Vivace

Recommends

LMar

Joined 4 years ago

good, not great. Menu has remained the same for quite a while and dining room can be hot. Food is fantastic. Wish there was more variety.

Doesn't Recommend

carolynobrien

Joined 6 years ago

Maddeningly loud. How can you tell whether the food is good or bad in an atmosphere like that? I had an appetizer and a glass of wine. Left without dinner because of the racket.

Recommends

lsig

Joined 5 years ago

Great Birthday for My Husband. We ate at Vivace for my husband's birthday. Our server was wonderful. She was so kind when my husband spilled his Sangria. She gave us another one right away. We all loved our food and we were seated quickly.

Recommends

comeonseriously

Joined 4 years ago

You Must Love Vivace's. This is by far, one of the best restaurants in Raleigh, and definitely the best Italian restaurant in Raleigh.

My wife and I went there based on buzz and rabid recommendations. Usually, when you have high hopes for a restaurant, especially Italian, those hopes can be easily dashed. Not the case. The Ox Tail as an appetizer was perfect. Right resistance to the teeth, and an unbelievably colourful taste. Extraordinary. The waiters knowledge of wine was impressive. The information was obviously learned very recently, but learned very well. He brought a spicy Greek red that was so perfect that I had him give me the name so I could hunt it down later. The Risotto was perfect. Perfect resistance, perfect seasoning....Perfect. The steak was so good, I wanted to meet the cow. The house coffee and tiramisu followed suit.

Now, to the detractors.

-You think the total of your bill= the level of service you received? Seriously? That is all in your head.

-You didn't make a reservation, and you were upset that they were busy, and let that colour your whole visit? Come on!

-Being a server for 4 years, and a "cook" and sous chef for 6 is painfully mediocre. Easy on the Grappa.

-You are not comparing Italian Italian cuisine to American Italian cuisine, are you? Really? Come on! And saying that the good reviews are written by friends of the owner? THAT is a little "clunky"!

-You experienced timing issues with your courses, the manager caught the problem and comp'd you dessert, and you still won't come back. Very reasonable...

-"Food was good, but not great". Please, not so much information at once!

And to all, a great restaurant is going to be busy, crowded, and noisy! This is not a bad thing. If you want quiet, the museums have restaurants. And you won't need a reservation.

Recommends

glashock1960

Joined 5 years ago

Best Italian Food and Service in Raleigh!. I am not certain what restaurant the previous reviewer was talking about but it certainly couldn't have been Vivace. I have been a frequent customer for 2 years and the reasons I keep coming back time and again is the great food and service. I definitely can dispute the assertion that Vivace doesn't give great service unless you buy an expensive wine or have a large party. I usually come in alone and my bill is usually anywhere from $10-$20. That is the reason why I continued to come back. No one has ever made me feel unwelcome because I just come in alone or don't buy the expensive wine. The other reason is the fantastic food. The dishes they come up with are amazing! I would recommend Vivace to anyone!

Doesn't Recommend

RJFV

Joined 5 years ago

Not Quite the Evening I Had Planned. While the food was fairly above-average, Vivace's service is what left a bad taste in my mouth. Our waitress was slow and rarely available, leaving us to wait sometimes 15-20 minutes before she brought our drinks or took our order. I wonder, though, if we'd had a $150 bottle of wine on our table if we would have been treated any differently. Those around us who were drinking wine or who were with larger parties were visited often while my party of two seemed only to be a bother.

I wouldn't recommend this place for a romantic evening and definitely not for a first date; it's loud and feels very cramped. However, I would recommend this place for a group of people who want to go to a fairly trendy place where fine wine, good food, and time with friends are more important than quality service.

Recommends

jmarta12

Joined 5 years ago

great place to grab a drink. this is my favorite place to grab a glass of wine with friends. staff is friendly & service is great!

Recommends

Terrapinfan

Joined 5 years ago

Best patio in Raleigh. I have to say that Vivace offers the best outdoor dining in Raleigh and Thursday nights are a must. Great service, fantastic atmosphere, and the food was phenomenal! All of the staff is friendly and the drinks are amazing. I have recommended this restaurant to all of my friends.

Doesn't Recommend

lessnow59

Joined 5 years ago

Appetizers were good but some improvement is needed.. I went with 2 girlfriends on a Wednesday night. I was surprised to find out we should have made reservations. Who makes reservations for a Wednesday night? We ended up getting lucky and were seated outside. It was a great night for outside dining. We ordered the red sangria. Very good but not the drink to have outside. It attracted too many flies. We ordered the four cheese pizza with carmalized onions and portobello mushrooms. It was delicious, though the crust was difficult to cut. I ordered the risotti with corn, shrimp, and arugula. I was extremely disappointed in this dish. The risotti was not cooked enough and the dish was bland. It needed salt and pepper. Vivace does have a very extensive wine list, if that is what you are looking for. Everyone at the tables around us did seem to enjoy their wine selections.

Recommends

LitlC119

Joined 5 years ago

Four Cheese pizza is incredible! great tiramisu!. Vivace has a wonderful atmosphere to relax and enjoy the best italian food in Raleigh! The patio is great and the restaurant is decorated beautifully. very knowledgeble bartender, especially when choosing wine! He encouraged us to try a bottle of Amarone and it went very well with what everyone was having. I can't wait until my next visit to Vivace!!