One of the better restaurants in Buffalo. Wonderful ambiance and service. Delicious, authentic Italian food. The gnocchi appetizer was so good, I wish it were my main course! We will definitely be back again! read more

I love San Marco. The Gnocchi is pure heaven. I have never been disappointed -- the service, the food and the atmosphere are all very pleasing. Salmon is so very lovely here, perfectly done. One of the rare places where I really want a dessert because this course is so elegant and light, not a heavy sugar assault. It's the biggest surprise in Buffalo, really satisfying and enjoyable. Make your way there -- you won't regret it. read more

One of the best restaurants in Buffalo. Small and charming with a romantic ambiance. The food is absolutely amazing.

Came here for Valentines last year and it was perfect. The food and ambience were one of a kind. A local favorite for special occasions!

My husband and I have eaten here several times and I must say, it is the best Italian I've had outside of Italy! Everything is always cooked to perfection and we have never been disappointed with a meal choice. That being said, while the owner was extremely personable (he's always genuine and welcoming) I was disappointed with a few of the wait staff this visit. We arrived on time for our reservation and while the restaurant was busy, the tables were not full. A woman asked us if we wanted something to drink and she said absolutely nothing after we made our choice; nor did she say anything when she returned with our bottle of wine. She opened the bottle and poured our glasses without saying a word....very odd. Then several minutes later a young blonde woman appeared and simply asked us if we were ready to order. We had no idea she was our server- no introduction or welcome, she didn't offer us her name or ask if we had any questions about the menu- she almost seemed bothered to have us as a table. My husband and I brushed it off, thinking that maybe she'd had a bad day. Unfortunately for us, she was incredibly personable and smiling with her next diners when they arrived. She made an incredible effort to chat with them and laugh about who knows what....she obviously knew them, but to essentially ignore us and barely offer a smile was incredibly awkward for us when we've had such great service in the past. read more

We visited for the first time this past Sunday for our 11 year anniversary, and were totally blown away by how fabulous the food was. The staff was also very attentive. I can't wait to go back again! I had the quaglie del contadino while my husband had the gamberi e ravioli alla panna. Both were superb. read more

Been here 3 times so far, its delish! My favorite is the lobster ravioli, the sauce is soo good. Cant wait to go back!

We came here on a friend's recommendation. It was about an hour before closing, but they welcomed us. Everything is homemade and delicious. We ordered banana pepper ravioli for an appetizer. For entree we ordered the specials; Rib Eye Florentine and Rainbow Trout. Everything was very good. A little pricey, but well worth it! read more

I came here many times before but have never done any reviews! My overall experience is 4/5. The food is a truly authentic Italian cuisine and the service was great. I had the special sea bass, truffle pasta and lobster ravioli which all are amazing ! However, I found the food very boring. The menu are more or less the same. The dessert aren't as great as the food too. Hopefully they can improve on this area ! Definitely worth trying! read more

To be honest, I lived blocks away from this restaurant for a few years and never stopped in. But after having my boss rave about the food, I decided to investigate for myself. I've been in twice in the last 2 months and tried several dishes each time. I'm absolutely a fan. The husband and wife team that run it did a great job. The owner came over to our table and explained the specials to us and chatted with us several times throughout the night. Having worked in a restaurant myself, I appreciated the attention to detail, the gentle atmosphere, and the rich and full flavored dishes. It is such a cozy place, I felt like I was a personal guest in their home. The Lobster Ravioli was my favorite part of the meal, though the Ox Tail was a close second. I'm glad I finally stopped in this place, it has quickly become one of my favorite restaurants. read more

Yes, great upscale Italian. Ambiance is quiet and intimate, several small dimly lit rooms, windows shuttered, Sinatra in background. Menu is a little different from the typical Italian place, instead of bruscheta or fried calamari there is Gnocchi and risotto. The entrees all looked great, I would love to explore the menu. Wine by the bottle is somewhat expected. Food is excellent. They only use quality ingredients, serving mozarella caprese with red peppers until local tomatoes are actually in season. The entrees were all delicious. I also have say the shrimp and scallops were scary-large but seemed great. read more

Truly, unequivocally, authentic Italian food. The best since visiting Firenze, IT. Have eaten here several times. Always consistently perfect. Expensive wine list. Frank (owner, host) knows everything about his wines and the food being prepared and served. Glad this jewel is close by. Love the saltimbocca, boar, caprese salad and the ravioli appetizer. read more

Best Italian restaurant within 1000 miles. Food is always amazing and service is top notch. As another review mentioned it is not cheap but you totally get what you paid for. I have been here several times and never have I nor any of my guests ever been disappointed with a single thing! It's a must try! And it is kid friendly but probably more in the 12 and over range. read more

Just first class everything. First class atmosphere, servers, food, chef and owners. We always get the Gorgonzola gnocchi, lobster ravioli and the scallops with risotto to start, followed by the filet mignon and Chilean sea bass for entrees. We have never left without smiles on our faces. read more

One dish has got me coming back for more, Ravioli della Nonna. Don't leave without trying this sublime ravioli dish served with a light and earthy truffle cream sauce. Service, ambiance, and incredible food with every visit, one of the most consistently delicious restaurants in the area. read more

I recently went to San Marco for dinner. The ambience was nice. We ordered the lobster ravioli appetizer, very good. The sea bass was good , cook just right. Pollo Milanese was just ok, I didn't taste any lemon and asked for light on the capers but my chicken was covered in them.I also ordered the chocolate lava cake, it was tasty however it was dry for a lava cake, over cooked, disappointing. The service was slow. Probably wouldn't go back... read more

Excellent service and very good food. The scallops with angel hair pasta was fantastic! I'm coming back the next time I'm in Buffalo. Dan K Cincinnati O read more

Hands down, some of the best Italian food I have ever had. Great atmosphere...intimate, cozy, warm. This is a fantastic place.

We went to San Marco for the very first time this past weekend. We had an 8:30 reservation and we arrived at exactly 8:30. We were greeted after five or ten minutes & we were then told that we would have to wait because the guests currently at our table had arrived late and were staying long. I found this to be an odd statement but the wait was not that tremendous. Approx an additional 20 minutes. What I found a bit awkward is that there is literally no where to wait that you are not in the way of departing guests and servers. There is no bar or foyer so therefore we were not offered a cocktail to enjoy while waiting. When we seated, we requested the wine list. We were given a nicely presented list of bottled wines. I wanted prosecco and my husband a pinot noir so when the server returned, after a considerable wait, we asked if there were any wine by the glass selections. We were then given a small piece of paper that had them listed. Again...a rather awkward start to our evening. By now we had been at the restaurant a full 45 minutes and had yet to receive a drink. Our food though was excellent. I had the Fusilli a la Luciana and it was just delicious! We had a great chocolate lava cake for dessert. The cheese board appetizer was a lovely start to the meal. Food is truly exceptional. I would return despite the initial impression upon arrival. read more

If I can give a zero star, i would. I called to make a reservation for 11 people for Saturday and the man who answered the phone was so rude. He told me that he does not take any reservations for large group for Fridays and Saturdays but on my next call, he said no large groups anytime. Then I asked - what if we come 5 and 6 and he said all the tables are taken. Guess he does not want people to eat at his restaurant. I don't really care how much other people say the food is good if the person who answers their phone is rude over the phone, can't imagine him in person. read more

Oh my, if you are looking for THE best raviolis you have eat at the San Marco Restaurant. They melt in your mouth and I have never tasted better any where in the US. I always have the Truffle (mushroom) Ravioli's which come on the appetizer section of the menu. This is the only place I have found this type of Ravioli and they are showered with a creamy truffle sauce, super delicious. I get the dinner portion and always leave my plate wiped clean. My friend gets the Spinach Ravioli's which comes with a light creamy tomato sauce, also out of this world. I think they are hand made and maybe it is the loving tender care that is put in each yummy pouch. They are always the perfect temperature and with just the right amount of sauce. We would never go any where else for our Raviolis. We are not drinkers so we have water with our raviolis. Yet they have a wine room. Fantastic and the service is exemplary. ( I am big on service) read more

We and all of our in and out-of-town guests LOVE San Marco! The menu is not predicable, pedestrian Italian fare, but rather it's CUISINE! With the reliable favorites, of course. Frank is wonderful and his daughters are so efficient! Great, reasonably-priced wines and consistently excellent fish! We've never, ever been disappointed. Also if you like Sinatra, you'll hear him there, every night... read more

My son and his lovely Wife introduced us to this place..The food is exquisite! I had the Sea bass in with a light cream pesto sauce sprinkled with pine nuts that melted in your mouth!! Everyone at the table had to try some of each ones plate.. (i know ..i know) All I can say is WOW!! The service was very nice! and I kinda like the setting!! We were going to go back this Monday(the 11th) to celebrate our 41st wedding anniversary ,alas...they are closed on Mondays..we went to another restaurant I just posted about here instead! So we went to 2 great Buffalo places in one week! read more

I have frequented San Marco's numerous times. It is a small, quiet restaurant. The food is very good and the service is consistently solid as well. The best dishes that I have tried include the gnocchi (appetizer), lobster ravioli, and the veal (Vitello Della Nonna). The only problem with the dishes above is that they are so good that I have a tough time ordering other items on the menu. San Marco also has nice Italian white wine on the menu. If you order the above items and do not come back, I would be stunned. This is a restaurant worth trying once. The prices are reasonable making this restaurant a must try. read more

This place has quickly became our favorite. The food is so fresh and delicious. We have never been disappointed. The filet is one of the best in town. The pasta and sauces are made to order. You can taste the quality of all ingredients. The staff is very friendly and informative. We just love San Marco! read more

After hearing so many good things about this place I decided to bring my cousin here for her birthday. We were not disappointed. Being of Italian descent, we are sometimes hypercritical of Italian restaurants but that simply did not apply here. The owner met us at the door and escorted us to our reserved table. The decor is intimate, warm and just lovely. The chef is the owner's wife. According to an article in the Buffalo News in the foyer, they are both in the restaurant every night. Our server was friendly and attentive. We both ordered Cinghiale (boar) because it just isn't on very many menus in Western New York, so when I see it I simply must try it. Well, outside of Italy, I think I may have found some of the best boar I've had, including Manhattan. It was served as a generous number of tenderloin medallions, perfectly cooked and covered with a Barolo wine sauce and Juniper berries. Perfection! Also on the plate was a very nice mushroom risotto that would have been a delicious entree, itself. There were also some excellent al dente grilled vegetables. For dessert we had warm molten lava cake with hazelnut gelato. My cousin's had a lit candle in it. Happy birthday! The warm, chocolate sauce inside the moist, warm chocolate cake, paired with the luscious hazelnut gelato... Well, let's just say I practically licked the plate! read more

San Marco was outstanding! My husband and I went there for Valentine's Day yesterday and we couldn't be happier. We got all dressed up and had a lovely evening, and it looked like everyone else had the same idea! We started by ordering a bottle of Merlot for about $40, and the gnocchi appetizer, which was $10. The wine was superb and the gnocchi..... OUT OF THIS WORLD AMAZING. It was cooked to perfection, but the most delicious part was the sauce it was in. The waitress was kind enough to bring us extra bread just to soak up the remaining sauce! For our meals, I had the venison, which was $38, and prepared medium rare. It was perfectly cooked and absolutely delicious. My husband ordered the sea bass, which was about $37, and it tasted heavenly. I have never had fish that tasted so soft that it melted in my mouth before, but this topped the charts for me. 10/10. Amazing. For dessert, we split tiramasu, which was the best tiramasu I've had. It was creamy and rich and voluptuous, just like it should be! Our bill ended up being $150, and the service was excellent so we tipped 20%. If you go here, be prepared to just go out and let yourself splurge a little. It's definitely worth it. I would recommend this place to anyone, especially for special occasions! read more

Absolutely wonderful meal! Excellent service and food preparation. Three of of our party had the filet and one wild boar and all meals were cooked to perfection. Absolutely on the list for a next trip through town. read more

My fiancé and I went here because of the excellent ratings, and I would have to agree with the many compliments that this restaurant receives. The food is amazing and the service was also quite remarkable. We started with the Ravioli All'Aragosta, oh my lord this was heavenly. For dinner I got the appetizer Ravioli Della Nonna done as a main entree which they were more than willing to accommodate. My fiancé ordered the Linguine Allo Scoglio which was superb. The service we received was amazing as well. Our server was very polite and accommodated all of our needs.We were warmly welcomed upon entering and the staff thanked us for coming in as we were leaving. Over all, I highly recommend this restaurant. read more

San Marco is the best restaurant in Buffalo. The atmosphere is quiet and romantic and the food is fantastic. The owner is from Italy and brings great authentic recipes. Highly recommend the lobster ravioli and the wild mushroom risotto. Pricing is a little on the high side, but it is worth it! read more

Used to go to the San Marco when it was on elmwood avenue and loved it! FINALLY got a chance to get to the current location and when the evening was over i was disappointed. Service definitely favors the regulars!! Staff including owner not entirely friendly. Most of our food was nice, albeit a bit too much time between courses (very busy, rather loud). Would not recommend the GAMBERI E CAPESANTE LIVORNESE . . . never had such a "beige" dish with overcooked seafood before. Nicely seared scallops atop the pasta would have done wonders for the dish in my opinion. Maybe stick with the specials, regular menu seems tired. read more

Without a doubt, the best authentic Northern Italian cuisine in WNY. The service is superb, and meets all expectations for restaurants of this culinary calibre. read more

This place has become my standard go-to restaurant for out of town guests or special occasions. The owner Frank is terrific. Always accommodating and welcoming. I can honestly say I've never had a bad meal there either. Someone once told me San Marco is the best Italian in the city. I really must agree! read more

Over $300 later for 4 people, and disappointed. Had not been in a long. Probably won't go back. Two of the entrées extremely over-salted. Paying that much money for fine dining and you shouldn't have food with this much salt. Almost inedible. In retrospect we wish we would've sent the entrées back. Too bad, because ambience is very pleasant. A Buffalo restaurant that is actually quiet enough that you can carry on a conversation. Service was very friendly and professional. read more

I've never written a review before but Frank and his team made this particular meal out of this world, it can't go without mention. This was my first time at San Marcos and I was immediately impressed with the ambiance and intimate feel of the restaurant. There celebrating with a group of co-workers frank went above and beyond to make our evening special. We ordered a number of pasta dishes to share as appetizers that were each so unique from one another and delicious. A complementary order of bruschetta was sent over as well just so we could try it and it was great! For the main course I ordered the strip steak, it was cooked to perfection and seasoned with gorgonzola...one of the best steaks I've ever enjoyed! It was served with vegetables and potatoes which were also mouth watering. For dessert we ordered a variety of treats as a group and shared them, each dessert was so rich and delicious and once again Frank went above and beyond to make the meal special and sent over a glass of moscato for each of us to enjoy with dessert. Aside from delicious food, San Marcos has friendly and intuitive service with attention to detail. This is a place I would love to dine again and would bring my family from out of town to! read more

After eyeing this restaurant for the past few years, I finally took my husband here for his 30th birthday. It was amazing from start to finish. Food was the best Italian we've had in the area for sure. Service was exceptional. It's a small restaurant and had an amazing vibe. Not as stuffy and serious as some of the other local Italian restaurants, but still classy and cozy. I previously lived in New York, so finding good Italian food in Buffalo can be hard. We will DEFINITELY be returning :) read more

We looked this place up online just trying to find a good restaurant to check out on a Friday night and found this place. What a great experience! A family run place with excellent food!!! The owner Frank greeted us and started us off with some drinks. He was very friendly and you could tell that he was genuinely happy to welcome all of his customers. Our server was very personable and made good recommendations. The God was delicious and it is all homemade!!! We accidentally left our credit card and both the owner and our server chased us out into the parking lot to make sure it was returned to us. We will definitely be back! read more

As I told the owner, this was what I dream of when I dream of Italian food - and I dream about food a lot. I hosted 6 clients here - all people in the foodservice industry and they were all still raving about it the next day. I'll start with ambiance. It's cozy and small and you almost feel like you're in someone's house. It's a family owned restaurant and that comes through in the atmosphere of the place. The service was outstanding! Attentive without being intrusive. Our server made great recommendations on wines and menu items. And when we were done, they called our cab for us. From beginning to end, they never missed a beat. And then there's the food. Oh, the glorious, delicious, stuff-dreams-are-made-of food. I ordered the tiger shrimp and ravioli in a creamy sundried tomato sauce. It was incredible! Several of my guests ordered the veal and they raved. One ordered the wild boar and absolutely loved it. Desserts were also enjoyed - individually, with nothing left on anyone's plates. The gelato was very popular and the berry tarte was well-liked as well. I had the vanilla gelato filled with limoncello. It was all I could do not to lick my plate clean and order a second - and my clients gave me permission to do both. Some things to keep in mind: This is a small restaurant, so I would highly recommend reservations, especially for weekend evenings. Also, the service is outstanding, but the food comes out in its due time. Personally, I thought the timing was absolutely perfect on everything - from wine and appetizers to salads and dinner. We never felt like we were waiting a long time for anything, and we never felt rushed. A meal from San Marco is meant to be enjoyed and savored, so plan accordingly. Another review on here mentioned the timing and it was one of the reasons I chose this venue to host clients. read more

If not the best Italian restaurant in Western New York, it's in the top three. Make no mistake, this is not a spaghetti and meatballs type place. The cuisine is a bit more upscale. As with any authentic Italian cuisine, they use the finest ingredients, prepare them simply and with a deft hand.They have been in business, and I have been patronizing the place for many years, most recently last evening. The owner is as hands on as any I have ever seen. He is very knowledgeable about wine, and makes sure that every detail is attended to. The ambiance is in my opinion, perfect for a fine dining experience. The lighting is dim but not so dim that you can't read the menu, and the rooms are accented with well placed candles throughout, as well as on each table. Really the only thing missing is a room with a couch where one can stretch out and discreetly undo their belt!! read more

An absolutely amazing restaurant. We love that it is family owned and operated. The service matches the delicious food. Go for the pesto sea bass and lobster ravioli!! read more