Speck Italian Eatery

From the moment I made reservations (and then changed them because we were late to get into town) the service was great. The restaurant is so cute, very fun and funky and modern at the same time.

We sat at the chef's counter and it's fun to watch them cook your food. We watched the pastry cook made desserts all night and he was so friendly. He even gifted us a sorbet - now I can't remember what it was but something fruity/citrusy with some sea salt and olive oil. Holy cow it was GOOD. We also got the tiramisu, which is layers of bitter espresso whip, Marscapone ice cream and chopped lady fingers ... phenomenal. Hands down best tiramisu I've ever had and I am a pastry chef.

But back to the savory food- we started with the potatoes (add a side of lemon aioli for your mind to be blown) and focaccia. Very tasty! For two of us it was a large portion.

Then I ordered the special... some ricotta and basil stuffed ravioli, sauce less but with short rib and the short rib juices, and crispy pine nuts - WOOOOOOOW. I mean. WOW!

My husband got the Ragu and it had a kick to it - which was a pleasant surprise for my slice loving guy. He basically licked that bowl clean.

15/10 seriously delicious. Oh and we got the lemon cookies to go, an amazing late night treat and snack with our coffee the next morning

Mmmmmm! Just had a top five 2024 meal at this downtown Italian restaurant. On my last night of a 27 day usa work tour, I was looking for the best dinner possible.

I opened with the Burrata, did not come with tomato, but instead a delightful thin cured ham, and a mozza ball in a bath of olive oil that went down perfectly.

The Shishito peppers were next and the lemon creme sauce served on the side was an ideal balance of citrus and spice. Parmesan crust was the third corner of a feast for my palate, Still smiling an hour later.

Next I had Pasta al oglio, following italian dining tradition, These guys are serving american portions so there was some kind discussion of whether I could eat an appetizer, a pasta, and entree, and a salad to finish. I asked for the pasta half size and continued my traditional dinner.

A few pine nuts in a well prepared house made pasta meant I finished all my spaghetti.

At the same time the neighboring table had a focaccia delivered that looked amazing, Next time!

The Chianti short ribs came next. Tender, not overcooked and wonderful. Served on a delicious polenta flavored with hard cheeses and reminded me of great southern grits just a little bit. Presentation over a large rib bone was also beautiful.

I had to finish with the Bibb salad in Italian tradition, but on a normal day this and the Burrata would have made a good meal.

There is a 100% chance I will be back on my next Columbus Ohio visit! Get here if you can...

Beef Short Rib, and the accompanying Polenta is the best I have ever had. It was so creamy and flavorful, the rib was so tender and slightly fatty. Oh man I want another one right now.

Bone marrow was good but the pasta that came with it was super herby strong.

The staff are super friendly and good at their job. There is a healthcare charge, they say it on the menu, and I am glad to pay it for these great workers! You can have it removed if you ask them.

Food and service were outstanding! Management is very disappointing.

Came in on a Tuesday night for dinner. Had a glass of the Super Tuscan that was very good, though a nice cab is more my style. Had the focaccia bread which was crazy good as well as the Sausage Ragu which was even better than the bread! Would have taken home a quart of it if they sold it that way. Waitress agreed that was a good idea and asked the kitchen, but came back with an email address to see if something could be arranged (after 48 hours, no response). Finished with the Maritozzo that was drenched in raspberry and lemon- OMG was it good!

My only complaint is their pricing structure. They lay a health insurance guilt trip on you by applying a 3% surcharge to your check so they don't have to pay for their employees to get heath care. This is ridiculous. You either want to provide health care or you don't. Separating it on the bill is akin to a hospital asking for a facility fee...can't really do one without the other. Are you going to put the building's lease as a surcharge on the bill in the future? Health care is a cost of doing business. Raise your prices to cover it if you feel you can't take it out of your existing EBITDA. For what it's worth, I've had several great meals over the last 2 months in Columbus, this being one of them. This was the LEAST expensive of the visits I've had.

We've been meaning to come here for a while. This is an excellent restaurant in downtown Columbus, a very close walk from one of its sister restaurant Veritas.

I thought the ambiance, food, and service were all wonderful. The main room itself is very large with tall ceilings. From the moment you walk in to the restaurant, the staff greets you and makes you feel welcome and comfortable. Our server was especially knowledgeable and very friendly.

The food was delicious. We started with the mussels--which was a very shareable dish and quite large. The short ribs were amazing -- fall of the bone and melt in your mouth good. My wife really liked her sausage Ragu as well. We look forward to returning!

First thing that hit me about this place was, it has the best location smack dab in the heart of downtown, and the decor and ambiance it creates is epic. Urban bohemian Bright and fresh are the words I'd use to describe it. My coworkers had the salads and I had the pomodoro. The dish was packed full of flavor. Silly pasta noodles, creamy sauce and the ricotta and chive oil were sooooo good I could eat it on every pasta dish for the rest of my life. The coolest thing is that not only can you see the kitchen and the chefs making your meal but you can also see the prep kitchen in the upper level through a glass wall. I saw them making the pasta I was eating. Very cool experience.

Recommendation to owners: I didn't take any points off for this cause I know your a new location and restaurant, but, it's important because after I recommended you to some friends they all complained about not being able to make a reservation online. So please either fix your online reservation system or update your phone system. Was impossible for us to make reservation as well the second time we came. Thanks!!!

I've been wanting to try speck since their days in downtown Delaware. Happy we finally made it happen. Downtown Columbus location that seems to have many metered street parking spaces. We were able to park in front utilizing the new Cbus parking app.

Our order consisted of focaccia bread loaf, house made, and it cost $9. The bread was 5* but I'm mixed in paying that much. It was so tasty. We paired that with the 5* Caesar and a very cold Peroni draught.

We ordered the Pomodoro and Bone Marrow Pastas. The Pomodoro was 5*, the Bone Marrow pasta was kind of dry for me, the dish is a good idea though, just not for me even though I love bone marrow.

We were ably served by Eric. Clean bathrooms thanks for that.

We are fans fog sure!

We made a reservation about a week in advance for a Saturday night. The only times available were 5:00 or 8:00 so I would definitely recommend making reservations well in advance! The reservation process was easy but you do have to pay $20 per person in the reservation that doesn't go towards the bill and you have to wait to be refunded back. They also require 48 hours notice of cancellation. These rules seem like a bit much for me, especially for a Columbus restaurant, but I had heard lots of good things and was still interested in trying.

The parking wasn't super convenient, there was metered parking in the front however on a Saturday night it was all full. We parked in a parking garage around about a block away and didn't have too bad of a walk.

We came to our reservation a bit earlier but were able to be seated right away. The restaurant itself is very cute, but I did use the restroom and there were paper towels, toilet paper, and water splattered. It seemed dirty for such a nice place. When we sat down we were also told they were out of quite a few things: panzanella salad, Milanese, steak, when you're here signature cocktail. I was interested in the panzanella salad and was disappointed I couldn't try it and that there were so many items that were unavailable.

We ordered the gem lettuce, focaccia, a rum and coke, and aeperol spritz. The salad and bread was fantastic, however i do feel $9 for bread is a bit much. For our mains we ordered the sausage ragu and spaghetti alla arrabiata. I'm typically not a fan of sausage pastas but I thought the ragu was very good. The spaghetti alla arrabiata was delicious but VERY VERY spicy (the server did let us know it was hot when we ordered but I had underestimated how hot it would be as I can usually handle very spicy food lol). I think I would have enjoyed the flavor a bit more if it was less spicy but that's a personal preference. For dessert we ordered the maritozzo and an espresso martini. The maritozzo was very yummy, a great balance of savory and sweet. The espresso martini wasn't my favorite that I've had but it did have some cute hearts in the foam lol.

I think speck is very unique and such a hidden gem! I tried lots of flavors I don't think I would have tried had I not visited. I would be interested in coming again and trying new menu items, especially some of their seasonal dishes!

Delicious! Been on the radar and was so glad to finally go before the Somebody Feed Phil show at the Riffe Center tonight. Had a delicious vermentino and the burrata/speck w crostini was perfection. Look forward to heading back and trying all the things. Kudos to the super helpful bartender! Cute and lively atmosphere.

Amazing spot in downtown Ohio--the best meal I had in Columbus!

The Sausage Ragu dish I ordered has so much flavor and was absolutely delicious!! Highly recommend if you're in the mood for delicious, handmade Italian.

The interior was beautiful decorated, even down to the menus. Really enjoyed my experience here.