Coltivare

Address:	235 S Cayuga St, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
Phone:	+1 607-882-2333
Site:	coltivareithaca.com
Rating:	3.8
Working:	Closed 5–9PM 5–10PM 5–10PM 5–10PM 5–10PM 10AM–3PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 8

Andy Guerriero

This is a tough review to write because there are so many mixed things going on at Coltivare. The food is generally top-notch and they are a leader in the local farm-to-table scene in Ithaca. They also partner with a local college and many local farms, which is great. At any given time, their menu features a wide variety of dishes and youre sure to encounter something you love any time you go. They also have a good wine selection although that is not really my wheelhouse. "Some" of their front-of-house operation is good. The hosts are generally attentive and friendly, and the other staff are hit or miss. I have found the servers to be rather lackluster, seemingly disinterested in their jobs and lacking a passion for the food they are offering. The bar staff is competent but again, disinterested. Staff from the kitchen frequently pop their heads out to look into the dining area and make comments, which is very unprofessional. Food is often less-than-hot when it arrives at your table as they seem to have an inefficient system of runners or servers. If you sit at the bar you can frequently see dishes sitting in the pass-through window for 5-10 minutes or longer before someone grabs it and delivers it to the table. I blame most of this on lack of training and inattentive managers. Ive been there when the bar is absolutely slammed, one harried bartender trying to serve 10-15 customers. The general manager was actually in view of this and just stood around with his hands in his pockets instead of getting involved and not hanging his staff out to dry. No excuse for that and I felt bad for the staff. Theyve been open long enough to iron out training and staffing issues. If you like great food and are willing to tolerate sub-par service and management, you might like Coltivare.

Deanna Berman

We got there at before 7pm tonight. It was Saturday night. We ordered one appetizer and our meals at about 7pm or maybe 7:05. At about 7:45 we were really hungry and began noticing that tables that got there after us were being served. We got our food at 8:05 and we had three hamburgers with fries and all was cold. My wife and daughter were hungry and began eating but I complained and they offered more fries. Later I demanded a new hamburger. One would think that a manager would ask if there were any other problems and might even say theyll take care of the bill. But this guy offered fries and seemed bothered by us. So when he came back I got a little pushy and told him that 3 of the 4 meals must have been sitting in the kitchen for 20 minutes and someone made a mistake. I basically had to teach the guy to be apologetic and helpful. The ambiance is nice and Id like to try again, but they need to be fully staffed on Saturdays and the manager needs to be more overt about his helpfulness. He made a bad situation worse. Tonight was very disappointing so Id give zero stars.

Jason Harvie

We had out wedding rehearsal dinner at Coltivare after it was recommended to us by a friend. To sum it up, everything was amazing....we had a group of almost 60 and I pretty sure each and every one of them came up to us at some point that night to tell us what a great job they did!! Not sure what they seasoned it with but the grilled flank steak was one of the best buffet options Ive ever had. Along with the great list of local beers on tap, I can honestly say that nowhere else could have possibly done a better job than they did. On top of all that planning it could not have goon any smoother either. If everywhere was on top of things like this place is people wouldnt dread planning events. Price per head was very reasonable for the area as well. Loved the negative review about waiting an hour for a burger and fries. An hour wait for your food is pretty quick for Ithaca. That being said my suggestion would be next time youre in a big hurry for a burger and fries to just hit up McDonalds and not a sit down restaruant!

Benn T.F. Nadelman

Two friends and I had lunch yesterday (3/20/15) at Coltivare and it was one of the best meals - and particularly excellent services, that Ive experienced in ithaca ~ where Ive dined at many of the most popular and highly-thought-of restaurants. The food we had got some mixed reviews from my guests but the "Potato-Chip" Omelette I had sent me to another (Happy!) Planet: Beautifully cooked to my order, it was a wonderful and innovative combination of Smoked salmon, exotic and deep-flavored cheese(s) and fine herbs...Rich and delicious. Too, we all shared and very much enjoyed the appetizer of home-cut French Fries topped with a Duck confit sauce...Yummy :-) Im going to be buying some gift certificates for special friends who I think should - and will, enjoy Cultivate, a pleasant surprise amidst a sea of fine eateries.

Kala Viv Williams

Eaten their 2 or 3 times. I love it BUT it is a bit hit or miss, meaning a couple times something was cold, it was delicious, I tasted it, but it had to be sent back and it was like a meat thing with gravy/sauce where youd think theyd have poured the warm sauce over, but the whole thing was plated but missed being heated. Another thing also was same thing-sounded great but in the delivery it was either not hot or something. But when they are good they are very good! And they always will redo or fix the issue. It is partially student run for training (I dont know if in the kitchen,) and I attribute it to that. The waiters are invariable friendly and kind. I would recommend it for the innovative dishes and local/high quality fresh ingredients. I just saw @Andy Guerrieros review and agree with his honesty.

Cody Fiduccia

I visited this location with friends during the Taste of Ithaca promotion week; a sort of restaurant week where many establishments feature pre-fix menus for a discounted price. The food was some of the best Ive had in Ithaca, hands down. Plating is beautiful, everything was prepared to the optimal temperature, and meat was cooked to the requested doneness. The service, however, was what ultimately resulted in this three-star rating. We waited nearly 20 minutes to even be addressed by the staff once we had sat, and once our food was delivered, we never saw our server again. We ended up leaving cash on the table just to leave the restaurant. That being said, I would certainly try this location again if for no other reason than to experience the excellent food.

Megan Easton

Although the food was ok and the restaurant was cute, the service was absolutely terrible. We went for brunch and it took 3 requests to get a cup of coffee. Once I got my coffee and asked for cream, I had to get up and find it myself. The food took over an hour to be served at our table. And when the soup was delivered, we had to go up to the bar to get a spoon since out server went missing. This place is far overpriced for the service you receive. The Food: The mimosas with fruit syrup were delicious and unique. The only reason I gave them 2 stars. The Benedicts were dry. They needed more sauce and the poached eggs were more like hard boiled.

Ann Harper

We were very excited to try this place and support the concept of this new business. We "called ahead" for a table but when arrived we were informed that our table had been given away (even though we were on time) and the wait would be an hour. We went to another of Ithacas wonderful restaurants instead and will not be likely to try to go to Coltivare again.