Comings & Goings: Vespa Restaurant to National Hall

The long vacant ground floor space in National Hall, 2A Post Road West, is about to be filled with the debut of Vespa, a 120-seat Italian casual dining restaurant. Executive Chef Brian Reilly (l) and Pasta Chef Laura Bonechi were busy today preparing for the restaurant’s soft opening. No official opening date has been announced. Vespa is the latest venture by New York-based restaurant group Experience Hospitality, headed by owner Bobby Wehane of Westport. The group recently partnered in NEAT Coffee and Craft Cocktails at nearby 6 Wilton Road, where Reilly also worked. Vespa, named after the Italian scooter, will be a return to the past. After the building converted to a 15-room luxury hotel in 1993, there were several restaurants on the ground floor, but they gave way to office space in 2005. Plans for the restaurant were originally announced in July 2013. (See WestportNow July 15, 2013)  (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Helen Klisser During for WestportNow.com