We had a spectacular dinner at Hazelnut! The courses were not only unique and delicious but I had gluten free options that didn't feel like less. Highly recommend for your next date night! read more

My wife and I and another couple visited Here last night for my wife's birthday dinner. Being from out of town we relied on reviews for our selection in dining. First, the restaurant was VERY loud and it was difficult to have a conversation without raising our voices - which just added to the ambiance. Second, it was very busy and it took a while to be served, which I can over look in the post-Covid world of server shortages. Service was fine when when it arrived. Third, the menu was rather limited and nothing really jumped out. I must say that my meal was well prepared, although my wife's chicken - which she settled on due to a lack of other suitable options, was just ok. Finally, the kicker was that we were asked to leave after 1 1/2 hrs because they had another booking for the table at 8:00. Ive eaten at a lot of nice, busy restaurants around the country and world and never been kick out of a restaurant- unless of course they were closing. read more

This was the first dinner we had after we got married, and what a treat it was! This cozy little restaurant was just what we had in mind. We started with the delicious, lightly crispy and buttery and very warm and lightly salted Parker rolls, served with a herbaceous wild ramp butter. We had a chilled pea? soup with spicy, toasted garbanzo beans, followed by a Carolina rice risotto with shaved yellow beets and goat cheese and a host of fresh veggies, and a quite tasty pork loin (though my least favorite of all our spectacular dishes) with quite an intense grilled flavor. The service was attentive, albeit more matter of fact, without much friendly banter. Still, all in all, a very special and memorable meal to celebrate. read more

This is a good farm-to-table restaurant nestled unexpectedly into the small town of Trumansburg, about 15 minutes north of Ithaca. The dining room benefits from the aromas of the open kitchen, ushering in the mouth-watering smells of meats sizzling in butter and fresh vegetables being delightfully seared. One of the walls is constructed primarily of exposed brick and the entire restaurant feels open and modern, in contrast to the antiquated shops and bars that neighbor it on Main Street. We began with the charcuterie appetizer, a mixture of head cheese, salmon terrine, bacon spread, stone jam and pickled cauliflower. Overall, the selections were good but not outstanding. The terrine was under-salted and the head cheese also lacked a certain boldness of flavor. The highlight of this course was the crusty bread served alongside it, accompanied by lightly whipped house-made apple cinnamon butter. The pretzel bread that came with the charcuterie plate didn't complement the selections as well as that delicious bread. Our next course was a beet salad that was likely the most disappointing dish of the evening. Stingy on greens and beets, the whole thing was crying out for an infusion of pizzazz or creativity. It was one of the specials and I wouldn't order that again. $9 for not much. My main entree was the cornmeal crusted trout with brussels and grits. This dish was executed well - the fish was pan-fried well, maintaining moisture while still providing a good solid outer crunch on first bite. I found the dish a little on the acidic side, however, with maybe a bit too much salt. It could have benefited from a milder garnish, but overall I really enjoyed it. My husband's main course was the house-made gnocchi, a delicious choice that was somewhat ameliorated by the sliced jalapenos. We love jalapenos and spice, but I can't say that this worked well with gnocchi. It was also too salty. Dessert was some iteration of a pound cake, salted carmel sauce and a scoop of chocolate ice cream. This was a wonderful trio of flavors, although the pound cake was on the dry side. One major factor that may have detracted from attention to detail in the kitchen were the two massive parties at the front of the restaurant -- each party was about 10 people. The restaurant was deafeningly loud as a result, and there was nothing to soak up the sound. The servers were very busy, but I don't think our overall service suffered much. It was friendly and quite prompt. In the end, this was a good meal, but a touch on the disappointing side, as I was hoping to be "wowed" by a gem that I'd read about beforehand. It's certainly worth a stop while in Ithaca (and better than most all restaurants in Ithaca), but I don't think I'd make a trip 1 1/2 hours south again just to visit it. read more

Hazelnut Kitchen - Charcuterie plate - New American Near Me - Trumansburg, New York

So glad to have stopped by Hazelnut Kitchen for dinner on our way back to the city. The restaurant has a sweet charm with an extremely homey feel. As this was our first and only visit here, we are unable to speak for their changing menus and to what delicious degree they rank at every month.. but I can certainly speak for how fantastic our meal was when we came here last weekend. They use locally grown ingredients.. which only means that everything that comes before you is is as fresh as it gets. For our appetizer, we had the sauteed escargots- with basil cream, shiitake mushrooms, crispy leeks & gouda gougère. This is by far our favorite dish of the evening. The escargots where large, chewy and bursting with flavor. For our entrees, I had the chicken- roasted and all natural which came along with a crème fraiche biscuit, creamy mushroom fricassee, bacon & peas. They made the skin on the breast crispy, adding a great texture with every bite. My boyfriend had the lamb pot pie special, topped with layers of asparagus.. extremely rich and delectable. And to top our meal off, $4 beers! It's as good as it gets.. Definitely returning here if I were to ever be in the town of Ithaca. read more

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After exploring nearby Taughannock falls by Cayuga Lake, my coworker and I discovered the Hazelnut Kitchen. For a small location, the menu options were impressive, and the farm to table focus was a bonus as well as fantastically delicious. The starter was a bread basket with scratch made cast iron baked biscuits and a carrot cardamon house churned butter. We shared the charcuterie appetizer, with a selection of local cheeses (the cow/sheep/goats milk blend cheese called kunik was especially tasty) local honey, salmon and creme fraiche with pickled vegetables and house made pretzel beard. I tried a local hard cider, which was not too sweet and complemented the "chef's choice" entree: Black pepper and coriander encrusted pork belly, with creamy farro and grilled Swiss chard along with a pickled ramp and blueberry mustardo topped with a fried egg. Exquisite flavor blend between sweet and savory, pickled tartness and umami from the pork fat. We were both extremely full by the end of our courses, but both agreed we had to at least look at the dessert menu. We couldn't resist and ended up splitting two scoops of housemade ice cream (salted caramel and candied orange peel) and a chocolate pot de creme with micro basil and preserved lemon. I can't encourage you enough to just go here if you're nearby. The open hours window is small, but worth the effort to experience the food. As good and better than many big city establishments I've tried in my travels. Hats off to the chef! read more

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Excellent little spot in Trumansburg. My wife and I both enjoyed each of our 3 courses from the prix fixe menu. Very unique and creative ingredient combos. Don't be scurred. Service was great too. Highly recommended if you're within 20 miles of this one. read more

The manager was so inflexible in so many ways, it was insulting. Despite our waitress' willingness to seat us inside for dessert (as it was getting cold), the manager's unwillingness to do so when tables were readily available was outrageous. And the reasons she gave for her refusal - that "the tables are set for tomorrow and can't be used" or that there is "insufficient wait staff" even though a waitress was serving us, go beyond belief. As good as some of the food was, we will never go back and will discourage our friends from going here. The level of rigidity by this manager made us unwelcome and that our patronage was undesired. The manager talked down to us and went so far as to say "we simply don't understand how a restaurant operates." What I do know is that a restaurant can't operate without customers. This manager seems to think they can. read more

I can see why this place would have people eager to rate it highly. On the surface who wouldn't really like this quaint, storefront, farm to table establishment run by a husband, wife team in the heart of the Finger Lakes. The service from the staff was wonderful from start to finish. If we stop there, four or five stars makes sense. It is however the menu items that fall short in terms of taste that detracts from the experience. The menu is limited and what they have is very uneven in how they incorporate the fresh ingredients in the recipes. It almost seems like the chef is either trying too hard to be creative or the dishes don't really stand out in any significant way. The Halibut with swiss chard cream sauce was the lone highlight of the several entrees I tried. A vegetarian meatballs entree was a disappointment. The meatballs were too dense and dry while sitting in a large puddle of thick creamy sauce that seemed to have too much going on with shaved broccoli stems. A pasta dish had nice flavor but nothing about it stood out in any way. The chef's surprise entree was a roasted pork belly atop a biscuit, fresh strawberries mixture. The combination didn't work for me, somehow too dry and although the strawberries added moisture they didn't pair well with the pork. From a pure taste perspective, I would say a disappointment since my expectations were high given all the favorable Yelp reviews. read more

The food is great! And flavorful! Their buns are so so so so so so good! And their butter and cheese board are just on point. Though I wish they had more vegetarian options. Im not vegetarian but all my friends are, sometimes it is hard to decide where to eat when the options are limited. And maybe more hazelnut inspired dishes? I know there's a hazelnut cake, but definitely hope to see more creations. The food is slightly pricy.apparently the take out menu is more expensive than dine in. read more

Food was delicious! However, the hostess/server was extremely rude. I have been there twice and first she called my allergy fake and then she was pressuring us to leave the whole night and when I finally called an uber the closest one was 20 minutes away and she got so mad that we stayed longer than "1.5 hours" and told us she doesn't recommend calling ubers but there was nothing else we could have done, we had no other way to get home. Also she said it in an extremely rude tone both times and made my party very uncomfortable. It's a shame she works here because otherwise would be a 5 star experience. read more

Great food but the Hostess/manager is SO rude!!!!!!!!!!!!! Most rude person I have ever seen in the service industry/ in my life in general. She told us "It is time for you to leave" after sitting there for 1.5 hours (a pretty standard eating time for having multiple courses and approximately 5 minutes after finishing our dessert). Also she declined to give us more water because she wanted us to leave quickly. The restaurant was empty and we finished by 7pm, there was no reason to be treated like this Truly in shock by the service here. Its a shame they don't fire this woman because otherwise would be a great experience. read more

This place was not what I was expecting. First thing to know is that reservation process entails leaving a message on an answering machine with a date, time, number of people, and a phone number. The staff will call back if they decide they have availability. Having gone through this process, we arrived to find a dining room half empty. The restaurant itself is clean, not cramped and has a very open feel. The bare brick walls and high ceilings, though, do create a sound chamber, so that the conversations at every table as well as noise from the kitchen, reverberate through the dining room. This is worsened by the "ambient" music, which is turned louder, perhaps in an attempt to drown out the guests' conversations. The result is a constant din that rather destroys the atmosphere. The wait staff are very pleasant, and are very eager to please. Our server knew the menu well, and was patient with our somewhat protracted indecisiveness. The food is rather a mixed bag. The menu advertises a locally sourced menu, which given the wonderful ingredients available in the Finger Lakes, promises some fantastic flavour. Yet... The charcuterie plate was pretty much a disaster. The brioche had all the consistency and flavour of Wonderbread. The scant shavings of duck prosciutto were excessively dry and hard. The mostarda (which the menu calls a "mustardo") was very unbalanced and excessively sweet. It lacked all the pungency of the mustard oil, and resembled the syrupy diced fruit cups normally found in a school cafeteria. The pate was a bland pink paste interrupted by small chunks of pistachio. The only real high point of the dish was the small cup of pickled peppers, which were bright and refreshing. The entrees were not much better. The gnocchi were disappointing in their mushiness. The "summer vegetabes," which amounted to mostly yellow summer squash and zucchini, were likewise overcooked. The entire dish tasted mainly of parmesan cheese. The NY Strip was well cooked, but poorly seasoned. The steak is billed as "ny strip, roasted cauliflower, romesco, toasted pecans, gremolata." The cauliflower was small chopped pieces of florets mixed in with the gremolata. The romesco was rather undefined and lacking. The toasted pecans added a nice caramelised sweetness and smokiness, as well as a contextual variation that was very welcome. The gremolata was a salty mess. Though, really, it was the only thing on the plate that seemed to have been seasoned. There is real potential in the flavour combinations the chef is creating. However it seems that execution is a major sticking point at Hazelnut Kitchen. read more

Wonderful service and experience. Waiter had great recommendations and thoroughly explained the dishes. Started with bread, the poutine and calamari. Poutine had huge fresh cheese chucks that melted in your mouth. Had the homemade pasta and chicken dish which was very flavorful. They have a special chefs mystery dish which 1 party in our group ordered and it ended up being pork shoulder with homemade gnocchi. A fun concept! read more

People in Ithaca have been raving about Hazelnut Kitchen. So we decided to give it a try with my husband and a friend. It was decent but nothing mind-blowing. The cheese plate and the pasta dish my husband ordered were great. But my steak and the crab dish were really chewy and the dessert was just okay. Plus, it is pretty expensive for just an okay meal. My overall impression is that Hazelnut Kitchen is way overrated! Definitely not worth a trip from Ithaca! read more

I want to like this place. The menu looks great, the decor is simple yet hip, and the wait staff is eager. The problem was the salt--too much of it. The gnocchi was too salty. The risotto was too salty and furthermore it never creamed up. The potatoes next to the NY strip were too salty. The NY strip was seasoned appropriately, but to me, cooking a great hunk of meat is not the measure of a great restaurant as much as dishes like gnocchi and risotto. The appetizer special was a tartar, which was great. It was the one dish in which the salt really worked well. Perhaps our chef that night was a little salt happy, but he didn't have to take it out on the rest of us. Granted, I'm a light salter when it comes to my own cooking. However I can only think of one other restaurant, in my life, where I was turned off by the salt: Texas Roadhouse. That is not the kind of company you want to be in. Like I said, I'm hoping this was a bad night for a new salt-happy guy. Because I want to like the place. Everyone else seems to like it. read more

This was by far one of the best restaurants I have ever been to. While exploring Trumansburg during our trip to the finger lakes region, we stumbled across this lovely little place, which had just opened at the time. The decor was simple, refined, and elegant and definitely had that country charm to it. We were warmly greeted by the staff and served our amuse-bouche. It was some kind of tuna, something I never ever eat, but I have to say it was out of this world and set the tone for a great meal. Upon opening our menus we were taken aback at first, perhaps because we were two college students used to dining hall food. There were a lot of interesting dishes featuring ingredients we had never heard of. I'll admit, for a moment we thought we might have to go somewhere else. Thank god we didn't. I don't remember exactly what we ordered, but one dish featured cage free poached chicken and the other was vegetarian. The first bite of each was heaven. The dishes were flavorful, inspired, and made with the freshest ingredients. I'm pretty sure it was this meal that sparked my passion for good food and fine dining. Hazelnut Kitchen refined my taste-buds and has made me a much more adventurous eater. I hope to return at some point and would recommend anyone staying in the area to stop in and give it a try. read more

I am conflicted. The food here is delicious. Like many of the finger lakes fine restaurants, ingredients are locally sourced and very fresh. The salad with fresh strawberries and lavender-black pepper goat cheese was amazing. The escargot in basil cream was apparently equally good. The grilled portabellas with pilaf, tasty. The pan seared scallops with avocado salad, great. I took one star off because I was underwhelmed with the atmosphere and personality of this place as compared to other restaurants we sampled in the area. I think the intention here was to create an affluent NYC experience, cozily tucked into small-town upstate NY. They even got that "you're lucky to be dining here" attitude down (not one of my favorite parts of any dining experience). Also, I was a bit turned off by the fact that there were only two local wines on their list. You're in WINE COUNTRY! I can't speak for others, but one of the things I look for when eating out in the finger lakes is a sampling of the wines. That way I know which wineries I'm interested in doing tastings at later. :) The thing that made everything all better in the end? Hazelnut butter cake with sea salt caramel & hazelnut ice cream. Oh yeah... So all in all, I guess that I am a fan of the food here, but not the general atmosphere of the restaurant itself. I would definitely eat here again, but as there is only one vegetarian entree on the menu, I would wait until they changed their menu offerings to return. read more

I tried this place after reading all the positive reviews on Yelp and Tripadvisor. Sadly disappointed. It's not that the meal was bad, but it was certainly not up to the gushing "fresh local produce" reviews that it's been getting. The restaurant itself looks very charming. You are met with warm brick and wood colors lit by candelight. It is conductive to a dressy dinner though there were some people who looked comfortable in football sweaters, jeans and basketball sneakers. Very relaxing environment. The open kitchen sits on a corner of the comfortable restaurant, where you can sit at one of four bar stools. The staff are very nice. On the minus side, most of the tables are tightly spaced together and there are only four booths, one which I was lucky to snag after complaining of the cold air drafts every time a customer came in. You don't need a reservation if you come before 7pm in my experience, because it's pretty empty (on a Saturday night). Ultimately, if I had stuck with the appetizers and not eaten my main courses I think I would have given this place 4 stars. We had the halibut cheeks with crispy capers and steamed mussels. Both very good (though not local). They worked wonders in pan frying the halibut cheeks such that the outside was crisp and inside was tender. I don't know how they got the capers to be peppercorn crispy but I'm going to have to figure it out. I also had the squash soup which had a nice thick cinnamon texture. However the hanger steak and the pork tenderloin were not very good, both fairly tough on the outside (with the pork tough throughout). No tenderness. The meats also had absolutely no flavor of their own. I think the chef expected this because the steak came with a large plop of mayonaisse and the tenderloin was smothered in bbq sauce. Though these meats might have been grown locally it doesn't make much difference to me if it's not better than Outback. Again, Hazelnut would be getting 4 stars if I had stopped with the appetizers. Maybe if I happen to be here next time I will stick with their veggies, seafood and other items that require a more delicate touch. But before that, I'm going to try some other places. $106 ex. tip for a soup, the halibut appetizer, mussels, steak, tenderloin, dessert, sparkling water (refreshing after a day of wine touring) and two teas. Pretty good price wise. read more

Food was excellent We were here in October, their seasonal menu specials (sweet potato / Apple soup, pork with Apple and greens, flan dessert) were well prepared and exactly what I wanted on this beautiful fall day. Would have been five stars if not for the forgetful waiter and rude host who told us to stay outside (on a cold night) because we arrived a few minutes prior to our reservation time read more

This was our first trip to the Finger Lakes and we were lucky enough to hear about Hazelnut Kitchen before coming and we were staying just down the road at Halsey House. Hazelnut is a destination unto itself however and I would come great distances just to experience their food. Hazelnut kitchen takes local cooking to another level. They do everything they can to make sure that everything on your plate is made in house, even the butter that comes with the fresh baked rolls was churned there. I wouldn't be surprised if a majority of the food served there is produced and grown right in the same county. We came on a Monday when they offer their chef's tasting menu with optional beverage pairing. Price was very reasonable for the tasting and pairing. My wife and I were each served 4 different dishes and beverages so we got to sample a great selection of their excellent cooking. If you can, eat here as soon as possible, its one of a kind and will likely only get more popular and inaccessible as word continues to get out. This place does a few things no one else is doing and can only be done well in a place full of natural abundance like the finger lakes. The restaurant itself is cozy yet simple, the exterior blends in with the rest of historic Trumansburg. The food is the star of the show here. The fresh local ingredients don't need much doctoring to make wonderful, but the deft hands at Hazelnut surprise with beautiful preparations while letting the ingredients shine as they should. Their chefs tasting is a TRUE chef's tasting. Meaning, that the chefs actually make up a dish that is fun and interesting and one of the chefs actually brings it to your table. This is a touch of personality that no one else is doing. It also makes it clear why they only offer the tasting on Mondays (likely their slowest day) since going off menu and and having a chef leave the kitchen even for a moment would be impossible on a busy day. Every course was excellent but two really stood out for me. One was a mini Bahn Mi with house made pate, pickled onions, and Sriracha aioli. It was spot on perfect. The other dish that really impressed was inspired by the flavors in a Rueben sandwich. House brined and braised pork, served over homemade sauerkraut, and dill spaetzle. So cool how the flavors all mixed together to basically be a heightened deconstructed corned beef sandwich. Awesome! They serve wine, but you can still bring your own bottle if you would like (corkage fee). Great idea being that its NY wine country. But don't think you will only find NY wine on their list. They have a nicely diverse selection from around the world. Our beverage pairing was spot on and included some local NY, californian, italian, and spanish wines as well as some cider. All very well paired and delicious. These days the term farm to table is almost becoming cliche but this place takes the term to its truest form. At this restaurant food literally comes from the farm and then goes on your plate. I am quite frankly tired of using the term homemade after writing this, but they deserve every ounce of credit for the hard work necessary to turn raw ingredients into the gourmet delights they are putting out at Hazelnut Kitchen. French Laundry...look out! read more

We really enjoyed eating here. After a few disappointing restaurant meals in the area, we so hoped that Hazlenut was as good as many of the reviews proclaimed. Oh! It sure was!! Tender freshly baked rolls with chive butter started our meal. How delicious they were and what a pleasant way to start! My husband ordered Pork and said it was tender and flavorful. I ordered the Cavatelli with vegetables. It was spiced perfectly and the pea pods added a fantastic crunch. I also loved the crispy breadcrumbs sprinkled on top. The meal was perfect. We didn't want to pass up desert so we shared the Raspberry Coffee Panna Cotta. The tart raspberry layer sat atop the creamy filling and beneath the filling were fine coffee flavored crumbs. Oh it was so delicious! We will definitely visit Hazlenut when we are next in the area. The meal was just perfect. In an area with few restaurants that made us happy, Hazlenut stood out far above the others. This is a not-to-be-missed restaurant! read more

My favorite restaurant in the greater Ithaca area. I've had 8? meals here, and never a had a bad experience. Charcuterie platter is always a win, and they do wonderful gnocchi. Their ice creams/sorbets are wonderful too. Very inventive flavors: I've had tomato/corn/shishito ice cream there, and it's all been surprisingly excellent. The place is charming and the service is always top-notch. I think the only criticism I'd have of this place is that sometimes the mains get too complicated. Too many flavors, too many garnishes and toppings. It does end up tasting great - although sometimes muddled. I think with some of the dishes less could do more. Highly recomended! read more

I cannot believe I have not been to Hazelnut Kitchen until last night. What a gem. With high expectation and hungry stomachs we drove 35 miles South to Trumansburg for a birthday dinner. I had made reservations as it was Saturday night and as it turned out they were fully booked. The restaurant is comfortable and homey with a big city feel. From the moment we entered I knew these people knew what they were doing. We were immediately greeted by a gracious fellow and he showed us to our table close to the window. The table was set with mismatched silverware and each place setting had a different cotton (non starched) napkin. Nice touch. My silverware was probably almost as old as I am and it was adorable. We had viewed the menu online and I knew what I was having although the specials did sound enticing....Sweet breads, scallops. We opted to stick with the menu and we were not disappointed. We shared the chicken liver crostini with lentils, spinach and sherry over country bread, it was amazing. We had the house made pate with delicious kim chee. My only gripe of the night, the pate was too cold. But we devoured it. I ordered the hangar steak, fries and aioli and my partner had the mussels and shrimp with coconut and watermelon radish. Both dishes were executed perfectly. The char on my steak was so delicious, the fries were amazingly crispy and the aioli was yellow due to farm fresh eggs. Perfect. For dessert we shared the hazelnut cake with sea salt caramel ice cream, simple and perfect. We shared a grenache/syrah blend for $30. Dinner pre tip was $114, which we found very reasonable given the quality of the food and the service. The service was nice but not obtrusive. Our waitress was very friendly without being pushy, she made a recommendation and she was very sincere. Our courses were well paced given how busy they were. I cannot wait to return and recommend Hazelnut Kitchen very highly. read more

The food was absolutely amazing, our waitress was phenomenal - loved her and the food and would absolutely go back for those two things!!!! Cannot recommend the food enough. The hostess (Lisa), however, was incredibly rude from the moment we walked in the restaurant. She refused to allow us to switch tables despite us explaining we were happy to wait. Then, after a full meal and bottle of wine, our dessert came to go. The hostess refused to plate the dessert as we requested, and been previously approved by our waitress (ice cream in separate container). She even went as far as requesting extra money for the containers, despite the price of our meal (well over $100). Despite the excellent food and great waitress, Lisa left a sour taste in our mouth - such a shame. read more

Hazelnut Kitchen is one of the best restaurants I've ever been to. There are two reasons for that: one is the food, which is fresh, delicious, and lovingly prepared; and the other is the co-owners and staff, who are super nice went out of their way to make the experience feel special from beginning to end. Rarely is it a bonus to arrive somewhere without reservations and get squeezed in; however, here, it was, as they sat us at the bar which looked right into the kitchen -- effectively a chef's table, where we got to watch every delicious meal being prepared and the chef chatted with us throughout the night. Added to that, they overheard us a couple of times discussing stuff on the menu and brought us samples to try. All of which were incredible. Made me wish we'd been in town for a week to try everything on the menu! read more

I can't say how many times we've been to Hazelnut Kitchen. For the sake of this review let's say 20. The reason we go there so often, quite simply, is that it is the best restaurant in Tompkins County. Owners Justin and Lisa make every visit a memorable experience. Justin's mastery in the kitchen, ably assisted by Matt, is a joy to watch. Hint: try sitting at the bar sometime so you can watch them in action. Lisa handles the front of the house and makes sure every guest feels welcome. Then food is fresh, local and real. Whether it is a beef short rib, a pork or poultry creation, a house-made pasta, or any one of their vegetarian options, the meal will not leave you wanting. Throughout the year there are special events such as a night of specials pared with with local ciders. There are nights or courses where you can have the chef choose and Justin has never led us astray. Appetizers are a must, and highlights like the charcuterie board allows the kitchen's quality to shine. Every soup or salad we've had had been wonderful. Desserts are a must, although we often force ourselves to split just one. Amazing discoveries such as their tomato upside-down cake or the to-die-for deconstructed carrot cake make winnowing down the selection a challenge. Of course one can never go wrong with ordering their signature hazelnut butter cake, served with their homemade ice cream. While I could go on and on about every meal we've ever had there, let me just say we will be back soon. read more

Hazelnut is easily the best restaurant in Tompkins County. I tend to be wary of restaurants that open and then get instant hype - if you've read any of my other reviews you may notice that I am easily dissappointed. I was also semi-sad that Simply Red was losing their lease from this space because Hazelnut was coming (not that Simply Red was fantastic - but they had the best fried chicken in town and that counts for something for someone like me). And sometimes the recommendations of others just seem too good to be true. I find myself thinking "yeah, I'm so sure it's THAT good. You know my parents are professional chefs, yes?" Well in any case, Hazelnut more than lived up to the hype. The food there is absolutely fantastic - fresh and local, balanced and portioned perfectly (perhaps this sounds like an odd accolade, but one of my pet peeves is getting an entree that for example, has a small piece of fish, three carrots, and 3 pounds of mashed potatoes. at Hazelnut each plate has exactly just enough of every component - enough to completely satiate you but still make you wish for one more bite just because it was that good). I honestly can't believe the prices - this is food that you just expect to pay more for, but the prices are incredibly low for what you get (which is interesting to me, because so many places in town justify their high prices through explaining how they use fresh and local ingredients. As far as I can tell, no one in town is doing local to the extent that Hazelnut is). The atmosphere is not "fancy" and it's very laid back and comfortable. Keep in mind that it's very busy - I've been turned away on several occassions because their wait was already extended beyond the hours that they were open. The service here has been good and bad for me, but I have only seen this aspect of this restaurant improve so I give them credit for knowing their weakness and working on it. Recommending particular dishes may not be incredibly helpful because the menu changes constantly, but I will say that incredibly, my favorite thing that I have had there was a bowl of a chilled pea soup. I don't even know why I would order such a non-exciting sounding dish, but something about this soup make me feel like I just wanted a bowl of it for lunch every day for the next month or so. I also had a fantastic piece of monkfish there once, which was so good I had to share with my father in law who swore that he hated monkfish. His eyes widened as he took his bite as he realized how delicious monkfish could be. Love the desserts, love the wine. This place is just great - it's worth the drive (if only Artisan Cafe was open in the evenings - I could stop by and get a pastry for the next day's breakfast!). I'd also like to say that I have been to Hazelnut with a large array of people and appetites, and everyone has come away feeling totally impressed. So here's to a crowd pleaser that is doing everything right. read more

Hazelnut Kitchen is easily the best restaurant in the Ithaca area. The menu is original and inventive, and changes every month. They exclusively use local ingredients. For example, we asked where the beef for the hamburger came from, and the waiter pointed and said "right down the road." Fresh and delicious, I like it! The atmosphere and service are warm but not at all stuffy or formal. This is the perfect place to celebrate graduation or just a weekend dinner with friends. My only complaint is that sometimes the food is less than perfect. Once or twice when I've been here, the food has been outstanding - flavorful, cooked to perfection, truly exceptional. Other times it has been good, but missing that special something. I'm not sure if this is the result of the menu changing every month or going earlier as opposed to later in the evening, or what. But still, Hazelnut Kitchen is great, and not just "good for Ithaca." I would go to this place even if it were in San Francisco (deliciousness capital of the United States). read more

Read their reservation fine print carefully! If you make any reservation then you are required to pay $15 per person no matter what happens. If you call immediately after to cancel you still are charged $15 per person same as if you no show. I understand needing to hold a credit card especially for no shows but this is the first restaurant I have seen that charges you a fee even if you call to cancel way in advance. read more

Hazelnut Kitchen.........WOW! They had me at "locally sourced" and then seriously brought home the bacon. This place impressed me in every which way that a diner can hope to be impressed. Glorious from top to bottom. This past weekend, I escaped the hustle & bustle of nyc to visit some friends and have a few days to relax in the Finger Lakes. Lucky for me, my buddy took me to this gem of a restaurant! I should preface this: I came into this meal already feeling quite jolly off a few days worth of hiking, waterfalls, and wine tastings ;) I realized right upon being seated that my friend knew what he was doing when he made this reservation. Many groups came in throughout our stay here, and were politely turned away....Hazelnut was completely booked for the evening! The ambience here is amazing. It's just a cozy rustic bistro with a lovely staff. The food....at times simple and home-y.....other times intricate and innovative. Overall experience, borderline magical. Highly Recommended. read more

Fantastic food with local touches. Everything was exquisitely prepared a d seasoned. The chefs choice is a treat to explore.

We came to this place after seeing a recommendation in a folder of menus at our B&B on Cayuga Lake. After having dinner there on a Thursday night, we decided to make reservations there for the following night. This time we were assured of getting a table, altho sitting right at the bar which gives a great view of the grill and saute action was a lot of fun too. Since the menu changes frequently, I can only hope that you will try the corn chowder if you get the chance. Too too good. My hanger steak was rare and delicious and the frites are killer. Husband had the deep fried quail appetizer and he did not look up from his plate until he'd eaten every bite! The wines we selected were wonderful, this place is a gem. read more

Simply outstanding from start to finish. Service was impeccable. Food was creative, visually appealing and delicious. My spouse and I shared two starters, two entrees and two desserts. Each bite was wonderful. I like the farm-to-table approach and really appreciated the eclectic China and napkins, as if they're making good use of old stuff others would simply throw away. This was indeed a highlight to our trip here and I would unquestionably return and highly recommend it. The best meal we've had in a very long time. read more

Food was fresh, delicious, and eclectic! We tried the mystery dish prepared by the chef and it was outstanding!

Hazelnut is easily the best restaurant in the greater Ithaca area. Sadly, I only discovered it after it was featured in Food & Wine, but it became a weekly staple after our initial discovery. Hazelnut is so good that often I would eat there twice in a week, just so that I could introduce friends to the restaurant. Everything from the country bread with chive butter to the amazing hazelnut butter cake is wonderful. The steak is not to be missed, if only for the balsamic aioli that come with the fries. Everyone at the restaurant is super friendly, the service is always fast and accommodating, and you are treated like a regular even if it is your first visit. Never have I eaten in a restaurant with food this good and service this friendly. Additionally, the wine list is extremely creative, and everything is reasonably priced. The restaurant is perfect for everything from a special event to a casual dinner. This restaurant is perfect for everything!! My only wish is that I did not have to move so soon after discovering Hazelnut. read more

I don't get up to Hazelnut nearly as often as I should, mainly because unlike most of my other favorite Ithaca-area restaurants, I have to drive there. But it's well worth the drive and the reservations, and even in an extremely strong field of contenders, it's my favorite restaurant in the area. The food is top-notch, inventively prepared, and almost all locally sourced. The service is great, the wine list is extensive, and dear gods, the desserts are to die for. read more

Hazelnut Kitchen - The house-smoked duck breast is to die for. - New American Near Me - Trumansburg, New York

What an excellent restaurant, quality farm to table fresh tasty food. Highly recommend. The cheese plate was amazing as well as all their fresh vegetables and chicken dish, dessert. One of the best meals I've ever had! Go hungry and enjoy :) Lots of gluten free and vegetarian options read more

My boyfriend and I made a reservation at your restaurant. We called them in the afternoon regarding cancellation and the lady on the phone did not mention that there would be a charge of $15 per person if we cancelled. If we knew this information, we would have just went. We were charged on our credit card later and called the restaurant. They insisted that the person on the phone had to have told us about the charge. We told them that they had not and they still insisted that they did and that they tell everyone. We could not push back further considering they refused to take our word in good faith that this information was not told to us. read more

Seriously amazing - from the food to the staff! We stayed in the area for a couple of days and were able to try most of the menu - everything is fantastic. The staff are so friendly, we wanted to come back to see them too! We had the "let the kitchen decide" entree which turned out to be a seared pork dish with tomato jam that was, for lack of a better word, awesome! We had the cucumber gazpacho (crazy good), charcuterie and cheese plate, casarecce (pasta with lemon creme fraiche, kale, cashews, radishes, cheese and something else delicious I'm forgetting), halibut (on top of clam chowder with this jam that made everything taste amazing), and a chicken dish in a panzanella salad with fresh strawberries. We also had a few desserts- the hazelnut butter cake, the rhubarb cake, and the buckwheat crepe (our favorite, but it's hard to choose!). Overall, the local ingredients shine through in creative dishes, that are clearly made with love. A little tip - while they don't serve breakfast, Rose from the Inn at Gothic Eves up the street has you covered!! read more