I was interested in determining the fan favorite restaurants for Scarsdale families, so I posted an anonymous survey on Scarsdale Buzz and have shared the results below. 87 people responded (thank you so much to those who participated!), of which there was a 98% completion rate through the first 5 questions, and a 74% overall completion rate. Feel free to email me ([email protected]) to let me know what surprised you, what was missing, and any other thoughts that come to mind on the topics of restaurants in Scarsdale and nearby towns. I am always looking for new restaurants to try, and hope that you get some inspiration as well!
Favorite Restaurants for Families
This category was meant to ascertain where families go for a casual Sunday night, or for a special family occasion like a birthday. No surprise that the winners are all Scarsdale restaurants and Italian cuisine, with a kid-friendly feel. I have personally taken my kids (ages 6 and 4) to Lombardo’s, Via Forno several times, and Chat several times. At Via Forno, there is enough room for kids to stand up and walk around a bit without disturbing others. Also, my kids love sitting out on the back patio and watching trains go by.
I was surprised 25 North didn’t make the top 5, but for anyone else who’s wondering, it ranked #6. I also think that Salsa Picante should be on this list – great food, and love their rooftop vibe.
1. Lombardos
2. Wood & Fire
3. Via Forno
4. Chat
5. Serafina
Favorite Restaurant for Weeknight Dinner with Friends
1. Meritage
2. Café Alaia
3. Moscato (feels like old school NYC neighborhood Italian)
4. Sapori
5. Akai
Favorite Restaurant for casual Date Night
We went to Emma’s recently for a date night, was fun and a chill bar vibe! I think the food there is good too. I also think Bar Taco and Salsa Picante could be in the top for this category as well.
1. Meritage
2. Café Alaia
3. Meso (love the vibe, food is great and lots of seafood options)
4. Aurora
5. 2-way tie: Oko/Sapori
Favorite Restaurant for a Special Occasion Date Night:
One of the more exciting categories…
1. Goosefeather (could eat a whole bowl of the Duck Sticky Rice, and I’m a huge Top Chef fan so I enjoyed seeing Dale there once! Also, I’d say that this is a good spot for date night or just 2 couples, but I wouldn’t go with a bigger group as you then have to do a price fixe and you end up missing a bunch of their best dishes.)
2. Inn at Pound Ridge
3. Café Alaia
4. Meritage
5. 2-way tie between Hinoki (one of my favorites – love the food and cocktails, and the vibe both indoors and outdoors are great, and L’Escale (sad it’s leaving its current location, hope they reopen soon!)
By the way, thanks to the few people who said “The City” for this category….
Favorite Restaurant for a Couples Dinner:
I like La Casa for this category, surprisingly though, we went in late July with friends on a Saturday night at 8pm, and we were the only people there…
1. Meritage
2. Meso
3. Sapori (good, consistent Italian)
4. Café Alaia
5. 3-way tie: Hinoki/Lusardis/Moscato
I think Le Fat Poodle in Old Greenwich and Orienta are both good couples dinner spots to try as well.
Favorite Restaurant for Brunch/Lunch (Adults Only):
1. Chat
2. Serafina
3. Granola Bar (my #1 in this category, we love both Rye and Greenwich locations with kids, and also good for a week day lunch/coffee. I wish there was one in Scarsdale!)
4. Stanz (One of my favorites!)
5. 2-way tie: Harvest / Martines
Not surprisingly, this seems to be the category that people expressed the strongest desire to have more variety in. For those who have not yet tried Hudson Farmer & The Fish, I went there recently with my husband on a weekend for lunch. It was great – loved the food and cocktails, great view and chill vibe. Can’t speak to the dinner vibe there, but we’ll definitely be back!
Favorite Restaurant for Brunch/Lunch (with kids):
1. Metro
2. Stanz
3. Chat
4. 2-way tie: Parkway/Serafina
5. Barnes and Noble Eastchester
Our favorite spots for lunch with kids are The Beehive in Armonk (make a reservation or go early!), Harvest on Hudson (great for a family special occasion – they have a very nice outdoor front lawn). We also love Granola Bar, both the Rye and Greenwich locations.
Favorite Pickup/Delivery:
1. Lombardo’s (definitely a go-to in our house, great for catering.)
2. Mister Chen
3. 2-way tie: Akai / Kumo
4. Wood & Fire (another go-to for us, also great for catering)
5. 2-way tie: Little Thai Kitchen / Sal’s Pizza
We really like Meat the Greek for healthy(ish) and Da Giorgio for delivery. The people at Da Giorgio treat you like family, and the food is delicious – I’d definitely recommend trying it! I also have Nonno’s #1 on my list to try, which is on Garth Road.
Categories for next survey…
Thanks for the suggestions!
1. Private Rooms
2. Top restaurant by each cuisine type
3. Bagels
4. Places to take visitors from out of town
5. Bars/Cocktails
My biggest takeaways:
• Meritage ranked #1 in 3 of the 7 categories, seems to be the all-around favorite
• Some restaurants didn’t make it into the “Top 5” categories, but are mentioned prevalently across multiple categories: BarTaco, La Casa, Rafaele
• Honorable Mentions:
– Hinoki was mentioned most when I asked about “Honorable Mentions” – I think it should have made more Top 5 lists. I think it checks a lot of boxes – lively, fun atmosphere and vibe (both indoor and outdoor), great food and cocktails.
– L’Escale, Oko and Lusardis were all involved in 2- or 3-way ties but deserve more credit.
• Next up on my list: Happy Monkey, L’Inizio, Underhills Crossing, The Cookery, Nonno’s #1, back to Goosefeather, and Billy & Petes with the kids.
Also – a few people asked to see weekend activities for families. Stay tuned, that’s a big part of what’s coming on the website.