I have read some of the other reviews and all I can wonder is who is paying these people to write them? The food here was mediocre. The ambience is cheesy and some of it looks as if it was stolen... More

I have read some of the other reviews and all I can wonder is who is paying these people to write them? The food here was mediocre. The ambience is cheesy and some of it looks as if it was stolen from a corporate chain restaurant. Like an Italian Chillis maybe? The music is not appropriate for dining unless you're drugged out. Our waiter was good but didn't seem to know much about the extensive and impressive wine list.
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Everything is terrific about this place. If you're looking for somewhere new to try this should not be missed. Pros: Romantic, Great Food, Great Service, Great Atmosphere

Everything is terrific about this place. If you're looking for somewhere new to try this should not be missed. Pros: Romantic, Great Food, Great Service, Great Atmosphere
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Great little space for a date. The pastas were right on and unique(hard thing to find these days) and the staff was accomodating enough to split a few things for us so we could try more than we... More

Great little space for a date. The pastas were right on and unique(hard thing to find these days) and the staff was accomodating enough to split a few things for us so we could try more than we anticipated. We opted to not stay for dessert once the waiter told us about their new space one block down(Vespa Bar?). The manager was great about calling and getting us a table on a busy Saturday night. A quick bite turned into a long pleasant evening. Pros: Staff, Pasta, Vespa Bar Cons: No Garden in Winter :-(
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What a mess. I went to dinner with a friend who lives in the neighborhood. Our waiter was nice but seemed bored. We waited more than 20 minutes for appetizers but we didn't mind much because we had... More

What a mess. I went to dinner with a friend who lives in the neighborhood. Our waiter was nice but seemed bored. We waited more than 20 minutes for appetizers but we didn't mind much because we had a great table by the window and were chatting. I sent back my fish and I guess that caused alot of problems for this less than busy place. The waiter told me it would be another 20 minutes for my meal so i just grinned and said ok. When it took 30 minutes i asked for a manager. Thats when the fun really began. I was expecting someone to ease my mind and make sure our dinner was taken care of. Wrong. I won't waste too much time here. The manager basically insulted us, gave us attitude even tried some sort of strange flirtation and then tried to kiss our behinds on the way out. He was rude and immature. I think he was french or canadian. No service person should behave that way. I would never waste my money here again. Pros: the waitstaff was nice and friendly Cons: the food, long wait for dinner, the manager with too much attitude
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I have heard mixed reviews on Vespa and figured I would give it a try...every place is worth a shot. I dined at Vespa last night with some friends. I have nothing good to say about this restaurant.... More

I have heard mixed reviews on Vespa and figured I would give it a try...every place is worth a shot. I dined at Vespa last night with some friends. I have nothing good to say about this restaurant. We had to wait a 1/2 hour to be seated. I ordered Pennette (pasta, eggplant, mozzarella, and sauce). They screwed my meal up 5 times. By the time they got it right I found the sauce to be extremely spicy and it tasted as if it had come out of a can. My friend ordered tuna and asked for it to be rare. It came out well done. The staff was extremely rude and I found our waiter's sarcastic personality to be nothing but obnoxious. The atmosphere is definitely ?slightly off? and the tables are on top of one another. The walls are covered with weird collages that one could make. The funny part is the restaurant is selling these so called works of art for $250 a pop. With all of the wonderful restaurants to dine at in NYC don?t bother going to Vespa?I can guarantee you will not be satisfied. Cons: Food, Rude Staff
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i had dinner at vespa last friday, it was early around 7:00 pm and there was already the line at the door.... i didnt have reservation but very soon i got my beautiful table in the private garden... More

i had dinner at vespa last friday, it was early around 7:00 pm and there was already the line at the door.... i didnt have reservation but very soon i got my beautiful table in the private garden with my girlfriend! the atmosfere was very elegant and professional since when i walked inside the door until the end of my lovely dinner. the food was very good and fresh, expecially my wonderful tuna, our waiter was very funny and accomodate. we had a really great time, the garden was full and the music very sexy.....Sexy like the beautiful guy that was working there......probably the manager???? we were both very impress.....yummy!!!!!!!! anyway, great food, great place, amazing garden. we will be back!!!!!!!!!
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Although the wine selection, decor, and attention from the staff are excellent, I would not recommend this place since they stuck a "coperto" charge on the bill with only some little writing on the... More

Although the wine selection, decor, and attention from the staff are excellent, I would not recommend this place since they stuck a "coperto" charge on the bill with only some little writing on the menu that there is a "coperto" meaning "cover charge". Italians don't tip as well as Americans - the owners of this place need to realize where they are located and not act so stupid. I will never go here again since they stuck a bogus charge on my bill and then pretended that I wasn't hip enough to know what a "coperto" was and they told be that that's what they do in Italy. Go back to Italy and get your low tips, I tip at least 20% even when the service is not very good, but when someone tries to sneak extra charges on my bill (especially given that this is a wine bar and I had been drinking), I say shame on you - stay away from this pretentious stupid little cheating water hole. Pros: Service staff very nice Cons: They cheat you with a bogus "cover charge" or "coperto" that shows up on your bill
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Lets keep this simple and to the point. We were a party of 8 and we all ordered food and drink. The food reminded us all of the Olive Garden in terms of its quality. The service was poor in... More

Lets keep this simple and to the point. We were a party of 8 and we all ordered food and drink. The food reminded us all of the Olive Garden in terms of its quality. The service was poor in comparison to restaurants in that area. To top the night off , the main reason for this post: WE WERE ASKED TO HURRY BECAUSE OF OTHER RESERVATIONS. We should have just gone to the Olive Garden.
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Vespa lived up to its name on Monday night and everyone in our party felt the sting. Our reservation for six people proved to be too much for what was otherwise a virtually empty restaurant.... More

Vespa lived up to its name on Monday night and everyone in our party felt the sting. Our reservation for six people proved to be too much for what was otherwise a virtually empty restaurant. After waiting twenty minutes to be seated, we were then pressured to order quickly. As the evening progressed the service became increasingly hostile. This was brought to a head, when a member of our party sent back a plate of fish. Then the fireworks really began. There were loud exchanges coming from the impromptu staff meeting, in full view and earshot of the entire restaurant. The playbill for the evening?s performance read "The Soapy Tasting Fish at Table 2?, and was being acted out in full Shakespearean style by all of the ?Vespa Players?. Memorable lines include "She's a liar", and "We all tasted it...it's fine". Act 2: House lights come up, AC is turned off ? we are still eating dinner. As the plates were taken from the table we were subjected to one final insult from our waiter: ?There is a lot of food left on your plate Miss , are you sure your done?.....There is still a big chunk left ?.Just checking?. This is the type of delectable conversation I would expect in the canteen of an offshore oil rig, and needless to say we will not be returning. On the whole, the food was above average. We enjoyed some delicious White Rioja and the fresh home made pasta was extraordinary, it?s just too bad I left feeling embarrassed for subjecting my guests to such treatment. Tactile and tactless service bounds in abundance at Vespa. Pros: Wine list Cons: service
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Had dinner here about a month ago and had a good time. So I brought another friend there for dinner and drinks. The food wasn't as good this time around and the manager on duty was rude and... More

Had dinner here about a month ago and had a good time. So I brought another friend there for dinner and drinks. The food wasn't as good this time around and the manager on duty was rude and condescending to my friend. He insulted her opinion of her dinner and didn't even discount the dish from our bill. Tacky. Will NEVER go back here again. Pros: ambience, music Cons: rude and tacky, boring food.
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