Alléchant - Ithaca

A small cozy bistro that has an excellent brunch. The bistro is tastefully decorated, and the seats are well spaced out. The staff is attentive and friendly. Re... read more A small cozy bistro that has an excellent brunch. The bistro is tastefully decorated, and the seats are well spaced out. The staff is attentive and friendly. Reservations are strongly recommended. We had the waffle, with pecans, pear, and cinnamon honey butter and Eggs Edinburgh. They were delicious and the portions just right. Te OJ was freshly squeezed, and the hot chocolate was a tad too sweet but chocolaty. Do note the very unusual opening hours. The bistro is opened on Thursday to Saturday from 5.30pm to 9pm and on Sunday from 10am to 2pm. Parking: Plenty of parking lots available.

Absolutely delicious and delightful Service: Dine in Meal type: Dinner Price per person: $50–100 Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5 Recommended dishes: Risotto read more Absolutely delicious and delightful Service: Dine in Meal type: Dinner Price per person: $50–100 Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5 Recommended dishes: Risotto

The food and atmosphere were outstanding! I would rate the food a perfect 5, the service a solid 5, and the atmosphere also a 5. Highly recommended! read more The food and atmosphere were outstanding! I would rate the food a perfect 5, the service a solid 5, and the atmosphere also a 5. Highly recommended!

One of the best brunches in all of Ithaca. You must make reservations or you'll be hopeless on a weekend. The aesthetic is one of the best I've seen. It makes y... read more One of the best brunches in all of Ithaca. You must make reservations or you'll be hopeless on a weekend. The aesthetic is one of the best I've seen. It makes you feel cozy, warm, and like you can really unwind and have good conversation with someone you actually like. The Benedict was tasty and the bread it comes with is weird but delicious. I'm not sure what kind of toast it was but it was the most enticing toast I've had on my plate. The pancakes were phenomenal and I don't recommend skipping them. They weren't life changing but they were solid and perfectly made, which is all I can really ask for in pancakes.

So, generally speaking, I would probably give this place a 3.5. That said, I 'm rounding up to 4 stars based on the fact that the people who work here are truly... read more So, generally speaking, I would probably give this place a 3.5. That said, I 'm rounding up to 4 stars based on the fact that the people who work here are truly lovely. If you 're going for brunch, I certainly recommend a reservation. I wish they had an online option for making reservations (Resy, OpenTable, etc), but it seems to be via phone call only. If you don 't speak with someone directly, you can certainly leave a message. In my experience, they 'll get back to you pretty quickly. The space itself is lovely, and I really enjoy the overall ambience. The staff are very attentive as well. So in all these areas, Allechant functions well. Perhaps the less successful aspect of Allechant is the food. Now, as someone who loves to cook (and does a good amount of it), I 'm looking for certain things when I go out to eat... flavor, texture combinations, freshness, and so on. One of the first things that kinda turned me off when enjoying brunch recently was when my cousin asked our waitress if the orange juice for the mimosas had pulp. The waitress stuttered a bit and ultimately said she didn 't think so... and that the orange juice they used was just regular, store bought orange juice. Other than that, the dishes are rather simple. My ploughman 's lunch, for example, was described as chicken sausage, chutney, gruyere cheese, fried eggs, roasted potatoes, and toast . I 'm not sure exactly what kind of chutney it was supposed to be... but it tasted like a chunky ketchup. The gruyere cheese was simply a slice of cheese on the plate, which... I don 't know. It seems like there could have been SOMETHING interesting done with it. I also wonder if the chicken sausage was store bought. I even wonder if the potatoes just came out of a store bought bag and got tossed in a fryer or skillet to reheat. And here 's the thing... don 't get me wrong... I love some of the simple-style full English breakfast -type meals. But I can also make those from home. If I 'm making chicken sausage for something like a ploughman 's lunch at home, I 'm searing it, maybe even slicing it, for the crunch of the brown bits... or I 'm creating a fruit chutney with seasonal fruits and interesting spices (i.e. it 's not going to taste like bland, chunky ketchup). There are so many possibilities for just doing the most minimal things to amplify the flavor. TL;DR Allechant didn 't fully hit the spot for me. The food is okay, but it definitely didn 't wow me. If you go, make it for the ambience and the service... because those things are truly delightful.