A little expensive, but the food is excellent. Great experience there!
(5)
Andrew F.
Read Jack L.'s review - had exactly the same experience. I don't mind splurging, but lukewarm food and lukewarm service is not what you expect from a $$$$ restaurant.
(1)
David A.
Fabulous meal! The pork belly & fig melts in your mouth. The sushito peppers are perfect. Dessert is to die for! Salted caramel cheesecake & flourless chocolate cake are both gluten free & fabulous! Thank you, Lori & Sam for a truly spectacular evening.
(5)
Maria C.
We dined in the restaurant alone as it was close to closing time. Despite our arrival 20 minutes before closing, they were immensely welcoming, and they assured us that we could take our time and relax. We did! The service was extraordinary, and the food was food was fabulous!!!!! Everything was prepared to perfection, the favors enhanced the essence of each plate, and it was beyond fresh. We will definitely be back.
(5)
Yianni C.
Delicious food in a beautiful restaurant. The owner/chef makes you feel welcome and it is clear that he pays attention to the details. Yes, you you will pay a little more to dine here. It's an upscale restaurant and well worth it. The patio area is lovely and includes a fire feature. I have been here a few times and have never been disappointed.
(5)
Jaime S.
Within hours of posting my review, I received a call from the restaurant. I simply declined a gift card, as I had purchased one at another restaurant in Sewickley. There was no attempt to discuss how to better this process to ensure this doesn't happen to another consumer. Regardless, I was planning to update my review and rating given they at least followed up, and would have amended it had I eaten there. However, today I received an angry message that alluded to my assumed private conversation with whomever called me last week. Given that, I think it's reasonable to assume it is from someone closely associated with or employed by the restaurant. I was told whomever called me was on vacation. Though, unless the restaurant was totally closed, a lack of response seems a tad bit unreasonable, especially when the site implies a quick response. Had complete closure been the actual case, I'd be more than happy to delete my review as I would feel it was unreasonable to leave it. But, today's message made me reconsider. Because I don't believe in criticism without solution, I will offer some helpful suggestions: 1) Please send a message to a consumer if you are in fact on vacation or the restaurant is closed (or update the website). 2) Or, please recognize you offer a service that you should honor ("A Vivo Kitchen representative will contant you as soon as possible." You may also want to edit that.) 3) Ask your consumers how to improve. Regardless, these sorts of messages (in a form of a compliment, thank you!) has ensured that I will maintain a 1-star review. This is a disappointing response from this business.
(1)
GM O.
What an amazing place! Really nice atmosphere serving great food, great desserts, topped with an amazing staff. The wait to make it to this place was well worth it. It s BYOB, but they do have a full bar. I shall return...
(4)
Jason B.
I recently went to Sewickley to meet some friends on a Saturday evening for Dinner. As we were walking to our cars we heard the sound of a band playing on the patio at Vivo and decided to stop for a couple of drinks. There were plenty of open tables but we could not have been greeted more rudely. A lady who seemed like the owner and a waitress gave us an attitude before even sitting and made us feel as if they did not want us there because we had already eaten dinner. We agreed to order appetizers because that is the only way that they would let us sit and the band sounded good. As we sat at our table we could see others that they made stand towards the back of the patio because they didn't want empty tables to be taken by people only having drinks. It seemed to us that it was highly unlikely that someone was coming in after 9 pm for dinner and the staff was just overall rude to the others as well. Finally we got our overpriced appetizers and I can't even recommend this place for its food. It is average at best and considering we were forced to buy and it was way overpriced for quality. The only good part about the experience was the band rocked!
(1)
Wesley S.
Best flatbread and pasta appetizer anywhere. Great couples atmosphere. Very romantic. BYOB for $15. Tonight I got the lamb chops and they were AMAZING. My husband got the veal strip steak and couldn't be happier. We prefer to eat here than at Ditkas, capital grill, or Morton's. Sam is the best chef...Lori is so sweet. I've known both of them for quite sometime. Hope Josh is your server he's awesome and knows the whole menu like the back of his hand! Straight forward AWESOME experience. Will be back many many times.
Everything was perfect about my visit to Vivo!!! I will be back!
(4)
Erich S.
Really good food and the best Moscow Mules in Pittsburgh. Sit at the bar. Great atmosphere.
(4)
Jason F.
I stopped by here last night with my fiance for a belated birthday dinner for myself. Whenever we got there the place was packed which I thought was surprising for a Wednesday but thankfully I had made reservations. We arrived right around the time of our reservation and were told that our table wasn't ready yet but should be soon as the table we would be sitting at had just received the bill. It was at this point that things got a little weird for me as I normally would hang out around the host/hostess station or a seating area to wait for our table but there wasn't an area to sit and the hostess was pointing us to a corner of the bar. So we were essentially forced to sit at the corner of the bar whenever we didn't really want to. The kicker was that we were wet because it was raining outside and of course we were under the vent which was pouring out cold air. After about 15 minutes of waiting at the bar we were finally seated at a table, unfortunately under another vent. This would lead to my fiance being cold for the rest of the the night and me not being terribly comfortable either. Thankfully things would get better after this. Once we were finally seated I was able to get a better look at the restaurant. It was pretty modern looking with some track lighting and one big pretty light, a bar in the corner and very clean. Since the restaurant was very full though and it is a very open space the restaurant was very loud and I actually had a hard time hearing my fiance for the first half of dinner. There also was a nice looking courtyard out in front of the restaurant that we passed on the way in with a number of tables that could not be used that night due to the rain. We decided to start off our meals by splitting an appetizer which consisted of fresh fig on top of chorizo on top of a cheese with a rhubarb syrup on the plate. After the odd opening experience of feeling like a second class diner, I did not want to like the food and at first glance was a little disappointed in the size of the appetizer. However, it proved to be excellent and although small, 1 fig sliced into quarters, I really enjoyed it. The sweet fig combined with the slightly spicy chorizo and savory cheese was awesome. For my dinner entree I decided to go with the wagyu flat iron, medium, which came with some type of aioli on it while my fiance went with the lemon salmon. All of the entrees were to be served with a vegetable and a starch and both of ours came with identical items that seemed to be cauliflower, bak choy(?) and sweet potatoes. My steak came out with a good helping of aioli poured over it which I would normally be happy about. However, this steak could have been the star on its own and I thought that the aioli actually detracted from it. The steak tasted very good with a nice sear on that gave it a nice crust and was still tender even though it seemed to be more of a medium well than a medium. My fiance was also very happy with her salmon and thought that it tasted good. While I am normally not much of a dessert person, the rest of the food was good enough that I decided to give it a try. I went with the salted caramel cheesecake while my fiance went with some decadent chocolate cake which she loved. My cheesecake was interesting in that it was served in what I would consider a mini jar and then topped with whipped cream, caramel and the salt. Due to this I was able to control the topping/cake ratio which was nice and I thought my dessert was very good, especially whenever I got a nice piece of salt with the rest. My only complaint of it would be that there wasn't enough of the salt but that is minor as I wouldn't want my dessert to be too salty. The bottom line for me is that I am not sure if I would head back here again in the future. The food was certainly awesome and by itself would deserve 5 stars but I was not a big fan of the atmosphere of the place and it may be the first restaurant that I have been to where I would use the word snobby to describe it.
(4)
Robyn C.
Food and drinks are exceptional. Hostess and servers are awful! I've gone here 4 times and have yet to have close to a pleasant experience. Apparently they feel that their patrons don't deserve any respect. I will spend my money elsewhere.
(1)
Danielle G.
I had a lovely dining experience with my mom and aunt for her birthday on Thursday. It was a first time to Vivo. I was in a small plate mood and ordered the butter lettuce salad drizzled with truffle oil. IT. WAS. AMAZING. I also had the Brussels sprouts and cheese plate. I was going to order the meatballs but I was totally satisfied with the three small plates. Everything was so delicious. The raspberry mustard on the cheese plate was other worldly. My aunt ordered the kale and beet salad which looked gorgeous. I forget what else they ordered but they both loved everything. Our waiter, Ed, knew the menu really well and gave us great suggestions. He also made us laugh. The owners stopped at our table and were really friendly and down you earth. The one owner makes all the desserts. We had a salted caramel cheesecake and Adobe kind of chocolate gelato. Ed picked our desserts for us because we couldn't decide and his choices did not disappoint. The decor is modern and minimal, but still comfortable and homey. I look forward to going back! Especially to check out the outdoor patio and live music!
(5)
Jack L.
This is a definite splurge place. It was about $60 per person including starters, drinks, entrees, dessert and coffee. Though the place looked promising, it failed to deliver on some pretty critical areas. The criteria for finding a restaurant for a dinner date was that we needed to be close to home with a babysitter on the clock and it had to be an Open Table restaurant as I had a $20 dining cheque that was expiring soon. Vivo Kitchen totally seemed to fit the bill. But to quickly summarize a disappointing evening: 1) Overpriced - starters were in the $9+ range and they were not great. My wife had a salad which was fair and I had the foie gras bone marrow butter - both were in at $9 each and both were totally underwhelming. The entrees were in the $20+ range. Both were OK. 2) Uneven service - sometimes our server was available, other times she was no where to be found. 3) Just above average food - considering the price tag, everything was just OK. Not what you are looking for when your dinner check rivals an evening out at Morton's. It just didn't deliver. I had the veal and my wife had the scallops. Again, it just tasted above average. At the price, it should have delivered and then some. The only bright spot was that I scored the wine carafe of Merlot for $10. This was the smartest thing I did all night at VIvo. Even after $20 off with my Open Table dining cheque, the meal was at $60 per person. Don't be fooled by the glamorous surroundings of Vivo. Unless you have money burning a hole in your pocket to blow on an overrated meal, just stay away.
(1)
Liz M.
Eaten here several times. Food is always excellent - beyond excellent - in some cases, it was truly outstanding. Service has been excellent to mediocre. I've had servers who went out of there way to provide service - going so far as to snap a picture of the brand of olive oil they use so I could purchase it in the Strip. I've also had servers that ignored us and just didn't stay on top of things.
(4)
Tim J.
Vivo is one of my favorite restaurants in Pittsburgh. The menu is creative, the food is great and the atmosphere is low key. The menu is stocked with items appealing to adventurous eaters seeking new flavors. Everything from salad to dessert is prepared to perfection. These folks know what they're doing. In the warm weather, dine on the porch at dusk. I've eaten there at least a half dozen times and have never had a complaint about food or service. Maybe they could have a few more items for those with simpler palates.
(5)
Jason B.
The meal was expertly crafted. The beet salad starter was a thing of beauty and wonder. The lamb chops, simply divine. The service, however, made this a mediocre experience. No energy, a lack of interest and a generally short and rude approach was surprising in what was otherwise an out of this world meal. Recommended, but with caution. At $50 a plate patrons should expect to be treated with more class.
(4)
lee s.
We splurged and came here for Mothers' Day. Unfortunately the service was smug; our server seemed uninterested and didn't smile, even when we tried to make chit-chat. The food was good, but servings small. We left hungry. Also, the place is not kid-friendly. We were charged $2.50 for a half glass of milk. I wish there were more dining options in the area - on Sundays much of Sewickley is closed - I wonder how stores stay in business.
(2)
A M.
I haven't written a review for over a year, but the opportunity to be "first to review" and the fact that I'm over 10,000 "views" prompted me to give it a shot. We dined here tonight on a whim having recently bought a new house in the area and trying to check out the local restaurants. We had a reservation for 730 PM. The restaurant is somewhat hidden in plain sight right on Beaver St. in Sewickley. As far as I can tell there is no sign and the entrance is not directly on the street. We arrived, parked and found our way to the venue. I almost entered the wrong door to a dance studio above, but found the entrance on the side. There was a lovely courtyard with plenty of outdoor seating filled. We entered a sparse, but inviting room that was pretty much filled. We were seated promptly near the kitchen. The bartendre/waitress...Erin was a nice young lady who was pulling "double duthy admirably". The table next to us mentioned they had been there for a while prior, but we ordered our apps' promptly. This being a new restaurant I was eager to try many things on the menu...the first being a dirty martini. Annie and I ordered a few appetizers. The pasta was okay. It was an al dente' triangle type pasta that was "toothsome" with a simple red sauce and some romano ( I think?). It was served room tempature, which as you read will be a theme. The pasta was cooked perfectly, but the sauce was somewhat underwhelming. They brought some bread, which was cold and served it with average quality olive oil. Annie asked for butter. We didn't care much for the rye bread and were happy when Erin mentioned that we could try some other types of bread. Next we sampled the "seared foie gras". This was not the seared foie gras that we are used to. It was much more like a cold terrine. Nevertheless it was quite good, but I think they should change the name on the menu. I also tried the octupus, which was not chewy (plus+) and easily cut with a butter knife. It was a bit bland but better when I put some lime juice on it. Next I tried my favorite dish of the night which were locally grown heirloom tomatoes and mozz. The dish was perfect in that it was exceptional ingredients simply prepared. I also had the "bones", which was their version of bone marrow with some hawaiian (sp?) (I think?) sea salt and vinegar with brushetta. I didn't care for the dish. I wanna say a bit "gamey". I think I'm spoiled on my Mom's Veal bones with her Osso Bucco cooked in tomatoes for days. Annie ordered the "1/2 chicken" for $16. The skin was crispy which was nice and it was cooked well, but it was such a small portion she could hardly find the breast. Also, we were told the starch and side would be potatoes and asparagus...which we like. It turned out to be quinoa again served room temperature and a mix of onions, tomatoes and apples. It was not memorable and we barely touched the sides. This probably deserves 2.5 stars, but because it just opend we'll give it 3. We'll try again, but it's not enough to serve interesting food poorly executed for the most part. We welcome this additon to the area and hope our next visit will be more successful.
(3)
william t.
there were four of us and had resv. we're initialed taken to a small four top near the bar, but I declined as the bar had two patrons seated in bar chairs very close to the table. opted instead for two two tops pulled together near the entrance to the kitchen. no tablecloths in sight. started out with the sausage and pepper app and the clam app. both were well presented and good. small portion of bread was served with olive oil. house salad, beet salad, arugula and fennel salads were all terrific. entrees included the whole fish branzino, the large veal chop, and the risotto short rib were served promptly, hot and all were excellent. wine list is a bit slim. we had an malbec from Argentina which was quite nice. owner came by to say hello and ask about the food. always a nice touch. we would recommend this small family owned and operated rest.
Sorry, Store hours have not been updated. If you are the owner of this restaurants. Please update the store hours.
Specialities
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : No Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Street Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Upscale Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes
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.
Jennifer D.
A little expensive, but the food is excellent. Great experience there!
(5)Andrew F.
Read Jack L.'s review - had exactly the same experience. I don't mind splurging, but lukewarm food and lukewarm service is not what you expect from a $$$$ restaurant.
(1)David A.
Fabulous meal! The pork belly & fig melts in your mouth. The sushito peppers are perfect. Dessert is to die for! Salted caramel cheesecake & flourless chocolate cake are both gluten free & fabulous! Thank you, Lori & Sam for a truly spectacular evening.
(5)Maria C.
We dined in the restaurant alone as it was close to closing time. Despite our arrival 20 minutes before closing, they were immensely welcoming, and they assured us that we could take our time and relax. We did! The service was extraordinary, and the food was food was fabulous!!!!! Everything was prepared to perfection, the favors enhanced the essence of each plate, and it was beyond fresh. We will definitely be back.
(5)Yianni C.
Delicious food in a beautiful restaurant. The owner/chef makes you feel welcome and it is clear that he pays attention to the details. Yes, you you will pay a little more to dine here. It's an upscale restaurant and well worth it. The patio area is lovely and includes a fire feature. I have been here a few times and have never been disappointed.
(5)Jaime S.
Within hours of posting my review, I received a call from the restaurant. I simply declined a gift card, as I had purchased one at another restaurant in Sewickley. There was no attempt to discuss how to better this process to ensure this doesn't happen to another consumer. Regardless, I was planning to update my review and rating given they at least followed up, and would have amended it had I eaten there. However, today I received an angry message that alluded to my assumed private conversation with whomever called me last week. Given that, I think it's reasonable to assume it is from someone closely associated with or employed by the restaurant. I was told whomever called me was on vacation. Though, unless the restaurant was totally closed, a lack of response seems a tad bit unreasonable, especially when the site implies a quick response. Had complete closure been the actual case, I'd be more than happy to delete my review as I would feel it was unreasonable to leave it. But, today's message made me reconsider. Because I don't believe in criticism without solution, I will offer some helpful suggestions: 1) Please send a message to a consumer if you are in fact on vacation or the restaurant is closed (or update the website). 2) Or, please recognize you offer a service that you should honor ("A Vivo Kitchen representative will contant you as soon as possible." You may also want to edit that.) 3) Ask your consumers how to improve. Regardless, these sorts of messages (in a form of a compliment, thank you!) has ensured that I will maintain a 1-star review. This is a disappointing response from this business.
(1)GM O.
What an amazing place! Really nice atmosphere serving great food, great desserts, topped with an amazing staff. The wait to make it to this place was well worth it. It s BYOB, but they do have a full bar. I shall return...
(4)Jason B.
I recently went to Sewickley to meet some friends on a Saturday evening for Dinner. As we were walking to our cars we heard the sound of a band playing on the patio at Vivo and decided to stop for a couple of drinks. There were plenty of open tables but we could not have been greeted more rudely. A lady who seemed like the owner and a waitress gave us an attitude before even sitting and made us feel as if they did not want us there because we had already eaten dinner. We agreed to order appetizers because that is the only way that they would let us sit and the band sounded good. As we sat at our table we could see others that they made stand towards the back of the patio because they didn't want empty tables to be taken by people only having drinks. It seemed to us that it was highly unlikely that someone was coming in after 9 pm for dinner and the staff was just overall rude to the others as well. Finally we got our overpriced appetizers and I can't even recommend this place for its food. It is average at best and considering we were forced to buy and it was way overpriced for quality. The only good part about the experience was the band rocked!
(1)Wesley S.
Best flatbread and pasta appetizer anywhere. Great couples atmosphere. Very romantic. BYOB for $15. Tonight I got the lamb chops and they were AMAZING. My husband got the veal strip steak and couldn't be happier. We prefer to eat here than at Ditkas, capital grill, or Morton's. Sam is the best chef...Lori is so sweet. I've known both of them for quite sometime. Hope Josh is your server he's awesome and knows the whole menu like the back of his hand! Straight forward AWESOME experience. Will be back many many times.
(5)elissa w.
Last evening I had the pleasure of dining at Vivo Kitchen in Sewickley. The aroma of those first Fall evening fires lingered in the air as I walked into this hip spot. Great setting, vibrant crowd, elevated but yet simple menu , and efficient wait staff. All is well but a few suggestions to really make a polished finish at Vivo. The wine ( red in particular) was too warm. It barely had a chill which made it almost non palatable. Now we all know that many people do not like cold red wine - me either. But we also know, especially if you have travelled down Chiati Road, that a Sicilian red is best served between 57* and 61*. It is much easier too over chill a red and let it warm, than to try and rehabilitate a too warm red by re-re chilling. The second suggestion is an easy fix. Coffee without cream ? You have to be kidding ? We all respect different diet choices like vegan, paleo, Atkins , etc. But really, how can you offer such superb French press coffee at the end of a tantalizing palate experience and serve a small creamer filled with 2% milk ? Complete mistake. Please tell me when these blemishes are cleared up. I can't wait to return for the flatbread with burrata and the heirloom tomatoe salad, followed by a true to form peanut butter fudge creme brûlée.
(3)Jason D.
Everything was perfect about my visit to Vivo!!! I will be back!
(4)Erich S.
Really good food and the best Moscow Mules in Pittsburgh. Sit at the bar. Great atmosphere.
(4)Jason F.
I stopped by here last night with my fiance for a belated birthday dinner for myself. Whenever we got there the place was packed which I thought was surprising for a Wednesday but thankfully I had made reservations. We arrived right around the time of our reservation and were told that our table wasn't ready yet but should be soon as the table we would be sitting at had just received the bill. It was at this point that things got a little weird for me as I normally would hang out around the host/hostess station or a seating area to wait for our table but there wasn't an area to sit and the hostess was pointing us to a corner of the bar. So we were essentially forced to sit at the corner of the bar whenever we didn't really want to. The kicker was that we were wet because it was raining outside and of course we were under the vent which was pouring out cold air. After about 15 minutes of waiting at the bar we were finally seated at a table, unfortunately under another vent. This would lead to my fiance being cold for the rest of the the night and me not being terribly comfortable either. Thankfully things would get better after this. Once we were finally seated I was able to get a better look at the restaurant. It was pretty modern looking with some track lighting and one big pretty light, a bar in the corner and very clean. Since the restaurant was very full though and it is a very open space the restaurant was very loud and I actually had a hard time hearing my fiance for the first half of dinner. There also was a nice looking courtyard out in front of the restaurant that we passed on the way in with a number of tables that could not be used that night due to the rain. We decided to start off our meals by splitting an appetizer which consisted of fresh fig on top of chorizo on top of a cheese with a rhubarb syrup on the plate. After the odd opening experience of feeling like a second class diner, I did not want to like the food and at first glance was a little disappointed in the size of the appetizer. However, it proved to be excellent and although small, 1 fig sliced into quarters, I really enjoyed it. The sweet fig combined with the slightly spicy chorizo and savory cheese was awesome. For my dinner entree I decided to go with the wagyu flat iron, medium, which came with some type of aioli on it while my fiance went with the lemon salmon. All of the entrees were to be served with a vegetable and a starch and both of ours came with identical items that seemed to be cauliflower, bak choy(?) and sweet potatoes. My steak came out with a good helping of aioli poured over it which I would normally be happy about. However, this steak could have been the star on its own and I thought that the aioli actually detracted from it. The steak tasted very good with a nice sear on that gave it a nice crust and was still tender even though it seemed to be more of a medium well than a medium. My fiance was also very happy with her salmon and thought that it tasted good. While I am normally not much of a dessert person, the rest of the food was good enough that I decided to give it a try. I went with the salted caramel cheesecake while my fiance went with some decadent chocolate cake which she loved. My cheesecake was interesting in that it was served in what I would consider a mini jar and then topped with whipped cream, caramel and the salt. Due to this I was able to control the topping/cake ratio which was nice and I thought my dessert was very good, especially whenever I got a nice piece of salt with the rest. My only complaint of it would be that there wasn't enough of the salt but that is minor as I wouldn't want my dessert to be too salty. The bottom line for me is that I am not sure if I would head back here again in the future. The food was certainly awesome and by itself would deserve 5 stars but I was not a big fan of the atmosphere of the place and it may be the first restaurant that I have been to where I would use the word snobby to describe it.
(4)Robyn C.
Food and drinks are exceptional. Hostess and servers are awful! I've gone here 4 times and have yet to have close to a pleasant experience. Apparently they feel that their patrons don't deserve any respect. I will spend my money elsewhere.
(1)Danielle G.
I had a lovely dining experience with my mom and aunt for her birthday on Thursday. It was a first time to Vivo. I was in a small plate mood and ordered the butter lettuce salad drizzled with truffle oil. IT. WAS. AMAZING. I also had the Brussels sprouts and cheese plate. I was going to order the meatballs but I was totally satisfied with the three small plates. Everything was so delicious. The raspberry mustard on the cheese plate was other worldly. My aunt ordered the kale and beet salad which looked gorgeous. I forget what else they ordered but they both loved everything. Our waiter, Ed, knew the menu really well and gave us great suggestions. He also made us laugh. The owners stopped at our table and were really friendly and down you earth. The one owner makes all the desserts. We had a salted caramel cheesecake and Adobe kind of chocolate gelato. Ed picked our desserts for us because we couldn't decide and his choices did not disappoint. The decor is modern and minimal, but still comfortable and homey. I look forward to going back! Especially to check out the outdoor patio and live music!
(5)Jack L.
This is a definite splurge place. It was about $60 per person including starters, drinks, entrees, dessert and coffee. Though the place looked promising, it failed to deliver on some pretty critical areas. The criteria for finding a restaurant for a dinner date was that we needed to be close to home with a babysitter on the clock and it had to be an Open Table restaurant as I had a $20 dining cheque that was expiring soon. Vivo Kitchen totally seemed to fit the bill. But to quickly summarize a disappointing evening: 1) Overpriced - starters were in the $9+ range and they were not great. My wife had a salad which was fair and I had the foie gras bone marrow butter - both were in at $9 each and both were totally underwhelming. The entrees were in the $20+ range. Both were OK. 2) Uneven service - sometimes our server was available, other times she was no where to be found. 3) Just above average food - considering the price tag, everything was just OK. Not what you are looking for when your dinner check rivals an evening out at Morton's. It just didn't deliver. I had the veal and my wife had the scallops. Again, it just tasted above average. At the price, it should have delivered and then some. The only bright spot was that I scored the wine carafe of Merlot for $10. This was the smartest thing I did all night at VIvo. Even after $20 off with my Open Table dining cheque, the meal was at $60 per person. Don't be fooled by the glamorous surroundings of Vivo. Unless you have money burning a hole in your pocket to blow on an overrated meal, just stay away.
(1)Liz M.
Eaten here several times. Food is always excellent - beyond excellent - in some cases, it was truly outstanding. Service has been excellent to mediocre. I've had servers who went out of there way to provide service - going so far as to snap a picture of the brand of olive oil they use so I could purchase it in the Strip. I've also had servers that ignored us and just didn't stay on top of things.
(4)Tim J.
Vivo is one of my favorite restaurants in Pittsburgh. The menu is creative, the food is great and the atmosphere is low key. The menu is stocked with items appealing to adventurous eaters seeking new flavors. Everything from salad to dessert is prepared to perfection. These folks know what they're doing. In the warm weather, dine on the porch at dusk. I've eaten there at least a half dozen times and have never had a complaint about food or service. Maybe they could have a few more items for those with simpler palates.
(5)Jason B.
The meal was expertly crafted. The beet salad starter was a thing of beauty and wonder. The lamb chops, simply divine. The service, however, made this a mediocre experience. No energy, a lack of interest and a generally short and rude approach was surprising in what was otherwise an out of this world meal. Recommended, but with caution. At $50 a plate patrons should expect to be treated with more class.
(4)lee s.
We splurged and came here for Mothers' Day. Unfortunately the service was smug; our server seemed uninterested and didn't smile, even when we tried to make chit-chat. The food was good, but servings small. We left hungry. Also, the place is not kid-friendly. We were charged $2.50 for a half glass of milk. I wish there were more dining options in the area - on Sundays much of Sewickley is closed - I wonder how stores stay in business.
(2)A M.
I haven't written a review for over a year, but the opportunity to be "first to review" and the fact that I'm over 10,000 "views" prompted me to give it a shot. We dined here tonight on a whim having recently bought a new house in the area and trying to check out the local restaurants. We had a reservation for 730 PM. The restaurant is somewhat hidden in plain sight right on Beaver St. in Sewickley. As far as I can tell there is no sign and the entrance is not directly on the street. We arrived, parked and found our way to the venue. I almost entered the wrong door to a dance studio above, but found the entrance on the side. There was a lovely courtyard with plenty of outdoor seating filled. We entered a sparse, but inviting room that was pretty much filled. We were seated promptly near the kitchen. The bartendre/waitress...Erin was a nice young lady who was pulling "double duthy admirably". The table next to us mentioned they had been there for a while prior, but we ordered our apps' promptly. This being a new restaurant I was eager to try many things on the menu...the first being a dirty martini. Annie and I ordered a few appetizers. The pasta was okay. It was an al dente' triangle type pasta that was "toothsome" with a simple red sauce and some romano ( I think?). It was served room tempature, which as you read will be a theme. The pasta was cooked perfectly, but the sauce was somewhat underwhelming. They brought some bread, which was cold and served it with average quality olive oil. Annie asked for butter. We didn't care much for the rye bread and were happy when Erin mentioned that we could try some other types of bread. Next we sampled the "seared foie gras". This was not the seared foie gras that we are used to. It was much more like a cold terrine. Nevertheless it was quite good, but I think they should change the name on the menu. I also tried the octupus, which was not chewy (plus+) and easily cut with a butter knife. It was a bit bland but better when I put some lime juice on it. Next I tried my favorite dish of the night which were locally grown heirloom tomatoes and mozz. The dish was perfect in that it was exceptional ingredients simply prepared. I also had the "bones", which was their version of bone marrow with some hawaiian (sp?) (I think?) sea salt and vinegar with brushetta. I didn't care for the dish. I wanna say a bit "gamey". I think I'm spoiled on my Mom's Veal bones with her Osso Bucco cooked in tomatoes for days. Annie ordered the "1/2 chicken" for $16. The skin was crispy which was nice and it was cooked well, but it was such a small portion she could hardly find the breast. Also, we were told the starch and side would be potatoes and asparagus...which we like. It turned out to be quinoa again served room temperature and a mix of onions, tomatoes and apples. It was not memorable and we barely touched the sides. This probably deserves 2.5 stars, but because it just opend we'll give it 3. We'll try again, but it's not enough to serve interesting food poorly executed for the most part. We welcome this additon to the area and hope our next visit will be more successful.
(3)william t.
there were four of us and had resv. we're initialed taken to a small four top near the bar, but I declined as the bar had two patrons seated in bar chairs very close to the table. opted instead for two two tops pulled together near the entrance to the kitchen. no tablecloths in sight. started out with the sausage and pepper app and the clam app. both were well presented and good. small portion of bread was served with olive oil. house salad, beet salad, arugula and fennel salads were all terrific. entrees included the whole fish branzino, the large veal chop, and the risotto short rib were served promptly, hot and all were excellent. wine list is a bit slim. we had an malbec from Argentina which was quite nice. owner came by to say hello and ask about the food. always a nice touch. we would recommend this small family owned and operated rest.
(4)