Vespa

I am literally devastated. I just found out that Vespa closed and now I don’t know where to go for my Italian fix whenever I am in the city. Vespa was amazing, especially their bucatini amatriciana oh man… I hope the owners find another location. If you are seeing this, please reopen somewhere else!!!

It used to be one of my favorite places on the Upper East Side. So sad that they closed! I really hope they will reopen or find another location.

I am in utter and complete SHOCK that Vespa has shuttered. Does anyone know how to get in touch with management? I’ve been going there for 9 years and always an amazing meal. I took every single person who visited me from out of town. Patio, beautiful. Food, beyond amazing. Owners, the nicest most wonderful people you’ll meet. I’m gutted.

I’m sad to report that Vespa is closed. I tried to make a reservation, and was having a hard time getting through. When I went there, it was gutted, under construction, with a sign thanking patrons for 25 good years. I will miss them!

Unimpressive. We had a reservation 20. First, one of our party had to ask for wine, menus and bread after we had been seated for 30 minutes. After 45minutes, our table still didn’t have wine, water, or menus. We ordered appetizers, the octopus salad was beyond salty, literally inedible. Then the main plates arrived — several of us ordered the special of the day, fettuccine with scallops and truffle sauce, all of us received over cooked pasta, with minimal sauce, the scallops were cold.
One of our group sent back their dish and what they received back was night and day different. In a good way.
I have been here before, never been one of my favorite restaurants but this was a shame to Italian cuisine.
Maybe it is better if you are not a group but still there is no excuse for both bad service and bad food.

My boyfriend and I were walking around the neighborhood looking for a new spot and walked in to Vespa because they had a patio. The patio was absolutely amazing! It had light strings around the patio. Our table was tucked back in a corner surrounded by brick and fence. Very cozy feel. The service was incredible. The owner greeted us and checked back frequently to make sure we were happy.
Not only was the service and atmosphere awesome — they had Gluten Free pasta! He made me HOMEMADE Gfree pasta and I could choose whatever sauce I wanted. It was unbelievable. One of the best gfree pastas I’ve had.
All in all, wonderful experience. We will definitely be back!

I am always looking for amazing Italian. I think it’s hard to find a mix of ambiance and great food that feels like a grandmother is cooking the food. Vespa was an amazing find. Went here with the family and we are difficult to please and can be a bit critical.
The food was flavorful, fresh and just good. Portions were great. My stepfather was amazed that the truffle wasn’t some crap infused oil, you could see the truffle slices. The gnocchi wasn’t tough or heard but light. We tried to figure out if it was homemade after. I felt bad my mother ordered the omelette and not pasta because my carbonara was perfect– not over cheesy or creamy. I didn’t fee grossly overstuffed but craved more. The burrata was the best I’ve ever had, even over places that have shipped it from Italy.
The wine was great. My mother asked the name because she plans on buying some for home. Dessert was surprisingly good. They do it all. We left talking about what we would order next time we go.
I see reviews for bad service… So wrong. I like to not be rushed out. Gave us time to enjoy and order more and take in the patio with the great weather. I thought service was great.
Only thing I would advise would be I think you would get more service is there was a bit more of a clear vision of decorating on the patio but we don’t like the fuss so we enjoyed it.
Thanks for letting me finally find Italian food I can tell everyone about.

I strolled in here recently for just dessert. Its a lovely restaurant with a very welcoming environment, a friendly staff, and a large selection of drinks
I had the strawberry tiramisu and it was impeccable! It was like happiness on my taste buds lol. The strawberries were at their freshest and the tiramisu was layered perfectly. I’ll be back soon for dinner or lunch in the future

This place does not deserve a star. I purchased a Pulsd deal and I wish I didn’t. Why oh why did I order the pasta. The pasta was not cooked well. The pasta was tough and I felt like I was chewing on rubber. My dog would have thought that this was his kong tWhen I asked for bread the waiter looked at me like I asked for his first born. Plus The one waiter was very slow at even getting water. The place was empty on a Sunday during prime time brunch hours. Don’t waste your time here. Go somewhere else for brunch.

We ordered:
Burrata: Good
Gnocchi with truffle sauce: dissapointing. It was flavorless. didn’t taste any truffle. Had to ask for more cheese twice hoping that would add some flavor but didn’t help much.
Duck breast: Good; tender and flavorful; didn’t like the polenta came with it, though, it was very salty.
Italian cheesecake: meh. I woudln’t order it again.
Service was great; very friendly staff.

There are plenty of places in Manhattan to get good food, and Vespa is no different. Actually, let me correct myself and say the food is excellent. Local farm-​to-​table with a perfect Italian twist. After multiple visits, I always leave impressed.
What sets them apart, and ahead, is how they treat you. From my first experience with the Alessandro and his team, I never felt like a customer. He invites you into his home, and treats you like family. The whole staff follows suit with impeccable service. Worth the trip to the UES, and a must for anyone local. Check out the farm stand done Sunday afternoons during the season.

More 3.5
A nice little place, excellent décor and good service. We started with some of the red sangria, which was just the right amount of sweet and fruity. We had the Tricolore gnocchi to start. It was pretty good, and we liked the pesto and tomato sauces the best. We also had the Branzino, whole. It was pretty good, and well-​cooked, and the sides were tasty too.
Overall a nice place.

My sis and I came here for her birthday dinner and we were treated so kindly by the servers and owners. What started out as a low key night ended up as the best night ever with great service, amazing food and wonderful drinks. We ordered the gnocchi and cavatelli pasta with eggplant. Both were exquisite and enjoyable. The truffle sauce on gnocchi was mouth watering. We will definitely be back here!
My sis was also surprised with amaretto tiramisu that was probably the best dessert I’ve tried in a long time. We left with smiles! Definitely recommend the Sangria too!

Had Risotto of the day with Pennette Nordiche which was Canadian Salmon with peas, tomato sauce n a touch of cream

The food and drinks were delicious. It was very quaint and the staff was very friendly and talkative. I got the chicken gnocchi with marinara sauce — very tasty and excellent recommendation from the staff. Highly recommend this place for good drinks and food. However there is not too much seating available. Thankfully it wasn’t too crowded when we tried this place out.

I’ve been coming to Vespa for almost 9 years, and I keep coming back. And it keeps getting better. Fabulous service and delicious homemade pasta. The food is consistent and very good, and the service is amazing.
In the warmer months, the back garden/​courtyard is one of my favorite in the neighborhood.

Good sangria! Great pesto and bread!
EXCELLENT BRUSSELS SPROUTS. No, seriously, go get them. If you’re not afraid of a little oil then you will be in luck. We were in awe.
I didn’t get to eat or drink anything else but I have to say that the staff here is so nice. I had to print out a bus ticket as I decided to take a later bus back to Delaware. I was panicking because I had to find a way to print it in advance. My Justin asked the staff for advice and they said I could send it to them, and they would print it out. I have never even thought to do this. I was so thankful! (Ended up missing that bus, but that’s another story…)
Plus, they have an excellent outdoor area. What else do you need? Thanks again, Vespa staff, for all your help.

Our dining experience here was tumultuous, mostly due to a gDine dilemma. Some girlfriends and I decided to try gDine, where you can pay online beforehand for a prix-​fixe meal at participating restaurants. You can even split the bill! Sounds easy enough, but when we actually went here to eat, the owner said they cut off their deal with gDine about 2 years ago. We were frustrated and annoyed because we already paid and refused to pay again because they forgot to properly take the deal offline. After about 15 minutes of bartering with the owner, we convinced him to give us as close as possible to the meal we paid for.
For appetizers, we shared the meatballs, polenta cakes, and the scallops. These were all good though nothing too outstanding. For the main, we had the lamb chops, which were pretty tasty — three nice big chops and some sauteed spinach and potatoes. The lamb had a nice smoky flavor and was well seasoned, though not very tender, and the potatoes were a bit flavorless — they looked like they had been just boiled and peeled.
Not a bad meal but definitely not the best. Word of the wise — don’t come here via gDine, because it’s just not going to work out.

We’ve been going here for the last 5 months. We eat out more than I care to admit, and I would say that Vespa is the best, consistently good restaurant in the neighborhood. I usually order at least one thing from the specials menu.
The staff here is so friendly, and are even nice when I go in and don’t feel well and just want a salad and a cup of soup (we’ve all been to places where the staff is angered if you don’t order an entrée, appetizer, dessert and a glass of wine).
I’m also always surprised by how moderate their prices are. Every time the two of us go in, I always expect — for the quality of food we receive — for the bill to be outrageous. That is not the case at all.
Also, in the summer they have a «farmer’s market» stand with fresh veggies and in the winter they sell Christmas trees. I can’t say enough good things about this place!

Great service and good food. We used a LivingSocial deal and had no issues.
The staff here is very friendly and take great care of their customers!