Le Café Cent-Dix

Lisa J

Because of the comments in the reviews, we started the line in front of the door at 5:20 pm on a Sat. By opening time, there were10 people behind us. By 6 pm, the restaurant was full, including seating at the bar. There are only 6 two-tops, 6 seats at the bar and ?5 booths that can seat 6. They do take names and numbers to contact later arrivals when a table opens. Tonight, it was after 7 pm before one did. We absolutely enjoyed our meal with an excellent 2006 Pomerol. There was a large lag before our main arrived, and I forgot to take a picture until we had already dug in. Service was friendly and efficient. The Beef Tartare was prepared classically and was delicious. The côte de boeuf was somewhat tough inn places, but the demi-glace was heavenly and made up for it. It was served on the rare side of med.-rare. I splurged on chocolate cake, and it was worth every calorie! (light and fluffy with excellent cocoa flavor). My husband loves Pedro Ximenez sherry, and deigned to eat it over vanilla ice cream. ;)

Yue Jin

We visited this French restaurant for an early Valentine's celebration and faced a long 50-minute wait. The warm lighting and decent wine selection set a welcoming atmosphere, earning the decor a 7/10. Service was impressive, with a knowledgeable server, deserving an 8/10. Our meal journey began with entrées: fennel slices at 6/10, beef tartare with a strong capers flavor at 7/10, and an overly salty onion soup gratinée at 6/10. The main courses were a hit or miss, with the monkfish and mashed potato standing out at 8/10, while the duck confit was too salty, scoring a 6/10. The meal concluded with a decent almond cake, rated 6/10. In summary, the ambiance and service were highlights. It's worth another visit.

Anastasiya Yavorska

I've only been here twice, but this place has definitely become my favorite restaurant. We got the heirloom tomatoes this time and they were the best I've ever had. The French onion soup was exceptional, just like the last time I was here and the scallops were delicious! The only unfortunate thing is that they don't take reservations, but I definitely don't mind waiting outside for a little for this food!

B. E.

Excellent service and exceptional food, best of the sit-down dinner restaurants I've eaten at in Ithaca. Photos: French 75 Salad Lyonnaise Ricotta Gnocchi Duck Breast

Cent Dix is arguably one of the best restaurants in Ithaca, and by that measure perhaps one of the best in the finger lakes. Service is operationally so well executed allowing the hospitality to shine. This is an operation full of talented people, who care deeply about food and drink. You can both taste and feel the intense obsession with excellence.

Café Cent Dix is a fantastic spot for a classic French bistro experience right in the heart of Ithaca. The atmosphere is warm, intimate, and just the right mix of upscale and relaxed—great for a date night or special occasion. We’ve had consistently excellent meals here. The steak frites is a standout—perfectly cooked with crispy, golden fries—and the mussels are always fresh and flavorful. The wine list is well-curated, with thoughtful pairings, and the cocktails are beautifully done too. Service is polished but approachable, and the attention to detail really shows. Prices are what you’d expect for high-quality French dining, but totally worth it for the experience. Definitely one of the top spots in Ithaca for a reliably wonderful meal!

As a general rule, i try not to amend reviews. But W.O.W. the lamb is AMAZING right now. Truely spectacular. I cant imagine living without it. You have to try it. Dont worry, they are still the absolute top end of food in the southern tier.

We had a fantastic, romantic, delicious dinner here. I was so impressed by how seasonal the menu was while also being bright and varied even at the tail end of December. The food was creative but comforting and the service was impeccable without being stuffy or overbearing.

I live in NYC but I always make a point to visit this restaurant when I come up to Ithaca to visit my folks. It’s one of only two restaurants here that meets the high quality standards of a big city like New York. Great food, great service, I can’t recommend this place more if you’re looking for fine dining in the area. Tip: try the vieux carre.

My favorite restaurant in Ithaca! Very popular and you see lines people waiting before they open. Friday special duck breast is highly recommended. And the vous carre cocktail.

In a city known for its eclectic and collegiate dining scene, Le Café Cent-Dix stands out as a sophisticated, unwavering anchor of French culinary tradition. Stepping into the bistro, you are immediately met with an atmosphere that balances rustic brick charm with the polished, high-energy hum of a Parisian brasserie. It is intimate, dimly lit, and undeniably "Ithaca-chic." ​The Main Event: Classic Execution ​The Steak Frites at Cent-Dix is a masterclass in why simplicity, when done correctly, is unbeatable. The steak—typically a hanger or bistro cut—was seared to a perfect medium-rare, boasting a deeply caramelized crust that gave way to a tender, flavorful interior. The accompanying maître d'hôtel butter added a rich, herbed decadence as it melted across the meat. The "frites" were exactly what you’d hope for: thin, golden, salty, and dangerously addictive, served in a portion size that respects the French appetite for indulgence. ​The Seasonal Highlight: Scallops ​Opting for the Menu of the Day Scallops proved to be the highlight of the evening. The kitchen clearly respects its ingredients; the scallops were pan-seared to a stunning golden brown while maintaining a buttery, translucent center. They were served over a seasonal bed that highlighted the chef's ability to pull from local Finger Lakes produce. The dish felt lighter and more nuanced than the steak, providing a bright, oceanic counterpoint to the heavier bistro fare. ​The Verdict ​Le Café Cent-Dix doesn't try to reinvent the wheel; instead, it polishes it until it shines. With an impressive French-focused wine list and a service staff that is knowledgeable without being pretentious, it remains one of the best spots in town for a celebratory dinner or a high-end date night.

Shuyang Shi

My favorite restaurant in Ithaca! Very popular and you see lines people waiting before they open. Friday special duck breast is highly recommended. And the vous carre cocktail.

Ellie Bomstein

We had a fantastic, romantic, delicious dinner here. I was so impressed by how seasonal the menu was while also being bright and varied even at the tail end of December. The food was creative but comforting and the service was impeccable without being stuffy or overbearing.

Amil Dave

I live in NYC but I always make a point to visit this restaurant when I come up to Ithaca to visit my folks. It’s one of only two restaurants here that meets the high quality standards of a big city like New York. Great food, great service, I can’t recommend this place more if you’re looking for fine dining in the area. Tip: try the vieux carre.

Jorge Bouras

Cent Dix is arguably one of the best restaurants in Ithaca, and by that measure perhaps one of the best in the finger lakes. Service is operationally so well executed allowing the hospitality to shine. This is an operation full of talented people, who care deeply about food and drink. You can both taste and feel the intense obsession with excellence.

Jeney Wierman

Café Cent Dix is a fantastic spot for a classic French bistro experience right in the heart of Ithaca. The atmosphere is warm, intimate, and just the right mix of upscale and relaxed—great for a date night or special occasion. We’ve had consistently excellent meals here. The steak frites is a standout—perfectly cooked with crispy, golden fries—and the mussels are always fresh and flavorful. The wine list is well-curated, with thoughtful pairings, and the cocktails are beautifully done too. Service is polished but approachable, and the attention to detail really shows. Prices are what you’d expect for high-quality French dining, but totally worth it for the experience. Definitely one of the top spots in Ithaca for a reliably wonderful meal!

Maxwell Rogan

Pia, our server (maybe a misspell), and everyone else that worked there was beyond knowledgeable. They walked us through food, wine, and liquor choices when we were a little indecisive and needed help. One of the better meals I’ve had, and probably top 3 I’ve ever had in Ithaca. Highly recommend the daily specials, but NEED to recommend the steak frites. Perfect sear on the steak and the fries are tight shoe string fries, aka crunchy. Also the onion soup is enough for two to share if you want. I usually am not a fan, but this one opened my eyes to what French onion soup should be. Huge wine list, but if you can narrow it down to a few, they will guide you to the right choice. 5/5 all around for service, food, and drinks. If you get the chocolate cake, don’t be shy to also grab a glass of milk.

Small place, didn't like having to sit at the bar only due to being solo. No reservations accepted. Wish there was more seating. The food was divine and I would return for another visit. The desserts were special and made by the owners wife, loved them so ordered two. Would love to see more French inspired entrees as the menu is somewhat limited. Also the addition of escargot

I was quite surprise to find such fine dinning in such small town. Real French place with Paris like atmosphere! It’s not cheap but it’s worth it!

Vlad Y

I was quite surprise to find such fine dinning in such small town. Real French place with Paris like atmosphere! It’s not cheap but it’s worth it!

Elizabeth Woodford

Small place, didn't like having to sit at the bar only due to being solo. No reservations accepted. Wish there was more seating. The food was divine and I would return for another visit. The desserts were special and made by the owners wife, loved them so ordered two. Would love to see more French inspired entrees as the menu is somewhat limited. Also the addition of escargot

Fantastic French onion soup. Also ordered the steak for two (daily special) upon recommendation by waiter - disappointing (no flavor and a little tough) the gnocchi was also mid. The celeriac salad was very good. We arrived 20 minutes before opening and just made the first seating.

Sophia Chiang

Fantastic French onion soup. Also ordered the steak for two (daily special) upon recommendation by waiter - disappointing (no flavor and a little tough) the gnocchi was also mid. The celeriac salad was very good. We arrived 20 minutes before opening and just made the first seating.

Jennifer Hillman

Excellent... however the special ribeye we had last night was a third inedible due to silverskin/ gristle. It was enough for me, but my husband had to work to get the edible meat portions. Everything else for our party of four was Excellent and portion appropriate. No reservations, we got there very shortly after opening for the evening, and barely got a table. Very intimate and warm, appropriately attentive wait staff.

Well this is slightly a hard one to write because I’m feeling fairly cranky about the dinner. Love the menu. They don’t do reservations but we arrived early since we were headed to a show and even at 5:30 when they open there was a line. They did make short work of the line getting people to tables and telling you how the menu worked. I had a Soleil Rose which was great since I love tart drinks. We decided on a bunch of things we wanted to try and ordered bread, celery root, raclette, onion soup, pâte, and fries. That was six things but not an entrée and the waiter then did some guilt thing that tables were only for people ordering entrees but that he would be nice to us and not move us to the bar and let us stay at the table. I said we would be fine moving to the bar but he kept at how nice he was being to let us stay at the table and sort of guilted us into adding the gnocchi, an entree, to split at the end. I was pretty precise about which dishes we wanted as appetizers and what we wanted as our mains but that didn’t even come close to happening. They brought them probably in the order they got prepared and I’m certain they forgot the fries and brought them as our last dish while we were part way through the gnocchi (we wanted them with the French onion soup). So boo on them and the service. On the up side the food was great and the frites were perfection. Of the dishes I listed the only one I wouldn’t recommend is the gnocchi. It had great gnocchi and the squash puree under it was nice but the topping and mushrooms had so much salt I had to scrape them off. And I think salt is fine and loved the salt on the frites. This was just strangely massive. The sourdough bread was crusty and thick with great tooth. The butter was lovely and I think not salted. The onion soup was perfectly balanced with a lovely rich flavor but remained light. The celery root salad was creative and light as was the pate dish. In the end I would have liked the bar better since the table was wide but short which is to say I was quite a bit further away from my wife across from me than from the people to either side of me at neighboring tables. The food is good enough to go again but I’ll be more insistent about food order and if it is just two of us we’ll sit at the bar. Oh and pet peeve on the tip thing. The receipt had that bit where they do the math for you to help and it was for 20%, 22%, and 25%.

Reed Brozen

Well this is slightly a hard one to write because I’m feeling fairly cranky about the dinner. Love the menu. They don’t do reservations but we arrived early since we were headed to a show and even at 5:30 when they open there was a line. They did make short work of the line getting people to tables and telling you how the menu worked. I had a Soleil Rose which was great since I love tart drinks. We decided on a bunch of things we wanted to try and ordered bread, celery root, raclette, onion soup, pâte, and fries. That was six things but not an entrée and the waiter then did some guilt thing that tables were only for people ordering entrees but that he would be nice to us and not move us to the bar and let us stay at the table. I said we would be fine moving to the bar but he kept at how nice he was being to let us stay at the table and sort of guilted us into adding the gnocchi, an entree, to split at the end. I was pretty precise about which dishes we wanted as appetizers and what we wanted as our mains but that didn’t even come close to happening. They brought them probably in the order they got prepared and I’m certain they forgot the fries and brought them as our last dish while we were part way through the gnocchi (we wanted them with the French onion soup). So boo on them and the service. On the up side the food was great and the frites were perfection. Of the dishes I listed the only one I wouldn’t recommend is the gnocchi. It had great gnocchi and the squash puree under it was nice but the topping and mushrooms had so much salt I had to scrape them off. And I think salt is fine and loved the salt on the frites. This was just strangely massive. The sourdough bread was crusty and thick with great tooth. The butter was lovely and I think not salted. The onion soup was perfectly balanced with a lovely rich flavor but remained light. The celery root salad was creative and light as was the pate dish. In the end I would have liked the bar better since the table was wide but short which is to say I was quite a bit further away from my wife across from me than from the people to either side of me at neighboring tables. The food is good enough to go again but I’ll be more insistent about food order and if it is just two of us we’ll sit at the bar. Oh and pet peeve on the tip thing. The receipt had that bit where they do the math for you to help and it was for 20%, 22%, and 25%.

I came here a few months ago and got the winter carrots and steak frites. The steak frites were underwhelming, especially because they seemed like such a popular item. The steak was quite tough and extremely hard to cut and chew despite being medium rare, and the fries were unmemorable. The winter carrots were the most disgusting bite I’d had in awhile, though I attribute that to my own ignorance. I didn’t know winter carrots were supposed to be served cold and mostly raw, and I could only bear to eat half a piece out of politeness. Being seated at the bar only multiplied the awkwardness; the bartender noticed the full plate and asked me multiple times if I liked it, but I didn’t want to sound like an idiot and say that I didn’t expect them to be cold and hard, so I lied and said it was fine. Overall, not a great experience especially for the price

Not sure I quite understand the ‘hype’ around this restaurant. We were advised by our waitress to order 2-3 plates each (hors d’oevre, salad etc) and a main course. By ordering it all at the same time, the kitchen could plan our meal experience accordingly. However we only really wanted a main course each (and dessert) and were told that was fine but if we didn’t order a starter, we would have quite a long wait for our main courses. 45 minutes later our main courses arrived (steak frites). No idea why it needed to take so long. We’d never had steak frites served this way (steak was pre sliced) and the steak was excellent, however the frites were luke warm at best and so crispy you couldn’t eat them with a fork. We mentioned this to the waitress who said ‘that’s how they’re supposed to be served’…..wrong. She did then go back to the kitchen and in due course we received a basket of perfectly cooked, hot frites, just as we were finishing our steak. Clearly the first batch had been regenerated and were not fresh. At $40 dollars a piece I would have expected better quality control from the kitchen. This totally spoilt our experience so we left without ordering dessert.

Sally Freeman

Not sure I quite understand the ‘hype’ around this restaurant. We were advised by our waitress to order 2-3 plates each (hors d’oevre, salad etc) and a main course. By ordering it all at the same time, the kitchen could plan our meal experience accordingly. However we only really wanted a main course each (and dessert) and were told that was fine but if we didn’t order a starter, we would have quite a long wait for our main courses. 45 minutes later our main courses arrived (steak frites). No idea why it needed to take so long. We’d never had steak frites served this way (steak was pre sliced) and the steak was excellent, however the frites were luke warm at best and so crispy you couldn’t eat them with a fork. We mentioned this to the waitress who said ‘that’s how they’re supposed to be served’…..wrong. She did then go back to the kitchen and in due course we received a basket of perfectly cooked, hot frites, just as we were finishing our steak. Clearly the first batch had been regenerated and were not fresh. At $40 dollars a piece I would have expected better quality control from the kitchen. This totally spoilt our experience so we left without ordering dessert.

Jenny Z

I came here a few months ago and got the winter carrots and steak frites. The steak frites were underwhelming, especially because they seemed like such a popular item. The steak was quite tough and extremely hard to cut and chew despite being medium rare, and the fries were unmemorable. The winter carrots were the most disgusting bite I’d had in awhile, though I attribute that to my own ignorance. I didn’t know winter carrots were supposed to be served cold and mostly raw, and I could only bear to eat half a piece out of politeness. Being seated at the bar only multiplied the awkwardness; the bartender noticed the full plate and asked me multiple times if I liked it, but I didn’t want to sound like an idiot and say that I didn’t expect them to be cold and hard, so I lied and said it was fine. Overall, not a great experience especially for the price