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The Bistro at La Tourelle, Ithaca, NY

The Bistro at La Tourelle

3.1
3.1
230 Reviews
$30 and under
American
  • Great for brunch
  • Neighbourhood gem
  • Charming
The Bistro at La Tourelle, located in Ithaca, New York, serves regional American cuisine and specializes in providing a farm-to-table dining experience. The restaurant is open for breakfast, brunch and lunch. The Bistro at La Tourelle provides takeout and catering services for its customers convenience.

The restaurant offers vegetarian and gluten-free options for individuals with dietary restrictions.

Update 5/2/2021: The Bistro is now operating out of the farmhouse, formerly John Thomas Steakhouse, located directly in front of La Tourelle Hotel for dine in, take out, and covered outdoor seating as well as outdoor seating!

Permanently Closed

This restaurant is permanently closed.

Order delivery or takeout

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Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    American, Bistro, Breakfast
  • Hours of Operation
    Brunch Sat, Sun 07:30–14:00 Dinner Fri, Sat 17:00–21:00
  • Phone number
    (607) 339-0224
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Justin French
  • Area
    Ithaca
  • Cross Street
    Route 96B (AKA Danby Rd.) 1 mile past Ithaca College
  • Parking details
    Free parking available anywhere in the La Tourelle Hotel parking lot
  • Additional
    Beer, Cafe, Cocktails, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeaway, Vegan, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 230 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

3.1
3.1 based on recent ratings
  • 2.9Food
  • 3.7Service
  • 3Ambience
  • 3.1Value

NoiseEnergetic

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Bistro at La Tourelle boasts a "wonderful service" and "amazing food" in a "quiet and pleasant ambiance." Guests appreciate its "great atmosphere" and charming historic setting. While some note maintenance issues and menu changes, the attentive staff and separate dining areas enhance the overall experience, making it a delightful brunch destination.

230 Reviews
  1. Miriam

    New York City

    10 reviews

    5.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on 10 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Surprisingly delicious unique granola crusted french toast. Great service and yummy food

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  2. Eric

    New York City

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on 3 November 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    It’s clear that this formerly excellent restaurant will be closing soon. The menu has become very limited, and some of that sparse selection was unavailable during our brunch visit. The staff is still generally very pleasant and helpful but it’s evident that the ownership is just running out the clock.

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  3. Bill

    Seattle

    133 reviews

    vip
    1.0

    133 reviews

    Dined on 19 October 2024

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 2
    Unfortunately had a very strange experience at this restaurant and was a bummer as we remember the days when it was L’auberge and later John Thomas. We requested the green room as it was always cozy and quieter. Upon entering the entryway we noted it was worn and dirty looking and we were greeted by the lead waitress who immediately seated us and rattled off the specials. The lights we on high and no music, so we fired up my iPhone and lowered the lights in the empty room to create some semblance of an atmosphere. The wood beams had cobwebs on them and the fireplace was not fired.The menu bore no resemblance to what was on the web and was far more limited. We later found that the chef had left. We had salmon and the strip steak special. Our waitress hadn’t been trained very well and while trying didn’t get the sequence of the meal and forgot to ask us for dessert. The salmon was good as were the potatoes, but steak tasted like it had been bought at Wegmans that afternoon. Fortunately we brought our own wine and the corkage was quite reasonable at $15. Overall very disappointing experience and the restaurant was largely empty. You all need to get your act together as this treasured house is going to waste.

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  4. Christeen

    Philadelphia

    28 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    28 reviews

    Dined on 26 September 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 2
    Very disappointed in the menu. It was not anything like the menu on the hotel’s website. I made our reservation at the Bistro based on what I had seen on the website.

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  5. Elizabeth

    Philadelphia

    7 reviews

    3.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on 14 September 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    We stayed at LaTourelle a few years ago and had enjoyed the breakfast so much that we went out of our way to make a breakfast reservation when we were visiting. The cafe structure is in need of refreshing; had a very attentive and helpful server - but menu has changed for the worse. The French toast was dry and mediocre in contrast to the memorable pancakes of past. Hope you will bring them back and/or add waffles!

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  6. Tyler

    Toronto

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 31 August 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Had a great time, Grace was our server and was great! We had a great chat with her and she was very attentive to us! The food was also very good and wasn’t too expensive either ! It’s was relatively quiet! That might be helped by the fact that there’s 4 separate dining areas at the bistro, so everyone can be spread out. I definitely Recommend this place for a good brunch!

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  7. Eugor

    New York City

    10 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on 18 August 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    We have regularly enjoyed brunch at La Tourelle over the years, but a recent visit was a disappointment, and quality has evidently slipped. 4 of the main dishes on the menu were not available at noon on a Sunday because the kitchen was out of the main ingredients. That’s pretty poor planning for a brunch establishment. Worse yet, diners were not informed of this when seated. We of course had set our sights on the items which were not available and had to select other dishes, which we could have done in the first place had we been informed. The food itself was adequate, but showed little flair or creativity. Service was courteous but a bit too leisurely. It’s also disappointing that the restaurant building itself is not being well maintained. There is peeling paint on the exterior, the shrubbery and walkways were unkempt, and the interior just looks run down - scuffed paint, loose moldings rickety furniture. The floor and the table were sticky. It’s not what one expects of a high-end establishment, especially at this price point.

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  8. Joshua

    New York City

    4 reviews

    4.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on 4 August 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Charming. Good service, good food, and good value. 

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  9. Tur1261

    Atlanta Metro

    52 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    52 reviews

    Dined on 22 June 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    The food and service were good, the facility - not so much. The building needs some maintenance work, and the driveway was under repair. With a little TLC, this would be a great place.

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  10. StanB

    Ottawa

    12 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    12 reviews

    Dined on 22 June 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    Nice people, construction spoiled some of the “character” of the site. Food was good.

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FAQs

The Bistro at La Tourelle offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (607) 339-0224.

The Bistro at La Tourelle is rated 3.1 stars by 230 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Permanently Closed

This restaurant is permanently closed.

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for The Bistro at La Tourelle

1150 Danby Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    Route 96B (AKA Danby Rd.) 1 mile past Ithaca College
  • Area
    Ithaca
  • Hours of Operation
    Brunch Sat, Sun 07:30–14:00 Dinner Fri, Sat 17:00–21:00
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    American, Bistro, Breakfast
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Free parking available anywhere in the La Tourelle Hotel parking lot
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Justin French
  • Additional
    Beer, Cafe, Cocktails, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeaway, Vegan, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
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