Kerbside pickup
Yes
Gola Osteria Restaurant & Catering in Ithaca
Categories
Location on the map
Ithaca, Tompkins County, New York, US
Service options
No-contact delivery
Yes
Delivery
Yes
Takeaway
Yes
Dine-in
Yes
Health and safety
Staff wear masks
Yes
Staff get temperature checks
Yes
Staff required to disinfect surfaces between visits
Yes
Highlights
Great cocktails
Yes
Great coffee
Yes
Great dessert
Yes
Popular for
Dinner
Yes
Solo dining
Yes
Accessibility
Wheelchair-accessible car park
Yes
Wheelchair-accessible entrance
Yes
Wheelchair-accessible seating
Yes
Wheelchair-accessible toilet
Yes
Offerings
Alcohol
Yes
Beer
Yes
Cocktails
Yes
Coffee
Yes
Comfort food
Yes
Small plates
Yes
Spirits
Yes
Vegetarian options
Yes
Wine
Yes
Dining options
Dinner
Yes
Catering
Yes
Dessert
Yes
Amenities
Bar on site
Yes
High chairs
Yes
Toilets
Yes
Atmosphere
Cosy
Yes
Romantic
Yes
Upmarket
Yes
Crowd
Groups
Yes
Tourists
Yes
Planning
Dinner reservations recommended
Yes
Accepts reservations
Yes
Payments
Debit cards
Yes
Phone: +1 607-273-0333
Site: http://golaosteria.com/
Site: http://golaosteria.com/
Opening hours
- Monday:Closed
- Tuesday:Closed
- Wednesday:5–9PM
- Thursday:5–9PM
- Friday:5–9:30PM
- Saturday:5–10PM
- Sunday:Closed
Comments (163)
This was good rich and heavy Italian fare in a very traditional setting. The portion sizes were quite large and filling.For vegan/vegetarians:Typical options you would expect in Italian cuisine.I had the Fettuccine Funghi. I really liked that it was not Al Dente. I like my pasta cooked 😋 Rich and butterySome disappointments: The bread was underwhelming and the cocktail was meh. And there was no espresso based coffee to round up the meal
The food here is rich, delicious and totally worth the calories! ;-). Anything they make with a sauce or ragu is fantastic! They also make excellent cocktails and have a small but very well chosen wine list that includes several good by the glass options. To tip it all off. The service is, is attentive and professional, with the staff being highly knowledgeable about the food and wine. Go, just go! I didnt take pictures if our food, but here are some of the delicious desserts. Loved my canoli
The food was amazing! Finding the place was a challenge be patient parking is rough. It is bottom floor back side of an apartment or dorm. Restaurant atmosphere is good once seated. The hostess was young and maybe not the best personality for a hostess, you know the drop and run type. No chit chat! We did wait a little for the server to greet us, possibly short staffed? He was not the most personable. But kudos to the bus person Dillon. He was great. He was way more attentive than our server. Eager and enthusiastic about the restaurant and his job. They started a new menu this evening, but most of the dishes I was interested in were still on the menu. The crostini appetizer was delicious, prosciutto, roasted red pepper and anchovies. Dinner was a lovely black pasta with shrimp and pancetta! Amazing. I don’t mind waiting when it’s so good!
I dined at Gola Osteria on Friday, October 15th. I was joined by my sister and brother-in-law as a celebration dinner for his birthday.Our reservation was for 6 PM and we were seated promptly. Our server, Steve W. was fine initially. He never told us his name and seemed hurried. We enjoyed lovely salads, and a yummy appetizer. The wine was sublime.All went well until more tables were seated. Our server was covering inside and the porch. Our meals were delivered by someone other than our server. Our server finally came and asked how the food was without waiting for our answers. Very robotic. He offered no ground pepper or any other pleasantries that I have experienced in the past while dining at Gola. I was there in April, 2021 and had a lovely experience.There was a large table that arrived in the main room and our server was very attentive to that table. I was facing the room and made eye contact with our server several times.We finished dinner, and were taking portions home. The food was scrumptious. As usual. We sat for at least a half hour with our plates in front of us, our server never once coming to our table. Finally a young girl came to the table and offered to clear and prepare our take home packages. Still our server never came to our table.Another 15 minutes passed with no one coming to the table. My brother-in-law went to fetch dessert menus. Another 10 minutes passed...still no one. I went to the fellow who seemed to be a monitor and explained that our waiter was ignoring us. He apologized. Another 10 minutes passed and our server finally came to the table and said Im here. I replied that he was ignoring us. Instead of apologizing, he said he was busy. I replied that I was his dining guest as well. He finally apologized...without much sincerity.We enjoyed dessert. Our server brought the check. I always always tip at least 20%, but only tipped 10% this evening.I know with Covid things have been extremely tremulous for all of us, and especially for restaurants and the entire service industry.I love Gola Osteria and have always had wonderful servers. If our server had come to our table and been kind and less curt, it would have been very welcome.I write this missive to alert you that this server missed the mark dreadfully this evening. And while it didnt put the kibosh on our celebration, it was disappointing.I look forward to my next dining experience at Gola returning to its pleasant, delightful self.Thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope it creates an awareness, especially if there is something amiss in the dining room.
Very nice restaurant! it is reassuring to know that places like this are starting to open up, safely, after the pandemic has raged for 15+ months. The food here is top notch. Many types of food choices are available to suit many types of consumers; meat-eaters and vegetarians included. Lots of good fresh home made pasta and breads, many of them italian. The service is excellent, each server takes special attention to the customers at their table. Very good portion sizes. Highly recommended!
My wife and I recently used Gola Osteria as our caterer for both our wedding reception and rehearsal dinner in June 2021. They did a great job! We thought the food was delicious since our first tasting, and their wine selections were great! Our guests had nothing but great things to say about the food, and I have to agree. Kim was our contact person for Gola. She was very responsive and helpful in planning out the meals and keeping us on track. We definitely recommend using Gola for your event!
This restaurant sits in a dorm and there is a longish walk within the dorm to get to it. (see photo) But once youre there youll enjoy excellent Italian cuisine, experienced wait staff, good wine list and cocktails. In good weather, great outdoor seating.
What a beautiful setting, tucked away like a hidden gem! The food is so fresh and out of this world, and our waiter Greg was superb!!
Place little hard to find. Def need a reservation. Even if place is empty tables r reserved. Heard many calls coming In. Food was good. Pasta homemade.From My table I could see one side of kitchen. Guy cutting bread had no gloves on, saw eating food and drinking coffee then touching ppls food again.Also even when place empty still seated everyone adjacent. Hard to tune out other ppls conversations being so close. Table of retired professors first time there in 5 yrs ( glad liked reading Lincoln lawyer and some book on alcohol w a dry quote about bourbon) and some first date on other side asking obscure menu questions.Staff very knowledgeable about dishes and attentive We didn’t ask many questions but two tables directly next to us asked so many odd questions and they knew answers.Tad pretentious. Greeted (by our waitress) w what time is your reservation vs how many or welcome to. Do u have a reservation, we r booked this evening. We had a reservation so was fine.Online menu is outdated. Basic pasta dish listed no longer on current menu. Very nicely seen if could recreate it and did a close jobFood was fast on weeknight and hot. Read other reviews said cold and slow. Overall it wasReally good.
I have been here more than once, disappointed every time. Food is commonly served slow and thermally well equilibrated with the environment. My personal highlight was Spaghetti Carbonara served cold. After I had to send it back to the kitchen, Chef Sam decided to reheat it in a frying pan, and I ended up with pasta on scrambled eggs.
Service was okay, the buzzing in was funny and they took a minute while we were standing in the rain, they took a while to address us once we were seated and it was pretty dang hot in there, we got the octopus which was very charred and interesting flavor choices and the tiramisu which was in a bowl? The server and cocktails were good.
Good service, nice atmosphere, very very very bad tasting food...We spent $90+, and nothing good came...Its the worst tasting food weve had in Ithaca...We ordered the mussel, which is okay , although nothing impressive given the price. The mains we ordered were marsala chicken and the black spaghetti.The marsala had smelt like baked bread, very very strange and bad...And tasted very bad as well... The Spaghetti tasted normal, but the shrimps in the spaghetti, despite looking very inviting (very large), was tasteless and fishy..I also tried the chocolate torte dessert. It feels very sugary (i.e., less tight than high quality chocolate), although it tastes normal..I dont know why theyve got this high reviews or whether the chef got changed recently. I could only hope that the ingredients were healthy...
Doublecharged my last entire bill - watch out!! Used to love this place but have now had a few bad experiences.
I was very disappointed. We had to wait 40 minutes past our confirmed reservation time without even an apology; no friendly greeting at the door; lackluster service; the waiter recommended a wine but didn’t know the price (turned out to cost much more than he thought); the cleaning wasn’t up to Covid standards (I watched them clean a table - missing the chairs entirely); asked us if we wanted coffee after we already finished our dessert - the food was good but not worth the frustrating experience.
TIPS OVERCHARGED ALTHOUGH MORE THAN 15% TIPS ARE GIVEN! SAVE YOUR RECEIPT!This used to be a place to go for any special occasion like my family members birthday. I have a habit of saving receipts to later check the transaction and spot any dishonesty from the employees. I just found out one of my transactions some time ago was overcharged by this server named Greg V. Please save your receipt and report to your bank asap if you see incorrect amount of tip charged. I called the number provided by my bank and the owner picked it up. He was uncooperative, tried to avoid the situation by asking me to call the restaurants number and leave a voicemail, and unwilling to give out his name. I told him I got his number from the bank but he didnt even believe me. The owner certainly has that poor entrepreneurship mindset and the restaurant is full of dishonest employees. AVOID THIS PLACE AT ALL COST AND SAVE YOURSELF A TROUBLE!
Came here for graduation dinner. After almost an hour wait for the food to come out, we didn’t even get an apology. Servers were so eager to take our plates away even before we finished eating as well. One even dropped a fork on my pants. Did I mention food tasted bad as well?Overall, not a great experience...
They got my order wrong and refused to make any accommodations after making us wait 20 minutes on top of the extensive wait time to order takeout. I was trying to be as understanding as possible since the pandemic has been incredibly difficult for restaurants. However, the man managing that night was incredibly rude and continually refused to help the situation. Instead, he told me I was wrong repeatedly and hung up on me. I will not be returning and the food tasted mediocre.
Im not all that impressed with this place. Ill begin with the redeeming qualities: the food is of decent quality (albeit bland and not very inventive) and the wine and cocktail selection is nice.However. The food and service are not at all of the caliber youd expect at this price point. Entrees at the $25+ price point should be of top quality, preparation, and presentation. They are not.Steps of Service. If the owner or manager is reading this, please look this up and get your staff trained. We arrived a few minutes early and the hosts made a big deal of making us sit on a little bench until exactly the time of our reservation, even though our table was vacant that whole time. Fine, I get it. But when we were finally seated, it was a full eight minutes before we were approached by a server. Each step was slow and service was not attentive. Theres no excuse for this at a restaurant this pricy, despite it being Ithaca where service is an afterthought.
My boyfriend surprised me and took me here for my birthday and I couldn’t be happier! Coming from Buffalo, I told him I want to come back every year. The service is amazing and the food is BOMB! We got the dry aged strip steak and black pasta with gulf shrimp. Some of the best steak and pasta I’ve EVER had. We will be back :)
Delicious! One of Ithacas gems. Service was attentive and friendly, atmosphere is classy and the food was terrific. Its a bit hidden away, but well worth the effort to find. This was my first time here although Ive lived in the area for some time. Ill surely be back!
Although hard to fine, a call to them easily told us where to park and how to get to the restaurant. The appetizers, meal and wine was excellent. Hand made dishes perfectly seasoned and marinated. The restaurant itself has lovely table settings. The wait staff was so knowledgeable about each dish. Definitely a bit of an upscale experience well worth the enjoyment.
This restaurant was ok, it had some bad and good qualities. The food was for the most part good, except for my fathers steak, it was medium and he had asked for medium rare. It was a little bit of a waste of 52$. All though the food wasnt the best in the world the service was very good. Our server was very helpful and kind.
Good food in a interesting venue (former asylum, now student housing). My fettuccini with clams was extremely garlicky and low on clams, but the flavor of the fettuccini noodles was very good. The octopus appetizer was excellent. My husbands squid ink pasta was also superb. The cocktails were nice. Overall, the prices seemed high compared to the quantity of protein on the plates.
Pretty low quality overall. Service is slow. Food served cold. Zero passion. Overpriced. Even Olive Garden is more authentic than Gola.
Things were looking great soon after our arrival... But the food was a bit underwhelming. Everything else about this place is nearly perfect. The service was top notch, atmosphere is superb, and everything on the menu looked so good. The food however (we ordered 4 things) was good, but not great. I expected more based on the quality of all other aspects, and also the price (fairly high). Nonetheless a great experience and i would recommend it.
My wife and I celebrated our 49th wedding anniversary at Gola last night. As always, the food was just fantastic! The service was impeccable along with all the safety precautions. I highly recommend the veal parmigiana.
The appetizers were delicious! The bruschetta was so good we asked for a second serving and the fresh mozzarella was so salty and yummy. Our main plates were large enough for us to all have leftovers. A little trouble finding the building initially and not sure where to park. The code to get in the front door was like going to a secret club! All worth it. Would recommend to anyone loving Italian cuisine.
Had the sunday family meal special. It was delicious! (no surprise). It was my first time at the restaurant, but I had gotten so many glowing reviews from friends. All of the staff were attentive and friendly, which helped give the experience more of the feeling of eating in someones home rather than a restaurant. I will definitely make an effort to go back.
Very friendly service and great atmosphere. Everything we had tasted very fresh and was clearly designed to show off the seasonal produce. The sea bass and the black spaghetti were both very good. The gazpacho accompanying the fish was especially tasty.
We had a fabulous meal. In fact, it was difficult to choose what we wanted to order because everything sounded so good. We ended up starting with the arancini, which were heavenly and fluffy (unlike some arancini which can be dense and greasy). The homemade ricotta makes a big difference and gives it that extra oomph. I had the pea ravioli with scallions and ate every morsel. The sauce was basically a thickened butter (probably a roux base, but it tasted of butter and then was lightened up with the springy oniony-ness of the scallions, and maybe a hint of lemon?). My husband had the bucatini with guanciale in a delightfully spicy red sauce. It wasnt a spiciness that lingers but was bright and present. The bucatini was like pillowy straws of deliciousness. Our only complaint with the meal is that some more bread (we received two pieces before the entrees) would be lovely for sopping up the tremendous pasta sauces. Seems a shame for it to go to waste. Then we split the lemon semifreddo topped with strawberries and a little graham cracker dusting. It was perfect. We cant wait to come back, and were so glad that outdoor seating is available. The tables were nicely spaced, and the waitstaff practiced excellent social distancing and sanitary procedures.
Sat out in the freezing cold in the dark and were told they only had outdoor seating during COVID although other customers were seen inside dining. Terrible lighting and atmosphere. Food was good but would never dine in a cold dark dungeon again
Strange parking and entrance as others have mentioned, but the decor once inside was great. We loved the oak tables and high backed chairs. The bread was good and the cocktails we started with were excellent. The appetizers we selected were very good. The fresh mozzarella and oven dried tomatoes were excellent. My wife’s meal lacked in salt and there was none on the tables, but it was still good. I had the pork loin which was fabulous. The waiter Michael was very helpful even taking time to offer us pointers on things to do in the area. We were very pleased with that part. The problem came in when we got to our room and realized they had only wrapped what was left of our appetizer and not the other half of each of our entrees. Small thing, but very disappointing given the money spent ($180 with tip for the 2 of us) and the fact we really wanted the leftover food for breakfast the next day since we were traveling. When we discovered I decided to call to see if they had the rest of our food. We were staying less than 2 miles away. They said they did and the waiter came on the phone. He offered to bring the food to us if we wanted. I was pleasantly surprised and agreed. I gave him the address and my mobile. He promised to text when he left saying it would be less than an hour. I commented to my wife at how a frustrating mistake can be turned around and make a super satisfied customer. (they failed to bring all the wrapped food (appetizer only)- we hadn’t forgotten it on the table which would have been very different. Alas it was not to be a satisfied customer, but a very, very disappointed one. We never heard from Michael and did not receive the food. I didn’t have Michael’s number to contact him and the restaurant was long closed so I didn’t try to call again. I should have just run back to pick it up myself. The pork was really good!Anyway, I’d have overlooked this, but the price and disappointment combined are just too much. If I would have picked it up myself, I would have let it slide as well. Instead, I was pleased with the delivery offer, but left standing empty handed when they didn’t deliver as promised. We won’t go back. This should not happen.
Staff is nice and highly professional, but the quality of the food I tried is low. Indeed, I think they try to mask their seafood low freshness with lot of spice (I had pain to my stomach for a couple of days after I have tried their clams). By the way, the mussels seemed good, as my wife had no problems. We tried also this famous octopus but, unluckily, it is really nothing special. Positive note of my dinner are desserts: yes they are EXCEPTIONAL (here I had the best Tiramisù and Budino of my life).
The food was very nice, and the homemade pasta was certainly a draw, but the service was absolutely terrible. We waited an hour and a half for our food after ordering, and the waitress seemed taken aback and offended when asked why the food was taking so long. She at no point offered any apology or explanation as to why the food was taking so long, and was generally unaccommodating. The food was good, but not wait-an-hour-and-a-half good. Skip this place.
My hubby and I visited Gola Osteria last night, we arent drinkers so our only option was water. We had the crostini, it was good but not overly good. The bread was over toasted, you couldnt bite it without it falling apart all over you. I think the presentation could have been much better. I had the crispy veal sweet breads, hubby had the veal marsala. My sweet breads were delicious, the parsnip puree was very good, I dont think the roasted parsnip the sweet breads sat on were needed. The taste all together the sweet bread, tasso ham, and parsnip puree was a wonderful combination. I didnt taste the vinaigrette at all, it was either forgotten or needed more to have that acid to balance out the dish, but I still enjoyed it. This was not worth the price for the portion I had, I actually left hungry. The veal marsala was really good, it was only one piece of veal, mushrooms, and marsala sauce, served with a side of spaghetti with Sunday sauce, the pasta was swimming in sauce. Pasta was very good the Sunday sauce however was very flat and very average. For claiming this is a Sunday sauce doesnt even come close to Sunday sauce I have made or have had. It lacked the depth of flavor that you get from simmering bones, we were told meatballs were also simmered in the sauce. I feel the menu is way overpriced, you do not get your monies worth. The restaurant is clean, but nothing spectacular, my husband had to switch his chair because the back of the one at the table was very loose. We read the reviews before going here, I was surprised to read how much everyone loved this place and the portions were worth the price, I wholeheartedly disagree. This wasnt the Anniversary dinner experience we had hoped for, it was just dinner
My hubby and I visited Gola Osteria last night, we arent drinkers so our only option was water. We had the crostini, it was good but not overly good. The bread was over toasted, you couldnt bite it without it falling apart all over you. I think the presentation could have been much better. I had the crispy veal sweet breads, hubby had the veal marsala. My sweet breads were delicious, the parsnip puree was very good, I dont think the roasted parsnip the sweet breads sat on were needed. The taste all together the sweet bread, tasso ham, and parsnip puree was a wonderful combination. I didnt taste the vinaigrette at all, it was either forgotten or needed more to have that acid to balance out the dish, but I still enjoyed it. This was not worth the price for the portion I had, I actually left hungry. The veal marsala was really good, it was one piece of veal, mushrooms, and marsala sauce, served with a side of spaghetti with Sunday sauce, the pasta was swimming in sauce. Pasta was very good the Sunday sauce however was very flat and very average. For claiming this is a Sunday sauce doesnt even come close to Sunday sauce I have made or have had. It lacked the depth of flavor that you get from simmering bones, we were told meatballs were also simmered in the sauce. I feel the menu is way over priced, you do not get your monies worth. The restaurant is clean, but nothing spectacular, my husband had to switch his chair because the back of the one at the table was very loose. We read the reviews before going here, I was surprised to read how much every one loved this place and the portions were worth the price, I wholeheartedly disagree. This wasnt the Anniversary dinner experience we had hoped for, it was just dinner.
This restaurant is a hidden gem in ithacas cuisines! Beautiful decor. Phenomenal, authentic Italian food. As foodie who spent a summer in Italy this place really hits the nail on the head. The homemade bread was flavorful and fresh but a little too salty. I had the fettuccine dish and it was excellent. The mushroom to pasta ratio was perfect, you dont see that too often. I cant wait to go back and try other dishes! The service was great. Staff were polite, friendly, and had great etiquette. I will definitely recommend this restaurant to everyone.
The dinner was absolutely exquisite!! The atmosphere and every dish from start to finish was simply amazing...couldnt have asked for anything more. The best meal you will have in Ithaca. Sam and his team have created an amazing dining experience...cant wait to come back home for this!!
Freezing cold inside. Odd location, no signage at all. Perhaps food is amazing, I cant talk to that, but the overall feel was horrific. 6 or staff stood near us staring. Not a great feeling. This place needs a manager who knows how to run a proper upscale restaurant.
Excellent experience dining here. Great atmosphere, fantastic service (everyone from the hostess to the bartender to our waiter was accommodating and knowledgeable), and the food was top notch. Our favorite dish was the suppli due which we split as a starter. The housemade gnocchi and crispy chicken were also delicious. Well be going again!
The food was disappointing with exception of the octopus. It was good. Server seemed generally annoyed. It really killed an already disappointing dining experience. We actually left still hungry and got food elsewhere.. Needless to say, I wouldn’t recommend
Always an exceptional, authentic Italian meal from start to finish. I would drive the five hours to Ithaca just to eat here.
Very hard place to find in the middle of an apartment complex. The seats at the bar were very uncomfortable. The staff were friendly but the portions were small and when the bread came we got one piece each. while the food was very tasty they were a little heavy handed with the salt and pepper. While we will not be coming back here again, it was good to have tried it once. Over rated.
Everything I had was incredible here. I ended up deciding on getting the lasagna (I forget the exact name) and it was amazing. There was just the right amount of garlic in it. Not over powering, but flavorful. The meat ball and rest of the meat in the lasagna was great as well.This is definitely a repeat visit place for me. It is of course a bit pricey but worth every penny of it on a special occasion. Not sure when I will be back, but Im excited when I do.
A great find. Had reservations (and would recommend to) for which they were right on time. The food was portioned well and absolutely fantastic. The drinks were great and well thought out. Most importantly though was the service. Our waiter was informational but not overwhelming, and extremely amicable. Thanks Greg for helping us celebrate!
Loved it. Everything was so COVID19 & weather safe on their covered deck. Amazing menu. A relaxing romantic dinner with my husband after a long week of work. Thank you!
Gola was an overall wonderful experience. They had an eclectic selection of wines, the food was priced well for the quality of food they were serving. It was by no means cheap but the meal I had was excellent. Would 100 percent recommend this place to anyone interested.
On the positive the food was delicious! However the portions are incredibly small. I left feeling hungry! The service was very slow and not very good. We were never asked if we wanted drinks, asked for more bread and it never came.
The food is as top notch as it’s service! All around excellent!!
This is an excellent Italian restaurant with fresh delicious dishes! Our server was knowledgeable, likable and clearly into the food he was serving. The caprese salad had freshly made mozzarella and delicate flakes of sea salt. The eggplant parm, lasagna and carbonara were all delicious. The atmosphere was comfortable and friendly, even though it was slightly upscale. Highly recommended.
A wonderful local gem hidden away in a historic building, Gola is a plush oasis of excellent food and warm service. Chef Sam puts so much love and intention into his dishes, you cant go wrong. My favorites from a recent dinner are the fresh mozzarella and a nettle fettuccine with local lamb ragu. Kyle the bartender also makes a fantastic Boulevardier and our server Greg was attentive and knowledgeable. All around beautiful experience.
I will never dine or order any food from Gola Osteria, and I hope that any of you who read this review will consider not dining here too, if you believe that a business should be carried out responsibly, and not at the expense of the community around it.For some weird reasons, this restaurant is placed right in the middle of a residential building. People at this restaurant often hold employee parties long after the closing time, yelling, shouting, clapping, making loud noise until 2-3 am. They even help themselves with the residential gym, and parking, claiming that they are residents too. I have to pay for the parking of the building, but often I come back home and having no parking spot available. They even tampered with the locks of various entrances to the building, trying to make a residential building a public building as they like, and rendering the security system useless. Whats the point of the landlord giving us keys when any random people can enter freely anyway? I am willing to bear with the parking and security concerns, but I am yet to find a solution to the night-time disturbances they make. In the summer, there are so many nights I find myself waking up in the middle of the night at 1 or 2 am to the cheering and clapping, to the point that last summer I had to buy a box of Macs ear plugs and sleep wearing them every single night through the whole summer to avoid being awaken. And here I am again, while I am writing this review, at 1:30 am, the shouting, laughing, arguing and clapping go on. Because of this, I really cannot recommend this restaurant to anyone.
Went for an anniversary a few months ago. It was a quiet night, but it took almost two hours to order and get food. My companion got a meat dish which was entirely burnt on the bottom, and our order had already been delivered wrong once at that point. Sad, because I really wanted to love it!
Excellent food. Classy. We did the Sunday night family style with a glass of Pinot grigio and a red... WOW! The antipasta was great, the pasta awesome, and the chicken parmesan out of this world. The seasonings came through strong but not overpowering. Amazing
We waited at least an hour for our entrees without so much as an apology. In fact, we felt like the staff was dodging us. Once the entree arrived it was very disappointing. We will not return.
Raised in New Jersey with thousands great mom and pop restaurants at your finger tips and a foodie at heart this place rocks. Im the son of a dinner and bakery owner grew up in a kitchen from age 14 I was blown away with the entire meal.... From Apps to main course the best Italian Ive ever eaten!
Alittle hard to find. Inside a student dorm. Well worth the search. Great Italian food. The bar tender makes incredible cocktails. You must check it out.
Was a big fan of the service, cocktails and appetizers. Went with the shells which was delicious. Only feedback was I wish there was more! I would have needed a wheelchair to get me out there though.
Never been here before, probably cant even afford it. Im just here to offset that dumb review about the guy who lives in the same building as Gola but doesnt realize it. You know you DO get to choose where you live? How ridiculous to bring down a business just because you chose to live next to it. Also the pictures of your food look great, maybe one day Ill be able to taste it too.
Fantastic food in a very unique location. I’m not from the area and found this place on google. So glad I did. It really has some of the best Italian I have ever had
Delicious food, great service. It is inside a college dorm so parking is a bit tricky. It right before the giant abstract fish statue...
Went here for a private party on a Friday evening and the service was SO slow. It was a planned event so I dont know why they didnt have more people working it. It took over an hour just to get drinks. The whole dinner took about 4 hours.
Wonderful food and as good a service staff as Ive ever seen.
On point and with skill.. Great people and great food.
This little hidden place, like inside a college dorm, was a very cozy little Italian restaurant. Neat find, great food, great service. Come hungry, serving sizes are big!Tana & Rick
Excellent food, excellent atmosphere. Only drawback is the difficulty of finding the entrance. You can come in from the gorge side, or you can come in through the apartment (??!!!) and get buzzed in...confusing to say the least....but the food is worth it.
We reserved the place, and got 10 mins late because couldnt find the entrance. Even then, there was a waiting line with no expected waiting time at all.
Gola is a hidden gem in Ithaca, and is being far one of my favorite restaurants to eat at. The staff is amazing and the menu never disappoints.
Their octopus antipesto is so delish! Great ambient too. If you are looking for higher end restaurant near collegetown, give it a try. Z
Very unique menu. We ordered multiple appetizers and a couple of dinner plates to share. Everything was great.
I really enjoyed the Caprasi Salad with an a amazing Entrée and a great semifrado for dessert. The staff was great and there was plenty of room to feel safe.
Amazing service, Amazing food and drinks.The whole crew knows how to please the customers. Its so difficult to find this place though
Delicious food! Excellent service, the hostess was very sweet. Ambiance 10/10. Definitely recommend
Good food and good atmospheres only issue is that the menu is on a board last I went and it was hard to read
Good Italian food. Friendly staff.
Pricey but worth it. We attended the feast of the seven fishes dinner for Christmas Eve and had a wonderful time and all of the food was fantastic.
I love this place, the food, the service and the atmosphere all are wonderful. Probably the best dining experience available in Ithaca!
Excellence in quality of product and of service leads to magical experiences at this gem. If you are curious, explore and be delighted.
A hidden treasure! Food and service to die for. If you havent made it to Gola, youre missing out on some of the best food Tompkins County has to offer.
Food was very tasty!
A great meal. The meat sauce could have been better but the apps were great.
We have dined here every year they have been open and are never disappointed. My only wish is that we had the time to dine here more.
Rotted fish cooked and served! Terrible that it got cooked and brought to the table that not one person in the chain from kitchen to server, noticed the stench!
Amazing food and atmosphere!
One of the best meals Ive had, the staff was knowledgable and friendly, and the food was to die for!
Thank you Sammie for a wonderful meal! Gola Osteria
Most unique restaurant Ive ever been to. Excellent food too!!
Romantic ambiance, quality Italian food, interesting unique location in old hospital
Our service was terrific. Food was executed perfectly. We will be back soon.
Great food at a decent price and extremely friendly service. A little hard to find since it is off the beaten path
Fantastic authentic italian restaurant. Décor quite passé though. Nice wine list.
The food was just OK. Probably would never go back
The food here is so awesome! If possible, save room for dessert!
A fine dining experience thats welcoming, delicious, and great for special occasions.
Not sure what the hullabaloo is aboutTomato sauce in a #10 canYou can find better
Hard to find but worth the effort. Interesting wine, excellent homemade pasta, interesting non-pasta dishes.
Ridiculously expensive and pretentious. The food was mediocre at best. Dont recommend unless you like pricey bad food.
Wonderful flavors in an eclectic atmosphere. Make your next Italian excursion here.
It’s a nice place with good service and good choice of dishes with seafood.
ALWAYS a consistently delicious meal with amazing service. Thanks Gola!
Oversalted food though the sword fish was fine, overpriced, random cafeteria tables, waited 15 minutes for the bill.
Amazing food and service!! Kyle was the BEST!! I highly recommend it!
Great food, but terrible staff. Waited forever for our waitress.
Good food, good service in a cozy, yet elegant atmosphere.
Really good service but I really didnt like the food
Cannot believe how good this is! The food, the service, the ambience.... outstanding!!
Hidden gem!!!!! Chef knows the best flavour combos.
The food and the cocktails are delicious but its overpriced for Ithaca.
Wass amazing, great food and professional service, I love that place
Exceptional lasagna! Havent had such good lasagna in a long time!!
Fantastic food - the black spaghetti is amazing!
This place is great.. incredible olive oil.. great venison!
Couldnt figure out how to get in, but reply to my review was quick, so until I come back, will leave this at 4
Food was amazing, great staff.
Out of the way. A small town place with big time hopes. Give it sometime. Worth a try.
Hidden gem and my favorite restaurant in Ithaca
Super secret place, word of mouth advertising only because it is a historical. Food ,wine, suburb!
Wonderful food, great service.
Food and drink were incredible! Impossible to find. Impossible!
Recommend ordering no seafood. Pricy but not fresh.
Food was great and service was excellant!
Inexcusably slow service. Expensive mediocre food.
Authentic Italian gem, well hidden and worth finding.
Excellent restaurant located in a unique space.
Pleasant, friendly and chic all at the same time
Spectacular! An Ivy League Delicacy in an abandon hospital:)
Outstanding high quality food but expensive.
Just check it out. You will not be disappointed.
Best Italian restaurant in the finger lakes!!!
Its not on your typical path but well worth finding it
Love the food and the atmosphere!
One of my favorite spots in ithaca!!
Best restaurant ever!
Great service and great food.
It was alright. Gnocci was overcooked.
Vegetarian options are quite disappointing
Great food and service.
Good food. Good service
Great food - strange location
Pasta was delicious!
A great experience!
Great atmosphere!
Try the Lasagna!
Wonderful meal!
This place is simply amazing
Great place to eat
Great
Fabulous as always!
Hit or miss. Expensive.
Fantastic
Beautiful place!
Yes, so much yes!
Very tasty, friendly. Hard to find entrance
Total reviews rating 4.2
163 Reviews for Gola Osteria Restaurant & Catering 2023:
Review №1
2022-06-16Wish I had read the most recent google reviews. We waited twenty minutes then had to flag someone down to take our drink order. Food took over an hour from ordering to come out, by then they were closing up the restaurant.The egg plant appetizer was incredible, but the veal was god awful. It was difficult to cut and so chewy. The oxtail and rigatoni they served us the noodles weren’t even cooked all the way.So disappointed, I had looked forward to going here for two weeks. Don’t waste your money. I could have had a better meal at Olive Garden for a quarter of the price.The cocktails were very good though.
Review №2
2022-07-01The food was excellent, especially the chicken parmigiana! Definitely will come back again!
Review №3
2021-05-27After getting rave reviews from a couple of friends, this place seemed a must-go. The service was fantastic. The food was mediocre Italian. The navigability was laughably difficult.Its very hard to find -- parking, literally buzzing in through a numerical code at the front door of a locked apartment building, wandering down several hallways with turns and easily missable signs... totally not worth the mystery and hassle.Desserts (tiramisu and chocolate torte) were inarguably amateur and just plain bad. And what kind of fine dining place serves local beer from a bottle instead of tap/draft or growler?? Lazy move.I should mention that it was a lovely seating area and decent ambiance (loud 1970s Billboard Top 100 radio aside), but that was the last time Im ever going -- cemented by our way overzealous $130 bill after 2 dishes and 2 appetizers and 1 bottle of Ithaca Beer Co.
Review №4
2022-05-09I ate here with my parents for Mothers Day 2022. TL;DR: Good food, but awful, rude service. I don’t write reviews online, and honestly would have just preferred to contact the owners Sam and Kami, but I couldn’t find their contacts. I feel compelled to write this because the restaurant has such good reviews and I experienced an unacceptable level of service.The food was good, no complaints there. However, the waitress was not. When we ordered, I asked if we could get the bread appetizer w/ mozzarella, but w/o prosciutto, since my parents are vegetarian. She said ‘no’, which is fine - that could be how they make it. She said, “but you’ll get bread and butter with dinner.” Also fine, and I thanked her. That sounded perfect.No bread came. When our dinner arrived, there was still no bread on our table so I asked a nearby staff member for some bread and butter. About five minutes after that, our waitress was talking to the table next to us and I waved and caught her eye. She said, “I’ll be with you momentary.” She then walked away and ignored us for another five minutes - no acknowledgment about the bread or to even to check with us, in case it was something else we wanted to ask about.Eventually she came back with the bread and said “you don’t have to wave at me, sir” with a rude attitude, put down the bread and left. The bread was missing the butter. We didn’t bother to try to flag her down again (since she already “warned” us not to), and I-kid-you-not: she did not come back again to our table until we were done with our meal. The staff removed our dishes, and when she finally came back it was with the check - she never asked if we wanted desert or coffee, never asked if we liked our meals, never thanked us. We paid and left.My mom is 82 and my dad is 90. I’ve been to hundreds of restaurants (I live in NYC; they live in Ithaca), and I’ve never experienced such hateful, rude service. And for no reason. We were kind to her and thankful, throughout. I hope your experience at this restaurant is better than mine.Thanks,Amil
Review №5
2022-05-14The food was hit and miss the octopus entree was little bit too charred and the linguine with pesto was the best one but the shrimp piccata lacked taste. The main killer was that the restaurant didnt have any air conditioner It was sweaty inside, It was like youre sitting inside the kitchen and eating the food. It wasnt that busy but the waiting staff wasnt very responsive.When youre paying like more than $30 for an entree I think I expect a little bit more, At least the air conditioner to be working.
Review №6
2022-03-08Very interesting food including grilled octopus, good was cooked fairly well, staff was nice. All in all pretty good. Location is alittle weird tho, have to go through several doors to actually get to the restaurant, unless there was another entrance I dont know about, which is possible.
Review №7
2022-04-12Ordered the chicken Marsala. It was ok for me. The other guest I was with enjoyed their appetizers and drinks. Lasagna entree seemed to be a a good choice per a guest.Wish it was in another building not surrounded by a dorm.Friendly staff!
Review №8
2022-07-09I will never be coming back, after a scalding hot manicotti and swordfish that was bland and over cooked we went back to our hotel until I woke up at 2 am and ran to the bathroom to vomit. Can I give zero stars?Other than the bad and overpriced food the dining room was so hot my partner and I were sweating.
Review №9
2018-11-26Gola Osteria catered our wedding and it was the GREATEST experience my guests and I have ever had!It started with planning and menu selection; Gola was very receptive to our ideas, made recommendations, and combined our creative efforts for a unique and personalized event. Our guests were blown away by the choices offered which included fan favorites plus delicious chef specials!The staff was attentive to EACH AND EVERY guest and the service was flawless. The presentation was beautiful, details fit our theme, and Gola even had a coordinator available to tie loose ends and collaborate with all the other vendors.The guests were satisfied and my wife was extremely happy; it was the perfect start to our marriage!
Review №10
2018-03-23Decent food, polite service, excellent ambience. I cant say the food is amazingly creative, bit the quality was always solid. A bit pricey for what you get, but considering the location, this is one of the best restaurants in Ithaca.