Easily my favorite spot near 181st street. Fantastic Italian cuisine, cool staff and good vibes. The bar is a great evening spot but when it gets busy it can get really crowded at the bar-top. I recommend the salmon and polenta entree on the weekends, but their gnocchi is to die for. Occasionally they'll have a burrata ravioli that is incredible. If you see it on their specials menu, order it. You won't regret it. Pro-tip: If you ever find yourself in Brooklyn make sure to visit their sister-location, Cent'Anni too! read more

I love that this place changed some things on their menu, the original was good but this feels much more authentic. As usual it's clean, cozy and comfortable. I find myself always coming or ordering food here on weekends and just wanted to give them a huge shout out for being so cool and consistent. Thank you for your great costumer service! read more

I've had my eye on Saggio for months and wasn't able to seize the opportunity to eat here in person when the indoor dining ban was lifted. So last night, I ordered takeout from here, hoping that their true quality would deliver well. I ordered a couple of their handmade pasta dishes. The first was pappardelle with vodka sauce and chicken. This combination may seem a little basic for most pasta lovers but it was delicious. It wasn't overly salty as many vodka sauces can be. The chicken had a pleasant texture to it; no rubbery-ness or chewiness present. I also ordered a gnocchi dish with al limone sauce and chicken. I don't usually gravitate towards ordering gnocchi but this was exceptional. It tasted very fresh and not as overly-chewy as other gnocchi dishes I've had. The al limone sauce was both cheesy and acidic from the lemon, which blended well with both the pasta and the chicken. They include pieces of Italian bread with your order to soak up the excess sauce that pools at the bottom. Both dishes were hearty, generous, and enjoyable. Now, although their pasta was amazing, the one thing that I will truly never forget is their strawberry basil lemonade. Oh my goodness, this was such a delight! I was so disappointed that I didn't order two, or that it didn't come in a larger quantity. It's probably the most refreshing drink I've had in quite some time. The best part is it's not even that sweet, so you can probably enjoy many of these guilt-free. It is a mocktail, but I think they could probably concoct a pretty awesome cocktail out of it if they tried. I'm totally looking forward to ordering from Saggio again! read more

Saggio - Gnocchi & al limone sauce with chicken - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

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Great offerings for Restaurant week, Friendly helpful service, pleasant ambiance & the food was abundant & delicious. A gem in this neighborhood. read more

Saggio - Tuscan skirt steak & arugula salad. perfect. - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

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All I have to say is wow..this spot might be one of my new top favorite brunch spots. I am in love with the BAKED EGGS PARMIGIANA (bechamel, mozzarella, w/ side of potatoes, salad, and toast). The toast dipped into the warm bowl of cheesy and eggy goodness? My, it tasted like magic and a warm hug. If you love cheese, this is it..try this now! It was a journey of a commute getting there and also my first time in the neighborhood but for you Parmigiana, I'll do it for you..haha. Also, this is a lovely brunch spot to go with you family or friends. Plenty of seating and plenty of good vibes all around. Would love to return and try their pasta dishes! read more

Saggio - Baked Eggs Parmigiana - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

Delicious food. Especially loved the Caesar Salad made with Kale. Cosy atmosphere, friendly waitstaff.

My favorite local Italian restaurant. They have really good homemade pasta and the place is very cozy. They also have outdoor section as well. read more

Such a cute Italian restaurant in the Washington Heights area. Came here with a group on a weeknight and was seated in the heated outdoor dining area. The layout was a little odd because we had to basically walk through the entire restaurant to the back. It's very dimly lit and honestly pretty narrow between tables and they use lots of candles so tread carefully lol. Our server was very friendly and knowledgeable - I got the gluten free penne alla vodka (their only gf option) some of my other friends ordered the chicken parm, the gnocchi, and some of the daily specials. Food took a bit to come out but the restaurant looked busy. While it was initially very warm, I felt a little cold after for a while in the outdoor dining area. Food portions are very large and reasonably priced. I don't think I'll ever enjoy gluten free pasta as much as regular pasta but their sauce was top notch - so creamy and tomato-y and delicious! Also appreciated how they brought extra parmesan to the table for us to add to taste. We were all so full no one had room for dessert. read more

Saggio - Chicken Parmigiana (top) & Penne Alla Vodka (GF, bottom) - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

Dare I say, uptown's definitive Italian food experience? It's really good, they have brunch, the food is amazing. Service is super friendly and quick. Can't tell if it's designed to look like a classic restaurant or just is a hold over from old times. I'm holding back to keep this gem one of uptown's best secrets. (Don't show Secret NYC please) read more

Yummy Italian food in a welcoming space. Service was good. Would definitely return to try more.

Love the ambiance and service. Calamari, black linguini and Caesar salad are crowd favorites for us.

My first restaurant of the new year, and it was an average meal. The ambiance was cozy, perfect for a group of friends, date night and night cap. Critique: I think I enjoyed my drink and bread more then my actual entree. What was it you ask, a simple Penne Vodka Sauce, which btw, is not on the menu so be prepared to be charged the difference for the sauce. Which tasted watered down and very plain, out of jar plain, something that would make your dear nonna cringe. My lovely date, Mom, ordered the Lasagna, and she loved her meal, the sauce was delish, she says. BTW the dish she wanted was not on the menu either, and substitutions didn't seem to be an option, in a very polite and intellectual response, the waitress said, "no, but you can get it as a side." It was late (11 PM), not too many options for food with kitchens either closed or closing; We Ate, We Drank and We called it a Night. Would I return, probably only for a night cap. read more

Cozy neighborhood restaurant that offers fresh and tasty food. Pricier than the other restaurants in that area but well worth the money spent. There's a reason it's been open for so many years Good and friendly service read more

Okay, the feel of the restaurant is down to earth. It gets cozier the more it fills up but they definitely need to repaint the walls and freshen up some things around the restaurant. It's a small restaurant and people love to come to it. Servers are very nice here. The food is okay. Our dishes were both very saucy and thick. They were missing authentic flavors. The lasagna would have been better with some oregano or dry basil, etc..(Italian flavors). The ink pasta was good but was also lacking that extra flavor. Our starter, caprese salad, was delicious. Fresh mozzarella accompanied with tomatoes and basil. The bread was nothing special. It didn't even come out warm, but no big deal. Dessert was so so soooooooo good. We had the pistachio and cappuccino crunch gelato. I mean it was really good. I also had a cappuccino which was strong and creamy. I only wish that I had a biscotti or chocolate to accompany it. Mera's Tip: get cheesy with some burrata. read more

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I booked a work function at Saggios for a group of about 20 people and it was a fantastic experience! I worked with Allison to arrange the booking and food menu and she was incredibly patient and informative in helping us arrive at the perfect food package for our group. The food was fantastic and all were pleased with the ambiance and the menu. Would highly recommend! read more

They don't ever follow your special instructions. And then get sarcastic with you when you call and let them know, as if your special instructions are not important. And to make matters worse, they gave me undercooked almost raw chicken in my pasta. I mean, you try to support local businesses. But it is hard to do so when they have messed up attitudes like this. The food is overpriced and not that great for them to have attitudes of dismissiveness toward their customers like that. Carmines or Rao, they are not. So just stop. Read special instructions and communicate with your customers if there is a request you cannot honor. Customer service 101. read more

Cute place. Food was good. Drinks were good. Service was very attentive. Desserts were a little lack luster but good.

Just a couple minutes walk from the subway station at 181 street (Washington Heights), you will find this lovely Italian restaurant. We went there post dinner hence couldn't try the amazing main course but we sure tried a few desserts! The ambience is okay. It's a nice quaint place overlooking the GW bridge. The lights are extremely dim. One thing I did not like is that the bales are placed very close to each other. As a result, I could smell every plate in every table next to me and thats not a good feeling. We ordered the following: 1. Tiramisu- it was so good and a definite must have. You can see every layer of this Italian pudding. It's soft and has a strong flavour of coffee. You can distinctly taste the cocoa. The whipped cream is pretty light and the pudding as a whole is amazing 2. Panna Cotta - the lovely looking is served with chocolate syrup and fresh berries. One thing about Panna Cotta is that the sweetened cream shouldn't be too thick. Unfortunately the Panna Cotta cream was tight and thick and missed the true essence of the dessert 3. Pistachio Gelato with figs(Dessert of the day): This was a huge dessert served with mint and chocolate syrup on the top. The pistachio gelato was simply splendid. It was extremely rich with finely chopped pistachios. The figs were in abundance. However, the entire dessert did not come together very well. As the pistachio gelato melted, it blend with the chocolate sauce and the combo was great. However when you would eat it with figs, it wasn't that tasty anymore. read more

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Great neighborhood restaurant and bar. If you like Italian cuisine; you'll love Saggio. Pasta is made fresh in-house and tastes like it's from 'Grandma's kitchen'. The space is small/cozy/intimate - perfect for a romantic date, or a casual diner with family/friends. Highly recommend. read more

Food - Chicken Slider with Pomodoro Sauce: (6/10) We ordered this with the buffalo sauce, but it came out with pomodoro instead. Overlooking this minor mistake, the taste was okay. It was a pretty standard chicken meatball and nothing stood out. - Veggie Slider with Pomodoro Sauce: (8/10) The taste of this veggie meatball was great! It was delicious and the texture wasn't too mushy either (how some other veggie meatballs tend to be). However, it was cold when it came out, which wasn't ideal. - Pappardelle with Vodka Sauce: (5/10) We ordered this dish with tagliatelle, but we were served pappardelle instead. Since it was just a difference in the type of pasta, we figured it shouldn't affect the taste of the overall dish, but it was worth noting that this was the second mess-up during our meal. The sauce tasted extremely bland and had almost no resemblance to a true vodka sauce, which is usually a staple item at Italian restaurants. It also lacked salt. - Ravioli with Pesto Sauce: (0/10) This dish was inedible...literally...we could not eat it. Where to even start?! The ravioli itself was super undercooked to the point where the pasta was hard to the bite. We didn't even taste the filling because it was so hard to get past the dough itself. The "pesto" sauce had a harsh bitterness to it that made us suspect it was spoiled. It even smelled putrid. The cherry on top was that the dish came out freezing cold. We politely returned this dish to the kitchen. Service: (8/10) Everyone working here is so nice that it's a real shame that the food sucks! Our server was very accommodating and took our constructive criticism with grace. It's not easy as the customer to point out flaws in a chef's cooking, but our server made us feel comfortable and was very nice about the whole situation. He even took the ravioli dish off of our tab. Atmosphere: (10/10) We sat in an igloo during the cold evening that we were here. It was super cozy and had a very romantic vibe (they lit a candle for our table and there were string lights around the igloo), which was sweet. This also took care of social distancing since each igloo seats up to 4 people of the same party. Even the inside of the restaurant is dim and romantic. Unfortunately, the service and ambiance alone aren't enough to get us to come back here because the main star of the show, the food, was quite disappointing. read more

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I've eaten here multiple times and the food has consistently ranged from very good to amazing. I always leave happy. This place truly deserves five stars, and this is coming from a picky eater. If there is a better Italian place in NY, I would like to know about it. read more

A heartfelt thank you for a wonderful evening last night. We showed up without a reservation to celebrate after a successful cardiologist appointment at NY Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center. One in our party has a restricted diet. It was his first dinner out since having a heart attack in December of 2019. Peter and all the staff were so hospitable and responsive, making for a really nice evening for us all. Thank you! We'll be back. read more

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This spot is my favorite Italian restaurant in the area. I recently visited for Valentine's Day with my son. They took our temperature and gave us hand sanitizer as we entered. I order meatballs as an appetizer. Their meatballs are amazing. They have many different flavors to choose from. I ordered Buffalo and I definitely want to go back and order some more. They also have a s'mores kit you can order. It's really cute. My son and I really enjoyed ourselves! read more

Saggio - Waiting for our food - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

Saggio is probably my top restaurant in the neighborhood. The restaurant is so cozy and homey, and the food is always delicious. I also love their wine and cocktails (their dirty martini is my favorite). The homemade pasta and vodka sauce are my top picks, but you can't sleep on the dessert - the chocolate lava cake and the tiramisu are both excellent!! I love coming here for special occasions or just a weeknight meal. One of my top recommendations for anyone visiting the area. read more

Overcooked pasta. Poor service. I live in the neighborhood. I know most of the restaurant owners on the block, and the lady who owns one of them came along with me to Saggio on a slow late-Tuesday afternoon. I had had the food before, but she hadn't; also, we wanted to check out the back garden. When we arrived, it was empty--maybe six sets of tables. The hostess seated us at 2-top, but wanting some extra room and expecting a third person maybe, we moved ourselves over to a 4-top. Out came someone to tell us we were not allowed to do that (didn't bring us water or ask if we wanted anything, just shooshed us back to our 2-top). So, we moved back. I slid one of the chairs from a 4-top over to our table, for somewhere other than the patio floor to put my books and bag. Again, out came the seat police: this was not allowed either. At this point, we texted our third person and advised he not come (imagine the seating confusion then!) Again, the place was empty. We order. I asked for a little ricotta on the side, please, and it was so difficult I felt like I was in Five Easy Pieces asking for a side order of toast. There was salt on the table, but no pepper. I had to request it specially from the grinder in the server's apron (gross) every time I wanted another dash. I guess this is supposed to feel like some special treat. It's not, really. And this is what I think the problem is: the place fancies itself as special, or high end. Which it may be --to locals or to students, or compared to the next-door Chinese takeaway. But it's nothing more than that. The food is as good as any average Italian joint. In fact, the pasta is overcooked; it's been that way every time I've been there. The food isn't good enough to warrant overlooking the service. The atmosphere, the vibe, is rigid and inhospitable --the very opposite of what a restaurant should be. You go out to a restaurant for the social experience, the conviviality of company, and the (invisible) service. The woman I was with, a restaurant owner from the neighborhood, was appalled at how we were treated. Yet she still was a little embarrassed, as she thought we should have ordered more than just appetizers. But, she is gracious to a fault. read more

Quaint place but service was great and the ambiance made everything feel even more special. Would recommend

Great local restaurant, always packed for dinner and brunch on weekends. They have big portions, be prepared to eat, a lot! During the summer they have an outdoor patio, which greatly expands seating capacity! I highly recommend eating out there. The indoor seating can be a bit tight depending on where you are sitting and how packed the restaurant is. Brunch menu is good, but mostly heavy dishes. All the dishes are Italian, so expect lots of sauce and pasta based dishes. I haven't had a bad dish here yet, but I haven't managed to eat an entire plate once, huge portions! I wouldn't recommend this place for a group larger than 6 people, not enough space inside. If you can snag outdoor seating it might be ok. Nice to have a solid choice in the neighborhood, great go-to spot on any day. read more

Saggio - French toast, hugeeee! - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

I came for the brunch but stayed for the best espresso martini I've ever had. They have a "secret garden" of a patio in the back, and it's actually more spacious than their dining room. I will definitely be coming back for a date night on the patio with my fiance. read more

Saggio - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

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Great local brunch spot, always great and personable servers. Only down side is the space is very narrow and persons with mobility issues may have problems read more

The only reason why this place gets the 2nd star is perhaps because it's the only Italian restaurant in the area. Unfortunately there's very few good things to say about it. We went here on a Saturday afternoon and although the place wasn't packed yet we still got a table way in the back on a narrow hallway. The food was below average and overpriced. I ordered the tomato and basil crostini but most likely basil was too expensive since they decided to switch that with parsley. I have nothing against parsley but I do like to get what I order. The service was very poor in all aspects: took forever to get our orders taken, took another eternity to get the food and by the time we got the check I was already getting old. Next time I'll just jump on the 1st A train and get something better a few stops down the road. read more

Saggio - Chicken Rosemary - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

Saggio is great. I came here back when they had specials and the you had to wait to get the lasagna on weekends! No more!! I suggest the restaurant for outstanding service, excellent food, awesome location and great drinks. Tonight I was helped by Andy the bartender. He suggested he could make a French 75 after I asked him if they had one. It was awesome. I had the pate crostini and for dinner the lasagna verde. Excellent! I have no complaints here, always a good standby I'm Just surprised it's not more packed! Thank you Andy! read more

Not only is the food spectacular, but so is the service. My wife and I have been coming for years and are currently preparing to leave NYC in a couple of weeks. This is likely our last time having Saggio. Our favorite dessert item, the amazing bread pudding, was not available for online ordering and we were bummed. But after a very quick and pleasant phone call, the staff happily changed the online selection to include it (it was available at the restaurant but simply omitted from the online menu). This has made our night. Thank you Saggio for all of the memories!!! read more

This is the place I choose to celebrate my sister's birthday. I must say it was a wonderful experience we reserved the igloo in the back and I am very glad we did. The hostess was very nice and when I called to push back the reservation 30 minutes she said np. When we arrived they were setting up the table and we waited about 5 minutes which was fine. Then when we went to back it was very nicely decorated with plants. My family also enjoyed the privacy of the igloo. We ordered appetizers and the meatballs were amazing. I did order two crostini which were ok, my friend loves them. We could just have a difference in taste. For the main course I had the sauce with porterhouse steak, which I enjoyed very much. My niece had the adult version of the chicken parmigiana and my sister had the butter sage noodles. I would definitely be back; I enjoyed the food, the service and place itself. It was very pretty and the igloo gave us privacy. read more

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This is my second review, I still do enjoy the food and atmosphere, the only reason why I don't give 4 stars instead of 5 is because they overprice the wine (bottle). Other than that, I really like it here. We again ordered from their special menu of the day, and they always deliver excellent food. From their appetizer to pasta, seafood, and of course their desserts, they are pretty delicious. I like that they have a different special menu each day (addition to their regular menu) so that we can always get something different if we want to. The service is pleasant, even though we couldn't get a table (for 3) so we sat at the counter seats. We were well taken care of during the entire time we were there. read more

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Hands down the worst Italian food I have ever had. I ordered 3 dishes for takeout. Pasta was over cooked and hard to eat, chicken was dry. I ordered there 1 seafood pasta they put dry over cooked spaghetti with 3 small shrimp. There chicken parm was over cooked and poured down of sauce. I don't know what happened to this place. When they 1st opened it was great now its like they are serving food that was sitting for days. read more

This is my second time at this restaurant. I think my rating is primarily based on the food choice, which is obviously why one goes to a restaurant (arguably). The ambiance and service at the restaurant were pleasant. The atmosphere was intimate and romantic and would be perfect for a date. The waiter was attentive and responsive and the hostess was amicable. I ordered the roasted beet salad for an appetizer - it was VERY tasty and had a good amount of salad dressing on it. The beets were topped with arugula and shredded parmesan. The salad portion was healthy and would be sufficient for 2 people to share. I ordered the rosemary chicken for my entree, and this is were it took a turn. The chicken was well done, juicy and crispy, which was good. BUT it lacked flavor, I could not taste the rosemary from which the chicken hails its name and had to add a lot of salt, which is not normally something I do. The potatoes and gravy that came with the chicken were mediocre. Overall, this is the reason for the 3 stars. I think I would come again and perhaps try a pasta dish - after all this is an Italian restaurant. read more

Saggio - great ambience :) - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

I love this place! The Tagliatelle pasta with Grandma's Ragu is ridiculously good. The staff is super friendly. Just want a few drinks to take the edge off? The cozy bar has great libations. The Fumo E Lava- mezcal speciale is . Highly recommended. read more

I've only been there once, I found the food to be mediocre and the restaurant very cramped. Maybe order takeout if your expectations aren't very high but definitely not a pleasant ambiance for eat in dining. Service was on level with the food, perhaps because waitstaff didn't feel like navigating the area any more than this diner. read more

Great Restaurant, great food, great service. Highly recommend and would go back in a heartbeat!

Excellent. Went on a Friday evening the wait was about 5 minutes for a table. The host was very accommodating even though it was a packed house. Food did take a bit long, but it was worth the wait. We tried the steak and fish dish. It was unbelievably delicious. My dad had a butternut squash soup and seafood croquettes and he was delighted and he's not easy to please. Thank you so much Saggio's. Will be back for more very soon. read more

Saggio - Italian Near Me - New York, New York