Pro: The polenta fries were good. Con: The room is sort of industrial. Not cozy...and a little bit too dark. Pasta dishes are served without any basic offer such as ground pepper or cheese; there are no seasonings on the table. As others have said, no bread is offered. On top of that, the dishes were not very good; not fresh tasting or carefully put together. And so little of it! : ) We didn't eat meat so I couldn't comment on those dishes. We felt we wasted $100. Better to check out ANY of the other restaurants in Amherst Center. Conclusion: On a nice evening, grab a patio table and have a glass of wine and those polenta fries.
Robert Niffenegger
Fine dining staple in Amherst. Ribeye is outstanding. Best wine selection in town. Varied menu, charming dining area, elevated without pretentiousness.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ellen Kosmer
The appetizers were excellent, the warm olive and hummus plate was delicious and the little stacked chickpea logs very tasty. The entrees were somewhat disappointing, the delicacy of the crab cake was overtaken by the acidic slaw and the basil oil. The layered dish of tofu , hummus and eggplant was marred by chewy, dry slices of the egg plant.Service was ok but not remarkable.Very good espresso. Drinks at the bar were great.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Charcuterie
Hana W.
Food was pretty good, service was quick. The atmosphere was super cozy. Only thing was that there were not that many options. That's ok for some people but I personally would have preferred a couple more pasta dishes.
Lysanne L.
Osteria Vespa is one of our favorite restaurants in Amherst. Always amazing food and service.
Victoria T.
Service is on point, drinks are fantastic! A littoral hidden gem in amherst. Had olives, kohlrabi ceasar and picatta.
Bill Holt
Wanted to like this restaurant but couldn’t. Ordered the veal $28 and it was appetizer size. Veal was tough and breaded coating was soggy. Was told the pasta was homemade but was thick and chewy. Menu needs to have a couple a traditional Italian dishes rather than the odd selections. I’ve experienced gourmet restaurants in my day and this one is far from that. Service was good and the atmosphere is very nice. My wife is from northern Italy where the food is much lighter and flavorful. Save your money.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 4
Frank D
Accommodated food allergies with ease and had a great
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Minou S.
Great appetizers - we had the garlic prawns which were absolutely delicious and a farmers salad with a lot of local salads and veggies. Our entrees were just as good and we had some martinis that were to die for - so well made by the bartender. We had had the tiramisu before and it was delicious but this time it was not up to par but still tasty - would definitely go back ...
Bill C
I had the risotto and it was excellent comfort food. Fresh vegetables and fruits gave it a different and wonderful flavor. Coffee is also top shelf. Usually I have two cups but their coffee was so satisfyingly good one was sufficient. No room left for dessert although that menu was tempting, maybe coffee and desert another time.
Food and drinks were amazing; service was warm and attentive, ambiance was good. Only quibble: it was a little hard to find the spot.
Tanya D.
Food was pretty good (next time I'll skip the GF pasta). Chairs were uncomfortable but I sat against my backpack and that helped. Staff was very friendly.
Margaret Nunnelly
Our first time back in a while. Everything was delicious! Delicious Nebbiolo, delicious salmon special with yogurt sauce ( which sounds weird but was great) delicious ragú, delicious almond cookies. Pleasant seats at the bar with an engaged but noninvasive bartender.
First and last time dining at Vespa. When the food eventually arrived, which was over and hour it was underwhelming. I did enjoy the waiter rushing us out of the restaurant by violently taking items off our table while we were eating. Way to go Vespa!!
Pro: The polenta fries were good. Con: The room is sort of industrial. Not cozy...and a little bit too dark. Pasta dishes are served without any basic offer such as ground pepper or cheese; there are no seasonings on the table. As others have said, no bread is offered. On top of that, the dishes were not very good; not fresh tasting or carefully put together. And so little of it! : ) We didn't eat meat so I couldn't comment on those dishes. We felt we wasted $100. Better to check out ANY of the other restaurants in Amherst Center. Conclusion: On a nice evening, grab a patio table and have a glass of wine and those polenta fries.
Fine dining staple in Amherst. Ribeye is outstanding. Best wine selection in town. Varied menu, charming dining area, elevated without pretentiousness.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The appetizers were excellent, the warm olive and hummus plate was delicious and the little stacked chickpea logs very tasty. The entrees were somewhat disappointing, the delicacy of the crab cake was overtaken by the acidic slaw and the basil oil. The layered dish of tofu , hummus and eggplant was marred by chewy, dry slices of the egg plant.Service was ok but not remarkable.Very good espresso. Drinks at the bar were great.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Charcuterie
Food was pretty good, service was quick. The atmosphere was super cozy. Only thing was that there were not that many options. That's ok for some people but I personally would have preferred a couple more pasta dishes.
Osteria Vespa is one of our favorite restaurants in Amherst. Always amazing food and service.
Service is on point, drinks are fantastic! A littoral hidden gem in amherst. Had olives, kohlrabi ceasar and picatta.
Wanted to like this restaurant but couldn’t. Ordered the veal $28 and it was appetizer size. Veal was tough and breaded coating was soggy. Was told the pasta was homemade but was thick and chewy. Menu needs to have a couple a traditional Italian dishes rather than the odd selections. I’ve experienced gourmet restaurants in my day and this one is far from that. Service was good and the atmosphere is very nice. My wife is from northern Italy where the food is much lighter and flavorful. Save your money.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 4
Accommodated food allergies with ease and had a great
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great appetizers - we had the garlic prawns which were absolutely delicious and a farmers salad with a lot of local salads and veggies. Our entrees were just as good and we had some martinis that were to die for - so well made by the bartender. We had had the tiramisu before and it was delicious but this time it was not up to par but still tasty - would definitely go back ...
I had the risotto and it was excellent comfort food. Fresh vegetables and fruits gave it a different and wonderful flavor. Coffee is also top shelf. Usually I have two cups but their coffee was so satisfyingly good one was sufficient. No room left for dessert although that menu was tempting, maybe coffee and desert another time.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Risotto
Restaurantji Recommends
Food and drinks were amazing; service was warm and attentive, ambiance was good. Only quibble: it was a little hard to find the spot.
Food was pretty good (next time I'll skip the GF pasta). Chairs were uncomfortable but I sat against my backpack and that helped. Staff was very friendly.
Our first time back in a while. Everything was delicious! Delicious Nebbiolo, delicious salmon special with yogurt sauce ( which sounds weird but was great) delicious ragú, delicious almond cookies. Pleasant seats at the bar with an engaged but noninvasive bartender.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pistachio Cookie
Huge portions, flavorful fresh food. Nice variety. Great service. Nice atmosphere xxxxx
First and last time dining at Vespa. When the food eventually arrived, which was over and hour it was underwhelming. I did enjoy the waiter rushing us out of the restaurant by violently taking items off our table while we were eating. Way to go Vespa!!
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1