Very nice spot in the Elmwood Village with niche homemade pasta offerings. The bread is to die for so you should definitely get that as an appetizer. Salads are a generous size as well. Pricy (but typical?) dinner so be prepared for that. I wish the dessert menu looked better but honestly, after a meal like that you might be too full for dessert! Smallish but comfortable inside. Wide, grand windows in what they call the solarium. If you want to be seated in that area at the front of the restaurant that looks out to the street, indicate that on your booking. Reservations highly recommended. Staff were friendly and helpful. We made it on resy and indicated that it was to celebrate a birthday and the host said "Happy Birthday" upon arrival so they do read those! Parking can be a little tough so give yourself some time for street parking on Elmwood or a nearby street. read more

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This restaurant is a gem of this town. For any tourist who visit Buffalo, this is on my list of my places to eat. Service 5/5. Water was refilled right away. Leftovers were boxed by staff in cute small containers. Staff also checked on is frequently. They change plates once. The atmosphere 5/5 is cute, romantic. Bathroom was clean. All the food here was so delicious. There are many unique food options together with familiar Italian dishes. broccolini 5/5 whatever sauce they drizzled into this dish is so buttery, garlicky, cheesy. It makes the roasted broccolini so amazing and a must have. beef hanger steak 4/5. The beef hanger steak was so juicy. I couldn't taste the espresso marination. The potato bites are so chewy. The yellow sauce is sour and mustardy and not pungent at all. ragù bolognese has these beef bites that are fatty and tender. The tomato was so soft, not salty at all. The pasta was al dente, chewy. nonna's four-cheese ravioli has so buttery, cheeses filling with tender beef and pork. The filling spills out when bitten into. winter vegetable gnocchi was so soft snd chewy. They use the same yellow sauce as. This dish doesn't have much meat though. The parking can be an issue because there is no parking lot. Street parking only. read more

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All of the food here is very high quality. You can tell they make everything with fresh ingredients. We got the bread and butter, cacio e Pepe, and vodka pasta. Everything was delicious. I would highly recommend the bread and butter. That was probably my favorite part. The vibes are also very cozy here. This would be a great date spot. I would recommend reservations here. We had reservations and still had to wait about 10 minutes. We will definitely be back to try other dishes. read more

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Hands down the best pasta in Buffalo. First of all get the bread and butter it is SO GOOD. I thought the cacio e pepe was my favorite dish but recently I had the aglio e olio. It was stupidly good. Zero complaints. read more

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My husband and I recently tried this Resturant. We made our reservation very easy through their website. The drawing room was more of a traditional dining area and then there was a solarium with lots of big windows that looked out onto Elmwood, which is where we sat. It was a nice atmosphere, but a little loud when we arrived. Once a few tables left, it was much more enjoyable. We started with bread & butter as well as hanger steak bites. This was my favorite part of the meal. The bread seemed freshly baked with a rustic flour that gave it a really wonderful nutty flavor. The hanger steak bites came with this super fresh tasting aioli and little potato bites, along side this tender flavorful meat, it was perfection. I wish we got the bigger sized plate because I wanted more!! For dinner my husband got the gnocchi "pugliese" which he really liked. I ordered the sweet pea agnolotti. I liked my dish okay, and I'm glad I tried it, but it was a lighter dish and left me wanting more. The stuffed pasta was a really good flavor with that goes filling but it just needed something else, like maybe if there was a crunchy texture to the crab or something, it just felt incomplete somehow. I was also disappointed in the mocktail selections. One of them was a Shirley Temple... yes that's a virgin mixed drink of types, but it's a kids drink. I ordered the other mocktail, cielo rosso, and it just seemed like a bunch of juice mixed together. I was not impressed with that, although it did look nice. Finally, we had the pana cotta and a French press and we both loved it. Certainly a unique dish that's not available at every restaurant. It was sweet but not overly. The strawberry and balsamic was a great flavor. The service was fine. Nothing special to report that way. read more

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The atmosphere of the restaurant is modern and elegant. Our server was extremely friendly and attentive. I had a pasta dish which was delicious. It was a creamy lemon pasta. I will be going back for sure. read more

Went to Inizio for an early Valentine's Day, and was genuinely impressed. The food was wonderful, and for the price, decent portions. Everything tasted fresh-made, and left you feeling contented without feeling super full. The environment is warm; really cozy. Servers were attentive and kind. All the menus say there is a 90-minute time limit; that I didn't love. While this time limit was not for us, it still caused me to feel extremely sensitive to the clock. Took away some of the pleasure of fine dining. Still, everything else was great. Would definitely return. read more

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Had dinner with family here when my husband and I returned to Buffalo this past weekend and it was a good experience! We had wine and enjoyed the atmosphere. They were really good about adding to our reservation when I needed to include someone else last minute which was nice for a Friday night. Food was solid - it seemed like everyone enjoyed what they got. My husband especially loved his cacio e pepe. I ordered a small portion of risotto and added rock shrimp, which was good but that portion even for being small was literally like two bites. I guess I should have ordered the larger! be warned that the small portion is literally just a taster. Would come back here if we were in town again! read more

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Jonah was our server and he was excellent! We were torn between a few options because the menu has a lot of good things to choose between and I was very happy with his suggestions. The ingredients taste so fresh and are paired together. They make their own ice cream which was insanely delicious. You will not be disappointed. We chose to go for an early dinner at 5:15 which was a great choice because we beat the rush. The ambiance is lovely and simple with jazz music in the background. Will definitely return! read more

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I have been wanting to try Inizio since they opened up! Everything is made from scratch and you can tell, the food was absolutely delicious. We started with the bread (homemade along with the butter) and the cheese plate (also homemade). For dinner I selected the Cacio e Pepe, and let me tell you it was as good as what I had in Italy! For dessert I ordered a scoop of their homemade vanilla ice cream and the peach cheesecake. Both were so good I almost licked the plate clean. The service was very friendly and attentive as well. The inside is very cool, and it is still set up in rooms like the former home it is. It feels very cozy and like you're going over to a friend's for dinner. I can't wait to go back! read more

Inizio - Cacio e Pepe - Italian Near Me - Buffalo, New York

I came here for a celebratory dinner with my brother and his partner who were visiting from out of town. I was truly so excited for their scratch made pasta after hearing so many positive reviews. The $8 charge for basic bread and butter was disappointing, but the bread was tasty. The zucchini and pancetta cornbread appetizer was actually pretty good as well, but it was unfortunately eclipsed by the lackluster main entree. I ordered the aglio e olio (V) / scampi with a $12 up charge for rock shrimp. I know rock shrimp can be small, but the shrimp served did not seem remotely like rock shrimp. I ended leaving the majority of them on the plate. I was truly so excited to come here, and I was shocked by the experience. The ambiance was nice, but the sunroom they advertise is really just a grouping of tables near the window facing the street. The service was genial and polite. I wish I could've said I had a better experience. Maybe I just got them on a bad night? read more

Intimate spot for fine dining experience in Buffalo. Although I LOVED Joe's Deli on Elmwood, glad to see that the spot is now occupied by Inizio. Great food lives on! They do take reservations and you can make them online for parties of four or less. For larger parties, just call. The caponata bruschetta was insanely delicious. I have never tasted burrata so creamy before. Three different types of pasta were ordered at our table. The gnocchi looked like pillows of heaven. I had the hanger steak, and while I loved the coffee crust, the meat had a lot of fatty pieces. We couldn't pass on dessert. The flourless chocolate torte was rich and smooth and paired well with the salty almond ice cream. Didn't love that we felt rushed throughout the meal and at the end; however, the food and company made up for it. read more

Inizio - Flourless chocolate torte with salted almond ice cream - rich & salty, yesss! - Italian Near Me - Buffalo, New York

Oh we back bb. We haven't been in a while, and the last time we came, everything was overly salty so we were a bit afraid. But we came back and everything was awesome once again. Faves of the night were the vodka pasta, the chamomile panna cotta, the BREADDDD and the hanger steak. read more

This place was fantastic. From the cozy atmosphere to the great service. State of with a delicious cocktail and Caesar salad. The salad was so fresh it felt like you were eating crispy water coated in amazing dressing. The cheese was delicious and looked like little whispers on the salad. I ordered the sweet pea agnolotti for dinner. Such a delightful spring dish. Love the combination of peas, crab, and mint. read more

Inizio - Italian Near Me - Buffalo, New York

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Silly little restaurant. Firstly, service is slow, which is funny because they leave a little message on the table that they want you done and gone in 90 minutes. They try to ingratiate you with maybe 2 oz of prosecco (gratis) at first. But the $12 glass of pinot grigio was tasteless and underfilled. We had the bruschetta for $18, which was four little pieces of toast with some jam & cheese drizzled on and with a single small slice of prosciutto. For some reason my wife also ordered the anchovies. What the? Again, four pieces of toast and a little dish of anchovies. What's with these oddball little starters: olives, pickles, onions, bread....all for a fee. The entrees were not bad but everything is overpriced for what it is. The place is gimmicky and not for a serious dinner. read more

Great food and cozy atmosphere! Besides having one of best homemade pasta around the appetizers to drinks were on par! The service from beginning to end was great. The waiter was very knowledgeable about the menu and offered recommendations which was great. read more

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This restaurant was absolutely amazing- the food was homemade which I love! With an atmosphere that was inviting. I arrived early for our delayed Christmas dinner party. I was seated immediately and got a head start with a glass of wine. I looked over the menu and found my absolute favorite- duck breast - it was honey roasted with porridge ( quinoa ) and squash- verrrry delicious- but I started with homemade bread and butter and also an appetizer of burrata cheese with olive oil and toast. The waitress was very attentive and never let us have to look for her. I was so full but nonetheless had to try the Spumoni panna cotta - geesh, I'm telling you next time I'm starting with dessert first - chocolate pudding with cherry sherbet topped with pistachio mousse- I was in sheer heaven. I felt the prices were average for this kind of restaurant. I can't wait to go back. read more

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From start to finish everything was great with our dining experience. The staff was very attentive and knowledgeable on the menu when we had dietary questions. The restaurant had a quaint and cozy vibe. The only bad thing was the high table chairs they were very uncomfortable. The food was amazing from the apps to the entrees. You could just tell from the presentation to the taste that the chef takes pride in the dishes he sends out of the kitchen. We will definitely be back for quality food and service which is so hard to find these days when you go out to eat. read more

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We are definitely coming back! My husband and I are trying the restaurants near Allentown. Inizio's was perfection. From our waiter, to apps, to dinner; everything was amazing! And, I got a great call from my niece and our waiter turned my dessert into a mini celebration! We are definitely going back to this cozy, intimate and delicious restaurant! read more

Inizio - My celebration pan a cotta dessert! - Italian Near Me - Buffalo, New York

Simply awesome. Made a reservation. And it seems like you absolutely need one. People were getting turned away by the hostess. Love the drink menu. Only four beers on tap but this place is more geared towards cocktails and wine. The bourbon cocktail, which I couldn't pronounce, was possibly on the of the best I've ever had. Warm and smooth as velvet. Apps were awesome - various pickled items and olives. The bread and butter was incredible. Like a warm olive oil donut. The bolognese was incredible. Thick homemade noodles smothered in fresh parmesan. The only bummer was we were in and out in less than an hour. This is a place that should be savoured and not rushed. I can't wait to go back. read more

Inizio - CBW - The Whale (beer) and Bolognese - Italian Near Me - Buffalo, New York

One of the first, and best meals arriving in Buffalo. Loved their pasta and quality of meats.

Very pleasant and attentive wait staff. We were undecided about sitting in the front or back so the hostess recommended letting us check out both. We decided on the back drawing room. Very romantic, calming and quiet. We started with the bread and butter and would go back just for that. It was so good. We shared two entrees; the bolognese and gnocchi. Both were outstanding and we agreed this might be our new favorite spot for pasta. read more

They are very flexible in customizing your dishes. For example they can turn appetizer portions into entrees by doubling it. Dad's Hanger Steak was the best steak he has had in awhile, perfectly cooked to his taste (without him asking) and very flavorful. If you have steak cooking preferences, would specify with the wait staff. My mom enjoyed the complimentary champagne. Bread and butter is a favorite appetizer. I enjoyed the eggplant and mushroom pastas. Great ambiance. Easy reservation platform though for larger parties, will require calling the restaurant directly. Reserve your seats here for your next celebration! read more

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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! read more

Pasta excellent. Ambience excellent. Service excellent with a caveat later in this review. Wine excellent but pours are chintzy for the price. Impeccably clean. Great location. Trendy crowd. The caveat? We had an early seating and were rushed by the staff. I get that they want to turn tables, but be warned: make your reservation after 6:45. In sum, a solid, and pricey, dining experience. read more

Some of the best pasta I have ever tried in my life. Y'all better get into this!! Listen, I made it a point to travel to Italy and eat every carb, gelato, and cheese I could find many years ago. Since that time, I have never found a love like some of the dishes I fell for back then. That is until one romantic night at Inizio. We started off with a few drinks. I opted to get the drink "We Don't Fo Weddings" because the name cracked me up, but it was so good!! It was absolutely delicious. My fiance had a negroni. Both delicious!! We had the bread and butter to start and the brocolini. That bread was delicate and tasty. It was like eating little puffy clouds directly from heaven. Listen, imma just get to the good part. I got the bolognese and baby!!! That pasta was absolutely delectable. It was cooked to perfection. It was just the perfect texture, and it didn't taste like the usual pasta you get in the States. I could have cried. It was the pasta I'd been longing to taste since I left Italy. I can't explain it. The sauce was amazing. I loved that meal so much I was nearly brought to tears. It was one of those moments where the taste of food can truly elicit some real emotions. It was out of this world. I made it a point to make another reservation. I went back a week later and had the same exact meal, and it was just as magical. I can't wait to go back. read more

Wow! What an unexpected find in Buffalo! I was in search for a lovely dinner date worthy spot and after reading the reviews I felt optimistic about Inizio. But boy did I not expect to be this impressed! To start off, the cocktails were well crafted and the wine list equally complementary of the fantastic food. The pasta was phenomenal! We got to try several and each one was perfectly al dente and the sauce was just right. And then, there was the dessert! Listed as a panna cotta on the menu, it was such a creative dish that we were all blown away! The service was also fantastic and the entire dining experience was so good that my husband and I actually came back again for dinner the following night! Yup, you read that right. We dined her twice on this short trip! It's that good! Don't pass this place up! read more

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Great service, vibes, and delicious food From appetizers to dessert and cocktails throughout the meal, it was a such a treat for myself and my friend. And for $150, that's a good time read more

I really wanted to love this restaurant The food was pricey and mediocre, at best. I had the cacio e pepe, two friends had the bolognese, and one the chicken pasta. Mediocre was the verdict. The bread was fantastic, and the mushroom appetizer was good. Service was almost too attentive- our waitress was all over us throughout our meal. Ambience is nice, like eating in someone's house. I won't return. read more

Do yourself a favor and come here!!! I had such a wonderful dining experience a few weeks ago. Our waitress was really sweet and gave us a few recommendations. We started off with the meatballs. They were good but a little mushy. I probably wouldn't get them again. I tried the chicken & porcini risotto and am sooo glad I did. It was super rich and creamy and the flavor was on point. I also ordered a mojito which was delicious and really hit the spot. I came on a Sunday and there was no wait but it was pretty busy. There is only street parking but it wasn't hard finding parking. read more

Inizio - Italian Near Me - Buffalo, New York

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First time visiting Inizio and I'm impressed! Almost everything we had was excellent! The broccolini appetizer was out of this world. I could've eaten the whole bowl by myself! The bread and butter were good, but not sure it's worth the price. Hanger steak app was delicious, but the "pickles" left more to be desired. For our meals, the Cacio e pepe was one of the best I've ever had. The sauce was creamy and thick (in a good way), and the noodles were cooked perfectly. The vodka pasta was delicious and the bolognese was very hearty. For dessert, the bread pudding was delicious, but I would not order the shortcake again. It was not what was described on the menu, and was more of a pudding than an actual shortcake. Overall, the atmosphere was a little stuffy, and the server was a tad stand offish, but I'll be back simply for the food! read more

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We've only been once before shortly after restaurants reopened and it was awesome - a little pricy but delicious. For brunch ... it didn't quite carry over the same. Loved the table side (STRONG) French press with Great assortment of drinks. Very hipster vibe (which I don't mind). The shakshuka was good but ... missing just that extra wow factor. I'm not quite sure how the eggs were cooked but they were like poached and .. crispy? It mixed together fine but just a little strange. There wasn't enough toast, in my opinion, and I wish it wasn't already buttered. I think if nothing else is changed, it could really kick it up by serving it in a mini cast iron so it stays ripping hot (it cools quickly which made it a little less enjoyable since it solidified a bit) and serve with crusty, artisan baguette to really soak up the sauce. The B.E.C sandwich was good - and only $6 which is quite reasonable - helps if you enjoy American cheese - again missing that extra notch - would have loved to see a bit higher quality bacon on it. Overall it was fine but nothing standout like the dinner experience. read more

Inizio - Bacon egg & American cheese sandwich - Italian Near Me - Buffalo, New York

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What a kitchen! Everything was delicious. Broccolini appetizer comes with cheese, which added great flavor. Both pasta dishes were great, but the bolognese was unlike (and superior to) any other bolognese I've seen. Quality and freshness of both meat and pasta were evident. Desserts are small, so get two if sharing. Both were delicious. Worth a trip for outstanding food in a comfortable space. read more

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A fine dining experience at such a low cost- I highly recommend this restaurant to locals and visitors. Every dish is well thought out and delicious, so you can't go wrong with your order! I recommend trying to bruschetta as a starter. The pickles are a fun experience for first time guests. I've tried nearly every pasta here and they never miss. If the gnocchis ever come back, these are a must-try! The service is unparalleled. It really feels like they value every guest, starting with a complementary taste of Prosecco and a warm welcome. Already anticipating my next visit! read more

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Finally got to Inizio the boujee Italian restaurant in Buffalo. Very cute place on Elmwood and on the smaller side for seating, reservations are a must. I had the homemade ravioli and my wife had the vodka pasta. I liked my dinner but my wife thought they could have put more vodka sauce on the pasta. The star of the dinner was the orange creamsicle cheesecake!!! I've never had anything like it and this was the best cheesecake I've had in Buffalo. Definitely worth a date night ! read more

Great food, great service, great atmosphere! Their pasta is made from scratch. Cocktails & mocktails are delicious!

After having eaten here twice with my wife, we're not impressed with the food. I made her go back the second time because the reviews were so good and maybe we hit on an off night??? She did not want to go back, but I insisted. Good news is... it looks like the menu changed because we had 4 different dinners (2 each), 5 appetizers, and 2 desserts and just weren't impressed. Maybe they are going for subtle, but we just found the food boring. During our first visit, I had a beef and lamb Ragu and my wife had a different pasta dish with a red sauce. We couldn't really taste a difference. Lovely space, nice service... made for nice nights out. Perhaps our expectations regarding the food were too high??? read more

Inizio - Italian Near Me - Buffalo, New York

Go anywhere else. I just spent $250 here for mediocre food. Not sure what was going on with the bruschetta, the bolognese sauce was more like a beef stroganoff almost, the steak was on top of a bed of mustard. The vodka pasta was good, but not amazing. The food overall was ok, not $250 worthy. You pay for bread and butter. The restaurant itself was not very comfortable, cheap chairs. I wanted to like this more..waited a while for reservations. The service was pretty good. read more

Service was amazing, the food was okay. The shrimp scampi had breadcrumbs on it and I wasn't a huge fan of that and there wasn't enough sauce for my personal preference. But overall I would give the restaurant 3 stars just due to the dish and the fact that there wasn't much variety on the dinner menu. read more

Inizio - Shrimp scampi - Italian Near Me - Buffalo, New York

Why did I wait so long to come here? This place is sooooo good. Food and vibes are both immaculate. I had a early, weekday reservation right when the restaurant opened which was wise because it gets crowded quickly. Because we were one of the first parties to arrive, we had our choice of seating. Of course we chose the sunny, Elmwood facing solarium which was gorgeous. We were offered complimentary glasses of prosecco before ordering a bottle of Rose' because, summer! I had the mushroom pasta... Let me tell you. Order it. Dessert options are delicious too. I can't wait to visit Inizio again! read more

Inizio - Italian Near Me - Buffalo, New York