The Heights Restaurant

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#2 of 203 Restaurants in IthacaAmerican, International, $$$$

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The Heights Restaurant

Review

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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.

Features

CUISINES

American, International, Contemporary

Meal types

Lunch, Dinner, Late Night

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

FEATURES

Accepts Credit Cards

Family style

Free Wifi

Full Bar

Gift Cards Available

Non-smoking restaurants

Outdoor Seating

Parking Available

Private Dining

Reservations

Seating

Serves Alcohol

Street Parking

Table Service

Wheelchair Accessible

Wine and Beer

Location

903 Hanshaw Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850-1530

Parking Available, Street Parking

Is this restaurant good for brunch?

Yes

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Hours

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Closed now

• Opens at 5:00 PM

Sunday

Closed

Monday

5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Tuesday

5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Wednesday

5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Thursday

5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Friday

5:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Saturday

5:00 PM - 10:00 PM

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4.4

(330)

Excellent

211

Good

Average

Poor

Terrible

kwebster2

Ithaca490 contributions

Better than expected

Jul 2022 • none

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.

Written July 26, 2022

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.

Ellen B

Venice242 contributions

Exceeded expectations in every way.

Jun 2022 • none

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.

Written June 4, 2022

Trophy Food Experiences

Vancouver210 contributions

Great Service & Top End Restaurant in Ithaca

May 2024 • family

This has to be one of top restaurants in Ithaca. The only complaint I have is the the tables are way too close together. The seats to the next table were literally touching our table. Our waitress was Alise and she was great. Very prompt, knowledgeable and friendly. The wine list is extensive. I would have like to see more local Finger Lakes wines by the glass by I did enjoy a Ryan Williams Semi Dry Riesling by the glass. Large portions, beautifully plated. In terms of quality of food, I would have to give slight edge to Mercato but still very good. The roasted bone marrow, burrata and special soup were all very good but not exceptional. I thought their mains were very good. Their signature steaks deserve to be signature....really good and comparable to any top steak house. Salmon special was also exceptional. Likewise New York Cheesecake and Chocolate Torte were magnificent. Mains come with a fully size salad, which was astonishing. All in all, it was a great meal. The prices are high but I think it is fair a value for the price.

Written May 26, 2024

mtroner

Miami174 contributions

Always a Treat

Dec 2021 • family

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.

Written November 30, 2021

dsarah

200 contributions

Disappointing

Aug 2022 • none

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.

Written September 3, 2022

TaDiGra

Alpine48 contributions

Take out Treat

Dec 2020 • none

We treated ourselves to a curbside pickup meal of The Heights food while in Ithaca celebrating an anniversary. We are sure they would be on top of keeping diners and staff safe during this pandemic, but as we are providing care for at risk family members we chose the take out option. The food was outstanding! Grillen salmon and a ceasar salad with salmon was our choice, both dinners were excellent. We asked for a bottle of Vinho Verde, but they were sold out. The nice young lady who brought our food to the car suggested an alternative which was spot on, dry, light, spritzig and was fantastic with the salmon dishes.

Written December 7, 2020

eae3972

Skaneateles44 contributions

Another outstanding meal at The Heights

Mar 2022 • friends

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!

Written March 12, 2022

Rosi4gals

60 contributions

The best restaurant in Ithaca

Oct 2023 • family

Every dish was amazing, my new favorite restaurant. The Dalits and textures show how much they care about the food. The chocolate soufflé was the crown jewel after seafood and saffron pasta and amazing salads, the dressing is made on-site. I highly recommend a visit!

Written October 28, 2023

Ed L

San Francisco457 contributions

Oct 2021 • none

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.

Written November 1, 2021

Andrew H

73 contributions

Loved it so much we went back the next week

Oct 2020 • none

The Heights is a fine dining location in Cayuga Heights just north of downtown Ithica. We dined in the lovely tent covered patio, with a heater to keep the chill away. The service is top notch with well trained wait staff, constant water refills, etc. Numerous daily specials give the menu variety, and the lava cake desert is to die for. I enjoyed the steak and the Moroccan chicken on different evenings and my wife had fish. The ample salad that comes with each entree is a bonus. Our go to restaurant in Ithica when we want a fine dining experience.

Written October 23, 2020

Barbara C

Rye12 contributions

Excellent! Don't miss!

Sep 2020 • none

It’s so difficult with COVID for restaurants to create an ambience. The Heights did that and more. The food was fresh, with creative combinations I never have experienced. The place was socially distanced busy, but they put together a tucked away table for us by the bar. My prosecco was delightful. The bread was fresh and delicious, which doesn't usually strike me, but it seemed like they put so much effort into it. They served bread with a mixture of olive oil and vinegar, and a creative side of bean paste. Unique and delicious. I had the cauliflower starter with pine nuts and raisins (I’m vegan), and it was delicious. One in our party had a strip steak and he raved. Another had the mushroom pizza. All delectable. But more than the food, which was excellent, was the whole experience. The staff was welcoming (we are out-of-towners) and so accommodating. We met the owners and saw the attention they give to their food and their customers. We don’t dine out during COVID, but since we aren’t near home, we sort of had to, so it was really nice to feel safe and yet get a full experience being out at a restaurant. If you’re in Ithaca, you must dine at The Heights. You won’t be disappointed.

Written September 19, 2020

Go31186864412

2 contributions

Interesting, good food with poor ambiance

May 2021 • none

Stopped in for a dinner here after hearing many good things about the restaurant. The location was in a small mall with other shops. After being seated too close to others in the crowded dining room we opted to eat outside. Service was attentive and polished. We had and appetizer of ribs and the ribs were good and the carrot sauce with it excellent. We also had the green and Caesar salads, both were amongst the best and freshest salads we've ever had. My partner opted for the halibut and she praised it up and down. I had the spiced chicken with sauce which I thought was an interesting try but the sauce was too sweet for my taste and chicken was rather boring. It was good, but just rather less than I was expecting. The chocolate cake was excellent. The ambiance was uninspired, being too crowded and the rest rooms were bad and one of them plugged up and was being vacuumed during our meal and the noise just destroyed any reasonable appreciation of what little traces of "ambiance" existed. Looking forward to returning when they have a new location, but probably not before then,

Written May 29, 2021

Daniel O

14 contributions

Upscale and Delicious

Jun 2021 • none

The Heights is an upscale restaurant in an upscale neighborhood of Ithaca. That said, the atmosphere was comfortable, relaxed, and friendly. Service was professional and prompt. Our server, Dominic, was very attentive to our needs. There was a wide selection of appetizers, and my wife made a meal on two of those. All main courses come with a salad as did my paella, a special of the evening. The menu can be viewed online. Everything was well prepared as one would expect from a restaurant of this caliber. Reservations are highly recommended, and can be made online.

Written July 3, 2021

Mary

New Jersey21 contributions

Fantastic!!!

Aug 2021 • none

We were in Ithaca for 5 days and we actually went to this restaurant twice because it was so good. I had the short ribs and my husband had the skirt steak. Both were outstanding. The next visit we had the specials (probably salmon). Definitely go here if you are visiting Ithaca. I would also suggest making a reservation. Some restaurants in the area are closed certain days of the week, so it might be tough to get in.

Written August 4, 2021

crasher1339

108 contributions

Delicious, innovative options

Sep 2020 • none

I've been meaning to go here for several years and finally had the opportunity yesterday. We sat in their outside area, which is very nice, pretty plants and grapevines (although the cinderblock walls do detract from the ambience, not sure if that can be remedied easily though). Staff were attentive and professional. I had the sticky ribs for an app and they were great, nicely seasoned, fall off the bone with a great sauce. My wife had the Sicilian Cauliflower, very interesting app with feta and some type of sauce. My wife got the pork cutlet which I liked but she thought was too busy, too much going on with the dish. I had the Moroccan Chicken which was terrific, nice and tender with good accompaniements. We were too full for dessert.

Written September 2, 2020