Wine lovers that we are, my husband and I decided to dine @ the Heights on our last evening of vacation in Ithaca. The Heights has been recognized by Wine Spectator several years in a row and they do indeed have an impressive wine list.
It was a Thursday evening and we did call ahead for reservations. We were seated at a cramped table for two which was extremely close to a very large table of seven, right by the window. The various wait staff came perilously close to knocking in to us and our table numerous times throughout the evening.
The food was overpriced and very ""fussed with"", stacking layers upon layers of food until you could not distinguish individual flavors.
As the sun went down, they opened the blinds instead of turning up the lights so that eventually, our table was completely bathed in the dingy halogen light coming from the overhang outside the window, which gave the atmosphere more of the feeling of a garage than a restaurant.
As if all of this wasn't enough, the service was an absolute disaster. We ordered a moderately priced bottle of Italian wine. While attempting to open the bottle table-side, our server managed to yank the cork out so violently that 1/2 a glass of wine was splashed all over me! This was before I even tasted the wine. I accepted his apology, understanding that everyone has a bad night and with the expectation that we would be compensated for the bottle. Rather than walk out as we should have done, my husband and I chose to stay and try to enjoy the evening. Apparently, the manager's idea of compensation was to bring us two very large desserts, neither of which we ordered (we were quite finished eating) nor ate. Had my husband been the one who had wine spilled all over his clothing, I doubt they would have tried to ""sweeten him up"" (as it were) with desserts. Nevertheless, when the bill came, they charged us for the entire bottle of wine. We were appalled and utterly offended. There was no point in talking to the manager at this point because only a completely incompetent manager would think a six-dollar slice of cake is sufficient to compensate for a half glass of wine, a blouse and a pair of jeans. Needless to say, I will be posting this review on as many sites as possible.
If you must visit the Heights, sit at the bar, get your wine by the glass and wear something waterproof!
Pros: Good wine list
Cons: Where do I begin?
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