Vai Spuntino Bar

I smell a rat! I purchased a groupon for this place but after several strange attempts at trying to make a reservation I gave up. The groupon clearly states that it’s to be used at the downtown location from Sunday to Thursday but although they answer the phone on a Sunday they said they were closed and that I should use the groupon uptown which is open. I then called on Monday made the reservation, which they took, but after I said I had a groupon she put me on hold and came back with some story and told me to try to make a reservation for the following Wednesday. No thanks, I called groupon to complain and they refunded me. They sound like dishonest thieves.

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.

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 décor 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 purée? 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 ;).

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.

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.

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.

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 ((((

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

I love the décor; 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.

The chefs dinner was fantastic, just the right sized portions, very competent cooking, convivial atmosphere

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 Unilocal!). 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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 purée, 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 décor 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.