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About
The Heights Restaurant was established in 1995 by Culinary Institute of America graduate James Larounis and his wife Heidi. We are located in the Village of Cayuga Heights, one mile from the center of Cornell University. The restaurant has a casual, contemporary atmosphere and features Mediterranean-inspired American cuisine. We place the utmost value on our seasonal menus and on sourcing locally. We also take great pride in our wine list which includes over 400 bottle selections from the United States and international regions, and over 20 wines by the glass. The Heights Restaurant and H Bar has been a Wine Spectator award winner since 1999.
PRICE RANGE
$15 - $50
Special Diets
Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options
Meals
Lunch, Dinner, Late Night
CUISINES
American, Bar, Seafood, International, Contemporary, Wine Bar
FEATURES
Reservations, Seating, Parking Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Accepts Credit Cards, Outdoor Seating, Private Dining, Street Parking, Wine and Beer, Free Wifi, Family style, Non-smoking restaurants, Gift Cards Available
Reviews (323)
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Traveler rating
203
69
31
14
2
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LanguageEnglish
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Traveler rating
203
69
31
14
2
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All reviews profiteroles salad halibut burrata bread fries wine list an entree cornell presentation specials
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Reviewed 4 weeks ago

Food was Amazing - Mediterranean Cuisine and Octopus. Sat at the Bar and Cocktails were prepared as requested and Wine Selections were excellent. Service was efficient and helpful.

Date of visit: August 2023
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Reviewed May 28, 2023

First time here, and on graduation weekend at Cornell. Busy. Good service. We waited at the bar and the service there was also good. I had the sea bass (not on the printed menu). It was good. Bread was great. Profiteroles were good but I...skipped the pastry parts. We were some of the last customers out the door that night. Good wine list. Overall a very good, and expensive, restaurant.More

Date of visit: May 2023
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Reviewed September 3, 2022

Unfortunately it was raining so our patio reservation was moved indoors. We were hoping for a quieter dinner without side by side seating. Anyhow we still had high hopes after seeing the very creative menu selections. A choice of salad comes with the entrees and...both the Ceasar and mixed green salad were good. My husband ordered the strip steak for $68. It was a huge piece of meat but it looked strange, extremely thick and sliced in part with a crusty coating. He said it was very tough and low quality (he is an expert) and he ate very little of it. I ordered salmon for $38 and it too was "strange". It wasn't like a normal looking filet, and had the "dark skin" on the sides as well as the bottom. I ate maybe half of it. We left without dessert and feeling a bit hungry so we bought some candy when we got back to the hotel. Others have given positive reviews, so maybe this was an "off" night but we we won't go back.More

Date of visit: August 2022
Helpful?3  
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Reviewed July 31, 2022

Ate on the patio which was very nice. Service was spot on, very attentive. Food was excellent , nice presentation with unique sauces. Would definitely go back if ever in the area again.

Date of visit: July 2022
Helpful?1  
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Reviewed July 26, 2022

I was given a gift card to this restaurant. I was surprised in making the reservation that I had to give a credit card number to hod this reservation. That was my first sense that I might not enjoy my meal here. I started with...a vodka on the rocks. It was a full pour. Then, I ordered the pork chops (2 gigantic chops with some sauces and garnish on the side). They were tricky to cut into two, but tasty anyway. The starch was an arincini ball. It was nicely fried. (I was goig to order soup, but chose not to because its main ingredient was asparagas - not my favorite.) The water glasses were filled regularly by wait staff in casual clothing. The customers were also casually dressed. It appears that there is no need to dress up at this expensive restaurant. Would I go back? Probably not unless I was given another gift card. The price is a little steep for me. That is why I give this place a 4 out of 5.More

Date of visit: July 2022
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Reviewed July 25, 2022

Overall very average and expensive. positive- good service, attentive, great waiter Nathan. Outdoor space was cozy and nice. It would have been nice to have music out there. We ordered the burrata/prosciutto- one slice prosciutto- hard to cut, it was decent but nothing special. The...margherita pizza was average, crust was crunchy. The seafood gnocchi was overpriced and really not that good. Gnocchi were dense without much flavor. We ordered the tuna special which was good and had great flavor- but $50 for an entree is excessive for rare tuna.More

Date of visit: July 2022
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Reviewed July 7, 2022

This place doesn't look like much on the outside but the food is amazing. It seems pricey but the portions are unbelievable. You will definitely have leftovers. Sit on the patio if possible. Staff is friendly and they don't mind if you relax with a...cocktail before ordering or taking your time eating.More

Date of visit: July 2022
Helpful?3  
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Reviewed June 4, 2022

We celebrated our wedding anniversary here on a recent Saturday evening. The weather was perfect to dine on the outdoor patio. We started out with Bounty Harvest, sharing this delicious appetizer of Brussels Sprouts, Roasted Carrots, Crispy Broccoli, Sriracha Honey, Candied Nuts, Beets & Bleu...Cheese. Our entrees were taken from the specials for that evening (and there were quite a few to choose from). We had the striped bass and the halibut entrees. Both fish dishes were outstanding, moist and tender, cooked to perfection. Both were served with a salad. Portions are ample, but we still saved room to share the Profiteroles dessert. Special thanks to Chris, our server, for making our anniversary celebration especially memorable.More

Date of visit: June 2022
Helpful?1  
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Reviewed March 12, 2022 via mobile

Had dinner last night with two good friends. Restaurant was full, our server was knowledgeable, fun and provided great service. Each of us had something different: duck breast, tuna, bone in New York strip. Presentation was great, flavors were great and the NY strip was...prepared as requested and was very tender. Lava cake for dessert was a great finish. James, the Executive chef/owner celebrated his birthday working and visiting with guests. Terrific experience from start to finish!More

Date of visit: March 2022
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Reviewed November 30, 2021 via mobile

We get to Ithaca every few years and this place is always excellent. Nice service, really excellent food . This past visit we had the sublime winter squash soup, excellent short ribs and a really great thin crust pizza. I’m not a fan of profiteroles...but they were excellent. As residents of a seaside city we found the fish quite a bit more than we are used to paying but understand that Ithaca is some distance from the ocean. But their land offerings were fairly priced. Looking forward to dining here on our next visit.More

Date of visit: December 2021
Helpful?1  
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Reviewed November 1, 2021

Admittedly, we were not that hungry (ate too much at lunch), and we had read about the large portion sizes so we decided on just a couple of starters and a pizza for dinner. The sticky ribs were pretty good: fall-off-the-bone tender and a nice...crispy crust. The seasonal vegetable plate was huge, both in quantity and size of vegetables. The charred preparation was ok, but the size of the broccoli and brussels sprouts was a bit too much. The mushroom pizza was flavorful and crunchy, but we were only able to get through about half; we took the rest home. The restaurant was nice, but the seating was perhaps a bit crowded for the current situation. Service was OK but maybe a bit under staffed.More

Date of visit: October 2021
Helpful?2  
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Reviewed August 17, 2021

Service was great. Each menu item seemed to have a multitude of ingredients. The Brussel sprouts were good but much too large for an appetizer. The tuna was overcooked but tasty. The lava cake was the best I have ever had.

Date of visit: August 2021
Helpful?1  
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Reviewed August 16, 2021

James (chef/owner) and team offer a fantastic experience, with an outstanding menu, an excellent wine list, and a highly attentive staff. The food was very creative! The patio is wonderful for summer dining. This team really knows how to cook!

Date of visit: August 2021
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed August 16, 2021

Great appetizers, main courses, and deserts as well. This is my son and his wife's favorite high end restaurant.. We went there with them for their anniversary and everyone enjoyed their meals. The prices are a bit high, but if everyone is happy when they...leave it's OK. And they were..More

Date of visit: August 2021
Helpful?1  
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Reviewed August 16, 2021

Another wonderful dinner, perfect and relaxing service. Steak perfect, salmon excellent, bread and spreads sooo good, server was professional and very accommodating and good natured.

Date of visit: August 2021
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Questions & Answers
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Laura P
February 13, 2016|
AnswerShow all 2 answers
Response from Florimond | Reviewed this property |
I am quite sure they do take-out. James and his staff go out if their way to accommodate their clientele.
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Kathy M
February 3, 2015|
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Response from Florimond | Reviewed this property |
I agree that they are very accommodating. Over the years, I have asked for specific alterations to certain menu items and they were happy to make the changes for me. I'd call ahead to be sure. If you know what kinds of foods... More
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THE HEIGHTS RESTAURANT, Ithaca - Menu, Prices & Restaurant Reviews - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about The Heights Restaurant

The Heights Restaurant is rated accordingly in the following categories by Tripadvisor travelers:
  • Food: 4.5
  • Service: 4.5
  • Value: 4
  • Atmosphere: 4.5