Taverna Banfi - Ithaca

Brunch buffet is wonderful and reasonably priced at $30 pp. Service is exceptional throughout. Banfi is beautiful of course and all of the touches are there. The buffet has a nice selection of both breakfast and lunch foods. Some highlights were the salmon, mac and cheese, and carving station with horseradish sauce. The desserts were also top notch. In particular I loved the creme beulee and lavender tart. They also had vanilla bean panna cotta, pecan pie, blonde bars, and more. The breakfast food was okay, but some things could be improved. The bagels were cheap grocery store esque bagels and the cream cheese was individual sized Philly. There was seemingly nobody working the crepe station or waffle station so I passed those over entirely. They can bring out hot sauce if requested but imo it would be nice to have some accoutrements next to the eggs. Lastly, it's a shame that coffee isn't included with the buffet but juice is. I'm not a juice person so I stuck to water, but it would have been nice to have coffee instead as a courtesy. Would go back! Definitely worth the price.

Taverna Banfi restaurant is such a great spot in Ithaca. High in the hills of Ithaca and lost in Cornell's beautiful campus, Banfi is a hidden treasure. The food is really good. The staff is exceptional and the restaurant offers a beautiful view of Ithaca and Cornell's historical campus. They serve buffet style breakfast and lunch and have an excellent extensive wine selection. Dinner is also served at Banfi. Reservations are suggested. Great for family reunions, business meetings and occasional movie star sightings.

This place is one of my favorite parts of Cornell. Starting with brunch when we visited for accepted students day to celebrating my son's graduation and the many times we went in between, each meal has always been solid and the service by the student staff always impeccable. The restaurant is inside the Statler Hotel at Cornell University which makes it convenient if you are staying there. Get a seat by the window to get a view of the campus while you enjoy your meal. Thankfully we still have another child there to enjoy a few more meals!

This review is for a dinner date experience. I was a bit apprehensive after reading reviews on yelp, but decided to give it a go for a lack of better options while passing through. My date ordered the Statler Chicken, with the side of mushrooms, and I ordered the NY Strip, with a side of Broccolini. We also requested bread for the table, which ended up being delicious, and was served with olive oil and vinaigrette. I also ordered a Pinot Noir, and my date ordered a Moscow Mule. To start, I cannot say enough good things about the staff. They were all very kind, and incredibly attentive and accommodating. More pleasant than I've experienced in a while, including at places where the bill will run $400+ per head before beverages. 10/5. Drinks; the Mule was well balanced, though not served in a traditional copper cup. The Pinot was also good, and fairly priced at $11/glass. 4/5. Sides; the broccolini was delicious, grilled perfectly and nicely seasoned. However I would say it was a bit too oily still. The mushrooms were great, excellent flavor and cooked well. 4/5. Mains; the chicken was impressive for $30. Cooked just right, great flavor, and the bread pudding paired with the butternut squash puree was a nice touch. The NY Strip was overall solid, not the best I've had but not at all lacking, especially for $42. 5/5. Overall I'm giving this place a 5 star review for the service experience and quality of food for the price. Would definitely stop by again!

This restaurant is likely the best in the area, with fine food that is elevated for the area. The food quality is 3 stars, while the service is exceptional at 5 stars - attentive, accurate, efficient, and friendly. Overall, it receives a 4 star review. As for the food itself, many dishes consist of a mixture of vegetables in a stew-like base, served with meats and fish like salmon. While the attempt at creating a ratatouille was apparent, it was somewhat overcooked. The zucchini pasta, a gluten-free, veggie noodle option, would have been decent if it wasn't drowned in a thick tomato paste sauce. Lighter seasoning with olive oil, olives, parmesan, and basil would have been more enjoyable. The salmon was cooked well at medium-rare, but nothing extraordinary. Unfortunately, the fried calamari did not meet expectations - the breading fell off, was soft, and lacked the desired light and crispy texture.