Inka’s — Restaurant in City of Syracuse

Oh my goodness this place was absolutely fantastic. The atmosphere was so beautiful. The lighting was low enough to feel intimate and romantic, but bright enough that you didn't feel like you were eating in the dark. They have this old building decorated so beautifully. It has a very elegant yet somewhat warm feel to it.

The entire staff is so welcoming and accommodating and friendly. You feel at home immediately.

I've heard about ceviche for years, but was always nervous to try it because of the raw fish aspect, but I decided to be brave and give it a try and it was absolutely out of this world. It had a nice spice to it, but was also bright and refreshing. You couldn't even tell the fish was raw - no creepy texuture that I typically associate with raw fish. It was absolutely perfect for a hot summer day.

I got the lobster ravioli. The ravioli itself was a little Al dente, but it's better than being overcooked, and the filling had a delicate but also rich flavor, and the Lobster on top felt like it had been lightly pan-fried, so had a little bit of a crisp on the outside but a nice tender texture on the inside. The sauce on it was creamy but had a little bit of a spice, and the parsley oil and other toppings that were on top of the lobster created this beautiful Symphony of richness with a brightness and a slight earthy undertone. Absolutely outstanding.

My date got the salmon with orange butter sauce. I have had salmon in a number of restaurants, and the orange butter sauce on this one was unlike anything else I've ever tasted - bright and very flavorful, pairing very well with the salmon, which was cooked perfectly. It was served on top of a sweet potato and lucuma puree. I've never had lucuma before, and apparently it's a fruit from South america, and paired with the sweet potato, it was very sweet, but not in an overwhelming candy sort of way, just enough to compliment the orange butter and salmon. Also served with this dish was small asparagus spears, which was a really great choice to pair with the other flavors. The food all tasted so fresh and light, you didn't feel heavy and overly full when you finished.

We tried the fried yucca, which was yummy, and interesting to try. I've had Yucca before, but never fried. It came out looking like French fries, and was served with a dip that was made with sweet yellow peppers. The dip by itself was very mild, and yummy, and I felt like it's flavor came out much better when you ate it with the spiraled sweet radish that was meant to be a garnish. The delicate flavor of the dip was also really good with the spiraled sweet radish on the plate.

Many restaurants have really good menus, but the dessert menus are their Achilles heel, boring and uninspired, so I typically skip dessert because I can usually make something better at home. But not this place. Every single option looked enticing, but we settled on sharing the Suspiro Caliente, which is a caramel-like custard on top of a dulce de leche cake topped with a light meringue, a touch of cinnamon and ice cream served in a chocolate cup. The cake is rich and tender, the caramel custard rich, balanced out very well with the very light and delicate toasted meringue and the ice cream. So many flavors and textures for your palette - it was absolutely dreamy! I have done a lot of baking, including numerous elaborate cakes with complex flavors, and this dessert absolutely knocked it out of the park.

Overall, I can't say enough about recommending this place. Every plate that we tried provided flavors that I have never experienced before. When I go out to eat, my goal is to enjoy some food that I would never prepare at home, and this place provided not only foods that I would never have had at home, but flavor experiences that I have never had before in my life. And between the ambience and the wait staff, and the exciting and innovative menu, it's five stars,...

Inka’s is one of the new hot spots in town, and it shows. When we walked in on a Wednesday night it was pretty packed.

The food was good, but not outstanding. It’s a cut above what you can get elsewhere in Syracuse. I found that the main course for dining week was really underwhelming and super rice heavy. Not a lot of protein for the price, but we did do the dining week deal so maybe they toned it down. Potatoes were flavorful but a little undercooked. Dessert was just “ok”. Nothing super standout.

Unfortunately what did standout was the service. Our server kind of seemed annoyed by our presence and like he could not wait to get away from us. Before we could barely finish talking he was over flirting with a table of ladies pretty close to us, lingering for long periods of time. This doesn’t bother me generally but difference in server between tables felt really clear.

I also have some uncommon food allergies, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries (all the good ones right?!)- I had ordered a citrus cocktail that came out to the table bright red. Of course because of my allergy I flag the server down who informs me the shrub in the drink is not citrus it’s strawberry. This is fine I have no issue with strawberries but since there was no mention of berry I asked him to please check with the kitchen to be sure.

He said that he would, went back over to the table of ladies for about 10 minutes. Walked round the dining room and water station for another 10 minutes. I flag him down a 2nd time to ask about the drink as he never went in the back to ask.

He then reassured me it was fun to drink and that he didn’t need to check. I had been waiting to drink my drink for 20 minutes to make sure it was allergen free and then he didn’t even look.

It also took a REALLY long time between courses. We got there at 7:15 and left at 10:05. We waited on our dessert for 45 minutes after dinner and we’re not offered a water refill another drink or anything.

I’m going to have to say that this was probably a bad server in a good restaurant but unfortunately service is everything.

Also not a huge thing but someone in the back burnt the hell out of some popcorn near the end of the night the whole restaurant smelled horribly of burnt popcorn and kind of made dessert unappetizing when we did finally get it.

I’ll probably space out the visits but will come back in the summer months for cocktails. I’m not sure I would...

Our anniversary dinner is always the time we try to make sure we feel special and oh did Inka’s deliver! From the moment we stepped into the restaurant every interaction with staff was delightful and the fun decor made you think you had gone on vacation!

First we enjoyed their happy hour from 4-6 with an icy cold Fiddlehead and a creamy Chardonnay. All bartenders always checking on us as we enjoyed our conversation and the relaxing environment. Now on to dinner…… I always feel that service is the gold standard to judge a restaurant, because if it is attentive and engaging you can forgive culinary missteps. Let me introduce Leo who is by far in the top 5 of the best servers in CNY!

From the moment we sat down he was engaging, knowledgeable and patient with our questions, and proud of his restaurant, not to mention we share many things in common……. He is a treasure and a true asset! Now the food…. Appetizer chosen was ceviche classica and the fish of the day fluke. Incredible light, and bright great choice but alas no picture we gobbled it down! Next the entree for two Arroz con Mariano’s a delightful savory dish likened to a Spanish paella except I feel more flavorful and not as rich. The seafood consisted of octopus, squid, scallops, and shrimp each perfectly cooked! Kudos to the kitchen as that is usually tough to pull off. If that wasn’t enough Leo made sure we enjoyed a complimentary dessert for our anniversary and let’s say I’m not a dessert fan usually, but this changed my mind! Save room for the incredibly decadent Suspiro Caliente. This beautiful caramel cake is served warm with a meringue on top I would buy alone, and the side of rich vanilla bean ice cream in a chocolate cup was a perfect compliment.

My husband ordered me an expresso martini which I am very particular about and it was creamy, toasty, and bold yet smooth. A hit! Leo checked in again and left us feeling very special! As we were slowly strolling to our car an employee came sprinting out to find us as we left our credit card. As I said service makes the restaurant and all around 10 out of...