Ithaca

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.