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    Osteria 166

    4.2 (666 reviews)
    ModerateItalian, Seafood
    Updated 2 months ago

    Osteria 166 Photos

    Business Info

    OSTERIA 166 ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating

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    Eggplant parm
    Kevin R.

    Warm and cozy little place on a cold wintery night in downtown Buffalo. Bread and spreads came with three delectable spreads. The spinach and artichoke was solid, roasted red pepper was great, but the best was a sweet raspberry spread. The bread was so warm and fluffy. We also ordered some poutine from the special list and it stole the show. They used truffle fries, with melted mozzarella instead of cheese curds, the gravy was thick and flavor able, and they topped it with short rib. For entrees Brooke got an eggplant parm. She raved about the sauce. I got the clam and scallop linguine which was excellent. Highly recommend this place!

    Buffalo Calamari
    Kathleen B.

    They left us at the entrance waiting to seat us for 20 minutes knowing we were there for our table. It wasn't overly busy but there was only 1 server doing all the tables. It took a while to get drinks and in between courses. We sat by the back door so anytime people exited the cold air rushed in. The Brussel sprots were a little hard for our liking, the buffalo calamari were so good with the blue cheese crumbles. The risotto bites were unique and very tasty. The Alfredo sauce on the special was very sweet and watery and not good. The food was hit or miss not consistent. The server seemed to be bothered if we had questions or was just overwhelmed. It was an ok experience. We wouldn't rush back any time soon.

    Mozzarella Foccacia
    Audrey R.

    This was my second time coming back here. The first time I came was right around the time that they first opened. So it has been quite a while. We had early dinner reservations, restaurant was pretty empty. We started off with some cocktails & appetizers. We opted for the focaccia and calamari, both of which were delicious. For dinner we had the Osso Buco and spaghetti and meatballs. My husband enjoyed his osso buco, on the other hand I thought the spaghetti and meatballs was just average. I wish it had a more flavor. I'm also not a huge fan of sweet sauce. I prefer a vinegar-based marinara sauce. Aside from that, I thought overall it was just okay. I will say the bar was pretty nice. There were some folks sitting there having cocktails. The dining room was pretty empty when we got there and people started to filter in shortly after we sat down.

    Marqus R.

    While aimlessly wandering the streets of Buffalo, Beloved and I happened upon Osteria, and as we were getting hungry we stopped in. We were both given a warm greeting and I was immediately struck by the fact that, from all appearances, Osteria, was a warm and friendly neighborhood place. We selected a high-top seat with a good street view, albeit that the street was under construction. I ordered a glass of their house red wine and looked at their menu offerings for lunch. Basically, it was a good assortment of the usuals with burgers, sandwiches, and pizza. But also, some unlikely surprises such as BANANA PEPPER with ricotta, mozzarella, pepperoncino, marinara, parsley, breadcrumbs, and a SAUSAGE AND CAMPANELLE with what they say is their world-famous house-made sausage, broccolini, and a rosé sauce which I ordered while Beloved merely went for a burger. Though I doubt that their sausage is world famous, I must say it was delicious and their rise sauce, was the perfect enhancement. My only complaint was that the amount of sausage in their dish was rather miserly. However, I totally enjoyed it. It was most delicious. Beloved was also delighted with their HALF POUND "NICK" BURGER.

    CAVATELLI
    Tiffany L.

    My boyfriend loves Italian food and Osteria 166 was in the area and had good reviews. We came during dinner time and were seated quickly even though it was a pretty packed room. I will give props to the bust boy for coming out so quickly with water and just throughout the night for refills. For appetizers we got the Focaccia Al Forno and the special of oysters. I ordered the Cavatelli which has porchetta, basil pesto, cherry peppers, Parmesan, roasted garlic and shallot, saffron broth. My boyfriend got the Bucatini Alla Carbonara with chicken cutlets. The bread came out shortly, but everything else took over an hour to come out. The oysters came out maybe 2 minutes before our entrees. Was really not pleased with how long the food took to come out. They also forgot my boyfriend's chicken cutlets, but were able to bring it in less than 5 minutes. The bread was decent. Tbh we were shocked bread wasn't on the house after being to so many Italian places that have it on the house. The oysters were my favorite. They were extremely fresh and smooth. We thought the pastas were good, but they weren't anything special. The chicken cutlets were perfectly crispy and the layer of breading to the chicken was perfect! No gabs at all. They took the chicken off the tab which we really appreciated. In addition, I originally asked if they give complimentary desserts for birthdays and was told no, however, they ended up offering one to my boyfriend. He picked the tiramisu cake and our waiter even got candles and sang. Overall, the food was decent and the food took very long, but the service was great when trying to make up for mistakes and lateness! I would probably suggest coming at not a such busy time.

    Susan N.

    I can't believe I've never been here before! I became a huge fan after one good dining experience. My boyfriend and I started with the stuffed banana peppers bread. I've definitely had better stuffed banana peppers but they weren't bad at all, I would say 3/5. The star of the show was definitely my chicken parm. The chicken was fried to perfection and the parmesan on top was delish! I also really enjoyed the sauce and spaghetti that accompanied my dish. My boyfriend got the spaghetti and meatballs and he really liked his as well. Our server Mike was great -- he was attentive and came around often to make sure we were doing ok. The ambiance is a little bit in between casual and classy. Kinda gives me a Tappo vibe. Would def visit again.

    Yvonne C.

    This was my second time back at Osteria and I have to say I had a completely different experience. Pros: the Caesar salad was light and pleasant. Husband really enjoyed the dressing. -the bread with different spreads was delicious! Bread was warm and fluffy! Spreads each had their own unique taste. Cons: - the waiter brought out our bread and spreads then started to rush away without describing what each of the spreads were. I was able to stop her before she was going to rush away and inquired. She was able to name 2 of the 3 but not with confidence. She had to go and ask about the third. Turns out the spreads are artichoke, roasted red pepper, and cauliflower. -the menu says they have a "scallop" entree. This is falsely advertised in my opinion. The scallops were 5 bite sized BAY scallops that were bacon wrapped. The menu said nothing about bacon. I cannot eat bacon anymore due to health reasons unfortunately and so I had to give them to my husband. If the menu says my entree will be the scallops, I expect to have the scallops as the heart and center of it. This was not the case. The corn was most of my plate. There also were barely any potatoes. Literally 2-3 small bite sized chunks of potato. I'm telling you, the CORN was the focus of the entire dish. I unfortunately left hungry and was looking forward to some thick, nicely seared sea scallops with hearty potatoes on the side. As advertised, the dish seemed promising. But unfortunately missed the mark by a lot. To conclude: -I did tell our waiter about our thoughts on the "scallop" entree. He was kind and understanding enough to go back to speak with his manager. He was able to credit my husband and I back the cost of the entrees and apologized for our experience. He handled the situation very well. Although I left hungry still....they remedied the situation successfully. Now I just hope they fix this menu item for future customers!

    The Family's Spaghetti and Meatball
    Rosa W.

    Love Osteria! Second time coming. First time was for lunch with my coworkers. I recently had my birthday dinner here on a Thursday night around 6pm. Food is great. The menu had a good amount of options, including appetizers (and an interesting cocktail menu!). I think both times i ordered spaghetti, which comes with a giant meatball. The staff is very friendly and professional. They also take reservations which is great. However, when I went on Thursday there was absolutely no wait. Litterally there were maybe 3 other groups there. They have a really good deal currently going on that I recommend. Its on their website as a "summer special" or something like that. An appetizer, entree and dessert for 30$! Seriously can't beat that. Anyways, definitely worth a try. Enjoy.

    Sausage & Campanelle
    Elba G.

    Maybe I missed the memo? Not sure. I had high expectations for this place, only because the locals and others seem to love it but I whole heartedly do not get the hype. I came here to celebrate my birthday (today) and had the most mediocre service ever. The hostess had an attitude because maybe we interrupted her viewing of the live band that was playing or maybe she is just having a bad day, whatever. Our server literally seemed disinterested in serving us and wouldn't really swing by to check up on us. Anyway, we ordered the bread and Brussels for our starters and the food came out literally room temp as if it was sitting out. Not a big deal, can't really complain, the bread was good and accompanied by a good olive oil with parm. Entree I ordered the meatballs and spaghetti. The food again felt as if it was sitting out for a while. It was all room temp. The spaghetti tasted like it was from a box (not being dramatic). Luckily the meatball was absolutely fabulous! The sauce on the spaghetti was soaked into the pasta and again basically room temp if not cold, didn't seem to have much flavor to it. My boyfriend ordered the rose pasta sauce (forget the name) and the pasta was also served cold and the pasta tasted from a box. I tried a bite of his and the Italian sausage was really good but the rest was lacking hard. I am really trying hard to think of a positive but I am really struggling here. Would NOT recommend coming here if you are looking to enjoy your meal. The drink menu was taken from us before our entrees came out so I didn't have the opportunity to enjoy a birthday drink. Luckily I was with good company and the ambiance was nice so I was able to still have a good time. ...minus the service and food. Really dislike leaving reviews like this but I sincerely was let down by this local favorite. Could be that I am from California and we value the personable touch from a small business but everywhere else in this area has not treated me this poorly. Food 1.5/5 (not good, not worth the value/price point) Ambiance 3/5 (good for dates)

    Chicken lasagna
    Andrea W.

    Guess what's back?! Chicken Lasagna! Hats off to the Chef ‍! So much flavor and such an creativity combination of textures. This meal hands down is going to be the #1 asked for menu item this spring and summer!

    Chicken Parmesan and Chicken Milanese
    Anna G.

    Manager was super great. Very attentive and hospitable. Food was delicious. Will definitely be back

    Nico ..

    10/10 like always! The food and service is the best in town! I highly recommend the garlic bread, chicken parm and definitely the spaghetti and meatballs!

    Chicken Parmesan
    Sara K.

    After calling about 10 other places for a Friday night reservation and no luck, Osteria came to the rescue and got us in! At 6:45pm, the place was very busy. There's an area to eat and also a bar and they have live music playing at times (started up while we were eating). The atmosphere is cozy. I wouldn't say there's a dress code, but everyone there was dressed pretty nice in button up shirts and such. I wouldn't come wearing hoody, but it's not like you'd be denied service for wearing one either. The aroma was very strong; you could tell you would be served Italian food! If you're like me and care to know if it's coke or Pepsi products, it's Pepsi. But there's no Mountain Dew. I don't like Pepsi so I ordered a Shirley temple which was delicious but they forgot the cherries (no biggie, but they're a nice treat haha). My friend and I both ordered the chicken parm. It was very good! The sauce is NOT a sweet sauce if that's what you prefer. I like a sweet sauce but this was still excellent and I ate every bite. The chicken cutlet was nice and crispy. They do have dessert here but I was too full ... I'm not sure what all of the options are but it did look like the couple next to me was sharing a cannoli dip with cannoli chips. The thing I didn't like was how loud it was in there. You can hear everyone talking and hear the band playing in the bar. I like a more quiet atmosphere when I'm dining. Service was pleasant.

    Spaghetti and Meatball

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    Osteria 166 Reviews in Other Languages

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    Forno Napoli

    Forno Napoli

    4.6(268 reviews)
    8.4 mi
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    Wow. Hands down some of the best pizza we've had…read more We ordered the San Felice Pizza -- San Marzano tomatoes, house-made sausage, sweet and spicy peppers, onion, buffalo mozzarella, and fresh basil -- and it was absolute perfection. The flavors don't compete... they melt together into one big, perfect masterpiece. The peppers leaned sweet (no real heat), which made them the ideal companion to the delicious sausage. And that sausage? Made in-house and seasoned beautifully, with the perfect amount of fennel -- enough to give it that classic Italian character without overpowering the pie. Perfection! The buffalo mozzarella added creamy richness, the basil kept everything bright, and the San Marzano tomatoes were clean and balanced. We love pizza in all its forms -- New York style and Napoli alike -- but there is something about the rustic goodness of true Neapolitan pizza that has a special place in my pizza-loving heart. That airy, soft center and char-kissed crust from the wood-fired oven is magic. The use of such fresh ingredients makes Forno Napoli my favorite pizza on NY so far - authentic and intentional. There is a lot of love and pride in everything from the handmade crust to all of the toppings. They also serve a garlic butter and cheese dipping sauce for the crust -- indulgent and completely unnecessary in the BEST possible way. That blistered crust dipped in that sauce? Unreal. The cheese? Yes, they have the most beautiful wheel of pecorino they hand grate from to make this happen. No green shaker bottles here! We met Felix, the owner, and he was incredibly welcoming. He has such great energy -- warm, engaging, and clearly passionate. You can tell he's the heartbeat behind the recipes and the success of the business. It feels personal. He made us want to share just how great our entire experience was and he certainly made us want to return. Our only regret? We were too full to try another pizza. Do not hesitate. This truly is a slice of heaven.

    I've been wanting to try this place for quite some time and finally made it in!…read more There's menus at the counter and you can take your own seat. When you're ready to order, head up to the counter. After ordering, head back to your seat and the will bring you your food when it's ready. My friend had the meatball sandwich (napoletana panini). It looked fantastic. But when I asked his rating, he gave it 6/10 stars. However, I wouldn't trust anyone who doesn't like cheese so take it with a grain of salt I was torn between the Bianca and Quattro pizza so I asked the kind man at the register for his suggestion; he said the Bianca is more popular so I went with that. I enjoyed my pizza, although I wouldn't order this one again. I do want to say that it is pricey but you will get a very big pie of great quality. The dough was excellent! It was actually my favorite part and I've never said that about any pizza! Atmosphere is extremely casual. There's fruit infused waters to have and you go and grab them yourself (back right corner). But you can order bottles of soda, alcohol, etc. Also in the back right corner are small pizza boxes for leftovers you can grab if needed. When you cash out, be sure to enter your phone number for the rewards program!

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    Giancarlo’s Sicilian Steakhouse

    Giancarlo’s Sicilian Steakhouse

    4.2(516 reviews)
    7.7 mi
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    Fine dining
    Takes reservations

    Interesting vibe. Some people on date nights, some business people. Most people dressed in business…read morecasual. The bar is huge and was busy on this Monday night. The menu has high- end prices but we were not impressed with details. The flatware is cheap and the servers do not place flatware where it belongs when they replace it (training details). The room we were in became really dark after the sun set. When we requested pepper on our salads, Instead of fresh grated pepper, a pepper Shaker was brought to our table (cheesy!). The food was good, service was ok, but for these prices, I expect details to be looked at. That's what separates the excellent restaurants from the good ones. There are so many excellent restaurants in Buffalo, I don't know that we will rush back. It was a good meal and experience, just not great. If I could give a 3.5, thats where this review would land in

    05/16/2026 We went…read moreto Giancarlo's for a combined graduation celebration for my Son, his girlfriend, and both families. While we were waiting for everyone to arrive, I had a very nice "Old Fashioned". We started with two dozen oysters. We received a couple of bad ones and they were promptly replaced with four new ones. I had the NY Strip and asked for "medium rare". The steak arrived and was perfectly cooked and had a very nice char on it. The steak was very flavorful and juicy. Service was impeccable. The restaurant was laid out nicely and there was plenty of space for our large group. Overall, I would say Giancarlo's will be a must visit, for when I'm in Buffalo.

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    The Fresh Oyster Bar

    Amici Ristorante - Shrimp & Octopus Salad * w/ potato, arugula, celery, pepper, and olives tossed in a lemon vinaigrette served in a parmesan cup w/ crostini

    Amici Ristorante

    4.1(236 reviews)
    5.4 mi
    $$

    Recently my wife and 6 other guests went to Amici's for a birthday dinner. It was our 2nd or 3rd…read moretime since their reopening. First off, the rebuild was great, the food was excellent and the service was exceptional. What I didn't find exceptional was the additional charges for our meals. I ordered a Bourbon Manhattan on the rocks with 3 cherries. The drink was fine, but I was charged extra for a special bourbon which I did not order. For the first time ever, I was charged two dollars for "on the rocks". My grandson ordered a caesar salad which he didn't eat because it smelled fishy. Anchovies, which he did not order, were added to the salad at an additional cost of $3.00. Needless to say I will have to reconsider any additional visits to Amici's. If you do go, carefully check your bill.

    Amazing! Went for a birthday dinner, felt like we ordered one of everything. Everything was great…read morefrom start to finish. Apps: Bread with Garlic Butter - butter was tasty Hot stuffed peppers - not too hot, filling was good Arancini - cheesy Sicilian clams - i don't love clams but the broth was really good Entrees: Arrabbiata with a Chicken Cutlet - cutlet was perfect, thin and crispy. Pasta sauce was good Chicken Francese over Risotto - just lemony enough, risotto was lovely Linguini with clams Dessert: Raspberry lemon cheesecake special - incredible Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse cake - 10/10 Lemon Mascarpone Cake - good but would prefer the raspberry lemon cheesecake Hazelnut Gelato - creamy Espresso Martini w/ Baileys - great Loved it!

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    Tappo - Tappo Rigatoni with Homemade Tomato Sauce Served with Hand-Made Meatballs

    Tappo

    3.9(745 reviews)
    0.2 miDowntown
    $$

    I went to Tappo this past Tuesday before a Sabres game with my brother and overall it was a really…read moresolid pre-game dinner spot in Downtown Buffalo. While we had a 5pm reservation, in hindsight it probably wasn't necessary as we were seated right away and quickly greeted by our server, Allie G. To start, I ordered the Apple Cider Mule (mocktail) which was festive and delicious while my brother went for the Logan Mule (so Buffalo). Naturally, we wanted bread (what I thought was a given in an Italian restaurant). Sadly, it was $3 for warm bread, which felt a little rude, but of course I ordered it and devoured it, too! I also started with the mushroom bisque that was on special and it was fantastic as it was rich, flavorful, and the kind of soup you want to eat slowly so it lasts longer. For my entree I chose the Crespelle while my brother got his favorite, the Brasciole. The food was truly the highlight of the evening. Everything was prepared well and very, very satisfying. I would say that the service, unfortunately, left a bit to be desired. Not terrible, but not great. I hate having to ask another server to bring a box, the check, etc. because our server was no where to be found. There is free parking somewhere, though we only noticed the sign for it after we had already paid to park. That said, the atmosphere at Tappo is always lovely and the portions were generous for the price. Of course, I'd absolutely return - especially to try one of their fun igloos someday!

    My wife and I ordered spaghetti and meatballs and shrimp risotto on a Friday night…read more There is ample off street parking. The restaurant has a very generic modern bar scene vibe with roll up doors and the bar dominating the space. The staff were friendly and promptly directed me to the bar for my take out order, which was mildly delayed. The spaghetti and meatballs were basic. The sauce left much to be desired and a basic jarred sauce is more enjoyable. The shrimp were properly cooked, but the risotto did not shine. The dish lack cohesion and it was as though they cooked rice and tossed it in a flavorless sauce. The accompanying lobster sauce was desperately needed, but underdeveloped. The dish needed significant seasoning improvements.

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    Spaghetti & Meatballs

    Osteria 166 - italian - Updated May 2026

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