Review La Spezia - Essendon

Tried this place based on its solid review score and the fact my regular was closed. The Hot and Tasty pizza was neither hot nor tasty. Large chunks of uncooked toppings and what were supposed to be jalapenos, tasted and looked like pickles. Still not sure what they were. The price was higher than other similar places too. The only saving grace was the garlic pizza which was quite good. Unfortunately, I won't return.

Absolute rubbish. Don't bother. The Italian food is not authentic...these new owners aren't even Italian??? So how can they call themselves LaSpezia. We miss the old owners. Such a shame. They've destroyed the name.

My fiance have been here a couple times and it's always been an absolute treat. I get the meat lovers and my wife gets the Margherita pizza. The meat lovers is jam packed with flavour and it's always hot and crisp. I can say the same about the Margherita pizza. Prices are very reasonable for how much food you get and the quality. Not to mention, it's always service with a smile. Even if they don't know you, the folks working there always look happy to have you there. It's not just pizza, it's an experience. And it's an experience my fiance and I will keep going back for.

We absolutely LOVE this place! Always our first choice for pizza and pasta. Authentic home made food. Feels like going home for dinner. The pizzas are to die for; thin crust and fresh, real ingredients ,even REAL ham! Love the simplicity yet quality of the food. The matriciana is my favourite too, smoky with a good amount of heat. We love the owners who work long, long hours but are always so friendly and welcoming. We may eat here way too often I think! WARNING ⚠️ This little gem now has new owners!! It’s just not the same anymore!

Loved the food, wasn't to busy and surprised at the output coming from the small open kitchen they have. Good work to the owners! I'd eat there again

I’ve been eating at La Spezia for a number of years now both in the restaurant and take away. I’ve never once had a bad meal and it’s my ‘go to’ local pizza/pasta restaurant. The staff are so friendly (it’s feels like you are apart of their family!) and the food is delicious! It tastes just like a home made meal. Highly recommend trying their schnitzel and chips, margherita pizza or spaghetti bolognese which are all fantastic! Delivery time is always quick and arrives within their estimated time frame given when you order. 5/5 stars for a great local restaurant!

This is a post from my last week's order. Feb 2021..This place used to have amazing pizzas. Sorry to say from the moment I opened my pizza box (and I was excited to see them on Uber eats) I new something was amiss and have since discovered there are new owners and the recipes of the pizza bases are now just the same as every other pizza joint locally. Pizzas aren't bad but they are now just another pizza place and they have taken my favourite off the menu. Not to mention my dietary system suffered a lot the next day! The foccacia was just another pizza base not a foccacia! I'm so sad that Sam and Diana have left the business as its a dying art for amazing traditional home made food. :( My Post 2 years ago all prior to Feb 2021:A most unasuming place for a warm welcome, great home made pasta and fabulous traditional pizza with crispy crust. Im a local that now makes a once a week pasta (and pizza on the odd occasion) mission to visit. The owners ARE the business and they make it their business to welcome you. I just love getting food from here.

A hidden gem in the heart of Essendon. The food is flavourful, delicious, home made and the portions are great! The atmosphere is quaint. The people there make you feel at home and at ease. A Friday night ritual at La Spezia!

The Melanzane Pasta is to die for!!!!!! What a gem of a place, obviously a family affair, food and service outstanding- we told the lovely waitress we were on a time line, she had all our meals out within about 5 minutes!!! Authentic Italian, Awesome place if there were any more stars they'd get them!

Needed a meal before heading to the airport couldn't find anywhere else open on a Monday but so glad we stumbled upon it because we had an amazing meal! Very cosy and friendly, we had pizzas and pasta and had nothing to complain about! Definitely recommend!

What an amazing meal!!! Delicious traditional food will be back. Friendly service delicious food great prices 😊

My new favourite local Italian place! <br/>Thank you for going above and beyond with your service and food! <br/>The complimentary garlic bread was the cherry on the cake! 🤗

The owners are so incredibly sweet and welcoming. We come here when we feel like traditional, home<br/>cooked Italian food. We love the puttanesca pasta which tastes as good as the pasta in Positano. Love this small family run restaurant so much!

Food was ok! shared a pizza and chips for lunch with the husband. We asked for potatoes on our pizza which did not come. Service was friendly but a bit slow for a half filled restaurant. I probably wouldn’t come back.

A quaint Italian joint on the busy streets of Mount Alexander Road<br/><br/>Ordered: <br/>Gnocchi in Pollo Funghi: Chicken, mushroom & a cream sauce ($17.00)<br/><br/>Review: <br/>Although the presentation looks a little gloopy, the gnocchi, mushroom and chicken were quite yummy. Even though the cream sauce became a little overbearing, my gnocchi craving was satisfied. Was given a generous amount of cheese to sprinkle over my pasta which I thought was lovely. <br/><br/>We also received complementary garlic bread which was fresh, warm and delicious on the house!! <br/><br/>If I would be able to make a suggestion - the plastic/paper tablecloth wasn't particularly comfortable nor does it inspire warmth. Stripping away the white, the dark wood table would seem very lovely and the colour would make the restaurant seem more inviting.<br/>During the dining the restaurant seemed somewhat empty even when there was continuous stream of people who came in to buy takeaway pizza. It made me realise that most customers don't want to spend their time in a restaurant to dine out, especially when it is a non-gourmet pizza.<br/>Eat out at these joints people!! I think it's lovely when restaurants are able to put a face and a smile behind the order.

The family that own this places are always so warm and welcoming. Each time we order our pasta dishes they throw in a cheesy garlic focaccia on the house. Old school pizza/pasta shop serving up home cooked style pasta and no frills pizza that always hits the spot. This place is totally unpretentious and definitely a favourite haunt when we're in the mood for comforting carbs. A fave with the locals for sure!

Simple, wholesome and tasty food. Friendly owners and good service . Suitable for kids and family. Vegetarian options limited but good. Will visit again. <br/><br/>

One of the most authentic and delicious pizza's around. Also the owner of this place is an absolute legend. Could not recommend higher, vegetarian options are substantial and delicious.

This place is the really something! We had garlic pizza, pollo fungi gnocchi and amatriciana fettuccine. All 3 dishes were amazing and the pasta cooked perfect. Gnocchi was next level, and also for the price and service it was hard for us to fault anything. Atmosphere is homely and inviting and we'll certainty return

Delicious food. Wonderful service. Will most definitely return soon. An absolutely wonderful night, left happy and full! <br/>No faults 🙂. <br/>Staff very friendly and welcoming!

Delicious thin based pizza. Staff extremely welcoming. Take away and eat in both good. Kid-friendly. We are regulars and feel part of the family

Nice little Italian restaurant for dining. I usually get takeaway pasta/pizza. <br/>I personally prefer their pasta over pizza. Owner/staff is a very friendly lady, & at times you can also get customised pasta/pizza. <br/>Portion size is great value for money!   Only problem is they don't accept cards below 20 $ bill. <br/>Overall, great Italian food.

Have frequented La Spezia over the years and have never been disappointed. The decor is quite plain but the food and service make up for it. Fantastic pizzas and pastas, which are consistently good. Service always with a smile. Will keep going back!

Great lil family restaurant, beautiful home recipes that are consistently good. It's a great lil gem of Essendon that continuously punches above its weight.

Beautiful pizza and salads. Very thin base with quality toppings.<br/>Beautiful service and people, treat you as if you are a guest at there dinner table.<br/>Recommend.<br/><br/>

Authentic family business with service that never disappoints . Best Pizza in the Essendon area by far & the pasta dishes are great as well. Love it

The food tastes like something you would get at nonna's house! So so tasty!! The spaghetti bolognese was perfect and the pizza had a lovely thin base.. We will be back :)

Love this place, great food, excellent service and the prices are affordable, a great little family style place!! The ownder Diana, is lovely and always greets you with a smile..you can tell they love their restaurant and the passion shows in the food!

I really enjoy this little italian place. Its small.and family owned and you can tell. The lady who waits the tables is always super friendly and adds to the overall experience. The pizza is always tasty and cooked to perfection, while the pasta has not disappointed either

I've had pizza from here a few times now, and the staff are very friendly, pizzas are tasty. Thin pizza base which I prefer. Pretty good on prices , can't go wrong with this place.

CARBONARA, AL FUNGHI & GARLIC PIZZA. The pastas were silky soft, but not soggy, and so it was enjoyable for us. The Al Funghi sauce had a light savoury flavour to it, but the Carbonara was a little bit bland. Normally cream based pastas feel sickening after awhile, but these two pastas didn't, which is a good thing - maybe because the sauce slipped off the pasta? Both pasta sauces were quite runny, but that didn't bother us considering that overall pasta texture and flavour were good. The big highlight was the garlic pizza ; ) it was hot all the way through (in temperature), puffy, tasty and not burnt. The only negative I would say about the pizza is that it was a little too oily on the surface. But other than that it was favoured well and deliciously cheesy! Very friendly staff - keep up the good stuff!

La Spezia has been a go to place for my girlfriend and I not just because of the great food but because of the hospitality, the lady that works there reminds me of a much younger version of my nonna full of joy and makes sure you walk out with a full stomach. It is authentic italian, the place has warmth as well has heart and its evident in the food and service :)

Very Disappointed. Wanted to try this restaurant out based on the great reviews here. Ordered the prosciutto gourmet pizza, calamari rings and greek salad. The prosciutto on the pizza was going rancid, the calamari rings tasted like frozen packet calamari and the salad was completely smothered in vinegar and hardly edible as a result. Walked out of the restaurant feeling very unsatisfied. Will not be back.

Welcoming, excellent customer service!. One of the things I like about this place is that everyone smiles and seems genuinely pleased to see you. All the staff here are happy, and lovely. My kids love it here because they feel welcomed. Food is great, no mistake, but what sets this place apart is warmth and atmosphere. Make it your "local" and you won't be disappointed.

What a little beauty!!!!. We went last.....we are so happy to find this pizza cafe close to home<br/>Not only is the food FANTASTIC but the SERVICE was really great too<br/>WE WILL RETURN with family & friends

Old school. Reminds me of pizza restaurants in the 80's - genuinely good food, lovely service, will definitely be back again.

Simply spot on. A simple and very casual place to eat. Service was outstanding, food very tasty and prices pretty good too. I'll definitely be going back for another visit.

Yumo. Great casual pizzeria, fantastic service and the best pizza around !!! We will be back soon!!

Great Food, good service. Lovely home cooked Italian food!

My friends and I frequent this venue all year round. Best variety of pizza and pasta. Spezia special and the ability to alter you pasta dishes is a winner! Cheesy garlic bread always a great starter. Great people, great food, great restaurant. Easily the best in Essendon

This hidden little gem is amazing! The staff are so friendly and welcoming and the food was sensational. Taditional authentic pizza and home made pasta! This place won't dissapoint!

This is Pizza!!. I have tried a couple of different pizzas from here, but my favourite is classic and simple- Margarita with mushrooms. All the ingredients are really fresh and high quality. I would highly recommend La Spezia to anyone who wants yummy food in a warm lovely restaurant.

Best In Essendon. Have lived in the area for 20 years and for some reason never been here until recently. It is clearly the best pizza/pasta restaurant in Essendon and surrounding areas. Totally unpretentious but great local feel and friendly atmosphere here. We've started going there regularly and tried a variety of pizzas and pastas and all have exceeded expectations. <br/>Definitely our favourite local restaurant now!

Enjoyed. Felt like Italian. this hot the spot. Carbonara, greek salad, and pizza. authentic, old fashioned Italian.

Wow never knew this place existed and have to say it was delicious ... Really good cannelloni and the pizzas were delicious

Tonight was the second time I've been. Last time I came I tried their pizza and was absolutely amazed. By far the best I've ever had. Tonight I decided to try their pasta and I was blown away. Not only was it delicious but I couldn't finish my plate the serving was so large. And I only paid $16! Never have I been to a place where the owners actually interact with the customers with such respect. I have recommended all my friends here it is just wonderful!

As soon as we walked through the door I knew dinner had begun with something special; friendly and welcoming faces greeted us on arrival plus the decor was very sweet and homely. Perfect for a relaxed dinner after a busy day at work.<br/><br/>Firstly, we ordered the Sam's Special Gourmet pizza; one word to describe it is amazing! The base was one of the best I have tasted, thin, with the perfect ratio of dough to crust. Overall, it was very light and didn't weigh you down.<br/><br/>Next, we ordered two Porterhouse steaks; both cooked to perfection. The meat was deliciously tender and the sauce on both wasn't too heavy or rich. <br/><br/>All in all, our dining experience at La Spezia was one of the best. You really do get value for money here; great portion sizes and just the right amount of pizza topping. This place proven to me that being comfortable and eating good wholesome food is the key to truly enjoying your meal.

Authentic Local. I was in the mood for some authentic pizza and drove past this place en route to the airport. (Clearly been there a long time but judging by me being the first review is new to Urbanspoon.) I couldn't perform my obligatory Urbanspoon reconnaissance but a near full restaurant and a grumbling stomach prompted me to give it a go.<br/><br/>It was a little family run number where they were on a first name basis with almost every customer that walked in the door. It made me envious that I'm still anonymous to my local pizza place but at the same time told me I'd stumbled on a hidden secret kept only for the Essendon locals!<br/><br/>I ordered the Mt Alexander special and the Garlic Pizza. Both were delicious. The base is amazing. Fresh, doughy yet crunchy and very flavorsome. It's the key to a good pizza in my opinion. Very happy with my decision and will definitely head back next time I'm in Melbourne!