Aurora is a place I've been frequenting since 2019. Their menu changes seasonally, and they often offer great dinner specials that are worth trying. Service is consistently good, though the restaurant can get quite noisy depending on when you go, especially during peak dinner hours. The space is a bit tight, but there are a variety of seating options. Outdoor seating is a great alternative in late spring, summer, and early fall. The only downside is that on busy days, there can be a lot of foot traffic since it's right on the sidewalk, though this also depends on the time. Overall, I enjoy stopping by every now and then, especially to enjoy their complimentary hummus and fresh bread, it's definitely a highlight! A solid spot to check out and possibly make your own go-to place. read more

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Our favorite restaurant! Always top notch and I LOVE their Mussels and Linguini with Clams! My family always love the specials and of course, their famous hummus with bread! Friendly staff and upbeat ambience always make us smile when we go there. read more

Came in with a group for dinner. It was a Wednesday night and the place was super busy. I had a glass of Sauvignon Blanc which was really good. For app we had the buratta. It was delicious. For dinner my friend and I split the beef ravioli and chicken Milanese. I did need to salt the chicken but other than that it was all amazing. For dessert we split the lava cake with a vanilla gelato scoop on side. Wouldn't get that one again it was nothing special. Service was good. Cute atmosphere. Looking forward to returning read more

This was my first time dining here. And I can tell you, it won't be my last! Met friends here. The atmosphere was great. Pretty jam packed! Our server was great. Food and drinks were excellent! We had some wines and a cosmo. It was made to perfection for me. We started with the Beef Caroaccio, then the fried calamari, which was really one of the best I have had. It was so tender and not greasy. It comes with two sauces. Then we had a Margarita pizza! Everything was great. read more

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Great place. Came here on Friday night. It was our second time here. Food is always amazing. We love this place! Service is good; however the bread service is not good. They come late, you have to ask them multiple times for bread. Food comes on time and delicious! Menu is very large, lots of things to choose from. Drink menu is smaller but still has good options. Definitely will be back read more

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When I asked for a plain grilled piece of fish or chicken, they were not able to deliver. They told me that everything is marinated every morning in a garlic marinade. I am allergic to garlic. I would have left but it was late so I had a plain salad for dinner. My friend had a pizza, not good. Oh well...... read more

I guess the chef took the night off . I was not impressed at all the only good thing I ate was the Prince Albert mussels . Had the shrimp with scallops 2 shrimps 2 scallops ..... really ? And just a boring dish . I also shared the spicy lobster with tagliatelle. And it lacked spice as well as taste . Wish I never went . Waste of $200 read more

Decent food but small portions. For the price, that chicken parm should have been 3x the size read more

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Always an exceptional meal. There is nothing on the menu that will disappoint. The most friendly and responsive staff. Highly recommend and we dine as often as we can. read more

Great summer dining spot. Pizzas seemed OK, maybe a little soggy on the crust. Nice wine list. The Parmesan encrusted halibut was excellent and I will return just to savor it again. read more

We came for dinner on a Sunday evening and were able to benefit from relative calm at the end of a weekend. In particular, we found a parking space right out in front of Aurora! Once inside, we were greeted enthusiastically by the personnel and were moved from our initial table at the windows to one that was well inside the front door -- it was a tad chilly outside. The dining room felt very comfortable. It was clear that a lot of thought and taste went into the design of the decor and furniture. In addition, the food seemed to be really good. At the end of the list of menu entrees, I spied: Entrée salads: Caesar / Mixed / Chopped / Arugula with chicken 28 salmon 35 shrimp 34 Tuna 34 I was attracted by the concept and got an arugula salad with tuna. The tuna was cooked perfectly medium rare, as I specified, and the salad had plenty of tiny surprises to go along with the arugula leaves (hearts of palm, avocado and radish, if I recall correctly). One diner at our table got the duck breast special and raved about it long after we left Aurora. Wonderful! I took the choice of wines by the glass and canned beers to be evidence that someone had really thought about the menu, rather than somehow constructing it by rote. Aurora is one of six restaurants run by the Z Hospitality Group. I sometimes object when I feel manipulated in restaurants -- when I say that we were "in the hands of professionals," I usually intend the comment to be pejorative. In this case, after spending a few days in the boonies of another state, I was relieved to be in the hands of people who actually knew what they are doing. The one negative is that our server was a bit aggressive. As we were seated, we were asked whether we wanted still or sparkling bottled water and had to specify tap water in order to avoid a bottled water charge. As soon we were nearing the ends of our drinks (a glass of wine and a can of beer), the server swooped down to suggest a second round. That kind of up-selling was a disharmonious element of our visit. Overall, our experience was great. I recommend Aurora without hesitation. read more

Cute location in downtown Rye. Surprisingly easy to park. Delicious food. Friendly and attentive service. I would definitely return. read more

Obnoxious staff. My children are vegan and they wanted to eliminate cheese. Multiple waiters kept making cheesy cheese jokes all night. There is something seedy about this place. We live in Rye but will never come back again. read more

I could give 10 stars. Eminem welcoming. Chef spoke to me about GF. My husband pasta. Delicious. read more

Very good. Nice atmosphere great service. Mussels were delicious the pizza is always good

Everything was delicious, excellent service, all good! Romantic ambiance and outdoor seating are a plus! read more

So we eat at Aurora frequently. However tonight I ordered soup to take out. It was "Butternut squash soup sans ALL LOBSTER". I paid $30. Yes that's right $30 for two small soups. We also got one tiny piece of bread to share. I asked politely "why is it $30 with zero lobster in it?" Answer "because that's what it is." Well it may be. But it's my last take out for soup. What a shame. I try to support places but this is crazy. read more

Aurora Ristorante - Small soup - Italian Near Me - Rye, New York

I have been to this restaurant multiple times and the food never disappoints. On my last visit I decided to try their Rack of Lamb. It was nicely prepared and tasty but it included only three very small pieces of meat served over potatoes. Therefore I ate mostly potatoes that night. (Reason why I am only giving them 3 stars). I had Italian cheesecake for dessert and it was creamy and delicious. I definitely recommend this restaurant. But I don't recommend their Rack of Lamb. read more

Food is fine, but staff tries to gauge you at every turn... specials, drinks & dessert. Order off the menu & be sure to ask for the price so you don't get sticker shock on the way out. When questioned about the extraordinary price for an item, the manager's response was offensive & inappropriate. I won't be back again. read more

We arrived at this place around 9:20pm for dessert and dinner for our father. We were told by the maître d' that we had to order an entree in order to also order alcohol (I guess he felt the need to emphasize this because it was already late?). Unusual but not a problem as my father hadn't had dinner yet so he was going to order an entree anyway while the rest of us ordered dessert. When the waiter arrived my father ordered a pizza and the rest of us ordered drinks while we looked over the dessert menu and figured out what we wanted. A few minutes later the waiter came back and told us that the maître d' had already informed us that we needed to order an entree, which indeed he did but he neglected to clarify that he meant an entree per person. We questioned his reasoning and he cited an obscure NY state law that prevents customers from ordering alcohol at a restaurant unless they also order an entree PER PERSON. We had never heard of this law but we took his word for it and disappointedly left the restaurant. But it doesn't feel good to be turned away and something just didn't add up. Why had we never heard of this law? We eat out often and surely this law isn't ignored by every other restaurant. It made no sense. Except that it does. You see, this restaurant is trying to maximize customer spending by only seating people who are going to spend a lot of money on dinner and drinks. This is the post-COVID reality unfortunately. I feel bad for these restaurants. They have it tough. But they don't have to make up rules to try and maximize revenue. The law states that "for each patron in a seated party, an item of food must be purchased at the same time as the purchase of the initial alcoholic beverage(s)." If interpreted correctly, that means we should have ordered our entree and dessert at the same time that we ordered drinks. But that's not why he kicked us out. He stated that we all must order entrees. I wish I had thought to look up the law at the time this was happening. For reference: https://sla.ny.gov/guidance-requirement-licensees-premises-service-privileges-serve-food-alcoholic-beverages He also misinterpreted the sprit of the law, which is meant to "to permit outside and limited indoor dining (outside of New York City), with alcoholic beverages, while restricting the congregating and mingling that arise in a bar service/drinking only environment." We are a family of 4 looking to grab a quick bite to eat and drinks before heading home. I don't think sitting down with an entree and desserts with 1 drink each constitutes as congregating. I'm disappointed but can't say I'm surprised. A prior experience at this place resulted in my sister calling ahead for reservations and being told we would be seated at the time we had requested only to be met with a "first come, first serve" message when we arrived. Apparently, this was because it was an outdoor dining request, which they also neglected to inform her about. I'm done with this place. There are far better establishments in Rye that treat their customers better and act more professional. read more

i had the pizza. margarita pie. wow 19 dollars? this place is very overpriced. it was very busy at lunch time but not too crowded. i sat by the pizza over which was nice and cozy for a chilly day. staff was very friendly. bathrooms are clean. pizza itself was just ok. i was hungry so i ate everything but most of the crust. the crust was very plain and tasteless. i'm italian so i know pizza :).........if the sauce was bad i wouldn't have eaten it but the sauce, basil and cheese were flavorful but please do something about the crust. i wouldn't come back. prices r way too high and most of the appetizers didn't even look good. read more

Nice atmosphere when I went in to pick up and good food. The free bread with hummus type dip was delicious. We were all really happy with our pasta take-out meals--- even though it was take-out-- pasta was not mushy, unlike at a lot of other places. Chicken could have been more tender. Good sauce though on the parm. Definitely worth a try. read more

We ordered the tuna appetizer, tuna entree, Australian lamb rack, brozini ( fish ), gnocchi. Everyone enjoyed the food. Even the bread was excellent. read more

I picked up take out the other night-- Gnocchi, Butternut Squash Dish, and the Salmon Bowl. Not was I was expecting, but all and all the dishes were good. Presentation a little strange, but we enjoyed it. They currently have outdoor and indoor seating. I did the online ordering, which was simple to use and came out on time. read more

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This could be the worst service that I ever encountered in a restaurant. Never saw the waitor after we ordered. Never served the appetizer that I ordered. Manager was unresponsive. I will never go back. Then because I complained they brought dessert and CHARGED me for it. Could be the stupidest people I ever met. read more

We have always been a fan of this restaurant. Last night we went to dinner and had a great meal and a great time. When it was time for desert, we got an after dinner drink. They offered us a grappa. When we got the bill we saw the grappa was $40. More than any other item on the bill. When we approached the manager he told us his clientele does not ask prices. We understood but said it was more expensive than any other glass of wine or food item on the menu and it would have been nice if someone told us the price. He said this clientele doesn't ask prices. Yet the menu does not have any overly expensive items on it. The manager instead of apologizing or even trying to be empathetic, walked away. I expect more from Z Hospitality group and they manager. He had no idea how to react or respond to his clients. He was unpolished and not someone who should be in the customer service business. It's unfortunate, that this experience with the manager will make us not want to come back to a restaurant that we dine at often. The food was good and so was the service- but the manager was junior and incapable of constructive criticism. No one was asking for a refund. We just wanted to let him know that next time he should let his clients know their after dinner drink will be the highest price item on the menu. read more

I really enjoyed on Friday night (5/31/19) 50% off Wine Appreciation. The pizza with artichokes was good as well as the Eggplant parmigiana appetizer. My friend had the burrata and mentioned how delicious it was. read more

Lovely restaurant. The food was amazing and the service was top notch. Great for a girls lunch or a night out with your significant other. Try the beet and goat cheese app, you won't be disappointed:) read more

Great atmosphere, amazing food and good service. So loud that it is hard to speak to each other. But the food was amazing. The yellowfin tartar was a great appetizer, the sea scallops were to die for, the fig pizza was delicious. Cocktails and wine were perfect. I would recommend this place as a lovely sophisticated restaurant to share a good meal with friends. read more

Aurora Ristorante - Sea scallops three ways. This is a must entree - Italian Near Me - Rye, New York

Decent place, I felt like for the price point the food was very mediocre. I wouldn't return but It's surprising as their restaurant group owns Mediterraneo which is always excellent! read more

Piece of S*** place. Refused to serve us half hour before closing even though we have been long time customers. Never coming here again. Over priced as well for mediocre food and service. Stay away from this garbage. read more

As always the food was excellent. The service was good, but we were not subtly pressured to vacate the table after 1 1/2 hours while still drinking our coffee. A definite negative aftertaste to our dinner. read more

it was pretty good but not worth the price. Portions were small all around. We were given one slice of bread. One. Drinks were served in small glasses with large ice cubes. Appetizers were good but entrees were small portions. Small portions and small drinks are fine but dont charge me for full size portions or normal size drinks at a premium price. Other nearby choices that are a better value with better food. I wish it was better but i guess they have their local patron who dont know better or dont care. read more

4.5 Star food! 3 star service and 2 star ambience. With all the complaints on here about the sound traveling you'd think the simply install sound deadening acoustic decor of sorts....tiles.. something... anything... please. Anyway - the plates sizes don't really match the price. Took about 15 mins to get a second drink which was just too long when it wasn't even busy at that particular time. Gnocchi was good but not great. Kobi and spinach raviolis were delicious but really had almost zero spinach (I checked about half). Brussels sprout app was also really good but tiny for $12. I mean come on... we received about 12 Brussels sprouts and handful of beans. It was literally probably 89 cents worth of food. All in all probably 3.5 stars but only getting 3. I would consider going back but only if I wasn't that hungry and the place was guaranteed to be only half full. read more

My wife and I have enjoyed several meals here ranging from the excellent price fixe lunch menu to traditional dinner. I feel obligated to post a review following last night's meal. With it being a Monday night the place was not too busy which made for excellent service, and pleasant ambiance. We both started the night with separate orders of the Beef Carpaccio which is a favorite of ours. We drizzled it with some freshly squeezed lemon juice and it was delicious. My only nit pick here is that Aurora likes to add sliced mushrooms to this dish. Personally, I'm not a fan of the addition but it is not a detriment to the dish. The entrees were clearly the stars of the evening. With some guidance from our server I ordered the red wine braised short ribs, and I was not disappointed. The ribs were cooked perfectly and I was able to navigate through this dish with out the assistance of a knife as the meat was tender and fell apart with ease. The parsnip puree is a welcome addition to this dish and unlike the Carpaccio dish, the mushrooms work extremely well here. My wife ordered the Kobe Beef Ravioli, and WOW. This dish was bursting with flavor and I immediately dug my fork in every time she looked away. It was that good. This is a very rich dish and if that's not your thing then this dish probably isn't for you. On to what may be one of my favorite desserts. Aurora is the only place I order this, and I can't imagine it being any better some place else..wait for it...the Bread Pudding. Just phenomenal..really. It's a healthy portion of bread pudding drizzled with caramel and accompanied by freshly whipped cream and berries. It's tasty, the texture is great, and it never disappoints. Overall a very good experience, and you can bet we will be back. read more

I wanted to like this place since it was such a great-looking restaurant with a beautiful outdoor area, and it had a great pre-fixe brunch special... Any dish off the brunch menu with a coffee and cocktail for only 15!!! Unfortunately, the eggs benedict was kinda meh. The poached eggs tasted too much like vinegar and were overcooked. The roasted proscuitto cotto in the benedict was pretty yummy but everything just needed salt and pepper, and they didn't have any on the tables. The L'Inglese was a deconstructed omelet plus sausages, beans, bacon, etc, which they fail to tell you on the menu. The Bloody Mary tasted like a store-bought, just add vodka kinda mix. Maybe I'll come back, but not for brunch. It has a great atmosphere, especially the outdoor area so I'm hoping the dinner menu is much more satisfying. read more

My buddy was happy with the Chicken Parmesan. I had the Pan Roasted Bronzino (similar to sea bass) with crispy spaetzle, brussel sprouts, mushroom, apple mustard. Wow. One of the best fish dishes that I ever had. Great plating, very appealing visually. Friendly service. Good decor. Would definitely return here. read more

Eat the roasted chicken. Aurora promises a nice evening out in rye in an upscale space. Attentive service, nice wine list and a small cozy bar for a pre-dinner cocktail. The food is very good. read more

Not impressed. I went there yesterday with a couple of friends. We ordered glasses of wine... and for $16 a glass- the pour was a rip off. Just keep that in mind. My friends liked their dishes, one ordered fish the other had a beet salad. I had a caesar salad and a pizza. The pizza was fine... but definitely overpriced. It was mostly dough...barely any sauce/toppings. The salad was so disappointing. How does one mess up a caesar salad? It was actually the worst salad I've ever had in my life. I feel bad writing that, but I would have liked to be warned. read more

The best "upscale dining" (yet somehow completely casual) in Rye...Period.