24 upscale places in Buffalo, editor-picked. occasion restaurants in Buffalo: destination kitchens for celebrations and visits. All Buffalo food.
Marble + Rye (Cocktail Bar) ★ 4.8
112 Genesee St, Buffalo, NY 14203
Marble + Rye on Genesee Street downtown is the Dimmer-Willmott cocktail program, with seasonal mixed drinks and Buffalo's most considered bar work.
Ristorante Lombardo ★ 4.7
north-buffalo · 1198 Hertel Ave, Buffalo, NY 14216
Ristorante Lombardo on Hertel Avenue in North Buffalo is the Tuscan-influenced anchor of the city's Italian food row, family-owned since 1975.
Big Ditch Brewing Taproom ★ 4.7
55 E Huron St, Buffalo, NY 14203
Big Ditch Brewing on East Huron Street downtown is the two-level Buffalo brewery taproom, with up to fifteen beers on tap and a full small-plates menu.
Lucky Day ★ 4.7
320 Pearl St, Buffalo, NY 14202
Lucky Day on Pearl Street downtown is the dim-lit Buffalo cocktail bar with a deep whiskey program, leather banquettes and a Prohibition-era room feel.
Mr. Goodbar ★ 4.6
1110 Elmwood Ave, Buffalo, NY 14222
Mr. Goodbar on Elmwood Avenue has anchored the Elmwood Village bar strip since 1968, with a deep craft beer tap list and upstairs live music and comedy.
Ristorante Lombardo (Wine Cellar) ★ 4.6
1198 Hertel Ave, Buffalo, NY 14216
Lombardo on Hertel keeps Buffalo's deepest Italian wine cellar, with Tuscan and Piedmont reds, Brunello pours and the city's longest single-region wine list.
Marble + Rye ★ 4.5
downtown · 112 Genesee St, Buffalo, NY 14203
Marble + Rye on Genesee Street downtown is the Mike Dimmer and Christian Willmott cocktail-and-dining room with a dry-aged burger and small plates.
Cole's Restaurant ★ 4.5
1104 Elmwood Ave, Buffalo, NY 14222
Cole's on Elmwood Avenue has anchored the Elmwood Village since 1934, with a deep beer list, classic burger and a weekend brunch the locals defend.
Marble + Rye (Wine and Cocktail Program) ★ 4.5
112 Genesee St, Buffalo, NY 14203
Marble + Rye on Genesee Street downtown is the Dimmer-Willmott cocktail-and-dining room, with a wine program built on Old World and natural-leaning labels.
Tappo Italian ★ 4.4
downtown · 338 Ellicott St, Buffalo, NY 14203
Tappo Italian on Ellicott Street downtown is the Pegula family's Italian-American room, with handmade pastas, veal saltimbocca and free Ferguson parking.
The Left Bank ★ 4.4
elmwood-village · 511 Rhode Island St, Buffalo, NY 14213
The Left Bank on Rhode Island Street near Elmwood Village is a long-running American room with seasonal meat and seafood plates and a romantic dining room.
The Place ★ 4.4
229 Lexington Ave, Buffalo, NY 14222
The Place on Lexington Avenue near Cathedral Park is the dim, jukebox-driven Elmwood-area bar with cocktails, draft beer and a tight neighborhood following.
Buffalo Iron Works ★ 4.4
49 Illinois St, Buffalo, NY 14203
Buffalo Iron Works on Illinois Street in the Cobblestone District is the downtown live-music bar in a 19th-century iron foundry, with regular national acts.
Bacchus Wine Bar and Restaurant ★ 4.4
56 W Chippewa St, Buffalo, NY 14202
Bacchus on West Chippewa Street downtown is the wine bar inside the historic Calumet building, with a deep by-the-glass list and a full New American menu.
Patina 250 ★ 4.3
downtown · 250 Delaware Ave, Buffalo, NY 14202
Patina 250 inside the Westin on Delaware Avenue downtown runs a contemporary American menu built on Western New York producers, plus a strong bar.
Bacchus Wine Bar and Restaurant ★ 4.3
downtown · 56 W Chippewa St, Buffalo, NY 14202
Bacchus on West Chippewa Street downtown is a wine bar and New American room in the historic Calumet building, with a deep by-the-glass list.
Founding Fathers Pub ★ 4.3
75 Edward St, Buffalo, NY 14202
Founding Fathers Pub on Edward Street near Allentown is the trivia-and-bar-food institution with a presidential-history theme and a long local beer list.
Tappo Italian (Wine Program) ★ 4.3
338 Ellicott St, Buffalo, NY 14203
Tappo Italian on Ellicott Street keeps a deep Italian regional wine list ($30 to $300+) and pours Brunello, Barolo and Tuscan reds by the glass downtown.
The Left Bank (Wine Bar) ★ 4.3
511 Rhode Island St, Buffalo, NY 14213
The Left Bank near Elmwood Village keeps a European-leaning by-the-glass program paired with seasonal small plates in a romantic-bistro West Side dining room.
Allen Street Hardware Cafe ★ 4.2
245 Allen St, Buffalo, NY 14201
Allen Street Hardware on Allen Street in Allentown is the long-running neighborhood bar in a former hardware store, with patio and weekend live music.
Patina 250 (Wine Program) ★ 4.2
250 Delaware Ave, Buffalo, NY 14202
Patina 250 inside the Westin pours Finger Lakes whites and Niagara Wine Trail reds alongside a national list, anchoring a downtown hotel wine bar.
Resurgence at the Cooperage ★ 4.1
55 Chicago St, Buffalo, NY 14204
Resurgence Brewing at the Cooperage on Chicago Street in the Old First Ward is the brewery's main Buffalo taproom, with patio and wood-fired pizza.
Thin Man Brewery (Chandler) ★ 4.1
166 Chandler St, Buffalo, NY 14207
Thin Man Brewery on Chandler Street is the surviving taproom after Community Beer Works acquired the brand in 2024, with patio and a Black Rocks feel.
Pearl Street Grill (Brewery Bar) ★ 4.0
76 Pearl St, Buffalo, NY 14202
Pearl Street Grill on Pearl Street has nine bars across four floors since 1997, with house-brewed beer and a long Buffalo brewpub history downtown.