L’inizio

I went here for a work related event but they sparked my curiosity to come back for a meal. They served good wine and tasty appetizers. Looked like a great restaurant with a good ambiance and creative fun food.

Fabulous food, wonderful reservationist and hostess. Terrible wait staff. Food is a 5. Service a 1… hope they fix that.

I live in the area and decided to get some chicken parm on a late Friday night. I safely assumed they will have chicken parm… which they didn’t. The server was rude and dismissive. We end up leaving … there was no point in paying $ 30-​$ 40 for duck etc when I had no desire for it that night. We went to the other Italian restaurant in the area and had declious chicken parm. I’m sure the food is great but the server was rude so I highly doubt I’ll return.

Cozy little space. Great home made food and friendly service. We had a pre fix, and for $ 30 you get a salad, main dish and desert. Bibb lettuce salad was light and had delicious dressing. Home made pasta with the ramp and arugula pesto was fresh and wonderful. Bronzino was good too. I had chocolate mousse for dessert but it was too heavy for my taste. I would not recommend it. Portions are moderate size, you will not leave anything on the plate, but I like it that way. Good wine list with several Italian and Cali wines. They have specialty drinks but we did not try. Full bar in a separate room.
On the night we went (Thursday) there was only one waiter and he did his best but we felt a bit rushed. That did not spoil the experience but was a bit annoying.
The place is good for small groups 4 – 6 people. The restaurant filled up by 8 pm and it created a nice buzz. Ambiance is modern but low key and relaxing.
Will be back.

An oasis in the desert of restaurants in lower Westchester. One of the few restaurants we frequent, and its consistently innovative, and delicious every time. Scott is so bold and risk taking in his choice of ingredients. Who would ever think of mixing mortadella and calamari? Octopus appetizer is not to be missed and changes seasonally. The specials take advantage of the freshest picks of the season as well. And you have to save room for dessert!

Went here with another couple for our first try of the place. They heard great things and suggested we go for Hudson Valley Restaurant Week. We were not disappointed at all. Since we went on a Tuesday also were able to enjoy their half price wine bottle special. Their blood orange mixed drink was great as well. Not normally a gin lover but this drink was an exception.
The staff was attentive and everything arrived with good spacing between the courses so we never felt rushed at all.
The food was seasoned just enough to have a good impact but not take away from the main components of the dish. I had their pork shoulder on their restaurant week menu and it was tender and not dry at all which some restaurants struggle to get right.
Will be returning here again as they run a regular price fixe special as well on Tues/​Wed/​Thurs. Parking is a bit of a challenge since the place is so popular but this is more so a minus for the town of Ardsley as a whole than the restaurant.

I decided to pick L’inizio for my birthday dinner last night and it did not disappoint. From the second we walked through the door we were greeted by a friendly hostess who immediately wished me a happy birthday. She sat my friend and I at a nice table. It’s extremely cute inside, with a nice homey feel. When the waiter came over, he too wished me a happy birthday. The night only got better from there. The waiter was attentive and friendly, making sure through out the night that we were comfortable and every thing was okay.
We ordered the baked clams (so delicious) and the grilled octopus, which was cooked perfectly. My pasta was AMAZING. I got the fettuccine with wild mushrooms, kale, and parm. My friend got the white bean and lardo mezzaluna with balsamic butter, which I think I need to get the next time I go. We also ordered a side of polenta which was creamy and cheesy, also a star that I recommend. To top off an amazing dinner, we had the chocolate soufflé tart. It came to the table with a candle and «Happy Birthday Christina» written on the dish. L’inizio really knows how to make a girl feel special on her birthday, such a nice touch. And the tart itself. WOW. It was gooey chocolate inside when you broke into it but the crust was nice and flaky. I dreamt about it last night.
I can’t say enough good things about this little gem. I can’t wait to have my next meal here !!! Thank you for making my birthday dinner one to remember.

We went back last night for an excellent meal. The service is spot on. The baked clams and octopus were great and we used the crusty bread to soak up the clam sauce, and the spicy beans that each came with the seafood. The fresh parpadele pasta with mint and lamb tasted great (regular menu item) and the parpadele pasta with beef brisket and flat iron sausage was very tasty — but the pasta portion was a little small for a listed nightly special. Overall, a winning restaurant experience!

Went here last night with my boyfriend for our anniversary dinner. I made a reservation and was seated promptly. The staff was so polite and attentive and even happily filled my annoying request to switch tables since ours was by the door (it was 5° outside & the windchill was brutal!). The staff was also very helpful in helping me decide what to order. Our food came quickly and was absolutely delicious. The baked clams appetizer is to die for and their specials are great as well. Dessert was great and so was the coffee afterwards. The restaurant provided the perfect atmosphere for our anniversary and I’m so happy we ate here!

I enjoyed this place .The food is fantastic. The service is incredible. I had the spicy basil Margarita to start. Baked clams and the Carbonara. My entrée I had the Branzino .It was so fresh. And for dessert we had the doughnuts. I can’t wait to go back.

In short, a very disappointing dinner. When the wine (at $ 10.00 a glass) was delivered at a minimal pour, we should have realized what was to come. We ordered appetizers as a first course — I ordered the grilled octopus, the wife — chicken liver pâté. Both were meager servings. The grilled octopus was really a cold octopus salad — slices of (admittedly tender) octopus served over a bed of hummus. I did find several slivers of one Castelvetrano olive (the dish promised olives — plural) with some pickled non descript vegetables. I did expect grilled octopus as the menu stated and I thought that meant hot. The pâté was served on three slices of crostini that looked lost on the service plate. To say it was a pâté is overly generous. it was barely noticeable on the bread — a bare «whisper» of a coating. The little bit that was there was flavorful — too bad it was so sparse. On to the main course. I chose the Branzino dish off the menu. A generous portion of the fish, well cooked, tender and flavorful. A hit! The wife opted for the pasta special (wild boar ragu). We actually thought she was served the «half portion» that is available on the menu. «No, this is the full portion» confirmed the server. It was greasy and seemed to be chopped up spaghetti in the bowl. The plate did not appear appetizing and you could not tell what it was. There was no taste of the «wild boar ragu» either
The score — one dish successful out of the four tasted? Not a great score.
What’s most interesting is that there are many quite positive reviews here. Was it an «off night» Friday? Maybe. We will not return to find out.

A real restaurant that uses real farm fresh ingredients and prepares insanely delicious dishes. House-​made pastas, ricotta, etc. A true farm-​to-​table restaurant that I would compare to the liking of a Restaurant North, Arethusa al Tavolo, Community Table, etc.
We will definitely make this a regular stop.
Bravo, Bravo!

My husband and I love coming here because the food and service are both spectacular. I’m a sucker for Kale Salad and theirs is the best one I’ve ever had. The quality of the food is outstanding — you can tell the owner really tries to source the finest of everything.
I always get the special entrees because I know I’m in for a treat.
Good times! Go there now.

Being a bit generous here, as it was really more 3.5. In general, the place is a nice, sophisticated environment with very good but at times uneven food.
The front of the house (such as it is, as it’s a super tiny/​cramped area in the front of the restaurant) was wonderful, super patient with us as we were running late and then searched for parking. On that note, if you are coming on a weekend, I’d encourage you to leave early because there is really no parking available and it’s a ½ block from a crazy 5 block intersection that is completely discombobulating. In fact, L’inizio should go out of their way to let customers know this is the case, because I was already pretty frustrated before we were even sat.
Another issue is the room itself. It’s small, and they are expanding (which is a good thing, shows they are popular) but the current set up of the room, at least the back room, is not set up in a logical way. Tables are two wide and consequently everyone is on top of each other. Servers literally can’t get to you to serve you water or bus tables. They should consult with an interior designer quickly to fix this. The music was also way off and we had the unfortunate luck of sitting next to an arguing couple for the majority of our meal.
Ok, so a lot of strikes so far, but the staff was positive and the food was mostly excellent. We had three appetizers, the baked clams, the chicken liver pâté and the smoked ricotta and honey. The latter two were exceptional… two of the better appetizers I’ve had all year. Must order on both. The clams on the other hand were a miss… bready and undercooked. Decent sauce, but didn’t make up for it. On another note, again due to ergonomics of the room, it took forever for us to get bread and when it was served it was cold. Easy thing to fix.
The two pasta dishes were both very good, but the smaller portion is indeed quite small. We had the Amatriciana and the wild mushroom Fettuccine, with the latter being the superior dish.
We finished off with a nice cappuccino and perhaps the best dish of the evening… Bomboloni «Italian Doughnuts». Unreal, not too heavy not overly sweet. Perfect dessert.
So L’inizio gets a recommend from us, but can do some easy things to make the experience even better.

If you’re looking for an outstanding Italian restaurant with «city» quality– look no further. From the service to the décor to the food, these owners know what they’re doing.
Today was my second visit to L’Inizio– first was for a date night with my husband and this time for a bridal shower and everything was perfect. The food was absolutely delicious. We had baked clams and a fresh homemade fettuccine with mushrooms and kale. So so so good. Then the bamboloni (cinnamon donuts)… Out. Of. This. World!
We don’t have many spots that we frequent in Westchester, but is most definitely one of them.

Phenomenal food as well as a lovely dining experience. I have dined here on several occasions accompanying my father and every experience has been an absolute pleasure. The food is prepared to perfection with an old world finesse that is so rare these days. Each dish is extravagant and carefully prepared with the utmost attention. My favorite dish is the cavatelli with meat sauce, absolutely divine and pleasing to the palate. Their ingredients are farm-​to-​table quality fresh and healthfully appetizing. The traditional décor offers a relaxing ambiance and peaceful atmosphere. This is a must for every fine diner and authentic Italian food fanatic.

Delicious authentic Italian!!!
I’ve been to L’inizio twice so far and I can’t wait to go back.
I came in for brunch on Father’s Day and my family had a great dining experience. The restaurant is nice and cozy and had a great rustic feel.
The brunch deal is 20.95 for 2 courses and a Bloody Mary or seasonal mimosa. Once we got settled in our server brought over some delicious freshly baked chocolate chip muffins. One bite and I knew this place was legit.
I started out with the Hudson valley burrata crostini with bacon, honey, pea leaves and truffle butter. The burrata was delicious and bacon was nice and crispy and the truffle butter was like the icing on the cake.
For my main dish I got the fried egg over octopus which was great as well.
The grand finale was the bomboloni, WOW. One of the best desserts I’ve ever had.
A few weeks ago I finally made it back for dinner.
I came in on a Tuesday and much to my delight our waiter informed us there’s a $ 30 3 course meal and wine bottles are ½ off on Tuesdays!
I started out with the squash blossom which was so good! perfectly friend and the mustard aioli was a great sauce.
Main course I went with the black pappardelle w/​chorizo. Pasta was cooked perfectly and just full of flavor.
I finished up my meal with the semifreddo, not as good as the bomboloni but still delicious.
Authentic Italian made with local farm fresh ingredients it doesn’t get much better than this!!!

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.

First, this place is TINY, so make sure you make a reservation. As few tables as there are, ours was still ready and waiting for us when we arrived. We went for Restaurant Week in March, and there were three choices each for apps, entrees, and dessert. I went with the fried calamari as a starter, it was okay, but I didn’t like the preserved lemons in it plus it was a tad salty due to the anchovy aoili. My pork entrée with risotto was also decent but not something that left a lasting impression (I had to look up what I had, I usually remember everything. I think there is some passion going on in that kitchen and they might not have put their best foot forward for Restaurant week, so I would be interested in going back and trying things off the main menu.

Solid food, great service, love this place. Parking, finding it, navigating the weirdness of where its located, all suck, but once you get there you’ll always go back.
I’ve had the pleasure of dining here a number of times since they opened and just realized that I forgot to give this place it’s much deserved «props.» The bread basket is our favorite in Westchester county by far. The apps, entrees and desserts are all solid.
Brunch was ok, but I’d stick to dinner. The pancakes were a let down.