Spruzzo Restaurant & Bar — Restaurant in Los Angeles

Spruzzo doesn’t look like much from the outside, but once you open the doors, you are greeted by a welcoming, well-appointed modern restaurant. The servers are attentive, friendly, and well-educated about their offerings, and the atmosphere is casual but upscale. It is a very nice place to spend your time, that is unfortunately let down by the food we were served.

The focaccia bread that was brought out to start was a bit bland—this will be a theme—and tough, a bit firm on the edges. Our appetizer, the bruschetta, had good flavor—although it leaned a bit too heavily on the basil and garlic—but was served on the toasted french bread rather than aside to, resulting in the bread not being terribly crisp.

The menu itself belies the nature of the cuisine served—foods like carbonara advertised with cream amongst their ingredients (traditionally, a carbonara sauce is made only with parmesan, egg, and pasta water). I ordered the chicken parmesan, my wife, the pesto rigatoni. Both dishes were sizable, large enough that neither of us finished our meals, but also were unfortunately rather one-note and uninteresting. Neither bad, per se, but also nothing to make them sparkle. In the end, both were more reminiscent of Olive Garden than authentic Italian. For me, it would be a nice place to have some drinks, perhaps, but sadly not one I would return to for the quality of...

Spruzzo in the Palisades offers a decent atmosphere—nothing overly fancy, but it’s relaxed and comfortable enough to enjoy a casual meal. The food was pretty good overall from what I tasted, and I appreciated that they had a respectable selection of vegan items, which isn’t always the case at similar spots.

Their vegan pizza, topped with vegan cheese and fresh veggies, was spot on—flavorful, nicely balanced, and satisfying without feeling overly heavy. It’s always refreshing to find a place that takes vegan options seriously rather than just throwing together a salad or pasta.

If you’re in the area and want a laid-back spot with solid food and good vegan choices, Spruzzo is definitely...

I would give this restaurant and owner 10 stars out of 5 if I was able.

My brain was fried after pulling a camper in rush hour LA traffic and I ordered from the wrong restaurant location. The owner personally drove my food and met me halfway so I would make it back to the state park before the gate closed and I’d be locked out all night. I’m currently face deep in some delicious chicken parmesan, fish and chips, garlic bread, and staring intently at the tiramisu.

I will probably order from them again...