Spiga

Had a wonderful dinner there the other nite. The food was wonderful! Service was impeccable, imagine eating in a NY eatery and not being rushed! It was a warm day, I was very thirsty yet never had to ask to have my water glass refilled once. The waiter was attentive but not pushy A+ for service.

Too bad. We had a reservation. Restaurant was ¾ empty. Owner offered a poor table. We asked for one of the other empty tables for two. Not only did owner refuse, but he was arrogant about it. We left. No excuse for his unacceptable and rude behavior; try other places. We dine out three times a week at nice places. There is no reason to have your evening spoiled by attitude.

Great food, great atmosphere, great service. The owner was very welcoming. On nice evenings, they open the windows so you get a nice breeze. Wine selection was good. Would love to go back again.

This restaurant is overrated. Food is adequate. We didn’t like the service– it was extremely rushed. Restaurant was relatively empty, we arrived at 7:00 expecting a leisurely dining experience. We were finished by 7:45. No down time between courses and the wait staff was always on top of us asking if we were done. They need to slow down.

Place was solid.
Service solid. Atmosphere solid. Food solid.

My boyfriend chose this place as a new restaurant to try on the UWS, and based on the other reviews, we were excited to try it out. We got there on the dot for our 8PM reservation, and we got seated pretty fast. This is where it started being a big strange in terms of service. All the waiters were always in a super big rush. Rushing here, rushing there, grabbing another waiter to talk about something and then rushing off together… Mind you, this is not a big restaurant. Kind of impressive how they didn’t run into any chairs/​tables…
For a place that is a wine bar, they don’t have any menus for the drinks? Whaaaaat? Well, I had the remnants of a cold, so I chose not to drink anyway, but would have still liked to see the options to see if there was anything I would’ve liked to try on a potential second visit.
After the menus were dropped off, we were expertly avoided for the next 15 minutes of any service. I could see that other tables were also in the same situation where they all had their menus closed, waiting to order. We finally hailed a waiter down to take our order, and our appetizers came out really fast. The appetizers, meatballs for him and boar sausage and polenta for me, were tasty and when we were done, they took the plates away and then here was another waiting game. About 20 minutes later, our entrees made it out to us. It was delicious, albeit a little on the heavy side. I couldn’t finish my dish, the garganelli, and my boyfriend had the rigatoni pasta dish.
After our meal, I decided to have a hot tea before heading back out into the chilly night, and the waiter brings me the tea bag, confirming this the tea I want. I said yes, but he waved it again in front of my face, so I took it and he rushed off. Then about 8 minutes later, comes my cup of hot water. Did they actually boil the water at that time??? No idea, but that was the longest I ever had to wait for a cup of hot tea, especially when I’m steeping it myself, lol.
Overall, good food, but might not go back since our dinner really just took almost 2 hours. We weren’t in a rush so it wasn’t that big of a deal, but for anyone in a rush, you might want to consider elsewhere. Also, last strange point… on the menu, they state that they accept American Express and Cash Only. We freaked out for the last 15 minutes while trying to pay, when they whisked away the Visa card my boyfriend left and brought it back with the receipt. Whew!

Half of us loved our meals while the other half hated it. Stick with the classics unless you have a sophisticated palette or are adventurous. Service was good. Very hard to understand waiter, but he was patient. I’d recommend and like to return to try new things.

This restaurant does not seem to be welcoming to older people. There is no wheelchair access as far as I could see. Also there is a set of steps that need to be climbed to get to the restaurant. Therefore, doable but difficult for someone with a walker.
The waiter was hurried and brusque. I did not wish to check my coat, as others had theirs on their chairs, but the waiter insisted.
I was with a friend who is «older» who does not eat that much. I ordered an appetizer and main dish to share. total of the two was about $ 42.00. The waiter said «is that all»?
I had told the person taking the reservation that it was a birthday for my companion. Nothing was done in regard to the birthday and I was not impressed with the evening so I did not bother to remind them.
I would not go back or recommend this restaurant.

My wife and I really enjoyed this authentic Italian dining experience. We found it through a Unilocal search and true to form the Unilocalers delivered a spot on review. We went on a Friday night with no reservation and although the place was full, a table just happened to open up and we were seated very quickly.
The restaurant is kind of tucked away in between Columbus and Amsterdam. It’s not terribly big, but there is a nice warm and comfortable feeling about it. To speak to the authenticity, I caught myself saying «prego» to the waiter as he thanked us for our order. I just got caught up in the moment!
ANTIPASTI
Sautéed baby artichokes with pistachio over mache salad and parmesan cheese:
Thought this salad was really good. There were a lot of interesting textures between the artichokes and the pistachios and cheese. The artichokes were a bit warmer than the salad which I wouldn’t normally go for, but it worked for this dish.
Pasta e fagioli:
I think this was the soup of the day. It was hearty and delicious. The portion size was more than enough for me; easily shareable for two people.
PASTA
Homemade veal and spinach ravioli with white truffle cream sauce:
My wife had this and I thought it was very good. It was a dish that I hadn’t tried before so the flavor combinations were a shock to the taste buds; a good shock though. I’m not a huge veal guy, but if I were to get a veal dish I’d probably go with something like this in the future.
Large orecchiette pasta tossed with with braised lamb sauce, thyme and pecorino Toscano cheese:
This was a solid dish. If I came back I don’t think I’d get it again, but I did enjoy it. The lamb was a little too rich for me that night. The pasta was cooked well though and the portion size was solid.
Overall, I really enjoyed the cozy atmosphere, authentic Italian feel, and the warmth and flavor of the dishes. If you are looking for an UWS Italian spot, please do not hesitate to give Spiga a try.

The food was good — I would come back here. The service was a little aggressive when we first arrived — they insisted on taking our coats. I wanted to hold onto mine and was told «if we drop something on it then we are not responsible». I thought that was odd… Service other than that was generally good… No spills thankfully…
As a follow up to this — despite having a reservation with Open Table — the restaurant did not confirm my attendance. Open Table has told me that the restaurant pays for the points (Spiga was 1,000 points instead of the typical 100). I see the restaurant not confirming my attendance as dishonest and I’ve never had a similar issue with Open Table before. Because of that, this restaurant gets 2 stars instead of 4

I really wanted to like this place based on all the reviews, but I have never been asked to leave a table before and so here goes my rant.
It was a reservation for 3 people at 7pm, we showed up earlier and the place was mostly empty, we were seated at one corner table, then moved into another corner by the bathroom door, fine, then the waiter disappeared. Two more tables filled up, they had bread and wine, we were still waiting for the waiter to come back, the only attentive person was the guy who poured water… the service continued to deteriorate with appetizer being brought along with the food, luckily the food was decent, but they attempted to clear the plates few times while I was still eating.
The check was brought shortly after, without us asking for one and a bit after 8 we were asked to leave as some imaginary patrons who I didn’t see on a way out were waiting …
None of us were drinking or loud or inappropriate in any way, so I gladly left as there many nice places around to have coffee & dessert (café Lalo).
Needless to say I wouldn’t bring my family here, or recommend it to anyone else.

Cozy, Rustic atmosphere… Feels like your in someone’s home in Italy. Fabulous wait staff, very attentive and knowledgable. Luigi the owner, takes pride in his restaurant and his menu. He makes you feel welcomed in his home, and the food doesn’t disappoint. Homemade minestrone soup as though I was in Tuscany, large vegetables and just enough pasta. Homemade pasta, cooked perfectly al-​dente with a veal ragu and fungi. Special tonight was veal saltimbocca, very tender and spinach sautéed perfectly. The cannoli made with Grand Marnier just the right amount of orange essence. Caffe Americano even was the perfect temperature and strength. Great wines, full bar, and a complimentary limoncello adds a nice touch. Run to Spiga and say hello to Luigi, you might even meet Mario.

True authentic Italian food in a comfortable cozy environment. The staff is stellar and the chef is beyond accommodating. I love this place!
The specials are always special and seasonal. The prices are reasonable and the quality profound. I have taken people here and they always want to come back. And do!

We had a 730 reservation, waited at the front for 25 minutes with no update as many folks walked out. Have eaten here before and the food is quality, hope this was just a bad night but we walked out before dining too. It seemed like the host forgot to come to work.

I was told to visit Spiga on the UWS for some fresh, handmade pasta — so this Friday night, I decided to take a hiatus from bonging vodka sodas in dark bars, and switch to dignified pasta ribbons on the upper west side.
The setting is super romantic. Their storefront is elevated on the south side of 84^th street, a cozy corner with big windows and candelit tables. Definitely not a good spot for a large party — dates only. We felt like we had to speak more quietly than our usual volume so as not to bother other diners’ romantic evenings
It’s on the pricey side, and it’s cash only or AMEX — so be prepared. Service is on the slow side for food, but drinks are served right away. They have a wide variety of wine, and rumor has it, some off-​menu wine selections if you ask. We shared a bottle of Chianti.
I insisted on ordering BOTH the crab & avocado salad as well as the prosciutto & mozzarella appetizer for the 3 of us, and didn’t regret that. The salad was super fresh and chilly, and and awesome start before heavy pasta. I went for a special pasta, which was a stretched orecchiette pasta in lamb ragu. Amazing with parmesan.
My friends had the gnocchi and the seafood pasta — and while the gnocchi received good reviews, the seafood pasta didn’t. It appeared pretty enough, but sounds like it lacked a real flavor kick.
I enjoyed my dish enough that I’d absolutely recommend this for a third date — when you’re looking to get reaaaal romantic.

I have lived on the UWS for 3 years and somehow missed this great little Italian restaurant. I just happened to be walking by and saw it and my girlfriend and I were hungry so we went in. We were seated pretty easily but I have since recommended it to a few people and they have had problems getting a table so I definitely recommend calling in a reservation. It has a really cool décor on the inside and a fantastic wine list. The waiter recommended some wine to us and it was a great bottle. We had the pumpkin gnocci and oricchietti pasta. Both were very good. The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars is I have to be floored to give five stars. But I would definitely go back and have recommended a few friends check it out.

Dinner here last night and enjoyed every bite. Called at 8:35 for a 9:00 reservation. No problem.
Started with arugula and pear salad, then orecchiette pasta with ragu sauce and Parmesan. Delicious.
My friends had the duck and truffle ravioli, and the gnocchi. They both raved about their dishes.
We went elsewhere for dessert.
Only knock was on the service. Our waiter was exceptionally slow and we didn’t get water or bread for 10 minutes. Otherwise definitely recommend based upon the food.

Cozy and intimate this is a great way to spend Friday night.
We came here for dinner before heading out to a local café for tea and dessert.
They sat me right away eventhough my party had not arrived and were so attentive. The food came out fast and delicious. It is a great setting to have a conversation. We basically closed the place down but they did not rush us out.

Want great Italian food from a restaurant that accepts credit card (lookin’ at you celeste)? Walk around the corner and try Spiga!
The restaurant has a nice homey feel to it and the menu is comprehensive without being overcomplicated. I recommend all of the home made pastas but if you’re looking for their specialty the black linguine noodles are delish (if you prefer less seafoody dishes you might want to pass though).

Italian gem on the UWS. Hidden for sure which I love because it has so much charm to it. There are a ton of Italian places in this neighborhood but none possess the intimacy and authenticity of Spiga.
Visited with a friend and the service was very impressive. Our waiter wasn’t rushed and did not push us out despite it being a packed Friday night. I appreciate that a lot. I liked that they offered quartinos because it is enough to share if you don’t want to go overboard but also a good amount if you want to treat yourself
Went with the waiters suggestion on a cheese board and loved the pecorino with black pepper the most. Absolutely delicious cheeses.
I then had the fettuccine bolognese which was decadent — a good amount of crème makes up a fulfilling tomato sauce and a generous portion of pasta. My friend had the spaghetti with seafood which had a simple sauce but it was so fresh and packed with flavor. They must make their pastas fresh because they don’t taste like the rest and the sauces are incredible.
We sat at our table an extra 30 minutes after our meal was over and no one rushed us out. Great experience at Spiga this weekend.