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 don't see that too often. I can't 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.

Met with Kim Updike to do a tasting as we gathered early catering info for our wedding. The food was delicious!!! And their team is great - Kim was so knowledgeable and the chef is great, especially with people's allergies. Would highly recommend working with Kim & the Gola team for catering.

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 someone's home rather than a restaurant. I will definitely make an effort to go back.

Generous portions of fantastic food served by attentive and experienced staff. Great spot for an elevated date, or just to spoil yourself. I recommend ordering desert, the tiramisu is fantastic with espresso.

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.

The dinner was absolutely exquisite!! The atmosphere and every dish from start to finish was simply amazing...couldn't have asked for anything more. The best meal you will have in Ithaca. Sam and his team have created an amazing dining experience...can't wait to come back home for this!!

A friend brought me here for my birthday. In response to many complaints here I would like to offer: High prices imply exclusivity. That is part of their appeal. High prices filter the audience. But they also provide for the highest quality ingredients, experienced, educated wait staff, and a top-notch chef. All the above are true of this quality restaurant. The result is a refined gourmet experience. The portions are international, i.e., normal human-sized as opposed to big and blah. If this matters to you, you will love Gola.

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!

Delicious meal and outstanding service definitely a hidden gem in Ithaca

Food was good, great! Classic Italian grub. But the chairs here are unbeatable. Like you’d never want to get up. Just sit down and enjoy four hours of solid oak and red wine with some friends. My kind of chairs

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 is a caterer review, and man did Gola nail it. Used them to cater a local wedding and could not have been happier. Kim was super helpful, honest, and responsive. She had a lot of ideas to bring our little woods wedding some tasty food, and actually helped picked things that seemed to fit the theme we were going for. We actually had worries that the food would be sub par (as is with most weddings what you try is vastly different from platted or buffet foods) but this was not the case. Our buffet tasted exactly like we remembered it when we had our tasting. All of the food wa a hit.... And we still talk about the Mac n cheese. Thank you guys for making our day special.

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!

The food was excellent, especially the chicken parmigiana! Definitely will come back again!

This restaurant sits in a dorm and there is a longish walk within the dorm to get to it. (see photo) But once you're there you'll enjoy excellent Italian cuisine, experienced wait staff, good wine list and cocktails. In good weather, great outdoor seating.

We regularly go to Gola and always have a wonderful experience with delightful food from an experienced kitchen and staff. You can't go wrong with any of the pasta dishes, but the mushroom pappardelle and lasagna are our favorites. The grilled octopus is a must, and the antipasto platters are a lovely combination of goodness. Perhaps a little hard to find on your first visit, but well worth the quirky buzzer and meander through the apartments! 10/10.

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!!

It's a bit tricky to get inside. There's an intercom and a long, unassuming hallway with signs to guide you. It's almost like a secret club. And the door opens to this charming, bustling italian restaurant. Everyone was very friendly and welcoming. We were promptly seated and explained whatever we needed from the food and drinks menu. Though being crowded, it felt private with the low lighting and candles on each table. Great atmosphere. We heard multiple good things about this place before booking our reservation. They have a large wine selection and creative food menu, which we were told changes up frequently. Had a fantastic sagrantino with our dinner. We got the grilled octopus, rib eye, and swordfish. We also got an order of meatballs n pasta to go, had to try the pasta since it's all homemade. Everything was wonderful. We finished dinner with some coffees. Excellent experience, we will be returning.

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 didn't take pictures if our food, but here are some of the delicious desserts. Loved my canoli

This was EASILY one of the top meals we've ever had! The swordfish was delicate and fell apart in a cacophony of flavor! The Veal Saltimboca wrapped in prosciutto served over pasta was deceptively packed with an explosion of flavor in every bite. For such a classic dish, it was clearly prepared by experts, bravo! Our server Caitlyn was good-natured, personable, and VERY knowledgeable about wines and the menu. We now understand why reservations are made WEEKS in advance! Shame on Ithaca for not recognizing the professionalism and pride this dedicated staff pours into their customers' experiences every night. Gola should be on every tourism brochure in the region. Thank you again for a wonderful night out!

This restaurant is incredible. The food is top notch and the owner is not only the talented chef but has a passion for each dish that is created.

Great experience in interesting setting…mission style decor, high end Italian rest located within a Collegetown residence hall! Heard it is known as the “ speakeasy of Ithaca” due to its clandestine setting. Learned the building was once Ithacas hospital prior to the 60’s before morphing into a residence hall. Great food, atmosphere, and attentive and friendly service! Would recommend to others visiting Ithaca!

Ate there just last night before Little Feat at the State. Our server Sean was knowledgeable about the entire menu. Grilled octopus was very interesting and was delicious. Eggplant parmigiana was very good one of the group had t o get a doggy bag. Linguini with G and O very good. TONNARELLI also w a s reported as good but could not be finished and went ho.e too. The Care o f the Dog was reported as a gin cocktail that was refreshing. All in all it was a great meal with good friends. So I say go check it out. Make a reservation!

Jamie Behar

Gola has a very well earned, and very well deserved, reputation in Ithaca. I came ravenous, determined to maximize my experience. My only question: is the Carbonara made with guanciale, as God intended, or pancetta (or worse). I was delighted with answer and proceeded. The tonnarelli is fatta in casa, as is all their pasta. It was prepared perfectly al dente. The carbonara itself was appropriately heavy, creamy and punctuated with magnificent crispy, buttery bites of guanciale. Carbonara done poorly can be too eggy or too creamy (due to inappropriate addition of extraneous dairy); mine was exactly where it should be and held it's own against any I've had in Roma. Against all better judgement, I ordered the swordfish as a secondi; my GLP-1 agonist failed that night. It arrived, a large filet, on a bed of eggplant caponata and beneath a thin sprinkling of crushed pistachio. I could hear my Sicilian forebears weeping with joy. The caponata was the perfect balance of eggplant sweetness and caper sour. The pistachio added a perfect textural element and an unexpected flavor to every mouthful. Of particular noteworthiness: the wine. I desired an adventure, so I ordered the last bottle of 2003 Aglianico from the Riserva list. I was informed that these bottles were an estate collection bequeathed to Gola by a devoted patron. Further, I was advised that a few of the bottles of that vintage had been found to have been corked. I took my chances. As is consistent with my overall luck, the cork did not survive removal. The wine itself, however, was still very good. The staff went above and beyond to filter and decant the bottle, salvaging an exquisite bottle. I look forward to returning to Gola as soon as possible.

Chris DiRienzo

I'm writing to express our sincerest thanks to the entire Gola team for an unforgettable night. My family and I were at Gola Osteria last night, Saturday, August 16th, to celebrate my mother's 75th birthday. There were 16 of us, and from start to finish, the experience was absolutely perfect. The food was delicious—one incredible course after another—and the pacing was spot on. We were so impressed with how accommodating and polite the entire staff was. The Gola team made my mother's birthday celebration a truly special and memorable event. On behalf of the entire family, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

James Tran

Getting in was interesting as we had to navigate a university building but it was kind of fun, reminded me of college. The restaurant is comfortable and feels a little bit like a speakeasy. Lighting is nice and warm, it's not too loud at all and is on the quieter side. Service was quick, friendly, and very helpful. We had a lot of fun chatting with our server. The food was EXCELLENT and actually authentic (we've traveled to Italy several times now). The cacio e pepe is very very good. The dessert was amazing as well and very unique. It's rare to find unique desserts at an Italian restaurant in the US so this was a treat. Overall a great experience. The specials are good too!

Micah Rickard

Excellent experience. The grilled swordfish was firm yet buttery and flaky, perfectly charred. Definitely the highlight of the meal. It looks small in the picture, but it was quite thick and and more than a sufficient portion.

Mark H. Anbinder

We’re big fans of Gola Osteria, which offers beautifully prepared food with a seasonal menu rotation. It’s not hard to spend a lot of money here, but it always feels worth it. The swordfish special has been excellent whenever we’ve seen it, the grilled octopus is done perfectly, the eggplant parm features outstanding red sauce, and the black spaghetti is a hit. Add a great bottle of wine, including some affordable gems. Goal’s space is a little odd, and can be confusing for first-time visitors. Use the intercom at the front door to be buzzed in, or go around to the patio door if it’s not snowed in. The old architecture also means it’s sometimes noisy in here.

B

We had a lovely dinner last Wednesday to celebrate our engagement. Caitlyn was our server and she provided excellent service! The portions were generous and delicious!

Courtney Tom

I’ll say this…the food is very good. Being that I share my life with a person raised by Italian immigrants, I feel he knows good authentic Italian cuisine…so I’m comfortable saying the food is good. I have been a few times, pictures display clams and linguine, and oxtail bolognese. With that being said, its best to manage your expectations when it comes to service. The staff are pretentious and feel they are part of some exclusive and elite club. Some servers are better than others…but still lack the demeanor required to do the job with professional elegance, most likely because they’re burnt out. In the summer, sometimes the AC doesn’t work. Parking can be difficult. Nevertheless still worth all that for the food, if you can appreciate proper Italian cuisine…which means al dente pasta. Ciao.

Luis DeJesus

Gola 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!

+7

Michelle M. Park

Decent food, polite service, excellent ambience. I can't 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.

+3

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 job Food was fast on weeknight and hot. Read other reviews said cold and slow. Overall it was Really good.

Went at opening on a Wednesday - the ambiance is nice although the location feels somewhat random. The service was great and both the cocktails and food were delicious. A little pricey but would return.

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.

While a little pricey, this small Italian restaurant tucked away in this apartment building features great ambiance, food, and service. Especially recommend for celebrations like graduation or birthdays! Be careful about parking though as this does seem to be limited.

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!

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 husband's squid ink pasta was also superb. The cocktails were nice. Overall, the prices seemed high compared to the quantity of protein on the plates.

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.

I really wanted to love my meal. The squash blossoms were amazing. The ricotta melted in my mouth. The eggplant rollatini was quite salty. This is not the first salty dish I have eaten there. My fellow diner said the eggplant parm was also salty. The Crostone alla Romana was not well balanced. The bread was a bit oily and anchovies dominated. Another diner loved the polenta and pork chop - the portion was huge. And the 4th enjoyed the black pasta dish. My cocktail was yummy…. I am willing to try the place again but if I end up with another salty dish, it will be the last time I go. I want to love a meal that is $75/person.

Difficult to find but worth it when you do. My wife had the black spaghetti with calamari. I had the veal saltimbocca. Mine was excessively salty.

So happy to have the opportunity to eat dinner here as it has been on my list since the opening. We enjoyed a full course and took our deserts home.

Such an interesting location. I would never have expected to find a gourmet restaurant back there. We had a mixed experience with the food. Our entrees were excellent. However, the grilled octopus was only about half chewable. The rest was so tough that we had to leave it on the plate. Overall, I’d go back.

The ambiance is dimly lit and intimate, creating the perfect setting for a romantic evening. It feels tucked away and special, like a hidden gem. The pasta tastes house-made and perfectly cooked, with rich, well-balanced sauces that feel authentic and thoughtfully prepared.

Kristen Anderson

I loved my shrimp piccata and the pasta was delicious, but my in-laws were not blown away by their dishes. We were given the wrong wine once and a different year than what was on the menu twice. The waiter otherwise was fantastic (not his fault the wine list was wrong!)

Brian Horan

Hard to find even with an address. Very small sign at ground level. Food was very good, but service was slow due to computer issues. Seemed to only impact our table, as several tables sat after us received appetizers, entrees, dessert, and their check before we were even served entrees. 2 1/2 hours from sitting down to leaving was a bit long.

Sharadh Bhaskharan

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 buttery Some disappointments: The bread was underwhelming and the cocktail was meh. And there was no espresso based coffee to round up the meal

+10

Food was great but the service was incredibly slow. Appetizers came fast but we waited over an hour for our dinner. As it seemed everyone did. The place is a bit of a jumble of furniture.too bad because the food was good. The whole experience took over 2.5 hours. I don’t recommend it.

Ordered 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!

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.

Our reservation was honored and after being seating we had to ask for a server...15min. The breaded shrimp capers lemon dish was swimming in white wine and an over indulgence of lemon juice which lent to suggy shrimp which was an attempt to hide the fact the shrimp had seen better days.

We recently dined at Gola for the first time. The food was fine (the fresh pasta is great), but the value wasn’t there—a single medium-sized piece of veal with no sides or accompaniments was $36. To add a bit of pasta to the plate is an additional $8 — hardly a great value. The food could have done with some more flavor development or seasoning; the flavors were all fairly simple. If you’re looking for elevated Italian in Ithaca, I’d recommend Taverna Banfi over Gola. If you’re looking for more basic (and potentially overpriced) Italian food in a nice environment, Gola fits the bill.

There are many mixed reviews here and I'm going to add to them. We are local and came to celebrate an anniversary. Based on the prices, we expected a high end experience. The first three things I noted were dirty glass on the entrance door, dead flowers on the hostess stand and open kitchen doors right where you come in. (No thanks, kills the ambiance) As per other comments: Our server was great, the AC was pumping and we had no trouble with parking or the timing of food coming out. The food was really good but very overpriced for some things. We got the arugula salad which was good, but not $15 good. The black spaghetti was excellent and the portion matched the price. The table next to us got lasagna, which also looked plentiful. Our tiramisu dessert was plenty to split. My big hang up was the chicken picatta. $29 for a tiny chicken breast on a plate with two artichokes and way too much sauce and nothing to eat it with. Thankful I paid an additional $8!!! for pasta to go with it. The dish was good (though basic) and had the pasta been included for $29, I'd have given more stars.

Our waitress and all of the wait staff was great and friendly! It took over an hour to get our pre-fixed second course meal. The food was really good though. Would recommend the place to be cleaner especially the chefs. Their attire was not clean, hair and facial hair unkempt with no hair nets

Gabriel

After my fourth visit, I have to say I'm not impressed. The pasta is is mediocre, is the only affordable dish for non-wealthy folks. Would have loved to try the pork chop but it's 50 whole dollars. The appetizer and pasta we got was drowning in olive oil. Mostly good flavors, but not exciting or rich. For the price, and delightful atmosphere, the food falls short.

Daryl Anderson

First visit. Two of six dishes were way too salty. Swordfish excellent. The other three dishes merely okay. Homemade pasta side was excellent. They offer GF pasta but admit that is just from a box. Wine list reasonably priced compared to the food. But. First bottle ordered was a 2020 Riesling and they brought the 2024 version with excuses that the.wine list needs updating. Yep. Second bottle choice we tried a 2023 Riesling... same story - another 2024! Third bottle was ordered as a repeat of the second Riesling and they actually brought a Chardonnay! Parking lot full. No coat check and everyone hanging their coats on the backs of the peculiarly high-backed chairs cast a weird, scruffy effect on things. Floor under my seat was sticky with something (maybe spilled 2020 Riesling!). Waiter was an energetic charmer but, otherwise, either Gola has gone downhill from early reports or they were always coasting on the inevitable Ithaca snob factor - which does not age well.

Charlotte Robertson

The apps were wonderful and the pasta was good. It seemed like they were understaffed or that servers were new. Nice ambiance overall.

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.

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.

My hubby and I visited Gola Osteria last night, we aren't drinkers so our only option was water. We had the crostini, it was good but not overly good. The bread was over toasted, you couldn't 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 don't 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 didn't 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 doesn't 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 wasn't the Anniversary dinner experience we had hoped for, it was just dinner.

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.

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.

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.

I 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

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).

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 "I'm 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 didn't 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.

Came for a date. good service but food is overall too salty and the taste is not worth the price. Grilled octopus was overcooked and tastes fishy. Lamb chop too salty. Black spaghetti too hard. Didn’t like the place. won’t come again

I'm not all that impressed with this place. I'll 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 you'd 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. There's no excuse for this at a restaurant this pricy, despite it being Ithaca where service is an afterthought.

I typically don’t leave reviews like this, but I have to say I’m extremely disappointed with the result of the quantity, quality, and service for our wedding. I’ve asked those invited to give me their reviews so that I can relay everything in one, long post out of respect. Here is a compilation of 10 reviews, starting with bride & groom: Bride: Food was cold, the GF pasta was mashed and the sauce was burnt, thickish/cold consistency and sparse. This was the meal I requested as someone who is unable to eat gluten or dairy. I had 2 bites and couldn’t fathom eating another, so I did not eat. I’ve never had GF pasta be so bland, mashed and over cooked, and it was disappointing this being my only option—turned out the way it did. Groom: The chicken Parm had good flavor but was mostly burnt/over cooked which made it drier. The sausage was too spicy and the non-GF pasta was way over cooked as well. The bread was good. Guest 1: Chicken parm was burnt but had OK flavor. Bread was good but the cheese platters made no sense. How do you serve without crackers?? Sausage was too spicy and the food was colder than lukewarm. Overall wasn’t the best, wasn’t the worst. Guest 2: The salad was really good! The dressing too was really good but when I went back for seconds there was none left. It was a small wedding, so it didn’t make sense how it was already gone. I learned some people didn’t get any either which was sad to hear. I didn’t like the rosemary chicken, it was dry and didn’t have much flavor in my opinion. The chicken parm was underwhelming, and the regular pasta was too overcooked and mushy. It was OK overall but I wouldn’t order from there. Guest 3: Bread was good but that was about it because the food was lukewarm and bland. Didn’t enjoy any of it. The cake was redeeming from the dinner disappointment. A lot of people were hungry so they settled. Guest 4: The bread was delicious! Fluffy and everything. The sausage made no sense to me because it compacted a lot of heat but didn’t belong anywhere? I think it was supposed to be a sandwich but none of the bread was sliced. Being Italian, I have a high caliber for quality of Italian food and this missed the mark. The pasta was mush and the sauce was bland and cold. The chicken parm was probably the best dish and that isn’t saying much. It was okay overall, but I didn’t go back for seconds. Guest 5: I’m not a picky eater so I don’t have too many complaints. I used to work for a catering business so I don’t blame them for the food being cold but everything was over cooked and tasted really bland. When you think of Italian, that doesn’t really come to mind. Guest 6: By the time it was my tables turn to be served there was no more salad left. I don’t eat meat so my options were limited after that. I did enjoy the bread very much! But the pasta wasn’t great. Very bland and over cooked. I was so hungry I didn’t care but it’s not anything I would order again. Guest 7: Food was lukewarm and bland. It was OK overall. Guest 8: I enjoyed elements of the food but cohesively, it didn’t come together. The sausage would have been great as a sandwich but on its own it was too spicy & a bit on the dry side. The chicken parm was good but over cooked & overshadowed by the mushy pasta. The salad was so yummy and when I went back for more it was all gone! There were these cheese platters spread throughout the venue that had a strong odor and didn’t look appetizing. There were no crackers or wraps to use for them, so it was a bit odd. Guest 9: Chicken parm was good but tasted dry. If you like mushy pasta then you’d like the dish. I’m not a big fan of it but I’ll eat anything so it wasn’t a big deal. The rosemary chicken was a big let down tho because the flavor was not there and it tasted so dry. OK experience. Guest 10: I felt bad because you [speaking to bride] didn’t eat! The food was really over cooked and hard to eat unless you had an appetite. It was a bummer for sure but the cake made up for it! ( I know that was catered by a bakery!!)

雀食 痕喃痴 takes for ever to have our food and does it worth the wait？ meh…

Ok, I want to preface this review with the facts: the restaurant was having a B - A - D night when we dined there on Saturday 6/21. A combination of factors led to overbooking and overloading of the kitchen. So first off, what the hell is this place's entire deal? Its a high end, (lovely, actually) space, inside a residential dorm building. You have to get buzzed in, then make a series of turns through the hallway to reach the restaurant. We walked past a number of tenants going about their business, it was weird. Once you walk in, you can see the open kitchen. It's about the size of the kitchen in my house and FULL to bursting with staff. I've done my time in service, and I know how it gets. I extend grace and understanding to the staff, its not their fault that our meal took forever to get to us. I'm fairly certain I watched the manager fire a busboy after he didnt put silverware on our table. Rough night. The apps were delicious - the fried calamari on special was crispy and delicious. My fiancée had the tagliatelle and liked it, but felt it was a bit heavy and bit salty. I got the Veal Parm, which was unfortunately not good enough to justify its price, and didnt even come with a side of pasta or a salad or anything. All in all, a very Ithaca experience, proceed with caution. I wish Gola the best.

I wouldn’t recommend this place. Service is suuuuuper slow, the dining area is not well ventilated, and food is very mid. As others have mentioned, food is quite salty, perhaps as a mechanism to distract from the lack of flavor. We got the ricotta appetizer - skip this. There is no flavor besides the entirely too-burnt bread. The veal parm was nothing special and not worth the price.

We dined at Gola Osteria over the weekend while visiting Ithaca, looking to try something a little more upscale. Be sure to make reservations in advance, and give yourself some extra time to find parking as it's located inside a residential apartment building, and while it’s not hard to find, parking can be tricky. We arrived right at opening and started with the Grande Piatti Misti appetizer, which we highly recommend. It was well-curated and delicious. That said, the portion of bread was very small, and the dipping oil was even smaller. For the main course, my husband had the veal parmesan with homemade spaghetti, which he said was “just okay.” I had the chicken saltimbocca with homemade rigatoni, and unfortunately, it was extremely salty; I could barely eat it. Based on our experience, I’d say the reviews mentioning salty dishes were accurate. For dessert, he had the cannoli and I had the panna cotta—both were good and a nice way to end the meal. All in all, we probably wouldn’t return, but it was fun to try something new and a bit of an adventure finding the place.

Apart from taking ages to find this place, (not sure why they can’t put at signs up)prices on their website are not current prices so you will get a shock. Accordingly they have been too busy to change their website. Main course took 45 minutes to arrive. Very salty. A hugely disappointing experience.

The food was great, very nice workers but my food took 2 hours to arrive. Make sure to make a reservation. Poor service and took way too long. Will not be returning

Celebrated a birthday here and left disappointed. While the food was very good, the service undermined the entire experience. Our waiter was repeatedly condescending, made pointed remarks toward members of our table, and created an atmosphere that felt uncomfortable rather than celebratory. For a restaurant with a reputation like Gola, I feel like attentive and respectful service should be the bare minimum. Spending roughly $300 on a meal where guests feel talked down to is simply not acceptable. The food alone isn’t enough to justify the price if the hospitality falls this short.

Caprice Loren

This review is specifically for the catering team, not the restaurant itself. The food was good, but an event is the sum of its parts. We asked for labbatt blue 3 times, very early on. This beer is the only one my family drinks, and was a very important beer to have at this event. It’s a pretty easy beer to source in upstate New York. They didn’t have it for our day - and when asked why, the catering lead (who we had been working with directly, the whole time) told us that since it was a late addition, they weren’t able to source it. This was something that we had asked for at our tasting, as it was something extremely important to my family. And this was the level of attention to detail that we received in every aspect. Our invoice was incorrect every time we received it. We were double charged for things that were supposed to be included, such as a side in our package. We expressly stated which cookies we wanted, which was also included, and received the wrong ones. They brought cookies with nuts, unlabeled, and we had guests with nut allergies. We requested iced tea and lemonade, and received neither. I don’t drink, and this was important for me to have at my wedding. We couldn’t get a PDF of the menu or bar prices from the catering lead for a long time. Communication throughout the whole planing phase was like pulling teeth. The team had two additional weddings to ours that day. This of course would have been fine for a well organized team who had everything in order. They, unfortunately, were neither. We requested two bartenders, so that our bar lines weren’t outrageous after the ceremony, when everyone goes to the bar. We requested pre poured wines. Or at least someone to go down the line to get canned beers. Neither of those things were executed. They had run out of ice (before the event started) and sent one of the bartenders to get more. This resulted in very long lines for our guests, which we were trying to avoid by requesting two bartenders. This was a very important day for us, and my whole family didn’t have the beer that they drink, I didn’t have my favorite beverages, and tea service at the end was completely forgotten. I had to expressly ask for something that we purchased. And when the water came out, it was cold. The venue owner went and made me tea from her home, because she noticed that I was sick and also don’t drink coffee. The owner reached out and offered us a refund for the services we didn’t receive, but this doesn’t change our day. I don’t want this is happen to anyone else on a day that it planned with such care as your wedding day.

Brian Bessire

After 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. It's 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 I'm ever going -- cemented by our way overzealous $130 bill after 2 dishes and 2 appetizers and 1 bottle of Ithaca Beer Co.

+2

I 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.

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.

Good service, nice atmosphere, very very very bad tasting food... We spent $90+, and nothing good came...It's the worst tasting food we've 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 don't know why they've got this high reviews or whether the chef got changed recently. I could only hope that the ingredients were healthy...

The 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 didn't have any air conditioner It was sweaty inside, It was like you're sitting inside the kitchen and eating the food. It wasn't that busy but the waiting staff wasn't very responsive. When you're paying like more than $30 for an entree I think I expect a little bit more, At least the air conditioner to be working.

We ate the food through their catering service at a recent wedding. The sauce tasted burnt and was so thick that it didnt even cover the pasta. There was also not enough ofit even if it would of tasted good. The pasta was not cooked al dente and was so overcooked that it was falling apart and mushy. Both the gluten free and regular were cooked this way. The chicken parmesan was good but it was overcooked with the outside of the pieces burnt. The sausage was really spicy and there was not enough sauce. The rolls were not cut so it was hard to make a sausage roll. The rosemary chicken was tasteless. They had a cheese platter but the restaurant did not provide any crackers.

Two hour wait for dinner even with an advance reservation. Explanation? Open Table filled overcapacity and we suffered. Food was excellent but it will be a long time before we return. embarrassed since we brought guests to a very good restaurant that is difficult to get into. Shocked when wait staff asked me why I would not likely return! Many other tables suffered also. Ruined the experience. Not the wait staff fault but No manager came to offer something as apology. Sorry but I will spend money somewhere else. Bill

I am a resident at the building where the restaurant is located (115 S Quarry St.) and I went to the restaurant twice. Food and service are overpriced and just mediocre. I’m not impressed at all. The employees at the restaurant seems to really enjoy regular party, gathering, and playing loud music after MIDNIGHT. This affect my sleep multiple times. They have no respect for their neighbors. This is a residential building after all, not your party house.

Their website says entire menu is available for pickup without stipulations or notices regarding change of service. Called to place a pickup order for a sick friend on their birthday but was told they were not doing pickup for the evening. Nothing was shared on social media either to note a change in service, even boasting a fabulous takeout menu in their Instagram description. Either remove the pickup availability from your website or follow through on your promise to customers. Also, food quality has gone down over the past few years so I guess this isn’t a total loss.

Wish 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.

I had taken my partner to Gola Astoria for their birthday celebration. The ambiance and wait staff had been on point. We were pleasantly impressed how they had brought our food out very quickly. My partner had mentioned to me that the Tortelloni dish they ordered was not fully cooked. It was hard not Al Dente. We brought it to the wait staffs attention and requested to have the plate replaced. The waiter said they could cook it alittle more for us. I requested it be replaced due to Tortelloni not being a dish that can be reconstituted by cooking it more. He responded ," Are you a food critic " very smugly. 10 plus minutes passed and he had brought back the Tortelloni to our table and it was completely flat and mushy. It looked as if it was microwaved. My partner mentioned it looked well overcooked but said they were hungry and it was ok. On my end i didnt see the need to actually request they taste the food that they had plated for us because I'm wanting to preserve the best experience for my partner on their special day. That was my top priority in regards to my needed attention. I smiled lots and was trying to be as gracious as my partner. I was so disappointed. That was not my 1st time , "Dining" here. I had treated family and friends to dinner at Golla Astoria a few times over the past few years. Overall, with good experiences. But have not returned since. Sadly, in addition to my partners food being sub par. I ordered one of my favorites there, "Grill Octopus". It didnt tasted "Grilled". It was what I would call Charred Octopus. Money not wasted due to being there for my partner. We smiled and continued our celebration that evening. But I will say it was money wasted for sub par food and the disappointment in the waitstaff experience. What i found interesting about the waiter was he had given us Eye Smiles through the initial interactions then after he made the remark," Are you a food critic " he smiled with a full mouth and he had some serious dental issues in the front. They list them selves as the ," Fine Dining Experience " . Hmm, He should have continued with the eye smiles after his mocking me. Eye Smiles worked. The condescending full grill smile not so pleasant for my appetite with having to look at his dental issues. I thought I should bring my experience to the attention of management and followed through with a phone call. They were not available so left a message with staff that I was wanting to bring my experience to the managers attention and asked if they would contact me. I did not receive a return call.

Danielle Cook

Very disappointed !! This experience was for my Birthday dinner. Menu and website says fresh pasta and that was a lie and the boxed pasta that i was given was way undercooked in my meal. The pancheta was overcooked dark brown and on the cusp of being spoild. Service sucked. Not worth the money or the reservation. I regret it.

S Jemec

We sat for nearly half an hr and were never acknowledged by wait staff. Not even for a drink order. Tables that sat down after us got served though. So, we got up an left. The only people who looked like they did any work there were the bussers (thanks for the water refills!), and the hostess. Unfortunately I think this restaurant skirts criticism and benefits from Ithaca's unfortunately slim pickins restaurant scene... because this shoddy service and rough around the edges, water stained drop ceiling, sticky table, dated faux-craftsman aesthetic wouldn't fly elsewhere-- especially with $40+ entrés.

Ben EastwaterVlogs

I eat at the best restaurants around the world. The steak tasted cheap. It was cold. It was rare not medium rare too. The drinks came out bitter everytime. I know my Mojitos and sangrias. My friends drinks were also bitter too. I never write reviews unless I’m very disappointed in the food. The meatballs were amazing and the bread with the olive oil was amazing. Everything else tasted cheap and very overpriced. I love spending money on great food but this was so overpriced for the quality. Tasted like McDonald’s meat. I paid 50 dollars for this meal with the picture below. Cold rare steak with cheap lettuce and the cheese. Also the presentation was horrible. My fiends chicken looked like a chicken you would get from Walmart with burnt tasted vegetables.