We tried Buona Sera for dinner after our daughters rowed in the Saratoga Invitational. Sunday evening; called for a reservation, but not necessary. Got seated right away in the "Lake Room" and got served right away. The Lake Room has a nice view over Saratoga Lake, and the ambiance was good for family dinner, except for a couple of loud tables that made it hard to hear everyone. I had a bourbon Manhattan that was perfect - not so dry that it tasted like a glass of bourbon and not so much vermouth as to make it too sweet - and really smoothed off the afternoon - then a glass of St Francis Cabernet to go with dinner. Appetizers were pan-fried mozzarella and the Shrimp Limoncello. The mozzarella was "Made with Our Fresh Homemade Mozzarella, and Breadcrumbs, Served over Marinara." Light, slight breading and fried just enough with a perfectly sweet complementary red sauce. The Shrimp Limoncello was "Three U-10 Shrimp Sauteed with Roasted Garlic, Roasted Heirloom Tomatoes and Limoncello, Served with Grilled Bread." Shrimp were cooked just right, not overcooked, as happens many times with shrimp, and the tomatoes and bread were complementary and tasty, but the limoncello was a little too much lemon, not enough cello. (a little more tart than we liked) 2 entrees were the pan seared salmon over risotto with a request to undercook the salmon somewhat, which they honored, and it made the salmon very moist and tasty. The Roasted Garlic and Basil risotto was excellent - rice not overcooked, perfect with a deep warm roasted garlic flavor. My Eggplant Parmesan was prepared the old fashioned way with thinly sliced eggplant properly drained and sweet with an ultra thin breading fried just right with a delicious marinara sauce and plenty of mozzarella, served over house-made spaghetti cooked al dente. Ample enough to have half for lunch the next day. Oh, and I had a side order of broccoli rabe - slightly bitter, as it should be, with ample garlic flavor cooked perfectly. Excellent. The fourth entree was Shrimp Aglio E Olio - "Sauteed shrimp, broccoli rabe, roasted tomatoes, in a garlic and olive oil sauce. Served over spaghetti." Once again, large fresh (not meaning not previously frozen, just clearly not old) meaty shrimp cooked perfectly - still moist with some crunch with a wonderful pungent garlic sauce over that perfectly al dente spaghetti. My daughter loved it. Also enough for lunch the next day. Desserts were homemade tiramisu and lemon ricotta cake with raspberry sauce and whipped cream. Tiramisu was classic and delicious. Lemon cake was a little dry but tangy and tasty, especially with the full-flavored raspberry sauce. We only get to Saratoga in the spring and fall for the rowing races, but this will be our go-to place for post-regatta dinner any time we're around. Very very good. Not cheap, but one doesn't mind when it's well worth the price. read more

Riley was great waitress.. attentive and friendly! Food was excellent! View of lake always good read more

Best kept secret in Saratoga. Food was wonderful. Service fun.and spit on. We went in February and do say it was cold sitting near the back windows. Sure its beautiful with a great view in spring/summer. read more

My friend and I went to see a performance at The Little Theatre (SPAC). Afterward, I suggested that we have an early dinner at Buona Sera, an Italian restaurant overlooking the south shore of Saratoga Lake that neither of us had been to. We were seated at a table by the window which afforded us an unobstructed view of the lake. Perfect. Our waiter, Doug, said this was his first shift. He did a fine job managing our table and the others around us. The disappointment lies in the management's lack of customer care and the food. Both of us ordered the Carpaccio which was a nicely plated combination of arugula, prosciutto, fried goat cheese balls (interesting!), shaved Parmesan, and toasted pine nuts. Impressive. My friend ordered one of their specials - Shrimp and Scallop Fra Diablo served over linguini. She was happy with her selection. My Veal Marsala arrived while I was still eating my Carpaccio starter. A real no-no. The gal who brought our entrees left it on the table where it sat for the 10+ minutes it took for me to finish my appetizer and became barely warm. Reader, take note. I requested that the spaghetti served with my veal be set on the side of the meat instead of under it. I asked them to add a bit of garlic and oil to the pasta. I did not want the veal and what tasted like jar sauce (no Marsala flavor was evident to me or my husband who ate my leftover meal) to be on top of the spaghetti. Doug sheepishly returned to our table after taking our order and told me that the chef/owner said there would be a $10 up charge to accommodate my request. Excuse me? I told him to tell the chef/owner not to bother. It wasn't the amount of the charge, it was the idea that there would be an up charge at all. I order Veal Marsala this way all the time and never did any restauranteur add a ridiculous fee for such a simple request. Plus the veal was tough and flavorless, and the two spears of asparagus were missing their tips. This entree was uninspiring. My friend ordered chicken to go for her husband. It arrived on a plate, not packed up ready to take home. We ordered desserts to go and the person who brought them to us dropped one - which had to be replaced. The cannolis were among the best I've ever enjoyed, with crisp shells and a delicious filling. Kudos to the pastry chef! The best part of our experience was the view. With a plethora of Italian restaurants in Saratoga Springs and the surrounding area, my friend and I agreed we won't be returning to Buona Sera. read more

See all

We spent day at Races... being from out of town. Asked for recommendation for Italian cuisine. Drove 15 minutes only but after dining here would have drove an hour for the veal. We started with meatballs ..marininera sauce was delicious. The veal parmesan was perfect with a huge helping. Service was great ...will be back next trip for races. read more

Second time here and slightly disappointed this time around. Seafood special was very salty. Eggplant parmigiana pasta also too salty. Soup was awesome and service was good. read more

Great food, great service, great view & reasonable prices. What else do you need? My wife and I stopped by on a recent trip up to Saratoga. Started off with the Meatballs - absolutely delicious. Next up were the best Braised Short Ribs I've ever had. The Chiffon with Strawberries & Cream was the perfect ending to a great night. Wine selection was excellent. If you're planning on being in the area don't miss out on this gem. read more

Wanted to love because scallops were delicious but 2 for $22 is out of control ! Love the feel of this place (the establishment itself)

Was seated right away and the staff went above and beyond. Food was amazing and the dessert was top notch. Would highly recommend and will be returning read more

Buona Sera - Italian Near Me - Malta, New York

See all

Don't judge a book by its cover ! This restaurant from outside may not look like much , but the food and service is top notch. A nice view of the lake adds to the ambiance. Definitely worth the visit! read more

Our waiter was fantastic and the food was just as great! Went there with my family. The waiter had a great sense of humor and was very attentive. He made us feel so welcome! The food was VERY good! The broccoli and tomatoes in this dish were such a pop of flavor that added to the savory flavor of the pasta and shrimp. Pieces of garlic throughout the dish that were cooked in the sauce and were an extra burst of flavor. I would recommend this new place to everyone. I am a foodie and love great service and this place did both fantastically! read more

Buona Sera - Shrimp Aglio e Olio - Italian Near Me - Malta, New York

Went there last night. We love Italian food. We all had straight up Martini's to start. There were very good! Mixed perfectly! We ordered the Bread appetizer. It had a large loaf of warm Italian bread with roasted Garlic and spiced up butter! Main dishes were Veal Marsala. Veal cooked perfectly! Shrimp Luigi was delicious and sausage and penne pasta. All dishes were absolutely scrumptious! To finish off the meal we had eggnog cheesecake, Delicious! Service was great and they give military discounts I definitely will be back. There's a couple of seafood dishes I like to try. Thank You, Buona Sera read more

Everything was beautiful . The staff were so nice, friendly and fun. My birthday was amazing. The food was Excellent! Large portions, perfectly cooked, And reasonably priced. The desert ( cake) was yummy. Oh, the bread was delish. lol. We will be back. Thank you. Maxine Ahmed read more

The food was amazing and the view was beautiful! Our server was great. We definitely will go there again!

Good food, great ambiance, staff is help and friendly, love this place. Next time try another dessert read more

Buona Sera - Dessert - Italian Near Me - Malta, New York

Excellent food. We had the lamb chop special and spaghetti with clam sauce. Very delicious. The service was great and the host was super friendly. Will definitely go back. read more

I have been here three times now this summer so I feel like I can give a well-rounded review. It seems like over the years the building has expanded beyond the capacity of the kitchen so don't be surprised if you see empty tables but are told there is a wait. At least during the summer they get a LOT of large parties, families of 6-10 so the kitchen and waitstaff can get slammed. Don't come here if you expect to be doted on and have your perfectly coursed meals. Having said that everything I've ordered has come out fairly quickly and PIPING HOT and the food if not Michelin quality is very solid. Everything I've ordered has been extremely fresh and seems like a lot of effort is put into every dish considering it's a pretty varied menu. If you are up to just experience a bustling local restaurant that clearly has a lot of love put into it by the owners come to Buena Sera. Also very nice flowers out front. read more

Julia has been amazing getting our reservation booked, proactively going above and beyond the usual service. Ambiance, service and food great! Wholeheartedly recommend! Julien, Tom & friends. read more

We came here in our way to friends home in Malta ....so glad we did. The scallop appetizer was phenomenal, our entrees of a shrimp Luigi special and cauliflower penne was to die for. ...we ordered the house made bread with roasted garlic which into itself was also amazing ! Used this bread to soak up all the bread from our dishes..was well worth the extra carbs !!! My dirty vodka martini was on point...a must visit f your in the area ! read more

See all

Finally checked this place out and am glad we did. The location is perfect, staff friendly and accommodating and the food was good. It's a great neighborhood go to and we shall return. We came for the roast chicken but they were out that evening, Will definitely return. The bar was busy and comfortable. More busy than the dining room which says to me they are not yet known. I definitely recommend if you want a good, not over the top, meal and a very pleasant evening. read more

Absolutely fantastic! The food and service are great. If you have not enjoyed an evening at Buona Sera you're missing out! read more

Even though it was Belmont track week, our service by Lindsey was great! The food was delicious. We tried the chicken Marsala and chicken parmesan. Our friends had the penne chicken and baked chicken but sorry no picture. We were seated up by the windows to look out at the lake. Definitely get the bread board or 2. The portions are big but save room for the carrot cake, it was outstanding. We went early for dinner and parked close to the door due to the rain. I would say if you can back your car in so you can pull out as it is a busy intersection. It was really busy when we left. We will definitely be back! read more

See all

I believe the ambience needs a little help up by far. The food and the service makes up for it. Young people run it and they've done a great job. Highly recommended. read more

Although the location is scenic by the lake. The exterior and interior need remodeling. The temperature of the interior is unacceptable, difficult to breath in the rear lake view area enclosed glass area. I would encourage accessible windows, what happens if there is a fire, or even a side door? This isn't an exaggerated concern - the waiters literal sweat was not just visible on them but actually dripping onto our table and the surroundings!!! I've never seen that, I said to them I'm so sorry to ask but are YOU ok in this heat?? The wait times for anything was unusually long and not sensible. One couple was already waiting for service prior to us showing up and yet some of our items came first? The drinks were as if an inexperienced person made them. We sent them back... The food was subpar, the sauce for Italian food should be delightful not rancid... the food was overcooked, not flavorful and was not fresh - a stocked freezer and YouTube could have produced better results. The cost for just a short time was astronomical- well over 100$ for what was not even $20 worth in my opinion. We left... early and will likely never return. read more

Food was below average for the price. Service was bad. Ordered dessert and sat there for 20 minutes. Apparently dessert manager didn't see the order and waitress was nowhere to be found. Won't be going back there, very disappointed. read more

One of my favorite restaurants ever the staff is amazing. The food is awesome if you want a nice dinner this is the place to go.

We met Matthew, Buona Sera's new bartender, and he was fantastic! He kept the bar running smoothly even as the holiday crowd picked up--great holiday music, (thank you- I personally love hearing the sounds of the season) excellent drinks, and seamless service for both guests and waitstaff. His confidence, personality, and happiness made the night memorable. A wonderful addition to the restaurant! read more

Second time there and loving it. Great food, Great service, Wonderful menu. Waiter Michael a true professional.. Looking forward to many more delicious meals!! read more

Food, drinks and dessert were excellent. Server - Noah was fantastic. Definitely going back.

Food and service were both very good. I had requested a table with a view of the lake and we were given a nice location. I was a bit disappointed to find, though, that the restaurant really isn't truly lakeside as I thought. It overlooks a boatyard and parking lot. Still, we did have a view of the lake. The other disappointment was that the noise level was very high. I had difficulty hearing our out of town guests. read more

Relaxed atmosphere, good Italian food. Sort of a lake view through the parking lot. Servers were pleasant and friendly.

view is a plus. Food was good, service excellent. You have to pay for bread. Not happy about that. Calamari should be an appetizer. I had the bolognese. Husband had the special, shrimp, scallops over linguine in Fra Diavlo sauce which was very good. The bolognese was a little watery. It was thicker last time we were there. read more

I just found a bit pricey, and I'm not crazy about an à la carte menu. I also found a bit noisy in there, but I did enjoy the view of the lake. read more

Great food, martinis were unique and delicious. Vibes were surprisingly strong. Service was excellent paired with the atmosphere. View of the lake was lovely. read more

Food, and Service were both very good. The appetizers were excellent and the Chef's Pork Special was outstanding. The only downside was the Chicken Parmesan was not up to standard. read more

ABSOLUTELY AWESOME DINNER AND SERVICE. Riley is a rockstar. She's personable and attentive. Chicken Francese and the shrimp pasta dish was exceptional. We can't wait to go back! read more

Food and service were excellent. Our server as engaging and helpful. Portions were generous and of outstanding quality. We celebrated our 44th wedding anniversary there with another couple and all of us had an outstanding meal. Two qualifications that I hope the restaurant's management will correct. (1) When we made the reservation we were asked if we were celebrating a special occasion. However, apparently no note was made of this because it went unmentioned by our server until we told him and nothing "special" was done by the restaurant. (2) We left the restaurant initially in error neglecting to bring our leftover containers with us. Returning less than 5 minutes later, we found that they had been trashed or lost despite the efforts of our server to retrieve them. The manager in charge that evening seemed uninterested in helping. And a note on the restaurant's website to the owners/management detailing this experience appears to have gone unanswered. Having said that we will patronize this establishment again and trust that these incidents cited were unintended oversights that will be addressed. read more

Started with Mussels in white sauce. Was very good. Bootle Of A NY Riesling was good. Husband had the Chowder... not good. All potatoes and pretty thin. Felt like they were trying to get the soup to last them another day. I had the Bolognese. The sauce was good, just needed more meat in it and more of it overall. The Pasta was overcooked. I don't even remember what he had for dinner but he did say the pasta was also overcooked. He also asked for olive oil instead and was charged $7! Like what??? Had the Spice Cake for dinner...very dry and needed some ice cream to break up the spice. It's overwhelming. Where it went really wrong was the bill. With tip, over $200. I was floored. Not worth the price. We eat out a lot and in many areas of upstate and downstate. NJ and other surrounding states. Never have we paid that price with the quantity (and quality) that we got. Won't be back again. Sorry guys. (Overpriced and under delivered) read more

Fabulous food! Staff is friendly ! I have had many meals here and none was slightly good! Each meal is OUTSTANDING!

Great little spot on the lake. Highly recommend the meatball appetizer. Service was great. Food was great view was even better.