Bar Vespa

Food was really good, you could taste the freshness.
I went around 230p, place was not busy but that made for a better time.
I would go back again, App with Entrée about $ 40.00 per head

Been here twice. First time was great a bit on the pricy side but delicious pizza.
Second time was abysmal ordered a pasta and it was the smallest serving ever not even a meal and cost me $ 16. I had to go get food elsewhere.

The Positives: The ambiance is beautiful. Very historic. Great brick walls and heigh ceilings.
The Negatives: Extremely slow service. We waited twenty minutes for our drink, fourty minutes for our appetizer and an hour and fifteen minutes for our simple pizza. The pizza was very very mediocre. I can’t say it was bad, but it wasn’t any different from the hundreds of Italian restaurants around.
Overall: Not the high level of service you would expect of a restaurant with such location. It angers me when I see owners land such amazing spots but not provide the service to complement the ambiance. Would I come here again? Not unless I was forced to.

I went to Vespa with my parents on Saturday night after a long day at the CNE. We were looking for simple, delicious food and a quiet place to relax, and we got it. I had their risotto balls and their pesto penne. Both delicious, full of flavour, though the marinara sauce on the risotto balls was a little spicy for my taste. They oddly didn’t offer us bread at all and for an Italian restaurant, I found that really strange. We had to ask and there was a $ 3 charge for it. It was good bread and came with two kinds of olive oil, but strange that we had to ask.
We got to relax on their patio and that was the best part. It was a nice night to enjoy a good dinner out. I’ll return, but I’d like to suggest that they offer bread with the meals for free, like other Italian places.

Bar Vespa is not what I expected at all considering the look and the location.
This is now second time I have attempted to sit in the outside patio which had a few table with customers and I was told all the tables where taken… NO reservations on tables. Her explains toon was very unpolished and not professional at all.
So I tell all you people out there «don’t go». There are plenty of other pizza places in walking distance who would love to have you as a customer.

Super good! Delicious, friendly staff, nice design, reasonable prices. Had a great time (like four reasonable times now).

This is an excellent place to get Romano style pizza and the Thursday deals of pizza and beer for $ 15 are awesome, but the rest of the menu is a bit of a hit and miss.
The Diavollo pizza has lots of pork on it and not too spicy. Service can be a bit slow, but the place usually is not at capacity. Margheritta pizza does not have enough Fior De Latte and also skimpy on the cheese. The Spinach pizza is very good.
They have to bring up their game if they are to compete with the great establishments in the immediate vicinity.

The location is in liberty village, I came here with a moderate sized group (8 people) for lunch. I found it surprising that they did not serve bread after we ordered, and the waiter said that it would be additional cost. We still ordered some, I didn’t think the bread was premium that it warranted a charge. The wait time was also a bit long, especially after we told them that we were in a rush, and that the place was pretty empty. I would’ve understand a longer wait time if the place was packed, but it wasn’t the case.
I ordered the beet salad with salmon; I found the grapefruit and ricotta cheese pairing to be really nice and refreshing. The salmon was a bit overcharred and overcooked, which took away from the dish. I found the portion size to be on the smaller end based on the price of the dish.
Overall, I wasn’t overly impressed with my dish; the other people had pizza in my group and they seemed to have enjoyed it. Maybe I chose the wrong dish to order, so I will consider going back in the future for their pizza.

First off, the only reason it even gets 3 stars is because the food is fantastic. The first time I was here it was a quick dinner and I didn’t have much to say though the pizza i had was great.
Second time, was a nightmare. Food was still fantastic but the service was atrocious. To put it in my friends words «it looks like they took a bunch of random people and told them to run the restaurant for a reality show.» Nobody knew what they were doing. There were tons of tables open, but yet people were waiting to be seated… once we got seated it was a terrible table in hidden in the back so we opted to sit at the empty bar. It took way too long to even get menus, and to order and then my Caesar had no rim or lime or straw and he never came by to ask how everything was. He forgot to get us water as well. I’ve been in the service industry before, I know how it works so when I’m hard on the service it’s within reason and I do take into account the staff-​customer ratio.
all in all; the amount of time between getting menus, being asked for our orders, things being forgotten and never once being asked how our food was just too long for how empty it was. Even they knew the had been lacking on service because one of the only people who seemed to know what they were doing actually comped out appetizer which was appreciated and deserved to be noted.
The food will likely bring me back here, but I would keep my expectations for service at a minimum.

Was looking for not-​delivery pizza last nite and ended up walking through Liberty Village.
Bar Vespa seemed like a low key neighborhood joint and we walked in expecting a just above average experience.
I can tell you my wife and I were absolutely delighted to have been so profoundly mistaken.
Service was attentive: the barman took our order and made sure our drinks were delivered promptly and we’re mixed just right.
He pointed out the Thursday pizza/​beer special and while my wife picked the $ 7.00 Cozza (mussels, tomato, leek and fresh herbs), I was sold on the $ 15 Magherita and craft pint.
Besides from the great price, we were both impressed with the ambiance. The patio where we sat was comfortable and roomy, nicely located in a not so busy corner.
The food came just as we finished our drinks and while the mussels could have been warmer, the pizza was without a fault.
Definately on my short list.

Happen when I was in this area. Came here for Mac n Cheese festival but turned out it was so crowded so I gave up and found a place to have some food. I think they have nice location with amazing patio. There is long line up for patio seating but if there are always some available inside. The place is pretty cool itself, cool with the bar in the middle. I had Pappardelle and it was amazing. The beef was so soft with ragu sauce. Service is pretty quick and nice. I give 3 stars because the menu wasn’t clear and the food size. I felt i was rip-​off little bit because I didn’t expect to pay too much for small size. After that, I still felt. I might reconsider if I should go back or not =/

The interior and the patio are really nice. There is definitely a reason why the place is never full when Brazen Head and Williams Landing across the street are bumping at the same time.
While the food is ok, it is simply not worth the price. The service is also not very good, especially for a night when maybe 25% of the restaurant is full.
My biggest pet peeve with any place is when the food is brought out and the server says: «Hang on, let me grab you some cutlery» while we are sitting there like idiots drooling over our dishes unable to eat them. This review would have been three stars, but for this irritating hiccup, I am giving it a two. It’s Serving 101, which everyone should pass with flying colours before dealing with customers.

I’d only come back on a Wednesday for half price appetizers and get the meatballs. Meatballs are super good, maybe not $ 9(regular price) for 2 good but half prize on Wednesday its a must. Good pizza and good lasagna. A bit over priced else would get a 4.

The first time I came to Vespa I fell in love. I had a wonderful waiter who was from America that was so personable and informative about the menu and the drinks that I was convinced this would be my new spots; especially since it is just feet from my door. The Wednesday night specials are fabulous, half off appetizers seemed like a slam dunk. Sadly, the second time around my opinion changed. Vespa is in my opinion a typical «Liberty Village» overpriced restaurant that is below par. The Pizza was average, not worth the $ 15.00 with a $ 2.00 add on for basil. I can buy a PLANT of basil for $ 1.00, give me a break. The Lasagna slice was an embarrassment. My fiancé finished it in under 2 minutes, and he isn’t a huge guy. The portion was so tiny, I’m Italian and that’s not the way we do things. The waitress told us about the $ 1 an ounce wine special, but failed to mention that it was for only «house wine.» Needless to say I was totally underwhelmed by the food, nothing stood out with great flavor that we tried. I am not going to comment on the Pizza because I did change an ingredient, but I highly doubt in any case I would think it was worth the $ 15.00. Unless it is a Wednesday… venture outside your door and leave the Village for good Italian food and don’t waste your money here. Keep on Moving! Not worth the $ 58.00, but the marinara was very good, it had chunks of tomatoes in it… not $ 58.00 worth good though.

What a pleasant surprise my visit to Bar Vespa was! I think that if I’m hyper critical about one thing, it’s my Italian food. I like it old school, by candle light, made by old Italian women who pinch my cheeks and wipe the corners of my mouth and tell me to eat more because I’m too skinny.
Bar Vespa was none of these things — so naturally I was dubious.
However, what it IS, is a romantic, modern Italian restaurant and wine bar, with exceptional food made by excellent chefs who put incredible spins on classic recipes (without straying too far so that they are unrecognizable). So all things considered I guess I could do without the cheek pinching and someone telling me I’m too skinny.
We arrived early and for a Friday I was glad we did because while it was empty when we arrived, it was packed by the time we left. We did arrive early enough for their Happy hour specials which included a discount on apps and wine. No complaints there!
My girlfriend and I ordered the Calamari to start, which was served with a side of their tomato marinara sauce. As far as calamari goes, it’s tough to make this dish remarkable or memorable but I felt they delivered in on par with any other place I’ve had.
For our mains, my gf went with her staple vegetarian pasta option — butternut squash filled ravioli done with browned butter and sage ($ 16), and I broke away from my go to Spaghetti and meat balls to try something new and exciting — Pappardelle barolo made with braised short rib, chives, mushrooms and pecorino cheese, tossed in only the jus of the braised short ribs with butter and flour ($ 22).
My girlfriend, took a few bites of hers and exclaimed that this was likely the best version of her fave dish that she’d ever had (I tried and verified that it was indeed exceptional). My apprehension around my dish vanished the minute I took my first bite as the marriage of seasonings, beef and wide noodles was a flavour explosion in my mouth — I cleaned my dish down to the bowl with little hesitation (I even gave it a proper Italian salute by mopping every drop of sauce up with bread). So decadent, so amazing!
We paid our bills and headed on to our evening plans, only to return several hours later with a group of friends looking for drinks. I ended up being able to sample their cocktail menu and had a Manhattan and a Negroni. The Manhattan wasn’t one of my favourites but was still passible, but the Negroni was exceptional — delicious!
BV has been in Liberty Village for quite some time already and with the onslaught of new spots opening up around it, I can see why it’s managed to stand the test of time. A great date night spot for good food, good drinks and a great night! I shall return… HUNGRY.
Eatcrest Out!

Came here with a friend for their Wednesday night $ 10 pasta with any drink special. The food was superb, I order the Linguine with sautéed shrimp, sausage, garlic, chili flakes, rapini and a glass of house red (6 oz). They offer drinks special for $ 1/​oz for house red and white everyday between 3pm to 6 pm which makes this deal even sweeter. They also offer $ 10 pizza special on monday nights with any drink specials as well.
Excellent customer service, the server offered us complimentary bread with spices and olive oil while we waited for the food to arrive. The bread was a bit stiff, bit the spices and olive oil definitely made up for it.
I would definitely recommend coming here for a bite and especially in their summer time for the patio. It is very spacious and less packed than the other restaurants in Liberty Village.

It’s convenient if you live in Liberty Village and the wait staff is great. The food: mediocre at best.
They have a wood burning pizza oven. Tried the margharita pizza and it wasn’t bad, but a bit on the doughy side. Overall cooked well. I also had the campellini w/​garlic shrimp pasta. The pasta was a complete mush and looked like it had been sitting under a heating lamp for an eternity. It broke into pieces when sticking my fork in. Far overdone, although I don’t doubt it may have tasted better fresh.
The waitress did let us know they are completely revising the menu to a more tapas oriented style, so there is still hope. There isn’t too much choice in liberty village and they do have a nice patio, so if you end up here in the near future stick to the pizzas and booze.

I had heard amazing things about this place, and happened to be in the area, so I stopped in for lunch.
I had a pizza and grilled calamari. The calamari tasted very fishy. I probably should have sent it back, but I didn’t want to make a fuss.
Silly me, I ended up with an upset stomach a few hours later. :(
I won’t be returning…

I’ve been here on a few occasions. The menu, food and staff is generally quite good.
However,
Do not come here after a Toronto FC match or any large event in the area. They basically throw out their menu and digress to the level of a pizza stand with a lousy abridged menu with 5 options. They say that they can not service so many people so they offer only a few menu items. I think they just want to cash in on the crowds so they’ve sacrificed their quality for volume. For this I must give them a 3.

okay this was the second attempt at this place!
FYI if you’re coming here after a Toronto FC MLS match be prepared to wait as this joint can get crowded. I must say the second time around Bar Vespa prevailed and is now in my good books, perhaps it was the efficiency of the waitress we had, and w/​out her this place would fall to shambles… Since my buddy and I wanted to hit as many bars without getting wasted we decided to have some drinks and food, and its off to the next venue!
For food, he had the Tuscan Fries, and as always it was delish.
I on the other hand ordered their Calamari Frite, which was risk that paid off well!!!
I’ve had calamari at other places, but Vespa makes it unique. Perfected fried, and not a lot of breaded batter (which most places tend to do) The light, not overwhelming marinara sauce complimented the dish! and I was definitely impressed! for drinks my buddy had a beer, and I resorted to their 60z… NOT 9oz glass of red…
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…Part 1 of bar hop concluded… NEXT!!!