Sassi

The atmosphere is lovely. Stone, wood, and leather abound. The lounge had a fire going and a talented man playing the piano and singing. Service in the lounge was less than stellar, we waited nearly 20 minutes for a drink. Service in the dining room was nearly as slow, and infrequent. I found the menu to be rather limited, and my gnocchi was over-​cooked to nearly a mashed-​potato consistency.

i can’t give this restaurant enough stars. the ambiance… the impeccable service… the gorgeous views of the sunset … and the food is off the chart. i was celebrating my birthday, joseph was our server. joseph was the best of the best. upon taking our order his description of each dish was so delectable it made it almost impossible to select… you want every single entrée. i can’t wait yo go back. don’t hesitate to go to sassi you will never be disappointed.

My husband picked Sassi’s for his recent birthday dinner. He has raved about the restaurant but I had never been. We went with another couple to celebrate. The cheese sticks that come in the bread basket were good but when my husband asked for more he was told they ran out (at 7:30 on a Saturday night!) so he was disappointed.

I started with the Caprese Salad. I asked about the heirloom tomatoes before ordering since I was concerned about the quality in December. The waiter assured me they were very good and he was right! Excellent tomatoes and the cheese was also good. My main course was the Branzino which was good and my husband really enjoyed the Pappardelle. Dessert was some type of apple or pear cake which I really enjoyed. Our friends also enjoyed their meals (Grouper and Pappardelle).

Have had a few special occassion dinners here so this place will always hold a meaningful place in my heart. The first time I had headcheese was here, and it was delectable! The first time I enjoyed asparagus was here, and now I cook mine that way all the time! I look forward to the next chance I get to dine here. Always a memorable experience.

Wow! Stopped by for a martini and was blown away by everything about this place. Great atmosphere, great drinks and overall amazing staff. Put on your Sport coat and make this a tradition. You can’t go wrong with this place.

Excellent service and the best insulata cyprese I ever ate. A wonderful atmosphere made it a romantic setting.

Beautiful venue and great service, however price DOES NOT reflect the food. Better high end restaurants nearby for same or half the price.

The atmosphere at Sassi is to die for. There are twinkling lights everywhere and you almost feel like you’re in a villa in Tuscany. There are multiple rooms: some with fireplaces, some with cozy nooks. The staff was very friendly from the hostesses to our server who went out of his way to make sure that we were pleased with our experience. They also had separate wait staff who cleared the dishes all at once which I thought was a nice touch. I enjoyed the risotto, although I personally would have liked less in the dish than there was (there was too much cheese or onions or something). My boyfriend also loved the lamb chops. The prices were somewhat expensive but not too outrageous because of the quality of the entire experience. Next time we are in Scottsdale, I would love to come to watch the sunset on the mountains.

Great ambiance, family style dinner for 6 was great, pricey.
Food was good to great!
Nice evening

My daughter got married two weeks ago and it was absolutely beautiful! The service, food, the help, and overall quality of the venue was outstanding! Congrats to Vicky and staff for doing an amazing job and making it an easy and memorable wedding experience. We are looking forward to dining here again soon!
Sassi is a gorgeous place to have a wedding and/​or host other family gatherings!
A big thank you to all!

Scottsdale select restaurant snobbery at it’s best!
Poor service in the bar asked waiter to go to the front reception desk and tell them that our table was ready at 8 p. m and he blew us off and didn’t do what I asked so I had to go up myself and when I told the 2 young gals our dinner reservation was ready they looked surprised. Defenitely not on top of it. Folks this as a 5 star restaurant with questionable service and small plates of food which are however well prepared.

Had a quick dinner with friends from the four seasons. The hotel must get kick backs because this was about on par. Not worth the prices. A place like Eddie vs it dominicks in the quarter is well worth it. This was just okay. Iam being generous giving 3 stars. If you are in town, only go here if you just need something quick. Don’t expect much. Waiter didn’t know much about menu.

Went to Sassi for our anniversary and it did not disappoint. The ambiance and décor are very romantic. We were promptly seated indoors facing the open patio. A cool breeze rolled in keeping us comfortable. Our server, Krista, was exceptional. She took time to explain the menu and provide recommendations. She was very attentive and polite, but did not hover. Needless to say, she made some excellent recommendations. We sat for several hours as the courses arrived and enjoyed the relaxed pace and our time together as the food arrived. It was all excellent — but the Duck Liver Budino, Orecchiette, and the Pork Chop Milanese were most memorable. Make sure to save room for the Apple Cake with Salted Caramel Gelato. All in all a perfect dining experience. We’ll be sure to be back soon.

Without a doubt one of the top five memorable meals that I have had and probably top 3 in Arizona.
Driving up to the location which is across the street from the former Pinnacle Peak Patio location which provides spectacular views of the city.
We decided to dine here to celebrate my wife’s birthday and what a good choice it was.
Made reservations on Open Table and was called back the day before to confirm reservations, so I asked the person what they would recommend as far as a sunset dinner with a 600pm reservation and the sunset at 615pm. She asked if we wanted to sit inside or outside and I asked her to recommend since this was out first time. She was leaning toward the patio and assured me she would take care of us.
As we walked up to Sassi the circular driveway was spectacular and the walkway leading to the front entry was even more breathtaking. As you walk in there is a separate building that a wedding reception was taking place which I heard can accommodate up to 150 people. As you walk past that you finally come to the front doors which are spectacular and you know your dining experience is to begin.
We were greeted at the front and taken to our table which was through a long hallway and outside to the patio. We were seated in which I considered the best spot on the patio on the corner overlooking Pinnacle Peak Mountain. So yes we were taken care of.
Our waiter Tony was excellent as he explained the many options of eating family style and then ordering the 2^nd Main Course individually. We always had Tiny there or someone else to fill out glasses and make sure we were taken care of.
We started out with the Organic Radishes while we decided what we wanted to order, then ordered to share the Brushetta (Tomato, Prochetta and Bean), Potatoes, Ricotta Gnocchi, Orcchiettta with Sassi Sausage, Wood Grilled Octopus and then they brought out their fresh baked goods in a basket.
My favorite was the Orcchiettta with home made Sassi Sausage, known as pig ear pasta, but the sausage was one of the best I have had and I am a huge fan of sausage. The Wood Grilled Octopus was good but was so hyped up that I preferred the Orcchiettta with Sausage a little more.
For our 2^nd entrée we ordered the New York Strip, Wood Grilled Veal Chops and Wood Oven Roasted Quail. We all shared with each other and all the entrées were excellent and we’ll prepared, and the presentation was impressive.
The New York Strip was a generous portion and cooked perfectly while the Wood Oven Roasted Quail was excellent and tender. The Wood Grilled Veal Chops were soft and tender and along with the mushroom sauce was incredible.
We finished our meal with the canolis that were a chocolate chip and 2 other flavors. Good tasting but not the best I have had.
The building is impressive as there are many different rooms or open dining area along with the expansive patio area.
Loved everything about the restaurant and the attention to detail that is put into the restaurant.
A special touch was how the management came around to ask us if everything was okay multiple times by different people.
Absolutely a memorable dining experience and a great way to celebrate a special occasion.
Would like to come back, just need to win the lottery to pay for the next meal :)
Spectacular is a one word to describe Sassi

Fantastic restaurant with amazing food and one of the most gorgeous places to eat in the North Scottsdale area. My husband and I had our wedding rehearsal dinner here several years ago and it did not disappoint! There are more private dining areas in the restaurant for a more intimate atmosphere, and the patio… stunning. You can’t ever go wrong with the gnocchi.

This beautiful dining and entertaining establishment is not only exceptional from a culinary perspective but the architecture and design is gorgeous! Small rooms divide the space creating an intimate dining atmosphere. The spaces are graced with lovely furnishings and décor.
Chef Chris prepared tasty gnocchi, perfect salmon and house made sausages that were packed with flavor. If the old adage «cooking is all in the ingredients» then by all means that supports the good food to be had here. The owner told us that local, seasonal food properly grown and caught is of utmost importance to their menu planning.
The grounds and gardens are a perfect venue for a special event. We look forward to our next visit here in Scotsdale and dining here once again.

Extraordinary setting and experience while celebrating my birthday. Outstanding in every way. Joseph our server was top notch and the food was superb. We started off with cocktails at the bar and then ventured to my favourite table. I remembered the table number from years ago and YES it was still there wooo hooo.
Our appetizers were squash blossoms and bruschetta with prosciutto on one and tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella on another. Then for entrees, my friend had the eggplant cakes and I had the papardelle with spicy eggplant ragu. I could not have asked for better service as Joseph kept checking on us every couple of minutes along with his server assistant.
YES Sassi is totally worth it. Hard to believe I had not reviewed the restaurant yet but I don’t even think Unilocal was around back then. Highly recommended !

The most notable thing about Sassi is the ambience. The restaurant is located within an Italian villa, with eating rooms scattered here and there. The building is impressive but the star is the outdoor patio which features mountain and desert views, spectacular especially at sunset.
The food might not quite make five stars, and the service definitely would not (it is kind of cold, and sometimes surprisingly amateurish), but the view — ah, the view.
BIG HINT: Get a patio table. Request it on your reservation and go early particular on busy days.
As to the food, Sassi clearly uses very high quality ingredients, and the kitchen staff prepares everything well. I can site the very fresh greens and goat cheese in our salad, and an exception branzino. However, in all cases, the flavor profiles are nothing special — salt and pepper and lemon they know about, but there are few other spices, and the sides to the entrees were uninspired.
For two people, with a carafe of sangria, olives, two appetizers, two entrees, one dessert and coffee, the tab came to $ 160 including tax and tip. Not cheap but just about right for what Sassi delivers.
Clearly this is a special occasion place — if you are thinking of proposing to your one true love this is a great choice. But you can go anytime you want a memory.
SMALL HINT: Since you want to see sunset from your patio table, April and May are the best months to go. The temperature outside will probably be great, and sunset occurs late enough so that you can watch it during your dinner.

Special night (husband’s birthday) — arrived 40 minutes early for reservations expecting to have a pre-​dinner cocktail. Resturant wasn’t busy, but patio table (pre-​requested) wasn’t available yet (completely fine, we were early) and the hostess suggested we wait in the bar.
Went to bar for a cocktail and ordered a drink that was featured on their menu with a specific liquor (Mount Gay Rum). However, they didn’t have any Mount Gay Rum. This was the birthday celebrator’s rum of choice. Disappointing!
Ten minutes after our reservation time, I went to check on our table. They forgot about our reservation and the fact that we were waiting in the bar. they did apologize, however had no explanation as to why that happened and were only minimally apologetic. There was also no one on the patio except one other couple and there were several open tables. Frustrating… and disappointing!
They offered us a $ 6 appetizer as a «comp»…which didn’t seem commensurate compensation given that our bill was over $ 200. In addition, our waiter didn’t seem knowledgable about the food offerings and mis-​advised us on food portions. I’d order differently based on what I experienced if I ever went again.
The only saving grace from a service perspective was the sommelier who suggested an alternative, equally priced, bottle of wine to the wine we selected because it was drinking better (it was amazing!!).
All the food was amazing!!! Wish the night wouldn’t have been overshadowed by missed expectations from a service perspective. Disappointing for what was to be a special, perfect evening.

A few friends and I have committed to trying a new place once a month or so. This was our first field trip and it was a worthy destination.
Up in the hills of north-​north Scottsdale, Sassi is in the shadow of the Pinnacle Peak mountains. The property itself is gorgeous and very much feels like a wedding venue (and it apparently is!).
Enormous leather chairs and distinctive rooms give this place a very lodge-​y homey feel.
Drinks were fantastic. If you’re a fan of both tart and sweet, you can’t go wrong with the limoncello martini. The table shared a few apps… the octopus (which I didn’t have but am told it was excellent), the caprese salad and the meatballs.
The caprese salad is possibly one of the best I’ve ever had. Moist, flavorful mozzarella atop seasoned heirloom tomatoes, basil and fancy pants olive oil — yes, please.
Although not touted as one of their «specialties,» my scallops were amazing. Again, quite possibly some of the best scallops I’ve ever had. There was a delicate lemon flavor and when combined with the peppery greens, it was an intense and unique flavor combination.
This is a destination meal. Don’t «stop by» for quick before a show or other engagement. Make this your main event.
There was one aspect of evening that was slightly off putting. Our reservations indicated that we had one dairy-​sensitive and one gluten-​free person. The menus were clearly designed to address food allergies and that was wonderful. However, gregarious and friendly as our server was, he did not have a good grasp on what «gluten free» meant. I think servers have a responsibility to educate themselves (or be educated) about what specific food allergies encompass so that they may make accurate menu suggestions.