We came here to celebrate our anniversary. we split the octopus appetizer, i got the squid ink risotto, and my boyfriend got the braised short ribs. I got the house mojito and he got the house martini and both were delicious. I had high expectations but they far exceeded them!! Truly one of the best meals I've ever had in Buffalo. Everything was authentic and on par with food i've had in Astoria. The staff is also so friendly!! Blue Cave is such a much needed, unique and authentic gem and addition to Buffalo. I'll be dreaming about the risotto until the next time I come back!!

This place is amazing, so many options, the octopus was out of this world, so tender, duck with pistons 😋, risotto and the desserts are made in the restaurant not purchased outside😃. This is definitely the place to be. The chef welcomed us in person, what a great experience!

We had the best experience last night at Blue Cave in Buffalo! The atmosphere is rustic and welcoming. The best feature is the garage door that opens for open-air dining. As soon as you walk in you are greeted by the friendly staff. There is a bar (coming soon) on the first level and Chef Mario can be seen cooking in the back. Most of the dining is done upstairs, however there is seating on the first floor for those who cannot do stairs. Now, to the food... For an appetizer we ordered the ANTIPASTO TRINACRIA, which is a sampling of 3 Sicilian favorites: crispy chickpea fritters, arancini, and caponata. Everything was delicious! This is sharable and was plenty for our party of 4. For the main course, three of us ordered BRASATO DI MANZO, slowly braised short ribs over mashed potatoes. TO DIE FOR! The ribs melt in your mouth. The sauce is flavorful and rich. RISOTTO NERO was also a hit! This is creamy risotto made with squid ink, topped with grilled shrimp, pistachios, and tomatoes. An unexpected take on risotto that wins every time! Be sure to save room for dessert! CANNOLI RICOTTA & PISTACHIO, SEMIFREDDO ALLE MANDORLE (almond parfait), and GELATI were shared among all of us and all of them were delightful. We topped it all off with rich, frothy espresso. I can't say enough about the staff. They were personable and attentive. We received a friendly greeting at the door from Rosa, who also bid us a fond farewell later on. Our server was Cashliegh, who treated us with such care. Jeremy and MacKenzie also stopped by to check on us. They were all smiles, warm and genuine. Chief Mario knows his stuff! He's passionate about serving mouthwatering, modern, Italian cuisine that leaves you wanting more. I can't wait to come back to try all of his menu items!

Blue Cave was such a wonderful place to eat. The staff was so friendly and gave excellent service! The food was delicious-perfect portions! The chef personally came out and asked about the meals-it was so nice to actually meet the chef. Definitely recommend! Will be back!

A great night at Blue Cave, one of downtown Buffalo's new restaurants! We felt extremely welcome from the moment we walked in the door. The staff is very attentive and seemed to be enjoying their jobs! We were seated promptly upstairs. This is an Italian restaurant. However, we did feel more of a Greek, Santorini type vibe from the decor and overall atmosphere. It really didn't matter because everything we ordered was very enjoyable. Our drinks were good, especially their specialty apple cider mule. For appetizers, we ordered the Panelle chickpea fritters and the Caponata fried eggplant. The two complimented each other well. Next came our second course, the salads. We ordered the Mediterranea and Misticanza. The fried artichokes were a fantastic topping on the mixed greens! Finally, for our main entree, we both chose the seabass listed on the menu with a side of truffle mashed potatoes and asparagus. The seabass was Italian branzino that was cooked and steamed in a parchment bag . Large flavorful portions. They have lots of healthy options and gluten-free pasta available, too. The chef, who I think may also be the owner, is very talented and really knows how to cook!! Definitely make a stop out to support this local business. You won't be disappointed!

One of the best in Buffalo, we arrived there without a reservation and had to seat in a small table by the bar because the place was packed, but not even that changed our great experience. The server, who was also the bartender, was so nice and funny, and recommended the octopus and the arancini as appetizers, and I couldn't be happier with the suggestion. The octopus is delicious, cooked perfectly (not that rubbery texture you get in many restaurants) and the arancini are filled with cheese. Their shape actually resembles more a coxinha (Brazilian snack) than arancini but it was delicious regardless of that. For entrees I chose the short rib and my husband had the fish and risotto (I don't remember the fish they used). The ribs were amazing, falling apart and so so tender. Pureé was delicious too. My husband really liked his dish too but said he preferred mine. Only criticism I have is that they added whole peppercorns to the octopus, and even though it looks good visually, the texture and flavor overwhelms the simplicity and delicate flavor of the octopus, I wouldn't add that if I were cooking this recipe.

Chef Mario sat us at our table. That’s service for you. We were a bit bummed they don’t have their liquor license yet but the food speaks for itself. The salad was phenomenal and the sauce was out of this world for the arancini and pasta. I would totally recommend this place. Our servers Susan was very kind and was Knowledgeable about the menu. Please, please, please go check this place out! Well worth it!

Stopped here before a Sabre's game and was so impressed. I had seen the restaurant on Instagram from Maddie at BFS and everything looked amazing, we had to go. The food was absolutely delicious, it was so hard to pick a dish because they all sounded so good! The cocktails were also great and I definitely recommend the savory connolo 🤤 we will be back for sure

Everything was top quality including the service. But the best part was the presentation of each meal with unique aroma, colors and flavors. My company and I were intrigued especially with the variety of herbs and spices used on each of our dishes. Although my dish was a little fishy, everything else about it was perfect from details given to the presentation to the sauce and decoration. Afterwards, the chef owner came over and told us about the area in Sicily he came from. We are going back.

Great space. The food was fabulous. The squid ink risotto was perfect and so well seasoned. Pork chop was moist and full of flavor. Will definitely be back.

The only negative I can share is the parking. The staff was really nice and attentive. Our portions were huge. I think my eyes were bigger than my stomach. The Arancini and Tiramisu are a must try! We can't wait to go back.

Probably the 1st to walk in today. Was greeted promptly by Cassondra who is very helpful with ordering and made a mean martini. First selection was Gemmelli con Salciccia and fungi or sausage and mushrooms in a cream sauce. The first bite was ok but after addition of black pepper,crushed red pepper and parmesan it was very delicious. That It went well with the Caruso e Minini Nero dAvola red wine. The filetto di cernia was a good mix of grouper filled and rice also very good that went well with the Produttori di Mandaria Fianow white wine. A good delicious fresh tasting selection. To top it off the canolo as which everything seems to be restaurant made fresh. Very good marks all around. Great service and food a return visit is in order.

I had a surprise graduation dinner here and the experience was fantastic. The food was amazing, staff was so attentive and personable and the environment was elegant and relaxing. Each dish was delicious and you can tell the chef is passionate about his work. Thank you!

Wonderful dinner on a Tuesday night. Server was friendly and attentive, but suggestion to chef that servers try all dishes so they can better describe. Started w Caponata and insalata Misticanza-both yummy and well balanced dishes. Hubby had homemade Gnocchi and I had Braciole. Tender meat, delicious sauce and pasta. Full but couldn't leave without dessert. Tiramisu was good, cannoli filling nice, not sickening sweet. So happy to find authentic Italian!! We look forward to returning soon. Highly recommend.

Outstanding new Italian restaurant in Buffalo. Food was incredible and service was attentive. Really enjoyed it and highly recommend as a top new restaurant to definitely add to your list. They also did a good job accommodating our vegan friend

I had a very good first experience at Blue Cave. The server was very friendly and came by frequently to check on us. She boxed up the leftovers for us which was nice. We ordered the orecchiette al salmon and the braciole. We did not need to wait long for the food to come out. The food itself was very tasty. Salmon and beef were cooked perfectly, pasta had the right texture, sauce was creamy. We also ordered the tiramisu and that was okay. Flavor was subtle. Maybe a little too subtle but a pleasant experience overall. Lastly, the expresso martini was well made so no complaints there. The only thing that's lacking and I've seen this mentioned in another review, is the atmosphere. It was very loud at points to where it was hard to hear someone that was next to me. Atmosphere-wise, it very much feels closer to eating at a diner than a restaurant. If I could, I would give this a 4.5/5 because its not perfect but I'll round it up to a 5 because I enjoyed the food and service.

We started the night with some yummy cocktails at the downstairs bar. Our dinner experience upstairs was excellent. Everything our party of four ordered was absolutely delicious & the portions were generous. Our waitress Olivia was attentive and helpful. We were surprised with an almond parfait with a candle to help us celebrate my husband's birthday. Highly recommend for great authentic Italian cuisine. (On street parking is limited but there is a reasonably priced paid parking lot nearby)

The only thing I'm mad about is that we didn't come here sooner! We loved every single thing we tried. The saffron risotto was the highlight. Service was good. This place is highly underrated! We can't wait to return to try more menu items. Prices were very reasonable. They were out of shrimp so I couldn't try the risotto nero but I definitely will next time.

Dined in with a coworker on 11-14. I had the Pollo (chicken) Alla Milanese. It should have been called Pollo Tartar- it took me some time , but I realized 1/2 way through a very poor (!) rubbery dish, that my chicken was undercooked. At the least, it was my worst food experience in years & I travel extensively for work & pleasure & dine out 60-70 times a year. I really should have said something (I did not)- but what can you really say to that? Either way, it was bad. We also had Caponata (eggplant app) that wasn’t great. We asked for bread with our dinner & we were served baked rollls- no oil, no butter. Words can’t adequately describe how wrong this “bread” was for this restaurant. A friend recommended this spot over a nearby Italian favorite that is nearby- I need to report back my disappointment. Something I’d never, ever normally do- it was that bad.

Fantastic food and service. It's great trying regional variations on Italian food. This place served Sicilian specialities. We started with advertisers. The arancini's or cooked perfectly and were a generous size. The panelle was light and airy, but not greasy it paired well with the ricotta. The caponata was a different recipe that I'm used to. It was really good. It was different in that it had currents and anchovies in it which I enjoyed very much. For our main courses we had gnocchi bolognese and the Braciole with orange and pasta. Both of them were amazing. The gnocchi was amazingly not dense but had a perfect consistency and went well with the bolognese sauce. The Braciole was cooked perfectly and was able to cut with a fork. Highly recommend this place to anybody who likes Italian food.

The Food was delicious … took me back to Bedda Sicilia and eating like a king ! Arancini, Panne Paelle, Capanota … the Braised Beef Short ribs were perfect fork tender and the gravy sublime ! Chef Mario is Spettacolo , Che meraviglia!!!

Tried this place because people raved about the short ribs. Disappointing. I ordered the gnocchi Bolognese. The texture was okay, a little denser then I would expect homemade gnocchi to be. The flavor of the sauce was decent, but rather greasy. Definitely not worth $35! I also ordered the short rib dinner with truffle mashed potatoes. The short ribs were definitely fork tender which was great, and they weren't fatty, but the mashed potatoes were not good. The flavor was decent, but the texture was awful! They were poorly made instant potatoes! Not even from fresh potatoes!! Like eating slimy glue! FOR $35!!! And everything came soaked in a pool of extremely greasy gravy! I took a close up photo and you can see about a 1/2 cm layer of grease all around the top of the dish! My friend ordered the braciole, I tried that and it was also disappointing. The meat was dry and tough, mediocre flavor. Didn't seem like something that was cooked fresh, seemed like something that was reheated and dried out. atmosphere and service were good, had actual fresh lavender sprigs in the table vases which was a nice touch! the proportion of the table/chair height was uncomfortable. the table is too low for the chairs. you cant rest your elbows or arms on the table without hunching way over. no parking lot either so you'll have to find street parking. There was nothing that was worth coming back again. And definitely way overpriced for the quality of the food!! If you want a great short rib dinner that's less expensive than here, and way way better, try the vault 237.

Delicious, upscale Italian food that is different from many of the local places. It was refreshing to see unique pairings on this menu. Everything is homemade and the service is attentive and friendly! I HIGHLY recommend this restaurant.

This place is Amazing! From the decor to the service to the food!! We were served by Jeniffer and she did an outstanding job; excellent customer service and attention to our needs! The octopus is the Bomb!!!

My husband and I had very high expectations when we booked our first visit to the Blue Cave. We travel to Sicily often and recently bought a home in Siracusa region of Sicily. Chef Mario’s creations met our expectations! Thank you for bringing the flavors of Sicily to Buffalo! Will be back soon to our new favorite restaurant. Ci vediamo presto chef Mario!