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Vai Spuntino Bar - CLOSED
Categories: Restaurants Italian Food Beer, Wine & Spirits Restaurants Tapas/Small Plates Italian, Beer, Wine & Spirits, Tapas/Small Plates [Edit]
105 Thompson St(between Spring St & Prince St)
Manhattan, NY 10012
Neighbourhood: South Village
(212) 226-1146
- Nearest Transit:
-
Spring St (A, C, E)
Houston St (1, 2)
Prince St (N, R)
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Romantic, Intimate
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
Jane K. said: "Like entering a wine cellar in the South of France, Burgundy Wine Company is serious about their grapes. Designed to show off the collections and vineyards, I found the layout and display impressively simple. The fact that almost every…" read more »
40 reviews for Vai Spuntino Bar
Review Highlights
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"i believe that the beef short ribs are next." In 10 reviews -
"we had the 5 course tasting menu with wine pairings." In 3 reviews -
"...the third course, it was Burrata Ravioli in a White Truffle..." In 3 reviews
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40 reviews in English
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Review from Melanie D.
ASTORIA, NY
2/18/2012
Yes, yes, and yes. This is a restaurant I will go back to again and again. And that is saying a lot for a tapas joint...which I normally loathe by the way. My husband had been raving about this place for months after spending a work outing there. We enjoyed a cozy evening meal there just before Christmas, and are planning a return next week. Everything is just right at this place. Overall we spent about $200 on dinner for two, but let's face it...in Manhattan you could easily spend that at many restaurants and there would be something annoying about the menu or the service or the atmosphere. Our experience at Vai Sputino was flawless.
The rustic, yet simple decor make you feel like you have wandered into a quaint, modern farmhouse dining room. You are soon greeted with what tasted like homemade bread with various dipping options. I cannot even recall exactly what we had to eat in what order...salmon with a parsnip puree? ravioli with truffle oil? pizza with wild mushrooms? It honestly didn't matter what we ordered because everything was exceptional and perfect. And although I don't typically like to tell people what to do, I will say you must (MUST) order the homemade donuts with dipping sauce. Yes, that's right, the donuts have a dipping sauce that taste like a gourmet version of krispy kreme.
Anyway, I cannot say enough good things about this place. As a diner who cooks at home frequently, my major complaint about restaurants is usually along the lines of "I could do this at home and I think I could do it better." Absolutely not the case at Vai Sputino. They are the experts here, and I will gladly allow them to be.
Oh, and make a reservation as they can only seat about 25 people at a time ;). -
Review from Shar K.
Brooklyn, NY
2/29/2012
Tiny little place... and there were 13 of us. Pretty much took over the place and ordered everything on the menu. Made for a great intimate party.
Food was good... everything comes in tiny sizes. The wine list could be better, most seemed a bit on the expensive side for what they were. The steaks were badly overcooked.
The service was outstanding.
Would highly recommend for a date. -
Review from Paul C.
New York, NY
1/22/2012
Groupon 5-course tasting menu was short of spectacular. It was basically the same as others have commented on but we were served filet mignon instead of short ribs, who's complaining?. The 2 waitresses/hostesses/busgirls were very friendly and accommodating.
They only have about 8 tables so I would expect it to be a good wait when its busy. -
Review from Pablo P.
Manhattan, NY
12/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
Forget about tapas, they are supposed to be amazing AND cheap. You won't find that in the Big Apple. But you will find the best Italian APERITIVO. It's here.
1) Delicious food and wine
2) Great size for sharing
3) Amazing service.
4) Affordable
I highly recommend the tasting menu for a group.
We were a party of 5 but 3 of us had yet to show up but the waiter let us seat and even brought us some complimentary snacks. That would sound normal anywhere else but in this city. -
Review from Christopher W.
Manhattan, NY
10/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
Cozy, friendly, intimate, romantic, delicious...
I went to Vai for dinner with a party of five. The first thing I noticed and was pleasantly surprised by was that they seated us before the entire party had arrived. How many times do you go to a restaurant in New York CIty and have to stand by the door for 15-20 minutes awaiting tardy members from your table to show up? Well, not here.
Upon sitting down, we were immediately served complementary warm bread with roasted garlic, pureed eggplant and a cranberry bean salad. All proved to be delectable trifles. Pablo P and I ordered the truffle pizzetta, crispy artichoke dish and the burrata ravioli. The ravioli was definitely the highlight of the meal, but the other two dishes were far from disappointing. The one complaint I have is that there was something slightly off about the texture of the pizza crust.
I would highly recommend Vai for a date night or for sharing plates with a few friends. -
Review from Steve S.
Staten Island, NY
10/23/2011
We bought a 3 course lobster feast with a glass of champagne deal from Urban Daddy.
Reading the reviews here I was looking forward to dinner at Vai and I have to say they did not disappoint!
Started us off with a glass of rose cava each and then the bread consisted of warm toasted bread, hummus, garlic confit and some kind of beans.
First course was lobster claw over tuna tartar and avocado - good but I thought ginger/ sake sauce was a little overpowering.
Second course the lobster risotto - absolutely amazing. Definitely one of the best ones I have ever had and each bite was full of lobster.
Third course was the surf and turf - lobster and the braised short ribs on top of creamy potatoes.
Also great yas the lobster was cooked buttery and juicy . The braised short ribs were...WOW perfectly cooked and with each bite it seemed to melt in your mouth.
**Supplemental, we also decided to try the ravioli - rich creamy sauce with truffle oil in it. These were delicious too and the truffle oil was perfect were you can taste it but it doesn't over power the dish**
Will we go back? HELL YES! -
Review from John-Paul P.
Madison, NJ
11/6/2011 9 photos
My girlfriend found a Groupon for this place which cost $59 and included the following -
* Tuna duo (a $12 value)
* Asparagus salads with egg (an $11 value)
* Truffle ravioli (a $14 value)
* Beef short ribs (a $15 value)
* Dessert (a $9 value)
All in all, this adds up to $61 for what was listed and $122 for two, so for $59, this seemed like a great deal. And the food was AMAZING! I'll describe below.
The tuna duo was tuna tartare. It was served very shortly after we were seated. Yum, yum, yum. After this, bread arrived. As a reviewer below notes, it was warm toasted bread with hummus, garlic confit and some kind of beans.
The second course was an asparagus salad, with bacon, arugula, a fried egg and I forget what else. It was very good, altho the salad course was served as a shared course, thus not making this a true 5 course menu. At least if they put two portions of salad in one dish, but they did not.
Moving on to the third course, it was Burrata Ravioli in a White Truffle Cream Sauce. Again, these were delicious and the cream sauce wasn't heavy or overpowering. The fourth course was braised short ribs with fingerling potatoes. Yum yum yum, the ribs were very tender and flavorful and the potatoes weren't the heavy variety that you can feel clogging your arteries.
Dessert was again, a shared course, which wasn't as big of an issue this time, since dessert was house made beignets with dipping sauces. They were decent, altho fried and a bit greasy, but warm off the stove, which always adds a extra delicious quality to them. There's no way either of us could've individually finished what was served.
So, if the food was so perfect, why only three stars? Well, a few reasons. I ordered a glass of sangria, which again, was quite good and cost $10. However, for that price, I'd at least hope for a bigger glass, less ice in the glass, or both. Then, when the bill came, I was surprised to see that I owed $30 on top of what was paid for the Groupon. Ok, the sangria and then the tax on the meal... and then they casually mention that 18% tip has already been added in. Really, 18%? Are they also paying the cooks off the tip wages? There were two people in the kitchen and then two people working the floor. It's a small place too, so it's not as if the servers are running around like chickens with no heads. You can basically trip and fall and have gone from one end of the restaurant to the other.
I was planning on tipping off the full value of the meal had we not had our Groupon ($122), but it just bothered me that they added in 18% automatically, for a party of two nonetheless.
Another thing that bothered me was this - when I called to make the reservation, they said they opened at 5:30, so I booked that, since we had other plans for later. However, I called the restaurant the day of, asking if we could move our reservation from 5:30 to 6. They explained that they were fully booked, so I kept the 5:30 reservation. Upon walking in around 5:20 or so, there were already two people sitting and on their second or third course. And for being fully booked and not being able to move our reservation up to 6pm, by the time we left, around 6:30 or 6:45, there was only one other table being used. What the heck?
They did mention that the portions served here are tapas portions and the Groupon portions are a tad smaller than what's normally served. I notice one other Groupon person mentioned that they were served one plate per course. I'm not sure what happened there for all your courses, but our salad course was, for some reason, shared.
The food here is amazingly delicious. Just watch out for the 18% tip gag and remember that tapas portions are small, so you have to order a lot to be full. Had we not had the Groupon, I'm not sure paying the full price of $122 for five courses for two would be worth it. I'm not saying it should regularly go for $59, but somewhere in between would be better.
Without some of the snafus, I'd definitely give this place four stars. Maybe five. -
Review from Evan H.
8/9/2011
I've now been to Vai three times and the food here is just perfection. It's a tiny place, as compared to the more traditional restaurant located on the upper west side (though now its closed re opening a few blocks away).
The restaurant is small, maybe 22 seats, but don't let that fool you. The food here is absolutely some of the best Italian food you can get in New York City, no doubt about it. The plates are small and for sharing like any tapas place, so get about 2-3 per person.
The staff here are also great. We've had the same waitress every time and she is very attentive and knows everything about every dish.
From the delicious little bread plate with garlic confit, eggplant spread and cranberry beans, to the trufffle oil and mushroom flatbread pizza. NOTHING here lacks flavor or creativity. Having been a few times, the most recent with friends, I've gotten a chance to try most of the summer menu. The highlights (though its really everything on the menu):
-Baratta ravioli - so rich and creamy, its amazing
-The short ribs/beef duo - depending on the time, its one of the other. The duo features short ribs with creamy potatoes underneath paired with a small filet cooked to a beautiful medium rare.
-The rock shrimp - how can i ever go back to regular shrimp ever again?!
-Himachi tartare - sweet, vibrant and fresh
-lobster risotto with truffle oil - holy yum batman
Those are just to name a few. They also have a great deal where you get 5 dishes for $39 and there is also a 5 course pasta tasting menu for about the same price.
I seriously can not say enough about this place and can guarantee that I will be back sooner rather than later for a fourth visit. -
Review from Jessica H.
New York, NY
11/23/2011 1 photo
Honestly, the food was great !!! To my mind, the tar tar(tuna duo) was the best tar tar I've tried in my whole life. Artichoke and Asparagus salads were yummy!!!!
The atmosphere is very intimate, what i actually like about this place.
But I think it is over-over -over priced and portions are too little.
I was upset about...they do not have RESTROOM...you have to use bathroom in the building(((( -
Review from Samantha P.
New York, NY
12/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
Vai Spuntino is the perfect place for a date because it's teeny tiny space oozes that cozy romantic feel the second you are seated at your small candle lit table. Spuntino gets away with making a studio-sized railroad apartment into a restaurant because the dining tables are bar tables (as in much taller than your typical dining table) set along a tall booth that runs along one wall. The bathroom is located outside of the restaurant, down the hallway of the adjacent apartment building. Basically don't go here with a huge party of people. I'm fairly certain the restaurant's capacity is 20. You can see the kitchen from all tables in the dining room. But despite the cramped quarters, somehow all of these spatial restrictions melt away when you sit in the dimly lit room, and are greeted by the staff who, when you arrive, are carrying a carefully prepared hot bread stick, with two dipping options. The bread is presently just as proudly as any other course, and you can tell that this place uses their intimate surroundings to their advantage. The spatial restrictions demands that everyone (2 waiters and 2 cooks) play an intimate role in the preparation and presentation of the food. Which was delicious!
My girlfriend and I came for a special Lobster tasting menu, which was served with one glass of champagne. To start we had tuna tartar with avocado and lobster. The second course, a lobster risotto. The main was a duo of steamed lobster and braised short rib. To finish, a semifreddo (in Italian "half-cold" which is equal parts ice cream and whipped cream). I could NOT have been happier. Everything was the best I could have asked for, and it just made this small gem that much more appealing. If you're looking for a tiny place to call your own, I would look no further. Really top notch. -
Review from Anna K.
ASTORIA, NY
1/17/2012
My boyfriend and I got a Groupon deal for a 3-course tasting menu for 2. We initially attempted to make reservations back in December, however we ended up having an argument with the restaurant's employee (RE). It went something like this:
My boyfriend: Hi, we would like to make reservations for Saturday, the 17th.
RE: That would be December 18th.
BF: Um... No, Saturday is Dec 17th.
RE: I have Dec 18th in my books.
BF: I'm looking at the calendar, Saturday is on the 17th.
RE: No...
At this point we hung up.
Seriously?
Anyway, I still wanted to use my Groupon before the deal expired, so I called again last Friday. The woman who answered the phone said that she has to look at her books because she doesn't want to double book. She called me back an hour later and I finally made reservations. Phew.
We were seated promptly. The restaurant is small, with about a dozen or so tiny tables, standing very close to each other. I wouldn't recommend this place for groups larger than 3 (maybe 4, if you're all size 0).
We started with a complimentary appetizer, which included a small sliced white bread bun, a tablespoon of red beans, a teaspoon of eggplant spread and 3 garlic cloves. Surprisingly, the beans had a good bite to them and tasted sweet and sour; I think the waitress said they were mixed with cranberries. The eggplant spread was basically good quality baba ghanoush. The garlic cloves (yes, we actually ate them) were very soft, almost mushy, sweet and not very garlicky. I'm not quite sure what they did with garlic, but it was interesting.
The tuna tartar dish consisted of a layer of diced avocado with lemon juice and a layer of diced tuna. There was also a slice of some other kind of fish (or was it tuna again?) on top. It was very mild, almost bland. I think I actually liked the avocado part more than tuna.
Next came the ravioli, 2 per person, in a rich creamy sauce mixed with grated parmesan and a few slices of truffles. I'm not a huge fan of ravioli or any type of pasta for that matter and these babies didn't make me change my mind but the sauce was excellent, very fragrant and smooth. Side note: if you're concerned about fat content in your milk, you shouldn't order this.
The ribs were actually replaced with filet mignon over mashed potatoes with port reduction sauce. My boyfriend complained that the filet mignon was a bit too rare for him but I thought it was just fine. It wasn't bleeding or anything, just pink all the way through. The mashed potatoes had small chunks of potatoes in it but tasted great and went well with the sauce.
For desert we had 3 sugary donut balls with vanilla sauce on the side and a bowl of amaretto-flavored custard with almonds. Both were pretty good.
Someone already mentioned that the restroom is actually down the hallway outside the restaurant. I don't mind the restroom's location but it could've been much cleaner and nicer. Ladies, I wouldn't bring my bag to the restroom, there's no hook for it and no counterspace, and the floor looks questionable.
Overall, this is a cute little restaurant for a date or a night-out with a close friend, when you mostly just want to chat and nimble on something small rather than have a feast. The food is good but not mind-blowing and, in my opinion, it's overpriced given the portion size. Without the Groupon, we would've spent around $150 (with tip and 2 drinks) and in this price range I want everything to impress me, including the reservation process and restroom. We may come back again for a quick bite. -
Review from Sarah C.
4/28/2011
I moved into this building two years ago when what is now Vai housed a palm reader (read: money launderer). Then it became a sandwich shop that paled beside the lamb sandwiches of Snack. Now, just 2 seconds before I move east, my building gets Vai. Damn it, SoHo.
Everything was delicious, from the ravioli to the watermelon tomato salad and the egg dish and white chocolate donuts. It's teeny, very pretty inside, and we really enjoyed it. -
Review from Jimmy H.
San Francisco, CA
7/28/2011
I love the decor; very warm and modern, in a small, cozy space.
The service was very friendly as well.
I tried the pasta tasting menu and was blown away by all the interesting pasta dishes, like rabbit stew and marscapone. Even the bread+dipping sauces and sea salt were delicious. Five dishes total. Not bad for $29. Next time I'll try to share with someone. The portions are not large but larger than I expected given the price. -
Review from Alessandra V.
Somerville, MA
5/3/2011
What an undiscovered gem! It gives me such great place to find these hidden secrets in NYC, because you know they will never last long. (especially if i post about them on yelp!). Vai just opened a soho branch, and is much cuter than its uws counterpart. They are doing a multiple course tasting menu for only 40 dollars! How much better can you get!! Wine pairings bring the price up to 60 dollars, which is still a steal for nyc. We had great food, yellowtail ceviche, scallops, sea bass, salmon, short ribs, and a bunch of other stuff I can't remember.
Service is also great!
I definitely recommend! -
Review from Suzie C.
New York, NY
5/1/2011
This place reminds me of a clown car with way too many clowns inside.
I came with a friend to grab a quick bite and a glass of wine before heading out for the night. The conversation was deafening when I walked back to the "kitchen" to ask for a table.
There was a two top open and set and if we'd just sat down rather than waiting politely we'd likely have been served eventually. Instead the overwhelmed waitress needed a minute so we walked to the entrance to wait so that she could move between tables. She ended up totally forgetting that we were standing in the doorway.
In such a small space, it seems like they're trying to do too much. I like cozy spaces, which are a staple in SoHo, but only if they operate like a well oiled machine. There are just too many other options on the same block and around the corner. -
Review from yanwen j.
Brooklyn, NY
4/29/2011
Heard about this place from TT NY and decided to give it a try, as I was going to go see a play on Walker street right afterward. My girlfriend and two friends had beat to the punch but it was only about six thirty when I got there. We got a table right away and trust me, there were already tourists crawling in Soho, so you can tell its a new place.
The food, every delicious bite, was incredible and completely reasonably priced. On Monday nights, they have a $39 prix fixe that is da bomb. They ONLY serve wine and beer, but they have a nice sangria as well if you are in the mood for something fruitier. The place is quite small, so you can tell that when people start hearing about this place more, its going to get packed fast.
Go before it does. I highly recommend it. -
Review from Michelle D.
Brooklyn, NY
11/13/2011
I had the difficult job of selecting a restaurant for some serious foodie friends. I chose well, Via Spuntino received rave reviews from everyone.
We enjoyed the four course meal with wine pairing. Everything was delicious. Standouts included the tuna duo and the ravioli with burratta. I really wanted a spoon with the ravioli to eat every bite of that delicious cheese sauce. I nearly licked the plate.
Only thing that's a bit awkward is that the bathroom is shared with a restaurant next door so you have to step into an apartment hallway.
I look forward to returning. -
Review from Iris B.
11/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
every single dish was mouth-wateringly good! the plates are small but perfectly proportioned. i had the tuna duo (yellowtail and white tuna with avocado) and the crispy artichoke salad..both were unbelievably yummy! i also taste-tested the roasted scallops with turnip puree and a ravioli with a cheese sauce & truffle oil (sorry i forgot the type of cheese) and it was so so good i had to get bread and eat every ounce of that sauce on the plate.
the atmosphere is very cozy, intimate, nice mood lighting, and ambient music playing (they played several Bob Marley songs)...
I have to agree with another reviewer who recommended Vai for a date night or for sharing plates with a few friends. -
Review from lysa p.
11/8/2011 3 Check-ins Here
What a cute, cozy, undiscovered gem! I really enjoyed our multiple course tasting menu for our group. We had great food, yellowtail ceviche, scallops, sea bass, salmon, short ribs, and a bunch great items. We all left ready to come back.
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Review from Brett F.
Palm City, FL
12/24/2011
This restaurant has delicious tapas, from the start to the finish. We had the salads, then the lobster risotto, which is big enough for a full meal and was perfectly cooked, and the shrimp and chorizo, also delicious. The scallops came with just two large scallops, also perfectly cooked, but by the time we all shared we had had plenty of food. The desserts were also amazing and the waitress could not have been any more welcoming or warm. The prices were good for NY...it is a small place so make a reservation, but it is romantic and charming and you will love it! We had a lovely Malbec, and the house white wine, also very good.
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Review from Arian A.
New York, NY
4/9/2011
The addition of Vai to this part of town is fantastic. It's tucked away in the more residential, less hectic portion of SoHo -away from the busy shoppers on Broadway.
It's an extremely small space and they have really maximized the way they make use of it. It's definitely more upscale and the tapas are pricey like all tapas places in NYC..
Here is the scoop on what I ate: they give you complimentary bread with roasted garlic, an eggplant puree, and cod (very random but surprisingly tasty). The tuna tartar was delicious and beautifully presented. We also ordered the clams with chorizo (another interesting choice to add chorizo but it really made the dish). The broth was sooo great and they bring you bread to soak it up. The parpadelle pasta with the soft boiled eggs was wonderful as well. I usually have a hard time justifying the cost of tapas but I felt better about it since these were so expertly prepared. They clearly put a lot of thought into the complexity of flavors and ingredients.
For being a wine bar I honestly expected them to have a larger wine list. They have a small selection of about twelve wines. The sampling of wine I shared with my friend were all fantastic. So perhaps they are going for quality over quantity. A flight of wine (sampling of 3 wines) is 19 dollars. It's nice for your first time there but next time I'll just order a glass because they are very generous with their pours.
It's the type of place you go on a date, with a friend to catch up, and always in an even number. Seating is really limited and you definitely don't stand inside and wait because there just isn't room. I sat in the window and it was very delightful even though you are sitting so close to the table next to you. I felt mildly cramped with the small tables and 6 glasses on the table when you arrive.
The decor is beautiful with candles hanging from the ceiling in glass globes. It truly is a beautiful space with a great atmosphere. I would suggest a music update because the background music felt a little dated and cheesy. I see what they are going for though.
The service was prompt and well delivered but we were interrupted so many times because they constantly wanted to know how everything was. It wasn't a big deal and I would prefer that over non-existent service. The waitress was informative and I credit her with our excellent food selections.
Be prepared to use a key to use the bathroom in the tiny bathroom in the hallway of the building next door. That was kind of strange, but there is really no space at all for a bathroom!
Overall I would definitely recommend Vai - especially for people who live in the area who have been waiting for a place like it. -
Review from brad b.
Manhattan, NY
4/22/2011
If you're not cool about waiting a bit even with complimentary wine and with a reservation then book early in the evening. Place is small holds maybe 24 people 12 tables. Vince the owner knows is a pro. How he runs this tiny place without a mutiny or murder is beyond me. Food is awesome
we had the 5 course tasting menu with wine pairings. Pasta fantastic,tuna sashimi with yellow tail and avocado great as were the short ribs. The halibut was ok not great a little bland. I prefer fish with a slight citrus pure not olive. Desserts great. This place will always be packed no getting around that so definitely check this joint out but plan accordingly. -
Review from Sydney K.
9/23/2011
I didn't have high expectations for this little place, but it was close to our final destination, so we figured we'd go here for a friend's birthday dinner and hope that it was as good as it sounded. It really defied all expectations and blew me away! We were seated quickly and our waiter, who knew we were celebrating a birthday, discreetly asked if we would like a dessert brought out to surprise the birthday girl at the end of our dinner - does it get more thoughtful than that? We all split a few plates; the salmon, the yellowtail, the rock shrimp, and the mushroom pizza stood out to me as being stars of the show, but everything was honestly really delicious and reasonably priced. This tiny spot is now one of my favorites, and I'll definitely be returning soon.
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Review from Justin M.
James City, VA
10/24/2011
We did a tasting menu through Groupon. They lost our reservation for 5:30 but were able to seat us, as long as we were done by 7. So the initial welcome was kind of rough.
The food was excellent, however. My wife doesn't like tuna so she got arctic char instead and it was amazing (even better than the tuna and at a lower price). The ravioli was wonderful and the short rib was a little salty, which I liked. Even after a rough start, we had a very nice time. We will probably try the uptown restaurant as it has larger plates but I would happily return here as well. -
Review from Lindsey T.
Brooklyn, NY
8/22/2011
I was fashionably late to my own birthday dinner - and Vai Sputino was kind enough to seat my friends and get them drinks to calm their frustrations with my perpetual tardiness. We shared 6 different tapas, and every dish was finger licking good. The Octopus, Potatoes, Truffle Pizza, Shrimp and Pasta were all amazing - a major food orgy occurred in my mouth. Sorry... TMI. The waiter even brought me out surprise beingets with a candle on top :-)
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Review from Eddie P.
Brooklyn, NY
11/13/2011
We showed up for a 9 p.m. reservation only to be told that the reservation was for 9:30 p.m. Um, no, OpenTable was not lying when it told me 9, people. It didn't matter because we weren't seated until 10 anyway (but we did get glasses of pink cava late in the game to ease the pain). The food ended up being above average but it was served by a frustratingly delayed reaction waitress who appeared to be in a permanent state of confusion and surprise -- think a birthday girl on vast amounts of Prozac and Xanax.To be fair, by the time we sat down we were grumpy. Won't be back.
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Review from Lindsey J.
Brooklyn, NY
9/4/2011
This place was actually really, really, really good. It was great because I went with Lindsey T for her birthday partay and we enjoyed many different plates together. We probably tried about 7 plates total and they were all awesome!
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Review from Mike A.
Manhattan, NY
10/15/2011
Lobster claw over tuna tartar and avocado - seasoned perfectly
Lobster risotto - shared was great
Short ribs had a great potato below it
Donuts were overcooked and had hard texture
Very affordable - with 22 seats, thsi is like Torrisi before NY Mag reviewed it. Try it out before word leaks out. -
Review from William M.
7/15/2011
The chefs dinner was fantastic, just the right sized portions, very competent cooking, convivial atmosphere
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Review from Pamela s.
12/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
came here with my bff for a thursday night dinner with the deal i purchased off of groupon. we decided to get the five course meal and boy did we love it!!!
we started off with a red wine from portugal, the name of which has slipped my mind, but we picked one hell of a wine. it was the perfect touch to our meal, not overpowering and not sweet.
we started off with the tuna tartare, which was very light. the acid was a nice and refreshing touch and we were looking forward to the courses to proceed. next was the asparagus salad with a poached egg. i forget what kind of cheese was used on the salad but twas delish. for the truffle ravioli, i do wish they gave us more than two each, but let me tell you the two were the prefect amount. each bite of the ooey gooey cheese, perfectly al dente ravioli, and savory truffle sauce took me back to my days in firenze, italia. man do i miss those days! people say that high school were/are the best days of your life. err, my best days of my life were while studying abroad in firenze and traveling all around italia with new friends. okay, back to the five course meal. i believe that the beef short ribs are next. these short ribs didn't have much sauce, which wasn't needed because you get all the flavor you need in that meat, which fell right off the bone. literally fork tender and juicy with every bite. last but certainly not least, the dessert. four fried donut holes with powdered sugar dusted on top. a great finish to an almost perfect meal. now what would have made it perfect you ask?! if the whole thing was free, duh!!! but i would have gladly paid full price for this meal, regardless of the groupon, i would suggest this spot to anyone and everyone. the service is great and they didn't treat us differently just because we had the groupon. then again, as a former server, i will say that when you go to a restaurant and have some sort of coupon, you still tip off of the original price!!! some people just don't understand that and i don't get why?! -
Review from Stephanie B.
Plymouth, MA
8/16/2011
Stopped in alone on a business trip, service was great, food was interesting, and you didn't feel pushed to order more than you wanted. I had tuna two ways (ahi, hamachi and avocado with sake vinaigrette), octopus with potatoes and jalapeno (excellent), and tomato, watermelon and goat cheese--my dessert. All were very well prepared.
Only small complaint is the limited wine list, but they do let you try the wines by the glass before you buy--and, given the space, it is no wonder that they don't have a larger selection.
I wasn't hungry enough, but they had a 5 course lobster dinner for $39 or $59 with 3 glasses of wine, seemed like a great option too. -
Review from Nathalie G.
New York, NY
6/24/2011
I love Vai - and it has been a long love affair, since it's predecessor in the UWS.
This new space is quite small, but somehow Vincent, the chef and owner makes it work. The food is simply delicious. I ordered 80% of the menu and enjoyed every dish. The scallops, the salad and the braised short rib where simply perfect. Everything else was similarly fantastic, the food was fresh and the dishes creative but not over the top. The wine list is carefully curated, the background music plays at just the right volume, the wait staff moves seamlessly, the air conditioner is always blasting, and being able to watch Vincent as he cooks is a treat. I suggest making a reservation in advance - and enjoy the experience! -
Review from Steven G.
Manhattan, NY
6/26/2011
The UWS's loss is SOHO's gain. One of the few consistent go-to restaurants from the UWS lost its lease and moved to SOHO. The space is small, but cozy. Vincent, the chef/owner is an inventive chef and a great host.
Food - Not a large menu to choose from, but everything is delicious. Food is divided into 3 categories based upon cooked the dish is. Portion sizes are not large, but that is fine because prices are not high and the small plates allow you to taste a number of different dishes. The pastas are all well prepared (as they were on the UWS). I could eat his short ribs every night.
Staff - While Vincent is a great host, the staff reaches only the good level. Very friendly, but not the most polished.
Vibe - Fun place for either a date or to go with friends. -
Review from S N.
New York, NY
5/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
There are definitely a few wrinkles that need to be ironed out at this tiny SoHo spot, but when they eventually smooth things out, it's going to quickly become one of those "neighborhood gems" that will be impossible to score a reservation at.
The space is cramped and subtly decorated, but all this plays into part of the charm. The staff is pleasant and you can tell that they are trying to make you feel at home. Less than two minutes after we checked in for our 9 pm reservation, we were brought glasses of cava rose to sip while we waited for our table. Granted this gesture was likely because the staff knew we would be waiting a while, but it worked nonetheless. We waited patiently in a tiny space behind the front door for 45 minutes, drooling over the plates that went by and every now and then knocking into the diners seated 3 inches from where we were standing.
Upon finally being seated, we were starving and dove right into the bread and assorted spreads (garlic cloves, eggplant mousseline and salted cod). YUM! Everything on the menu looked amazing, so it was sort of a no brainer to go with the chef's tasting menu. $59 with wine pairings?! Yes, please!
Our first course was the hamachi tuna duo with avocado and micro greens. The fish was certainly fresh, but the dish wasn't acidic or seasoned enough. A forgiveable start to what we were hoping was going to be a great meal.
The next course was a mixed plate with an Alaskan king crab leg and a small crab cake. The crab leg was fantastic...meaty, tender and buttery, but the crab cake was just okay. It wasn't bad...the flavors were definitely there (loved the pickled onion topper), just seemed a little "soggy," for lack of a better word.
Our third course got a bit confusing. I'm not sure whether there was a misunderstanding in the kitchen or whether they just plain ran out of stuff, but when our waitress brought us our next dish, another larger portion of the king crab leg, we thought it had to be a mistake. Upon telling our server that we just had a crab leg during our last course, she said that the last course was just a tasting and this was a bigger portion. Um, wasn't this whole thing a tasting?! My guess is that someone messed up and forgot to bring us the pasta course that we saw everyone before us get, but regardless, we didn't argue (even though my friend wanted to).
Next up was shrimp (almost scampi style) with chili strands. The shrimp was succulent and perfectly cooked. It came in an uber hot metal bowl, which I found out the hard way when a waitress carrying the dish for another table grazed my arm with the EXTREMELY hot plate. OUCH! At first I thought the pain would go away, but when my arm continued to burn and my skin became inflamed, I had to ask our server for ice. The waitress brought me a tomato instead (secret kitchen trick?!), but the acid just made the pain worse. I was literally sitting there clutching my arm for the remainder of the meal as a visible mark formed. The waitress who burned me was apologetic, but seemed too busy to care that she had burned a patron. There was no subsequent mention of the incident, no "how does the arm feel," after the tomato was dropped off at the table. Maybe it's just me, but when you're paying someone to bring you food and they burn you while doing so, you sort of expect them to give a crap.
Our last course as part of the tasting menu was the short ribs over a potato puree. In short, the token meat and potato dish. As a meat lover, I was definitely satisfied by the flavorful "fall off the bone" meat. The potatoes were a little soupy (maybe because it had been diluted by the gravy from the meat), but when something tastes that good, it doesn't matter what consistency it is!
For dessert (not part of the tasting menu) we selected the cheesecake with blueberry chutney/compote. It was really, really good, but also tasted like the cheesecake could have been of the "thaw and serve" variety.
When the waitress finally brought us the bill, she informed us that the cheesecake had been comped because of the burn incident. Maybe I'm being greedy and/or unreasonable, but was free cheesecake the best thing you could do to make up for that fact that you gave me a first degree burn (and PERMANENT scar on my arm??) Hello?!?! This is the type of thing people sue restaurants for!!!
I'll admit that being burned definitely left me with a bad taste in my mouth about the place. If not for that, this would easily have been a 4-star review. That being said, part of what makes a restaurant experience special is feeling like you're being taken care of. Sadly, a novice staff robbed me of that feeling here and overshadowed what would otherwise have been a delicious, satisfying, reasonably-priced meal. -
Review from Brinda G.
Manhattan, NY
7/10/2011
Not happy with this place. The food was average, and completely overpriced. The whole time we were hungry and there were so many small dishes (which is always nice to have many small dishes) and each one was good but so tiny that all we wanted was mcdonalds afterwards. Then we got the bill and was shocked: we weren't full, and we paid so much. Also, the wines that came with each course came late, which is annoying when tasting wines, because the experience is not as fulfilling when you can't match the wines with the dishes. Also, the tables are too small and the chairs are too high. Weird, overpriced, pretentious place, not a recommendation.
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Review from Lauren N.
9/2/2011
this restaurant is wonderful. ive been there 10+ times and every time i go its fantastic! another location on UWS
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Review from Stephanie L.
Manhattan, NY
9/11/2011
One of the best meals I've had in NYC, and I plan on going back soon. Get the Chef's menu and pair it with wine - you get 5 courses and 3 full glasses of wine for under $60. The food was great, especially the Tuna appetizer and the Burrata ravioli. We were even given a free dessert course because there had been some confusion over our reservation when we first arrived. The place is small, so make a reservation.
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Review from L S.
Manhattan, NY
8/3/2011
I agree with Steven's comment; SoHo definitely wins in this situation. Vai is outstanding - one of the best meals I've had in NYC. Very romantic spot and intimate - only a few tables. We ordered a bunch of dishes to share and each one was better than the last. The pizza was my favorite - yummy fig made it delicious. Service was spot-on and the wine was delicious. Go with a date, not your mom :).
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Review from derrick c.
Bronx, NY
7/3/2011
WOW! What can I say? The portions are a little small so the waitress will suggest that you get 4-5 entrees and she is right. That said, you will be overjoyed that you listened and got those 5 entrees. We first had the rock shrimp which was delectable. It's served in this sauce that is like nothing I have ever tasted. If you happen to have some bread left over, be sure to dip it in the sauce. The bread alone is delicious as we must have ordered 5 servings. Next up was the ravioli. That comes in a cream sauce which is also very good. We also had the scallops, also fantastic and their other pasta dish was also excellent. the coupe de grace was the beef duo. There are two beef ribs that are so tender that you can just break off pieces of it with your fork. Along with that comes filet mignon. The wine was perfect! As our dessert, we ordered the donut holes. First of all, they are served warm and sprinkled with powered sugar. On the side is the glaze that you dip the donuts in. if you like good food and good wine, you will feel good when you leave this place. Around the corner is a smoke shop where you can go and enjoy a good cigar. It just doesn't get any better!
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Review from SUNYOUNG Y.
Manhattan, NY
6/12/2011
i visited this restaurant a few days ago with a group of friends. and we had a great time. the place is small but very welcoming and food was really good. i love this restaurant atmosphere. i enjoyed everything ! i will defnitely go back again.
