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Taverna Banfi, Ithaca, NY

Taverna Banfi

4.6
4.6
1362 Reviews
$31 to $50
Italian

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2 people
19:00
Booked 7 times today
  • Good for special occasions
  • Great for brunch
  • Good for business meals
A Tuscan Inspired Italian Restaurant In Ithaca, NY.
Tuscan culture embraces a cuisine that is inspired by availability and accessibility. At Taverna Banfi, our seasonal menus reflect this attitude. Located at the heart of Cornell University campus, our casual fine dining atmosphere is perfect for entertaining family, friends, and clients visiting Cornell University and the Finger Lakes region. We offer Complimentary Valet Parking.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Italian
  • Hours of Operation
    Breakfast Daily 07:00–10:00 Brunch Sat, Sun 10:00–14:00 Lunch Mon–Fri 11:30–14:00 Dinner Daily 17:30–21:00
  • Phone number
    (607) 254-2565
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Carte Blanche, Diners Club, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Executive Chef
    Andrew Nichols
  • Private party facilities
    For parties of 6 people or more, please call the restaurant.
  • Area
    Ithaca
  • Cross Street
    130 Statler Drive
  • Parking details
    Valet
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Private Room, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 1,362 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.5Ambience
  • 4.2Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Southern Tier

    Best Overall

  • Southern Tier

    Best Food

  • Southern Tier

    Best Service

  • Southern Tier

    Best Ambience

  • Southern Tier

    Best Value

  • Southern Tier

    Good for groups

  • Southern Tier

    Healthy

  • Southern Tier

    Neighbourhood gem

  • Southern Tier

    Good for special occasions

  • Southern Tier

    Lively

  • Southern Tier

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Taverna Banfi offers a delightful dining experience with "superb food and service" and a welcoming atmosphere. Known for its diverse brunch offerings and seasonal menu, the restaurant is praised for "delicious innovative food" and attentive staff. While some find the brunch buffet overpriced, the overall experience is "a must" when in Ithaca.

1,362 Reviews
  1. Brad

    New York City

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on 17 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    a great place for a business meeting, or a friendly chat with an old friend.

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  2. Thierry

    New York City

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on 9 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    As always, great food and a relaxed atmosphere. Waiters and waitresses are top notch!
    Taverna BanfiResponded on 11 December 2024
    Hi Thierry, thank you for your wonderful feedback! We're delighted to hear you enjoyed the great food and relaxed atmosphere at Taverna Banfi. Our team takes pride in providing great service, and your kind words mean a lot to us. We cant wait to welcome you back soon! Felicia Barrett Taverna Banfi General Manager

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  3. Amy

    New York City

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 8 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    A very nice restaurant. The food was excellent, service outstanding.
    Taverna BanfiResponded on 11 December 2024
    Hi Amy, thank you so much for you kind words! We're thrilled to hear you enjoyed the food and had outstanding service experience with us at Taverna Banfi. It means a lot to us! We look forward to welcoming you back soon. Felicia Barrett General Mangaer Taverna Banfi

    Is this helpful?

  4. Pamela

    VIP

    New York City

    13 reviews

    5.0

    13 reviews

    Dined on 3 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great good and wonderful service. Very nice wine list

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  5. Diane

    Upstate NY

    13 reviews

    2.0

    13 reviews

    Dined on 2 December 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 2
    Banfi's can seem tired. Especially on a Monday night. We (my friends and I) keep going there three times a years, always for our birthdays, because we live so close. However the menu hardly changes and the one sole veggie option (zucchini noodles with quinoa croquettes) varies in quality and can get quite routine after having eaten it for years. There are a lack of other choices, so a better option is to go with a soup and salad. Our experience this week would have benefitted from service of our wine much sooner (were we supposed to order on the iPad? not sure.), by acknowledging from our reservation that we were celebrating a birthday, and asking more about our meal. Our wait staff was nice enough: it's a learning process for students, which I truly do appreciate. But wait staff can only go so far; they have little control over many factors, including menu choices and so forth. All in all I'd say Banfi's could use a refresh.

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  6. Nicholas

    Upstate NY

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 19 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Food was great. Waitress was great. Highly reccomend.
    Taverna BanfiResponded on 20 November 2024
    Thank you so much Nicholas for taking the time to share your positive experience with us on OpenTable! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your visit. Thanks again for your support, and we hope to see you soon! Warm regards, Felicia Barrett General Manager Taverna Banfi

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  7. Miriam

    New York City

    41 reviews

    5.0

    41 reviews

    Dined on 16 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had a delicious meal last night here. We were immediately seated when we arrived, and within minutes our waitress came to take our drink order. Bread was brought to the table, which was warm and tasty. We shared a delicious mozzarella appetizer. My husband and I shared the cowboy ribeye steak, which was prepared exactly as we requested . It was flavorful and tender. One of the best steaks we have had !! Our granddaughter had the beet salad with salmon. Also prepared perfectly. The manager was walking around and stopped to make sure everything was to our liking. We ended dinner sharing a decadent desert. Our waitress was very attentive and refilled our water glasses before we even had a chance to ask, We were never rushed. It was a perfect dinner! Was it expensive-yes. But it was worth it.
    Taverna BanfiResponded on 20 November 2024
    Dear Miriam, We just wanted to extend our heartfelt thanks for your wonderful review on OpenTable. We're so glad to hear you had a great experience with us at Taverna Banfi! Your kind words about our staff truly made our day. We take pride in delivering excellent service and creating memorable experiences for our guests, and it’s rewarding to know we succeeded in doing so for you. We can’t wait to welcome you back soon! Thank you again for sharing your feedback and supporting our restaurant. Warm regards, Felicia Barrett General Manager Taverna Banfi

    Is this helpful?

  8. Thomas

    Philadelphia

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 16 November 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    Food was excellent and commensurate with cost. Ambiance and service was average at best.

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  9. EllisW

    Philadelphia

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on 14 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Second visist to this restaurant. Food and plate presentation are wonderful. Because the restaurant is located in the Statler hotel on Cornell campus, the ambience is OK, but maybe not so intimate like some other restaurants. 

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  10. vandana

    Dallas

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 11 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We went for a birthday dinner. Ordered salad appetizer, pasta and desserts - everything was delicious.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Taverna Banfi is rated 4.6 stars by 1362 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 7 times today
Google Map for Taverna Banfi

130 Statler Drive, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    130 Statler Drive
  • Area
    Ithaca
  • Hours of Operation
    Breakfast Daily 07:00–10:00 Brunch Sat, Sun 10:00–14:00 Lunch Mon–Fri 11:30–14:00 Dinner Daily 17:30–21:00
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Italian
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    Valet
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Carte Blanche, Diners Club, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Andrew Nichols
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Private Room, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
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