We made plans to stay overnight with some new friends in Washington Heights, and when we mentioned wanting to take them to dinner, they immediately responded, "We'll take you to our favorite neighborhood place." Having a severe lack of guest-worthy establishments in our own area, we were charmed by that phrase, and even more charmed by Saggio itself, which was a fantastic experience. We started with their kale salad, a standard among trendy restaurants these days, but Saggio does it well -- thick Caesar dressing, shaved Parmesan and lots of crunchy, fresh leaves. For an entree, our friends recommended the Rigatoni with Italian Sausage and Meatballs, so I ordered it as an entree even though it didn't sound like something I would like. Wow, was I wrong. The pasta was perfectly al dente, the meat tender and flavorful, the sauce well-seasoned and thin enough to coat everything. My husband ordered homemade spinach-cheese ravioli, which were humongous and decadently rich. We shared a bottle of light red and were pleased with the server's recommendation (he was very friendly, since our friends really do come here a lot and know everyone.) The amazing part is that our bill (3 entrees, 2 appetizers, 1 bottle of wine) was $80. Even with a generous tip, it came to just over $100 -- ridiculous for 4 people in New York. This would be the perfect place to come for dinner after touring the Cloisters, and if it's a beautiful fall evening, as it was for us, you could walk all the way there! read more

The wide range of Yelp reviews had me a little nervous to try Saggio, but I had a pretty good experience there. They had a huge blackboard of specials, which were definitely the most appealing menu options (lots of homemade pastas). My friends ordered the pumpkin ravioli and I got a salad with grilled shrimp and tomatoes. Nothing earth-shattering, but pretty solid. We also split an appetizer of sauteed calamari, which I really enjoyed. (They have fried calamari too, but I always appreciate a non-fried option!) Our server was very attentive and patient while we waited quite awhile for the other half of our table to show up. The ambience was what you'd expect... intimate, dimly lit, pretty quiet even when it's full. It was totally empty at 6pm on a Tuesday, but full by the time we left around 8:30. I wouldn't necessarily go out of my way to try Saggio if you're in a different part of Manhattan, but it's definitely a good option for a nice dinner without leaving Washington Heights. read more

*Brunch Review* Went to brunch with my girls for a birthday and the service was really nice. Our waiter, younger gentleman, was very attentive, patient and friendly. The brunch offerings are super afforable ($7-9) an entree and mimosas can be bought separately. The food was amazing and they don't skimp on the portions. Will definitely be back soon for dinner! read more

Tried Saggio last night with a couple of friends, and it was superb. Will be back. Service---great! Wine Selection---fantastic! The Salmon---YES! The Steak---definite YES! read more

We decided to try this place at the advice of a friend. It was a great choice we were a large group on a weekend and we just had one round at the bar before being seated. The very friendly owner "Pete" was always making sure everything was great and that we were enjoying our experience. We had several dishes that were just delightful including the tomato with mozzarella, mussels for starters. I actually ordered the chicken parm (kids) and it was a pretty big size knowing i was also going to try the salmon and black seafood pasta dish. All these dishes were great and cooked to perfection. I also tasted several deserts and the key lime and the tiramisu just perfect end to our to a sweet ending. I have to come back to try the courtyard and all the other wonderful dishes. read more

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I come here once a week, and the tagliatelle al limone is to die for! The fresh-made tagliatelle is some of the best I've had and the sauce has the perfect amount of lemon (with a half-lemon on the side) every single time. If you want an extra treat, ask for Parmesan on the side... they'll always give you a sizeable amount in a mini side bowl, and I always end up using all of it. read more

I've lived in Hudson Heights for five years now. I love the neighborhood. But, never felt the food was up to par with downtown. Saggio's is the best restaurant. Excellent food, service and fabulous bartenders. You can't beat it! Peter makes you feel welcome and I never tire of it. read more

The first time I went to Saggio a couple of years ago I was disappointed. The house salad had too much dressing (while some people always ask for the dressing on the side, I never do, because until now it's never seemed necessary). The Fusilli with potatoes, string beans and pesto was okay except for the potatoes, which tasted odd, either because it's just a weird thing to have in a pasta dish or because they just weren't very good potatoes. I also didn't like my girlfriend's Spaghetti Al Limone (although she did), but I didn't think I would. Loved the Panna Cotta, though. Two years later my girlfriend persuaded me to go back. Since I had liked neither pasta dish, I skipped pasta altogether and had Salmon. And it was terrific. And I wound up there again a few weeks later and had the Tagliata Toscano, which was also excellent. On the other hand, now they put chocolate on the Panna Cotta and for me that kind of ruins it. But the tiramisu is good. So my current concept of the place is it's an Italian restaurant that is quite good as long as you don't order the pasta. I did notice that they have a build-your-own pasta setup (it's in a special box on the menu that in theory should make it very noticeable but somehow just makes it easy to ignore), so *maybe* someday I'd try that. I see they don't have that weird Fusilli/potato dish anymore, so perhaps they've improved on pasta? The atmosphere is fair nice and the staff is pleasant. Original rating 3 stars, but I'm upping it to 4. read more

Over the years, Saggio has gotten better, if that is possible! This dimly lit, calming restaurant is a quiet place with light music that will capture your heart. This extraordinary Italian restaurant has mouth-watering Grandma's ragu (homemade, I might add). Their warm chocolate cake is to die for! Even though the food is fresh, doesn't mean that the service is slow! I'm constantly amazed by their speed. The one thing that bothers me is that the small space means that the tables are close together. I'll put it out plain, Saggio is the best! (AS, 5th grade) read more

I eat here maybe 3x a week and if you havent eaten here you're missing out on the very best food in Washington Heights. I've ate maybe every dish on there menu and they find a way to create new specials every week. You're crazy if you havent ate here yet and experienced one of the most experienced wait staff in the world. From Mgt to the bus boys to the servers this place is a hidden gem of nyc and you must have the brunch read more

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Great! Food was awesome, service quick, and atmosphere very comforting. My sister and I didn't enjoy one of the crostini's we ordered (the white bean). We didn't ask for anything in return, just that we didn't need it on the table any more because we didn't enjoy it. Immediately the manager came over and asked for pointers to give to his chef and took it off the bill. Very friendly and being realistic about the fact that everyone has a different opinion about food. Definitely worth coming for a nice brunch or a romantic dinner : ) read more

This was outstanding. Second time here. First time was good, but at that visit had the skirt steak which was fine but not worth writing about. Here is the real story: HAVE THE FRESH PASTA! It is perfect, absolutely to die for good. Husband had the day's fresh ravioli, filled with Burratta, but instead of the menu prep had it with Grandma's ragu with meatballs and which was all of the delicious. I had the day's special tagliatelle with a sausage ragu - also delicious. Here is a really great thing: these two sauces were equally tasty but completely different; my description doesn't do them justice so please go and taste for yourself. I Love that you can select a fresh pasta and a sauce from the list. Service was great, calamari app (sauteed) was so good and crostini delicious ( with a pate; get one and share it!) Have the fresh pasta. You will be so glad you did. read more

The food is good (best Italian in the area), I just wish they opened earlier in the evening/afternoon.

Went to my old neighborhood to visit and stumbled into this place while i was waiting for a friend. WOW was i surprised, walked into happy hour. The prices were unbelievable. thought it was going to be expensive, not one to look at prices, was a stunned when i paid the bill. It was so good when my friend came i ate again and called more frineds to have a little party. Customer service was absolutely the best. Food, from olives to trout, was amazing. Fresh doesn't do it justice. i live in Brooklyn and will take the 1 hour ride back just to revisit even if my friends aren't around. read more

Very cute Italian restaurant in the middle of Washington Heights, the food was delicious. My favorite is the black linguini. The burrata is a must! read more

Eaten in the restaurant and gotten take out! If you're looking for some good Italian in the Heights, this is a nice choice (not that there are many). I've had the gnocchi and the rigotoni- both very good. The burrata always looks so tasty but the portion is huge for just two people to split. It gets packed on the weekends but the service is good; the delivery was also quick! read more

Pretty cute place--came here for brunch with a friend. Brunch portion was pretty small in my opinion; they have relatively standard fare in addition to Italian spin-off specialties. Free bread upon request, but they only refill after you keep asking, which was annoying. Again, relatively smaller portions and the food was cooked OK. Service is lacking--took forever for the waiter to come to us and then in between was not that great. They could hire an extra service staff or two. Prices are ok. read more

It would be enough to say that WaHi/Inwood has been longing for a solid Italian restaurant. But with Saggio, Manhattan finally gets the well-done Southern Italian cuisine it's been sorely lacking in any quantity. It used to be that it was easy to get a great rigatoni dish, mussels in red sauce, or gnocchi. But then Northern Italian cuisine took over, and with it Southern dishes got demoted. Saggio brings it all back...with great flair and at great prices. In fact, it may be the first place to some snobs to venture past 125th St. SERVICE is friendly, personal and responsive. the staff is attentive and welcoming. ATMOSPHERE is warm and inviting--and as other reviewers have noted, a seat near the windows gives you great bridge views. The only downside here is that the dining room can get tight and it's loud. But that's a small price to pay for what you get: Standouts: I don't usually eat much pasta, but when I do it's here. Unbelievably fresh and prepared in the most savory of sauces. There's also a great fennel parmesan appetizer to die for. Mussels, which can be a real disappointment in most places (small, with watery broth) are prepared to perfection. Make it a point to venture north....soon! read more

A very welcome addition to the area. First time G and I came here we loved it. Steak and then Squid ink pasta with calamari was amazing. Jessica our server, also known by us as the ballerina, is great. The burrata (hope i spelled it right, too lazy to look up) cheese is really tasty, but not really a special as they call it as it is there nearly every time. Second time we came not so good...but every restaurant has their off days. Food did not taste as fresh. Third time and beyond...this place has become our dining staple for our Italian fixes. Cannot wait to checkout their backyard/garden space. read more

This made my mental list of top 3 restaurants I loved in Washington Heights. Such yummy food! Very cozy atmosphere, and they have a nice counter table that faces the street - great for people watching. They have a list of homemade pastas to choose from ... I always stayed on the Tagliatelle side of life. The lasagna was incredibly rich, the kale salad was lovely (I especially loved the Parmesan sprinkled over it) ... and of course, the Rosemary Chicken. This chicken was juicy, had a crispy skin and was just oh so damn delicious! I wish I could make this at home (or maybe not, I'm a lazy cook). It gets very busy so a slight wait time may be expected, but grab a glass of wine and be patient. A real gem, and I truly hope that this neighborhood becomes home to more wonderful restaurants like this one. read more

Saggio is a nice little restaurant in the heights. Their food is good and their portions are nice sized. Its kind of small so our reservation for 9 felt a little cramped but they were very attentive and the food was delicious. They will custom order something for you if it's not on the menu which is a plus. They don't try to rush you out either which I like. I wish they had padded table chairs because my butt was a little sore. Overall it's a nice place with decent food at decent prices. I cant give it more than 3 stars because nothing really wowed me there but its still good food. read more

This restaurant is delightful! Ever since I stumbled upon this place with my boyfriend about a year ago, it has become our weekly date spot. In NYC there are so many places to try but we just keep coming back to this place for the following reasons: 1. Delicious food!! 2. classy ambience, perfect for a date night! They also have an outdoor patio in the back with an area for bocce. 3. Excellent and attentive waitstaff and hostess 4. Friendly and charming owners Pete and Kal - they are very personable and do whatever they can to ensure their guests have an enjoyable experience. 5. Consistency - service and food quality are on point EVERY time! This is a rare gem in Washington Heights! Highly recommend! read more

What is there to say? Food is consistently delicious and the service is always warm and welcoming. The parking around there is nearly impossible so your best bet is taking the train and walking a couple blocks or just cabbing it there. Plus that way you'll also get to enjoy more of their yummy cocktails ;) read more

Had delivery from them and it was uninspired. Chicken Parm was awful. Chicken breading was soggy/wet, the cheese has already congealed by the time it was delivered and the sauce was very bland. Worst was tiramisu. It was just bad and should have been great. read more

I really enjoyed my dinner at Saggio. Our awesome waiter (the dude with the glasses) recommended the spinach gnocchi with Gorgonzola sauce which were on special, and they were delicious. The atmosphere was great. I talked to my neighbors who also went to the restaurant and they also were very pleased. I am really happy that we have a new great Italian place in the neighborhood. read more

What a fabulous Italian restaurant! Upon arriving, it was a bit crowded yet a happy vibe all around. The hostess was sweet, forgot to let us know that our table was ready so we waited around for a bit longer, but if you go, just make sure to remind the hostess :) I made arrangements for outdoor dining and wondered where that could possibly be since the restaurant is so small and there were no seats out-front. It's located in the back area, so we walked through the restaurant and entered what I consider to be a very romantic setting. There was a tent covering with globe string lights, adorned with gated frames alongside each wall containing plants in them. We were seated and greeted by a very nice waitress who surely aimed to please. BEST PART was the food! We were a party of five and each of us had either salmon, chicken, ribs, or steak. We tasted each others food and there is not one dish that I did not find delicious. Lots of flavor and perfect combinations. They have a large selection of wine for your choosing. Lastly, we ordered a Tiramisu to share and it was the perfect consistency- not too sweet or plain. Mind you, I'm not a dessert person and I almost finished the whole thing myself! I highly recommend this place if you have out-of-town guests, a celebration, date, or a nice night out. read more

handmade pasta is incredible and not expensive at all! great staff! and very pretty interior as well as a covered outdoor area

Tried Saggio for the first time this week, and it was great! Cozy ambiance, extremely friendly and accommodating staff and reasonable prices for excellent food. I give it 5 stars solely because this is honestly the first place I've tried since moving to WaHi that I'd go to even if I didn't live here. (Basically every other restaurant up here is mediocre or outright sucks, and I only go back because I don't have other options, and this drives me nuts.) A huge point in their favor is the extent to which the staff go out of their way to make you feel welcome. I took my parents here, who were visiting, and they told the owner that I lived in the area. He told me they deliver and brought me a takeout menu to take home! I thought this was sweet and thoughtful, and I really liked that he was making the effort to make me feel like a regular. A second HUGE point in their favor is the lack of pretense. The atmosphere is cute and warm without being cutesy and the bar is open and inviting. Now, the food. Delicious, yet still reasonable priced and thoughtfully prepared-- a rarity in any neighborhood in NYC, WaHi aside! Had a delicious red wine blend and the mussels appetizer to start. The portion was huge, enough for me and my dad to share comfortably. My mom had the roasted beet salad which was delicious, too. For my entree I had the squid ink pasta with calamari. OOOOMG SO GOOD. The pasta tasted fresh and delicious, the calamari was not overcooked and the slightly spicy tomato sauce added just the right amount of kick. Totally loved it. We had the tartufo for dessert along with amazing coffee-- served with sugar cubes. Such a cute touch-- this is what I mean about thoughtfulness. I totally love this place. Considering I live down the block (and I have a delivery menu) I'll be back and/or ordering frequently. If you live in WaHi and haven't tried Saggio yet... you should. Welcome to the neighborhood! read more

This is an Italian restaurant located in Washington heights. If you want to eat good Italian food and be in a calm venue, this is the place to go. read more

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Both times I've been here the food has been excellent. I recommend their mozzarella appetizer, their steaks and their gnocchi. They also have a small (but full) bar, so you can have a drink if no tables are open. It''s a small place overall, so I don't recommend it for big groups. Our waitress was really nice. read more

A surprisingly good Italian place in Washington heights. Came here for dinner and wasn't expecting much since most of the restaurants here are so subpar. The food and the service was very good and enjoyed the whole experience. Our waitress was an actress that's in a show called 50 shades of grey(a parody) and she was great and a lot of fun. I highly recommend this place if you're in this area. read more

Very cute, warm and cozy, yet spacious place. Good "date" place. They provided bread with olive oil and olives - love the olives. The bread was a bit too chewy for me, but my friend liked it. We ordered the prosciutto & cheese appetizer - it was very good and fresh. Ordered a special gnocchi dish. It was good, but it was drowning in red sauce! I've never been to an Italian restaurant where they drown their pasta in red sauce! I forgot what my friend ordered, but his dish also was drowning in red sauce - he didn't like that either. We ordered the chocolate cake for dessert - it was yummy. I would come back and try the other dishes. I was peeking at other people's dishes and the pasta looked fresh and weren't drowning in red sauce. :) read more

I visited this place over the weekend... Amazing :-)! I wasn't sure what I wanted to eat and the bartender/waitress allowed me to make up my own omelette (it was also pretty late and they allowed me to order from the breakfast menu! ).. Anyway the omelette was amazing! The bartender/waitress was also very nice and super attentive! The place is super cute and intimate and they play great 90's music! -good times! read more

Wow, I'm so shocked by Jane S's assessment of Saggio and cannot imagine what this politically neutral restaurant has done to bear the brunt of her ire against the Trump administration. Displaced anger to the max. My sister, niece, and I stumbled upon Saggio and had an excellent experience. This intimate restaurant offered lovely, warm, even romantic ambience, delicious food, and remarkably friendly service. I would happily return and recommend Saggio to others. read more

We just moved to the neighborhood and wanted to try this Italian place. We had read the Yelp reviews and went to try it. First: The service was great! Very prompt and knowledgeable. We were seated very quickly and learned that if we had come on a fri sat or sun there might have been a wait. We lucked out! We ordered the Fennel salad and it was amazing! We also had a bottle of wine and it was reasonably priced. Our entrees were specials. One was a fennel pasta and the other was a pasta with three different kinds of mushroom. they were amazing and delish... I cannot wait to go back and have more. I wish we could keep the taste forever.. but the only way to do that is to keep going back which we will do. So glad we moved into this part of Manhattan and very glad that this place is less than a block away! MUST EAT! read more

One of the best Italian spots in the city. A great fancy date night out. The butter sage sauce on ANYTHING is amazing and the melting chocolate lava cake is one of my favorites as well. The back patio is gorgeous but prepare for it to take them a bit to get back to you. The breeze is worth it ;) read more

Perhaps an off night but the service was painfully slow. Drinks didn't arrive until after the appetizer and then took a long time to get entrees. Food was ok. An extra star just for the outdoor seating area which was lovely on a warm evening. Disappointed overall. read more

Fried calamari appetizer was delicious -- fresh, crunchy, and great all-around. Entrees were another matter. Friend ordered a butter sage special with sausage and I ordered a make your own, tagliatelle with mushrooms. Both dishes were bland, the pasta less than impressive, and friend's dish had 5 pieces of sausage, tops. Neither of us even doggy-bagged, just felt like the dishes were going to be leftovers as depressing as they were fresh out of the kitchen. read more

Oh how I miss living uptown- mainly because Saggio has some of THE BEST italian food in the city at the cheapest prices. For brunch, my boyfriend and I had the bufala (YAS!) and beefsteak tomato panini as well as the roasted garlic, goat cheese and spinach frittata. Both were INCREDIBLE and only 9.00 (came with side salads, potatoes and toast). Love the servers here too. Super sweet and genuine. Amazing ambiance with a very cute and secluded backyard. You can order off dinner menu during brunch! read more

I don't know what I like best... the food, the wine selection, the service, or the ambiance. Its all unbelievable. With all of the restaurants in Manhattan, I don't usually want to keep going back to the same place, but I've been to Saggio four times now, and I can't wait to go back again. I usually get pretty lazy when I go out, so I rely on the recommendations of the staff. Over my two times having dinner at Saggio, I've had the Mozzarele Caprese Di Bufala (fresh, as in made to order, served warm), Fried Calimari, a mussel special, and some of the crostini (one review said that it was one single piece, which it is, but they didn't mention that its a slice of bread the size of my hand), all of which were suggested by my server. The appetizers are so good that by the time the entrees come out, I can't eat any more. The Tagliata Toscano (simply prepared skirt steak over arugula) was really light and cooked perfectly. As much as I love the dinner there, I want to move up to Washington Heights just to go there every Sunday for brunch. They have, without a doubt, the best pancakes I have ever eaten, and they do a baked eggs and meatball dish that might be one of the top ten dishes I've had. Oh, and a killer bloody mary to boot. read more