La Spezia is a family-owned family style Italian restaurant, serving fresh and delicious food in Sea Cliff. Service is attentive (shout out to Louis, who brought us our dessert, and Dario for being an excellent server!). We started with the stuffed mushrooms, a generous portion of 5 pieces with a perfectly prepared sauce. The baked penne had the right amount of sauce-to-cheese ratio, and the pasta was not soggy (sometimes that happens with baked pasta). Shrimp scampi and chicken marsala rounded out our main meal, and were both excellent choices. I appreciate their decor, including exposed brick and a beautiful chandelier hanging from a recessed ceiling with hand-painted art adorning it. Go with a group and check out their menu offerings! read more

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Incredible find, excellent restaurant. Service and food was wonderful. Pasta was homemade and the chicken scarparillio was one of the best scarparillio dishes I have ever had. Chicken dish was non traditional. No potatoes or sausage. Just chicken and garlic. Pappardelle with shrimp and vegetables was perfect. read more

La Spezia - Italian Near Me - Sea Cliff, New York

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Food is always delicious! Served hot and made fresh to order. The ambiance is nice, a well kept main dining area and a bar for more casual eating. The service was good however we waited quite some time for our meal and our server did not keep us well in the loop. Overall I would go back as the food was just so good! read more

La Spezia - Italian Near Me - Sea Cliff, New York

The food was great and the service was very attentive. The restaurant has a warm feel and they have a bar. This is a family style restaurant so bring your appetite. read more

Bellissima! Food was excellent, service was great, ambiance is warm and friendly. Highly recommend this-forget all the nay sayers, this was par excellence! Portions are generous and the old recipes are front and center on your taste buds. I would come here again, in fact we just might before we leave Poipu! read more

Our new favorite Italian on Long Island. We went on a quiet weekday evening. Service was a little slow but friendly and helpful. The food is very expensive, and that is the one thing that will stop us from visiting more frequently, but will visit for special dinners, etc. Everything we had was very good, mozzarella sticks, calamari, chicken parm, ravioli, vodka sauce. Looking forward to trying more dishes. read more

Foods amazing. Only complaint is that it's a little loud inside the restaurant. Great family style options.

We love the food from here! We order it for takeout whenever we want to splurge a bit and get good Italian food. The penne aka vodka is delicious and all of the chicken dishes we've tried have been well above average. Highly recommend the food! I removed one star just because the prices are pretty steep compared to other comparable Italian places in the area. read more

great food and service fresh pasta fusilli is the best. ambiance is nice for a date. this place is very busy for take out, baked clams a plus, calamari is a plus escarole and beans is great i also like the warm italian bread to start with olive oil on the side. fried sliced zucchini is tasty too. I hope to be back soon read more

During your my visit to la spezia with my children, friends, and their children, I found the culinary experience to be very exceptional. As someone who enjoys cooking and has visited many Italian restaurants in New York City, you're well-versed in what good Italian food should taste like, sandals spezia offerings did not disappoint. Every dish you ordered was amazing, showcasing the restaurant's ability to deliver on flavor and quality. However, despite the outstanding food, several aspects of the dining experience fell short. The atmosphere was described as mediocre, suggesting that the environment lacked a certain charm or appeal that you might expect from a high-end Italian restaurant. The most significant issue was the service. It was noticeably lacking in attentiveness and efficiency. Servers left dirty plates on the table, failed to replace utensils when needed, and allowed empty glass water bottles to remain without clearing them away. Such oversights can be frustrating, particularly when you're dining at a restaurant with higher prices, as it diminishes the overall experience. Considering the pricing, i expected a level of service that matched the quality of the food. Unfortunately, the inattentive service detracted from what could have been a perfect dining experience. For a restaurant to justify its price point, it should offer not only excellent food but also an inviting atmosphere and attentive service. In conclusion, while La Spezia excels in delivering delicious and memorable dishes, improvements in service and ambiance would greatly enhance the overall experience. Addressing these issues could make it a top choice for diners seeking both great food and a pleasant dining environment. read more

Really good local Italian food nice bar and family size portions. I highly recommend it.

First time eating here. Ordered fried calamari to go and it was the worst calamari I have ever encountered. Granted, all fried calamari suffers a little during takeout and can lose its crisp- but I will put good take out fried calamari in the air frier and re-crisp it up and it's always delicious. Unfortunately, the air frier couldn't salvage this. First of all, it REEKED of fish smell.. fried calamari, takeout or not, should never smell fishy. But there was a strong fish odor emanating from the takeout bag containing no other seafood.. it smelled awful. I don't really get how a business that deals with food professionally could allow that fish stinking bag to make its way into a customers hands. Tried it, and thankfully it didn't taste as much like low tide as it smelled.. but it was extremely dry, chewy calamari with soggy, flavorless breading. It's served with a generic mozzarella stick style marinara dip. They don't have a tartar sauce, which is by far a superior sauce for fried calamari. The rest of the food was decent enough.. but I cannot get over that horrendous excuse for calamari. read more

Ambience was excellent., but loud, appetizers were good, special was lasagna, which was mushy and 35 bucks! Dessert was just OK. Overall, typical Long Island restaurant that falls short . read more

Fav go to place for family dinners. Friendly Staff are great making suggestions for the table size and also serve out dishes as they come out. Warm bread is a great starter. Warm salad, fried calamari cooked perfectly crispy & soft. Fried zucchini were like shoestring fries. Chicken parm, halibut, chicken sorrento, broccoli w pasta, penne a la vodka. All were cooked perfectly and were thoroughly enjoyed. Unfortunately no room for dessert but had a menu to be enjoyed. read more

This restaurant was recommended for a dinner that a few of my friends and I wanted to have. We had a wonderful experience. We did family style, 1/2 portions-- there were six of us -- and the portions were more than ample. Food was delicious. Staff was more than accommodating. Gave them 4 stars as acoustics could be better -- was difficult at times to hear what the person across the table was saying. We certainly will frequent it again. read more

Delicious family style Italian restaurant in Sea Cliff. The place is charming with a huge "L" shape bar when you first enter and though not the most spacious place offers comfortable seating coupled with traditional Italian cuisine and A+ service. Since this is a family style restaurant the entrees come in half and full orders. We were a party of eight and all decided to order half orders and being the "Gavones" that we are finished everything on our plates with the exception of two guys who took doggie bags home. When we initially sat down the staff filled our glasses with water and our menus were quickly handed to us. Complimentary bread and cubes of pecorino Romano cheese were brought out. The bread and cheese were Ok. We ordered appetizers to share, a full order of fried calamari and half order of cold antipasto. The calamari was lightly breaded and tender without being rubbery, they cooked it perfectly! The marinara sauce was sweet and you could taste the garlic and herbs which elevated my taste buds. The antipasto was delicious as well with a little bit of everything, I remember it had mozzarella, salami, prosciutto, romano, black olives, roasted peppers and artichoke hearts. Our group ordered veal prepared in two ways, marsala and parmigiana style, chicken francaise, meat Bolognese, bronzini and Paccheri del Giorno which is pasta cooked in a creamy sauce with shallots, mushrooms and prosciutto. Everyone enjoyed their meal but I can only comment on my dish. I had the veal parmigiana. They pounded thin generous amounts of veal and coated it in a light breading and covered it in delicious marinara sauce with buku amounts of gooey mozzarella. The veal was delicious and more importantly moist and flavorful. Many of us washed everything down with a few glasses of adult beverages. They have a nice list of wines to choose from and the staff recommended certain wines for our food pairings, they were as good as a Sommelier. We ended the night with cups of cappuccino and espresso. They gave up a plate of biscotti on the house. Nothing beats family style dining especially when you're surrounded by Awesome food and people! If you're in the surrounding area or not, this place is a definite go to spot for Italian. Grazie La Spezia for a delicious meal. read more

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Good old fashioned Italian food. Portions are very large Service is very attentive. Staff is pleasant and accommodating Ambiance is a little tired but not a real problem read more

This is a never miss place. The food is always delicious and the service is great. The staff is lovely and always makes you feel at home. We've been here numerous times with different friends and everyone Love the place. If you have a special request they'll always do their best to make it happen. Always a good choice. read more

Great local Italian. Amazing service, great family style portions. A little on the pricier side for meat dishes but we'll worth the family treat. Great wine lists. Ambiance is great and honestly a great find in SeaCliff. Wasn't expecting that! read more

Amazing food. The fresh incidents made the photo so good from the veals to pasta. The ambiance is really nice and the service is amazing. This is truly one of the restaurants that you must try if you want amazing Italian food read more

Everything made to order. If your looking for authentic Italian, Lá Spezia is the place to be. The staff and Dario the owner are great! Everything in the menu is delicious and so fresh! my ultimate favorite is the stuffed mushrooms, the warm salad, the minestrone soup, the branzino, all there pastas are to die for! And last but not least the desert every desert that they have is mouth watering. I love coming here with friends and family as they do family style. Highly recommend read more

Friendly welcome upon entering. Large bar available if you get there ahead of your reservation. Great attentive service. Tables are squeezed a bit in the dining room but understandable as it's a smaller location. Fried calamari was very good, both the spicy and the non spicy. The waiter was nice and split the full order for the table. The veal parmigiana and chicken marsala entrees were also good. Remember to order side dish of pasta or veggies if you want because it doesn't come within the order. read more

Saturday evening dinner with six people- very nice setting - bar is available. Nice wine selection. Italian food is excellent- portions are large - they have an excellent menu Probably one of the best Francese and pasta dinners I have had. Great staff - attentive and you are not rushed. read more

Great Resturant that is a hidden gem, the only thing I would say is stay away from going on a holiday as quality does suffer

Gourmet Italian, family style portions. Great service. Little noisy, not for 1st dates. Great wine list.

Agreat Italian restaurant, family style or you can get half portions, the food is fresh and delicious and the service is always on point, good to know Italian food is right around the corner when you need it will definitely will come back again and again read more

This restaurant serves really good Italian food. When I went with a total party of 6 we ordered 3 bottles of wine and 5 full size plates and an appetizer, I was filled with the most delicious Italian food. The waiters were very helpful in choice of wine and plated the entrees beautifully. Would recommend to any age or sized group looking for a fine dining experience. read more

La Spezia - Italian Near Me - Sea Cliff, New York

This place is INCREDIBLE. We came here for a friends birthday and I've been eyeing down this place for a few months. I literally could not say better things. The service was incredible, the owner was the sweetest guy I've ever met. Our food came out so quickly. Let's just say the food was so good that there were absolutely no leftovers from full portions at a family style restaurant. We ordered the calamari, baked clams (I would die for these baked clams), penne al vodka (literally nothing compares to this pasta dish, I will forever compare any vodka dish to this), la spezia and shrimp. I fell in love with Patrizia's a few weeks ago, but the quality of this place and the food just overrides any Italian restaurant I've ever been to. HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND (p.s I wish I took pictures but we were so hungry we couldn't contain ourselves) read more

Never disappointed with the amazing food served at La Spezia. Their veal parmigiana is absolutely the best. We love picking up orders and dining in. read more

The food is good. I had gone there many times in the past. When they give four pieces of chicken rather than three in a full order I might consider going back. Otherwise it is ridiculously overpriced. read more

La Spezia has been a long time favorite of ours between family and friends. Staff has always been warm and inviting and the flavors of the food have always been a step above general Italian cuisine. However, I am writing this review particularly focused on take out. On a few occasions we have ordered take out and have found ourselves disappointed in the amount of food given in the tray vs. the cost. This is supposed to be a "family style" restaurant where it is common that portions are large and generous. Unfortunately it's just not the case here. I understand food prices are a bit extreme these days but when you order a full tray and feel like you're only receiving a half portion, it leaves me as a customer feeling like you're taking from my pocket. As mentioned, this is not the first time we have felt this way but we have always gone back thinking maybe it will be different next time. The photo shows the portion of a "full tray" bolognese pasta. Going forward we will spend a little more time and gas to go to Vincent's Clam Bar where family style portions remain unchanged. read more

La Spezia - Example of "full tray" bolognese - Italian Near Me - Sea Cliff, New York

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Amazing food and a lovely dining experience. With a family style approach, everyone in the family will be happy with their meal. The team at La Spezia treats you like family and adds to a great time out! Always a go-to when celebrating a special occasion or bringing a large group of the family together. read more

Such an amazing restaurant! I've been here 2 times now and both times were great! Tonight I went out with my grandparents for my birthday and had such a lovely evening! I ordered an aperol spritz and omg so delicious!! For an app we ordered the fried calamari and lobster ravioli! The ravioli is a MUST have! For an entree we ordered chicken parm and penne ala vodka. Both so amazing! For dessert we got the hot fudge brownie and it came out so warm. I would 100% recommend this restaurant for families! read more

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If u can give it zero I would ! Place is not the same every time we order over a 100$ worth of take Out they screw the order up every time ! Tonight was the last strike ! 388 here we come ! Check your order if you take out from this place do yourself a favor ! The owner doesn't care and is very defensive ! Not exactly what u would expect in this crazy world we are in now ! read more

Family style win! Lovely ambiance, very good service and food is great! Lobster ravioli and veal parm are our family favorites!

First time trying this restaurant. We weren't disappointed, the food was pretty good. The full orders of vegetables were very good, priced right and not skimpy portions either. The "full" order of chicken consisted of 3 medium chicken breast pieces, it should've been 4 pieces for 4 people. This dish wasn't worth the price. The bread was pizzeria hero bread, but was super fresh. Everything tasted freshly prepared,pleasantly surprised since most places fall short. We'll definitely try it again soon,hopefully they put 4 pieces of chicken in the full order next time? Wish the Sunday only spaghetti w/meatballs & sausage was available Saturday too. read more

Missing our new regular Saturday nite bar night at La Spezia with Dario and Guillermo! So happy they are packed

Last night we had 9 people for a wedding in our home. Everyone raved about the food. It was so delicious. Every dish was perfect. We ordered half trays and that was more than enough. The linguini white clam, rigatoni ala vodka, chicken francese & eggplant parm was fabulous. We were so happy and highly recommend trying this wonderful restaurant. Also wanted to mention that it was delivered exactly the time they said it would be. My husband and I have dined many times in the restaurant and have consistently had delicious meals. (hence the reason for catering from La Spezia). Give it a try. You won't regret it. Enjoy and thank you La Spezia. Your food was a hit. read more

Stay Away... I ordered veal parmigiana for dinner and they substituted pork cutlets for veal, thinking that the average consumer would not know the difference. I confronted the waiter and indeed they were pork. This restaurant is very deceitful and if they're cutting corners to save money, I could only imagine what's going on in the kitchen. We also had the rigatoni Bolognese, and it was oily, greasy, and had no taste. we also had chicken La Spezia, which is a large dish unfortunately all we could taste was garlic, salt, and oil, in addition, the chicken was undercooked, and when we sent it back, it came back over cooked. I will never go to this restaurant again and I suggest you stay far away. read more

Not much change from the previous restaurant but overall it was good! A nice place for quiet dinner with a date. They don't take reservations but was greeted and seated right away. Very friendly and welcoming. Its family style so you have a choice. Half feeds 1-2 people, full feeds 3-4 people My boyfriend and I split a half of chicken parm and half rigatoni bolognese and it was the perfect amount. The bolognese was awesome! Definitely having that again! The only problem was that the minestrone soup was so salty, my boyfriend couldn't finish it. I tasted it myself and whoa. Their coffee/dessert menu looks very good but I was too stuffed to have any. Next time! At the end of our meal, they gave us 2 warm biscotti's. Very nice. We'll be back. read more