Vai Restaurant

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Vai Restaurant
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Vai Restaurant

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Address:
429 Amsterdam
New York, NY 10024

Neighborhood:
Upper West Side

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Cuisine:
Mediterranean

Price: $30 and under

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Vai Restaurant Details

Dining Style: Casual Elegant
Website: http://www.vairestaurant.com
Phone: (212) 362-4500
Hours of Operation: Lunch: Daily 12:00pm - 3:00pm, except Monday's Dinner: Daily 5:00pm - 11:00pm
Payment Options: AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Executive Chef: Vincent Chirico
Dress Code: Smart Casual
Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
Additional Details: Beer, Delivery, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Late Night, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wine, Wine Bar
Catering: We are accepting reservations for holiday parties. Please inquire with restaurant.

Getting there

Cross Street: Between 80 and 81 street
Parking: No

A word from Vai Restaurant

A great meal is not just about the food and wine. A great meal is not just one that fills you up. A great meal opens up your senses and introduces you to new tastes. What we choose to do at Vai is take the simple act of eating, an ordinary activity, and make it extraordinary. Our staff will make… your visit an amazing experience. Vai, which means "go" in Italian, is a beautiful space, warm atmosphere, filled with people who care. We will treat you as a guest in our home. Sit, relax, breath...let us take care of you. Let us create a memory.Continued

Vai Restaurant

4.2

132 $30 and under restaurant

Awards voted by OpenTable diners

Diners' Choice WinnerMediterranean

Featured Reviews

More Reviews ›

Reviews from OpenTable Diners Learn More

115 Current Reviews

Summary of Diner Ratings & Reviews

Overall

(Outstanding) 4.2 / 5

Food

(Outstanding) 4.3 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 4.2 / 5

Ambiance

(Very Good) 3.7 / 5

Noise Level

Energetic

115 Current Reviews

Summary of Diner Ratings & Reviews

Overall

(Outstanding) 4.2 / 5

Food

(Outstanding) 4.3 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 4.2 / 5

Ambiance

(Very Good) 3.7 / 5

Noise Level

Energetic

Filter Reviews By:

Diners classify this restaurant as:

neighborhood gem(88)
fit for foodies(77)
romantic(29)

notable wine list(22)
special occasion(22)
hot spot(16)

Current OpenTable.com Diner Reviews (115)

Overall rating

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

I am THRILLED this restaurant

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 04/09/2012

2006

Dined on 04/09/2012

2006

Food

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Ambiance

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Noise Level

Quiet

"I am THRILLED this restaurant is in my neighborhood. The food was OUTSTANDING!!! Service AMAZING!!! I can't wait to go back."

Dined on 04/09/2012

2006

Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, neighborhood gem, romantic, special occasion, great for lunch

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Overall rating

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Such a perfect, but still

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 04/04/2012

2005

Dined on 04/04/2012

2005

Food

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Ambiance

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Noise Level

Energetic

"Such a perfect, but still reasonably priced restaurant. I will go back there soon!!"

Dined on 04/04/2012

2005

Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, notable wine list

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Overall rating

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Upper West Side's Best! NYC's also.

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 04/07/2012

2007

Dined on 04/07/2012

2007

Food

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Ambiance

(Good) 3 / 5

Noise Level

Energetic

"My fourth visit to Vai last Saturday was as great as the first 5 weeks ago when I commented that Vai was the best restaurant on the UWS, and arguably one of the best in NYC. A friend we dined with said the Branzino preparation was the equal of Le Bernardin, and quite frankly all the food is,not to mention that I like the vibe at Vai better than Mr. Ripert's ultra-quiet elegance. Vincent rethinks the menu weekly making small tweaks to some of the most popular dishes. There are always inventive and delicious daily specials (I had an amazing Cod dish.) But 4 visits in I still have more than 50% of the menu to go, which I greatly look forward to."

Dined on 04/07/2012

2007

Special Features: vibrant bar scene, fit for foodies, good for groups, kid-friendly, neighborhood gem, special occasion, great for lunch, hot spot

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Overall rating

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

A local fav

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 04/07/2012

2010

Dined on 04/07/2012

2010

Food

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Service

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Ambiance

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Noise Level

Moderate

"Food is flat out amazing! Scott (manager I believe) is very nice and goes the extra mile to make sure you are happy and have everything you want."

Dined on 04/07/2012

2010

Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, hot spot

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Overall rating

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

An incredible evening out,

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 04/06/2012

2009

Dined on 04/06/2012

2009

Food

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Ambiance

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Noise Level

Energetic

"An incredible evening out, from warm personal greetings from the maitre d', to desserts that were too delicious to pass up. Vai made for a lovely and unforgettable anniversary dinner. Grazie mille!"

Dined on 04/06/2012

2009

Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, romantic, special occasion, hot spot

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Overall rating

(Very Good) 4 / 5

good food, waiter a tad forgetful,

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 04/03/2012

2006

Dined on 04/03/2012

2006

Food

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Service

(Fair) 2 / 5

Ambiance

(Fair) 2 / 5

Noise Level

Moderate

"good food, waiter a tad forgetful, but overall, good for the money. food very good. a problem they won't be able to fix is the fact that it is very cramped. alas."

Dined on 04/03/2012

2006

Special Features: neighborhood gem

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Overall rating

(Very Good) 4 / 5

The restaurant is good. Service

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 03/30/2012

2005

Dined on 03/30/2012

2005

Food

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Service

(Fair) 2 / 5

Ambiance

(Fair) 2 / 5

Noise Level

Energetic

"The restaurant is good. Service is only fair. No ice in the water, no water fill up. Wine list is meager and most wines are not ones that I recognize. Did find a good wine by asking the waitperson to give me a tasting. Food was veery good and well presented. Maitre d' was very personable and friendly. Noise was really high level making it difficult to have a conversation. Stone floor and a tin ceiling amplified the noise. We will go back. it is a good neighborhood place. Prices are high (midtown east prices). Wines are modestly priced."

Dined on 03/30/2012

2005

Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem

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Overall rating

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

This is the place my husband

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 03/26/2012

2003

Dined on 03/26/2012

2003

Food

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Ambiance

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Noise Level

Moderate

"This is the place my husband and I go to whenever we want something delicious. It has never disappointed. It is now our favorite place to go and I hope to continually be pleased with my meals at Vai."

Dined on 03/26/2012

2003

Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, neighborhood gem, romantic, special occasion

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Overall rating

(Very Good) 4 / 5

excellent food, excellent

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 03/18/2012

2008

Dined on 03/18/2012

2008

Food

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Ambiance

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Noise Level

Moderate

"excellent food, excellent service."

Dined on 03/18/2012

2008

Special Features: neighborhood gem

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Overall rating

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Must try!

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 03/16/2012

2008

Dined on 03/16/2012

2008

Food

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Ambiance

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Noise Level

Moderate

"This restaurant is great and I highly recommend it, especially to anyone and everyone who lives on the UWS (but it definitely is worth a visit from elsewhere, as well!). The service was outstanding and the staff paid attention to our every request and desire. To be honest, I can be a bit of a challenge in terms of my expectiatons when dining out, and the staff at Vai went above and beyond to ensure that we were satisfied at every step of the way. My hat is off to them. I am not sure I would have been as patient or as focused on customer service as they were! I will definitely return."