Gary Knick
The food and service was on point. Our waitress Lexi was amazing. We had the calamari as an appetizer, (perfect and tender) had the chicken parm, and baked ziti which all was amazing. Would highly recommend this restaurant to others.
… moreEvelina Victoria
This was our first time here. All I can say is we will be returning! We live 30 minutes away but we cannot find any good restaurants in the area and this has been the best place around. We will drive that just to eat a good dinner. The atmosphere was great. The service was phenomenal. Our server was super kind and checked up on us at all times. FYI I am not big on Italian because it always tastes cheap and fake but this was great. The sauce was not acidic at all! YOU MUST TRY THIS PLACE! ( we had veal parm, calamari, arancini balls and a salad) everything was so fresh and delicious!
… moreAngela Kelly
Nice, clean restaurant. Staff was amazing. But, if you are going to serve any kind of seafood you need to have cocktail sauce and tarter sauce. My daughter ordered the calamari and they brought it with marinara Sauce. We asked for cocktail sauce they do not have any and not serve it. I get that it is an Italian restaurant but, it’s seafood. Other than that everything was great.
… moreLeigh Humen
I really enjoyed my solo lunch here, thanks mostly to myself. I needed some quiet time with my book, stellar food, and delicious wine, after a few more than stressful weeks. The ambiance was relaxing. Plus, it thankfully wasn’t as hoity-toity, snooty, and snobby that I was led to believe it was from some local friends who live there year round.
They serve muscles in a white wine garlic sauce that amazingly, and brilliantly, truly compared to the best I have ever had! This occurred nearly 30 years ago, in the most unlikely place of Harper’s Ferry, WV. I honestly couldn’t believe how good the dish was here. It was truly phenomenal! Thank
you for that Spiaggia! The induced memories, delivered by your appetizer hitting my taste buds, was exceptional and more than welcome. The Pinot Grigio I had was also delish!!! Absolutely stellar!!!
Now, the bad news. Unfortunately, my service was mostly a miss, though. Hence, my 4 stars, versus 5. I quickly realized my mistake of sitting at a table, versus the bar, which had a personable and witty bartender who was quick with a pour, and light easy banter.
The food was 5 stars for sure, if only it had been served in the correct combination. After the intense, yet deliciously amazing muscles, my penne pasta was beyond bland, and honestly disappointing. My server didn’t think twice about my order, and should have instantly suggested an alternative to me.
I also thought, per the website, that a Ristobar is meant to serve food, paired with a palate pleasing drink suggestion. I neither had, nor witnessed, any of that. Therefore, I received none of what I expected, per the information I read on the website. None of that was mentioned to me by my server or anyone else there.
The Ristobar was also nearly dead when I was there for my first visit. I saw only three other tables. Two women were at the bar, but they left not long after I arrived. Despite that, I often found myself often in need of service, yet none was to be found. Thankfully, the much more personable bartender helped my server with my wine refill, twice.
Additionally, my server brought my food and then disappeared for quite some time. Dirty dishes were left on my table. Then, even when she bothered to stop by, after I finally saw her again, & motioned her over, she still didn’t take the used dishes away. Then not long after, she tried to take what I was still using, but again, ignored the plate I was obviously done with, that I had pushed across the table from me. I ended up having to tell her to please take it.
It wasn’t until she saw my 25% tip that she suddenly bothered to really converse with me. Going above and beyond, then, to fulfill my final requests, which she did with true aplomb. Bottom line, I think she sized me up when I first sat down, and mistakenly assumed I wasn’t going to be worth her time. Then once realizing I was…she showed her true colors by suddenly paying attention to me.
I’m not saying her name because everyone has an off day sometimes. Everyone makes mistakes and deserves another chance. All I am saying is, ANY wait staff should always assume that EVERY customer is the BEST customer they will ever have! At least until they prove they aren’t, if they aren’t. Always!
I think my server read me wrong, big time, and it showed. I also only tipped her more than she deserved, in the hope that it will help her understand that point. Don’t ever judge a book by its cover! You never know the value of the contents, until you take the time to open it, and read it in full.
… moreVoland Bulgakov
This. Place. Is amazing. Everything about this place is just amazing. Our waiter Joel was very hospitable and nice and brought the food quickly and efficiently. The food was just so amazing that it’s a must try. The Cheesecake and the Tartufo are a must try! The main courses were out of this world. The Chicken Parm, Pizza, and Salmon are a must try. Amazing Italian restaurant and an absolute gem. Do yourself a favor and come try this place and I can assure you, it will not disappoint – both food and service were truly excellent.
… moreTyanna Villanuevarosa
The food was amazing. We wanted to order everything which we almost did. Our waiter was great and very funny. We will be back very soon.
We tried the mozzarella fritti, caesar salad, chicken parmigiana, pappardelle & braised beef (11/10), kids spaghetti and pizza, and one of each of the dessert.
… moreCamryn C.
Me and my family have been to this restaurant many times and I have to say it hasn’t disappointed once! The appetizers are always amazing and the focaccia bread is so cheesy and delicious. I’d personally recommend the penne alla vodka, it’s spicy, savory, and has little bits of onion and what seems to be beef or chicken mixed into the sauce. Be warned however if you’re sitting at a high top table they might forget about you since the high top tables are slightly out of the way, that’s simply my experience though. 10/10 totally recommend!
… moreDavid Harris
There are many great things to say about Spiaggia. The location is perfect, and you can always count on the food to be consistently superb. But as great as the food is, the true heart of this place is the staff, and one person in particular makes every visit worth going. The real star of the show is Ms. Cynthia, the absolute gem behind the bar. She is the main reason we literally come back every single week. From the moment you walk in, her bubbly and infectious attitude just puts a smile on your face. She has a natural talent of making everyone feel like a regular, striking up conversations that are genuine, not just sounding like she is reading from a script. She’s attentive without ever being pushy, and she has a way of making you feel completely relaxed without feeling like there is a rush to get you in and out. Spiaggia truly made a brilliant choice with this lovely lady. If you want a truly relaxing RISTOBAR experience, this is the place and Ms Cynthia is the bartender you want.
… moreAviatrix
The staff were very friendly and welcoming. Finding vegan food out in these parts is a monumental challenge. People have a hard time understanding “no cheese”. I was able to get the ziti with marinara and a salad without cheese. They gave me as much extra virgin olive oil as I wanted. It was satisfactory. My husband who has an allergy to cheese which takes a few days to take effect, decided to cheat a little and have a gluten free pizza. These folks don’t have any vegan cheese option for us. They just don’t think about vegan folks here. Visiting from out of town and so it’s sometimes necessary to eat out. It feels like they’re really trying to replicate the Italian vibe here. The music was a bonus. Any time Nat King Cole or Sinatra are singing in the background is a good day. Almost makes up for the lack of options.
… moreRegina Rettig
Great atmosphere and staff! We went to dinner, so good we went back the next day for lunch! Meatball appetizer with ricotta was homemade, and really good! Penne a la Vodka and Lasagna, delicious. Sicilian pizza was the best that I have had since I moved to North Carolina, it was awesome! Being Sicilian and from Long Island, NY, I’m definitely a pizza snob. I seriously had tears of joy eating this truly authentic, and tasty cooked to perfection, Sicilian Pizza! The pistachio cake with mascarpone cheese, fresh raspberries & gold leaf was through the roof amazingly delicious! Only disappointment, that there’s nothing comparable in Morehead City. Please open one of your fantastic restaurants near us!
*****
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