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Sienna Restaurant
Categories: Restaurants Diners Restaurants Italian Diners, Italian [Edit]
4516 Main StSnyder, NY 14226
(716) 839-3108
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
17 reviews for Sienna Restaurant
17 reviews in English
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Review from Joseph L.
2/11/2012
If your blue and you don't know where to go to why don't you go to Sienna...
While Sienna has gone through its share of ups and downs over the years the present incarnation is quite excellent. Part of the Oliver's, 800 Maple and Rocco's Pizza Empire, Sienna has become the place to hobnob with Buffalo's biggest wigs (outside of the private clubs like the Buffalo Club or CCB). Though the crowd does tend to be quite older, everyone is well-dressed, the parking lot is filled with expensive cars and the restaurant is dripping with class.
Of course glitz isn't enough to get me to like a restaurant, it has to offer a little something more. I gave up on Sienna for a number of years because I found their food to be blah. They have a beautiful wood-burning oven that was being underutilized only making these run-of-the mill pizzas. While the pizzas have become better over the years, the entrees have skyrocketed in quality.
Loving cocktails as much as I do, I usually start the evening at their beautiful illuminated bar. Their liquor selection has quite some depth with some high-quality and rare Italian specialties. Last time I went my girlfriend and I enjoyed some fried Calamari at the bar with three dips...the more the merrier...and an arugula salad with roasted cauliflower, and hot pickled peppers, which was quite nice. One of the three dips with the calamari was a lemon/basil aioli which was fabulous with a strong basil flavor...my girlfriend preferred the sweet chili garlic sauce.
When you are seated you are brought a basket of bread which contains these wonderful black sesame, fennel and poppyseed cracker-like pieces...almost like a lavash. These are usually amazing, but last time I went they were doused in salt and inedible. They also bring out a complimentary plate of their house cured olives usually with citrus and fennel seeds and a few chucks of the undisputed king of cheese: parmigiano reggiano (useless trivia: the milk used to make this cheese is also fed to the pigs in which parma prosuitto is made...there's something magical in that milk).
The real improvement in this restaurant over the years has come with higher quality entrees. A few years back when heritage or bershire pork (the Kobe Beef of pork) was common, they used to serve the most amazing pork chop with peaches and pink peppercorns. They stopped using these wonderful porks and as such the pork chop has suffered. My girlfriend ordered a mammoth sized slab of the pork last time we were there and it was a bit dry with tasteless fat. My entree was much nicer, a salmon filet topped with a horseradish pesto. Both dishes were served with a side that I found fantastic, little roasted new potatoes topped with creme fresche, lightly carmelized onions and chives. It sounds fancy but it was a basic potato with onions and sour creme, just super tiny and delish.
In the past I've ordered all sorts of fabulous entrees at Sienna. Monday nights are their Brasciole Night (pork shoulder wrapped around a hard boiled egg and cooked slowly in sauce...an Italian delicacy) which is some of the best in the area. (For the best Brasciole head to Romeo and Juliets on Sheridan in Amherst or Panaro's Restaurant next to Colter Bay only open for lunch)
I also really enjoy their Friday night special, a Veal Cutlet with arugula salad served over rigatoni with vodka sauce. Its a classic, but it's done perfectly. The menu changes pretty regularly so I go back very often.
With that said, my favorite is their coffee. Their coffee tastes absolutely wonderful with a strong aroma and a mild flavor. I always request it to be served with their home-made biscotti which are different every time. I've had chocolate chip, cherry, cinnamon-nut...all sorts of fun varieties. Even more fun though is dipping them in your coffee. Who cares if the hoity-toity don't approve...be a kid again...its like dipping a cookie in milk only 1,000 times better.
Whenever I go with my girlfriend, we have to order dessert...or else I get the look. Last time we ordered the Tiramisu which was really nice. While it is more of a mousse with ladyfingers here...the difference is the lady fingers are dipped in Sambuca instead of Tia Maria...It makes all the difference in the world. The mousse is thick and wonderful and overall a perfect end to an Italian meal.
So come lets sit where Rockfeller's walk with sticks or umbrellas in their midst...go to Sienna.
(OK I admit it the Puttin' on the Ritz theme is lame...but it gets the point across...and now you'll be singing it in your head all night)Listed in: Pizza Pizza, Date Night in the Burbs
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Review from Jody G.
1/29/2012
I've eaten here about half a dozen times and I really love this place! The menu is great and the wine list is great and the service is even better. It's warm and welcoming and upscale, without ever feeling stuffy. It's the kind of place I love to go to for an early dinner before the theater (as I did last night) or for a late meal of appetizers with a bottle of wine.
Last night two of us shared an Antipasti (parma prosciutto, fennel and calabrese salumi, buffalo mozzarella, imported olives and reggiano parmesan), the Eggplant Stack (fresh mozzarella, tomato, arugula and aged balsamic), and a Wood Oven Pizza ("The Filippi": spinach, calamata olives, pepperoni and hot peppers). Everything was DELICIOUS, but the pizza really stood out. The crust had that wonderful slight char that I love and the toppings were perfectly balanced and oh-so-flavorful! And everything was FANTASTICALLY complimented by the Beckman Cuvee le Bec Syrah blend '09 chosen by my date. Man, that guy knows how to choose a bottle of wine!
For dessert we shared (Dolchi's) Burnt Caramel and Sea Salt gelato and an order of Italian cookies. We couldn't finish the cookies, but they sure were wonderful with my coffee this morning! -
Review from Mike U.
Buffalo, NY
4/17/2012
Great wood fired thin crust pizza. Pair that with 1/2 off bottles of wine on Sunday and its one of the best meals in town.
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Review from Brian A.
Los Angeles, CA
3/16/2012
I love this restaurant. Everything is excellent. I highly recommend the bone in rib eye. The best steak I've ever had.
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Review from Victoria G.
Buffalo, NY
3/9/2012
Very nice place. Maybe a little overpriced but good food, nice service. When I was there no kids running around. Quiet nice atmosphere to enjoy your meal. Nice place to have lunch/dinner as a couple or as a small group of friends.
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Review from Penny K.
Buffalo, NY
3/26/2012
The food here is great - but the service is off putting and can be rude and offending. They are definitely not welcoming to couples or groups in their 20-30's. We are often ignored, not offered certain tables, and have had other older groups seated before us. This seems to be a trend with all the restaurants owned by these folks (Rocco's, 800 Maple, Oliver's), which is extremely disappointing because again the food itself is quite good - but I would rather take my money somewhere where I'm not treated so poorly.
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Review from Jen L.
9/29/2009
A bad scene.
We had to wait over an hour to get seated on a Friday night. We called ahead and spoke to a woman who told us to arrive by 6:30, and we would have no problem. She. Was. Wrong.
I also called ahead to check on corkage fees. I didn't feel like dropping $75 on a bottle of something I can get at the wine shop for $25, but I was in the mood for some nice wine. The woman on the phone told me the corage fee was $15. Fine, great, excellent. So I brought my very own nice bottle of wine and the charge ended up to be $20. When I protested, they gave me a hassle before taking off the 5 bucks. Five bucks is 5 bucks, not a lot of $$$, but these people need to get their shit straightened out.
Adding to my trauma was the fact that I had to ask to get some bread. The bread basket had me salivating as we waited (and waited) by the bar for over an hour for our table, and we had to request bread. Our server was on another planet, I think. The bread was nice, served with some olives and shaved parmesan, but I don't want to have to specifically request it, okay?
I had to ask 2x for our leftovers to be brought to us. I like how they hold them for you until you are ready to leave, but the server totally forgot about them and almost forgot again until I reminded her. Again.
Anyway, the food was good - okay, not fabulous - but I have to subtract points for the errors in communication and the spaceshot server. If I am going to drop over $150 on a meal for three women (in suburban BUFFALO, people, when I brought my own wine), I want tip-top service.
End of message. -
Review from P B.
Lockport, NY
8/11/2011
As others have noted, this place is expensive!
The last time we ate here, we met with friends the night before I was to do a half marathon, so I wanted to go the pasta route. To my surprise, a simple pasta dish with tomato sauce and basil was priced at over $18! A la carte! I'm originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, and even in that very expensive city you will not find prices that high for a meatless pasta dish.
As for the food, it was OK but nothing special. I was not impressed.
I suppose if I had opted for a meal of steak or other meat dish I would not have felt so ripped off. Still, I can think of other restaurants in the Buffalo area that offer better food for more reasonable prices. -
Review from Justin S.
Orchard Park, NY
5/3/2009
Siena has quite a bad rep on Yelp, huh?
First, this place is expensive. A good meal can be had cheap ($20/entree), but the best stuff is $40+.
This is the first restaurant in Buffalo I've seen feature a "Tomahawk" steak, my all-time favorite. A huge prime bone-in ribeye, the bone is frenched, and resembles a tomahawk. Mine was cooked perfectly medium rare, and had a beautiful "crust"/ sea salt seasoning. The sides, mashed potatoes and asparagus, were pretty lame. $46
The pizza. The best gourmet pizza in Buffalo. As it should be for $14.50 for a small size pizza. It is a real wood-fired oven. We ordered one at the bar while waiting for a table, and it was cooked in about 5 minutes. Maybe they've changed there pizza style since Rich has been there, or they had a good pizza maker on yesterday. It is not exactly like traditional brick oven pizza (Frank Pepe's), but it is very good. The dough is a little tougher. At Pepe's, they do not throw the dough because it is too delicate, the staff at Siena tosses the pie high into the air. The crust was still thin, crispy, with a nice char.
Drinks. Agree with Kelly, good selection, very expensive. A low end bottle, Chateau St. Jean from Sonoma, was $30 (or $10-12 at premier). Wonder if they offer corkage ;p Beer: Lame selection, I had a Sam Adams Boston Lager, partners had Stella. Cocktails; pretty good selection, I'll definitely stick with these when I go here. $8 for Dan Akroyd's Crystal Skull Vodka, I had mine with tonic and lime. It is a superb cocktail. The scotch and whiskey selection seemed pretty good. Nothing too extravagant on display though.
The scene. I definitely felt we were judged when we walked in. All three of us were wearing jeans, albeit $200 pairs, sandals and short sleeved shirts. It may have been that we were the youngest in the crowd (by about 20 years!), but we were not the least dressed. There was a woman wearing a denim jacket and stretch pants. Unless it's a private club (Buffalo Club, Country Club, Yacht Club), I'll wear what I please, we're paying the bill right?
Will I go here again? Yes, but I'm not rushing. Next time I'll have pizza, a pasta entree, and a vodka tonic. Hopefully that will keep it under $50/pp. -
Review from Kelly S.
Updated - 2/16/2009
Still a solid 3 star experience, but completely inconsistent. Even if lured in by 1/2 price wine Sundays, the food still has got to deliver. Recently had a terribly mediocre meal, but good wine.
I'm steaming over the $60 split of Veuve. OUTRAGEOUS!!!!!!!
hee heeListed in: I'm a LUSH, It doesn't take much..., I HEART PIZZA
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/27/2007 First to Review
UPDATE: This places loses a star, and massive points with me for charging $60 fucking dollars for… Read more »
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Review from Jeff K.
Saddle River, NJ
8/28/2009
One Liner: Good food.....eats into your wallet
Food: (scale of 0-4) 2.8
It was funny to see the same waitress from 800 Maple. As it turns out, they are sister restaurants. The food is decently enjoyable. What I like the most about this place is the setting. It's very nicely decorated. The contemporary look and feel make me comfortable. It's a good place to unwind after a full day of work. I enjoy the food at 800 maple more.
Extras: (Scale of 0-1) 0.4
Service 0.1: Decent
Decor 0.2: Very nice
Speed 0.1: Decent
Dessert 0: Never tried
Prices 0: Not very good for the food you get
My score for this experience is 3.2 stars. -
Review from Rich U.
Buffalo, NY
2/6/2009
At the insistence of a friend of mine who told me this place has "amazing" wood fire/Neapolitan pizza, I broke out of my Buffalo Japanese/BBQ/chicken wing/pub grub rut and took this place out for a spin on a busy Friday night. I had been forewarned that this was a "see and be SCENE" place, so I knew ahead of time that I would be a bit out of my element. To me, eating well and "playing dress-up" are two very different things, but I was willing to endure some image-conscious dining for the sake of finding a great pie.
I admit to being something of a coal/brick/wood fire oven pizza snob. And I will shamelessly invoke my pizza travelogue here by citing Lombardi's, Totonno's, Johns, etc (in NYC) in addition to Sally's Apizza and Frank Pepe's (in New Haven) AND the world famous Pizzeria Brandi in Naples, Italy as places at which I've had the great privilege to eat. But I'm realistic - I don't expect such a high standard for authentic Neapolitan style pizza here in Western NY. That said, the pizza at Siena was adequate at best, and I was actually more impressed with their calamari salad. The whole point of an 800+ degree wood fire oven is perfecting a semi-charred, crispy, quick-bake masterpiece, and that was not what I received - far from it. Siena's pizza was more like the weak pie you used to be able to get from the now-defunct (locally) Buca-di-Beppo.
There seemed to be an unofficial "must wear black" dress code at this place. And I'll defer to Kelly S. (a self-proclaimed "lush") on matters of wine. If she takes them to task , I'll take her word for it. For what it's worth, my Peroni (or was it Moretti?) bottled beer was probably the highlight of my dining experience here. -
Review from Ryan W.
Buffalo, NY
1/31/2011
I used to love this place for lunch. Classy, quick, great service with lots of wealthy business people around talking shop. Now its just the latter.
Dinner on a Monday. Slow night, but they were staffed with what looked like 2 server assistants and 3 or 4 servers, plus a manager/hostess/bar wench and a bartender/prosciutto tester, all to staff about 7 full tables that night. Let's talk staff. Our server was helpful with recommendations (seafood pasta is great, whatever it's called here), but not so much on the check back. We didn't get one. Only a " How was everything" at the end. A little late, I think. The SA was quiet and I couldn't hear anything she asked. She chatted with the male SA in front of the kitchen the entire time we ate, with our dirty dishes just sitting in front of us. Other staff just milled around as well, chatting away, as did our server. Send people home if it's that quiet! The bartender had no clients at all, poor guy, but found time to serve himself 2 huge handfulls of expensive prosciutto throughout the night, eating it right in front of us. Classy. Should front of house staff be seen stuffing their mouths or drinking on the floor? I don't think so. We were offered none, of course - just bread, some olives and a small wedge of cheese (though the cheese was delicious!).
Dinner entrees were good. Aranchini app was great, compared to others we've had. BIt more sauce would have been nice. No check in, though so no chance to get more. Seafood pasta thingy was great - a scampi base not too heavy or light. The lobster was a bit overdone but still tasty and priced pretty ok for what was given. Definitely not a disappointment (though my date got the dish and I did not). I went with the "porterhouse" which is a flank steak, with balsamic glazed onions and endive and one SMALL potato cut in 4 wedges. Beef was cooked as I requested (rare) but was cold. I guess I can deal with cold rare as opposed to hot well done when I order rare, but it seemed liked it sat out for a while before presenting. The hostess (older 50+ something lady) presented the dishes nicely, but then returned to the bad, drinking something, up through and until we left the restaurant an hour later, not even getting up to say thank you or goodbye. Yes, it's 9pm on a MONDAY, but please do your job. Or just go home.
Stick to the woodfired pizzas for lunch if you go here, and don't sit near the kitchen, where the staff hangs out like whores on a street corner. It's too bad a restaurant owned by the same group as 800 Maple and Oliver's has such low standards. -
Review from Stephen B.
Getzville, NY
9/24/2011
Good food, great service
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Review from Lucas T.
Atlantic City, NJ
1/22/2011
I don't quite understand the negativity surrounding one of the best restaurants in Buffalo, period. I don't mind paying $40.00-$60.00 as long as the food is wonderful and I can always guarantee this with Siena. During my short tenure in Amherst, I would frequent Siena and 800 Maple every Friday night, rain or shine. The Pizza is absoutely delicious. I just get cheese on mine, along with salad. The bread with olives is wonderful. The chocolate souffle is by far the best, that I have ever had in my life. As long as you are not a "Broke Buffalo Homer" looking to get a deal with coupons, then you will enjoy yourself. The ownership is wonderful and always made sure my meals were delicious. Siena hasn't been in business since the late 1980's because of magic ... it's because they are outstanding.
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Review from Sara M.
Greenwich, CT
1/25/2008
I don't get the hype here. Their food is greasy and just not that great. It is expensive too. I would not go back.
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Review from Erin H.
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
2/6/2010
When entering this restaurant for the first time, one is greeted by the delicious aroma of wood fired pizza. Thus, our party decided to start off with a couple of pizzas for appetizers. The pizzas actually smelled better than they tasted, and I actually like the pesto flatbread better than the pizza. For my main course, I ordered the SeaBass special with the mashed potatoes. I usually love seabass, but I was disappointed with this dish as it lacked flavor. A couple of my dining companions got the filet mignon and loved it. That seems to have been the call. The one thing that I was impressed with was their extensive wine list and list of wines by the glass; not often can one find a nice Barolo by the glass at an Italian restaurant.
