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Name: Viva Restaurant
Address: 318 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94133
Telephone: (415) 989-8482
Price range: Under $11
Rating: 3.14

Viva Restaurant

318 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94133

(415) 989-8482
Store is closed

Viva Restaurant Menu

Appetizers

Bagna Calda

Prosciutto

Spicy Chicken

Caprese

Four Seasons

Mixed Grill Appetizer

Carpaccio

Fried Calamari

Half Pound Baby Clams in Their Shell
Bruschetta & Garlic Bread

Bruschetta

Garlic Bread
Create Your Own Pizza

Cheese Pizza
Entrees

Prawns Alla Scampi

Chicken Cacciatore

Veal Scallopini

Veal Chicken & Prawns Combo

Prawns Alla Diavola

Chicken Parmigiana

Veal Parmigiana

Charbroiled Air Dried Rib Eye Steak

Grilled Fillet of Atlantic Salmon

Chicken Piccata

Grilled Lamb

Lamb Shank with Orzo
Gourmet Pizzas

Margherita Pizza

California Pizza

Favorite Pizza

Piccante Pizza

Four Sausages & Mushroom Pizza

San Fransisco Pizza

Vegetarian Classic Pizza

Viva Pizza

Four Cheese Pizza

North Beach Pizza

Regina Pizza

Calzone

Sunoma Pizza
Pasta

Pasta Pomodoro

Pasta Alfredo

Pasta Fresca

Pasta Eggplant

Pasta Arrabbiata

Pasta & Baby Clams

Pasta & Prawns

Pasta & Chicken

Pasta Gorgonzola

Pasta Pesto

Pasta Garlic

Pasta Broccoli

Pasta Mushroom

Pasta Viva

Pasta Calamari

Linguine Clams & Mussels

Pasta Romana

Baked Ziti

Baked Lasagna

Pasta Bolognese

Penne Vodka

P.B.S.

Pasta Primavera

Pasta Rustica

Pasta Mistomare

Pasta Pescatore

Pasta Sausage Artichokes & Tomatoes

Pasta Carbonara
Pasta Ripiena & Gnocchi

Stuffed Ravioli

Jumbo Chicken Ravioli

Meat Tortellini

Portabello Ravioli

Gnocchi

Verdi Raviolini
Risotto

Vegetarian Risotto

Chicken Risotto

Prawns Risotto
Salads

Spinach Salad

Mediterranean Salad

Romaine Salad

House Salad

Caesar Salad

Mixed Green Salad

Viva Salad
Desserts

Tiramisu

Raspberry Cheesecake

Tartufo

Limone Ripieno

Cassata Ice Cream
Beverages

Mineral Water

12oz. Can Soda

Italian Soda

Coffee

Tea

Milk

Iced Cappuccino

Natural Water - Large

Lemonade

Hot Latte

Iced Latte

Mocha

Cappuccino

Espresso

Hot Chocolate

Healthy Meal suggestions for Viva Restaurant

Appetizers

Bagna Calda [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Prosciutto [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Spicy Chicken [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Caprese [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Four Seasons [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Mixed Grill Appetizer [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Carpaccio [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Fried Calamari [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Half Pound Baby Clams in Their Shell [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Bruschetta & Garlic Bread

Bruschetta [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Garlic Bread [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Create Your Own Pizza

Cheese Pizza [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Entrees

Prawns Alla Scampi [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Chicken Cacciatore [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Veal Scallopini [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Veal Chicken & Prawns Combo [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Prawns Alla Diavola [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Chicken Parmigiana [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Veal Parmigiana [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Charbroiled Air Dried Rib Eye Steak [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Grilled Fillet of Atlantic Salmon [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Chicken Piccata [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Grilled Lamb [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Lamb Shank with Orzo [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Gourmet Pizzas

Margherita Pizza [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

California Pizza [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Favorite Pizza [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Piccante Pizza [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Four Sausages & Mushroom Pizza [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

San Fransisco Pizza [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Vegetarian Classic Pizza [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Viva Pizza [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Four Cheese Pizza [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

North Beach Pizza [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Regina Pizza [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Calzone [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Sunoma Pizza [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Pasta

Pasta Pomodoro [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pasta Alfredo [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pasta Fresca [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pasta Eggplant [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pasta Arrabbiata [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pasta & Baby Clams [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pasta & Prawns [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pasta & Chicken [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pasta Gorgonzola [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pasta Pesto [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pasta Garlic [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pasta Broccoli [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pasta Mushroom [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pasta Viva [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pasta Calamari [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Linguine Clams & Mussels [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pasta Romana [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Baked Ziti [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Baked Lasagna [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pasta Bolognese [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Penne Vodka [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

P.B.S. [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pasta Primavera [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pasta Rustica [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pasta Mistomare [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pasta Pescatore [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pasta Sausage Artichokes & Tomatoes [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pasta Carbonara [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Pasta Ripiena & Gnocchi

Stuffed Ravioli [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Jumbo Chicken Ravioli [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Meat Tortellini [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Portabello Ravioli [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Gnocchi [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Verdi Raviolini [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Risotto

Vegetarian Risotto [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Chicken Risotto [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Prawns Risotto [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Salads

Spinach Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Mediterranean Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Romaine Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

House Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Caesar Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Mixed Green Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Viva Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Desserts

Tiramisu [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Raspberry Cheesecake [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Tartufo [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Limone Ripieno [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Cassata Ice Cream [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Beverages

Mineral Water [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

12oz. Can Soda [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Italian Soda [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Coffee [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Tea [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Milk [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Iced Cappuccino [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Natural Water - Large [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Lemonade [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Hot Latte [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Iced Latte [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Mocha [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Cappuccino [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Espresso [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Hot Chocolate [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

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Write An Anonymous Review

Amjad A.

Viva is by far one of my favorites for Italian food. I've ordered from them several times and have never been disappointed. The bruschetta is crunchy and soft in the right places with delicate flavors. I ordered bruschetta from another restaurant a few days ago, and it had an overwhelming amount of balsamic vinegar. It made me wish I had ordered from Viva instead. Their pastas are fairly decent (4 stars, perhaps). I've tried the gnocchi in the gorgonzola, pesto & sun-dried tomato sauce and also in a simple pesto sauce. They're pretty good either way. Portabello ravioli and verdi raviolini in cream sauces both hit the right spot. The Sonoma pizza is a good heavy hitter, and you have to be pretty hungry to eat more than a couple of slices. The four cheese pizza has an interesting blend of cheeses that I like (fyi, I would die happy if I drowned in cheese). For a tangy flavor, their San Francisco pizza is also pretty good because of the feta. Sipping on an Italian soda while eating from Viva is the cherry on top for me..
(5)
Shona M.

Wish there was a no stars option. Shocked to hear about such racist behavior! This dining experience happened to some friends, and I will leave it to them to write up the whole drama in detail, but I was so shocked to hear this I couldn't wait for them to post. Some close friends of mine, who had eaten here regularly because it was decent and open late, witnessed the maitre' d behaving in an extremely hostile manner to a pair of young diners who came in, called the cops ,the police themselves, saw no reason the couple should be detained for any reason.. The racial motivation seemed especially clear after he turned on my friend (who is also black) when he, disgusted by what he saw, asked for the check so he could leave and soon also found himself the object of verbal hostility. Whoa!
(1)
Howard L.

I ordered the Pasta Pescatore and it was almost inedible. The fish was dry and most importantly it tasted rotten. The dish was unappetizing and the sauce was bland. The food was slow and when we did get our food it was warm to room temperature. The waiter never checked to see how we were doing; he practically ignored us in favor of socializing with the other two tables that were there. I would not recommend this restaurant because of the biased treatment from the staff who worked there that night and the almost inedible food.
(1)
domini a.

k so many things le.awesome about this place i called them at 11 pm ... they answered ( major awesome goodness) ordered a marguerita pizza take away they said 15 min. ( awesome goodness yet again) they are a 5 minute walk from my home with NO CRACKHEADS on the way ! ( total awesome radness) pizza was ready pizza is amazing. i cannot finish it, which makes the one disappointing point slightly of less rancor. How the fuck does a pizza that on the menu is quoted at $11.15 turn out to be a $14 pizza? when i asked the guy, he gave me 45 cents in change... is the online menu wrong? what happened there? i don't care so much, i'd be happy to pay $13.50 ( i guess that's the final price, or thereabouts) for my small pizza that has so much cheese i could use it as a waterslide, but somehow, this leaves me feeling ripped off. too bad. I'll go back though, and look at a printed menu on a table before i order, just so that i don't get the " i think i was just ripped off" feeling again.
(4)
Corey F.

Went to Viva with friends last night and was thoroughly pleased with the good food, friendly service and excellent people watching. The food was solid, filling and flavorful. We started with the Four Seasons sampler of cheese, olives, roasted peppers and artichoke hearts. It was drenched in olive oil, which on first taste, I thought was too much but once I started using the bread to scoop the mixture into my mouth, was perfect. We each ordered a pasta dish. The Romana was incredible and super fresh. It had pancetta, mushrooms and green onions in a light and garlicky tomato sauce, served with linguine. While I was eagerly shoveling it into my mouth, a middle-aged Italian tourist - I'm not kidding - said 'scusa!', asked me the name of the dish and scurried back to her table, presumably to order it. My friend ordered the Bolognese and her husband had the Rustica with fennel sausage added on. We were all very pleased and full. The Bolognese and Romana struck a perfect balance between flavor and heartiness. I didn't get to try very much of the Rustica as Ryan was keeping it all to himself. Portion sizes were large enough to leave me with something to reheat for lunch today. You get a lot for your money at Viva. The service was friendly and prompt. We were served wine while we waited to be seated and when they asked to move us to a different table to accommodate a larger party, they were very polite and gave us an awesome table with a streetside picture window. This brings me to my other favorite part of the night, the North Beach action as viewed through the magic window at Viva. Gangsta guys chatting up the ladies, couples decked out for the club on Saturday night and herds of people moving across streets and sidewalks. Yes, there are a lot of tourists in NB and there were definitely Italian tourists in Viva that night but I didn't mind. It's all part of living here. By the way, when did the headband make a comeback? Also, if you go here, share the tiramisu. If you've saved room, then get one all for your piggy little self. Even if you feel like you're going to explode, EAT IT. The tiramisu at Viva is otherworldly and the perfect way to cap off what would best be described as stellar, reasonably priced, Italian comfort food. I'm going back and look forward to trying the pizzas. I love you Viva.
(4)
Stan P.

My sisters have been ordering pizza from this place for years. Finally went for a sit down meal with family. The pizza is still good, but I think they put some regular slice sausage instead of pepperoni on ours. Nice toasty crust, that's not tuff at all and very fragrant. (I don't know how people can still go to Domino's or Little Caesar when for a couple bucks more...Hell, I'd rather eat a Totino Party Pizza instead of the $5 piece of cardboard they're selling) I am generally underwhelmed by most pasta in the Italian restaurants I've tried, same here. Service was kind of off. Gal totally forgot to give us our menus. I like the colors of the restaurant though.
(3)
Aaron W.

There are a lot of choices to eat in North Beach. This is a choice I wouldn't make again. The host was surly. The waiter was overworked and ignored us. The food was OK but I've had better. That's about all I need to say.
(2)
Chaz N.

The food was so salty, it was absolutely disgusting!
(1)
Samantha M.

Love the decor, especially the leaves hanging from the ceiling, but this place is an oxymoron. They don't try hard enough. But at the same time, they try waaay too hard. The former refers to the service. When I went, the place was practically empty, and it still took the waitress almost 5 minutes to notice I was at the door. Once I was seated, it took the waitress an insane amount of time to come and take my order. She seemed to be working by herself. I would have totally given her a break if the restaurant was busy, but there were only TWO other tables occupied! I must have read a complete chapter in my book before she made it over to me. I ordered their garlic bread as well as their linguine with baby clams in a cream sauce (Carb overload, I know!) Thankfully, the food came out really quickly. But that's when they were trying too hard. The garlic bread was okay (seriously, how can one mess that up?) But the pasta... omg. There were so much salt and seasonings in it that it was barely edible. It was just seasoned waaaay too much and waaay too salty. It took me a long time and I could only eat like half of it. I had eaten here once before and I noticed the first time, too that the pasta was waaaay too salty. I'm sure the blood pressure shot up by 10 points at the first bite. I know pasta isn't supposed to be the healthiest food in the world, but you shouldn't be about to have a stroke while eating it! If you have low blood pressure and want to get your salt intake for the month, this place is perfect for you.
(2)
C S.

I just wanted to warn everyone to look carefully at their bill. They add the gratuity even for parties of 2 and so it is easy in the low light to accidentally tip twice. I guess they do that because of all the euro tourists who don't know about tipping. You could do worse for a meal than Viva, although I usually just head on over to the line at Tomassos. Viva has decent food and good service. I really enjoyed the huge "mediterranean salad" with all the fresh tomatoes, bell peppers, etc. Very fresh produce.
(4)
Ahnui Y.

If i ever go on a blind date again, ya'll need to shoot me. Because this is what happens when I go on blind date and said blind date takes me to Viva. Me: Oh, yum, little bowls of garlic, love garlic. BD: (let's actually refer to him as VD) Um, girls who eat garlic are not actually very kissable. Me: Do you think it's cute when I shove these garlic cloves in my nose? VD: Um (looks away) Me: Do you think it's cute when I take them out of my nose then eat them? VD: Um, can you stop please? You're embarrassing me! Me: I'm just gonna eat them. Do you like to kiss girls with garlic snot breath? Cause I think it's red hot. VD: Maybe we should end this now. Waiter: Can I take your order? Me: Can I have garlic pasta with garlic sauce? Waiter: Oh we don't have that. Me: Oh, well then can you get me the penne with vodka sauce but can you make sure you include extra chunks of garlic infused vodka. Waiter: we don't have garlic infused vodka Me: Please? (bat eyes at waiter) Waiter: I'll see what we can do. VD: Are you joking? Me: Are you joking? VD: I'm serious Me: I'M serious. VD: I think that this date is over. Me: I think that this date is over. VD: Can you stop doing that? Me: Can YOU stop doing that? VD: Okay, I'm leaving. Me: Okay, I'm leaving. -- I jump up and run out before VD knows what hit him and stick him with the tab and some vile snotty garlic cloves. Whoo-hoo! Let's hear it for Match.com ! Viva. A +
(5)
Melissa R.

Yesterday was a gorgeous day in San Francisco and North Beach was the perfect place to be during it. I wanted to enjoy the weather sitting outside of some gorgeous Italian restaurant, sharing a panini and a salad with my main squeeze, but the sight of people doing so as homeless transients begged for food REALLY made me think otherwise. So, in attempts to avoid the homeless drooling on my food or even talking to me, I swooped into Viva. My first impression was that the whole restaurant was empty. I knew at this point I had made a mistake. I sat next to the kitchen, because I love to watch my food being cooked. I waited several minutes before a waiter came with a menu and bread with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. The bread had the tell-tale signs of being out for too long with it's center being dry and rough. There was this creepy short guy in a red baseball cap yapping on the phone and looming around. I guess he worked there or was the owner's dickhead son, because he kept yelling at the waiter. Ok, here's where I got upset: I did inform the waiter that my boyfriend would be joining me, so he didn't need to take away the second plate set across from me. He said it would be fine, then disappeared for nearly 15 minutes. I didn't think much of it as I was occupied watching the chef mince garlic and chop veggies, but it got to be ridiculous how long the wait was. I had to stand up and look for the waiter. The creep in the red hat stayed idle in a booth and pointed outside where the waiter was on his phone trying to make a bank error correction. Ok, I empathize with that situation, but not on my time. I ordered The Fresca - thin spaghetti with onions, garlic and roma tomatoes. Simple and satisfying. I watched the chef toss everything together and I thanked him as the plate looked gorgeous. Overall, the service here is horrible. I would of been more tough on the waiter but he seemed genuinely sorry for making me wait so long. The atmosphere was strange and uneasy because of the guy in the red baseball cap. Among a display of uncooked pasta there was one box that was upside down. The only thing that saves this place as being decent is the chef's clean work and the outcome of the pasta he made for me - it was so delicious I spent all night telling people about it.
(3)
Franc S.

Synopsis: I have never had the Pizza here, so I can't really complain. I have also never ordered takout or delivery from here. Only pasta in the restaurant. I enjoy the veal tortellini with vodka sauce a lot. The bread is good as well as the oil and balsamic. The ambiance is nice and the waitresses are fairly nice, sometimes pushy, but nice. It's a bit pricier than it should be, but other than that, not bad. The Scene: All the tables have tableclothes, but you don't really notice them because they all have rolled paper over them (makes cleaning easier). Tables are candlelit, which is nice, and the ceiling is awesome - autumnal leaves hanging down, upheld with a net. The seating itself is cramped (one time I was seated at a table with booth seating and I was literally sitting next to the couple next to me. Just a little awkward). The Food: The Vodka sauce is really good and could pretty much work with any stuffed pasta or gnocchi. The other sauces - like the bolognese - were okay, but none really stood out. My favorite part is when the dish is served and the waitress begins putting the cheese until you say when. I usually wait a while until they begin to give me a funny look. I can never get enough cheese. The Best Part: The olive oil, balsamic, and bread at the beginning. The ceiling is also pretty cool.
(4)
Juno R.

what happppened?!!!!!! you guys used to make my favoriteeeee pizza - the 4 cheese was amazing -I would rave about it in NY, Los Angeles and all over (that time i wasnt living in SF) and would order it every itme I visit SF. When I first moved to the Bay Area two months ago, I told my husband that we MUST visit the Viva Pizza Restaurant and order that specific pizza.. but... I dont know what went wrong? new management? new ingredients what? It tasted different - mostly cold feta (before you guys used a mixture of creamy cheeses gorgonzola, mozzy, parm), horrible crust, sauce tasted from the can. I feel like I just broke up with someone. :(
(1)
Carla P.

Not my first choice for Italian. But if hungry and can't decide or it's late, Viva can be a little slice of Heaven.
(3)
mark w.

The staff was friendly and the service was quick, which is the main reason this review gets 2 stars. Ordered the seafood risotto... it tastes extremely fishy... I could even smell the fish when the waitress put it in front of me. It was terrible. When we were leaving, the table of girls behind us just received their food, one of which ordered a risotto. The look on her face was about the same as mine and all 5 girls then looked at her plate as she was pushing the food around with her fork.
(2)
Regina L.

This restaurant not only accommodated our large group, but is also located in a spot that makes it easy to just walk to the various lounges and bars around North Beach. Their Regina pizza was delicious and had awesome toppings, like prosciutto and sun dried tomatoes, on top. Fast service and if you're lucky, you'll be entertained by an accordion player while waiting for your meals.
(4)
H L.

Like others before me, the ceiling thing was cool. The food was very good; we both had pastas tonight and it was just simple and fantastic. The service was friendly and a little slower than other places but I enjoyed not being hassled and we enjoyed our selves at our pace. The best thing was that we got full without breaking the bank.
(4)
Queenie C.

Hm, why the mixed reviews? It's not super fancy but I think it's solid. I just ate here about an hour ago, actually, and I feel quite fat and happy right now. My friends and I came up for food after St. Paddy's Day celebrations in the FiDi. It was on our path and looked not too expensive. I can see how some people would be put off by the service but I think the man is just old school Italian and kind of gruff. Our server was very attentive to our wine and water needs and made sure we had everything we needed. My artichoke sausage pasta thingy was very tasty and my friend's bolognese was good too (I took a nibble). My other friend wanted gnocchi with carbonara, which seems like an odd combination to me but the kitchen obliged and the server explained how he would have to make it to make sure it was something that he really wanted. He ended up eating it all so I guess it was good. I wouldn't go too far out of my way to North Beach from my 'hood just to eat here but would come back again if I were in the area and not just for drunk eats but real eats too.
(4)
Sophie D.

I had lunch at Viva today, my friend's choice. Of all the fun places to go in North Beach, I don't know why she picked Viva. It's not that it's a BAD restaurant--my food was pretty good and the service was fine. The atmosphere is homey and casual. But if you want to go to North Beach to eat, I don't know why you'd pick this place over all the other excellent restaurants you could go to.
(3)
Mai L.

DO NOT GO HERE!!! THE CLEANLINESS is MORE than questionable. As I was eating my lunch, a COCKROACH an inch long crawled from underneath my salad plate onto the table!! Not only did I lose my appetite, I asked to be moved to another table and told the waitress there was a roach on the table we were sitting at. She didn't even apologize NOR comp my lunch. She just had us moved to another table and called the kitchen help to go and kill it. What kind of service is that?! But more than just service - do you want to eat at a place that has roaches crawling on the plates?!
(1)
Annette M.

Three stars because the service is crap. They must have forgotten to put the order in because it took at least 1/2 for our food to come. THe plus side is that the corkage fee is only 11 dollars so we could bring in our cheap bottle of merlot. :) The food is pretty good. We had the Tortellini in an alfredo sauce and the Baked Ziti. ALl in all it was 38 dollars for 2 entrees and the corkage. I love the warm bread with olive oil and balsamic. Mmm
(3)
valeria b.

I was just walking down Columbus with a friend trying to find a good place to eat that was cheap, yet not a fast pizza place. this place was perfect. Neither of us had the pizza, but we each still had a delicious meal. This place is comparable with other trendy, touristy Italian places in the area but not as expensive. Both of our meals were simple, authentic and yummy! i had the best chardonnay there as well. a little bit of a cramped space, but in SF what isn't?
(3)
Kali E.

Because this place is so close to work, we probably go here once or twice a month. The food is not bad, but the service can be really slow (which is pretty much the main reason we don't go there more often than that). Some of the core dishes on the lunch menu are good (one co-worker often orders the penne gorgonzola). A bunch of my co-workers love the pizza here, but I have yet to try it. It looked pretty good. However, the only reason we really go here is because it's relatively inexpensive, and we can always get a table when a larger group of us want to go to lunch together.
(3)
Heather G.

I've been coming to Viva for over 14 years. The food is amazing! My only complaint is that they remodeled the joint ( a long time ago). It used to have wood panelling and was dark and candle-lit. Now it has this weird fake leaf thing and faux wall paintings going on ( not unlike suburban tract housing), its brightly lit and the music is too loud. Waaay too loud. I also miss the waiter who never wrote anything down. Just said, Yeah. Yep. No matter what you ordered having them add this or leave out that, yep, he'd say. And your dish arrived exaclty as it was ordered. He was rad. Also, the wine was served in short stemless glasses. I always preferred that. No matter, the food is truly outstanding and unchanged. Excellent, really. I would recommend it to anyone not looking for romantic surrounds. Some people don't mind bad decorating, as long as the food is great. And it is! I just order to go now.
(3)
Mai G.

OK, So I did not go here for pizza...Just a quick panini, and to get away from the mobs of people everywhere else in North Beach. Behold! I found my favorite "vegetable" sandwich so far in the city! It had real veggies (not just tomatoes and onions) like cauliflower, broccoli and zucchini...mixed in with zesty pesto and bubbly Italian cheeses..the bread had just the right amount of crunch and held all the ingredients perfectly..no mess! This is a great bargain (under 7 bucks), it also comes with a good size salad (no iceberg lettuce to boot!) 4 Stars for the Sandwich!
(4)
J. Wade W.

The calamari appetizer was quite good and the shared cesar salad was as well. Our pasta dishes were very adequate. A nice simple red sauce with spaghetti was really warming on a cold night. If this place were in my neighborhood, it would definitely be on the take out list or a place to go on those nights when I didn't want to wander too far, but not good enough to go across town for. Beats Pasta Pomodoro in my book, which is a good thing.
(2)
miss b.

i agree w/jeanne c! just another so-so north beach joint. i wanna try tommaso. FOOD: ~the prosciutto starter looked bountiful but i think i'll try to make it myself: proscuitto, fresh mozz, tomatoes, salad greens. ~menu looked good, but my pasta romano was not special at all, so standard, coulda gotten that @ sbarro in the mall. good pancetta bits, but how can u fuck up pancetta? u can't. it seemed like everyone's pasta tasted the same. made me miss filippo's (cheap east bay chain like pasta pomodoro except pasta is Actually Good. speaking of which, y does everything @ pasta pomodoro suck?)! ~the tartufo was good after we stopped laughing @ the menu description that said it was made of "fantasy cream." i used to work in the adult industry so everything sounds dirty to me...& i like it. ~tirasmisu was good. DRINKS: ok wine. DECOR: eh. SERVICE: i thought our waitress had a little attitude & made us feel like our requests were offending her or something, but she warmed up towards the end. i do think it was a cultural thing & not intentional since she's probably waiting on tourists all day. it was odd how she kept trying to get us to order while we were still waiting for half our table to arrive, wouldn't that've been rude of us? also we ran out of oil & vinegar for the bread which made my friend very irate. BATHROOM: ok. OVERALL: wouldn't return. go to romantic caffe macaroni down the street if u want a north beach experience.
(2)
Allison M.

Great Chicken Piccata - super flavorful and delicious. Excellent salads to start. Great carpaccio. And very flavorful pizza. And they deliver to my house. Viva, Viva Pizza Restaurant.
(5)
Michael C.

this place has climbed in rank on my not-so-late night dining spots...its in northbeach so its entertaining watching the owner talk shit to drunks all nite. also, the food is actually pretty good. i usually get the calamari, and chicken parmigiana. the bagna calda ( GARLIC) appetizer is also very good, but try to avoid all forms of human contact after consumption, cuz you will reek of garlic. he has a variety of pastas, will do whatevr customizaitions you ask for. very friendly service, good food, late nite drunk shit talking action, and an inviting atmosphere make this a great spot!
(4)
Rick K.

Viva is a great example of how if you ignore your restaurants it goes to crap. I distinctly remember Viva being much better than it is now. Good pastas, good bread with garlic infused olive oil to dip. Much of that is gone now. The bread is still good, pasta is marginal, and the salad is just OK. Miriam W has it pretty spot on. Now, I would be kinda embarrassed to recommend the place.
(2)
Christina Y.

Love the vibe inside the place and our food was delicious. My Vendi Ravioli was just enough [ spinach with 3 cheeses inside in this creamy pesto sauce with lots of garlic ] We got the calamari to start with and it was very refreshing and the flavors were not overpowering. Staff was fairly good and quite friendly [ until the bus boy went outside to smoke instead of getting us our cheese ] Be warned, make sure you lock the door to the bathroom. I accidentally walked in on a chick and saw her bottom. Very awkward. The whole staff saw too.
(4)
Tara B.

A friend took a group of 4 of us to Viva for dinner recently. Nifty decor, with the murals and all the leaves hanging from the ceiling. The food was really good and the prices were great. Only negative thing was the service. Our waiter, while not ignoring us as some people seem to have experienced, was certainly not warm and fuzzy. No smile, no warmth. Just took our order and brought us our food mechanically. Bit disappointed with that since there are equally good places all around it where the staff is very friendly and attentive. That was just one experience though and for all I know all the other staff are amazing. I would still go back and definitely would recommend the food to my friends.
(3)
Anika K.

This is my favorite North Beach spot - not too crowded, great variation on the menu, and good prices. The creamier sauces are a bit *too*creamy for me, but I've never gone wrong with a dish. Make sure to add roasted garlic to your pasta - yum!
(5)
Jim D.

I haven't had the pizza here but I liked the chicken piccata. I love artichokes. I also like the mozzerella wrapped in prescutto.
(3)
Dre D.

anyone who thinks they like the food here is kidding themselves. the pizza here is the worst i've ever had. ever. the sauce tasted like ragu (and it was the same sauce they tried to pass off as marinara for the calamari). and that calamari - yikes! it was just thrown into a pot oil with no seasoning - completely lacked flavor! the pizza was so salty that we felt bad to give our leftovers to a homeless person, in fear that they would become dehydrated. i will say, however, that the service was pretty good. they were all friendly, which i definitely appreciate. i hate to be mean, but i will never ever in my life go back. ever ever.
(1)
chizzy t.

this place is good, BUT they make you pay 18% tip!!
(1)
Eileen H.

when i first moved here in '99, my husband took me to this place, and it was FANTASTIC. they had this awesome rosemary chicken dish that i LOVED. well, i think they must have changed owners or managers or something, because when we went back again they didn't have that item anymore, and when i asked the waitress if they could still make it, she said something about taking orders 'by their number', and it 'has no number', so NO. i gave it one more chance and took some family from out of town there, and it was SO below average. I was embarassed that i brought them there. haven't set foot in the place since.
(2)
Max H.

This place is awesome. I think the pizza is great. and the service is amazing. I've been eating there for the past 5 years. Highly recommended by somebody that likes pizza and food in general.
(5)
Liz M.

This place used to be so good. Now not so much. I miss the restaurant I ate at on my first birthday in San Francisco in 1991.
(2)
Rick B.

Great find. Right across from the Stinking Rose on Columbus, as soon as we walked in we were greeted with warm service. By far, the best Italian food on North Beach for the money. Only downside could be obnoxious Steeler fans on a Sunday afternoon across the street at the Steelers bar. Lol
(5)
Tammy L.

Actually if I could give this restaurant a rating it would be 0.5 stars at most. So where do I begin? We were coming from shopping at the Westfield Downtown Sopping center and was walking for at least 30 minutes to find a place to eat. We eventually walked all the way through Chinatown and towards North Beach. By this time, we were all starving and frustrated. We finally came across what seemed to be a deceptively decent place on Columbus so we went for it. The trouble first began when my party sat down and waited for about 10 minutes for water. There was no one there and a waitress was out cleaning tables but never noticed that we needed water. In fact we had to ask for it. The bread and olive oil came right away and they made sure to fill up the bread basket multiple times. Two other parties had come after we had settled down and ordered our food. I could understand why the police officers were served before us but some random couple who came 20 minutes after we had ordered did? Come on, you don't treat customers like this. The third warning to run from this place like crazy was asking for a new cup of water. A bug landed in the water and died so we had politely asked to get a new glass of water. The owner started immediately acting all innocent thinking that we were accusing him of something so he spoke back with "That wasn't there before, it's not our fault." Come on, we just wanted another glass of water, freaking chill out. By that time, everyone in my party was ready to leave. We still had not gotten served after 40 minutes and mind you, no one was there. They were not swamped with customers and they were not busy or not even close to closing. We in fact, once again, had to ask about where our dishes were and finally he had brought them out. You'd think that after that long ass time of waiting you'd get decent food right? Wrong, the risotto was oddly spiced and sour, the pizza was nothing special, the gnocchi was overtly cheesy (but I'm picking at things on this one), the chicken was dry, and the seafood was well seafood. The good things about this restaurant seems to be the prices, portion size, and the ambiance of the restaurant with fake grape vine hanging from the ceiling. The seafood pasta we had ordered had so much stuffed into one dished for under 17$. But going along with the bad again, adding insult to injury, after a highly HIGHLY disappointing meal, we had had out fill and needed to pay for the check. Automatically without warning an 18% gratuity charge was added onto the bill. At this point we wanted to scream. We ended up taking the lost packing up the shitty food and leaving hungry. Even if you are starving and settling for a place to eat, never NEVER go to this restaurant. The service was rude and food was bland and uninteresting. My suggestion: Go to the Stinking Rose right across the street from this restaurant or starve. You are better of with either. Also, if you ever see cops stop at a restaurant joint, you KNOW it has to be bad. Always follow your instincts on things like this.
(1)
D K S P.

The man at the front door was super nice, but it ends there. The food was not great and the service was horrible. With so many other Italian restaurants around, why bother with this one? And the service was bad. The young girl running around (presumably the waitress for other tables) had a bad attitude. And our waiter was so inexperienced. Go next door - it's much better there.
(1)
Chris S.

Last night, I went to celebrate my sister's 25th birthday... or was it 19th... 22nd? No, I know it's an odd number... hmmm. Wait... carry the 3... divide by 4... oh yeah... 23... her 23rd birthday. We usually come here for my mom's birthday, but since she didn't go on her last birthday, she chose this place. Unless it's to guitar class, I generally don't like going across town, taking two buses to get there, but for this place, it was worth it. I got the Baked Ziti, and usually get pasta dishes when we come in. The bread is really good and their pasta dishes are great as well. It's not the best in the world, but it's still worth the price. I hear from a friend that her friend orders pizza from this place all the time, so I'm going to have to try that out the next time I come here. There's tons of Italian restaurants in North Beach, and I don't know how this particular place got selected by my mom, but I'm glad she did. Whenever we go inside, the place is not crowded at all. Then again, it seems like we always go on an off-night that's not a weekend, so that could be it. It's a nice, quiet place to have quality family time together. Since it's a family favorite, I have to give this place four stars. It's a high four, though, but if the pasta was just slightly better, I'd give it a five. Plus, I want to try out their pizza, since it's in their name and all, before I give them a five. But I'm definitely coming back here when I'm in the neighborhood.
(4)
Dana S.

Great for those on a budget and visiting North Beach. I liked my food- service was kind of eh. Other than that, it was a nice, big place with a good location.
(4)
Jonathan F.

Always great service with Muhamad, great pizza, I love that Four Sausage, always a great bet if you love Pizza. Service is great and cool location in North Beach what more can I say folks! Jonathan Fleming
(5)
Steven O.

Placed an order for delivery... Got the following items... - Ravioli with Pomodoro Sauce - Garlic Bread - Four Sausage and Mushroom Pizza Ravioli and garlic bread were pretty good...pizza was so so...
(3)
Helen L.

They are great! Friendly staff, big proportions, and reasonably priced. Its a great date place, the place has a nice ambiance and the window looks out to the beautiful north beach night life.
(4)
Shelby A.

I have been coming to this sleepy little restaurant every time I visit the city for 15 years because if their delicious bolognese sauce! It is AMAZING! You might think you should go to the tourist trap The Stinking Rose, but don't. Cross the street and shove your face full of this decadent sauce. I am now taking my son there and he ordered the alfredo sauce on his tortellini and it was fantastic as well. I think it had nutmeg in it which made it slightly sweet and tangy. Bottom line is the bolognese is molto delizioso!!!
(5)
Lauren S.

Okay, so a brief synopsis of what was going on that day, my asshole family decided to come visit me here in the city for the day, but it really wasn't going so well considering it was a group of ten people trying to get around ages ranging from 8 to 80 years old. So by dinner time I was pissed and hungry- and even then the dining experience was bad. The decor is just weird. There are these multi-coloured autumn leaves hanging from the ceiling to create th fall vibe- it sucks. My 8-year-old cousin said "we shouldn't eat there, they have a mold problem- look at the ceiling" We went there just before the dinner rush, so the service was pretty good and attentive before people came and then they basically ignored us after. The waiter would never fill up my glass unless it was half full, which is just odd because they just assumed and didn't even bother asking. As it got a little busy, the restaurant basically ignored our table, the largest in all of the restaurant. We had to ask multiple times for the check. They cleared our plates and we still waited 20 minutes to pay. They tried to draw the process through out the entire meal. We waited about 45 minutes for our food, most of us didn't get salads either. It was not my kind of service. The food was decent but I've had better here in North Beach.
(3)
Eladio S.

I'm surprised to see so many mixed reviews about Viva. Perhaps I had good luck every time I visited or ordered delivery from here?? I used to work on Van Ness, so I'd order delivery once in a while. During lunch, I always received quick service, sometimes in less than 30 minutes. I was always ordering pasta, so I never ran the risk of receiving a cold pizza. My pasta always came hot with bread to match. (Capellini Pomodoro or Bolognese) I've also been here many times after clubbing in the city. This was always around 2-3am. Considering the hour, it was great to see this place open for business. I always received good service while dining in, maybe not the friendliest service, but prompt and good food. Think about how many tourists and weirdo's these employees see everyday being so close to Broadway. ?.?They're friendly enough for me considering that,...
(4)
Julie F.

I had come here once before (actually, before a yelp event), and my friend and I got up and left in frustration because the server took so long to come over to greet us/take our order. I hadn't been back since, but since I'm living in the neighborhood now, I decided to give them another chance, and came here for a late dinner last night, when it was slow. I'm glad I did. It still look a long time for the server to acknowledge us, and it was frustrating since we were very hungry, but mmmm....once the food came, it was good! We split the ravioli, and the best part was, you can choose from a variety of delicious sauces to have your pasta in. We got the Gorgonzola, pesto, and sun dried tomato sauce. It was really good! I also like the mural of Rome, it brought back fond memories of a trip I took there. I'll definitely come back here for more pasta and yummy sauce, but never when I'm in a rush!
(3)
Leah S.

Thank god for crazy traffic after the Giants game last night. My friends and I decided to hang out, eat some dinner, and let the traffic let up. I am so glad that we did. My girlfriend mentioned that there are a bunch of italian places in North Beach so we all headed that way. Something magical must have pulled us into Viva. WOW! This place had the best cheese pizza I have ever had in my life.Hands down! I never tasted the other pizza we ordered because I instantly fell in love with this 4 cheese option. It had the gooey mozzarella like any cheese pizza BUT I think what made this amazing was the gorgonzola cheese. Salty, surprising and oh so delicious. The service was really friendly and we didn't wait long for anything. If you ever are in the area, stop by. You will not regret it!
(5)
Miriam W.

Why are so many restaurants in North Beach SO bad? I hoped Viva wouldn't be one of them. I hoped they'd be able to get a simple salad and a simple pasta right. But alas. Crappy Caesar salad, nearly inedible orange-sauced tortellini. I left hungry. The only bright spot? The bread. (And the company I brought with me, of course!) I'd go on, but my stomach's growling and I have to go find myself another dinner.
(2)
Nancy K.

I ordered the pasta primavera and they used celery in it. Who puts celery in a pasta dish. It overpowered the dish. I liked the location and we were seated by the window so one star for that. I won't be back though
(1)
Charlene M.

Brad and I came here a couple of days ago. It's two doors down from a strip club and another pizza joint. It's across from the Stinking Rose, and next to a taqueria. It's on the 30 bus line. So we walk in and get seated by the cook who cooks the pasta dishes. This man is working hard. And I mean all by his lone self. I'm amazed at his speed, expertise and agility. The bread and olive oil/balsamic dipping were served immediately. The bread is fresh and delicious. We ordered the ribeye steaks medium which comes with vegetables and penne pasta. Brad order the penne with alfredo and I got the red bolognese sauce. The Steaks arrived and were grilled perfectly. The service was fast and friendly. The pasta was good. I was really in shock and just mesmerized by the cook at the pasta station...working all by his lonesome. So I take 10.00 and walk over to the chef and tip him. He was very humble and pleased. Remember, the chef is the heart of the restaurant preparing the food. Service is key too. But just watching him do his thing, made me appreciate my meal even more.
(4)
Paula S.

Do yourself a favor; cross the street and eat at Vesuvio. I ordered the mushroom pasta, which was so tasteless I sent it back. I then ordered the garlic pasta. This also was very bland. I couldn't taste the herbs, olive oil, or garlic. $15 for a plate of enriched spaghetti is a little steep.
(1)
Linda W.

This was HORRIBLE!!! I'm from Chicago and love Italian food, usually made by Italians. Here you have Greek owners running the place while trying to pretend that they're Italian. Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I dislike fakers and these people are bad at it. Then they bring in their kids and relatives to give you incredibly inattentive bad service. The food is just passable, everything is over-sauced or over-vinagered or over olive oiled. Ingredients are not high quality. If you're stumbling around you probably won't read this review. If you're planning a trip for a nice meal avoid this place and skip the disappointment.
(1)
Kellie P.

I am skeptical of a restaurant that can accommodate a party of 9 with no notice on a Friday night. Viva did, and that made me raise an eyebrow. The service was okay (a little slow, but nothing criminal) and some of the food was okay. The bagna caulda was okay, and others seemed to enjoy the bruschetta (I didn't have any). I ordered lasagna, thinking that it was probably a safe thing. I mean, lasagna is just not that hard to make. But when it's made well, it's a transcendent dish. This lasagna was most certainly not transcendent. The lasagna had too much meat in it, and it was all ground into little pieces. Instead of a tomato sauce with chunks of meat in it, it was a texturally unappealing sauce. It also only had cheese on top, not throughout. And, to top it off, the noodles were way overcooked and gummy. To be fair, some of my companions finished their plates and seemed to enjoy their meal. But I wouldn't go back.
(2)
Lola T.

To celebrate my friends 25th birthday we decided to hit this place up. I had not ben there before. I arrived to this place after the craziest cab ride in my life. My stomach was a little bit upset as the hills we were speeding made me a bit queazy. Upon entering the establishment, the dim lighting and decor was appealing. The service staff is young and attractive. The tables were a bit to close for comfort but it wasn't packed so it was okay. We were promptly served bread and dip was was good. I ordered a house salad which was surprisingly awesome. Whatever dressing they use was excellent. The greens where fresh. A friend and I split the Piccante Pizza. It was definitely spicy. Almost, to the point where I couldn't enjoy it as much if the jalepenos had been toned down a bit. But hey, its what I asked for. The price is ridiculously reasonable for the quality of food and the area. I took away one star because a bug (it looked like some sort of cockaroach but I won't jump to conclusions) was on our table. However, we were sitting by the door and the heater so that is the rational I am placing behind it. This place had the best italian food I have every tasted (I took bites from friends pastas and those were good too) and if thats the secret ingredient then so be it. It wasn't in my food so no harm done. I firmly don't believe there are bugs in the kitchen...Just in the heater and outside.
(4)
Vanessa R.

A friend and I stopped in here tonight after a drink and some voyeurism over at the Hungry I because he was, well, hungry, and I had to use the ladies room. Our original plan was to just order appetizers, but after looking at the menu and nibbling on the bread (which, as mentioned in a previous review, was soft and fresh-baked tasting) we decided to actually eat dinner. He ordered some grilled salmon that looked like it came with some roasted veggies and penne. I don't eat fish, so I didn't try it, but he said it was delicious. I had the Pasta Viva, which I assumed was a good bet since it was named after the restaurant (or the other way around). In case you're curious, the dish consisted of a sauce of fresh tomatoes, basil, and garlic with spaghetti (angel hair?) noodles. I'm not usually a big fan of chunky sauces, or cooked tomatoes, but this dish was very good. The waitress was nice enough to bring us more bread and oil when we wolfed down the first basket, and enthusiastically recited the dessert menu without skipping a beat. So what if they were out of the one dessert my friend wanted? The downside was that the place was a bit crowded, and since we had the window seat, we were graced with the tap tappings and odd hand gestures of a bum or two. Still, a pleasant dining experience. Now I know where to eat next time I'm in North Beach.
(4)
Nancy G.

The tables are a bit small, the lighting a little too dim, and had bad ventilation. Other than that, the food was okay and the service was friendly (1 star). My table ordered Fried Calamari, a Caprese Salad, Rotisserie Chicken Pasta, Clams with White Wine Sauce, and a Pesto Pasta with Roast Pine Nuts- none of which was spectacular. The Rotisserie Chicken Pasta was the best tasting dish. The chicken was cooked perfectly , maintained it's moisture, and had great rotisserie flavor (2 star). There are a plethora of restaurants to choose from in the North Beach, and I would not make this my first choice.
(2)
Jen V.

Went here this weekend for the third time in as many months. It's not the Ritz-Carlton, obviousy, so I am not sure why you people are freaking. Each time we have had a marghertia pizza which was quality and tasty (and this coming from my boyfriend, a New Yorker that is very well-versed in pizza), the caprese (tasty, fresh tomatoes, good quality fresh mozz), the steamed clams (nice and simple - very tasty) and some pasta or another with a very good rendition of vodka sauce. 2 of 3 times boyfriend got the beef carpaccio which he thought was done nicely too. The waitstaff does not hover at your table but they are not ignoring you either. If you choose The Stinking Rose over this place - god help you. For a decent, quality meal, Viva is just fine and I will go there again. The only thing I recommend you avoid is the House Chablis. Who drinks Chablis anyway? Some friends ordered it and I would drink Bartles & James from a box before the house Chablis at Viva. Enjoy!
(3)
Rada I.

Love the leafy things hanging from the ceiling. Food is pretty good and very cheap. I came here the other night... tired... not interested in prolonging the experience. They didn't seem to catch on; the service was sloooww. I don't like having to ask for my water to be refilled... more than twice. So, to make a loooong story short, the service could be better.
(3)
Vivian G.

My friend and I were walking around in the area since we're from LA and was looking forward to authentic Italian food and were convinced by some nice guy outside trying to get business I'm not sure if his accent was real now to think of it. I ordered a Caprese salad and Raviolli and my friend ordered a lasagna. first the caprese was horrible it was a rubbery low quality Mozerella chese and the tomato was flavorless they didnt put anything on it but oil so I had to ask for balsamic vinegar and they seeme bothered by my request. then the food came, my raviolli taste like frozen raviolli from costco and my friend gave me a piece of her lasagna since we were splitting our meals and when I tried the lasagna it was dry and tasted like it had been reheated all day with jar sauce it was horrible. Not only that the owner walks around pretending to be Italian but is Greek. When we told him the lasagna was not good and asked if he'd take it back since we couldn't eat it. he said oh you're not used to this taste? he was very rude and I said no I don't like a reheated lasagna then he says ok I'll take 30% off the price since it has been eaten. but it was only cut in half my friend had the other half and hadn't even yet tried it since she was eating her raviolli still but because i had a piece of the side to try it, he's trying to bargain a percentage of what he'd charge food I was asking to take back. this place I won't be surprised to see on hell's kitchen. I was very disappointed with the food and would never go there nor recommend it to anyone.
(1)
Sarah R.

Consistency is truly the spice of my life. My co-workers and I go here from time to time to eat from the ultra cheap lunch menu. We used to really like this place because there was a great waiter we all liked. We don't know what happened to him, but one day he disappeared and was replaced by an unremarkable and hardly attentive new waitress. The food had always been just a-okay. My co-workers liked the penne gorganzola and I liked the veggie panini, which had always been made with grilled eggplant, mozzarella, and some pesto. It came with a big plate of mixed greens and it was also, just a-okay. Yesterday my co-workers and I went, and I ordered the usual sandwich. About 30 minutes later the waitress emerged with a "sandwich" of sorts. It was panini with pesto and marinated broccoli, celery and cauliflower on it. No cheese. The mixed greens were drenched in a soup of oil and balsamic vinegar. It was like something an alcoholic mother would feed her kids on a bad day. I just wish they would have told me they ran out of the correct ingredients. I would have just picked something else. What a truly sad experience.
(2)
Gin H.

I introduced my friend, the Italian food snob, to this restaurant against his initial protestation because he wanted to go to North Beach Restaurant. I was being cheap because I didn't want to fork over another $200 for an authentic Italian dinner. I've been coming here for years whenever I have craving for Lasagna or Spaghetti Bolognes. Of course, we ordered the Lasagna and Spaghetti Bolognes with meatballs and split the dishes with a bottle of Chianti. Total cost including tips was $80. He insisted on tipping 25% because of the cute waitress that looks like Cameron Diaz. My friend, the Italian food snob, was really happy with the food as he finished EVERY single morsel and complimented me on my great taste. :) He even compared the food quality with North Beach Restaurant. PS. Please don't try to have any of their appetizer, salads or deserts because it is not very good. We skipped the dessert and went to Gelato Classico for some authentic Italian gelato instead.
(4)
Natalie S.

The fun plants hanging from the ceiling got my attention right away. I could tell this was going to be a great restaurant. Here's the deal. I like bread. A lot. And in that regard Viva didn't disappoint, even with that basket of complimentary stuff that's usually hard and dry. Instead, this was like your mama's fresh homebaked bread died and gone to heaven.
(4)
Timothy S.

Very reliable lunch place. It makes me sad that it's not more crowded, though. try it!
(4)
Shafaq C.

Pretty good Piccante pizza if you like jalapenos and tomatoes! And Mistomare pasta is yum too, but pretty seafoody. Not the most authentic place in North Beach, but still good food.
(3)
Krysta P.

I'm not really sure why this place has so many bad reviews because I've been here about 10 times now and they've never been rude or had bad service. I LOVE their California pizza. I won't even eat any other pizza anymore. First time I found this place was by chance.. I was 18 years old, walking through San Francisco with a couple friends and my younger brother (3/4 vegetarians), and we were all hungry, and I was paying.. SO.. I'm walking from Pier 32 back to Market St., and this place has their menu on the window.. so I look at the prices instead of looking like an idiot going into a place and having to leave because it was too expensive. Looked pretty good.. so we went in. We all LOVED the California pizza. My friends have even brought back OTHER (mutual) friends and they all say it was the best pizza they have had. I've been here with my family now, and my parents think it's great too. I can't imagine how anyone would rate this place low. So it takes a little while to get food, but isn't it like that everywhere? You want a fresh pizza right? You really can't expect it to be at your table in 10 minutes if they cook it fresh. Anyway, I haven't been in a couple months now, but I am really hoping to go again soon. BTW I voted "no" for "good for kids" because I'd rather not have kids running around wild while I'm eating there. :) OH, also.. I don't usually like the crust on pizza, but it was really good. Edit: Ate there again a few months ago and they got rid of the shredded parmesan cheese they used to put on top. It wasn't as great this time. Maybe they got a new chef? :/ Moved it down a star. Hopefully they fix that.
(4)
Sarah K.

Delicious! My kids *loved* it! Really great service as well.
(4)
Stevi C.

My coworkers and I have Viva on high rotation in the series of restaurants we like to lunch at. There's one waiter who is super nice and knows us by his nicknames for us. We heart him. As far as the food is concerned, this is some of the most cost-effective pasta in North Beach. They've got great $7 and $8 lunch specials with decent portions and flavor profiles. The ravioli and tortelini are not handmade, which is a downer, and I suspect that some of the sauces may not be either. Regardless, for the price, Viva hits the spot.
(3)
D.B. C.

Had the penne with artichoke & sausage, along with a half carafe of burgundy, and was impressed with everything. Minestrone was quite good, but infused with seemingly undercooked vegetables. That wouldn't stop me from going back.
(4)
Edwin L.

The takeout here is delicious - I've never actually eating in the dining room though, so I don't know how the table service is. I usually order the spaghetti bolognese and a salad. Both are very good. My girlfriend likes to get the Viva pasta, which has fresh tomatoes, basil, garlic, and olive oil. They aren't that good at estimating how long it will take for the food to be ready though, so keep that in mind if you're ordering for pickup or delivery. Definitely one of my go-to places for takeout in North Beach.
(4)
Leyb R.

This could've been a 4-star review. Instead the staff may have tried to rob us. The real question is why I'm giving any stars. The service was courteous, on a busy Saturday night. We both ordered the Arrabbiata. It came fast, and it was pasta done right, with a flavorful sauce and creamy eggplant. Really good. We got the bill ($29), and I gave my credit card. The receipt came back for me to sign--for almost $40. Luckily I caught it. The waiter apologized and said it was a mistake. He didn't seem surprised, or sorry. I can't prove this was intentional fraud, although I've heard this kind of scam is common. But guess what, Viva? This is about the worst kind of treatment you can give your customers. You should never let this happen, and if does happen, you had damn better find a way to make it up to the people you've wronged.
(2)
jean d.

Loved the food and great prices . 8 cops eating there when we were there and they will even let you order Greek food from their next door Greek restaurant .
(4)
Seb K.

Penne Gorgonzola tasted good but pasta were cooked too long... Service wasn't that great.
(3)
Betsy R.

I think the fact that I went twice in one weekend about says it. I went with a group of guys in Saturday for dinner. Awesome Pizza, combined with my dining patners being some big guys lead to me eatting way too much, but I dont regret it. Wine and two pizzas, that were so big the 6 boys and myself couldn't finish them...ended up being $20 per person, and we got the most expensive pizza on the menu. I took a girl friend back there for a late late lunch on Sunday (come to think of it I'm not sure I ate between these two visits). We both got pasta dishes. We both cleaned our plates. I love the mix and match option of picking your pasta and then picking your sauce. a very good weekend, with I dare say over full belly thanks to Viva. 4 stars because the serivce could have been a little better, had to ask for the check multiple times on each visit and had trouble get drinks refilled. But a small price to pay for really good, reasonably priced food. def. will become a regular...as soon as I join a gym....to burn off what i eat.
(4)
Sharon T.

I'll be the first to admit that Viva is hit or miss when it comes to the service. So I like to go early on a weekday, like right after work when it tends to be much slower. It's the only place I ever go in North Beach, mainly because it's got the most vegan options. There are at least 7 or 8 dishes that are vegan (and far more that are vegetarian). The pesto, sadly, is not. And you should make sure not to tell them to put on any parmesan. My favorites are the Mushroom, Primavera, and Fresca sauces. And hey, I brought a meat-eating, Italian, New Yorker friend here and it got his seal of approval, so that counts for something.
(4)
saurabh S.

I really want to like this place but I had the Rustica pasta yesterday and it was a huge disappointment. I think the service is hit or miss too. I'll give them a couple of more chances to find what's good on their menu.
(2)
G M.

Great pasta but bad service. Especially on the delivery. If your crock pot slow cooker is too slow, or are having just the most amazing day and in need of some bad service to even it out, then consider Viva. Here's how you do it: Call them about 2 hours before you expect to eat (disregard their promise of 30 to 45 minute delivery - that's just for sh*ts and giggles). Once your order is placed, hope that other people order for delivery asap so yours doesn't have to wait (this is how Viva can become more effective at disappointing customers - this is their secret "weapon of mass disappointment"). Third, do not - repeat - DO NOT call them to ask where your order is. They've got better things to do with their time than deal with you. Lastly, don't bother giving them another chance (I gave them three spaced out about a month in between to account for a bad week or someone out sick). One good thing I'll say, though: They said the food was already out and that the delivery guy had left some time ago. When the food finally did arrive (I did exaggerate the 2 hour thing - it was really more like 1 hour 51 minutes) it was still hot. Amazing how a paper bag can keep heat in these days!
(1)
David G.

Amazing pasta! My favorite is the tortellini -- it just has meat inside. Good garlic bread. Mediocre calamari and bruschetta. Haven't tried the pizza, because the pasta is so good! Open past midnight. If you call in an order, it will be ready to pick up in 20 minutes. I live in North Beach with lots of Italian restaurants around, and I go to Viva for the pasta; I don't know, maybe I'm weird. Other reviews complain about the service. It could be better sometimes, but on the whole they seem to be trying.
(4)
Amanda D.

This place was very disappointing. A friend brought me here because he thinks it's "a really great Italian restaurant". Methinks not! I ordered a very basic Italian dish - Baked Ziti. It was not good. The pasta was way over cooked, and they use processed mozarella for the toping, you know that because processed moz turns rubbery after melting. The marinara sauce left a lot to be desired - Safeway Select Marinara is way better... if that tells you anything. The bread was wheat and was not fresh, and the service was mediocre. This seems to be typically what is happening to the good ol' North Beach Italiano spots.
(1)
Q W.

This place is awesome because their pasta is pretty good, pizza is tasty, and they're open late and THEY DELIVER! What else can you ask for when you're out or at home and wanting to eat a midnight snack...You can always count on VIVA!
(4)
Y K.

Um, fuck, yeah. I was hungry and sober at 1:30 am and craving the shit out of a good slice. I went through yelp, narrowed down the criteria, called literally 11 different joints that claimed to be open, and they all said they stopped delivering. I became desperate and upon calling the last pizza joint on my list asked for a recommendation. They said "Viva" in North Beach is open and delivering. I yelped it and the 3.5 starts made me hesitate, but decided I was desperate enough to go for it. I ordered the pizza with Artichoke hearts, tomatoes, garlic and eggplant. Since I wanted it Vegan I asked them to remove the cheese and prosciutto and replace that with a drizzle of pesto which they GLADLY obliged to. The result was a DELICIOUS, thin crusted creation. Seriously it is one of the best pizzas I've ever had in this city. Usually I'm a simple New York Style cheese pizza or the classic Marghuerita kind of a girl but as long as I am in San Francisco and in the mood for pizza delivery I will be ordering from here. What I really liked about this place was that they season the dough and it isn't greasy, and they follow instructions. They're quick but not sloppy; and their vegetables toppings are very fresh and ripe. Also the sauces they put on my pizza were tasty. The pizza was delivered within 30 minutes, piping hot and friggin' delicious. Loved it. The only reason I won't give this place five stars is because I have had DRASTICALLY better. But I'm a pizza snob.
(4)
George S.

This place is a tourist spot. The seating is a bit cramped and the service wasn't exactly great. The bread & olive oil they serve at the start was pretty good but the pizza wasn't up to much. Seems the better reviews are from people who ate the pasta dishes... Maybe I am being harsh with two stars, but there are a lot of better Italian places nearby which makes this place seem worse than maybe it is. Only go in an emergency.
(2)
Steve H.

Is it wrong for me to review it again? It seems to keep getting better. They have a new menu, and had some great, inexpensive wine. I had the Penne PBS (pesto, spinach and broccoli). My wife had the one with seafood (I forgot what it's called). Both were excellent. The caprese now comes with a prosciutto upgrade, and it was fantastic! The owner's daughter was there and was charming and attentive. I'll be back soon!
(4)
Marie V.

I highly recommend Viva Restaurant, especially if you're vegan! I was at The Stinking Rose (across the street) with my sister, the garlic lover. After questioning the waitress, I found there was literally nothing vegan on their menu except a dry salad. Even their bread has dairy in it. I was really HUNGRY and grumpy. I hopped on Yelp. I found Viva. I left my sister in the booth, ran across the street, and talked to the hostess. She was sweet and super helpful. I had a delicious flatbread pizza in NO TIME. I generally don't even like the IDEA of flatbread pizza (thick crust, PLEASE!) but these people did it right. I walked back to The Stinking Rose with my pizza and ate it out of the box at the table. Nom nom!
(5)
Jessie L.

Great food for the price! I got the bolognese, which was good...but my wife's Vodka (with penne) was pretty awesome! Some of the best pasta that I've ever had. That being said, I can only give four stars because the bread wasn't that great.
(4)
V G.

Great little place! We found ourselves in San Francisco one Sunday and were looking for a spot to eat and came across this place. The menu looked good and there was no wait. Service very efficient and the food was extremely tasty. I had the tortellini with the 3 cheese cream sauce, my boyfriend had the veal parmigiana. Plus, the bill was very reasonable. Only complaint, is that the tables are super close together which makes fora tight fit.
(4)
Jasmine M.

This restaurant probably would have gotten 5 stars if not for the waitress. She wasn't bad, but completely uninterested in what she was doing. It made her seem rude. On another note, I have been here a few times and the food is always pretty good. Especially for the price it is definitely worth it. They also had a help coupon which made the experience better. Overall i would come back.
(4)
Iliel M.

Yelp is such Bullshit... Obviously people were paid to write positive reviews for this place... I wandered into North Beach on a sunny Sunday, right at dinner rush hour, all the usual tourist traps were jam packed. I strolled past almost everyone of them, down the hill to something Pelligrini, maybe a bus tour from Napa had just pulled up, place was packed. Walked back up the hill then onto Grant street, until I reached Viva. Completely empty except for a couple wayward tourist with children who probably didn't want to wait in line at any place better. I knew it would be bad, part of me wanted to see how bad and I wasn't disappointed. The waiter was fine, he cant be held accountable for the food. Spaghetti with tomato sauce and a 5 dollar salad, literally just mixed greens and olive oil. Far from remarkable, I recommend anywhere else, unless everywhere else is busy..
(1)
Jameson B.

We had been walking around all day and were so hungry to the point of getting sick that we saw in the distance the words gnocchi and we made a dash for this place not knowing anything about it. The place was pretty empty compared to The Stinking Rose which I heard a lot about across the way, but that didn't deter us. We ordered gnocchi and ravioli and it was excellent. It's not going to blow you away or anything, but if you want good, honest, down home Italian than this is your place. Our waitress was super friendly and I would go back next time I was in town.
(4)
Illiana L.

This pizza place is like a ghost town. We seated ourselves since the server was on her cellphone talking and We waited 10 minutes for the server to come out because she disappeared. She was very rude and said," Are you ready to order" and didn't even ask if we wanted anything to drink. Her attitude was very disrespectful. The garlic bread was good, just a little burnt. The Cesar salad was okay, the dressing didn't taste so good. The pizza was good. There was a lot of oregano in the sauce and the crust was pretty thick. There are other pizza places that are better and not as expensive as this one. We ordered Garlic bread, a large pizza, a small pizza, and a Cesar salad for $74.00, definitely not with it.
(2)
Shane N.

This was a delicious pizza! We had the one called The Favorite which had prosciutto, tomatoes, onion, and artichoke hearts. The bread was crispy, still yet soft inside. The sauce was very delicious, and zangy. We had a glass of cabernet which was pretty decent actually. Parking is very challenging in this neighborhood for the most part, so good luck to you. The waiter was slightly pushy about taking our order; he came back to take our order like twice in 5 minutes while we studied the menu. I think our bill was about $25.00. Great pizza!
(3)
Nick W.

Ordered the "Viva" Pizza for home delivery...it showed up with just pepperoni...that's like ordering a Big Mac and you got just bun and patty, but by the time you've realized this, you're too far from the cashier to complain...not cool The pizza we did eat wasn't anything special, tasted generic, but the 3 other hungry guys didn't complain...
(2)
Todd M.

We didn't find this on yelp when we searched but we were pasting by looked inside the place and decided to try it. The prawns in pink sauce was to die for and the flat bread was the best I have had. We had a very nice but quite server and ambiance was good. They really need to update there presents on yelp and their website, but don't over look them if you're in the mood for Italian in SF.
(4)
N V.

So my wife and I were in the city for the weekend with our three kids (ages 3, and twin 16 month olds). As much as we love San Francisco, we have had a hard time finding restaurants where we feel welcome with young kids. Last night my wife felt like Italian food, so we decided to walk down Columbus and eat dinner at the first place that looked good. This is unusual for me, I usually like to research the restaurants we eat at ad nauseam, or eat at one of our usual spots. But we stopped at Viva restaurant and looked at the menu. There was a small kids' menu, which was a good sign, and the rest of the menu and prices looked encouraging. We decided to give it a try. The service was great! Our waitress made us, as well as our kids feel very welcome. My wife got the gnocchi and asked for pink sauce, which was not on the menu. I tried it and it was awesome! I got the risotto and asked for it spicy (which was on the menu). It was good, but I would recommend not getting it spicy. The spice was pretty overpowering. My son got a cheese pizza, which was very tasty, and the twins got pasta with olive oil and Parmesan, which I didn't try, but the kids liked it. Overall, it was nice going to a reasonably priced restaurant in the city with good food, which didn't treat us like lepers, because we have young kids.
(5)
Daniel V.

Service sucked at first, Then got better. Pizza is good!
(3)
Nadeem A.

I have tried a bunch of Viva's pizzas and pastas and I now understand why this place has a solid three star ranking on Yelp - it's just smack in the middle of the spectrum of mediocrity. None of their items are particularly great, and yet, none are truly terrible to justify anything other than 3 stars. The pizzas are all super bready and are more like a Pizza Hut style of pizza than a Pizzeria Delfina one. A number of their pizzas have avocado on them which is the oddest topping for pizza. The avocado is more mushy than anything else. Plus, it turns a disconcerting shade of brown by the time you eat the pizza and while I know that's not a big deal, it's just not fun to look at. And for god's sake, do not order chicken on your pizza. It's the world's oddest looking chicken with a grey tinge. The pasta is hit or miss. For example, the pesto is actually quite creamy and good but the Pomodoro is something you'd made at home, with the "fresh" sauce tasting like it's straight out of a jar. So, I'd eat this food when it's for a free work lunch but by no means would I ever pay any money for food this mediocre.
(3)
Kristin K.

I order delivery from here quite a bit over the past few years. The spaghetti bolognese is my favorite in all of San Francisco. It emphasizes the meat over the "sauce" and is almost as good as my own mother's recipe! I always enjoy the caprese - especially the prosciutto. Everything is very fresh. The prawns and the chicken entrees are a go-to for me. Veal Scaloppine is freaking delicious. I order on Eat24 where it's a bonus that I get 5% of the order back in account as a cash coupon. All-in-all, this is my favorite Italian delivery in town!
(5)
Sharmaine M.

HOLY SH*T!!! We paid $50+ with 10% tip for chicken/shrimp alfredo and carbonara pasta. Alfredo 1/10- It's light but too bland. It needs more sauce! The chicken barely had taste. Shrimp wasn't bad. I had to add salt and pepper. Carbonara 0/10- THEY NEED TO TAKE THIS OUT OF THEIR MENU!!! They do not know how to even make a decent carbonara!!! There's no sauce at all, it's dryer than a desert, chunks pieces of cooked egg scattered everywhere when it's suppose to be like a sauce. We paid extra for cheese and it was all hard and plastic like texture. SUPER DISAPPOINTED!!! They didn't even provide utensils and napkins. Overall.. I WOULDNT EVEN EAT IT IF THEY GAVE IT TO ME FOR FREE!!! We will never order from this place ever again.
(1)
Sean S.

Had the chicken fettuccine, gluten free. Very delicious. Very clean restaurant and very quick service. Though they were busy still had a personal feel.
(5)
Jonsee L.

The red and white sauces tasted like it was a from a can. This place is cheaper but for a few bucks more, I recommend other places. The night before, we ate at "E Tutta Qua" across the street and experienced homemade food in a festive Italian atmosphere.
(2)
Maria R.

Very good authentic Italian. Had sausage mushroom pizza, very fresh dough. Cajon chicken pasta was delicious. Resonably priced and good service. Bread at the beginning was not the best. Quiet restaurant with beautiful mural decor. Very good. Would definitely go back.
(4)
Jessica H.

Not recommended for delivery. I ordered via GrubHub, and the estimate was 50-60 minutes. My food arrived 2 hours later, and when I called after 60 and 90 minutes to check for an update (I was very polite), the person who answered blamed GrubHub for sending the order late. I probably could have overlooked the late delivery, but the food was also underwhelming. I ordered a caprese salad with prosciutto, and the tomatoes were seriously underripe (almost all yellow) and caked in pepper. The penne vodka was under seasoned and of course quite cold since it arrived so late.
(2)
Kerole S.

I've been here twice and their food is delicious, the portions are good and the ingredients are fresh, the decor is a little weird ( the ceiling is full of fake dry grape leafs) other than that definitely coming back
(4)
Amanda B.

These guys were awful. They confirmed the time and location with me yesterday but then Eat24 sent me a text 10 minutes before we were expecting the pizzas today saying "Eat24 is slammed and we need some more time to complete your order". I called at 1200 (delivery time was 1140) and the girl ARGUED with me saying that their manager didn't see the order until a few minutes before I got the text, that it would take 45-50 minutes. We got the delivery at 1225- halfway through the presentation!!! One of the pizzas was burned. Totally ruined our event.
(1)
Liz M.

For being the first time in SF, eating at this restaurant was amazing! It may be a bit deceiving if the restaurant is empty, its the complete opposite. I ordered the Tortellini with the 3 cheese sauces. Let me tell you, that was to die for! If I were to be able to eat a second plate, I would !!!l haha Only If I were to live closer I'd definitely be there more frequently. Our server was very attentive to our order and our drinks. Super satisfied with the service! :-)
(5)
Katie Anne N.

This sucks and I hate to re-edit my review again. I got the mushroom ravioli and the pomodoro pasta and both were just so bad. I dont know what happened but they must have changed their recipe or chef or something. Because it did not taste the same as it used to. That is too bad.
(2)
Joe V.

We picked this place as our usual spot was not open due to a private party they were hosting. The salad was ok but the lasagna and the chicken cacciatore was excellent probably the best I've had to be honest. Service was ok and considering that the place is located on a main busy street you see people and hear a lot noise, we were used to it. It is located in North Beach after all. Cacciatore is definitely a reason to go back.
(4)
Miko A.

Ymmm lunch time lamb chop I allway order this it favor and the service is very good and other than that it's not crowded it right now and I have try everything on the menu the best chocolate mousse ice cream dessert is so ymm give it a try will it warm an nice day hope all of have good afternoon an get home nice an safe
(5)
Theresa M.

Shameful service and serious attitude! I ordered the Gyro platter via EAT 24 (which has ZERO support, btw despite a 24/7 customer service line) that arrives without the pita bread. Weird, huh? Kinda a bummer when you're studying and can't leave the house. So I call and they argue that the pita bread was put in the bag...like I'd go through the trouble of calling for some bread? Just weird.
(1)
Brandon G.

Great food, friendly service, priced right. What more could you ask for? The spicy Lamb was excellent.
(5)
Kelsey B.

I still have dreams about this restaurant. Being from out of town, I was lost (typical) in the North Beach area and was STARVING. I just so happened to stumble into this restaurant before I was going to call a cab/get directions back to my hotel and decided to order some food. I ate the pesto and pine nut ravioli. I saw heaven. For the remainder of my stay, I went back and/or ordered to-go probably 6 more times. I was hooked. I tried a few different pasta dishes, some apps, and a beautiful pizza that had broccoli, garlic, avocado, red pepper and chicken on it (I can't recall the name - Sonoma, maybe?). Everything was TO DIE FOR! Also, the prices are extremely reasonable and you get HUGE portions of food! Is there anything more glorious in this life than amazing, huge portions of food without costing a pretty penny?! I think not! I'm going back to San Francisco this spring, and this place will be my first stop!
(5)
Anna F.

I brought out of town guests here for dinner and am very glad we decided to stop in! We ordered the salmon & broccoli pasta and a small pizza (mushroom, black olives, spinach, sausage, and sun dried tomatoes - asked for thin crust). It was plenty of food for the 3 of us and we all agreed it was one of the best pizzas we've had! Can't wait to go back.
(5)
Samantha D.

Meh. I neither hate nor love Viva...it just doesn't live up to the better spots in NB. The hubby and I had had a rough night, and ended up here for some grub. We. Were. STARVING... The service was...OK. It wasn't the best, and definitely doesn't stand up against some of the amazing local spots for warmth or joviality. The waiter didn't seem too thrilled we were there, and let us know it. I don't think he was thrilled we ordered Sprite lol But, I put that away in excitement for the Bolognese I ordered...after all, parlavano italiano en la cucina...they were speaking Italian in the kitchen. I mean, that's gotta mean something, right? Ummmm....no. Apparently, not. The food was edible? In that I ate it, and didn't get food poisoning. The Mr. liked his dish enough, but wasn't raving about it like he does when he falls in love with something. The bright spot was their homemade cheesecake, it was pretty tasty. All in all, I think you're better off hitting one of the other Italian joints in North Beach...
(2)
Jon U.

Incredible four cheese pizza......and people, if you love a good mediterranean salad the you MUST go here for one....wow!
(5)
Tess M.

Ordered pizza for delivery and it arrived cold. Decent enough food after heating it up but nothing spectacular.
(3)
Arnie Sylvester P.

One of the best pizzas in town. We always order Favorite with prosciutto, garlic and veggies. Although it tastes different every time, we always devour it with delight. We will be definitely back to sample more dishes.
(5)
Jennifer R.

We decided to try Viva after we walked by and saw a group of people eating a visually appealing flatbread. We were not disappointed. The food was fresh & delicious. The broccoli and spinach flatbread was simply amazing. We complemented it with the mediterranean salad which was dressed perfectly with olive oil and vinegar. The combination red onions, feta and dressing appeases the palate. Lastly we split the mushroom pasta and had them add grilled chicken. The chicken was very moist. This was a great cheese-less pasta option. Great experience. Would definitely come back next time we're in town.
(5)
Lyndsey C.

Sauces tasted like they were out of a jar... And lacked flavor, Parmesan was not fresh, service was a bit lackluster and we were only one of three tables in there, so it should've been better. The pizza may be good but I don't recommend the veal parm (veal was not done well at all), diablo for shrimp diablo sauce was not spicy.
(2)
Jamie S.

Delicious!!! Got the vegetarian risotti and it was amazingly fresh and tasty. Very kind and sweet waitstaff. It's a family business so even better to support our neighbors. I'll be coming back for sure!
(5)
Jenna S.

I really, really enjoyed this place. I'm not sure what the other reviewers are so upset about. We stopped here because we were meeting friends for drinks at a bar nearby and wanted some grub first. The menu is large, classic Italian fare and a lot of pizza options. The service was good and the prices are low. How much better could this get? My husband and I enjoyed a meal of apps, pasta dishes and wine for less than $60. That is unheard of for most restaurants if you order any alcohol. This is a good place for groups and is located near a lot of bars, so it's a good place to start your evening. The service was friendly, quick and we were in and out in about 75 minutes.
(4)
Aiman F.

The worst Italian food I have ever had. I ordered the chicken pasta to be on the safe side, but the pasta sauce and chicken were extremely bland. I also tasted the eggplant parmesan and cheese ravioli, both of which tasted awful. These latter two dishes are some of my favorites at other, decent Italian restaurants too. Don't let the nice sitting space fool you. Avoid at all costs.
(1)
Cal R.

The staff seemed irritated and annoyed by my girlfriend's and my presence. The Caprese Salad was a mess. The tomatoes were hard like apples and the mozzarella shouldn't have been allowed to be called cheese. It was rubber city. The pasta was terribly weak. The sauce bland. The dishes seemed microwaved. The place mats were essentially parchment paper with grease stains from the previous customers. So basically you could say it was a pretty crummy experience. With all the amazing food in San Fran, you simply must pass on this restaurant.
(1)
Carrina F.

The food was good, but not excellent. It was definitely affordable but I feel like I could get better quality for my money at another restaurant on Columbus.
(3)
Monika K.

The service was really slow and the food was horrible. I believe I had the worst carbonara in my life. My husband had pizza, which was complety tasteless. Awful, awful place.
(1)
qirk z.

Felt like having pizza, but then saw the calzone on the menu, so ordered the small (12"). Well, this calzone is bottom of my list. Granted there were lots of ingredients, there was too much green onion. This calzone tasted like an Asian green onion pancake with cheese. The calzone dough was dense. Overall, I ate it all, but didn't really enjoy it.
(2)
Jolene B.

This post bar crawl pizza really hit the spot. Quick service, totally yummy and they even had ranch dressing! Sweet!
(3)
Mark D.

This is a review of a food delivery from Viva Pizza. Ordered a 16 in pizza margherita - i enjoyed it. the dough had a delicate but distinct flavor. the mix of the ingredients was pretty good. It is my opinion that the pizza could be improved by the addition of slices of fresh tomatoes. While it was a good pizza, I did enjoy the pizza margherita from pizza pomodoro more. The delivery was prompt.
(3)
Ashley K.

I was visting from out-of-town and really wanted to go out in North Beach on Saturday night so my friend and I decided we would just go to dinner somewhere in that area...little did we know North Beach's restaurant district is Little Italy and we are both gluten-free eaters. Italian is not generally gluten-free ESPECIALLY in little Italy where they would probably scoff at the idea of brown rice or quinoa pasta. We were going up and down the block and couldn't find a single non-Italian restuarant so we stepped into Viva because we gave up and saw a few possible options on their menu, it was approaching 10pm and they were still busy with people happily carbing up. The manager/owner is a big, loud, happy Italian and he sat us immediately. They have tons of pasta dishes, risottos (which are gluten-free) and several entrees (seafood, meat, chicken). We noticed a little section on the menu with budget-friendly options which were obviously enticing, and we both decided on the Tilapia with veggies and rice....I know, not Italian at all and probably one of the most boring sounding dishes I've ever ordered, but we went with what we could. We also split a bottle of Pinot Grigio and the Caprese Salad. The Caprese Salad was AMAZING, it was sliced and seperate, not stacked like normal Caprese, but it was absolutely perfect. The fish was served in a gravy-like caper sauce which I assumed would be entirely over-salted but ended up being wonderful on the Tilapia. The veggies were well-seasoned and cooked perfectly, and the rice was much more complex and interesting than I would have thought. Overall, I was impressed with the meal and the service (our waitress was great), but probably wouldn't return simply because there is SO MUCH FOOD to be had in the city and now I have learned my lesson about the restuarants in North Beach and will know to eat elsewhere before heading out in that area, or do my research first to scout out some gluten-friendly options.
(3)
R R.

We were invited in while we were checking out the menu so we gave it a try. On NYE we received excellent service when everywhere else seemed impossible to get any service. Their menu is great and I thought the prices were good considering the location. I tried gnocchi for the first time- I chose the creamy mushroom sauce- and it was AMAZING! I wish I could have it shipped to my hometown! My friend's salmon alfredo pasta was excellent (and I usually don't like seafood!). I will definitely try to come back here next time I'm in San Francisco.
(5)
Lisa H.

5 stars for the pizza by the slice... Hands down the best Veggie pizza ive ever had sold by the slice. Other than pizza they have an extensive menu. Although there are tables its really more of a take out spot. Really the only thing that keeps me from giving them a 5 star rating is really no fault of the restaurant but the ambiance dining in is only good when/if drunk.. And even then only if your under 25. With a strip club next door all you here are cat calls and lip service.. The smell of smoke drifting in, cheap cologne over powering the pepperoni.. But that veggie pizza.. Hmmmmnnn
(4)
Joyce W.

My friends and I went to Viva Pizza Restaurant today for lunch. While walking around Little Italy [aka Little Porno], we stumbled upon this quaint restaurant and was gravitated towards the entrance with their promises of "gnocchi." Between myself, my brother, and my guy friend, we had ordered the Carpaccio, gnocchi with pesto sauce, gnocchi with creamy mushroom, and a clam and mussel linguini. Here's the breakdown: Carpaccio - The carpaccio is described as "paper thin slices of beef tenderloin with lemon, capers and cracked peppercorn and Parmesan cheese. " The dish was exactly as described. It was full of flavor and very savory. Gnocchi with Pesto - This was my dish. I'm a very big fan of gnocchi. I normally like my potato dumpling with more potato and less flour. Viva's gnocchi was exactly how I like it. I must admit though that although the pesto was delicious, it didn't go well with the gnocchi. It was completely my error since you can have any sauce you want. Gnocchi with Creamy Mushroom - Amazing combo! The sauce complimented the potato dumplings well. Clam & Mussel Linguini - I only had a bite or two of this and I can only say that the linguini was cooked perfectly although the sauce tasted a bit like Classico. Overall, the atmosphere was great, the decor was adorable, and the place just screams, "Welcome home!" I'm a fan. :D
(4)
Kylie H.

I've come to Vivia a handful of times over the last few years. Every time I come, I always have a lovely experience. The staff is attentive and friendly. The food is absolutely delicious, and the value is great! Most recently, I went to Viva to celebrate a friend's birthday because we were in the area. We were seated quickly and received excellent service from a charming waitress (Maria) who was able to give us suggestions on what foods would go best with what drinks. The staff is very knowledgeable about what goes into the food and its preparation. As a vegetarian with a few food allergies, I always make sure to ask the waitstaff when I go out about this particulars and I'm often met with a blank stare, but not at Viva! I've actually not had the pizza in a few years, but the pasta dishes are very good. The flavor elements are definitely there and I always enjoy what I order. I look forward to the next time I'm going.
(5)
A S.

I've literally never had worse food in my mouth ever. I am very conservative with my usage of the word "literally"; it's not a worth I just throw around. The "chicken" "alfredo" pasta had less taste than cardboard. I've tasted cardboard (I can't tell you why) and seriously, it has more flavor. The "chicken" breasts looked as if they had some form of gangrene - grey is NOT the color you want your chicken to be. Hesitantly tried the least dangerous looking piece and it was terrible. I put chicken in quotations because I've grilled and eaten plain chicken breasts with no pepper, no spices - no nothing - and it still tasted like chicken. Whatever this was, did not. The pasta was pasta. Cooked an appropriate amount of time and then slathered in some sort of white pasta sauce like no alfredo I've ever had. It was milky-water flavored with maybe some butter? The garlic bread? I'm not positive there was garlic on it. It was soaked in butter, but didn't taste like it. Maybe it was just oil? Inedible - but somehow still tastier than the "chicken". This review is for their delivery - though it shouldn't matter. I work a block away and I'll never try it in-store either.
(1)
Bert K.

Yesterday, we split a Margherita pizza. Above average pizza with fine quality cheese, brushed lightly with tomatoe sauce, add some fresh basil and voila. The thin crust is good too: slightly chewy with a good taste. I also ordered the Viva salad: a large plate of fresh leaf lettuce's, capers in a fine EVOO dressing. Tip: two could split the pizza with a salad if they are light eaters. IMHO, splitting the pizza with me having a side Viva salad was too much food. Tip: meat eaters will delight in a hard to find item in the appetizers section: look for the one with sausage, shrimp and chicken. Each piece is grilled properly and the quality of course, is good. And it's only $9.00 shhshh: split it with pizza and you are golden. =)
(3)
Marieke K.

Really nice place, good atmosphere, cheap food and drink, including daily specials. The food is very good, not amazing, but very good bang for your buck. We've come back many times and brought friends.
(5)
Jeanette L.

Two star for friendly service and yummy shrimp alfredo fettucini a friend got, I went with the chicken primavera with red sauce I hated mine but loved my friends food. The girls were nice but would not recommend and won't be back.
(2)
Corinna S.

I had a horrible experience with delivery here. I accidentally got the address wrong for my order. I called and gave them the new address, my pizza came THREE HOURS later!! I tried to call and cancel before then but the owner told me he was not at fault because they had already tried to deliver. When the pizza finally arrived I found out they had purposely pursued other deliverys from people who had called in well after me with orders, so rude and unprofessional! Everyone makes mistakes, I didn't purposely mean to put in the wrong address but I felt like I had been punished for it. Even after my apologizing, the delivery guy threw the box on the table and evily muttered "enjoy your COLD pizza.."
(1)
Sherry L.

I've never had a bad meal here. I don't go to North Beach often, but when I do, I try to eat dinner here. I've ordered everything from the baked ziti to pizza to eggplant parmesan; they were all delicious! Plus, the portions are huge and the prices are fantastic. I also enjoy the bread too. Furthermore, the servers are nice and attentive. I have no complaints.
(5)
Gerardo F.

This place leaves a bad taste in my mouth, one that can only be matched by the borderline horrendous food they serve. I tried this restaurant out of wanting to get a bite after a long day of walking. First off, I doubt the owners are Italian. I'm part Italian and was mostly raised in an Italian household, so I know how Italian food is made and tastes. Viva did not cut it for me.
(2)
Eric K.

If you want REAL Italian food from REAL Italian Restaurant while you're in San Francisco, you have to go here. Servings are large. Food is tasty. Get the garlic appitizer of roasted garlic cloves. They are soft and spread like butter. So good. If the fake vines hanging from the ceiling from the chicken wire doesn't show you that this hole in the wall, that's been there for OVER 25 YEARS isn't real, nothing will. Not fancy. You won't impress your first date here. But you will impress your friends that you found this hole in the wall restaurant with the great pizza and great pasta.
(5)
J L.

I love, love, love this place! A group of us wandered around the corner from Broadway, voracious after walking up and down stairs in the Telegraph Hill area. The group voted for Italian, so we walked up the seedy block that is Broadway and turned right onto Columbus. After passing a couple topless bars, we happened upon Viva Pizza Restaurant. I was initially wary about finding anything on the menu (or in North Beach, for that matter) I could eat, since I am gluten-sensitive. However, I did see some possibilities on the menu that was posted in the window, so the group voted to stay and have lunch here. I'm so glad they DID! The place is bright, and welcoming, with "Italian" murals on the walls and grapevines strung about. However, it was empty of customers, which seemed worrying. The waitress guided us to a large table and waited for us to order. Recognizing that her accent was not an Italian one, I was curious how good our "Italian" food would be. I was pleasantly surprised on all counts. First, the prices were incredibly reasonable for a North Beach establishment, and the portions were large. Looking for a gluten-free option, I stuck to the appetizer menu and chose the Mixed Grill Appetizer, consisting of "grilled sweet & hot sausage, chicken breast and prawns marinated in a spicy sauce. All served in a bed of greens" for 9.95. I received a large entree-sized plate of deliciously seasoned food and came away feeling satisfied, as did all my gluten-consuming friends. We will definitely be back!
(5)
Samantha M.

After over a decade of going here I still don't think I've had the pizza, but I pretty much always leave with a smile on my face, even after a hard day. I love all the appetizers & I've tried half the pastas, and it's the only place I drink Chablis! :)
(5)
Gareth M.

Oh dear. All of the good places were 2+ hrs wait. We should have gone to a grocery store and picked up a wrap. Instead we ate here. Big mistake. Unequivocally, the worst professionally-prepared food I've ever eaten. Our waitress was friendly. The wine tasted watered down. The pizza was burnt, and disgusting. We would have complained, but we're British, so we soldiered on, stoically. Avoid at all costs.
(1)
Anjali V.

OPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! So, this is a funny story -- I've been wanting to eat at 'Estia' for as long as I can remember. I've tried all the other Greek restaurants in the city 'cept that one. I called 'Estia' and the gentleman who answered said they were closed for renovations or something but that it would be possible to come to 'Viva' next door as it SHARES A KITCHEN and IS OWNED BY THE SAME PEOPLE as 'Estia' - score! I think our server's name was 'Angela' -- she was super sweet & friendly =) Now, I also wanted to use the YELP DEAL that was advertised (20% off the meal), but again I really wanted Greek food, so luckily the owners made an allowance and let us order some food from 'Estia' and some food from 'Viva' (not sure if this can happen on a busier night as things would get confusing and hectic, but I'm super thankful and happy that they did accommodate us) What we got: 1 Spanakopita 1 Saganaki 1 Spicy Lamb pasta 1 Half Carafe of Red Wine ----- total: $26.60 (with the Yelp Deal discount included) --crazy, right?! RIGHT! The food was good, service was good, the prices even without the Yelp Deal would've been fantastic, so, yes, I will be back...back...back.. back.... (echo out).
(4)
Wayne P.

Stopped in after walking by. The place looked nice so we gave it a try. Service was great and had multiple people checking in on us throughout the meal. Food was very good. Lots of leftovers. Good portion sizes.
(4)
Toni R.

Reading at the other Yelp reviews, maybe my experience was different from that of others. But even still, this place really did the trick for me. Two friends and I were wandering North Beach and just happened to dart in here. We were helped quickly, treated respectfully and asked how our meals were. It would really have been 4 stars if it weren't for the price. The food wasn't absolutely mind blowing, but the dish that I only paid 9 dollars for tasted more like a 15 dollar dish. And THAT was mind-blowing. Especially wandering through the city were I expect to drop 20 on a dish without batting an eye. I would-- and will-- personally recommend this place to friends.
(5)
Cat P.

OMG, I came here sometime last year before the San Francisco Marathon, in search for a nice Italian restaurant to carbo-load at, the evening before my race. My bf and I tried to grab dinner at one of the higher-rated Italian restaurants on yelp, but every place around this area was super packed so we settled for Viva hoping it would be at least decent. I will start with the service, which was absolutely HORRIBLE. When we arrived there was no line so we got seated immediately. We waited at LEAST 20 minutes for the server to come and take our order, and he never came so we had to call the host over to grab him. We waited another 10 min and the server still didn't come back. In the meantime, the host served us some bread to munch on while we waited, but the bread was so stale and disgusting! Soooo ridiculous! Finally, the server came, took our orders, and two of the dishes that I asked for were not available. So i ended up having to settle for something else. We waited about 20 minutes and during this time, the couple at the table next to us had already been served their food, and they came in AFTER US. Also, our food came out, it was not good at all, and my bf and I agreed that we could've cooked up something better ourselves. We were extremely disappointed. Overall, we were very unhappy with this restaurant... with both the service and especially the food. Such a horrifying experience. Don't ever come here....it's sooo not worth it!
(1)
Garth W.

We really liked this place. Friendly and fast service and very tasty food. I thought the house Cabernet was good as well. We had a good experience.
(4)
Lauren N.

DO NOT GO HERE WHATEVER YOU DO! We ordered food from here and can't even believe they had the nerve to serve this nasty stuff. You've got to try really hard to make pasta taste like dog doo. The noodles were cooked days too long. I would have preferred can sauce over this flavorless "sauce." We were really hung over and honestly just about anything would have tasted good. We had to throw it away, we couldn't touch it. It was that bad. We called Eat24 (the place that delivered it) and they called the restaurant. The restaurant had the nerve to offer us FIVE dollars off our next order. You would have to pay me 100's of dollars to ever order that stuff again. I told Eat24 this and they said they would throw on another 5 bucks. HELLO, WHY WOULD I WANT MONEY TO GARBAGE!? Ugh, I got ripped off. Don't go here. If it's bad when you're hung over, it's got to be AWFUL when you're feeling fine.
(1)
Ed U.

Hey mambo! Mambo Italiano! Hey mambo! Mambo Italiano! Go, go, Joe, shake like a Giovanno Hello kess-a-deetch-a you getta happy in the feets a When you Mambo Italiano Hey goombah...you-a come to my place in da North Beach, and you-a get-a good meal like my mama make in the old country. We gotta all da pasta you want right-a here. And you like-a da pretty crate paper on da ceiling. Ma sistuh Rosa she make it like-a big olive tree back-a in Napoli. I think-a I gonna cry. And Jamie W. and I got such a great view of Columbus near Broadway when we sat down about 6pm on a Friday in this ristorante. We watched the sun dropping and the throngs passing by on Grant. The place was sadly empty and the staff a bit forlorn because of it. Just proves even tourist magnets like North Beach are not recession-proof. That's too bad because the food is not half-bad, at least better than the Steps of Rome Lick-the-Tiramisu-Off-My-Neck trap up the block. For starters, we shared the $5.95 Caprese which was a good size serving of mozzarella strips alternating with tomato wedges and doused with basil-infused olive oil. I had the $12.95 Portabello Ravioli - which was really three big slabs of ravioli - and had them cover it in their pesto. Good stuff, though a tad oily. Jamie had the $11.50 Sausage, Artichoke and Tomato pasta plate which you guessed it, has Italian sausage, artichoke hearts and a chunky tomato sauce. Again, good stuff. Viva has been around for nearly forever, so I'm sure they'll survive the economic woes brought forth by the ineptitude of the Bush administration. I'm not sure I will. Hey mambo, Mambo Italiano Hey mambo, Mambo Italiano Ho, ho, ho, you mixed up Siciliano it's a so delish a ev'rybody come copisha How to Mambo Italianoooooo! 'Ats nice! UNH! FOOD - 4 stars...traditional Italian, no showstoppers but you get what you expect in North Beach AMBIANCE - 3.5 stars...I like the crate paper...and da nice view SERVICE - 3 stars....like I said, kinda quiet TOTAL - 4 stars...for the food and for the tourists...here's one for y'all, goombahs!
(4)
Rayna A.

I just can't get over the bad waitress - who wasn't even mine! Food: I ordered the salmon pasta which came with cream sauce, but I requested marinara instead. My plate arrived with the cream sauce =( I sent it back without a problem. I also had a caprese salad that actually came with romaine lettuce - it was OK, but I definitely have had better. Drink: The house wine was good. Service: I would have gone back for the decent prices but I can't due to poor service. After a 1.5 hour dinner with one of my best friends, she was stopped by a staff member, while heading to the restroom. The waitress asked if she had eaten at the restaurant, because the restrooms are just for customers. When my friend told her yes, the waitress asked if she was sure. Embarrassed by the scene the waitress was making, my friend flagged our waiter, who watched the other waitress question her. It was just weird and unpleasant - he said nothing. Then, as we were leaving, he ran after us because she had signed the wrong receipt. As she signed the correct receipt, she told him how uncomfortable the whole experience was for her, and asked if that was a standard practice ; he just shrugged his shoulders - weird! Note: good place to people watch though...
(2)
Sarah H.

Disappointing. Last time I ordered pasta from here it came with bread -- this time it did not (last time I also ordered the brushetta and was still given extra bread with the pasta dish). Had I known there would be no bread I would have ordered garlic bread instead of the Tiramisu. I still feel hungry -- not good after spending $26. Pasta is pretty good though :) I ordered the Verdi Raviolini with Gorgonzola, Pesto, and Sundried Tomatoes. Delivery is always earlier than expected via Grubhub. I just dislike very much when restaurants are so inconsistent -- makes ordering difficult. Previous review: Fabulous! Yummy Italian food at a reasonable price -- and they deliver late night! I ordered the gorgonzola pasta and bruchetta. Can't wait to try their other dishes! Driver was polite and right on time.
(3)
Bill W.

Pros: two small pizzas, soda and an appetizer for about $30. So lots of food. Big glass front where you can sit at the table and people watch. Cons: incredibly uncomfortable wicker chairs. I thought I was the only one, but then we got to talking about it with another table. Generally good service from an all Asian staff (this is relevant because it's an Italian restaurant in North Beach. I assume they're quite good at the food but would also assume the same about an all Italian staff at a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown). Pizza was standard. I like my Magherita with big slices of tomato and whole leaves.. this was just standard.
(2)
Hannah G.

After wandering around, looking at the menus at various Italian restaurants, my friends and I decided to stop here. This was the first restaurant with more reasonable prices, and that still looked good. We were all a little apprehensive because it didn't have the best Yelp rating, but we gave in when the waitress offered to seat us right away (on a Saturday night). While this normally could be taken as a bad sign, this place was pretty great. It was pretty cold in San Fran this evening, as it usually is, so I got a hot chocolate. The hot chocolate might have been the best I've ever had (or maybe I was just freezing and it was the perfect thing to warm me up). I got the vodka pasta and added roasted garlic and fresh mozzarella. The pasta was delicious, and there must have been about 15 cloves of garlic in my pasta. The garlic was perfectly cooked, mushy and flavorful. There were a lot of big slices of fresh mozzarella adorning my plate, which went well with the sauce. My friends got pesto pasta, chicken ravioli with alfredo, chicken ravioli with sundried tomatoes, and the vodka pasta with meatballs. They all enjoyed their food and the restaurant didn't skimp on portions or additions we made to our meal choices. The waitress was attentive and brought us two baskets of bread, oil and vinegar, then another two when we demolished those because we were so hungry. Our food came out pretty fast too.
(4)
Laura B.

My family and I were actually headed into another restaurant a couple of doors down from Viva Pizza but I had second thoughts because of the limited menu and doubts if there was something our teen kids would eat. So we back-tracked to "Viva", peaked in side and went in. Someone sitting inside near a window had something that looked really yummy. We were not disappointed. All four of us were delighted with our choices of Fettucini Alfredo, a ravioli with pesto sauce, pizza Margherita, and Mediterranean salad with grilled salmon (which was grilled to perfection). We rarely dine a Italian style restaurants as I'm not really a "sauce person". But this was delicious. We had an early dinner so it wasn't crowded. The service was spot-on and friendly. I do have to agree to one of the previous reviewers about the ceiling decor. As lovely as it might be, I can imagine that it collects a lot of dust bunnies. That idea is unpleasant.
(4)
J D.

I tried to get delivery which they said would be 45 minutes. I called about an hour and 15 minutes later and they said it was on its way then hung up. I called a half hour later and they said it's on its way and hung up. I called a half hour later and they said it's on it's way and hung up. I called a half hour later and no one answered (it was after closing time). About a half hour later some one called and asked if I ever received my food. I was super pissed because I had just pulled my DiGiorno out of the oven and was tired of dealing with these a-holes. How do you stay in business?
(1)
John G.

Lunch Review. The pasta I got here was decent, but they took forever to bring it out. Wouldn't a bolagnese sauce be one of the first things to get ready for the day? I'd think pasta would be quick to make since they could prep the sauce and pasta before hand. I won't come back here if I'm pressed for time. And there's better places to get Italian since this is North Beach.
(2)
Natasha D.

If you are looking for cheap food in little Italy this is a great way to go! The food is good and comes and a better price. I got the Sonoma pizza (yum! So many toppings) and the salmon pasta (also good). The server was one of the nicest I've ever had (which is what made this a five star review!) Maria is awesome!!
(5)
Lee S.

This place is awesome! If you're looking for a solid option for traditional Italian food in North Beach. Plus the price is on average 3-4 dollars cheaper on average than the surrounding restaurants. My favorite dish is the lasagna. You get a healthy portion of piping hot lasagna. My girlfriend's is the fettuccine Alfredo. Everything we've tried has been excellent and it's my go-to place for taking out of towners when visiting North Beach. The calamari and garlic bread are both scrumptious. Add to it the fact that everything is very well priced, including the wine at only $14 for a full carafe, you have the best priced & best tasting Italian food in the area. Plus, I'm not sure if it's family owned, but it seems like it. We've had the same waitress a few times and the owner makes his way through the restaurant regularly. Ahh and almost forgot, the cheesecake is to die for.
(5)
Swetha G.

This place would probably fair better in my book if it weren't for the service. I'll get to that in a sec. The food, well the food was pretty darn good. I ordered a plate of the gnocchi w/the gorgonzola sauce and it was very tasty and well seasoned. My friend ordered the San Francisco pizza and added artichokes on it and it was equally satisfying. The pinot grigio white wine I had was perfect for the weather. The atmosphere was old school Italian with those classic checkered red and white table cloths, made for a great dining scene. So all in all, the place would've been a solid 4 stars. Then came the service. There's attentive and friendly, and then there's attentive and overbearing. Unfortunately VIVA fell in the latter. I think our server checked on us a good 10 to 15 times in the near hour or so that we dined. And even when our glasses were three fourths full, someone would come and pour us more water. This would normally be cool but it was very disruptive in the way it was done, and constantly interrupted our conversation. It was especially annoying as the person I was eating with I hadn't seen in a year and we were trying to catch up with each other but couldn't successfully complete our sentences b/c our server or another staff person kept checking in on us, too frequently. So yeah, I would say, it's really cool that the staff is so eager to please, but would be a tad cooler to step back just a little and let people eat and talk. Otherwise, VIVA was enjoyable.
(3)
Jonathan F.

Viva Pizza is a nice place. Try the budget menu. This past Friday I had the spicy lamb with pasta dish. I enjoyed it very much. Full of flavor and very satisfying. Price was just right too. Service was good. Atmosphere pleasant.
(4)
Melissa R.

Love this place! Located in the heart of north beach, CA. Great house burgundy, which you can get in a half karaff. Great pastas, which you can choose your own sauces from and great service!
(5)
Alison B.

This review is for delivery... I ordered delivery from here... ordered the portabello mushroom ravioli. The website said to allow 45 mins, but it took a little over an hour to get here. That didn't bother me too much, but obviously it would have been better if it got delivered sooner. The delivery guy and the guy at the restaurant that I spoke to on the phone were very nice. The food was good, I enjoyed it. Good portion. Nothing that blows my hair back, but I don't have anything bad to say about it either. Was it worth the ~$20 it cost for one dish after the delivery fee (even though it kept saying "no delivery fee" on the website, they charged me a $2 fee...), tax and tip? Probably not. Would I order from here again? Maybe...
(3)
Carole M.

Stopped in here whilst visiting North Beach with a friend. Had Portobello Ravioli with Sundried tomato cream sauce. oh, wow, it was delicious!! Nice crusty bread and a nice glass of wine. Very reasonably priced and service was attentive and adorable. Will definitely come again!
(5)
Courtney T.

Olive garden is better. Very bland!
(2)
Andi I.

randomly came here cuz gf wanted italian atmosphere was good, early dinner so it was pretty quiet the ceiling decor was kind of bothersome because it just screams dust the food was overall good had the caesar, and some sphagetti seafood plate gf had something with sun dried tomato finished with tiramisu i believe overall good experience willing to come back but i want to try other italian places as well
(3)
Natalie R.

The staff was friendly, the house wine was a value, the food was pretty good. Chicken piccata was good but a bit too much lemon. My husband ordered a meatball on the side, and it was dry with no sauce or anything. The salads could use a tad more dressing. Otherwise, everyone enjoyed the food, and it was a good place to stop without reading reviews first.
(3)
John M.

Great traditional Italian food, fairly priced. Fresh tasting, and friendly family service.
(4)
Erica P.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars. I was craving pizza the bf suggested we walk around north beach and see what looks good. We stopped by this place because it looked cute inside. The bf suggested we order the Sonoma Pizza... chicken, green onions, gorgonzola, red pepper, eggplant, pinenuts, avocado, and cilantro. I like all those topping separately but I never thought of all of them together. But OMG it was super yummy! The pizza was full of toppings we only finished half of a large pizza. Usually we can finish a large pizza in one sitting. I got the house red wine for around $5 a glass and it was really good. My only complaint was the service was sort of slow but I think it was because a European tour group showed up.
(4)
Tarra R.

I wanted to like this place. I really did. Unfortunately the service was spotty and the food wasnt that great. The dishes that we all had were horrible. The best part of the meal was the roasted garlic and bread. Although we had to ask for more bread when it arrived. The waitress sould have known it was needed. We had to ask to refill our waters and sodas. With the many options for Italian food in the area I dont see a reason to try this one again.
(2)
Miika M.

MÃ©nage Ã trois Love a good one when the pairing is perfect: (Bread + Olive Oil + Balsamic Vinegar) My kind of mid-afternoon tryst with an attentive palate and appetite whet by raindrops and avoiding massive puddles in North Beach. My good friend was visiting and apparently craving Italian, which is a cuisine I'm not too fond of when hosting tourists. Why? Because I'm not a bad cook, whipping up a quick plate of pasta on the fly is my speciality. The last time she was here and hungry, I whipped up a quick shrimp fettucine with white wine sauce utilizing ingredients I had in the fridge: whole milk (out of cream), butter, white wine, shrimp (leftover frozen) and lots of chopped garlic/onion. It may have been non-restaurant issue but it certainly was not priced at $15. She ate the entire thing and it probably cost me less than $5 to make. Anyhow, we ducked in, probably more so to escape the oncoming torrential downpour and although I was slightly distracted by the fact that we were the second set of customers setting afoot here. We opted to seat near the warm kitchen, where the chef was currently preparing to do a quick saute. Our waitress, although a bit busy already, had us settled within a few minutes with several slices of their warm and delightful bread and the customary olive oil/balsamic vinegar dipping mix. As I had mentioned before, I'm a cheap ass when it comes to Italian food. I can't seem to justify paying $15 for a plate of pasta. So, scrutinizing the menu, I decided that my big Asian butt could afford not to ingest any more carbs (ate several slices of the bread, woe begone) and ordered the Mixed Grill Appetizer, priced perfect at $9.95. Why did I order an appetizer? Because this glorified little dish was all protein. That's right. It came with one spicy sausage, one sweet sausage, 4 chicken tenderloins, and four grilled shrimp on a small bed of spinach greens. Fantastic spread and enough to satisfy me for the next several hours. The ambiance is warm and cozy as we sat directly across from the kitchen. It was nice to watch the chef from time to time whip up various dishes and wondrous smells emanating from the counter top, lit with dishes ready to go. I'll come back to sample other dishes in the near future. Perhaps the pizza and a to-go item, if I can find a parking space ;)
(4)
G. S.

I should've guessed from the menu (and the lack of customers inside). It's far from authentic and the meal lacked in several ways. I ordered a coke and had to send it back. The server did not inform me that it's RC cola. Seriously, that's ghetto. And I ordered the gnocchi and it was not cooked all the way through. So instead of eating raw potato dumplings, I sent that back as well. I had a few bites off of friends' plates, but they were also forcing themselves to eat "something". Everything just tasted subpar. We certainly did not take our leftovers to go.
(1)
Niniane W.

Every time I come here, it gets worse. I enjoyed the lunch special clam linguini. But the last two times I came for dinner, I had horrible food. Tonight I had the chicken cacciatore and it was truly awful. It tasted worse than food at the restaurants across from Disneyland (formerly the worst pasta I've ever eaten). I could easily make much better chicken and better pasta.
(1)
Alvarito M.

Yelp, you have to create a "no fucking stars" rating! Now, there is NO reason to eat at this place unless you haven't eaten a thing for a week and you're barely holding on to life but now that I think about it, a meal at Viva could be the one that tastes so horribly that it's the one that puts you 6 feet under! The service was so slow that if you walked out they probably wouldn't notice! The food at this place really sucks and I swear NEVER to eat here again! Two maybe three servers for the entire restaurant and no assistants to help. If you want a regrettable experience, Viva is eager to make your wish come true!
(1)
Shreya O.

Sub par pizza. Sub par service. I wanted to go to Tommaso's, which is right around the corner. Naturally, the line there was out the door and I was starving so we decided to walk around and find another place and stumbled upon Viva. We started with a Minestrone soup, which was oversalted and was 90% broth with a few vegetables floating around. Next, we ordered the California pizza, which was supposed to come with avocado. When we finally got a hold of our waitress to politely inquire about the status of the topping, she gave us a blank stare and said "oh maybe we're out." I politely nudged her to go check and indeed, they had run out. Um, hello??? Shouldn't you have told us that right after we ordered so we could have had the chance to order something else? Next, we ordered the Margherita pizza, which was among the worst pizzas I've ever had (minus my elementary school cafeteria). The cheese was a thick, gross, underbaked, congealed layer of mozzarella. The crust and sauce were okay, but not really authentically Italian or even tasty. I've had takeout that is much better. Maybe pizza is not what you're supposed to order here. Maybe pasta is their thing instead. Whatever, I'm not coming back to find out.
(2)
Lisa W.

Ok.. Where do I begin? The only good thing I will say up front is that the bread that was served along side the pasta was nice and soft and the butter was not hard. Now for the bad. First off the delivery took an hour and 45 minutes. The pasta was extremely bland as was the grilled chicken. ( I ordered the pasta primavera) which should be a simple dish. I asked for silverware when i ordered and it also never came. and the food was room temperature. This has happened to me before and I will not longer come back to this establishment
(1)
Rebecca H.

I absolutely LOVE Viva's pizza, especially the crust. However, I will never again place a delivery order. Our last order took forever, but, hoping it was a one-time issue, I placed an order this evening. When it hadn't arrived in an hour, I called to ask where it was. "It's not there? Um, give it five minutes. It should be there." An hour and a half after I'd placed the order, I called again. "Uh...we're really busy tonight..." "Do you have an idea as to when it left your restaurant?" I asked, "I really am not interested in cold pizza." "Oh, it'll be warm. We put it in an insulated container." Right. That sounds awesome (not!) An hour and forty-five minutes later, it arrived. Cold. Honestly, I took the pizza. I was starving. I even tipped the driver. Last time I'll ever order there again. It's one thing if they let you know when you order that it'll be two hours; you can decide if you'd like to wait or order elsewhere. But to keep promising it "in a few minutes" is unforgivable.
(2)
Nam N.

Do you enjoy being ignored by your restaurant servers? Like to have your plates removed before you even finish eating? Then you must try Viva in North Beach. Some friends and I went here after completing the 2008 AIDS Walk and were feeling pretty good about changing the world. Viva always seems packed when we walk by on our way to The House so we thought we would give it a try. The lunch menu was extremely cheap--averaging $7 a entrÃ©e. However, no matter how cheap a dish is, it's no use if you can't get your server to take your order or you have to wait over 30 minutes to get pizza. Once we finally got our order, we realized we were missing a dish of linguine carbonara. We brought this to our server's attention to which she then proceeded to convince us that we hadn't ordered it in the first place. "UH-UH!" When the dish finally came, it was watery and lacked any flavor. We doused it with some major parmesan cheese and salt but nothing could bring that dish to life. What a disappointment. The pizzas all lacked seasoning--oregano, I think. To top it all off, we had ordered one sorbee to share amongst the table. After only taking a few bites, our server swiped it off our table before it was even half-way finished. We were all in such shock we didn't even have time to tell her to stop. If you want pizza, don't bother with this place and go to Tommaso's. Or just call Pizza Hut. I hear they have pasta now too and you'll be better off.
(1)
Michelle G.

My boyfriend and I stumbled upon this restaurant on a Thursday evening. The man at the door was nice and prices are decent so we decided to eat there. I ended up ordering the Viva pasta (adding italian sausage) and my boyfriend ordered the chicken raviolis. And WOW, the flavors in the Viva pasta were fantastic! Normally I don't order red sauce pasta dishes since they're different everywhere you go and I eat enough of it at my own Italian household but this pasta was sooooo good! You can tell the flavors were really fresh and bursting with flavor. The italian sausage was good as well and not that spicy as it proclaims. My boyfriend loved his raviolis with alfredo sauce. 8 raviolis in 1 order is really filling. I had to lower 1 star for service. The waiter was a little confused about our order at first, seemed a little impatient for us to order, and didn't give any sugar to their already watered-down iced tea. Otherwise, I definitely would be returning back!
(4)
David D.

My two friends dragged me out there for lunch yesterday, and I'm glad I went. The lamb penne rigate, with sweet paprika and fresh mint was very nice. I tried the pizza... very tasty but not crispy enough for my liking. Avoid the sunsetting hours because they don't have an awning, which is very annoying. Other cool things: --Inexpensive. --Bendie straws. --Ceiling decoration. Go see Maria and tell her you dig the fake glittery tattoo on her shoulder.
(4)
Adrienne G.

Took my peeps out for our Quarterly lunch & aimlessly walking towards North Beach, we happen upon Viva - total unexpected treat! $7 lunch items!! Huge dishes of deeeeelish, flavorful, cheesy, pastas & Pizzas looked uber-yummy We had the Penne Gorgonzola & another had the Big Salad w/ Prawns Penne Gorgonzola - hunks of Gorgonzola nestled in a bed of penne w/ Sun-Dried Tomato-Pesto Sauce w/ Pine Nuts....2-die-4 Can't really comment on the salad as A - I'm not a salad luver & B - I didn't have any......but C - the person who did ranted & raved over how good it was Look out on ALL the cute little tourists w/ their little maps & SF books..... Waitress was really friendly & service was fast - got us outta there by our 1PM meetings Would totally come back!!
(4)
Stefanie L.

Most impressive aspect of this restaurant: Eggplant parmesan for under $10. In a tourist neighborhood, no less! The three stars are basically for that fact alone. The service, however, was another story. I understand that North Beach restaurants must get a ton of annoying, low-tipping out-of-towners who make the working lives of the serving staffs quite hellish, but it sort of affects the atmosphere of a restaurant when the waiters are pissed off all the time. Our waitress was efficient, to be sure, but she seemed genuinely peeved by everything, like we were inconveniencing her for eating there. Which, as you might imagine, wouldn't earn her a very good tip and would keep the vicious cycle going. Sad horn noise.
(3)
Jaicy M.

We went to Viva Pizza as a group after a wedding we attended. We had a group of 12 so we called a few days in advance to make a reservation. They made my friend give her credit card number when she made the reservation. When we got there and told them we had a reservation they had no clue what we were talking about, no record of a reservation. So they scrambled to throw us at two separate tables for a few minutes, and then eventually cleared a space for 10 of us below. When my friend got there she approached the manager about giving her credit card number and he said, Oh yeah we had your reservation all along! Weird. I did enjoy the pizza. They had a great variety, and I liked the specialty and the plain pizzas, always a good sign. I would visit the place again I just would be weary of bringing large groups.
(3)
Ziad E.

I've been a fan of Viva for years, but the last few pizza deliveries have taken at 90+ minutes, punctuated by erroneous information every 15 or so ("he's on his way", "it'll be there in 10 minutes", "the driver just left, he'll be right there". Apparently it takes 45-60 minutes to drive 1.5 miles. Viva makes great pizza. By all means, stop in for a bite the next time you're in North Beach, but don't bother calling for delivery--it's just not worth the wait, the hassle, and the load of BS they'll feed you.
(2)
Kev M.

Ordered delivery, since it was a rainy night. Took about an hour, which I sort of expected. Pizza wasn't particularly hot, but I had low expectations already and we had a coupon for some small percentage off... Summary: $32 (including tip) for a lukewarm large sausage & mushroom pie, one caprese salad (fresh mozz and tomatoes) and a miniature slice of fairly decent tiramisu delivered 6 blocks away in an hour on a rainy night. It's a little better than mall food court quality pizza. Bready crust. Thick just kind of melted cheese. You know, where the cheese just sort of flattens out slowly in a big white mass. Not really finished baking yet, or the oven wasn't hot enough. Just being honest. Look at the pictures. Enjoyed the caprese salad though. Finished heating the pizza in my toaster oven to make it a little better.
(2)
August A.

Have you ever had food sooooooo good that you have dreams about it? No? Well sucks for you. I have. And it was here. From reviews I've read so far, I have the feeling you have all been subject to the "Italian" staples while dining here. A quick tip for all of discerning palate...every time I venture to an eating spot for my yelptastic adventures, I usually order the most classic, simple, and hardest thing to f&$k up item on the menu. In Viva's case, it was the Pomodorro. The tomatoes and basil were sooooooo flavorful, almost like falling in love with every forkful of sweet, savory, and fresh pasta. Other notables are the chicken parmesan because the red sauce tasted like a blended/cooked version of my pomodorro. The bread served as an accompaniment was still fresh, soft, and crunchy considering that we were dining near midnight. Service was impeccable...BY THE OWNER OF VIVA!! Seriously. Cool guy btw, he sat and chatted with us for a good hour because it was our first time (definitely not the last) in San Francisco. My last visit to the bay/Viva was back in July...YET I still have dreams of that tasty pomodorro. TRY VIVA, ORDER THE SIMPLE, ENJOY!!!
(5)
Christine S.

Being in North Beach on a Thursday Evening and the weather is still in the 80's, how cool is that? We chose this place because it was not as crazy some of the other more popular places that are here... What we ordered: Chicken Piccata, that came with pasta and veggies. - $13.95 I have to say it was probably the BEST chicken piccata that I have ever eaten (Sorry Mom). It wasn't a deep friend breaded mess like I have been seeing a few restaurants but it was prepared the old school way. With LOTS of lemony-piccatta goodness! What also was really great was that the pasta they served was in a meat sauce and not the standard watered down flavorless tomato sauce that you usually see. And the vegetables? Great! All very crunchy and really good. Prawns Alla Diavola - $14.95 Since I am not a big fish eater, I just had a bite and it tasted good... If you are looking for a fancy-schmancy place to take your in laws to impress them, then I don't recommend this place. There isn't a fancy wine list either, which also find is a nice change. Just order a glass of the house red and enjoy it! What I find charming about this place that is it strictly old school when it comes to Italian restaurants. This place reminds me of my Nonna's kitchen and I found that very comforting. The service is friendly and very helpful. The only reason why I didn't give it 5 stars is because I was only there for a quick meal. Didn't order appetizers, salads or dessert. But if I did, I am sure it would of been great and I then would of probably have given it 5 stars. Maybe the next time. I will be back.
(4)
Mike C.

I just finished having a meal at Viva Pizza in North Beach and I have to say that the experience was one of the worst I've had in San Francisco. And let me count the ways: 1. We started the first 10 minutes with one menu for the 3 of us 2. The next 30 minutes waiting for a waiter to take our order 3. The next 30 minutes waiting for our food 4. The next 10 minutes waiting for someone to take our check 5. Getting the wrong check at our table 6. Listening to other customers not being able to order clams 7. The food: edible. And those are 7 reasons to consider when deciding not to eat here. I would have rather eaten at Olive Garden.
(1)
Orin B.

I stumbled upon Viva Pizza after having a few beers at Vesuvio's and the Cafe Adler. I should have known it would be band when the hawker outside approached me with a fake-sounding Italian accent. Service was decent, but the food was absolutely horrid. The tomatoes used in the Caprese were flavorless and the "fresh" mozzarella was standard mass produced mozzarella than you can buy in a plastic tub of water at any grocery store. The veal parmigiana was palatable, though there was such a layer of sauce and cheese that I was unable even to find the veal. The steamed vegetables appeared to be a Bird's Eye frozen medley. The pasta side was overcooked and the sauce appeared and tasted like the SpaghettiO's sauce. Dessert was acceptable at most.
(1)
Lauren R.

We ordered delivery from here and it was seriously inedible. The pasta was so over cooked it was like mush. The sauce on both dishes didn't have flavor at all. The chicken was too scary to try. We couldn't eat any of it. The pop was the only good thing. I literally just threw away 60 bucks.
(1)
Cindy P.

Delivery Service Review: WOW the Regina pizza is fantastic!! Found them on grubhub.com and the delivery service is great! They delivered quickly on a Friday night and the food was great. The Caesar salad was fresh and tasty. Only downside was that they forgot extra Parmesan cheese and paper plates but otherwise I'd try them again.
(4)
Steve M.

during a search for some food... me and friends stumbled to this little place right at the corner...possibly the best decision of the whole trip the Lasagna...AMAZING the pizza...something one must experience...yeah, like that...a simple pepperoni pizza with hook you... only crappy part was that only 1 waiter was active with all the table...the other waiter was a duche hat that kept going outside smoking cigs and chatting it up with some female friends... nontheless, soo gonna return when im in town...
(4)
David O.

My wife and I first met a little over 4 years ago, on March 12 2004. I was waiting for her at the Savoy Tivoli bar and she arrived around 8 o'clock. We had a few drinks, chit-chatted, and headed down to Viva for a fabulous dinner, complete with wine and delectable pasta. It was a warm March evening as we left the restaurant, slightly inebriated, and made our way to Washington Park. There we made out on a bench for what seemed like seconds... or an eternity. Not bad for a first date, eh? 4 years on, my wife and I wanted to relive the magic so my wife picked me up at work and we drove to North Beach to have a few drinks at the Savoy. The weather was fiercely cold with a biting wind chilling your bones. There were very few people at the Savoy and we noticed that they have significantly raised their prices. I ordered a Manhattan, cost $8, and was served an exactly measured 1 shot of Jim Beam and 1 shot of Sweet Vermouth.... I guess they're seriously fighting inflation there at the Savoy, but I gotta admit that it left my wife and I feeling a little cheated. Slightly more hurried than we typically would have, we left the bar and headed down for dinner at Viva. Ahhhh, Viva did not let us down, and the experience this time, just like the 2 or 3 times I came before, was just as enjoyable. We started out with the Bagna Calda, a dish of roasted garlic cloves, that was just sublime (Funny how we had no qualms eating garlic together on this date... something we certainly did *not* do on our first date!) especially spread on their crunchy Italian bread. I followed up with the Four Cheese Pizza, a divine gut bomb of molten cheese (or was it lava) poured generously atop a tasty and zesty thin crust pizza pie. I couldn't even eat half of the pizza, it's so damn dense, but Mama-mia it's good! I believe my wife had the pasta Arrabiata with eggplant, but I can't say for sure. Either way she loved every bite of it! We accompanied our meal with a bottle of Amarone, a red wine from the Northern Italian region near Verona. The service was wonderful too. Viva Viva!
(5)
Elle L.

This place is really a joke. I had a salmon with pasta and broccoli lunch special. The dish itself was very bland. There were 2 tiny pieces of salmon in my dish and the rest was maybe some other fish that was not suppose to be in there.. It was just difficult to figure out what it was on my plate. When we asked the waitress what it was, she said that it was salmon fat! The whole thing was just really disgusting. definitely go somewhere else!
(1)
Amanda D.

The only bad thing about this restaurant--is that service was a little slow, but the waitress was sweet. But people need to learn to slow down and take their time sometimes. BEST GYROS AND PIZZA (olive oil, thin crust, tomato slices, basil and mozzarella...thats all this pizza needs) I HAVE EVER HAD. No duh your food was cold and took forever, THEY MAKE THEIR FOOD FRESH (thus why it takes forever) and pizza is going to get cold FAST when its THIN CRUST...you stick fire stove baked pizza in a f***ing box..its going to ruin it. Stop being lazy, get off your fat asses and GO OUT for once...anyways... INCREDIBLE FOOD. LOL. Oh, and all of you who say this food sucks, you need to go to a mental hospital. Seriously. Retards.
(5)
Lauren D.

Ok so this place is cute. I had the penne alla vodka and it was very tasty. Tried my BF's ravioli with the sun-dried tomato creamy sauce and I actually liked that better. The service here was very friendly and prompt. I'm just a little upset that we let our lame-ness get the best of us in thinking we were never going to escape chinatown, so we plopped our asses at the first decent looking place we could find. Everyone enjoyed their meals, but as we were strolling down the street afterward we went past at least 10 other enticing Italian restaurants, boohiss. End of story, only go here if you want typical run of the mill down home Italian. Anything fancy or inventive - keep on walking.
(3)
Crystal C.

2 words - Tourist Trap After reading the Italy portion of Eat, Pray, Love I thought I too would go on a Italian binge to ya know - pretend I could somehow pull off the same experience with food as Liz in the book. But eh. I always walk by here on my way to the gym and back from the gym, oogling at the pastas and patrons enjoying their late night consumption of carbs, cheese, and more carbs. I also always think to myself, if the restaurant is as good as their decorations of hanging foliage..which I think is impressive...I mean come on now, the ceiling is COMPLETELY COVERED in hanging autumn leaves of some sort. My boyfriend and I came on a late Sunday night at around 10 p.m., thankful that something was still open. We had the favorite pizza and garlic bread. Both were nothing to write home about, a pizza is a pizza. The service is kind of mixed. We were checked up on 4-5 times by two waitresses but the play boy waiters just kind of congregated to the back of one corner and did not seem too concerned that other patrons were waiting to be served. Maybe they think they're too good-looking to do their jobs. Eh. All in all, I wouldn't come here again. Certainly the paper place mat of popular locations in Italy kept me entertained, but after 30 minutes and still no pizza...even the foliage ceiling couldn't keep me satisfied anymore.
(3)
Briana J.

I didn't like tomatoes before I entered Viva Pizza Restaurant, but the bruschetta officially changed my opinion. Absolutely delicious and if all tomatoes are as good as the ones on the bruschetta, in the future I won't have to say no tomatoes on any of my dishes. I highly recommend ordering it as an appetizer! The lunch special is a pretty good deal: $6.95 for pasta dishes-- in which I ordered the Three Cheese Ravioli with the pomodoro sauce. The portion was just right and I left satisfied. Not the best plate of ravioli I ever had, but tasty enough, so worth the price. My boyfriend feels the same way about his margherita pizza. As for the service, I'm pretty sure there was only one waitress for the entire restaurant--which obviously made service pretty slow. Also, the water didn't come with ice, so it was pretty warm. Though the bruschetta is to die for, next time I'm in North Beach I'd probably try a different Italian restaurant out, given the abundance of options.
(3)
Jenni C.

Went there for lunch. Excellent pasta & great sauce. Excellent service & good quality for low price in comparison to other local restaurants. I wanted lunch & lunch prices. Other restaurants only had dinner prices. Very pleased with our selection.
(5)
Jessica H.

Happy New Year everyone! One New Year's Eve, my b/f and I decided to go to the city and celebrate. The only problem was that by the time we completed our visiting for the evening and figured out the BART system that night, it was almost 10pm and we were starving. Most places were already closing and it was looking like we would have to get pizza or taqueria food when we were hoping for a sit-down dinner. That's when we found Viva. At first I was really excited because the first guy we encountered was so nice and although it was close to closing for the kitchen, got us a table. However, my excitement waned when the waiter came over and the first thing he said was "Just a reminder we close at 11pm." Uh, but we were just allowed to sit down. I ordered the caprese salad and the minestrone soup. My b/f got a chicken pasta. The soup was tasty but not as hot as I would have preferred it and the salad was okay. I say okay because while the cheese and basil were really fresh, the tomato was a little mushy and for this salad I need it crisp. My b/f liked the dish but said it was a little too rich for his palate. Overall, the experience was okay. A bit odd (we were out by eleven) but okay.
(2)
Chris R.

I recommend this place to anyone I know who travels to San Francisco. Everyone who has taken my advice and ate here has thanked me. For the money, it doesn't get any better. This is my favorite place in San Francisco. For a city full of great restaurants, that should be all you need to hear.
(5)
Ankita I.

One thing that needs to be said about this place is the service is sloowwww...beyond slow. and on top of that, pretty mediocre. No one came to take our order for so long that I had to ask a passing girl if she could take it for us. She ended up saying she wasn't our waitress and we'd have to wait for our server WHO SHE DIDNT INFORM THAT WE WERE WAITING. Anyway, the theme of the night was waiting. We had to wait for days for our food, then our bill and then after we he took our cards, we waited again. It was the longest I waited for someone to process our bill.... The food was decent. My friend's gnocchi was overcooked and chewy so I would recommend not to get that. I had the pesto pasta which was pretty good. All in all, this was not the best restaurant in Little Italy... with so many other restaurants to choose from, I doubt I'll be back.
(2)
jason g.

Dining in: Service is slow Wait staff here do not help each other out in which I don't understand. I flagged a waitress down to order some additional entrees. She hesitantly comes over and stands there until we ordered two additional entrees and then said..........."i'll get your waitress." Wow!!! They still do that here? The owner should really put a stop to that. Our waitress was a little wet behind the ears but hey...........they should have helped her. I am not going to go over every little details on what went wrong and will simply say that she was new and I understand. food taste different. Food usually taste better when eaten at the establishment rather than delivered or ordered to go. This place on the other hand is the opposite. I strongly believe you can get your food faster by ordering to go versus dining in. Their meatballs are still very consistent and delicious but the pizza when eaten at the establishment was not. It was actually warm and the cheese have already congealed. Solution: Order for delivery only. Delivery is still 5 stars in my book.
(2)
D M.

Food was mediocre at best. I and two coworkers dined here for dinner. I had the lamb chops and I don't recall what the other two had but none of use were happy. The lamb was very salty, the vegetables were way over cooked and the pasta, I think was covered in Campbell's tomato soup. I regret eating dinner at Viva Pizza.
(1)
Simon C.

Really great hole-in-the-wall Italian place. Last time I visited, I went at 1am on a Friday night and they were still open for business. The pasta there is great! Not orgasmic, but pretty satisfying. Also love the interior design/decorations ;)
(4)
Mitch T.

My family and I are Italian food junkies. This is the first restaurant we ever ate at in the North Beach area. Sometimes we judge how good restaurants may be by the number of patrons we see inside. Although Viva Pizza food is pretty good, there are much better Italian restaurants in North Beach, leave this one to the tourists. On to the food. Having eaten here twice now, I can say that the pizza in my opinion, is excellent. Crust may be a little too thick if you're into Neapolitan style pizza, but their mozzarella is top quality. The service is a bit suckish, but the food makes up for it.
(3)
Eric C.

Pizza was acceptable but nothing good, let alone special. Best part of the Meal was the company I came with and the Peroni beer I had. Plenty of better pizza options in the city.
(2)
Zarpana K.

I ordered from here despite the low reviews because I wanted delivery, and Italian, and there aren't many Italian delivery restaurants. I ordered the Carbonara. It said heavy cream, but it was so heavy it was paste-like. No other taste to the dish. I added tomato sauce and re-cooked the pasta, and had to add in tons of salt to get any sort of taste from this dish. I ordered the roasted garlic appetizers. Couldn't really eat it. The bread they sent with the meal was too dry and crumbly and it would break up really easily. Maybe it was just the delivery, and eating at their restaurant is better. But I'm just going to stay away.
(2)
Luis T.

I had once given this restaurant 4 stars because they deserved it for the great recommendations that they gave me. I have dropped it to 2 (only a 2 because of the pasta) because I went there a couple weeks ago and not once was I asked how my food was or if there was anything I needed. Over the years I have taken a lot of my friends here to check it out, but I will no longer due so as what I once enjoyed about the restaurant can no longer be enjoyed so much with the atmosphere in there, which seems to only want your money.
(2)
Shelden E.

To begin, the decoration of the place is really nice. The nice lighting coming through the windows with a great view, and then autumn colored leaves all over the ceiling. My friends and I split a basic four cheese pizza and it was good. Nice to finally get away from the crap version of a thin crust in Chicago. But what I really like was pasta with pesto sauce. Maybe I've just gotten pesto sauces at the wrong places, but man this was really good. It had that great flavor but then a smooth, creamy flow to it. I seriously couldn't stop eating it. The Coca-Cola there was awful though. It seemed like there was no soda water in it, but I think it was coming from a can. Waitress was pretty awesome. Really social with us. They were just really nice there. If I were still in SF, I'd like to go back and check it out again.
(4)
Harry W.

I'm no snuffy food snob, so my tastes are simple. The Seafood Pastas here are quite good, with the accompanying sauce being a somewhat creamy, highly tasty texture with big portions of pasta and shellfish and chunks of fish. I've gone back twice, and their pastas are consistently good enough for me. Service is good, attentive, and yet stays outta the way when you just want to enjoy watching the tourists shiver on by in their shorts! Oh, as for appetizers, my wife enjoyed the minestrone soup. flavorful, fresh ingredients, yet not overly salty nor at all bland. and she is PICKY when it comes to overseasoned soups.
(4)
Vandana M.

Viva has been my "go to" Italian restaurant in North Beach for as long as I can remember. It's affordable, friendly, and delicious -- yet somehow always easy to get a table. My favorite item is the Arrabiata, but the Gorgonzola pasta is also delish. The salads are yummy too. I don't understand why people wait around to eat at The Stinking Rose or Steps of Rome when Viva is right there. I guess their loss is my (weight) gain.
(4)
John M.

My friend Pat and I dinner this evening at Viva's restaurant. I have eaten here many times before. I use to work down on Sansome and walked there twice a week for lunch. I had the Pasta Bolengese and it was very good. The sauce was rich and tasty. I ordered a Cesar salad and it was quite large. I had to take half of it home in a box. What did Pat eat? he had some kind of sea food pasta. He said it was very good. One thing that I always appreciate and that is the food was hot on delivery. I hate cold food. The atmosphere was nice and not too loud. Maria was our server this night and she was very talkative. She gave us a few recommendations and they were on target. So, thank you Maria from S. San Francisco and BTW, Pat, single guy, appreciated your service and hopes to see you again sometime ;)
(5)
Laura C.

Viva provided a solid North Beach Italian experience on a night we were feeling very indecisive on where to go. Walked up then down Columbus searching for something that was unpretentious yet looked downright delicious. Our order of tortellini with meat sauce was hot and delicious. The sauce had the right balance of oil and tomato and meat flavors that was a great complement to the little purses of cheese and pasta goodness. We also shared a pizza with prosciutto, artichoke hearts, herbs and a few types of cheese and it was really tasty. I don't remember the name of it and wish I did. The crust was crisp but not overdone and the herb blend of flavor was just right. The price was just over $35 for 2 which included a simple salad, tortellini and gourmet pizza. I would call this a good deal in a place where fine oils and wine (though we weren't drinking any) can create for an expensive night out. Try to get your seat at the window as their position on the corner is great for taking in the sights of North Beach on a Saturday night- drunks, crazies and all!
(4)
Rob T.

For a workday lunch place a short walk from FiDi, I don't understand why this place wasn't packed. I had a deliciously complex meatball sandwich on some focaccia-like bread. This was no Subway meatball sub, this was more like a lasagna sandwich, with peppers, sauces, and of course meatball, in a tasty sauce. My coworker and I pretty much had the place to ourselves, so service was great.
(5)
Samantha R.

I made an order about an hour & 40min ago for delivery... I called twice. Once after an hour, once again after an hour & a half. When the driver finally showed, he had half my order & explained that he "accidentally" gave my pizza to the wrong person. I kept my money & let him keep the cold food. So much for dinner tonight.
(1)
T L.

Ahem, this review is straight from the bf - not me, for I have never ordered from this place for delivery and looks like I never will. FYI: He works long nights in the financial district and orders takeout from here when the nights get extra long. So apparently they really suck at getting their food on time or near the time they estimated it to take them. Whatever he ordered, they estimated it to be 40 minutes. It has now been 1 hour and 40 minutes for them to arrive. I'd write out what he said, but all it is, is a bunch of cuss words and "this shit always happens." So there you go.
(1)
Lin L.

I love the food here. More specifically, I love the bruscetta here. The roma tomatoes are perfectly diced... and drenched in garlic and onion!!! YUM!!! gives me stinky breath but all worth it. When I say drenched, I don't mean that you can't taste the basil or tomatoes. The bread is nice and soft inside and crunchy/crispy all around the outside. Absolutely fabulous! I also order the Fresca pasta and add jumbo shrimp to it. Not bad. I've had better, but over all good. So.. why 3 stars? The service sucks. The waiter only had 2 other tables... I ordered 2 things-- yet somehow he managed to forget that i ordered the bruscetta. I had to ask for it after receiving my Fresca pasta. I will probably stick to delivery as I can serve myself better at home.
(3)
Malinda P.

My darling and I were looking for an affordable lunch spot, when we came across this delightful restaurant right off of Broadway in North Beach. The second you step inside this place, it is like you are entering a season -- of autumn, of fragrance, of flavor. Above is a forest of foliage, on the walls an amber backdrop of Italy. We ordered from the lunch menu, my partner the baby clams and I the gorgonzola penne with sweet sausage. From our table by the window, I could see the chef flaming at the grill, tempting our senses. The waitress then brought our dishes, and sprinkled some parmesan on our pasta to our liking. Then, it was time to take our first bite. The penne was perfect, al dente, infused with light gorgonzola, garlic, toasted nuts, sun dried tomatoes, and the robust flavor of meat. However, as delicious as my food was, the taste of my boyfriend's linguini sent me straight to heaven. The sauce was phenomenal, fresh, incomparable. It blended so harmoniously with the seafood, tomatoes, spices, and wine, that the taste still lingers on the tongue. If only for that reason, I must go back, and I felt compelled to yelp to all! Another similar experience, and this restaurant gets another star from me.
(4)
jilly c.

My husband and I ate here with friends in early December. I'm not sure if we were there on a slow night, or if we were just early enough that it made the difference, but we had excellent service. We were there on a Friday night, and decided to have an early dinner (around 5pm). We were strolling the city and stumbled upon Viva. The place was pretty much empty at that point, so we were able to sit down immediately. Our order was taken and our appetizer and wine was brought out very quickly. We had the garlic appetizer (can't remember the name) but it was basically garlic cloves cooked in olive oil. Served with bread, it was SO good!! I could have made my meal from that alone. :) We all enjoyed our entrees, which again were served very quickly. Our waitress was very friendly and helpful. Food was hot and fresh and their house wine was decent. Prices were moderate...entrees ranging in price from $10-15 per plate with generous servings.
(4)
Meredith S.

Viva, despite being a "pizzeria," served the best ravioli I've ever had in my life. I went on Valentine's Day on a double-date with friends, so it was busy, but not completely packed. There wasn't much of a wait, and though we were seated close to the kitchen (usually not a desirable spot), it wasn't as if we went ignored completely. The bruschetta was delicious: not too crunchy, not too overloaded with tomatoes to the point of making the bread soggy. The plate had a good amount of spinach as garnish, which was both refreshing and tasty. I had the portabello mushroom ravioli with the portabella mushroom sauce. It was priced fairly average for most Italian restaurants not just in the neighborhood, but for a ravioli dish in general. There was enough to count as a whole meal, but I couldn't help wishing for more! The only unfortunate thing was the small selection of desserts: only about four items, which, in a neighborhood with lots of cafes and confectionaries, meant my friends and I took our sweet teeth elsewhere. The service was good, if a little sporadic, but considering how busy it was that day, it wasn't that bad at all.
(4)
Karen T.

Wasted, stumbling to the parking lot, not me driving of course. I passed by Viva's window and saw PIZZA!! It looked so good I walked straight in ditching my friends behind me. One bite of this pizza, OH my god! Sooo good! Wasted, I still remember how crunchy the crust was, how it had a bite to it, taste kinda like sourdough bread. The toppings were yummy and it wasn't really greasy. I think this is one of my favorite pizzas in the city now.
(4)
Lynn T.

I"ve tried a number of N. Beach restaurants over the years and just found Viva last night and was so impressed by the prices, number one, and the taste was as good as any of the other Italian restaurants i've eaten at here. Also the bread was so good!
(5)
Nicolas H.

Decent pizza for delivery. I got the Viva specialty pizza (pepperoni, mushrooms, onions, sausage, peppers) for about $17 for a 12 inch. The crust could have been crispier, however, a few minutes on the skillet was all it took the next day to get it how I wanted it...
(3)
Scott M.

I ordered the penne with grilled chicken while my little (vegan) lady got the gnocchi. It was all pretty passable, but not great. The chicken was a little dry and a tip was burnt, but the penne sauce was was pretty good. Me amore thought that the gnocchi could have been a little less dense, given that the purpose of such a dish is to make it light and fluffy and not solid and heavy. Still, she'll eat the leftovers. Others commented that there is a good vegan variety, to which she agrees, but they could have been a little more clear about what was a sauce and what was not. They would get 3* if the service would have been better. It was 10:30 on a Friday and the place was getting pretty empty, but it took forever to get hot water for tea and cold water for refreshment, although they were quick to take the check. I guess it's really about where priorities lie. To be a North Beach Italian joint, the goal is probably to be passable and get general customer fare, or to distinguish oneself and become a distinct personality in the scene. From that experience, my guess is that Viva is attempting the former.
(2)
Jessica P.

You know, it's not the best food, it's not the worst. The house wine is cheap and drinkable. I've been here 3x for a quick outing and work lunch with my peeps. I've had the carbonara, the chicken parmesean is great and the veggies are usually crisp and tasty. The mushroom pasta is also yummy too. You get what you pay for, it's about $9-11 a plate, but the portions are great, it's rarely super busy on a weekday afternoon and I'm not looking to be spoiled rotten at 1pm on a Tuesday. Maybe I should be? I've never had the pizza or salads so I can't give my thoughts on those, but the bread IS divine and I'd totally go here again. The service IS hit or miss though since I think they have only had one server each time I've been there.
(4)
X X.

I use to come here once in a blue moon when I met with friends in North Beach. Its a great people watching place, that being sitting inside and looking out the window seeing, locals, tourists and strippers walking by going to work at the strip clubs around the corner, oh and homeless walking by and starring at you while you eat waving at you and making faces, really I like that soooo San Francisco! The food is OK it is home style Italian, prices are good for the area. I got the gyro plate and Greek sampler plate..... super yummy. I have had the gnocci and that was awsome too, very tastey sauce. Why I only gave this place 3 stars was the service, we were one of three tables only occupied in the place and the female servers took forever for everything! They did refill our water but that was even lucky if we could get them to do that, but taking the order and serving the food to getting the bill was 3 hours. This place is a take out heaven, there was more take-out than people in the place so maybe that is where their business is from. The food is good and if you want a casual Italian non-fancy dinner this is your place.
(3)
Gil S.

Trying to read the menu at 1AM I can understand Paris Hilton's comment, who reads menus anymore? I gave up after spot checking the 20 or 30 pasta possibilities. The waiter recommended fetuccini carbonara. That was real good. I ate it all, then mopped up the sauce with bread. Decor is very North Beach italian dark, a guy thing. The ceiling is a very thick tangle of hanging grape leaves, I felt like I was in a sukkos -- real? plastic? dried? I sure hope they're fireproof. They're up to weird mojo wine glass pricing. Drinkable house chianti is $4.46, burgundy $3.46. Most diners were solo when I came but the menu isn't set up for that. Appetizers aren't cheap. Pasta dishes aren't either but they are good and large, so the value proposition competes with Pasta Pomodoro. But if you're solo you can't really get a side, app, or dessert, or else you're spending more than you hoped and going home with a doggy bag. A nice place for a very casual date, a friend, anything when you don't want a fuss.
(4)
Erin E.

No trip to San Francisco is complete with out visiting Columbus Avenue for some amazing food. Being loyal to the Stinking Rose, I was skeptical to cross the street to try Viva. Before my trip, I went on here and saw that Viva was rated higher than the Stinking Rose, so I decided to take all the advice and venture out of my Italian comfort zone. The result: disappointment. Let me begin... For all the reviews raving about the "bread, balsamic vinegar and olive oil" have not experienced the freshness of Macaroni Grill's bread. The menu does have a variety of options which is a plus, so I decided to order two items and share them. The California Pizza, a small, 12 inches would feed an army, and the ingredients were fresh. The sun dried tomatoes were sweet but the cheese was extremely greasy. The crust was my favorite part of the pizza, but I wouldn't order it again. I would have rather just ordered the Verdi Raviolini, (bite size spinach ravioli stuffed with tender artichoke hearts, creamy parmesan & ricotta cheese) with the gorgonzola, pesto, sun dried tomato. I am staying faithful to the Stinking Rose and not crossing the street next time I head to SF.
(2)
Paul R.

SLLLOOOOOOWWWWWW........ We were the ONLY table in at 11:00 AM and we ordered a salad, a sandwich, and an individual (8 inch) pizza. We waited... And waited... And finally got our food 40 minutes later. We asked for it to go since it had taken so long and when they brought out the pizza it had been folded together so all of the cheese melted together, tearing off the toppings and making 2 out of 4 slices only bread. Essentially a big greasy pile of slop. I will absolutely, positively never return to this restaurant and would recommend that anyone who even remotely values their time do the same. Absolutely inexcusable service for halfway decent, folded, ruined pizza? No thanks.
(1)
Prudence M.

I ordered the gniocci with vodka sauce. it was really good. the portions are really big and the service was great. nothing bad to say about it its across the street from the stinking rose, and pretty close to steps of rome. the price was really affordable too.
(3)
cera b.

i'm sorry, but if i have to wait TWO HOURS for a delivery, i want the food to be so good i cum all over myself and cry and call my mother and visit a priest and confess my sins and clean my closet. this aint that.
(1)
ellana f.

If I was rating the pizza only, I would probably bump up to 3, but everything else is so bad, that we're going with a two, and that's generous. Like I said, pizza's good, real good, great fresh toppings, crust always done right. Other food is just bad. The alfredo sauce was horribly bland. How is that even possible? The marinara wasn't memorable either. As others have said, the service is poor. We won't do this again, not when there's so many other great places just steps away.
(2)
Time T.

Meh, this place is nothing special at all.. I was expecting a lot more out of these guys.. I had the gnocchi w/ creamy mushroom sauce, the carpaccio for appetizer and Italian Soda for drink. The carpaccio was very delicious, full of flavor and made me wanted more, there wasn't much on the dish.. However the gnocchi was not as pleasing as my appetizer (appearance and taste), it was decent but to me, I tasted a lot of flour and not much potato, if any. It was also very heavy, with a jaw-breaking gummy chewy feel. Service was okay, but could be better. They forgot my water, which I clearly ordered with my Italian Soda, they also forgot my two companions (fellow yelpers) water as well, and they didn't even ordered anything else to drink. Overall a normal place with nothing special to offer, but I have to give them two stars for the nice atmosphere.
(2)
Beth D.

Steer clear of this tourist trap. I stopped in for lunch since it's close to my work, there was almost no one inside and still it took forever to get our order taken and get our check when we were ready to leave. Our table ordered meat tortellini with bolognese and a carbonara. The bolognese was like spaghetti-o sauce with some ground beef in it, extremely runny, and the carbonara was downright soupy. I think we paid around $14 each for this mess. Perhaps the first warning sign should have been the stacks of De Cecco pasta boxes on display everywhere.
(2)
Wade M.

the North Beach Pizza is nothing short of amazing in flavor... Basil, sundried tomatoes, prosciutto. Not too much cheese, perfect crust. My mouth is salivating just thinking about it. While i've never had any of the entrees, they always look and smell delicious. I frequent North Beach a lot, and the place is rarely ever busy. Walk in, grab a seat, and order up one of the best pizza's in the city. You won't be sorry. 4 stars only because i've only tried one item on the menu... but I LOVE it!
(4)
Jessica R.

Great service, I had the portabello ravioli and it was delicious!! First time in this place and I will definitely go back. Service was really nice, and the place really comfortable.
(4)
Donald B.

Great place to people watch on a Saturday night (get a window table). The food was good (can you really screw up vegetarian pizza?). Service was friendly. Obviously a bit touristy given the neighborhood, but still a lot of fun. We'll be back.
(4)
Jeanne C.

Tried to give North Beach another try but maybe a bad choice to go to Viva. The service was terrible and slow. The pasta wasn't anything to mention. Wine was bad too. Fantasy Cream? Yes, I said fantasy cream. It's on the menu and we had to get it. You know what, it was the best thing on the menu!
(2)
Judy L.

We just couldn't wait 45 minutes to get into Tommaso's - so we walked down Columbus to Viva. The pasta dishes seemed nice, however, I ordered the favorite pizza. They got my order wrong. I got the picate pizza instead. By the time I realized it, I was too hungry to care. The pizza crust is good, but not spectacular. Next time I'll wait for Tommaso's.
(3)
Conny F.

Another restaurant I use solely for delivery/pick up. I love the spicy chicken appetizer and the Pasta Viva. Its fresh and light and tasty. Waiting for the delivery is horrible though. It takes often an hour to deliver :( I guess thats why I have to find another place to order italian goodies from.
(3)
J L.

I have gone here several times and never been disappointed. The price is the biggest selling point in comparison to other places nearby - the lunch specials in particular are a great deal for a large portion. I like the selection of this place too - it's always hard to make a decision with a wide variety of pizza, pasta, risotto, veggies, and more. There's a big selection of veggie options too. I guess the service has been a small downside, but there is NEVER a wait and it's open very late, so it's perfect to just drop in if you are hungry and want a great Italian meal. Good for dates too - you can split one of the large dishes and get a great deal.
(4)
Nicki T.

Visited Viva Pizza Restaurant on Sat, Oct 22, 2011 at 12:30PM literally me and my friend were the only two people in the restaurant. The waitress wasn't necessarily rude but rather acted as if we weren't there....it was an odd experience. The pizza is ok and the service non-existent. . With so many choices to choose from in North Beach I doubt I will return.
(2)
Run for L.

Amazing, this place rocks! Its open late for all the strippers in the area, and for the boys who go to watch. They have amazing salads, and wine slection is good too. Thier pizza are all wood ovenbaked, and you can order what you really want and they still love you. Try their Garlic saty, with their bread-you wont be kissing anyone after garenteed!
(5)
Miguel V.

I love Viva Pizza! I came across this place by accident, well more by default. It was my girlfriends birthday, 8 of her best friends are in town visiting, we get home from the club and they want some pizza... The usual places were closed and i Really needed to get some pizza... Well Viva was open and boy was I happy about that... Long story short, I show up with 2 pies, a little worried because I have never tried the pizza but it was DELICIOUS!!!! Crispy crust, Tasty toppings, and its not dripping with grease.... Yum now this is my favorite place to call when I am in the mood for a great Pizza Pie!
(5)
Amy B.

Not sure how most of the items on the menu are, but as far as the pizza, this is by far one of my favorite places! My roommate and I order pizza from here AT LEAST once a week. The pizza is always great ( I order mine well done because I like it a little more done then they usually serve -- but they are always happy to do that for me) It usually never takes longer then 40 mins to arrive and is always very hot when it gets there, not to mention how delicious it is! I would recommend trying it if you have not already.
(5)
Jon B.

Viva has some of the freshest and most consistent Italian food that I've tasted in San Francisco. The location is great, right on the corner of Columbus and Grant, but I used to order food from this place years before I went there...still do. Maybe that's why it deserves 5 stars from me...I usually don't have to deal with the less than stellar service. Still, Viva is definitely my favorite Italian restaurant in North Beach. When I did finally go I realized a couple things, mainly that it's a great place to bring out of town friends for an authentic North Beach experience (i.e. good food, smarmy waiters) and that having a pretty woman in your party will help (the smarmy waiters will undoubtedly give you much better attention!). If you've read my other reviews you'll note a theme...bad service can be forgiven if it is almost a caracature of itself and if the food is good enough! That said, the food is the real star here. We've eaten Viva food enough times that we've been able to make our way through the menu little by little. Almost all the pasta dishes are hearty, homey and extremely tasty. All the entree dishes are good but the veal can be a little tough. The chicken picatta is a favorite. The lasagna is simple, oozing cheese and oh-so-yummy. I suggest the bagna calda to start (roasted garlic in olive oil to spread on bread that is served over a candle flame at each table). There are several salads and antipastos to choose from and the bruschetta is awesome. Even the pizza is good, albeit the crust a tad chewy. Everything is extremely fresh and served in abundance. Eat there or have it delivered...either way, just eat Viva's delicious food...I bet you won't be sorry you did.
(5)
Patricia C.

We love going to Viva for reliably good Italian food in North Beach! Each time we've returned with out of town guests and they like it too. I like the Chicken Con Basilico, Bolognese, Misto Mare seafood linguini, and Caprese are excellent. The chicken con basilico is my favorite because it's cooked in a reduced chicken broth. I prefer this place to other popular places in North Beach and there's always a short wait!
(4)
Megan D.

First of all, there's no well-dressed-but-smarmy host-type person stationed at the door who makes you feel super uncomforatble while trying to convince you to eat here (at least I've never seen one). That's worthy of an automatic star, when you're talking North Beach. I've only had the pasta dishes, but the mushroom, eggplant, pesto, and primavera are all good -- and they're a few dollars cheaper than the other places in the immediate area. The house burgundy is only $3.50 a glass, which is nice, and the bread you get with olive oil and balsamic is oven-warm and gooey. Mmmm. One downside is the service -- the bf won't go back because of the weird "fake-Italian-accent" waiter we had the first time; when I went again with a friend, our German waitress was sweet but largely inattentive. Overall, a fine place for a simple, good pasta dinner that won't break the bank. When you're done, get cannoli at Mara's for dessert.
(4)

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Address : 318 Columbus Ave
San Francisco, CA, 94133
Phone (415) 989-8482
Website https://www.vivapizza.com
Click To Get Directions

Opening Hours

Mon :11:00 am - 12

Specialities

Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : Yes
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No

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Pizza

Pizza is a famous Italian dish savored around the world. The entire credit for the popularity of Pizza in the United States goes to the chain of pizzerias all over the country. While the base and the texture of Pizza remains same across the globe, it's the toppings that differs from country to country. In the United States, you will find the top pizzerias serving pizzas with the toppings of mainly beef, bacon, chicken, ham, and sausage for the non-vegetarians. Other than these famous meat options, Pizzas with veg toppings such as mushrooms, pepperonis, garlic, tomatoes, spinach, etc. are also famous in most restaurants in the United States.

Irrespective of your locality, you will find a variety of different restaurants in your cities offering pizzas of all different types. Pizza is hot favorite among people of all ages in the United States. A large size pizza is enough to feed a family of 3 or 4 at large. Pizza is also the most preferred food whenever a group of friends is hanging out together. Pizza gained popularity in the United States after the American soldiers stationed in Italy returned from World War II.

Over the years, different pizzerias in the United States have developed their own respective regional variations. Pizza gained popularity as the iconic dish in the United States in the second half of the 20^th century. Whether you prefer thin or thick crust pizza, you can find a pizza of your preference at the best pizza restaurants in your city.

Italian Cuisine

The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.

Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.

If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.

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Viva Restaurant

318 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94133

Viva Restaurant Menu

Appetizers

Bruschetta & Garlic Bread

Create Your Own Pizza

Entrees

Gourmet Pizzas

Pasta

Pasta Ripiena & Gnocchi

Risotto

Salads

Desserts

Beverages

Healthy Meal suggestions for Viva Restaurant

Appetizers

Bruschetta & Garlic Bread

Create Your Own Pizza

Entrees

Gourmet Pizzas

Pasta

Pasta Ripiena & Gnocchi

Risotto

Salads

Desserts

Beverages

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