Had dinner here last night with a group of four. Service was excellent, as was the food. We had the olives, pita spread sampler, grilled octopus, and grape leaves, all of which were excellent (the grilled octopus was better than any I've had elsewhere). For entrees, two of us had the whole fish special (they will debone for you if requested), one had the fan-fried cod, and one had the lamb rack. Again, all excellent, including the side. For dessert, the crime brûlée was good, but the white chocolate bread pudding was amazing. Will definitely return. One of the best restaurants we've been to on the North Shore. And for those who complain about price, you get what you pay for. Well worth the splurge. read more

First - they deleted my reservation and didnt believe me that I made one, until I showed my confirmation e-mail. We were on a double date and we felt out of place. People looked at us as if we didnt belong there, we werent loud and we are very professional but we werent from the area which makes me think this place is geared towards locals. The lamb I got was amazing but that's about it. Nobody else really liked their meal - pasta and other lamb variations. We will not be back. read more

The food was phenomenal! The service was absolutely fantastic and I'll definitely be coming back here frequently. Our server was Chris, and he was so kind to us. He gave us suggestions that made our experience even better! read more

Excellent cuisine, consistent quality of fresh organic ingredients, and impeccable service. Ithaki has become our favorite restaurant on the North Shore. read more

I've been here several times and never been disappointed.. the food is consistently very good (fresh, well seasoned and prepared) and my kids like it too. The octopus is a standout - NEVER overcooked or rubbery, Had several Lamb dished that I loved. Service is very good to excellent It's a popular place and often packed, but always worth the wait. read more

My husband and I ate here for lunch on a Saturday. It wasn't busy and they seated us in the bar section. I think the main dining room was being prepped for an event. We both had chicken gyros, and half greek salads. The "salads" had an odd presentation. Each ingredient was placed in its own spot on the outside, with a tiny portion of greens in the middle of the plate. Everything was fresh though, and I didn't mind it that way. Our gyros were well seasoned and delicious. I couldn't finish mine, but my husband ate every bite. The atmosphere was a bit odd. It was as though the restaurant wanted to be more upscale than the surroundings would warrant. Of course, as I said, we were seated in the bar, so maybe that was the the issue. Regardless, our server was excellent. I also thought the prices were a bit high, and that they would do a huge business if the lunch prices, at least, were a bit cheaper. Nevertheless, we will be returning. probably for dinner next time. read more

The food, service and atmosphere were sheer perfection. There's ample parking, and you can watch tv at the bar if you decided to go alone and wanted some entertainment. Kudos to the Chef and his team! read more

Great bar!!!! Superb food every time. Excellent service at bar and now our "go to place" when up north But....please, do not chill the baklava, it needs to be room temp read more

This is the best restaurant in Ipswich by far. You pay for the quality of the meal but should never be disappointed. The lamb is outstanding as well as any of the Mediteranian dishes. read more

This is probably my favorite restaurant. The food is simply outstanding. The service is great, the atmosphere comfortable. It's nearly perfect. Five stars. read more

I'm a big fan of Greek food, so I was very excited when a staff member at our inn recommended this place. I certainly have no complaints about the food; it was exquisite. I had to be rolled out of the place, and I was practically starving when I went in. Not a great variety of vegetarian entrees, but how many can you have at once anyway? My major complaints are with the slow drink service, and the ridiculous 15-minute wait we had to get seated and have our order taken (we had reservations). If it weren't for those things, I would definitely give them 5 stars. As it is, the food was worth the wait. read more

Their Greek version of bolognese (don't recall the name off the top of my head) is my favorite. Great salads, as well.

I have been to Ithaki many times, both before, and after, the recent renovation. I think the renovation was an excellent decision. The atmosphere is now much more classy and modern, with a great informal bar area, as well as a more formal dining room. The service is usually pretty good, although with a mostly new staff after the renovation, they seem to eventually run into some hiccups. I have heard some negative things about their food, but I am rarely disappointed. My food has always been well cooked and fresh, although I do agree with other reviewers that their salads are not always the best. Overall I'd say I like this restaurant, and don't think you'll be upset in choosing it. read more

This was my first visit here and the experience was great. We were seated promptly and everyone was very pleasant. The appetizers were awesome as well as the entrees (rack of lamb and lobster ravioli) but for me the topper was the galaktoboureko. Yummy. I experienced none of the negatives I have read on the reviews and will definitely return. read more

Had one of the best meals in a very long time at Ithaki Restaurant. Authentic Greek food, the olive tapenade was incredible. Bursting with flavor. So good that we got some to go. We both tried a few tapas and a special entree. The best shrimp dish with house made pasta which was incredibly fresh. Greek wine suggested by the waitress, who was great, complimented the meal very well and the chef sent complimentary desert. Baklava rolled and crispy with pistachio ice cream. No pics since it was a long overdue date night. A perfect night! read more

Ithaki is my favorite food on the northshore, the whole fish, lamb shank and Greek spaghetti is amazing! And to top it off they remodeled the entire place and it looks great. The owner, Petros is wonderful and his flower arrangements amazing and can be seen throughout the restaurant. read more

So the wife and I decided we needed some food during the middle of the last snow storm we were smashed with. Figured why not go for a half hour ride to a place where the weather was worse. Glad we did. Exceptional choices for the veggie eaters in us with a mix of classic Greek and American fair. Service was spot on all night (surprised actually because it was busy even with the looming storm outside), wine list is great and the food was perfect in both portion and taste. I never really planned on going here but after reading the reviews and some recent accolades from clients of mine I figured it was worth a shot and could not be happier about the experience. read more

Consistently my favorite restaurant on the north shore. Since 2000, Ithaki has always been a solid choice for a very good meal, dinner or lunch in a pleasant atmosphere. Their menu changes from time to time but classics such as cheese saganaki to the salads are always delicous. Traditional greek selections are mixed with what could be italian or, well.. mediterranean. Seafood, lamb, beef, pork, pasta, bread, olives... all fantastic. Petros and Kostos are great hosts and always welcoming. read more

Went here recently with a friend. We ordered several "small plates" to share. All were delicious! The stand-outs were the briam and the goat cheese stuffed dates wrapped in bacon. Sublime! Can't wait to go back! read more

The food is phenomenal...And I am Greek, so I should know! We are tough customers when it comes to our own cuisine...Ithaki does it just right, authentic, not overdone, fresh, amazing. If you aren't from the North Shore, still worth the trek. I promise! And use them to cater your event...They did a phenomenal job with mine! Thanks, Petros! read more

YUM. I took a chance on a Groupon for this place because I'd never had a real Greek meal (other than Chicken Kebab salad and baklava) but my husband and I REALLY enjoyed the food here. I'd have given 5 stars if it wasn't so pricey, even after the Groupon. I understand what other reviewers have said, that it's very rustic food to charge fine dining prices. But the QUALITY of the food and the atmosphere made it a really great experience, in my opinion. Since other reviewers recommended the octopus, my husband bravely gave it a try and enjoyed it! I got the shrimp saganaki and it was very good. For a main, my husband got the lamb shank, which was much nicer than the last place he ordered it. I got the Moussaka, again, nervous because I'd never had anything like it. I LOVED it. It reminded me of lasagna, really hearty comfort food with cheese and carbs and ground beef. The spices used were ones I wasn't used to but it was so tasty. Big fan. For dessert my husband had the chocolate cake, which went really nice with a glass of port, and I had the pumpkin baklava. I have to say, the baklava was my one disappointment of the evening. The pastry was soggy, yet there wasn't enough honey to make it as sweet as I'm used to. I didn't taste any pumpkin either. The saving grace for the dessert was a HUGE scoop of ice cream that tasted homemade. It was very tasty, even though I'm more of a cake person when it comes to ending a fancy meal. So all in all, really good dinner and we will return! read more

I was shocked to see that the average review gave Ithaki less than 4 stars! I have been twice and they have been the two best meals of my life, no joke. I am Greek, have worked as a waitress/manager of restaurants for the past 15 years and am just an overall food snob, so to have my socks blown off twice, bravo Ithaki! The food tastes so fresh, the atmosphere is great and the owner is lovely! As someone who strongly believes her mother makes the best Baklava, I am still having dreams about the pistachio baklava and well tell anyone who will listen how great it is. Just wish we lived closer. Can't wait to visit again! read more

I enjoyed lunch/brunch today at ithaki! Best brunch ever. Food was amazing two piece band playing service impeccable I will go back again and again! read more

Our party of five went for a special occassion. None of us had been there and had heard about the renovations. We found the decor to be very welcoming, warm and inviting. The staff was really attentive and made recommendations after finding out this was our first visit. The olive marinated in house were delicious. The salad was big enough for the whole table and nicely presented. The portions were large and the quality was excellent. Rack of lamb was the choice of the table. Desserts were yummy and large portions...we can't wait to go back read more

What a hidden gem! I went here for lunch with a friend who claims Ithaki to have the best food on the north shore. I love Greek food so it wasn't difficult to twist my arm. We sat at the bar and although it was pretty quiet , the lunch crowd quickly filled the room for a Wednesday afternoon. The staff overall were attentive and warm. Service was prompt and the food was very fresh and flavorful. I can imagine this place being pretty busy on the weekends judging from the crowd midweek. I got the feeling there are a lot of regulars here, everyone seemed to know one another. Will definitely be coming back. read more

The BEST food. Even if you've never had Greek food, your server will help you get a spectacular meal. Quiet upscale atmosphere for a date or special occasion only adds to the experience. A favorite place for us. read more

I actually didn't even want to write this, and gave myself a day to cool off from my experience on Thursday evening. Obviously, I've always been a big fan of this place.. always suggesting to people coming up to the area looking for a good place to have dinner...but I'd be hard pressed now to do so. We met some friends so we were a table of 8, and I have to say, if it was our first time there, I'd never go back. Service was slow, but they were busy, and I get that, normally, I wouldn't have paid much attention to it, but I had to ask to have the table water glasses filled up on more than a few times...2 people would have had wine or a cocktail, but the server "forgot" to ask again, they were engaged in conversation, so by the time dinner was served, it was really too late to correct. I often get (80%) of the time the large greek salad which is always just wonderful, this time, the feta was turning, so bad you could even smell it, but I tasted a few different parts just to be certain, and had someone else try it without even saying anything...definitely turned...hey, it happens, and I would have been fine with it.....the taste had really kind of seeped into the tomatoes, and I just didn't want to eat something that didn't taste good like it always does. I rarely ever send anything back to the kitchen (which I did with this salad), it has to be just awful. So, that was my app, and I got over it, never would have even given it a second thought, until, someone else in our party of 8 had it for their main, when the server dropped it, it wasso bad, I could smell it 2 seats over from our guest...she was totally put off, and in fact had no idea I had sent my same salad back because she was having a conversation with someone else at the time and missed it. (not like I made a big deal out of it) So, she sent it back. Now understand, I've been going to this place for at least 7 or 8 years, I've never had a conversation with the owner Petros. He has never introduced himself, and has never attempted to engage in conversataion, or express his gratitude or appreciation for our business. I was going to the mens room, and noticed Petros) was just outside the Kitchen area, and I mentioned that we had just had two salads that had bad feta ...thinking I was doing the right thing, not complaining at all btw, I just didn't want anyone else to experience the same thing, in case for some reason the server had not reported both of the dishes having feta that tasted questionable. The response I got horrified me...."I tasted both of them, there was nothing wrong with that feta, I know what feta tastes like, and there was nothing wrong with it"....I just said casually, "if that's how you feel, no big deal, just thought you'd want to know", and walked away...hardly worth further conversation, life is just too short right? I guess all the guy really needed to say was "sorry about that happening to you or sorry you didn't like it, or just plain sorry"...but to have an ego so big, and be so stubborn that you can't admit a mistake has been made, and try to please a customer? The fact is, I wasn't asking for anything for nothing, I was just letting him know in case he didn't know...nothing more. If I was in his shoes as an owner, I'd want to know for certain...I wouldn't be happy, but I'd want to please my guest.' It's actually sad, because we really like the place, and go there a few times a month, more so in the summer than winter. I should mention in fairness, everything else at the table was fantastic, but that does not really matter to me, it was the manner in which this person responded...I can easily get over something going bad in someone's kitchen, particularly feta...it happens quick on that stuff, I know for a fact from personal experience at home. All that said, myself and other members of our party that evening, may not ever return, and certainly will be sharing our experience with others. All very unfortunate as the place is right up there. ( my review here from April reflects 4 stars and rave reviews) With the economy what it is these days, and seeing that this place is not crazy busy all the time during the week, I think it's very short sighted of the owner to treat a guest in this manner. read more

Not that this should matter but I'm Greek. And (obviously) so's my Dad. Well, we dined there and neither of us were terribly impressed. In fact, my dad was downright disappointed. And believe me, we really wanted to love the place. And maybe it was an off-night but it just seemed to be too much money for food that was merely mediocre to so-so. read more

Had a reservation yesterday for 730 we showed up and they screwed up the reservation other couple came two hours to go to dinner with us All they could say is we're sorry. They should've at least said come back tomorrow and comped one meal very very very disappointed. read more

We used to eat here quite often b/c I work near by. Over the past few years the restaurant has started to smell sour and mildewy. It started in the dining room and had spread to the bar area. The cleanliness issue culminates in the bathroom which is smelly and beaten up. The cocktails are fine, most of the food is okay; but they have done little to change the menu. The declining state of the restaurant makes me wary of eating there in the future, especially given the increasing choices in Ipswich. read more

I was extremely disappointed . It's a restaurant with cold decor. Food has no taste. Even the potatoes were not cooked. Food was horrible. Definitely not even close to greek food read more

We've gone to Ithaki at least once a year and have always loved the atmosphere, food, flowers and artwork. It has always been a multi sensory experience with the big price completely worth it. Tonight's visit was a big disappointment. Three of us ordered a cocktail and one additional glass of wine. Appetizers were really delicious-octopus with fava bean purée and minced lamb kabobs. However two of the entrees were just "meh." The Pastitsio was merely good and the Mousaka was tasteless and completely unexciting. The bechamel sauce, usually rich with a creamy , eggy, cheesy taste was completely blah. Furthermore they were served in casserole dishes on a dinner plate with a cocktail napkin under the casserole dish. No garni, no nothing. The lobster scampi special was quite good and was served with pasta and was the only colorful entree on the table. The menu was more limited than in previous years. We ordered two desserts to take home. The atmosphere looked a little tired. Walls need repainting. Usually there are exquisite flower arrangements throughout the restaurant as well as in the bathrooms. The was only one large flower arrangement in the entry way. In the ladies room there was a substitution: two stained, spare dining room chairs. The artwork on the walls was garish acrylic scenes of boat scenes and was out of ace. The tab was $185.00 for a lackluster dinner. Go to 9 Elm or I Pazzi in Danvers and you'll get a better meal and experience. read more

My parents dragged me and my brother here once when we were both pretty young, and it was a miserable experience for all of us. The place is not kid-friendly, and it was really akward because we were the only children there. There's nothing there that kids would really like. My parents liked it pretty well though. If you go, don't bring your kids. They'll hate it and feel uncomfortable/out of place. read more

This used to be my favorite place, but tonight's experience after the last disappointment here due to terrible service has done it for me. Went for Mother's Day with family. The first two meals we ordered were sold out, leaving the roast chicken for my mate, lamb skewers for me and steak for our other two diners. My lamb with risotto was barely warm and pretty tasteless; the chicken was at least at the right temperature but boring and the accompanying vegetables were nothing special. Our other two family members were not happy with the quality of their steak or the potato souffle which seemed to have maybe nutmeg in it. Altogether a disappointing experience that put a damper on this celebration. It will be a long time before we go back - if ever, particularly considering the size of the bill and the quality of the meal. read more

If you're looking for Greek food, stay away...you will be disappointed... Their tzatziki sauce was advertised as "yogurt sauce", which was the first red flag. The Saganaki was lukewarm served without pita...service was marginal. Everything was overpriced. read more

Went to lunch on Friday to try the restaurant before spending too much for dinner and I'm glad I did because I'll never go there for dinner based on the poor quality of food for lunch and the lack of quality service. To start with we were seated in the bar area, really small and crowded. Waitstaff seemed nice enough, very limited lunch menu. I ordered the gyro and my partner ordered the falafel. We were given bread with a very tasteless olive spread, thankfully we were also given olive oil, however, the bread was also bland. Our order took too long and by the time we got it it the fries with it were cold. It was the waitress who failed to pick it up on time. Both meals were tasteless. The gyro had lots of small cubes of meat that spilled everywhere in a tzatziki sauce that is best described as bland and chalky. The falafel was no better. Not sure what the hype is all about, but there are many other Greek places which are so much better at half the price. read more

Had dinner with the family and friends. The food was great and the service was on point. If you love Mediterranean food definitely check this place out and make sure you order a sangria! Delicious! read more

I ate at Ithaki about a year and a half ago for the first time and had a lovely dinner. Six months ago, my boyfriend and I were seated in the dining room for dinner and walked out about 15 minutes after we arrived. Nobody came to acknowledge our presence. The waitresses, as we could see, were discussing whose table we were, but nobody took the initiative to come speak with us or provide us with drinks. We just sat there. Last night, after the recent remodel, we were back. Service was slow. The vodka tonic I ordered was vodka and sprite. I sent it back and 10 minutes later (no drink in hand) was told that there was a problem with the tonic at the bar as it was the second vodka/tonic that had been returned that night. I was offered another drink, which I really didn't want, but took it. Boyfriend ordered a beer everytime he saw the waitress because it was taking so long to get the drinks. The waitress apologized repeatedly, but it still didn't change the service. During this time, I watched multiple plates get sent back to the kitchen for various reasons from other tables. Boyfriend's lamb gyro (off bar menu) was RAW. He ate it because we were starving and he didn't want to wait the 20 minutes it would surely take to get the lamb back correctly. We notified the waitress and got the meal for free - we are not complainers, we wanted her to know there are issues here. It will be difficult to convince me to go back there. Boyfriend says the 'old' Ithaki was awesome, but fears it is no longer that restaurant. read more

Always fabulous. Delicious food, such a nice staff, incredibly thoughtful and a lovely atmosphere. Different food from the standard New England meat and potatoes all around. Try the Retsina wine, incredible. Also the lamb kabobs, greek salad, everything really. read more

Excellent Mousakas! Good food and service. Nice atmosphere.