Vespaio

Review summary

1. OC

   OCfoodie

   Los Angeles

   20 reviews

   5.0

   20 reviews

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Service was excellent food was very good. We had a party of 6 and they were kind enough to seat use 1/2 hr early. Went there after attending the American Contemporary Ballet at the BOA Plaza. It was an easy safe walk from the Plaza.
   

   Is this helpful?

   Report
2. R

   Robert

   Los Angeles

   10 reviews

   2.0

   10 reviews

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 2

   I really wanted to like it. I had been once for lunch when it first opened and the food was great. We had tickets for a show at Diseny Hall so we chose it as it is a short walk from there. It was pretty much a disaster. Ambiance: we were sat on what I assume is the patio but it is enclosed and heated. The table & chair height were not matched so it made for awkward eating. There was a large screen TV on the patio playing a college basketball game on a Saturday night. And one over the bar with an MMA fight. Not the vibe you would expect for an Italian restaurant with $30 pastas and $25 appetizers, Service: It was apparent they were new so I give her some slack. After they rattled off the specials they asked if we were ready to order. As we had just sat we were not and asked to order drinks. They gave us a drink menu and said they would be back. 20 minutes later we had to ask another waiter to have them return. At that point we ordered our food and our apps and drinks as we had a show to get to and we already ate up about 30 mins of the 1 hour and 45 min we gave ourselves to eat and arrive at the show 15 min early. Food & drink: Spinach salad good. Minestrone pretty good. Cheese plate nice selection. We nibbled for 15 minutes and the plates were cleared. Then came the 30 minute wait for mains. Upon arrival we had 40 min till show time. The Wild Boar was not as great as I recalled but the fresh pasta excellent. The signature bolognese was undercut by the gluten free penne my daughter ordered. The Truffle pizza was a dry cold cheese pizza that tasted like they drizzled some truffle oil on it. After the fun of the first bite it was just ok. Calzone a pocket of air with deli ham inside. By mains end we were 20 mins from showtime with no time for dessert. My wife ordered a brownie to go and it was like the rest. Looked beautiful but was dry and lacked flavor. Maybe Vespaio's time has passed. Or maybe it is just a good lunch spot. $300 for a bummer meal.
   

   Is this helpful?

   Report
3. H

   Holly

   VIP

   San Diego

   3 reviews

   4.0

   3 reviews

   Dined 2 days ago

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   We were there for lunch and ordered the charred octopus, eggplant parmesan, and pork belly. Everything was absolutely delicious! The service was also attentive & fast. This will probably be our regular spot for lunch whenever we're in the area.
   

   Is this helpful?

   Report
4. M

   Margaret

   VIP

   San Antonio

   11 reviews

   5.0

   11 reviews

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Outstanding food and service. Terrific wine selection. Will go back.
   

   Is this helpful?

   Report
5. KB

   KrisB

   Los Angeles

   3 reviews

   5.0

   3 reviews

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Wonderful servers, delicious food, comfortable seating.
   

   Is this helpful?

   Report
6. L

   Leila

   VIP

   Los Angeles

   1 review

   1.0

   1 review

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 1

   Literally the WORST meal I have had in the past year! The service was atrocious! We received our food before our drinks and only 1 of the drinks came before we were finished with the meal. The server complained to us about his knees hurting and how busy they were. The food was mediocre with a huge price tag. I order the whole Branzino, which was actually 2 filets butterfly with the spine/bones in the center, but was not prepared as a whole fish should be. My side was a pathetic steamed spinach with no flavor. Thankfully, the fish was excessively salty which helped the blandness of the spinach. We will NEVER be back and do not recommend this restaurant. The only reason it is open and busy is because it is the second closest restaurant to the Music Center.
   

   Is this helpful?

   Report
7. F

   Fritz

   Los Angeles

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   We were seated in the outdoor courtyard near the olive trees, which had a wonderful ambiance. Even though the restaurant was full and had a catered event going on in the patio, the service was quick, the waiters were very helpful, and everyone in our party of six enjoyed their meals.
   

   Is this helpful?

   Report
8. G

   Gary

   Los Angeles

   4 reviews

   2.0

   4 reviews

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 4

   Convenient location to the Disney Concert Hall. Our greeting at the Reception Stand was polite and professional. We had a reservation which was quickly recognized and honored. We were escorted to an area that provided options for seating outside, we picked our table. There was a large gathering in the front part of the restaurant, hence the noise level was high. However, due to the holiday spirit, people were enjoying themselves and we didn't mind. It took a little while to have a waiter start the ordering process and it was downhill for service from that point. We had tickets for an 8:00 PM show at the Disney Concert Hall and we ended up getting a little pushed for time after having made 6:00 PM reservations for dinner. Our initial drink order took 20 minutes to be taken and 25 minutes to receive. We had a bottle of sparkling water but that was depleted with no offer to refill. We only had time to enjoy one cocktail. We arrived at 6:00 PM, it took an hour to get our food. during our wait, several different waiters came to our table asking did we order a variety of dishes. This happened three times. My date had to flag down the Manager so we could get our drink order. It is now 6:55 PM and still no food. Finally, the Eggplant Parmigiana appetizer arrived. It is now 7:00 PM and I was beginning to feel pushed for time. Our entrees finally arrived at 7:10 PM. So much for a leisurely dinner with a couple of cocktails before a show. No time for dessert. The restaurant staff were extremely disorganized, communication on what tables order what meal was not the best. Service takes a negative hit, but the food was good.
   

   Is this helpful?

   Report
9. I

   Ian

   Los Angeles

   4 reviews

   5.0

   4 reviews

   Dined 5 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   We went to Vespaio before an event at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. We planned an early dinner, knowing how busy the restaurant gets. We sat outside and had heat lamps to warm us. Because we were eating a bit early, we had exceptional attention. The food, as always, was fantastic. As we finished our meal, the restaurant became packed with diners. Lesson: For exceptional service, dine a little bit early or a little bit late, 6 to 8 pm is very crowded.
   

   Is this helpful?

   Report
10. V

    Veronika

    New York City

    26 reviews

    1.0

    26 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 3

    Have been coming here for many years. Today was our last. After waiting for 30 min for our reservation, the hostess let a couple who just walked in to be seated ahead of us. Even though we had a reservation and waited patiently. To add to the story, it took another 20 min to get someone’s attention to take our order. The food arrived and it was bland: not as good as before. My daughter’s pasta was so bad she didn’t finish it. The dinner experience was horrible and We were late to our evening show. Do not recommend.
    

    Is this helpful?

    Report