Whether it be for an anniversary, birthday or a visit from your parents, if you’re in search of some delicious fine dining, look no further than Vespaio. Located right here on South Congress Ave., Vespaio Ristorante is a SoCo hot spot, even after 18 years of operation.

As soon as you walk into the restaurant, you are met by dim lighting, an enthusiastic host, and the soft murmur of voices mixed with clinking glasses in the background. The restaurant itself is not small and is split up into three rooms, making it feel cozy and intimate.

The decor is simple, yet tasteful. A large wall of wine bottles sets the rustic tone of the restaurant and helps to display their extensive wine selection. A chandelier hangs in each room and several pieces of modern hand from the walls.

The first thing that stood out to me about Vespaio was the extremely friendly and knowledgeable staff. The wait staff was very easy to talk to and knew the menu inside and out. I had never experienced truly authentic Italian food before, and our waiter helped us through the entire menu and even explained to us which soft drinks would go best with each menu item. This thorough knowledge was especially impressive because each day, Vespaio feature an new and extensive list of specials.

Much of the food at Vespaio is made to order, so expect to spend around two to three hours dinning here. Although this is longer than your typical dinner stop, the food is well worth the wait.

As soon as you are seated, you are brought bread with Italian bean dip. This bean dip is very similar to hummus and highly addictive. The combination of the fluffy bread with the creamy bean dip was so delicious, my table of two ate around six baskets of bread before our appetizers arrived.

For our appetizers, we ordered the calamari and the fresh mozzarella. While we were originally brought an appetizer we did not order, the wait staff apologized profusely and brought out the correct appetizers as quickly as they could. We really didn’t mind the wait, we were busy eating bread.

Once they arrived, the appetizers were delicious. While the calamari was good, the mozzarella was by far my favorite. It just doesn’t get much better than a huge ball of cheese. It was filled with a creamy tomato sauce, and you were given toasted baguette pieces to spread it on.

For my main course, I ordered the lobster pasta, which was on the list of daily specials and cost $35. As a rule, I usually only eat seafood when I am near the coast, but I had never had lobster before and was dying to dry it. I can easily say I was not disappointed. The lobster was buttery, and the whole dish was bathed in a light, garlicky sauce. If you are a fan of seafood, I highly recommend this dish.

Naturally, I had to finish off this decadent meal with a decadent dessert. We ordered the chocolate hazelnut cake, which was gone in about one minute. While Vespaio Ristorante is pricier than the average restaurant most college students go to, it was one of the best dining experiences I’ve ever had. It is the perfect place to go for a very special occasion, or if you’re able to weasel someone into treating you to dinner.