The lounge is excellent. Food and drinks were great.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
X
240416 dinnerTrustworthy, solid elevated dinner place on campus.Grilled octopus is tasty indeed. Cooked just right. Plump, tender, and not rubbery. The chorizo tastes good also there’s a litte too much potato pieces.Focaccia is beautifully sprinkled with rosemary salt.Kale salad is refreshing, though slightly too sweet.Ricotta Gnocchi comes with generous portion of tender ragu, but I do prefer tomato sauce than Worcester.Shrimp Scampi is surprisingly amazing <3. The star of the night. It may sound and look ordinary but the pasta is beautifully flavored, buttery with a light delightful umami.Duck Breast is also cooked well, very tender at medium. The sweet potato fondant reminds me of baked sweet potatoes in winter days. The sweet-sour Maple-Currant Agrodolce is quite overpowering on the other hand.The dessert is lovely and not too heavy even after stuffing myself with the main dishes. The elderflower foam isn’t too sweet, and the citrus cheesecake and pistachio frangipane taste pleasant.The staff was quite stressed during the busy night and made some mistakes with the bill, but service was prompt and helpful.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Neetzer
The food was delicious and our server was attentive and helpful. Location was great - right in the middle of campus and because they validate parking for those with reservations, very easy.However, due to a miscommunication/snafu, our order took a lot longer to arrive. The manager came over to apologize and provide an update but what would have been nice is if he would have offered a complementary dessert or drink to compensate us given that our wait was very long. That would be the type of service I would expect from a restaurant with those prices.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
Sonia Taa
Delectable food and exceptional service. Taverna Banfi defies expectations for a student-run restaurant. The dishes are absolutely gorgeous both taste and presentation wise.The duck is tender and savory with the perfect amount of sweetness from the maple sauce and sweet potato side. The calamari is crispy and light. The wine pairing is perfect. The table-side focaccia is tender and airy.Perfect for elegant date nights or special occasions. Prices range from $30-70 per person. Parking is limited
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Duck Breast
Kathleen Furr
As somebody who has spent a great deal of time in hotels, this is one of my favorites! The bathrooms might’ve been the cleanest I’ve ever been in! The rooms are extremely spacious, the view was wonderful, the right # of USB and outlets available was fantastic. They also might be the most comfortable hotel bathrobes that I have ever worn! The restaurant was fantastic and the convenience to bus stops was literally outside - and being in the heart of Cornell was ideal. Looking forward to staying here again someday.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Taverna
Ellen
The atmosphere was good and the server was nice. The food was more delicious than expected.
Juan R
This is by far the best place I've been to in Ithaca for dinner. Far surpasses other expensive restaurants in the area in quality of food, service, and atmosphere. And it's not as expensive as those other places.
This is our go to place for a date, or just a casual weekend brunch. The food never disappoints and the price is fair considering the quality of food and the general atmosphere.
Food was fabulous and so was the server. She was very friendly and made our dinner so much fun. I had the duck and it was the best I've ever had.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Focaccia, Tiramisu, Duck Breast, Statler Chicken, Kale Salad
Christian Mercado
Taverna Banfi is a safe choice for an outstanding dinner in Ithaca. It is located inside The Statler Hotel at Cornell University. Having one of the top hospitality programs in the country, you can expect quality service, cleanliness, organization, reliability and repeatability. Even when your host may be still a student, you're getting an outstanding service and meal altogether. Their menu is simple and well executed to appeal to a wide audience. Many entrées can be adapted to your diet restrictions, and their desserts are world-class. They offer a la carte service throughout the week, as well as an outstanding brunch on weekends.We recently had our anniversary dinner at Taverna Banfi. We ordered the octopus appetizer, which came with chorizo, potatoes, arugula and a squid ink aioli. It was an unctuous small plate that went perfect with prosecco and with a local Finger Lakes Riesling. My entrée was the braised beef gnocchi. This dish was well built to provide an upscale version of a homey meal. The braising liquid was slightly sweet and was balanced with kale (you can imagine the textural elements at play). The gnocchi were soft, slightly savory, and took with them most of the viscous sauce. My wife had the duck breast and was able to substitute one of the sides due to dietary restrictions without any difficulty. The duck was cooked to perfection, with a crunchy skin and a juicy medium cooking point. It had sweet potato, a white bean puree, and a beautiful tuille topping it all off. For dessert, I had the tiramisú. It was most certainly a healthy portion, and it scored high both on flavor and texture.This was my fourth time at Taverna Banfi and I will certainly be coming back for more.Dietary restrictions: They accommodate dietary restrictions (no sugar, dairy free, etc)Parking: For a safe choice, go with the Valet parking. Else, park on the Hoy Garage and walk to the hotel.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Focaccia, Grilled Octopus, Tiramisu, Duck Breast
Peter
Dinner at Banfi was all right. The service was excellent from the moment we entered to the moment we left. Amy, our server was efficient, knowledgeable and fast. The food, especially the steak, could have been better. The duck, ordered by two in our party, was very good according to their comments. The octopus, ordered by another one in our party was also very good. The steak, however, which I ordered, left a lot to be desired. First, the cut had a lot of fat at one end and gristle along the side of the steak. The meat was cooked as i ordered it (Medium) but the sauce it came with was a little on the sweet side which did not really mix well with the steak.
MercedesS
We had a celebratory dinner with our daughter for the completion of her first semester at Cornell. The food was excellent, the portions were large (we had leftovers that we ate the next day that were still really yummy!) and the service was great! Can't wait to go back!
The lounge is excellent. Food and drinks were great.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
240416 dinnerTrustworthy, solid elevated dinner place on campus.Grilled octopus is tasty indeed. Cooked just right. Plump, tender, and not rubbery. The chorizo tastes good also there’s a litte too much potato pieces.Focaccia is beautifully sprinkled with rosemary salt.Kale salad is refreshing, though slightly too sweet.Ricotta Gnocchi comes with generous portion of tender ragu, but I do prefer tomato sauce than Worcester.Shrimp Scampi is surprisingly amazing <3. The star of the night. It may sound and look ordinary but the pasta is beautifully flavored, buttery with a light delightful umami.Duck Breast is also cooked well, very tender at medium. The sweet potato fondant reminds me of baked sweet potatoes in winter days. The sweet-sour Maple-Currant Agrodolce is quite overpowering on the other hand.The dessert is lovely and not too heavy even after stuffing myself with the main dishes. The elderflower foam isn’t too sweet, and the citrus cheesecake and pistachio frangipane taste pleasant.The staff was quite stressed during the busy night and made some mistakes with the bill, but service was prompt and helpful.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
The food was delicious and our server was attentive and helpful. Location was great - right in the middle of campus and because they validate parking for those with reservations, very easy.However, due to a miscommunication/snafu, our order took a lot longer to arrive. The manager came over to apologize and provide an update but what would have been nice is if he would have offered a complementary dessert or drink to compensate us given that our wait was very long. That would be the type of service I would expect from a restaurant with those prices.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
Delectable food and exceptional service. Taverna Banfi defies expectations for a student-run restaurant. The dishes are absolutely gorgeous both taste and presentation wise.The duck is tender and savory with the perfect amount of sweetness from the maple sauce and sweet potato side. The calamari is crispy and light. The wine pairing is perfect. The table-side focaccia is tender and airy.Perfect for elegant date nights or special occasions. Prices range from $30-70 per person. Parking is limited
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Duck Breast
As somebody who has spent a great deal of time in hotels, this is one of my favorites! The bathrooms might’ve been the cleanest I’ve ever been in! The rooms are extremely spacious, the view was wonderful, the right # of USB and outlets available was fantastic. They also might be the most comfortable hotel bathrobes that I have ever worn! The restaurant was fantastic and the convenience to bus stops was literally outside - and being in the heart of Cornell was ideal. Looking forward to staying here again someday.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Taverna
The atmosphere was good and the server was nice. The food was more delicious than expected.
This is by far the best place I've been to in Ithaca for dinner. Far surpasses other expensive restaurants in the area in quality of food, service, and atmosphere. And it's not as expensive as those other places.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Grilled Octopus, Duck Breast, Statler Chicken
Lunch Buffet on weekdays is great!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Excellent food choices. Simple menu. Pleasant staff.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Grilled Octopus, Duck Breast, Statler Chicken
Beautiful appointments...incredibly delicious and gorgeous food. The young staff is amazing. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
This is our go to place for a date, or just a casual weekend brunch. The food never disappoints and the price is fair considering the quality of food and the general atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tiramisu, Duck Breast, Statler Chicken
Food was fabulous and so was the server. She was very friendly and made our dinner so much fun. I had the duck and it was the best I've ever had.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Focaccia, Tiramisu, Duck Breast, Statler Chicken, Kale Salad
Taverna Banfi is a safe choice for an outstanding dinner in Ithaca. It is located inside The Statler Hotel at Cornell University. Having one of the top hospitality programs in the country, you can expect quality service, cleanliness, organization, reliability and repeatability. Even when your host may be still a student, you're getting an outstanding service and meal altogether. Their menu is simple and well executed to appeal to a wide audience. Many entrées can be adapted to your diet restrictions, and their desserts are world-class. They offer a la carte service throughout the week, as well as an outstanding brunch on weekends.We recently had our anniversary dinner at Taverna Banfi. We ordered the octopus appetizer, which came with chorizo, potatoes, arugula and a squid ink aioli. It was an unctuous small plate that went perfect with prosecco and with a local Finger Lakes Riesling. My entrée was the braised beef gnocchi. This dish was well built to provide an upscale version of a homey meal. The braising liquid was slightly sweet and was balanced with kale (you can imagine the textural elements at play). The gnocchi were soft, slightly savory, and took with them most of the viscous sauce. My wife had the duck breast and was able to substitute one of the sides due to dietary restrictions without any difficulty. The duck was cooked to perfection, with a crunchy skin and a juicy medium cooking point. It had sweet potato, a white bean puree, and a beautiful tuille topping it all off. For dessert, I had the tiramisú. It was most certainly a healthy portion, and it scored high both on flavor and texture.This was my fourth time at Taverna Banfi and I will certainly be coming back for more.Dietary restrictions: They accommodate dietary restrictions (no sugar, dairy free, etc)Parking: For a safe choice, go with the Valet parking. Else, park on the Hoy Garage and walk to the hotel.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Focaccia, Grilled Octopus, Tiramisu, Duck Breast
Dinner at Banfi was all right. The service was excellent from the moment we entered to the moment we left. Amy, our server was efficient, knowledgeable and fast. The food, especially the steak, could have been better. The duck, ordered by two in our party, was very good according to their comments. The octopus, ordered by another one in our party was also very good. The steak, however, which I ordered, left a lot to be desired. First, the cut had a lot of fat at one end and gristle along the side of the steak. The meat was cooked as i ordered it (Medium) but the sauce it came with was a little on the sweet side which did not really mix well with the steak.
We had a celebratory dinner with our daughter for the completion of her first semester at Cornell. The food was excellent, the portions were large (we had leftovers that we ate the next day that were still really yummy!) and the service was great! Can't wait to go back!