Zanaro’s

I was going to take my boyfriend to Zanaro’s since we were going to visit my parents in a cemetery in Hawthorne, NY. Sorry to hear that Zanaro’s is closed.
I am sure my boyfriend would like it. It is huge inside this restaurant. It used to be a bank and there are also tables inside the vault.
I had a seafood pasta here and it was delicious. I’ve only been there once and was hoping to take my bf there. I am sorry to hear that Zanaro’s is no longer around.

When I first moved to White Plains, way back in the 1990s, this was still a bank. It’s since been turned into an Italian restaurant, but you can still see the vault inside (and eat inside it, too!). I’ve eaten here many times with my family and my friends, and it’s pretty much standard Italian food. The food has always been prepared well; my usual dish is the penne alla vodka, which always a good helping of pasta slathering in freshly-​made sauce. There’s nothing that stands out on the menu, though, and the service can be spotty at times. My stepfather has his favorite waiter who he’d request whenever we went to eat, and he always did a fantastic job of making sure we were taken care of. Other times, though, we’ve had waiters who provide virtually no service and were slow to refill our water or our bread basket.
It’s a nice atmosphere; it’s very spacious and thus tends to be relatively noisy, but not so loud that you can’t have your own personal conversations at your table. The location is difficult to improve on as well — at the corner of Main & Mamaroneck, it’s basically at the beginning of the revitalized White Plains downtown. You’ll get fairly typical standard Italian fare here… you won’t have your socks knocked off, but it’s a reasonably-​priced meal that’s good to share with any group of people you’re with.

For me, a big part of a restaurant is the total experience. Does the place give you what you want? If you want a place that feels welcoming, well appointed, lets you chat in peace, and offers a very reasonably priced menu that fulfills a wide variety of tastes, this is it. It’s a chain, not gourmet. But it’s a nice refuge, when you’re looking for a sane, decent place to eat in downtown White Plains. And it’s a great value.

Good, but nothing to drool over. Zanaro’s (judging by the fact that it is HUGE) can meet the needs of a dining party of any size, although this seems best suited to big groups. I came here with a bevy of ladies to kick off a friend’s bachelorette party. Thankfully, we had a reserved back room (very cool — it used to be the old vault when it was a bank, there is a giant circular metal hole you need to walk through to go in — you either feel like you are breaking into a bank or entering a spaceship). If you are having a private party, definitely go that route. The main eating area is huge, but what it has in size, it lacks in intimacy.
The food is certainly tasty. We all shared an assortment of the specialty pizzas, chicken dishes, and a few pasta dishes (there were 10 of us). For us ladies, at least, one dish was more than enough per person — especially if you are the kind of person who is prone to munch away on the yummy breads beforehand.
Price-​wise, its a little expensive for what you get. I agree with another reviewer below that the places on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx are probably a better bet (if you want down & dirty tried and true Italian, for a better price). However, if Westchester is your stomping grounds, Zanaro’s is worth a visit.

This place looked huge and gorgeous which is why we decided to go in and give it a try. We were disappointed to learn that the food was just bleh. We had the penne ala vodka and classic pizza and were extremely disappointed in both. 2 stars for the décor though…

I have been here a few times and occasionally they’ve messed up an order, either by adding something or forgetting to take something away. The service was very good, they are very attentive and we are always seated right away.
I have never been disappointed by the lunches or dinner there. Always very tasty! The pricing for entrees is very reasonable, however, the most recent appetizer order of mozzarella sticks was $ 8 for 2. Definitely not getting appetizers there every again.

I’ve already written a rave review for this place, but I must add: they have gluten-​free pasta!!! They only have the kind that’s made from corn (I don’t know why they don’t have rice pasta instead – anyone with a corn allergy and a gluten allergy is still out of luck, I guess). But still – YAY! They’ve also added a gluten-​free dessert to their menu, which I have yet to try. It’s some kind of polenta cake. I’m sure I will try it eventually, and I’ll try to remember to report back on that! :)

We had a party of 5 that travelled after a visit from the NY Botanical Garden. Given the travel (Arthur Ave is much closer) and the service and lack of bar items and wines not the wine list, dont know if I would make the investment in the trip again.
Ok, food was great! Too bad the rest of the house doesn’t support what comes out of the kitchen.
We ordered mojitos. After 15 mintues of waiting, the waitress told us they didnt have mojitos. Since we had waited so long and started to look at the wine list, we decided to judt order a bottle of wine and skip the cocktails (lost sale if you ask me, cos we woudl have ordered the bottle of wine in addition to the cocktails). The waitress came back and said that they didn’t have that bottle of wine; that the bartender had opened that last bottle and was serving that wine by the glass. Back to the wine list! We had also inquired about a drink list — the waitress said they used to have one and that it was under revision and was going to come out with new one. No surprise as they didnt have the items that we inquired about.
Service — it was ok; the waitress (who was young and we thought a bit nervous talked very fast when telling us about the specials (as well as the wine) — she wasnt enunciating so we couldnt understand her.
Ambience — great space. beautiful bldg.
It was the food and space that inspired us. But overall, the service and bar lacked

Went here for lunch with a colleague today, food was good, but what I appealed to me was the place itself. If you haven’t read already the restaurant is inside a 90 year old bank with forty foot high ceilings and the vault and the original façade on the outside. The décor was tastefully sublime, giving the place a feel of casual elegance.
They have a wide selection of business lunches from $ 9 to $ 13, salads, sandwiches, pizza, soup, pasta and combos. I ordered the shrimp scampi over linguini with salad which came out on a large single plate and each item in it’s own bowl. This was a nice presentation, however the portions struck me as rather small. Turns out this was the right portions, since I’m not one for heavy lunches. As I mentioned the food was good, around 3 – 3.5, but place gets a 4 because of its uniqueness. Would be a neat place to take a client out for that power lunch.

I and my girlfriend went there during a weekday for lunch around 1:20PM. I ordered seafood chowder and Spaghetti. The chowder is OK. The Spaghetti served with tomato sauce and meatball. First of all the spaghetti was served RAW and I have to ask the waitress to take it back and re-​cook. Afterward, I also told her the meatball tastes without any «meat» flaover. She told me that it was maden with soy bean and egg…
Not recommended

Wow, was my first word after tasting the food at this place.
I had heard the food was only so so… But they have revised their menu from top to bottom and the results are refreshing, inventive and tasty! Most Italian places have heavy sauces and I end up walking out stuffed after a quarter plate… Not Zanaro’s.
I looked into it. Chef Joe DiMaggio, Jr. has waved his magic spatula over this kitchen and menu… The results are making me hungary just thinking about my last meal there.
The Tuna Crudo was amazing… crisp Cucumber, refreshing Blood Orange and then hit with an amazing hot sauce flavor, that invigorated my mouth, not just sizzle hot…
The Polenta is nothing short of drool inspiring. Causing you to react with: «Oh my God, you need to try this.»
The Pasta Fagioli was one of the best I’ve ever had. I love making this soup myself… and now I am cursed with trying to replicate this for the rest of my life.
The Flatbread pizzas are to die for!!!
The smashed meatball is great but the Caramelized Onion, Roasted Cherry Tomato, Goat Cheese Pizza haunts my dreams. It is sweet and savory and just damn tasty!
There are about a dozen more apps I could go into… but lets just leave it at: They are amazing and the biggest problem I have is picking which ones to order.
The main courses are more of the same. Brilliant, inventive, tasty, fresh ingredients and fresh ideas behind them.
The Braised Boneless Short Ribs cut with a dull spoon and require me to lick the plate after.
As a sauce maker myself, Grandma’s Sunday Sauce and the Bolognese, are another two dishes which will haunt /​taunt me in my own kitchen for some time.
If you are in the White Plains area, hungary or not, go here and you will not be disappointed. It’s like a day spa for your palate

The words that come to mind are «Good God».
The food here is unbelievable. The service is impeccable. The cherry’s are orgasmic and everything else on the menu is to die for.
Been there a few times already, and every time it just get’s better. Looking forward to the next trip there… wooT!

I’ve been to Zanaros many times and it is quickly becoming a favorite.
First off, the interior of the restaurant is impactful. The restaurant was an old bank– you can even eat in the vault! The high ceiling and second floor seating that overlooks the first is unique and enjoyable, in addition to the general «grand» style of the building.
Second, the food has improved over time. Tonight, I had baked rigatoni and it was delicious. The portions are generous and each meal comes with bread and oil. The wine list is nothing spectacular, but there were many good choices. I had the Syrah (I think it was called «Night plucking» or something like that). I do wish that they had lasagna on the menu because many people specifically go to an Italian restaurant for that item! My friend almost didn’t go because he does not love Italian food but does love lasagna.
Third, the service is improving although it still needs work. Our waiter tried hard to be friendly and make suggestions, but his efforts at promoting particular items was transparent. Also, he was very inattentive, forgetting to bring my friend’s beer to the table (twice) and failing to check back enough. I do like that they have a table attendant helping at the table in addition to the waiter.
Overall, a good experience. With a few improvements in service and menu changes, this place would be five-​star.

The food is actually good but the service is awful. We have gone at least 10 times since it opened and it is just the worst. I don’t know how they have stayed in business.
It is not worth the food to suffer through the service.

I travel down to Westchester for a work conference twice a year and I eat here every time out of habit. They are pretty quick for a sit down meal which is great because I usually only have around an hour to kill before the conference.
As many other people have said the décor is unique because of the old bank vault in the back. It is not a private seating area as I have sat in there a few times but I will say that the service is better on the floor. When you eat in the vault it almost seems like they forget about you.
The food has been ok each time I’ve been there and so far my favorite meal has been their shrimp scampi. Their portion sizes will allow you to bring home some food as well so the amount of food: cost ratio is pretty good.
There are other places that have better Italian food but if you are attending an event at the county center and are looking for a quick meal and decent service within 5 minutes Zanaro’s is worth a look.

Mat and I went to Zanaro’s to celebrate my cousin’s high school graduation. We ordered chicken and salmon, respectively. We could not tell the difference between our entrees. We spent the entire meal longing to eat at BLT Steak, which has set up just across the street.

I agree with other reviewers in terms of the interior of the restaurant. It is very impressive and undeniably beautiful. But I’m not quite impressed with the food and the service. Not that they are horrible, they are just inconsistent.
The first time I came here was around last Christmas with a big group. I remember we ordered several appetizers including a combination platter (which has different kinds of cheese, artichoke hearts, roasted pepper, and olives), fried calamari, and mussels. They were good overall. I ordered a pasta (which was linguini with mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, and chicken) and sauteed spinach, and I totally enjoyed those. The service that day was fine. So if I had written a review back then, I’d have probably given it 4 stars.
Too bad I wasn’t a Unilocaler then, and I have lived long enough to go there a second time…
Today I went with five other people. I would only give it 2 stars for my dining experience today. To be fair, the hostess was nice and helpful. But our waiter was not paying much attention to our needs. We didn’t get any water until after we were seated for more than 10 minutes. We waited very long for our food and check. My co-​workers seemed to like their food (two had paninis, two had pasta, one had a salad), but my hamburger and fries were just mediocre. The hamburger didn’t have any flavor and the bun was too hard on the outside. I was really disappointed.
So there you have it – (4+2)/2=3 stars. Don’t hate me, Zanaro’s. I might live long enough to go back in the future and you can give me a 5-​star treatment to change my rating yet again.

I enjoyed my dinner there. From the outside it was a tall building and when you entered, the dining room had the highest ceilings ever for a restaurant– in the back was a bank vault with the door open which was a funky touch. The décor was a mesh of romantic draping fabrics, fake plants, and cheesy painted scenery– for the most part ok. I liked how the kitchen was totally open for viewing on the side of the room. I had a lovely dish of seafoods with penne; my dinner mates remarked on how quickly I finished it! Would return again.

This is an italian restaurant owned by Applebee’s. it clearly used to be an old bank, they even still have the vault area as what seems to be a private dining room. I was all set to hate it, but I’ll be damned if the food wasn’t alright after all. However, lots of places have alright food, and it definitely was up there with anywhere else from a price standpoint. Decent food, shite ambiance. Reasonably good if you have kids. ’nuff said.

I kept getting flyers in the mail to try this place out so we decided to last Saturday. Zanaro’s runs out of what used to be a bank so its very interesting inside and the vault door leads into a private room. The food is average, the portions are big and entrees were around $ 8 – 9. Overall, not a great place but a step above Olive Garden if you want some quick Italian.