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    Vespaio Ristorante

    4.1 (808 reviews)
    PriceyItalian
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Vespaio Ristorante Photos

    Business Info

    VESPAIO RISTORANTE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Romantic
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Vespaio Ristorante

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    SMOKED-WATERMELON e Spinach & Prosciutto Salad
    Stephanie K.

    It's the little things that make Austin home, and Vespaio has long been one of those cultural institutions, holding down SoCo. For many good reasons - their staff is not only some of the most thoughtful and attentive in the biz, but like family after working together for so many years. We come for the food like housemade burrata and handmade pasta & pizza, but it's the culture and personal touches that make this place an extension of home. If your Valentine's plans don't include a reservation here, I'm sorry to say your chances are running out - hiked rent has closing day marked for 28Feb. Show your support by offering your favorite chef and servers some home-grown love!

    Toscano Pizza
    Zhao C.

    We came back for my partner's 31st birthday dinner, and the restaurant was very accommodating to our party size of 14! We called in advance to book the reservation and they were able to reserve a huge table in a corner of the restaurant. This was a fantastic location because we had our very own space and privacy and didn't need to clash with the rest of the restaurant. The food arrived in a timely manner and folks who had never tried the restaurant were very impressed with the taste and quality of the dishes! To top it all off, the restaurant surprised us with a complimentary PLATTER of dessert items and even wrote my partner a birthday card -- now THAT'S what you call a superior customer experience!! And finally, HUGE shout-out to our waiter Devin -- you did an incredible job coordinating and managing our huge group, all while having a spirited attitude! We couldn't have asked for a better waiter for this special night! :)

    Pappardelle bolognese
    Vivian L.

    Cozze alla posillipo is a MUST. Mussel dish part of antipasta. Got the half portion of the bolognese and it was filling enough for me. Surprisingly the season dish with pork chop and blueberries was the favorite. We got plenty of desserts. Panna cotta, kitchen sink gelato, and blueberry sorbet. Fav was kitchen sink. Service is fast. server was knowledgeable and gave great recs.

    Calamari Fritti Arrabbiata
    Danielle F.

    I wanted amazing pasta and that's exactly what I got! Great sauce, delicious noodles, just perfection! Calamari was great too. The server recommended good wine. Terrific dining experience!

    Suppli
    Kelsey D.

    Vespaio is one of my favorite restaurants in Austin. If you enjoy fresh, homemade Italian fare, then this is the place for you. Perfect for a special occasion, the interior is beautiful (especially in the wine cellar room by the front windows). It can be rather pricy, but I think the evident high quality of their food matches the price point. It's imperative to start your meal with the suppli, if you enjoy a good arancini. Vespaio has the best risotto balls I've ever tried, with a crunchy outside and creamy fontina-stuffed inside, over a robust marinara sauce. My favorite entrees are their spaghetti alla carbonara, with a perfectly cooked poached egg on the side and topped with a crunchy parmesan frico that dreams are made of, and the lasagne alla bolognese, with creamy layers of besciamella and fresh mozzarella between green spinach pasta sheets. They butcher everything in house and aim to use the whole animal, which I appreciate, and make all of their pasta too. The wine list is extensive, and their cocktails are creative and tasty. It is located on South Congress so usually pretty easy to find (paid) parking too. I highly recommend this spot for your next special celebration, or even if you're just craving some homemade pasta.

    Rey K.

    One of the best Italian restaurants I've been to in a long time. My partner and I had split the pasta. We had the pappardelle bolognese and spaghetti cacio e pepe. This is a must go place. I ordered drinks and they were heavy handed. I had to get a side of pineapple juice. :) the dessert was awesome we had bread pudding. Im going to go back for sure. Im dying to try their ravioli. Our server was the best and the atmosphere was great.

    View of the chefs at work and brick oven.
    Roxy L.

    Food was excellent we came here to celebrate our son's Birthday. I had a juicy tender steak with French fries and spinach. My son ordered lasagna which he said was amazing and delicious. Our server was on top of our needs and had a special birthday cake for our son at the end. The ambiance is nice with a view kitchen of their brick oven.

    Nicole S.

    Vaspaio is upscale and dark, perfect for date night. The service was friendly and happily gave recommendations. The food was all delish. The burrata was creamy and the bread was perfectly paired. I had been craving carbonara and this hit the spot perfectly! It was a big portion and so creamy dreamy. This is a lovely spot on south congress and worth a visit. While pricey it's worth it!

    cuttlefish and black ink pasta
    Tracey Z.

    Delicious food! I loved the bee theme! The ambient lighting in this restaurant makes for a great mood. My only note is that you should expect to be here for at least 2 hours. The service is slow and the food is slow to come out. Everything is handmade from scratch when you order it so it takes a lot of time. I got the risotto del giorne which was very strong. I liked the crispiness of the chicken skin and it went well with the dish. I also loved the apple pieces, they were a nice burst of sweet flavor. The risotto itself was very rich, it feel like there were too many flavors competing in the dish, so my mouth was kind of confused. The tiramisu is a good end to the meal.

    Suppli
    Kelci M.

    Vespaio is intimate, fresh and service is friendly and accommodating. Here's what we ordered: Burrata: 7/10. Standard burrata. Nothing special. Caesar salad: 10/10. This was so fresh and I loved the fresh reggiano cheese on top. I'd definitely order this again. Suppli: 10/10. These balls are stuffed with rice and cheese, what's not to love? I also enjoyed dipping bread in the bed of marinara sauce. Spaghetti cacio e pepe: 10/10. I got a half order and it was filling and amazingly fresh pasta!

    Lasagne Alla Bolognese
    Brandy C.

    Sadly, I've only been to Vespaio twice and both visits were separated by 4 years. Although it had been quite some time between the two visits, their quality remained great! If you're planning to visit, I'd highly recommend making a reservation. It's a tight space and the tables have always been full when I've visited. It's an intimate space and great for date nights. They have a fantastic wine selection and plenty of food options to try. Both times, I opted for the Linguine Misto Mare (I like what I like I suppose lol). Again, having ordered the same thing twice over the span of 4 years and it still tasteeamazing both times should speak volumes!

    Ravioli with a sauteed mushroom and onion sauce.
    Sarah C.

    We've been here twice now and enjoyed the food both times so its time to leave a review! The first time we walked in for dinner and while there wasn't a table open they were able to immediately sit us at the bar. I got the Tagliatelle con Funghi which was creamy, rich, and delicious! I can't remember what my husband got but we both enjoyed our food and a glass of wine. More recently we made a reservation, though it was also a week day and not too busy when we arrived so we probably could have walked in fine. We parked on the street out front and I'll admit did not pay through the meter but were fine for about an hour visit. Not saying I recommend doing that but we were fine. For the food we started with the fried risotto balls- delicious and the fresh marinara was top notch and cut down the richness of the cheese risotto. For mains we both got specials that I don't see on the menu now but both were fantastic! The husband got orecchiette I think in a tomato sauce with sausage- clean, simple, and cooked perfectly. I got ravioli in a sauce with sauteed mushrooms and onions- the husband thought it was too rich haha but I loved it!! Service was good but nothing stands out in my memory, maybe because I was so focused on the food lol. Price wise, it is fairly expensive, but the portions are satisfactory (I took home half of my main) and it is delicious. Worth it for a date night!

    Cynar cocktail
    Emily K.

    A hidden gem. I don't know how I've let this one slide under radar. The perfect atmosphere beautiful old-school, perfectly dim but not stuffy at all. We had a taste of almost the whole menu from antipasti and bread to appetizer, pasta dessert, wine, cocktails and liqueur. Everything here is made from scratch and they know what they are doing! The perfect fluffy bread, dense focaccia, and garlic cheese crisps paired with the marinated mushroom peppers cheeses and pickled vegetables. I would have been thrilled with just that for my meal accompanied by a delightful, refreshing Prosecco. We moved onto the mussels. These mussels were everything I want in a mussels dish. White wine based tomato broth thickened with big chunks of seasoned tomato cooked down, perfect for dipping the grilled bread in. This was paired with a cynar based cocktail somehow showcasing all the flavor of this unique liquor with no harshness. The herbal notes played well with the tomato broth. We proceeded to the star of the show. A duck confit stuffed tortellini with sage, walnuts and an apple gremolata, or as I now call it, manna from heaven. Convinced I couldn't eat more but knowing no meal is complete without dessert we topped everything off with a chocolate torte with raspberry caramel sauce paired with homemade limoncello. Decadent and delightful from first to last bite. From the moment we walked in to the moment we left everyone was welcoming, thrilled to see us, incredibly knowledgeable and eager to make this an unforgettable meal. Job well done all around.

    Lasagne Alla Bolognese

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    7 months ago

    Everything was very good! A great place to grab a bite before a show downtown. Parking is a bit difficult so you might want to valet.

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    Page 1 of 21

    Vespaio Ristorante Reviews in Other Languages

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    Red Ash

    Red Ash

    4.4
    (1.6k reviews)
    1.3 mi
    $$$

    The food was excellent across the board. My favorite dish was the Pasta with crab it was…read moreincredible! Our server Miles was amazing! He was very attentive and his recommendations were great. The overall vibe of the restaurant is perfect for dinner and I will say this is one of the restaurants that is worth the hype. The pasta has two serving sizes and I will say if you're willing to share with someone the larger size is perfect for two! Can't wait to come back!

    Had reserved this restaurant a month before visiting Austin. Had chosen this spot after some…read moreresearch for hip, high end restaurants with great food and ambiance. This restaurant was everything I could of asked for. Probably the best restaurant we tried in all of Austin. I'm from Los Angeles, and have been to many high end and hip restaurants, this was definitely up there with some of the best restaurants. Food: Crab tagliatelle is a must! This dish was delicious and everything you can ask for from a pasta. Gnocchi special with Peas and Asperagus is a must. This creamy and feather light dish was packed with so much flavour. Lobster scalloping was very good as well and so was the filet mignon. But best of all were the side of carrots, pear and endive salad and the Cho salad. My drink was the basil cocktail was was phenomenal. Everything was just so so very good. Our waitress Tiagna was an absolute delight in every way. Thank you so much!!!

    Photos
    Nice wine selection
    Nice wine selection
    Fresh and crisp Caesar salad!!
    Fresh and crisp Caesar salad!!
    The current duck special is incredible!!

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    The current duck special is incredible!!
    Sammie’s

    Sammie’s

    4.1
    (432 reviews)
    1.6 mi
    $$$

    Who would have thought an Italian red sauce joint would go straight to my top tier Austin recs?…read more Place is just legendary. Sammie's has been hyped up on social media for a long time and I gotta say it's still underrated! I will gladly have Sammie's take the Pepsi challenge against red sauce joints in NYC/NJ etc. In fact, I've told friends and family that I am going to take them to Sammie's when they visit from there. We just had such a fantastic experience - everything..the vibe..the red light fixtures and the color of the booths and the floor..the service - our server was great..loved their outfits..really had an old school little italy feel to it. The food was much better than I even anticipated - as a guy who grew up on NJ diner mozzarella sticks, I have a high bar for them and these were magnificent. And seriously...taking the "everything's bigger in Texas" slogan and applying them to mozzarella sticks?! top 10 achievements of the decade. The chicken parm was perfect - well seasoned, proper amount of crisp..the basil on top...the perfect browning of the cheese. Also the lasanga was excellent..and best part - the leftovers..took it home and the next two days put them in a small cast iron and re-heated them..and the magic was right there in my hill country kitchen! Lastly and certainly not least - the cannoli...just look at the photo below.. I'll say, yes, the place is pricey but you can really easily split these entrees and then it becomes cheaper than a jersey strip center Italian joint. I haven't stopped raving about Sammie's since I've been there, and I cannot wait to return, recommend it, and take friends and family that visit.

    I have to apologize that it has taken me this long to write this sweet and short love letter to…read moreSammie's. Back in the Dec. we did a guys trip to Austin and the culinary highlight of the weekend was Sammie's. Stepping through the doors felt like stepping into elegance and onto the set of Goodfellas. From the hostess to the waiters to the manager everyone was super attentive and on top of their game. You can't go wrong with anything from the bar. I have never been a fan of Negronis but the one at Sammie's changed my life! I order them everywhere I go now searching for that Sammie's Negroni high but nothing comes close to it. The food was EPIC! Take a look at my pics everything we ordered was prepared to perfection but I still dream about the veal which took the whole table to devour. Also the Caesar Salad was .

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    Lasagna
    Lasagna
    Outdoor patio

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    Outdoor patio
    Cousin Louie’s Italian American

    Cousin Louie’s Italian American

    4.0
    (93 reviews)
    13.8 mi
    $$

    Nothing typical here folks! Some of the best Italian I've had in forever.....sorry NYC! Fresh…read more bread, hand made pasta and sauces! Sangria to die for with a twist! ( I have had some of the best in Barcelona) cousin Louie's us Michelin Star folks! My fettuccine sauce was perfection and even when I cleared the plate the sauce was so creamy and thick no butter or oil in sight! OMG to die for!! My husband's family is Italian from Milan and he said (sorry Momma and Nona) was better than families!! That's a Hugh statement!! Won't disappoint Thank you for such a lovey, delicious dinning experience! Keep up the good work Louie Epic!!

    Never heard of this place but got a coupon in the mail for a buy one lunch, get a free lunch…read more Decided to try it as I'm always looking for decent Italian food. As it turns out the coupon was only good during the week and it was Saturday. No big deal. I ordered a Meatball Sandwich, my friend an Italian Sandwich (after asking our excellent young waitress about it). She brought out two very tasty types of bread with olive oil for dipping. The sandwiches came with Garlic Fries. The Fries were delicious but unfortunately mine were lukewarm. I certainly could have asked for a fresh portion, but was hungry enough not to bother. That's the reason my rating wasn't 5 Star. Because the restaurant was pretty empty on this Saturday afternoon, I feel the Chef shouldn't have sent out fries that weren't piping hot. The Meatball Sandwich however was marvelous. Freshly made, tasty meatballs with sauce and cheese on their focaccia bread was a real treat. I took half home and ate the rest for dinner. All in all, I'd come back here again as the food was excellent as well as the service.

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    Inside
    Inside
    Rocket salad
    Rocket salad
    Seafood Fra Diavolo

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    Seafood Fra Diavolo

    Vespaio Ristorante - italian - Updated June 2026

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