We dined in on a rainy Saturday night. I would say we have an alright experience.We first ordered the beef carpaccio for an appetizer which was very tasty. We decided to order the pasta with duck special for our main course. It was not want we expected but it was okay. The duck was minced(?) and I was not a big fan of the texture. It felt very offputting despite it tasting fine. I was hoping for sliced duck pieces. There is orange juice that overpowers the dish and leaves the duck taste very subtle.The service was great. Our waitress was very friendly and checked in on us often. We received complementary wine as well.I liked the atmpsphere here. We got a table by the window and I enjoyed looking out onto elmwood st. The music playing was lively but not too loud to not be able to have a conversation.Overall, alright experience. The food was disappointing especially for the price but everything else was enjoyable. I'm not sure if I want to give this another shot. Maybe eventually.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Johanna C. Dominguez
Chose to come here for my birthday and had a great experience! Food and service were excellent. My friend was trying to Shazam a song he heard and Kai the waiter was super attentive and brought a slip of paper with the name of the song on it. Love coming here. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cacio E Pepe
Joe Fox
INIZIO is my favorite Italian Restaurant in Buffalo right now! They have outstanding homemade pasta. The best I'm aware of in Buffalo. The atmosphere is great and super contemporary Buffalo! The service is attentive and focused. Last easter, I had the Crispy Meaty Easter Lasagna and it was quite literally the best lasagna I've had in more than a decade! I love this place!!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Toasted Bread, Hanger Steak
Paige Dentice
The ambiance was delightful, and the staff was exceptionally attentive and accommodating. The homemade bread was truly remarkable. My cocktail was exceptionally crafted, and my husband thoroughly enjoyed his wine selection. We both opted for the crab dish, anticipating a subtle hint of lemon. However, the pasta appeared to have been cooked in an excessive amount of lemon juice, resulting in an overwhelming sweetness that resembled lemon candy. Despite this unexpected flavor, we savored every bite, as the crab and sauce were undeniably delicious. While the intense lemon flavor was not to our preference, we would gladly return to explore other dishes on the menu.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Toasted Bread
Chris Martin
Everything was AMAZING. Service - fantastic. Apps are unreal. The flank steak is a must- broccoli is amazing (never said that before) carrots were incredible.Our party (7) all had different pastas. Everyone of them were delicious.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Maryanne s
Pasta was not good. To toothy and cacio e pepe sauce was salty and too thick.The beef carpaccio however was to die
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Beef Carpaccio
Jessica Mitchell
This place is a Buffalo gem for sure. The vibe in here is everything. The food is chef’s kiss, so good. The service was good as well. Definitely recommend coming here you won’t be disappointed at all : )
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Stephanie M.
Too high priced for the quality and quantity of food. Didn't seem like fine dining at all. Was very excited for the cacio e pepe but it was incredibly salty. The best part of the entire meal was the side of broccoli. That was delicious. Everything else was meh. Wouldn't go back.
Andrea Simon
Best Italian spot in Buffalo. The bread is amazing, and so is all of the pasta- especially the Cacio e Pepe. Drinks and dessert are great here too! Would also be a good date spot. Reservations recommended!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Toasted Bread, Beef Carpaccio, Cacio E Pepe
Adrianna Zullich
Warm ambience. Great service. Delicious food. The bread came out hot and crusty. The polenta especially was excellent, closest I’ve had to my Nonna’s. Everyone enjoyed their dishes. All the food was perfectly seasoned and felt good in my mouth (not exactly sure what I mean by this but the way I’d describe it).We were so comfortable we sat and chatted way past dessert. Eat at Inizio!!
Warm ambience. Great service. Delicious food. The bread came out hot and crusty. The polenta especially was excellent, closest I’ve had to my Nonna’s. Everyone enjoyed their dishes. All the food was perfectly seasoned and felt good in my mouth (not exactly sure what I mean by this but the way I’d describe it).
We were so comfortable we sat and chatted way past dessert. Eat at Inizio!!
Tim W.
Made a reservation in July for our November anniversary. We were seated with a spectacular view of the servers' station, the greeter podium in the foyer, and the restrooms. No complaints about the food, nor the service, but when looking forward to a special evening for months (which they were aware of) they could have done MUCH better! Would have spent much more $ with just a little thoughtfulness on their part, but we were ready to move on to celebrate our special day at a more worthy establishment.
BumpE
Made a reservation in July for our November anniversary. We were seated with a spectacular view of the servers’ station, the maitre’ d podium in the foyer, and the restrooms. No complaints about the food, nor the service, but when looking forward to a special evening for months (which they were aware of) they could have done MUCH better! Would have spent much more $ with just a little thoughtfulness on their part, but we were ready to move on to celebrate our special day at a more worthy establishment.
Laurie Gershgorn
So I’m the vegan that everyone worries about when we go out. I love how I eat so I don’t worry. I was happily surprised to find the Delicata Squash dish on the menu, as it was not there the week before when I made the reservation. So they took really good care and this dish was not only whole food plant based, but delicious! My entire family enjoyed their pasta dishes. Good job Inizio, and from one chef to another, thank you!Vegetarian options: One vegan dish that was seasonal and delicious.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Alex T.
I tried to make a reservation a couple days before we were planning on visiting, but they were booked up. We were in the Elmwood Village area and decided to see how long of a wait it would be. The hostess was very friendly and let us know that if anyone canceled, they would give us a call and fit us in later. They ended up being able to fit us in which was great.The restaurant itself is very homey and intimate, noise level isn't too loud and tables are spaced out well so it doesn't feel like you're on top of everyone else. Our server was friendly and attentive- they also offer complimentary Prosecco which was awesome.We both ended up getting the Cacio y Pepe pasta which was delicious. The bread is also a must have for any carb-lovers. Definitely want to come back here soon!
We dined in on a rainy Saturday night. I would say we have an alright experience.We first ordered the beef carpaccio for an appetizer which was very tasty. We decided to order the pasta with duck special for our main course. It was not want we expected but it was okay. The duck was minced(?) and I was not a big fan of the texture. It felt very offputting despite it tasting fine. I was hoping for sliced duck pieces. There is orange juice that overpowers the dish and leaves the duck taste very subtle.The service was great. Our waitress was very friendly and checked in on us often. We received complementary wine as well.I liked the atmpsphere here. We got a table by the window and I enjoyed looking out onto elmwood st. The music playing was lively but not too loud to not be able to have a conversation.Overall, alright experience. The food was disappointing especially for the price but everything else was enjoyable. I'm not sure if I want to give this another shot. Maybe eventually.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Chose to come here for my birthday and had a great experience! Food and service were excellent. My friend was trying to Shazam a song he heard and Kai the waiter was super attentive and brought a slip of paper with the name of the song on it. Love coming here. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cacio E Pepe
INIZIO is my favorite Italian Restaurant in Buffalo right now! They have outstanding homemade pasta. The best I'm aware of in Buffalo. The atmosphere is great and super contemporary Buffalo! The service is attentive and focused. Last easter, I had the Crispy Meaty Easter Lasagna and it was quite literally the best lasagna I've had in more than a decade! I love this place!!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Toasted Bread, Hanger Steak
The ambiance was delightful, and the staff was exceptionally attentive and accommodating. The homemade bread was truly remarkable. My cocktail was exceptionally crafted, and my husband thoroughly enjoyed his wine selection. We both opted for the crab dish, anticipating a subtle hint of lemon. However, the pasta appeared to have been cooked in an excessive amount of lemon juice, resulting in an overwhelming sweetness that resembled lemon candy. Despite this unexpected flavor, we savored every bite, as the crab and sauce were undeniably delicious. While the intense lemon flavor was not to our preference, we would gladly return to explore other dishes on the menu.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Toasted Bread
Everything was AMAZING. Service - fantastic. Apps are unreal. The flank steak is a must- broccoli is amazing (never said that before) carrots were incredible.Our party (7) all had different pastas. Everyone of them were delicious.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Pasta was not good. To toothy and cacio e pepe sauce was salty and too thick.The beef carpaccio however was to die
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Beef Carpaccio
This place is a Buffalo gem for sure. The vibe in here is everything. The food is chef’s kiss, so good. The service was good as well. Definitely recommend coming here you won’t be disappointed at all : )
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Too high priced for the quality and quantity of food. Didn't seem like fine dining at all. Was very excited for the cacio e pepe but it was incredibly salty. The best part of the entire meal was the side of broccoli. That was delicious. Everything else was meh. Wouldn't go back.
Best Italian spot in Buffalo. The bread is amazing, and so is all of the pasta- especially the Cacio e Pepe. Drinks and dessert are great here too! Would also be a good date spot. Reservations recommended!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Toasted Bread, Beef Carpaccio, Cacio E Pepe
Warm ambience. Great service. Delicious food. The bread came out hot and crusty. The polenta especially was excellent, closest I’ve had to my Nonna’s. Everyone enjoyed their dishes. All the food was perfectly seasoned and felt good in my mouth (not exactly sure what I mean by this but the way I’d describe it).We were so comfortable we sat and chatted way past dessert. Eat at Inizio!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Warm ambience. Great service. Delicious food. The bread came out hot and crusty. The polenta especially was excellent, closest I’ve had to my Nonna’s. Everyone enjoyed their dishes. All the food was perfectly seasoned and felt good in my mouth (not exactly sure what I mean by this but the way I’d describe it). We were so comfortable we sat and chatted way past dessert. Eat at Inizio!!
Made a reservation in July for our November anniversary. We were seated with a spectacular view of the servers' station, the greeter podium in the foyer, and the restrooms. No complaints about the food, nor the service, but when looking forward to a special evening for months (which they were aware of) they could have done MUCH better! Would have spent much more $ with just a little thoughtfulness on their part, but we were ready to move on to celebrate our special day at a more worthy establishment.
Made a reservation in July for our November anniversary. We were seated with a spectacular view of the servers’ station, the maitre’ d podium in the foyer, and the restrooms. No complaints about the food, nor the service, but when looking forward to a special evening for months (which they were aware of) they could have done MUCH better! Would have spent much more $ with just a little thoughtfulness on their part, but we were ready to move on to celebrate our special day at a more worthy establishment.
So I’m the vegan that everyone worries about when we go out. I love how I eat so I don’t worry. I was happily surprised to find the Delicata Squash dish on the menu, as it was not there the week before when I made the reservation. So they took really good care and this dish was not only whole food plant based, but delicious! My entire family enjoyed their pasta dishes. Good job Inizio, and from one chef to another, thank you!Vegetarian options: One vegan dish that was seasonal and delicious.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I tried to make a reservation a couple days before we were planning on visiting, but they were booked up. We were in the Elmwood Village area and decided to see how long of a wait it would be. The hostess was very friendly and let us know that if anyone canceled, they would give us a call and fit us in later. They ended up being able to fit us in which was great.The restaurant itself is very homey and intimate, noise level isn't too loud and tables are spaced out well so it doesn't feel like you're on top of everyone else. Our server was friendly and attentive- they also offer complimentary Prosecco which was awesome.We both ended up getting the Cacio y Pepe pasta which was delicious. The bread is also a must have for any carb-lovers. Definitely want to come back here soon!