10 Great Restaurants in Buffalo

Oliver's Restaurant offers outstanding ambiance and spectacular food with a long legacy of service spanning over 80 years as a staple of the Buffalo foodie scene. This restaurant opened in 1938 and still retains that 1930s supper club charm. It regularly appears atop the local "Best of" lists. Some of the classic menu entrees include Prime Filet Mignon and Chicken Milanese. Specialities of the house include things like spring pea agnolotti and a Wagyu flatiron steak. This is also a fantastic spot for families that has a full kid's menu.

Of course, like any restaurant, the dessert menu is fantastic, including lemon ricotta cake and chocolate pot de crème. It's 11 minutes north of central city centre.

Hutch's offers up top-notch American eats with a laser focus on service and ambiance with unpretentious fine dining and a back bar that features a super cool vibe. Many publications in the local area call this spot a date night destination with such rich and luxurious fare as shrimp and lobster bisque, oysters on the half shell, or Scotch salmon, and those are just the starters. The main menu offers favourites like bison strip steak, yellowfin tuna, beef tenderloin, and a broad selection of delectable side dishes.

If the weather is nice, they offer al fresco patio dining and kick up the intimate ambiance to another level. It's on Delaware Avenue, just about 10 minutes north of city centre.

Italian Prime at Salvatore's, also known as Salvatore's Italian Gardens, is a restaurant with a long legacy and generations of family-operated first-class service and food. This one opened in 1938 and is on its fourth generation as a family-owned and operated staple of the local foodie scene. You can choose from the interior dining, the patio, or the Chandelier Bar, which offers an elegant ambiance combined with a casual fun vibe. The décor is sophisticated and the Italian food is incredible, a true fine dining establishment.

Salvatore's is located inside the Delavan Hotel and it's the place to go if you really want to step up the romance during your trip to Buffalo. It's about 19 minutes northeast of city centre.

Chez Ami Restaurant offers world-class casual upscale dining in a 200-plus-seat restaurant with indoor and patio seating and one of the only rotating bars in Western New York. Despite having tonnes of seating, this one is a wildly popular spot for happy hour and dinner so it's not a bad idea to call for a reservation. For the budget-conscious, they offer lunch specials that you have to experience to believe as well as occasional partnerships for discounts with some local entertainment venues.

Entrees include house-made sausage, Korean BBQ, roasted duck, salmon, and a massive 18 oz. black Angus ribeye. They're in the Curtis Hotel, right in the heart of city centre Buffalo.

Texas de Brazil offers a superb Brazilian steakhouse dining experience with a Texas twist, right in the heart of New York State, and combines it with a suitcase of fun. If you've never been to a Brazilian steakhouse, it's basically all you can eat perfectly prepared meats of every variety under the sun. You'll enjoy something like a bacon-wrapped filet followed by a spit-roasted pork loin, followed by barbecued chicken, and plenty of other options, and they don't stop coming until you say "stop."

You also get a fantastic salad bar and plenty of options for sides if you want to supplement the meat. Texas de Brazil is just 15 minutes northeast of city centre Buffalo.

Bacchus Wine Bar & Restaurant offers a modern and upscale contemporary menu matched to an award-winning wine list for an ideal romantic night out. This spot offers a bright and airy interior with outdoor dining available for those nice weather al fresco evenings. There's a wide range of small plate starters to get you going, and the main course entrees cover everything from prime cut steaks to gourmet-prepared fish and poultry dishes.

Daily specials change by the day so there's always something new to try, and the wait staff are knowledgeable about helping you pair the right wine to the right dish. Bacchus is right in the heart of city centre Buffalo.

Marble & Rye is an upscale restaurant and cocktail bar focused entirely on rye whisky with an expansive drink menu and a superb dinner menu. If you're not into whisky cocktails, that's fine, too; this one has a fantastic selection of craft beers and even adult punches to enjoy. They bill themselves as having "the highest level of creative cocktails in WNY," and it may well be true. The food offerings include craft burgers, Detroit-style pizza, plus small plates and seasonal salad offerings.

Food and drink offerings are seasonal and sustainable and support local farms for the freshest ingredients. Marble & Rye is right in the heart of city centre Buffalo.

Mulberry Italian Ristorante is a newer entry to the local culinary scene but has become famous for its selection of mouth-watering pizzas, pasta, and authentic Italian classics. The spot also offers a lively bar to toast your friends. Some of the more unique offerings here include Pasta Marcoche, which is baby shell pasta tossed with crab and asparagus in a vodka sauce. This one also offers lots of options for vegetarians, including the classic aubergine parmigiana with house-made pasta on the side.

Mulberry has been voted as the best Italian restaurant in Buffalo for 5 years running and shows no signs of slowing down. It's only 8 minutes north of city centre.

The Left Bank Restaurant and Bar (or just The Left Bank, as locals call it), offers a unique dining experience with a brick wall aesthetic and delicious Italian fare. Some of the menu highlights at this staple of local dining include carrot papardella with crab meat, lobster, shrimp, and shellfish brandy cream sauce. The arrow focaccia is also a menu staple with a bread-base, beef tenderloin, roasted red peppers, mozzarella, asparagus, and a spread of horseradish and cheese. This spot is all about rich food in welcoming, homely, and casual surroundings.

The Left Bank has been serving unique Italian food since the mid-1990s, and it's easy to see why it's become a staple. It's just 10 minutes north of city centre.

Toutant offers a southern soul food-inspired menu with late-night dining deals, an unbelievable brunch menu, and down-home décor and vibes with superb quality food. The buttermilk fried chicken with biscuits is a must-try dish and the standout highlight of the menu, but if you stop here for brunch the spread will blow your mind with the vast array of options available, and all of them are delicious.

They don't skimp on cocktails, either. You can have New Orleans-style favourites including Vieux Carre, Sazerac, and what they call French Quarter frozen daiquiri (but is really a frozen hurricane just like on Bourbon Street). This one is right in the heart of city centre Buffalo.