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Vivo
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- Yes
9 reviews for Vivo
9 reviews in English
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Review from John S.
2/22/2012
Went here for a company Christmas party and was very impressed. We had a rather large group so I thought the "family style" service (bringing out the courses in large bowls and everyone serves themselves) might be a bit of a chore, but it worked out great. Each course (from salad/veges to meat to dessert (with a few inbetween)) proved to be more than enough for all at our table. The food was outstanding - perfectly prepared and tasty. Since the boss was picking up the tab, I don't know how much this impressive meal cost, but I get the feeling it was substantial - but that's what bosses are for, eh?
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Review from ron e.
Edmonton, AB
4/12/2012
flavor=7 $=7 service=$8 atmosphere=8 menu=8
avg=7.6
i have seen a lot of reviews about this place. but i wanted to see it myself.
saw this review on the avenue couple months ago about the chicken on the brick
or brick on the chicken? looked like a good dish.
now, its dark from outside. you don't even know if they're open or not.
as soon as you enter its classy looking. reminded me of century grill
sort of but the lighting wasn't as dark. the open kitchen is a great concept.
i loved it. the exit door from inside looks weird though......
my wife and i ordered the caprese salad, the pesto pasta with scallop, and
after a long debate, went with the lamb chops instead of the chicken. i mean
i've been craving lamb for the longest time.
the caprese salad was real refreshing. varieties of tomatoes, fresh
mozzarella and a little bit of pesto. bam! nailed it. it was a big dish so we
picked on it throughout the meal.
the pasta. i haven't had a great pasta in edmonton yet. and after the visit
here, still...... i haven't had a great pasta yet. a little salty to me and the
scallop were grilled and just on it. i didn't feel like it was a part of the dish.
it was good but i wouldn't have it again.
the lamb chops. we asked for medium. we didn't get it that way. 2 out of 5 were
but the rest were medium well so that's a shame. its a big deal to me actually.
because i love lamb and also especially because the dish with the rosemary
potatoes added up to $57!
we couldn't go for dessert cause it was a lot of food. but their dessert menu
seemed a little weak.
service was attentive. excessive to me. i'm a person who go to restaurants
to enjoy my food, not to build a relationship with my server. paying me almost
10 visits on a three meal course is a bit too much....especially when the chef
himself delivers the food to me.
so the total was $115 and we had no wine so slightly above the rest of the
restaurants.but since their menu is interesting, i would go for another visit. -
Review from Yunn A.
Updated - 2/25/2012
Came here a second time. The Caprese salad still fantastic. I think it is because they add a bit of home made pesto that adds a different dimension to the taste. Fettucine was huge, chewy and delicious, the pappardelle was just as tasty. Our server was a bit annoying though and forgot one of my drink orders, but the manager was pleasant and acme by a few times to ensure we we having a good time. not a bad choice in Edmonton when the choices are pretty limited.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/1/2011
Fantastic tomato salad; the best I've ever had, and delicious non-cream (it's BUTTER) alfredo sauce… Read more »
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Review from Antonella C.
Edmonton, AB
9/27/2011
I am giving this one 3 stars because as a new restaurant it has potential, to be sure and hopefully, they will stick to what they are knowing how to do and perhaps consider a few things.
1. A Margherita Flatbread NEVER has any other cheese on it. It is to be made with only FRESH mozzarella cheese, fresh tomato and basil. DONE. PLEASE, PLEASE do NOT make it with extra cheeses, especially an Asiago or Romano (or whatever extra cheese you added that made it SO salty).
2. In reference to point 1, keep making the flatbread dough as you are, it is VERY good....again, killed by the fact that you chose to add more than the requisite ingredients to the Margherita.
3. The Risotto all'Aragosta (Lobster Risotto) with mushrooms was VERY good, so I sincerely hope you continue with it. The lobster in it, was THERE, nice pieces and had a delicate flavour in which you could taste the lobster without it competing with the mushrooms. On a chilly night, it hit the spot.
4. Consider the noise level...it is a lively place to be sure, however, I hope it doesn't get any noisier than it was on Friday night, September 23.
With the above said, I would recommend this new place to try. It serves its dishes "family style" and has two sizes: 1/2 order is for 2 people, a full is typically for 4--and this is for the "Primi Piatti" (in Italian these are your starches)....this is really nice and the server was great to explain it straight away. The other option they do offer is for the "Secondi" they are single servings and they also have the "Contorni" (Sides) also family style and you can order one that serves 2 people.
They have a nice wine list and we ordered a bottle of the Bella Vista spumante (which is new from Lombardy/Lombardia and to make it the winery uses the French Champagne Method). VERY nice with our dinner and we thank the manager of the restaurant for pointing it out to us :-]
Now to my next bit which really, it is an issue for me....however, IF you are going to have an Italian restaurant and go to the trouble of creating dishes that are Italian....could you PLEASE instruct your staff to pronounce them correctly? I cannot say how many times I heard the word, "/brushetta/" during the course of the evening, along with mispronunciation of other dishes. I am not asking you to make your staff take a course of Italian, but we are in 2011 and your patrons have travelled, read, and or heard the way things are REALLY pronounced. Is it too much to ask, really?
Aside this last little bit, we did enjoy it and yes, would go back as I am curious to taste a few other things on the menu. -
Review from Colleen H.
10/13/2011
The concept of this restaurant is spot-on... but the selection wasn't particularly exciting. The antipasti was a true Italian antipasti -- an array of meats and cheeses. But I think there was only one kind of cheese, definitely an array of meats, but no introduction upon delivery. While sitting at the chef's counter, the IDEA is to have a conversation about your food/wine with. The most I got out of our guy was that he didn't like Italian wine (hi, you work at an Italian restaurant...what do you mean you don't like Barolos?) I will say though, the lamb was really well prepared. It had a honey walnut sauce, which was delicious paired with the lamb and its tangy goat cheese. The bisteca, not as exciting -- but hey, now you know.
Maybe with a few FOB Italians behind the counter this place could be amazing, but for now it's just okay. -
Review from Evie T.
9/30/2011
We hosted a party for 7 people. We live in LA and had heard good things about this place. I urge you to try this place. My three stars is based on LA standards. I am not familiar enough with edmonton to make a local rating.
We started with an excellent caprese. The Tomatoes were bursting with farmer's market flavor and the mozzarella was really fresh and delicious.- almost like buratta. Lovely presentation.
Caesar salad was also good. The romaine was lightly grilled which brought out the flavor of the shaved Parmesan and capers.
Gigli pasta was a crowd-pleaser. Scallops were perfectly cooked, pasta al dente and the pesto was vibrant.
Arrosto Misto had highs and lows. Loved the spicy sausage but found the rest of the meats overcooked. Luckily some people at the table like their meat on the well side. Personally I prefer rare for all but the game hen. The game hen was a bit dry. The steak was nicely seasoned and a bit tough. Over cooking didn't help and it was sliced very thickly. Lamb was tasty but again overcooked. It could be that patrons here prefer meat more well done?
Service was attentive and friendly. Wine list was interesting and sensibly priced.
I will definitely come back next time I am in town. There is a chef here with a lot of talent and I will be interested to see how he develops. -
Review from Sarah C.
Edmonton, AB
1/29/2012
One of the most difficult things about Edmonton is that it's lacking any sort of innovation when it comes to where we eat. Unfortunately we as Edmontonians tend to be put off by change. Whether it be a new arena or a gigantic sculpture aside of the whitemud. What I liked and thoroughly enjoyed about vivo is that the restaurant was clean and simple. An elevated simplicity in both food and decor. We're used to over sized portions, heavy creams, and all courses on one plate. It's refreshing to eat and enjoy cuisine that focuses on the specific flavors. The fettuccine (which is not made with cream) is absolutely delicious and something my stomach likes to remind me of mid day. I haven't enjoyed Italian food since I was in Italy and it was lovely to sit down in a beautiful environment that pushes you to embrace sharing food, wine, and socializing with those who are close to you which for me is what Italian culture is truly about.
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Review from Brian B.
Edmonton, AB
12/7/2011
Overall very impressed. Great addition to a neighbourhood sorely lacking in decent non-chain restaurants. All items meticulously prepared. Wait staff tried a bit too hard to introduce menu and food items sounded scripted. Caprese salad and lamb were excellent. Did not realize such excellent tomatoes and authentic mozzarella were available locally. Low point was the rigatoni. Like that the owners were onsite interacting with diners. Great ambiance for strip mall restaurant. Lots of potential and will definitely return.
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Review from Beth M.
Edmonton, AB
12/23/2011
So, after seeing the reviews on here, I was starting to wonder about VIVO -- yet it has great reviews on Urbanspoon. So glad we went! We will totally go again, it was a wonderful dining experience. We sat at the chef's table and watched the preparation of the meals...very fun and nice to see everything being made from scratch! We started with the best Calabrese salad we've ever had! The tomatoes are fresh, actually grown right in the area! The mozzarella, pesto and basil were all very tasty. We also had beef carpaccio and it was delicious! Nicely plated with crispy capers, arugula and a balsamic drizzle. The pasta dish was probably my favorite -- gigli with huge sea scallops, pesto sauce and pine nuts -- so creamy, dreamy delicious! Would go back just for that! The meat dishes we chose were the swordfish, which was melt in your mouth tender, along with spiced leeks, and a squeeze of freshly grilled grapefruit...and the lamb. The lamb chops were seared to medium and served with goat cheese. It was good but not sure that I would order them next time. We chose the proscuitto wrapped asparagus as our vegetable, and it was very tasty with a spray of freshly squeezed grilled lemon. The pizza looked really good and is done in their brick oven -- definitely try next time. All in all, a wonderful evening and truly enjoyed the helpful staff. They explained the menu thoroughly and also explained each dish as it was brought to the table. As far as price goes, it is definitely on the high side -- not a cheap evening out! But it was definitely what I would expect from a high end restaurant with regard to quality, taste and service. (By the way, the tiramisu looked spectacular -- but we passed on the sweets tonight).
