Vai
(Now Closed)Italian Restaurant and Mediterranean Restaurant$$$$
Upper West Side, New York
40 Tips and reviews
Sort:
- Popular
- Recent
Jason AndrisMarch 4, 2015If you're a foodie & enjoy good wines, this place is a must. Parsnip & crab soup is outstanding, Brussels sprouts are great; & the Chorizo risotto is rich. Some tasty items complements of the Chef too- HowardSeptember 26, 2013Great neighborhood find. Great food and I especially liked that the chef comes out of the kitchen often to make sure everyone is enjoying their food. This is a special place!!
Trae FSeptember 14, 2015We had a fantastic meal. The burrata was amazing and the veal pappardelle was perfection. Finished with the milk chocolate crema which was fantastic.
The best kept secret about this restaurant are the items not on the menu. Namely the veal chop & truffle pizzetta. Vincent (the owner) is always a great host.
LolaDecember 28, 2011Everything we had was excellent. Octopus and the shrimp apps were amazing. Two of us had special of the night. Delish. Veal was amazing. Lobster was spicy but very good! And the owner is hot!
Ann ChaoJune 15, 2012Burrata ravioli was delicious. Very creamy though, may not be to everyone's taste. Service was excellent and we got unlimited bread and two free mini desserts alongside our choc mousse.- Adrian RymillFebruary 22, 2014The steak tartar was absolutely delicious with a sublime background of truffle and mustard, a brilliant sharing dish to start with
- Michael Fox-RabinovitzFebruary 16, 2015Great octopus appetizer, burrata pasta is superb, excellent sicilian white wine
- RobertSeptember 21, 2013Great restaurant. Owner is very nice and Chef Phil is amazing. Enjoyed everything to the last drop.
Ginger StanleyJune 4, 2015Charred octopus and hamachi tuna tartare are amazing!!! Best octopus in NYC!
Jeffrey GlueckJanuary 1, 2016Wonderful atmosphere for Upper West Side. Avoid the crab spaghettini as crab is frozen. Fish dishes seem yummy.
Simon Talling-SmithJuly 11, 2013Still prefer the atmosphere of the old Vai but the food is nonetheless excellent. Try the scallops entree.
Charmi VijapuraOctober 31, 2016Great place and the owner Vincent is awesome!! Yummy vegetarian options 😋
Sarah SheldonJanuary 14, 2010Go for a charming dinner in the UWS. Order a bottle of wine and some appetizers (mushroom risotto) and sit down for a great conversation
Lisa MSeptember 9, 2013Had dinner outside and sampled a bit of everything. And happily everything was good'
TadalfFebruary 19, 2010will have dinner with my friend Maria to try the Grilled Calamari and Mezz Rigatoni with spicy sausage, tomato and Rcotta salata.
Debra JenniferMay 21, 2010sit outside, and order the mushroom risotto or mushroom pizza.. to die for...
NathanDecember 5, 2016Overpriced for what it is – over $20 for pasta slightly better than Romano's Macaroni Grill.
Piper FlusserSeptember 8, 2010Very inconsistent service and food, have been several times and 2 out of 3 times had to send to food back. Not worth the dough
Roger SchonfeldFebruary 13, 2010I recommend avoiding the awful service and mediocre food at this restaurant. The owner is personally hateful.
45 Photos
Foursquare © 2025 Lovingly made in NYC, CHI, SEA & LA
Contemporary Italian and Mediterranean.
Permanently closed (Show more)
- Mon–Sun
- 5:00 PM–11:00 PM
(212) 362-4500
View menu on http://vairestaurant.com/menus
Features
Credit Cards
Yes (incl. Discover & Visa)
Outdoor Seating
Yes
Food & Drink
Menus
Dinner, Dessert, Happy Hour
Drinks
Wine, Full Bar, Cocktails
See More
You might also like
- 8.9
"I love this place! Very beautiful plates and everything on the menu is phenomenal!"
Julia Kristin - 8.8
"Loved the food and service. It was a bit since our last dinner there. It was a pleasant surprise how good the evening turned out. Food, service, wine, ambiance all great."
James H. - 8.9
"The garden is absolutely beautiful! Great for an intimate dinner"
Diane Jean-Mary
Places people like to go after Vai
- 9.2
"This is such a great venue with great acoustics and has been wonderfully renovated. A good mix of beers and cocktails are served and all servers take CC as payment including the souvenir stand"
David Lynch - 6.9
"Amazing comedian but 20 dollar max spend but laughed the most I have for long time overall worth it"
Mark Sowden
Appears on 45 lists
Created by Guillermo Silberman
183 items • 16 followers
Created by Toby Crabtree
199 items • 22 followers
Created by Louis Brusco
62 items • 10 followers
