Ithaca

Agava Restaurant

· Ithaca · Southwestern / New American

The Lazy List

Agava's wine program is essentially a placeholder — no producers named, no prices published, no apparent effort to connect the Southwestern-leaning menu to anything interesting in the glass. Ithaca sits in the heart of Finger Lakes wine country, making this omission especially puzzling. Order a cocktail, or bring your own bottle if corkage is an option.

Inn at Taughannock Falls Bar & Terrace

· Ithaca · Hotel bar / seasonal restaurant

The Wild Card

For a hotel bar in wine country, this list punches above its category — the Finger Lakes producers are legitimate, the Saperavi alone is worth a detour, and the overall curation signals actual effort. Pricing at a lakeside inn will likely sting, and without confirmed by-the-glass options or staff expertise, you may need to advocate for yourself. Come ready to order by the bottle, pick something local, and enjoy the view.

The Rook

· Ithaca · New American

The Wild Card

The Rook is swinging for something more interesting than its size suggests, and the range of regions and styles — Txakoline, Verdicchio, Barolo rosé, orange Garnacha — earns genuine respect for a 12-bottle list. Pricing skews steep at the top end, and the lack of any documented reds from classic regions is a real hole. If you're an adventurous drinker who's tired of the same wine list at every New American spot, this is worth exploring — just go in knowing you'll probably land in the $45–$56 range to find the value.

Simeon's on the Commons

· Ithaca · Brasserie / New American

The Reliable

Simeon's wine list does its job without breaking a sweat — it's approachable, reasonably priced, and quietly proud of the Finger Lakes producers it stocks. The by-the-glass selection is the real strength here; if you're in Ithaca and want to explore local wine without committing to a bottle, this is a perfectly decent place to do it.

Mercato Bar & Kitchen

· Ithaca · Northern Italian

The Reliable

Mercato is a well-regarded local staple with the right regional instincts — Italian roots, Finger Lakes ambition, and a warm room that earns its reservations. We'd feel comfortable sending a friend here for a solid bottle of wine with dinner, but we'd tell them to ask questions at the table, because we can't yet confirm the specifics behind the list. Worth a visit; worth a deeper look once a full wine list is in hand.

Texas Roadhouse

South Hill / Elmira Road corridor · Ithaca · Steakhouse

The Lazy List

Texas Roadhouse Ithaca is not a wine destination, and it's not trying to be — the list is short, the producers are supermarket-tier, and the markups on house pours are quietly aggressive. Come for the bread and the steak; if you need wine, order one glass and make peace with it.

Kilpatrick's Publick House

Downtown / The Commons · Ithaca · Irish pub, Irish-American gastropub

The Reliable

Kilpatrick's is never going to make a wine list worth traveling to Ithaca for, but it's a fair, unpretentious pour program that respects your wallet and quietly sneaks in a Pouilly-Fuissé and a proper Hugel Riesling. Come for the shepherd's pie, stay for the Alsace.

The Watershed

Downtown / State Street · Ithaca · Cocktail Bar

The Wild Card

The Watershed is a cocktail bar that accidentally has a decent wine list, and we mean that as a compliment. If you're in Ithaca and want a low-key glass of something thoughtfully chosen without paying downtown Manhattan prices, this is your spot.

The Falls Wine Room

West End / State Street · Ithaca · Wine Shop & Tasting Room

The Wild Card

The Falls Wine Room is the kind of neighborhood spot that makes you realize how low the bar usually is — thoughtful list, honest prices, and a genuine point of view on what wine should be. If you're in Ithaca and you care even a little about what's in your glass, you owe this place a visit.

Mahogany Grill

Downtown / Aurora Street · Ithaca · Fine Dining / International

The Lazy List

Mahogany Grill is a fine restaurant that hasn't extended that care to its wine program — the list is mass-market, the Finger Lakes is a ghost, and the fine dining pricing makes it sting. Order the shrimp cocktail, drink the Bully Hill, and temper your expectations.

Gola Osteria

East State Street / East Hill · Ithaca · Italian (Tuscan-inspired, inventive Italian)

The Wild Card

Gola is punching well above its weight class for an Ithaca side street — the Italian regional depth here would hold up at a serious wine bar in any major city. If you're driving through the Finger Lakes and think you're just stopping for dinner, plan to stay a while.

Maxie's Supper Club & Oyster Bar

West End / State Street · Ithaca · Seafood / Cajun

The Reliable

Maxie's is not a wine destination, but it's a genuinely good time with a list that's fair, approachable, and wisely anchored by the Atwater Finger Lakes pour. Show up on a Monday for $10 off every bottle, order the oysters, and don't overthink it.

Coltivare

Downtown / Aurora Street · Ithaca · Farm-to-Table / New American

The Reliable

Coltivare isn't trying to be a wine destination, but its Finger Lakes focus and fair pricing make it a genuinely good place to drink local. Send your out-of-town friends here — they'll leave with a new appreciation for New York Riesling.

Just a Taste

Downtown · Ithaca · Wine Bar & Tapas

The Wild Card

Just a Taste is the Wild Card because it shouldn't work on paper — 50 BTG options, heavy regional focus, small plates, college town — and yet it absolutely does. Send your friends here with strict instructions to order Finger Lakes only and to try at least three pours.

Monks on the Commons

Downtown / The Commons · Ithaca · American / Hotel Bistro

The Reliable

Monks won't wow wine-curious diners, but it does right by the Finger Lakes in a way hotel bars rarely bother to. Stick to the local pours, avoid the marked-up California staples, and you'll have a perfectly fine glass with your burger on the Commons.

The Heights Restaurant and H Bar

Ithaca · Ithaca · American, Mediterranean

The Reliable

The Heights isn't trying to reinvent the wheel, and it doesn't need to — for Ithaca, a 25-year Wine Spectator streak, fair prices, and a California-France backbone makes this one of the most dependable wine stops in the region. Send a friend here without hesitation, just tell them to order the Burgundy.