Spuntino Wine Bar & Italian Tapas — Restaurant in Clifton

I’ve always like this place( spuntino in Clifton) and have been there 100s of times, they usually have good customer service and great food, I went there tonight expecting the same and was dumbfounded as we ordered our food and was very excited to eat , our meals took a little longer than expected but it’s understandable as they were pretty busy, however our bruschetta’s arrived( with the salads) cold (shrimp scampi and wild mushrooms) the scampi was okay but the mushroom one was horrible extremely dry and cold I ate it anyways and then we got to our meals I ordered the shrimp scampi pasta and my friend got what our waiter suggested which was chicken over arugula and tomatoes he said, I asked him if he can add fresh mozzarella cubes on the mix he said it was fine! But when our food arrived it was absolutely terrible the shrimp scampi had a fishy taste to it and the chicken was terrible my friend could not even swallow that one bite he took from it! We asked for the check as we were leaving before even the food arrived! So I called the waiter( I apologize for addressing him as the “waiter” but he did not introduce himself properly) However I called him over and explained to him and asked him if he could take one of the plates off the check as together were $50 and we did not touch them.. it’s not about the price for me I just feel like it’s not right to charge someone for something that they couldn’t use/eat! The waiter came back and said that the head chef said it was our fault that the chicken came out bad as we asked for mozzarella( I asked for fresh mozzarella cubes and they put shredded melted mozzarella on the chicken) so he said that it was not possible to take anything off the check and again I’ve been there many times before and it’s not about the money so we paid and as we were leaving the “head chef” comes out and says it was not possible to take it off and kinda of the check and was kinda arguing with us, I honestly was surprised and shocked and he proceeded to say it’s something that he could change to make the food again but he would not take it off the check we were on our way out already so we told him no, we told him that this would be our last time there and he was extremely dismissive of us and seemed like he did not care and said “okay” I know there used to be really nice people running the place but not anymore and as for me they might’ve gained that $20 but lost a regular customer and I would not be...

I hosted my friends bridal shower at Spuntino. Prior to the party I went to try the food. We ordered the mushroom risotto, the steak and eggs, nutella french toast, and the mushroom bruschetta. My kid loved the food and practically ate all of it without letting me have it...it was smaller portions than I was used to, but I still left satisfied considering my kid ate all of my food. Im usually like a 3 bowl of rice for dinner type person, yet the food was so savory I left satisfied. For the party we decided on the brunch menu. I paid extra for all of the options. That worked as the brunch menu is lighter than the dinners. Guests left stuffed. If the Gorgonzola, apple, and walnut bruschetta is still on the menu, please be warned this dish is only enjoyed by guests with a truly sophisticated palate. Most did not enjoy it and made the next dish seem flavorless. All of the other brushettas were loved by all the guests, arugula salad was good, the rigatoni was good, veggie frittata in pics was tasty, the favorites were the nutella french toast, avocado toast, and spuntino pec.

i posted pics of the decoration after the party bc i forgot to take them before. The party room that holds 40 has beautiful floral decor which made my life easier. I just added a few more pieces and balloons. It was very pretty and right outside were the restrooms. Bathrooms are very clean and roomy.

The managers were very nice, and the waiters were super attentive and all around lovely. Of course I love the chef and hes the reason I chose this location to host. I would definitely recommend this restaurant for hosting. If you do dont be afraid to speak up as I did and everyone who worked there, helped with anything the guests needed. I will be returning for dinner to try their new seasonal bruschettas!...I forgot to add the drinks are also fantastic. Wine is strong so pace yourself! Lastly they accomodated for a Vegan diet and separate allergies guests had.

ONCE AGAIN...HIGHLY...

I never thought I’d be writing this, especially years after my employment ended at this establishment. I came in recently for dinner with my partner, hoping to enjoy a peaceful and quality night out. We spent a good amount, expecting an experience that matched that level of grace and hospitality. Instead, what we received was a disappointing reminder of unresolved bias and poor handling by management. To give context , I was terminated from this job a few years ago due to a negative review and later informed I was banned. The reason? Allegedly, an employee felt “intimidated by my presence.” While I respect anyone’s right to feel safe in their workspace, I find it difficult to believe that a business with such a corporate standard of professionalism would uphold such a subjective and personal reason without proper investigation or dialogue. What’s worse is that no one said a word about this “ban” upon our arrival. We were seated, dined, paid, and only after the bill was processed and our evening essentially concluded, were we approached and told we shouldn’t have been there in the first place. If this had been communicated upfront, we would have left without issue. Instead, the delay felt disrespectful, as if the situation was allowed to play out just to avoid confrontation until after securing the sale. This wasn’t just about being told to leave, it was about the lack of transparency, professionalism, and basic courtesy. I came in as a guest, not a former employee, and was treated based on someone’s personal discomfort rather than my actions. That’s a poor reflection of leadership and policy. I truly hope management reevaluates how situations like this are handled moving forward , not just for the sake of past employees, but for the dignity of all...