints, but not a big thrill.

This is my favorite boba spot in Ithaca. Their pearls were soft and chewy. They also used real…read morefruit for their grapefruit. The cashier was helpful in making suggestions on which fruit tea too!

This place is okay -- not consistent with the great Kung Fu Tea standard that I'm sure back at home…read more(both in Richmond and Virginia Beach). The layout of the restaurant in general is just the most inefficient way to get customers through (register is basically right in front of the door when you walk in so the line gets crowded even if it's just 3 people). Poor planning of design. Service was okay, nothing to write home about and the order took super long (3 drinks took about 15-20 minutes despite it not being busy at all). The taste was just as good, except my taro slush with no bubbles had fairly large chunks of ice in it. For 15-20 minutes that should have been a soup blending that thing into oblivion. I was pretty disappointed with my experience here since I've always had great ones prior.

I stop by once every couple of weeks. It's a bit expensive as of late and busy some days but they…read moredo a good job at moving things along. Nice indoor seating to just hang out and get your day started. Not my favorite of the three locations in Ithaca honestly. The internals workings of the space seem odd and confusing. Separate lines for ordering food and coffee. Far off and not easily found coffee station with creamers, stir sticks etc and hidden trash receptacles. The bagels and coffees are good. I like the Soho, and the CTB Smoothies in particular.

I grew up in New York City, home of the bagels, where they're made fresh and served hot. They're…read morethick yet soft with a satisfying chew, and the perfect slight crisp exterior. Collegetown bagels is the most popular bagel spot in Ithaca, but I don't find nostalgia in the bagels, primarily due to the tougher texture. However, I do really enjoy their spicy Italian bagel and rosemary salt bagel (although a bit too salty to my liking), and especially their cream cheeses. My favorite has to be their parsley-garlic cream cheese which is loaded with garlic and the freshness of parsley. Other honorable mentions include veggie and bacon-scallion cream cheese. I've had a few of their sandwiches as well. Their Havana Breeze doesn't include much ham or pickles, and the bread was quite greasy on inside and outside which made the sandwich overall very heavy. Their Tour de France has roasted turkey, Brie, apples, honeycup mustard, bacon on multigrain bread (I substituted for focaccia. The bread was soft, but I would've liked it more if it had more seasoning (like some Italian/herb seasoning). The sandwich is cold, but I think having it warmed up/toasted would meld the flavors together better. There was a generous amount of bacon and Brie, but the overall sandwich just didn't seem homogenous. Perhaps a sauce or jam (like a bacon-apple jam) would've helped to bind the flavors more. Lastly, their earl grey hot cocoa consisted of an earl grey tea bag in watered down hot coca which was a bit disappointing. Overall, not the best bagels I've ever had, but their cream cheeses are delightful. I'll still go back to try their baked goods and other sandwiches.

Brand brand new! I got the pleasure of meeting the owner, Andrew, and Zoey (on her very first…read moreday!). Both extremely kind and hospitable. Highly recommend the loaded toast (loaded with healthy toppings) and any "Enjoy a Treat" smoothie for $11 (after tax). Great protein based treat that you won't feel guilty about after a workout at nearby Orange Theory or Crunch. Come on a Friday for a free upgrade from a small smoothie (20 oz) to a medium (32 oz). Can't wait to come back and try a coco açaí bowl here. I wholeheartedly recommend this establishment.

Glad they finally opened up one of these in town, it's a real game changer. I have been a big fan…read moreof Smoothie King my whole life but since I'm from CA, I never got to have one near me. Now when I'm here in Ithaca, I get to have Smoothie King right down the street and I couldn't be happier about it. The employees here are super friendly. Any time I walk in they're always smiling and look genuinely excited for me to be there. They are always down for a little small talk too which is a nice bonus. My go-to smoothie orders are either Angel Food (classic) or the Peanut Power Plus. Can't go wrong with either one though I am hyped to try out some other flavors too as I go in more. Never have tried the food out here but I have heard some good things about their loaded toast so I think that would be great to give a try. The smoothies at this location are also super high quality. They have an excellent amount of iceiness, which you would think would be at every location but it's not. So it's great to see that this one does it right. Overall I am huge fan of this location and I have already been here like a dozen times since it opened around 2 months ago. Highly recommend.

So flippin good. I…read morelove the dark meat tenders, so tender and juicy. The ddakbokki side is delicious too.

Bubble teas were just okay. Not a ton of flavor. No idea if they food is any good thoughread more

This is one of the best farmers markets I've ever been to! There was a large variety of vendors and…read morethey're all under a covered pavilion. I also appreciated the organization - the website had a map and directory on who the vendors are and where they are located. I was visiting from out of town so I didn't buy a lot of produce, but I did buy a ton of other stuff. From Georgian garlic, to truffles, to wine, to kombucha, to hand pies, to chapsticks... This is a must stop if you're in the area for much more than produce. Come hungry!

Produce, homemade foods, handmade products, boat tours…read more The Ithaca Farm Market is a great place with about 90 weekend vendors of all sorts. We stopped for fresh produce, cheeses, and coffee. We also saw flowers, art, hard cider and wine, popcorn, baked goods, chocolates, honey, wood, leather, clay, paper, jewelry, and fiber works. Also some ready-to-eat asian food. There was even a tour boat docked out back. The range of goods was amazing. The open air market was a nice weekend activity.

I live on the west side of town and so was thrilled when I saw that FP was coming. The reason for…read morethe two stars? The majority of their tables are two or four tops or larger, and on weekends they're dominated by lone customers on laptops, sipping their drinks at a snail's pace (or obviously done consuming) avoiding eye contact and staying in their seat as they gaze intensely at their laptops. ‍ As a result, I've never been able to sit and enjoy this new contribution to the West End. Once I got a cup to go, and it was really good. Would like to try the food and sit but, sadly, my schedule only allows weekend café going. I cannot compete with the laptop lingerers. Owners of FP, if you're reading this, here is something I'm seeing when I travel around to cafés lately. Maybe something to try on weekends?? Unless you're fine with people lurking with one drink for hours on end and, taking away large tables from new customers?

Had a nice breakfast here on my last day in Ithaca! The inside is super spacious with plenty of…read moreseating, and I like the plants on the shelves. There are also two single restrooms. You order at the counter, and the menu is pretty extensive. The employees were super friendly. I got a protein bowl (eggs, spinach, avocado) for breakfast as well as a cup of lemon chamomile tea (came in a huge mug which I liked). The food came out pretty quickly.

I ordered the chicken schnitzel and a ginger beer. The sandwich was delicious, perfectly cooked and…read morewell dressed with sauerkraut and Dijon mustard. The view of the lake was peaceful. The best part of this restaurant was their waitress. I didn't catch her name, but she was incredibly kind with a brown ponytail and sweet aura. She can tell I was traveling alone and gave me a list of all the places to check out in the area! I'm so lucky to have met her and plan to check out recommendations from her list

We spent a few days visiting Seneca Lake. After hiking Watkins Glen, we wanted a place to grab a…read morequick bite to eat. We found the Elf in the Oak on Yelp and once we saw the menu, we knew we had to give it a try. The Elf in the Oak is nestled on Rt 414. If you're not actively using a GPS, you may pass it by. It's not a large place by any means, but there's more than enough seating indoors and out. We went on a Friday morning, so there wasn't a wait and we received our food quickly. We both wanted 'the Spicy' and I have to admit, it's one of the best egg sandwiches I've ever had, which is high praise coming from someone who once worked at a popular bagel joint on Long Island. If we lived locally, we'd definitely go back, but I hope if you're looking for a quick casual brunch place to grab a bite, you consider visiting the Elf In The Oak.