Crispy Cauliflower - delicious and peppery but not spicy Ricotta Wild Honey grilled bread - didn't leave a morsel Rigatoni carbonara - creamy deliciousness Cavatelli sausage ragu - had not bitterness in the sauce and both pastas were made in house Chicken parm - served with arugula salad on top, next time I'll get it on the side. Chicken pounded out and crispy. Good dish Bread pudding was terrific as was the cheesecake. Only gripe was the chair. Rustic, cute, but I felt like I could break it and fall through. Probably an indictment on me and not the chair. Service was warm and convivial like Artie buoco read more

I'd give this a 3.5 stars overall. But I couldn't get myself to round up. We tried the smoked ricotta, the crispy cauliflower, fettuccini nero, and pappardelle with asparagus and lemon. The atmosphere was cozy, casual, and somewhat romantic. Service was quick and staff were friendly. But, I don't think staff were as knowledgeable about the menu. I asked for some recommendations and favorites re: the pasta dishes and they pretty much said everything was good. That's fine. Was just hoping for some sort of follow up (4 out of 5). Overall, had mixed feelings about the food: The smoked ricotta honey with grilled bread was okay. The grilled bread came with black char, which didn't work for me. Ricotta and honey are subtle flavors and the char quickly overpowered them. The bread was good, but I think it would've been better toasted, not charred/burnt. That way the nutty flavors from a toasted bread can complement the honey/ricotta better. For the price tag (18) on a simple starter, it was disappointing. (2 out of 5 stars) Crispy cauliflower. I will say the name of this dish was intriguing. Was it lightly battered and fried? When the dish came out, I was disappointed. There's no crisp. It had the texture of roasted cauliflower. The aioli had good flavor, but overall, this was something I've tried before for less than 16 dollars. Can't call something crispy when it's not. (2.5 out of 5 stars) Pastas made the night better. Tried the fettuccini nero (seafood) and one of the pasta celebration dishes, pappardelle with asparagus, lemon, Parmesan. Fettuccini nero was squid ink pasta with seafood. Had good, deep flavor. A bit too salty after the first few bites--the saltiness kind of lingered in your mouth. Wish there was a more seafood. Clams didn't come in their shells. Expected more visible lumps of crab meat and calamari. Other than the shrimp, the seafood bits were much smaller and reminded me of frozen mixed seafood packaging. (3 out of 5) I thought the pappardelle was very good. Good, balanced flavor. Not too salty. Good acid. Good crisp and change in texture from the breadcrumbs that came with the dish. It lacked the depth of flavor that the fettuccini nero had. I was told this was a white sauce dish, which made me think it was going to be more of a creamy dish, but it wasn't. Definitely more of a butter/oil based dish. Some creaminess from the Parmesan I guess. Anyways, I had a delicious first few bites. (4 out of 5) read more

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Randomly came to Linizio on a Saturday night for dinner without a reservation and got a table at the bar. This place gets pretty busy on the weekend so make a reservation if you don't want to wait! There are street parking outside that's pretty easy to find. There was a separate server for the bar just making drinks so it was pretty easy to reach out to him to order. Overall service was efficient and people were nice. The restaurant was dark in ambiance and a bit crowded for my liking, but it was definitely popular! We got a few cold plates including charcuterie and chicken liver. Things were on the saltier side, but still quite good. For entrees we got an octopus and a tomato pasta. Loved the pasta but the octopus was again on the saltier side. The flavors were good though so overall we enjoyed our dinner, a solid Italian restaurant! read more

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Cute and cozy atmosphere. Appetizers and drinks were good. The pasta was okay- too much pepper in mine and could've been hotter. Great company still made it a nice evening. read more

I was not a fan of the food or service, although the atmosphere was pleasant enough. Food: I ordered the black pepper Rigatoni, and the pasta was so congealed that a solid chunk of it stuck together at the bottom of my dish. I don't believe I've ever seen fresh pasta do that, so my conclusion from that little experiment was that it wasn't fresh. Service: our server appeared to be frustrated when asked any questions about the menu and said nothing when I pointed out the solid chunk of pasta in the middle of my bowl. I'm sad that was my last meal on the East coast, I'll choose more carefully next time. BB read more

First time customer - Amazing experience! No reservation on a Friday, my boyfriend and myself walked in and was pleasantly greatest by the hostess that kept us updated on the availability while we awaited at the bar. The staff was so kind and the food was great . Thank you ! read more

Loved this place! I was in the area and was looking for a place for dinner on a Friday night. A lot of places were booked up; this place had a few reservations left and I was able to get in. We loved all of our food. I tried the Paloma, burrata, rigatoni, cavatelli and the branzino. Everything I ate was amazing and fresh. I would highly recommend coming here. The bar in front was very trendy and packed when we got there; otherwise, we probably would've sat and ate there. The dinner section of the restaurant is spacious and goes further back. I felt like I was eating in someone's living room. The space was very cozy and relaxing. Our server was attentive and knowledgeable. He explained the menu and was helpful with suggestions. I would definitely come back here again. I loved it! I highly recommend this place if you're in the area and looking for great food. There is free parking next to the restaurant as well, and it's very easy to get to. read more

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Wonderful staff, amazing food, fantastic service. One of my favorite Westchester spots; it never disappoints!

So delicious! Go for Sunday pasta night. The interior is cozy and the service was superb.

Food - Very Good Service - Average Parking - Limited Ambiance - Much too loud despite sound deadening panels. Back room space is too small for number of tables/seats. Value - All desserts priced at $15 was a complete turn off. We left to go elsewhere for dessert & coffee. I will not be back due to noise level read more

Ended my Birthday tour here today for brunch . Place is really cool nice Italian bistro feel. Started with few apps for the table. Crispy Cauliflower with lemon aioli was very tasty and crispy. Crispy Brussels sprouts with sriracha aioli both dishes very good and well balanced. Also tried ricotta and prosciutto on toast Very good but wish toast was toasted more. We ordered chorizo, octopus potato hash with an boiled egg on top. Was one of the most tender octopus ever had. We also tried lobster risotto wow what a well balanced dish. Risotto was so creamy and herbs exploded in your mouth. Chopped lobster were tender. Also tried Chiri's fluffy pancakes . Wow a incredible dish. Everything super fresh and homemade and every dish was a piece of art Very reasonable price for the ingredients. Definitely coming back to try dinner menu. read more

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Really solid, cozy Italian restaurant with homemade pasta that I'd read about in Westchester mag. While the ricotta toast, coconut rice pudding special dessert, snd spicy basil margarita are all incredible five stars, I wouldn't say the pastas were, which kinda shocked me. The red sauce-sausage cavatelli was my favorite, while the carbonara and the goat cheese-asparagus special were just so-so. The carbonara didn't taste like a carbonara - it lacked that cheesy, indulgent goodness I craved. At these prices, I'm unsure I'd rave and recommend, but I'm still glad we came here and tried it. read more

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Beautiful restaurant, terrific food. Nothing but great things to say! Hard to find parking, but that's the only issue. read more

Very nice Italian restaurant with great food and warm atmosphere. Clams, branzino, Brussels sprouts were amazing. Highly recommend

What a treasure westchester has with L'inizio! It was recommended by a family member and it did not disappoint. We started with the ricotta and honey app which was one of the best bites we've had in recent memory. Do NOT pass this app up if you go. I had branzino, which was the seafood special, therefore a bit pricey but perfectly cooked and served with asparagus and ramps and a wonderful sauce that I couldn't get enough of. Hubby had the chicken with sausage and peppers and once again, a winning dish. For dessert we shared the special coconut angel food cake because I can't pass up any dish with the word coconut in it. It was luscious! The only reason I can't bring myself to give them five stars is because the service was quite bad. We know they were short staffed but a couple of servers took care of tables nearby without paying us any mind so I'm not totally convinced that was the issue. The atmosphere is lovely, with perfect indoor lighting and tables that aren't too close together. Outside needs some work though. We hope to be back, and you can bet the ricotta will get an encore. read more

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My husband and I had a wonderful date here! All of the dishes were well done and the flavors were delicious and fresh tasting. I enjoyed how all of the dishes were traditional Italian but often had a small, modern update that really brought the flavors out. We tried: the burrata with roasted squash - fresh and tasty Carbonera - wow Ricotta cavatelli - very good Cheesecake - surprisingly fantastic The service was friendly and attentive and the ambience was intimate and comfortable. Highly recommend for a date or dinner with friends! read more

Right now- I may have broken 3 out of the 7 Cardinal Sins......and I'm not the least bit ashamed. I've been curbing my carbs diligently (ok- maybe I fell off the bandwagon o...n...c...e/t...w...i...c...e)- in the last 3 weeks. To me- Dessert can quite possibly be the most important meal of my day. So when I read about L'inizio's Pastry Chef- Heather Fratangelo taking center stage in 'Westchester Magazine' for her Desserts, I dove in. There are two entrances with one opening up to the Bar area and the other to the Restaurant. Just one look at L'inizio and I realized how I went this long without ever visiting. But in any case, with very nice Sirius Chill Music going on- L'inizio is the perfect backbone for a Quaint, Rustic and Romantic evening- tucked on Saw Mill River Rd. in Ardsley. I think folks here were probably blindsided because all I wanted was Dessert. I'm super attached to anything Chocolate and was prepared to pass it up. On top of that, I'm not a Vanilla Ice Cream fan- AT ALL. But I had read nice things about Heather's Strawberry-Rhubarb Cobbler served with Vanilla Semifreddo......and that was that. Strawberry-Rhubarb filling was juicy with just the right amount of Sweetness. The Cobbler topping- felt like it made love to either a pastry, a Buttery fluffy biscuit and a rich, shortbread sugar cookie- with a touch of vanilla. The Vanilla Semifreddo? Well...it's kind of like Ice Cream- and just this once- had most of it (and no...I'm not a Vanilla convert). But I'm even wondering if the Vanilla Semifreddo could be replaced with a Dulce de Leche or maybe a Citrusy Ice Cream (just a thought). Service from the server and GM, David- was super pleasant during my short stay. The same way I had an excellent Dessert, I'm so sure L'Inizio offers an outstanding Dinner menu as well. read more

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Sweet little spot with food that tastes home-made. Great for romantic dates. Love the specials.

Oct 2024, came here with some friends for dinner for the first time, and the place was cute inside, and not very large. The service was quick and we did not have to wait long for our meals. The waiter brought out a few slices of bread and in my opinion the center was a little hard, not soft as it should be. My friends ordered the Special of the night, Bronzino, which they said was fresh and delicious. I ordered the Pasta dish, Ricotta Cavatelli, Fennel Sausage Bolognese And Parmigiano. The pasta was cooked to perfection, however the dish itself was way too salty for me. I would never order that again. My other friend ordered the Osso Bucco with Polenta. The meat fell off the bone as soon as she cut into it. She said the dish was delicious., and ended up taking home what she couldn't finish as I did. Now a few side notes, the restaurant has a small parking lot on the side of the building, and on the Menu, each meal has two portion size prices. read more

Good food small intimate restaurant Outdoor garden dining area in back Customer friendly ! read more

Been going there for years and the food, service and drinks are wonderful and creative. If they have potato chips as an app don't miss it. Salads are always a delight read more

Inconsistent lately, but used to be very good. I love the look of the tiny bar, but several people I know have gotten ill after having cocktails so I'm sticking with wine. Food can be great or just ok depending on the night. Food servers are friendly and do a good job managing crowds on busy nights. Brussels sprouts are the best, but the pasta is hit or miss. read more

Having moved from the city, this surpasses some of the best Italian I've ever had, so glad to have this gem in the area!

Another gem from Westchester Magazine. My wife and I had dinner there last night and left satisfied and full. The decor is simple yet peaceful and romantic. Our appetizers were the octopus, prosciutto and ricotta. I must say that the prosciutto was one of the freshest and best tasting prosciutto I've had in years. My wife had the chicken parmigiana while I had the cavatelli. Both meals were delicious. I must say that their pasta is so fresh it literally melts in your mouth. Both dishes were well paired with the Italian white wine Falanghina . Service was amazing and the staff was very warm and friendly. L'inizio is an absolute gem in the village of Ardsley. No wonder why this is one of Westchester Magazine's best restaurants in all of Westchester. read more

The restaurant was really cute and the staff was amazing. Most of our dishes were interesting, different and really good but my basic chicken cutlet was completely burnt around the edges. I understand that everyone has their own recipes for tomato sauce but I felt their sauce lacked garlic and the hint of cheese. IMO. Overall, it was a decent experience, and I would return, but I'd never order the chicken cutlet or red sauce again. read more

This is another great restaurant we discovered, despite the pandemic. We ordered their Valentine's Day special, which included their clam appetizer with bacon @ bagna cauda, squid ink fusilli with octopus, scallops with a pleasant cream sauce with curry spice, and bread pudding. We only ordered one, and it was enough to feed the both of us. Everything was truly delicious and packaged carefully, and was wonderful. The pasta was perfectly cooked, the scallops were great quality (and not gritty), and the bread pudding was buttery & delicious. If I had a complaint, it is a minor one: it would have been nice to have a little bread to sop up the sauces from each of the dishes. Since I was home, I literally licked my plate clean--it was THAT delicious. Hope to order from them again, soon--and once I feel comfortable to dine indoors again, we want to visit the restaurant as it looks very inviting, and tastefully decorated. read more

It was a very pleasant dining experience. Food was a bit on the saltier side, which I usually don't like, hence the one star off. I'd like to give it another try and check out the other dishes. read more

The staff and the ambiance here are great. I wish that whoever is cooking would dial back the salt and the heaviness in the dishes. Our dishes bordered on unpleasant because of this. The potato chips were soggy with oil, and heavy on the salt. Lukewarm. Grilled bread with ricotta and honey was undermined by a heavy dose of salt. Overall an appetizer that could be stellar with the right balance of ingredients. Same with our main courses. Too much garlic, salty, soppy sauces overwhelming the dishes. Less is more. Our dessert was the highlight of the meal. A bread pudding that was light and flavorful. I do hope the kitchen will upskill the cooking- it's such a lovely place. I'd love to return and be pleasantly surprised. read more

L'inizio is a romantic Italian fine dining restaurant that offers polished service and pretty good food -- but at a high price point relative to the overall value. The restaurant's romantic ambience and excellent service got the evening off to a promising start and raised our expectations for a wonderful evening. The dining area has a rustic modern vibe with dim, warm lighting. We appreciated the acoustic paneling on the ceiling, which meant that even as the restaurant filled and the noise level increased my wife and I could still hear one another at a conversational volume. The staff were legion, and they were attentive throughout the evening -- the way the staff served bread at the table, kept water glasses filled, and even the quiet grace with which they cleared away plates showed considerable training. The dining room did get a bit crowded towards the end of the evening as tables filled up and staff scurried to and fro, but I suppose that's why we booked an early reservation. I also enjoyed the Negroni I ordered before our meal. I'm not entirely convinced the barrel aging process added much to the drink besides $1 to the price, but the drink was good. The bar and wine menu looked attractive, and we might be game to return for a happy hour. Of the three dishes we ordered, one was a clear hit, the second came in at about par, and the third was a miss. The chicken scarpariello I ordered for my entree included perhaps the best cooked piece of chicken I have had in my entire life. Crispy skin on the outside with meat that was absolutely succulent. The entree was traditionally prepared -- including fingerling potatoes, cherry peppers, and chicken sausage on a bed of greens -- but was presented as a composed fine-dining dish. The sauce also was perfect, bright and acidic on the front end with a deep heat to finish. I don't think the bitter greens paired especially well with the sauce, and adding more fat (for example, from pork rather than chicken sausage) might have made the greens a more effective flavor carrier. For as good as this dish was -- and it was the best dish of the night by far -- at $29 for chicken I do question the value. Even adding some homemade pasta would go a long way to resolve my concerns about the price point. My wife ordered the tarragon fettucine, which came with a seafood marinara. The entree portion was huge and was full of shrimp, calamari, and crab meat. No question about value here, even for $29. While the dish is tarragon fettucine, my wife did feel that the tarragon was used with a heavy hand, giving the whole dish a soapy flavor. We also had nutella bread pudding for dessert, which was on special, and it just wasn't very good. The interior of the pudding was dry, the hazelnut flavor was difficult to find, and without the fresh whipped cream it would unsalvageable. We were surprised by such a big swing-and-a-miss at a restaurant that prints its pastry chef's name on the dessert menu. The tab for one cocktail, two entrees, and dessert came to $90. That's about par for Westchester fine dining. The service was clearly worth the tab; the food on the table significantly less so. Based on one visit, we'd rate L'inizio significantly behind our other favorite Italian fine dining restaurants in the area -- Tredici North, Piccola Trattoria, Mima Vinoteca -- but the food and the service were still good enough to make it worth another visit sometime down the road. read more

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I had to call the restaurant to find out the parking location. After 4pm you can park in front off the donut shop across the street. For my primi I tried their Griled octopus with white bean purée. The octopus was cooked to perfection. Definitely recommend this dish to anybody who loves pulpo (5 stars). For my pasta, I ordered the Fettuccine Nero with light marinara. The marinara sauce was full of flavor. Unfortunately, I forgot to tell them that I like my pasta al dente. Also it would be better if they use full size shrimps than the baby shrimps (so sorry, I have to give it 3 stars) read more

Mistakes with 3 out of my last 4 take-out orders. Not sure if it's the manager or owner at the front of the house but on each occasion did not even have the courtesy to apologize. Just took the order back into the kitchen and never came back out. Instead sent one of his staff to bring the order. I find that a bit rude and cowardly. On top of this, charges $3 for bread that's not even fresh! Portions are also a bit small. Won't be going back. read more

Best restaurant in Ardsley. One if the best Italian restaurants in Westchester. Amazing apps and pastas. The owners are very nice. read more

Heard a lot of good things about this spot so I decided to give it a try but definitely wasn't a fan and prob won't be back. Food was not the best-pasta was very soupy and drowned in sauce and steak was very cold and chewy. read more

Very limited menu. Several chicken entrees, a few pastas, few seafood choices, no veal. Dessert menu uninspired. Expected more after reading a few positive reviews. Not bad but not worth a second visit for us. read more

We loved this small but cozy spot in Ardsley, just a minute off the Saw Mill parkway. Reservations are highly recommended. If you are looking for family style chicken parmigiana look elsewhere. If you desire fresh house-made ingredients to accompany a talented chef's creations - here it is! The menu is eclectic - a handful of choices in the Appetizer, Primi, Pasta and Secondi categories - each featuring seasonal ingredients, and an emphasis on house-made choices, including pastas, burrata and mozzarella. They also feature another handful of specials which vary daily. We were greyed enthusiastically and guided to a table in the rear dining space - about 8 tables in all. Seating was comfortable and noise was no issue. Starting off our group shared & gobbled up aged Proscuitto, Burrata, stuffed zucchini flowers and perfectly done braised octopus. All fresh and delicious. We then ventured off to fresh grilled bread coated with lardon and topped with grilled corn and an amazing pork riblet dish. Our entrees included my fresh ricotta cavatelli with fennel sausage and pamagiano, with a side of kale & wild mishrooms and the special ravioli. We were stuffed and happy but could not resist the Bombolini doughnuts with cinnamon sugar and coffee panna cotta - OMG. Roll us out the door, we'll be back for more. Highly recommended. Corkage $20. read more

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Had the duck special. It was so delicious I wanted to lick the plate but my wife wouldn't let me. This place never disappoints- the hard part is deciding what to eat because everything is delicious. read more

L'inizio - Delicious duck special - Italian Near Me - Ardsley, New York

My advice, check your bill carefully AND watch the pricing ESPECIALLY for "kids" menu items. This restaurant first delivered me the wrong check (trying to gouge) and, as a frequent restaurant diner, this ALWAYS makes me VERY suspicious, then they gave me the correct bill BUT, they want $22 for a bowl of spaghetti for an 8 year old - singly, the most expensive item on the bill. WTF are they thinking? I live in Ardsley and dine out frequently BUT, I'll never, ever eat here again. Too bad for them. Beware fellow diners and DON'T go here with kids, obviously they don't want couples with children. read more

L'inizio - Check - Italian Near Me - Ardsley, New York

We finally tried L'inizio after reading about it in Westchester Magazine for years. A small quaint space and very friendly service right upon entering. Menu isn't overwhelmingly large, but everything sounded amazing. Husband and I decided to split a dish from each category. Baked clams were not overly breaded so the flavor of the clam came through - but the piece of bacon on top took over the flavor profile. The kale salad was dynamite - with the crispy shallots on top really bringing it to another level. 1/2 order of the homemade past with wild mushroom, kale and parmigiana cheese was decadent and delicious. Wouldn't change a thing. The chicken scarp was last on the list and they were so kind, they split the dish onto 2 separate plates for us. The chicken was extremely moist and flavorful and was a really well balanced delicious plate. 2 cocktails and 1 glass of wine brought us to $150 total (all in) for a truly beautiful meal. read more

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Made a reservation 30 minutes prior to their closing. Their website says closes at 10. Would not take a 9:30 reservation and cancelled 20 minutes after booking, I was already almost at the restaurant. 1) don't allow reservations at that time. 2) not my problem work with OpenTable so people CANT make reservations. Not ok read more

I was a huge fan of L'Inizio for many years. But, I will no longer dine there. The food quality and quantity has decreased while the prices have soared, and the service is minimal. The so called "outdoor patio" reeks of cat odor to the point that it is nauseating. And, the fumes from the neighboring car repair garage only add to the disgust! In addition, the fact that they charge an extortionate amount for "holiday" dinners that you have to take home and cook yourself is ridiculous! Sorry Heather and Scott, you ruined a great place! read more