Social Profile: 
✔️Dinner ✔️Dine in
… View more
Address and Contact Information
Address: 534 Elmwood Ave, Buffalo, NY 14222
Phone: (716) 424-1008
Website: http://www.inizio716.com/
Menu Photos
Order and Reservations
Reservations: resy.comtableagent.com
Photo Gallery
Related Web Results
Inizio | Scratch Made Pasta | Northern Italian Restaurant in Buffalo NY
Inizio is a cozy, pasta-focused restaurant in beautiful Elmwood Village. Freshness comes first here—we make everything we can from scratch in our kitchen, and …
I N I Z I O (@inizio_buffalo) • Instagram photos and videos
11K followers · 446 following · 117 posts · @inizio_buffalo: “Scratch-made pasta in Buffalo, NY. Tue-Sat 5pm-Close @chefmichaelgibney”
Book Your INIZIO Reservation Now on Resy
Our motto, “tutto fatto a mano” translates to mea… Read more. INIZIO. 534 Elmwood Ave. Buffalo, NY 14222-1816. Get Directions +1 716-424-1008 https://www …
Product
Reviews
Anna Thompson
Really enjoyed the food here. Everything tasted fresh and well prepared. The pasta was delicious, the hanger steak was full of flavor, and the peach bruschetta was a nice touch. Even the drinks were great. Would happily visit again.
… moreRoberta
I highly recommend Inizio. Our waiter greeted us with a glass of prosecco since we were celebrating our anniversary, which was such a thoughtful and welcoming gesture. The service was warm, friendly, and attentive throughout our visit. The food arrived quickly, which sometimes makes me cautious, but here it was clear they have everything well organized. My gnocchi wasn’t very traditional, but it was delicious with a modern twist that I really enjoyed. My husband’s steak was perfectly cooked, and his pesto was equally outstanding. The ambience was relaxed and inviting, making it the perfect spot to enjoy a special meal. We are already looking forward to coming back and trying more of their dishes.
… moreleostation Fact
What a disappointment. Party of five, first time checking it out. The appetizers were hanger steak bites (they were nice), strawberry salad (decent, pretty simple can be had anywhere) and bruschetta which were interesting and would recommend. The problem was in the cocktails, the main dishes, the desserts and the lack of decent service from our main waiter. He was inattentive to put it mildly. Two martinis (one dirty with olives, the other up with olives) and the second had no olives. The martinis themselves were poor. I don’t know what happened but I’ve ordered the drink many times other places and this was just bad. The olives? Look at the picture. Absolutely disgusting. They tasted like they were bought from Tops (Mt Olive??) and had been sitting around for far too long. The mains were cacio e pepe with crab and steak which was recommended by the waiter. I should have known better. The noodles were done well, no doubt. The dish was so bland, the crab almost non-existent. Another member got mushroom gorgonzola with shrimp. The shrimp were tiny and sparse. The sauce was watery. The desserts were cookies and peach cheesecake. Please see photo for cheesecake. It tasted artificial and a complete embarrassment of a dessert. Italian restaurant without anything Italian on the dessert menu?? No tiramisu?? At least do what you have right. And nope, the cookies tasted like stale gas station fare. Won’t be going back.
… moreJulia Helfman
We sat at the bar which was nice for the first time dinning. We got to chat with the bar tender ask for drink and food recs. We could listen to the music from the speakers, and it was Great vibes. The drinks were amazing and the food was so wonderful. Cant wait to go back. I liked not feeling rushed and was able to take my time eating and drinking. I really loved the bruschetta!!
… moreRosenda Belmonte
Had dinner reservations with a friend on a Friday evening and everything was great! Shared the strawberry salad and bruschetta, which were very filling and delicious. Had the mushroom pasta with added chicken for my main dish, which again was delicious. I was already so stuffed from the shared apps that I had plenty of leftovers to take home. Friendly and accommodating service, ac vent was dripping and they moved us without a problem.
… morė
One of the most authentic Italian meals you can get in Buffalo. $6 spritz’s were sooooo nice and the food was amazing. My only critique is that I wish the risotto was a little more firm.
… moreLysa CZ
Absolutely loved our meal here! The pasta was a standout—especially the cacio e pepe, sweet pea agnolotti, and bolognese, all perfectly executed. The espresso-rubbed hanger steak stole the show for me—I’d come back just for that. We also tried the peach bruschetta, which was a fresh and seasonal twist on a classic. Cocktails and mocktails were equally impressive. We’ll definitely be back!
… moreDaniel Torsell
My girlfriend and I came here for our anniversary and the atmosphere was amazing! It felt very romantic and cozy. Their bread and butter was phenomenal (I would go to get drinks and just that). I ordered the Carbonara and she got the Bolognese. The food was good but lacked seasoning and presentation. $33+ for a plate I expected more but I might just be nitpicking. Servers were absolutely amazing and I will go here again, I just might ask for some salt and pepper
… moreLindsey R
We had reservation and arrived a bit early. Our table wasn’t ready, which was completely fine. We were told the bar was full, but that we could stand off to the side in the entry and someone would come take our drink order. The bartender who assisted us was lovely, and we enjoyed our drinks while we waited. While we waited a couple came in asking if they could sit at the bar and they were told that they were completely booked for the evening and that they couldn’t sit at the bar or get dinner in a rude way.
Once seated, our server came over without introducing themselves and immediately asked if we were ready to order, despite one person in our party not yet having arrived. After everyone was present, we ordered drinks and asked for a few minutes with the menu. The server returned several times asking if we were ready, which felt rushed, especially as we were catching up and reviewing a fairly involved menu.
We ultimately ordered all of our courses at once and requested the meal be paced over three courses. Our first starters – olives, house-made pickles, anchovies, and fresh house-made cheese -were excellent. Second course we orded the mussels, and winter salad to share. The mussels were good, the salad was okay. The pasta courses were disappointing. The cacio e pepe was bland, overcooked, and lacked any real flavor. The mushroom pasta was similarly underwhelming, with no earthy notes. The butternut squash pasta was the standout among the mains. We had wine rather than cocktails; the Montepulciano was fine. There was a small mix-up with my second glass, but it was corrected promptly.
However, around the hour-and-a-half mark, the service noticeably shifted.
It became clear that the restaurant enforces a 90-minute table limit and books back-to-back seatings. Given that this was a three course meal and we spent over $300, the experience felt rushed and transactional. We skipped dessert entirely because we felt pushed out the door.
Overall, while the appetizers were strong, the rushed service and underwhelming pasta made this a disappointing experience for the price point. Italian dining is typically meant to be relaxed and lingering, and this felt like the opposite. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t return because of this.
… moreOnce seated, our server came over without introducing themselves and immediately asked if we were ready to order, despite one person in our party not yet having arrived. After everyone was present, we ordered drinks and asked for a few minutes with the menu. The server returned several times asking if we were ready, which felt rushed, especially as we were catching up and reviewing a fairly involved menu.
We ultimately ordered all of our courses at once and requested the meal be paced over three courses. Our first starters – olives, house-made pickles, anchovies, and fresh house-made cheese -were excellent. Second course we orded the mussels, and winter salad to share. The mussels were good, the salad was okay. The pasta courses were disappointing. The cacio e pepe was bland, overcooked, and lacked any real flavor. The mushroom pasta was similarly underwhelming, with no earthy notes. The butternut squash pasta was the standout among the mains. We had wine rather than cocktails; the Montepulciano was fine. There was a small mix-up with my second glass, but it was corrected promptly.
However, around the hour-and-a-half mark, the service noticeably shifted.
It became clear that the restaurant enforces a 90-minute table limit and books back-to-back seatings. Given that this was a three course meal and we spent over $300, the experience felt rushed and transactional. We skipped dessert entirely because we felt pushed out the door.
Overall, while the appetizers were strong, the rushed service and underwhelming pasta made this a disappointing experience for the price point. Italian dining is typically meant to be relaxed and lingering, and this felt like the opposite. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t return because of this.
Dave Lush
Wow! Last nights dinner was amazing! We had great service and a seat right by the fireplace. It’s was a nice romantic night. Our drinks were always full and food was perfection.
Broccolini, Caesar salad, bread and butter- 10/10
Vodka and Cacao E Pepe- 1000/10
Slight recommendation- having an option for 2 or 3 larger scallops instead of bay scallops
Will be coming here again very soon!!!
… moreBroccolini, Caesar salad, bread and butter- 10/10
Vodka and Cacao E Pepe- 1000/10
Slight recommendation- having an option for 2 or 3 larger scallops instead of bay scallops
Will be coming here again very soon!!!