Ancora!

Great place for a quick bite right in the heart of downtown. Make sure you have reservations for Friday or Saturday because they fill up quick. The atmosphere is great and the staff is friendly. The bar is fully stocked! You can’t go wrong with the appetizers and the filet is always tasty. For reference, a table of 4 takes 60-90 min with dinner and drinks

Intimate space with excellent menu and stellar service! Calamari was breaded perfectly and served with a nice spicy horseradish cocktail sauce. Fig prosciutto flatbread was delicious, hints of Gorgonzola coming through the balsamic glaze. Caesar salad perfectly dressed! And for dessert the bananas foster was outstanding!!!

Amazing place right in the heart of Utica!

The food is hot and delicious with HUGE portions. Plenty of food for tomorrow... if it survives the night! Lol...

We ordered too much food, and knew it as soon as the appetizers came out. We had the parmesan fries and the parmesan polenta fries. The fries were good, and the polenta was something I've never had before...unique and delicious. They are fried with a tasty, crispy batter, and the inside the polenta is creamy. An excellent start to the meal.

I had the homemade cavitappi as my entrée. It is served in a cream sauce with peas, prosciutto, and onions. I added chicken to it and it was absolutely delicious. Glad I couldn't finish it... more for tomorrow!

My wife had the chicken riggies, and she enjoyed them immensely...and that says something as she is a riggie snob...also a huge plate of food with plenty left over.

Our waiter, Greg, was efficient, attentive and very nice...a good representation of the restaurant.

The ONLY thing is that it's a crowded place...tables are close... that's nothing that would keep me from coming back at all.

We've been here one before, and I'm glad we went back. It was a solid reminder that I need to visit more often.

My son and I enjoyed having dinner here last night. Great atmosphere, delicious food, and a wonderful service.

The food was absolutely amazing I got the sesame salmon and the co worker got the paella so delicious

Visiting from out of state. A few locals recommended it to us. Made reservations same day. It's located right next door to the Stanley theater. Sat at a high top near the bar. Greg was our server and bartender. His choices were home runs and drinks were awesome. Had an old fashioned and wife had a spicy watermelon (something) both were great! Went with Greg's choice of the daily special spicy creamy shrimp. Had a creamy pasta sauce with some chorizo sausage and shrimp over penne. It was awesome! For desert we had crepes and creme brulee also recommended by Greg. They were perfect! By the time we left the front patio was packed and no open tables outside!
Great service, great food!
Dinner for two, with drinks, and desert just over $100.
Definitely worth going!

In Utica for Women's World Championship. OMG dinner was incredible. The homemade cavatelli was some of the best I've ever had, and I loved the Arancini as well! Thanks for a great dinner!

In town on business in Utica and after eating 2 nights in the hotel restaurant decided to explore the area. Discovered Ancora in the theater district. EXCELLENT choice in literally ever way I could think of. From the Bruschetta for the appetizer, to the house special Mushroom Stuffed Raviola, to the oversized glass of tea, topped off with one of the best margaritas (Silver Petron of course), this was one of the best meals I've had in quite some time. And considering this is located in the theater district, the price vs value was off the charts.

Highly recommend if you're in the Utica area, you seriously consider this for your dining choice. You won't regret it!!

Fast, friendly and delicious. This is hands down one of my favorite restaurants in Utica. Ordered Riggies to go tonight and as usual it did not disappoint. 10/10!

Traveling through for work. Super cute and clean! Everyone was very friendly. Service was great. The patio is adorable, but I sat at the bar since I didn't have reservations and it really didn't matter to me where I sat. My drink was strong and the food was delicious. I got 2 Utica staples, the greens and chicken riggies. Yummm

A really nice evening with delicious food served wit excellent service at an excellent price point. Suzanne as a server and host?? Extraordinary!

Excellent food and atmosphere. Paella was delicious. Definitively one of the best places for dinning in Utica area and CNY.

Anytime I go somewhere with Chicken Riggies, I have to try them out. I was not disappointed. These were amazing and I'd love to have them again! Absolutely recommend if your in the area.

I went here for dinner and drinks and I was not disappointed! The original paella was delish

Had a great first experience at Ancora! We started with the arancini, which was delicious. For entrees, we had the single serving paella and the haddock oreganata. Both dishes were great, with the paella being excellent. When dessert came around, we had a chocolate crepe. I saw there was espresso on the dessert menu and asked if they could make an affogato, which they kindly did. Would recommend and will be back!

Food was amazing, 😊 our waitress, not so much🥺 She took our order, we didn't get 2 extra items we asked for, IF she had returned to the table I would have requested them again but by time she did we were almost done. I had to ask the nice young man that came to refill our waters for containers AND our check. She didn't have a problem bringing that though...... AGAIN, amazing food, not so good waitress. Life goes on, DEFINITELY, DEFINITELY going back to try more amazing entrees and maybe try some dessert if I could get the dessert menu 😋

My wife and I have been eating Ancora ever since we met 10 years ago. Regardless of the occasion, the food and staff deliver. Their expertise is apparent in both the construction and execution of their dishes. We had the pleasure of Greg as our server at our last visit and the best thing I can say is for those looking for an experience free of stress and a joy to your pallet, go to Ancora. You won’t regret it!

Tried one of their pasta dishes, which was delicious. Large portions and fair prices. Downtown location with parking availability.

Another 5 star meal at Ancora!
I have yet to find a dish on the menu that isn't delicious!
Tried their Riggies this time around and they were delicious!! The pasta was a perfect al dente, the sauce had just the right amount of kick (I ordered it medium) and they are very generous with the chicken. Angelica the bartender extraordinaire served my UC just as I like it (cold and full). Even got a visit from the owner as I sat at the bar. If you are looking for great food in downtown Utica, take a stroll down Genesee st. to Ancora!

Amazing service and food! Best meal I have had in a while.