11/07/09

Waste of an evening

by raleighreviews

Although nice enough, the staff was about as helpful as a blank dictionary, and offered zero enthusiasm or personality. The bread was dry, and there instead of olive oil, they brought out a little bowl of white paste that very closely resembled bird droppings. The menu itself was unauthentic, unexciting and surprisingly limited. I had the salmon which was served over a cold mess of cucumbers and tomatoes- disgusting combination- and cold- really? My companion had the risotto, which last time I checked, isn't supposed to be crunchy... Basically, if you're looking for an enjoyable meal, either stay home or go somewhere else. The only place worse is their sister restaurant Coquette.

• Pros: When the check came
• Cons: Where should I start

09/20/09

If you're watching your calories, this is a great place!

by Gnat Happy

To save time, here is the email I sent to the contact person. Read on.....

Subject: My 1st Experience at Vivace was today and....

It was pretty bad. My friend and I met at Vivace at 1:00 PM today for lunch. We were both surprised that there was only a brunch menu and not a lunch menu available at 1:00? We both went online prior to arriving and didn't see anywhere that stated only a brunch menu would be available? But given that it was Sunday, we just said "oh well". The waitress did inform us that the chef might make us meals from the lunch menu if those food items were available, which they were today. While we waited for our meals, we were joined by a 3rd guest; a gnat, which constantly flew around our little table. This annoyed me. Lunch finally arrived and we were both shocked at the portions. Both the swordfish and salmon seemed to suffer from malnutrition. But we pressed on and talked ourselves into believing that since we were both watching our weight, the portions served at Vivace would help us achieve our weight loss goal in the long term. The gnat agreed. While eating lunch, the gnat sent a text on his blackberry asking a friend to join us and soon there was a fly trying to sample my salmon, but I wouldn't let him. There just simply wasn't enough to share. We decided to skip desert and go on with the rest of our day.

We both had heard such great things about your restaurant and one of my co-workers raved about Vivace. He also talked about how good the wine was so now I have to wonder if he was completely zooted to suggest this restaurant to me? My friend and I both were terribly disappointed.

Needless to say we will never return.....

• Pros: Good Location, Easy Access
• Cons: Need magnifying lense to see portions.

06/03/09

good, not great

by LMar

Menu has remained the same for quite a while and dining room can be hot. Food is fantastic. Wish there was more variety.

• Pros: some healthy, delicious choices
• Cons: menu is stagnant

03/27/09

Maddeningly loud

by carolynobrien

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.

• Cons: loud, loud, loud

03/03/09

Great Birthday for My Husband

by lsig

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.

• Pros: great service and food
• Cons: none

01/29/09

You Must Love Vivace's

by comeonseriously

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.

• Pros: Amazing kitchen, great service, great patio
• Cons: Not a good place to go if like to whine about issues.

11/13/08

Best Italian Food and Service in Raleigh!

by glashock1960

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!

11/04/08

Not Quite the Evening I Had Planned

by RJFV

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.

• Pros: Food
• Cons: Service, Atmosphere

11/03/08

great place to grab a drink

by jmarta12

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

07/26/08

Best patio in Raleigh

by Terrapinfan

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.

• Pros: Service
• Cons: Parking