Moosewood — Restaurant in City of Ithaca

Moosewood Restaurant – Iconic Vegetarian Dining in Ithaca

Moosewood Restaurant in Ithaca, New York is a legendary dining destination renowned for its innovative, wholesome, and flavorful vegetarian cuisine. Established in the 1970s, Moosewood has grown from a small co-op into an internationally recognized restaurant, celebrated for its creative approach to plant-based meals and its commitment to sustainability, community, and healthful eating. Known for its warm, welcoming atmosphere and chef-driven dishes, Moosewood continues to inspire vegetarians, vegans, and food lovers alike to explore vibrant, fresh, and seasonal ingredients.

Fresh, Seasonal, and Wholesome Menu

Moosewood Restaurant’s menu is a showcase of fresh, locally sourced, and seasonal ingredients, offering a variety of dishes that are both delicious and nutritious. Guests can enjoy hearty entrées, fresh salads, soups, grain-based bowls, and house-made breads and desserts. Signature dishes include vegetable stews, lasagna, stuffed peppers, and creative tofu or tempeh preparations, all crafted with care and bold flavors. The restaurant caters to a wide range of dietary preferences, including vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free options, ensuring that every guest finds something satisfying and nourishing.

Commitment to Sustainability and Community

Moosewood is not just about food; it’s a community-focused, environmentally conscious establishment. The restaurant emphasizes sustainable sourcing, supporting local farmers and producers while minimizing environmental impact. It also fosters a sense of community by providing a welcoming space where locals and visitors can connect over shared meals, culinary creativity, and a passion for healthy living.

Atmosphere and Dining Experience

The restaurant offers a casual yet vibrant atmosphere, with rustic décor, comfortable seating, and a friendly staff dedicated to providing exceptional service. Whether you’re visiting for a family dinner, a lunch with friends, or a solo meal, Moosewood creates an inviting environment where guests feel at home while exploring the rich flavors of vegetarian cuisine.

Cookbooks and Cultural Impact

Moosewood Restaurant is also famous for its cookbooks, which have been widely published and translated, inspiring home cooks around the world to embrace plant-based cooking. These cookbooks reflect the restaurant’s philosophy of fresh, creative, and healthful meals and continue to influence vegetarian and vegan cuisine globally.

Why Choose Moosewood Restaurant

Fresh, seasonal, and locally sourced ingredients

Creative vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free dishes

Iconic restaurant with decades of culinary influence

Warm, welcoming, and community-focused atmosphere

House-made breads, desserts, and wholesome beverages

Inspiration for home cooking through Moosewood cookbooks

Whether you’re a vegetarian, vegan, or simply a food lover looking for innovative and flavorful meals, Moosewood Restaurant offers a one-of-a-kind dining experience that celebrates fresh ingredients, creativity, and sustainability. It’s a must-visit culinary landmark in Ithaca, embodying the city’s commitment to community, wellness, and exceptional...

Context: My partner and I came in on a Sunday night without reservations an hour before closing. There were a few guests waiting for a table, but we were able to get seats at the otherwise empty bar right away. The restaurant is spacious but was busy at the time.

Food: We ordered a Strozzapreti al tartufo nero ($28), a Moroccan chickpea stew ($18), an organic white bean confit side ($5), and an organic baked tofu side ($4). The strozzapreti is a pasta dish with mushrooms and spinach. It tasted a lot like a cacio e pepe pasta dish, but lacked the punchiness of the black pepper. We asked for hot sauce on the side which added the much needed punch. Otherwise, it was a solid dish, if underwhelming, for what you get - while the portions are large and the flavors good, the mushrooms and spinach don't really add much to the dish, and $28 wasn't a terribly good value for that. The Moroccan stew was all around good. Nothing in particular stood out, but it was just really nice comfort food. The flavors were balanced, there were a variety of textures, the dish was appealing to look at, it was pleasantly salty, and the dish components were coarse enough that you could really appreciate each individual morsel of food. It was rich, but not overwhelming, and nothing was bland. For $18, I would recommend this as an entree, as long as you aren't expecting stew (it was more like a curry over quinoa). The baked tofu was tasty. It tasted and looked like tofu fried in sesame oil. It wasn't oily and the salt level was appropriate, but it was also just missing...something. The star of the meal was definitely the white bean confit. I didn't know you could confit beans, but I was pleasantly surprised. The primary flavors were the robust olive oil and tarragon. While you could tell it was cooked in olive oil, it had more of a stew consistency and wasn't anywhere near what I would call oily. The beans were tender but not mushy. It was so simple, yet so impressive. The price for the flavor and portion is a good value. I highly recommend this side dish!

Upon the recommendation of other reviewers, we got the brownie (a la mode). I was really excited because of the rave reviews, but I ended up being disappointed. The brownie was good...but really nothing special. It honestly just tasted like it was made with Ghirardelli brownie mix, which is actually quite good if you've never tried it, but it was disappointing compared to what I was expecting (especially given the price). Furthermore, if you take a look at other review pictures for the brownie, you'll find that the brownie is actually different from what they previously served! For some reason, the recipe seems to have changed. This is not the same brownie that others raved so much about in the past! Talk about disappointing.

Overall: Good restaurant with a lot of care taken toward highlighting vegetarian and vegan cuisine. Service and atmosphere was calm and nice. Definitely try the bean confit side and maybe the moroccan stew. Food was tasty and decent, but nothing outstanding. Value was okay. I wouldn't mind coming again if I wanted a vegetarian meal. Otherwise, I would probably just try another...

Had a fantastic evening with my family here.

We were quickly greeted by friendly people and were seated quickly. We had a reservation but showed up early and it wasn't a problem.

Quickly got recommendations from our server and she had a lot of great things to say.

We tried 4 different craft cocktails and they were mixed up deliciously and paired well with everything. I liked the Gibson and Paloma the best, by my Side car was fantastic too. My wife loved her Bloody Mary.

For the apps we had polenta in a wonderfully delicious sauce, olives, and grilled cauliflower. The cauliflower was a wonderful treat with golden raisins for pops of sweet, and a nice crunch from pistachios!

I had a salmon special which was perfectly cooked. Moist, with good flavor, but the crunchy topping really was the star of that plate. It came with some tasty Brussels sprouts seasoned with mustard and a cauliflower puree surrounding it all. The puree reminded me of an aioli; it added a richness that brought it all together.

My wife had tofu in curry, I really enjoyed the rich flavor, spice, and sweet salty coconut goodness..... Of the one bite she allowed me.

The kids were treated well. My son was not planning on eating, but changed his mind when the rest of us got our food. Our server and the kitchen made a plate is food appear for him like a magic trick. Their lemonade was fresh and zingy, and the cola was a high quality NY made soda.

Desserts were wonderful. I was very sad that there was no sticky toffee pudding (my favorite) but our server recommended the vegan chocolate with coconut whip. OMG was that a brilliant dish. The coconut whip was something to fight over! I forgot to get a picture until my last bite. Whoops! We also had ice cream: vanilla and maple pecan...I think. I was only able to steal one bite of each.

We can't...