Came here on a recommendation from the wonderful @indiansummerguideservice! Perfect atmosphere for our bachelorette party- wine, Italian food, espresso! The best gnocchi we've had- thank you chef! Our server was kind and fun and kept up with us after a day at the vineyards. They accommodated our large party on the picturesque patio. We will be back!!!!!!! Thank you for the end to our great day!!! Everything was delicious and it was so enjoyable! read more

So there's no reason this establishment should receive anything less than 4 stars. The chix parm, the lasagna bolognese and the carbonara was fantastic!! Will def come again next time we're in C-ville. read more

I am so disappointed to write of a horrible experience tonight that will make me never go back there. I am new to Cville, and Vivace had been my favorite place in the few weeks I have lived here. Tonight, I went after work, after a very long day, looking for good comfort Italian food. I was so looking forward to a relaxing, delicious meal. So, there was no question where I was heading tonight. Vivace! From the moment I sat down, however, the service was pathetic. The servers brought me bread and olive oil -- but no plate on which to eat it. My salad was delicious -- but no one came to clear my plate, even as I watched a nearby table of five being treated like royalty. I waved my hand for five minutes to get someone to take my dinner order. Finally, dinner came, and it was delicious. But I sat there afterward for 25 minutes with no one to refresh my water, take my accumulating plates or to give me my check! I My Uber arrived 15 minutes after I had finished my meal -- but NO CHECK. I was tempted to leave without paying but knew that was not right, so I took my credit card to the cashier and asked if I could pls pay before my Uber drover away. The server took my card, came out with a receipt, but not ONE WORD of apology. I felt angry and asked to see a manager...and then felt even angrier. I interrupted a conversation the owner was having at the bar, and apparently he was too enthralled to be concerned with the issues of an older woman at who had just spent $50 at his restaurant. When I mentioned to him what had happened, he said he already had spoken to the server. But again, not one apologetic word! As a business woman, I travel frequently, and it is not unusual at all for me to dine alone. In most cities and in most places, I am treated with courtesy because I am spending money at dining establishments. Vivace, however, acted like I was invisible. An older women dining alone -- who is she, anyway? The owner's attitude was even more disagreeable than the server's -- he could have at least apologized. Because he did not, I will not be back. I do not do business with people who do not treat people with courtesy -- especially when we are paying for it. It is sexist and ageist to treat a paying female customer with such discourtesy. I felt like I was living in the 1800s. A simple "I'm sorry" was all it would have taken make the night right. That that did not happen signifies a disrespect and disdain for older women and demonstrates to me that this place is, sadly, a throwback to previous generations when such disrespect and hostility were mainstream. I guess I should be happy they didn't ask me to wash the dishes. read more

If you want really good authentic Italian food in Charlottesville then this is the place for you to go. Everything is made fresh. So sit back, have some delicious appetizers with reasonably priced good drinks, relax, & then enjoy a delicious Italian meal. Whatever you order is superb. Leave room for some delicious cannolis for desert. The outside overhead, lighted patios are delightful, and you will feel like a grown up going out to dinner while on vacation. Enjoy! read more

A group of ten of us ate at Vivace this past weekend. I am Vegan and usually call ahead to make sure that restaurants can accommodate my diet; but I forgot to do it this time. I told our waitress that I was vegan she said that she was vegan as well so I just asked her to order for me, only telling her that I liked pasta. She did just that and ordered an excellent pasta dish for me, the dinner was excellent and the service that she provided was superb. Eating outside on the patio when the weather is nice is nice as well. read more

Pasta was great, loved the ambience, especially the patio, good wine, just service could be slightly improved! Would definitely come back again :) read more

I went to school in Charlottesville and have dined at this restaurant. The design of the restaurant is nice, but that is the only pleasing aspect about this place. The food... bland, blah, nothing special. For that reason, the prices are ridiculous for what you get. I don't mind paying for quality food ingredients, but spaghetti out of the box!? I can make that at home for a buck. The wait staff is okay. Just a bunch of college age kids trying to make a buck. The owners are absolutely terrible and it shows in the fact that the wait staff does not know anything about the food or the wines/drinks offered. The one and only time I ate here I asked to speak to the manager... but the owner came over instead. I thought, "Oh good, he will want to help." But he was absolutely rude and nasty telling me that everything about my cold, bland meal was perfect and refused to take it off my bill! Needless to say, I won't be visiting this place until it goes under as any bad business should with terrible owners like that. read more

Wonderfully delicious food. Attentive, helpful staff. Great, unique atmosphere. All around quality and cozy atmosphere. Definitrly going on my list of places to return to! read more

There is a really really horribly rude man taking reservations and takeout orders over the phone at Vivaces! I don't know if he's the owner, manager, or just a host...but he seems to think that the appropriate way to treat people on the phone is to be a complete jerk. I've had three recent incidents with him lately during a phone call to the restaurant. One time, he was rude to me on the phone when I was trying to make a reservation for my family and I, and cut me short before hanging up on me. Then another time I was trying to call for a takeout order. He didn't answer the phone during normal business hours, and then hours later when he called me back (I had left a polite voicemail saying that I wanted to place a to-go order, if they could call me back when they got a chance) he acted disgusted with me for telling him thank you but that I had placed my order elsewhere since I hadn't heard back form them, he cut me short again and hung up on me mid sentence. the third recent experience was actually my husbands. He called in a few weeks later asking to place a take out order (he was surprising me, as he knows it's my favorite food and we were having an at-home date night) and he was told by the same man that they were "too busy, and not doing take out orders tonight" (as though we weren't a paying customer just like all of the people sitting in the actual restaurant) and he hung up on my husband again. Then my husband called back later and someone else picked up the phone who was more than happy to take the order. He picked it up 20 minutes later with no problem. Now, if this man is the owner or manager, he should be ashamed and perhaps take some classes in customer service. If he is an employee, he deserves to be fired. This is not the way to have happy, returning customers. In our case you've lost a very regular guest, including my extended family whom we often met for dinner there. I hope Vivace's can solve this situation somehow, as we were huge fans of the restaurant for many years before this happened, and now we feel like we've been run out of there by this man's attitude. Not good. I hope he isn't the owner/manager, because if he is, he needs to learn quickly that this isn't the way to run a successful business, and he will be solely responsible for any negativity surrounding the reputation of this place. read more

Went there with my wife, my sister, and her fiancee. We hadn't ever been, so we figured we would give it a shot. The place feels like it hasn't progressed a day since it opened. The tables and booths are old and worn (our table was extremely slanted from decades of use.) The decor is dark and heavy. The booths were fairly uncomfortable. This place needs an update. It's sort of reminiscent of 80s/90s Olive Garden. I don't know where the "upscale" descriptor comes in. Maybe just the food prices. The dishes are traditional Italian-American fare. Our appetizers were pretty tasty and came out quickly, so no gripes there. Prices weren't terrible for what we ordered, but for the entrees it looked like they were touching on prices out of range for the location. We only ended up getting appetizers because the waiter was not on his game. I don't know if he was overstressed by too many tables or what, but he was running himself to death. The waiter kept bringing one thing and then leaving while I was trying to order our appetizers, and in the meantime he managed to go to another table that had sat after we had and take their order. After trying 3 times over the course of about 15 minutes to order without success we decided we'd get our apps, finish our cocktails and head elsewhere. It even took a while to get our check (again, the waiter would swing by one table right in our group to do something and then promptly vanish, necessitating that we flag him down just so we could leave.) We decided to head on over to Tavola, where we knew we'd get great food, drinks, and service. read more

I came here on the recommendation of a few of my friends LOVING this place and just raving about it! So...one weekend, my bf and I decided to try it during a random weekend when he was visiting me at school. The wait was 1 hour. WHY????? we had made a reservation and we STILL had to wait. Granted, there was some sort of event going on that day, but what's the point of reservations then? After practically taking my shoe off and nawing on it to save myself from hunger, we were finally seated. WHERE did we get seated? this TINY little two-seater on a TILTED part of the floor. The table, mind you, was already wobbly. My bf is a big guy and he was just SUFFERING that night. but FINE...we're starving, we're willing to make some sacrifices. We ordered the shrimp scampi and another dish with risotto (forget which particular one). Prices are higher than most for italian food, but fine I didn't mind as long as the food was up to par. BLAND BLAND BLAND!!!! the risotto was TOO mushy to the extreme and the shrimp scampi was extremely bland. it was So terrible, on top of the terribly location they put us in---we literally had a balancing act during our meal so that none of our plates would tip over onto the floor! Service was horrendous---our waiter never came back to check up on us minus the time to get our check--even our food was served by a different person. this plcae is definitely overrated, but it seems that on Yelp, it's not at least the people on Yelp have good taste in food! Apparently, my friends don't. =( read more

I'll say that I think people have been a bit harsh.... I agree that it's not the best italian i've ever had, but certainly not the worst. It's not a place i'd mind going to again. Food: Agreed, a weee bit bland, but still had decent taste. They committed one of my cardinal food sins, and served cold bread. I think there are very few times serving cold bread makes sense. The calamari was very well cooked (not overly gummy), and very lightly breaded, which was nice... the result though was that it was underseasoned. At my table, we had a classic chicken parm, and their Pasta alla Vivace. I thought the chicken parm was well cooked. Often times i find that the breading is either mushy, or crispy, but the sauce/cheese hasn't really integrated with the chicken. But, they pulled it off well. I thought the marinara on the side was okay, but nothing special. The pasta alla vivace was a marsala sauce, and pretty tasty.... but once again a bit bland, tossed with a penne pasta. I really had to scoop up the sauce to get the marsala flavor. Service: not bad, but we went at a pretty quiet time, so there weren't too many distractions. Our waitress was friendly and honest, which i appreciate. Price: not quite sure why people say this is sooo pricey. Maybe it's because i lived in DC for quite a while, but i think 12-18 is reasonable to ask for a pasta dish. Not cheap, but not exactly wallet-busting expensive either. Realistically, i might give this place 3.5 stars if i could do half stars, but since i can't, it is closer to a 3 than a 4. read more

It was very mediocre. The eggplant Parmesan was cooked quite well and was nice and meaty-- but the "marinara" most definitely came out of a can. My ravioli were in a decent vodka cream sauce, but not a very memorable one-- I'd be surprised if it was made in-house. I am almost positive that the ravioli were frozen and can be purchased at your local Costco. Our calamari appetizer was sub-par-- a little tough, flavorless without the sauces, heavily battered. The prices certainly give one reason to expect a much higher quality food. Overall, there are MUCH better meals to be had in Charlottesville for just under sixty dollars before tip (two beers @ $4.50 each, eggplant parmesan and ravioli @ ~$17 each, and $10 calamari appetizer). The waitress was attentive, however, and the general atmosphere was pleasant. read more

This restaurant is charming, located in an old home with a porch and 2-floors. As a visitor, It is easy to find and parking is convenient. Be aware that the restaurant is not very accessible for people with mobility issues and the staff told me that I should have said I needed a 1-floor table when I made my reservation. The waiter was pleasant but he did not tell us about any specials - we read them on a chalkboard as we departed the restaurant after dinner. The appetizers and entrees we had - mussels, caesar salad with shrimp, pasta bolognese, and fettuccini alfredo were large and the food was good, but not exceptional. read more

Recently moved to Charlottesville from California and have been looking for a good Italian restaurant. We've found it! I had the corn and crab soup, shared the bruschetta and then Shrimp Risotto for me and Strip steak for my husband. Could've licked the plates it was so good. Service was great! Sat outdoors and atmosphere along with faint music was wonderful. A magical date night! read more

I realized the only reviews I've written so far under this account have been bad, so I wanted to recognize some restaurants in the Charlottesville area that I consider to be excellent! Vivace has been a favorite of mine for years. The food is consistently excellent (the only dish I've found to be minorly sub-par was the veal marsala, and the owners brought me a new dish to try free of charge when I complained), and the ambiance is beautiful. In regards to the complaints of slow service, Vivace is not a restaurant to eat and run at. It's a place to enjoy the food and enjoy your company, and not be rushed through your meal so that they can turn over the table to the next group. My drinks and appetizers have always been brought out promptly, and the servers, while somewhat young and inexperienced, for the most part are knowledgeable and give great recommendations if you're indecisive. read more

I was a bit surprised to see this place only had 2.5 stars. Was the food amazing? No, but it was definitely decent and deserving of three stars. At least for the food.. The service was kind of awful. Came here with a large group. There were 12 of us and we made a reservation in advance, however we still had to split up into three tables (5,4, and 3) which I thought was a little ridiculous. The service was not good. We arrived in the lobby and waited at least five minutes before the host showed up. When we were seated at the table the waitress was rather rude and a bit short with us. While ordering we asked if we could make some changes/substitutions to the dishes. Rather than apologize and say it wasn't possible she said things like "we're really busy and that could take a while, so no" Uhm, excuse me, we're customers. We're paying you. Apparently everything here is pre-made too. We wanted to make small changes to the bruschetta, antipasto, and, later in the meal, sorbet but apparently those would be impossible because they are all premade. So is there a chef? Or do you guys just buy this food elsewhere? In addition, we constantly had to ask for refills as opposed to being offered them. The waitress was definitely not deserving of the included 20% gratuity she received. Our table ordered three appetizers: antipasto, calamari, and the bruschetta. The waitress said the antipasto usually feeds a table of four but I'd say no more than two could eat it. They had a slightly different take on bruschetta and served it as more of a block. The calamari was pretty standard and not too oily which was good. Appetizers were priced pretty fairly I'd say. For the entrees, I ordered the Pasta Vivace. Everyone at the table ordered some type of penne pasta. Also this is the first Italian restaurant I've been to that had a separate gluten-free menu which was great as one of the members of party has a gluten allergy. Definitely one of the biggest positives of this place. The Pasta Vivace was pretty good, but interestingly enough tasted A LOT (and I mean a lot...) like Cheesecake Factory's Pasta Da Vinci. It was good but the portion size was a little on the small side. Had we not ordered appetizers we probably would have left hungry. The entrees were rather ridiculously priced. I think my entree was 16 dollars. Definitely not worth it. While I think Cheesecake Factory's prices are about the same the portion is probably double. Our table of four ordered three appetizers and four entrees. If you want to leave full I'd definitely say you'd need to order an appetizer. Thankfully I wasn't the one footing the bill... Bottom line: Crappy service, decent food, decent to smallish portions, ridiculous prices... Hm, maybe this place does deserve two stars... read more

I don't understand the low reviews for Vivace. The food isn't mind-blowingly innovative or anything, but it's always quite good. The Pasta Vivace, with chicken, sun dried tomatoes, mushrooms, and a marsala sauce, is delicious. I tried a few bites of the Braciole special off my dad's plate, and it was really excellent. During spring and summer, it has one of the best outdoor dining arrangements in Charlottesville, and the upstairs inside is homey and comfortable. Service has always been dependable and friendly. read more

This long-running Charlottesville restaurant has seen some rough patches, but it appears to be "on-the-up", notably due to a more limited menu. Prices are still a bit high, and I would greatly prefer if they served any sort of house-made pasta (particularly for the price), but they are getting there. Service is still slow and a bit ungainly. They are slowly getting the staff and dining areas up to the 21st century, but they have a ways to go. read more

Girls night out! Each of us ordered something different, gnocchi for me, and enjoyed every bite. Was disappointed in our waiter, Sean. Once he brought our food, he never checked back to see if we were enjoying our meal or to see if we wanted more wine. He didn't have much of a warm welcome. I'll go back because the food is excellent - will just ask for a different waiter. read more

I've never written a restaurant review, but I was compelled to after my dinner tonight. Food is mediocre and overpriced for Charlottesville. Our party of 8 was automatically charged a 20% gratuity. Seriously?! We're not in New York City. To make matters worse, we were rushed out at the end of our meal because they were setting up for a party. When my friend made a comment about being rushed out, the waiter replied, "We have a party coming at 8:30. I thought you knew." Very professional! Even the owner stopped by our table to clear it! I can deal with so-so food and being overcharged, but rudeness is just not acceptable. Hands down, one of the worst dining experiences I've ever had. read more

We had a relative in UVA hospital and one of the nurses recommended this restaurant. We didn't have a reservation but the owner gave us a table even though the were very busy. As we were not familiar with their menu, our waiter recommended an appetizer, salad and two main courses. We ordered his suggestions and thoroughly enjoyed every bite of the meal. To top it off, the food was reasonably priced. When in the area, this place is a must read more

We took my mother here for her birthday. She sent her food back 3 times because it was the wrong order, then too cold (congealed, was it someone elses??), then too salty. She is someone who rarely will send food back because she doesn't like to make a scene. Expensive too. Horrible food, bland, not Italian tasting at all. And we are Italian! read more

Used to be so much better. Literally our go to spot for special occasions. 6 of us went in December and half us said our entree was bad. One dish was cold, the other was INEDIBLE, the other wasn't cooked all the way thru. To the point where after one bite, it was passed around the table and every one of us said it was bad-the Marsala tasted and looked like dog food. Even the waitress agreed it tasted bad. The shrimp scampi on risotto was swimming in so much oil, the shrimp were soggy. The place oozes with atmosphere and charm, I love the bartenders and I love the vibe but please fix the food. It's too expensive to keep trying again. Hoping it was an off night the past two times we went! read more

I get the same thing everytime because I discovered it on the first try: shrimp scampi. It's too pricey, but it's really good. Knock off one star for the overly oily salad. Wine list is just ok. It can get quite crowded in there too. Dining alfresco on a summer night can be quite nice. read more

Good Italian but make sure to get reservations on busy days. Staff has always been good and seating setup is good.

August 25, 2019--Our party of six had our evening meal here. Five of the six were satisfied with their dishes; I was not. The veal served me was paper thin, cooked to oblivion, and had the consistency of a roof shingle. Our waiter was superb, very attentive, and immediately agreed not to charge me for my main course. Methinks, however, that Vivace is not up to its standards of years past. read more

I have been dining and imbibing at Vivace for years. Last night's dinner was the most disappointing experience by far. To be fair, I have always had a positively skewed views of the establishment and argued in favor of it whenever possible. I had even higher hopes for it when Chef Landon took over co-ownership. Last night, however, let me down. First, the good, because I'm not just here to spew negatives: Vivace is still a great place for ambiance, location, and pleasant staff. You can't find a better outdoor dining space in that area of town, and parking is a breeze. Servers were once again quite wonderful, and knew the menu well. The wine list was the first stop on my less than stellar experience. The wines themselves are fine. But what is frustrating is seeing the by-the-glass selection with zero detail on what the wines are. "Chianti" by the glass isn't helpful. Seeing "XYZ Producer, 2014, region, country" would be so much more helpful. But seeing just "Merlot" listed doesn't sell me, and honestly make it feel very cheap. It's a hold-over wine list layout from the previous ownership, and it desperately needs freshening up. Next, the food. I changed up from my typical pasta orders to try some new things. The fried green tomatoes (special that night) were darn good! The portion was much larger than expected, and could have worked well for two people. Had I known that, I would not have also ordered the crab and corn chowder (also a special)....or should I say corn chowder? Where was the crab? I only found tiny flecks of crab meat when i picked through it. The server specifically noted there would be "lump crab meat placed on top" but alas, nada. It was also vastly under seasoned, and the broth was too thin to be called a chowder. Lastly, the veal piccata - just completely off to the point where I almost sent it back. The veal was pounded extremely thin, but in a way that makes one feel they were being cheap with the small portion, instead of a larger piece of veal. For the price, it was not appropriate. On top of that, the soggy breading - at least, I think it was breading. I really couldn't tell if there was soggy fat all over it. I scraped off forkfuls of soggy, gross breading. The spaghetti noodles it was served with were clearly not made in-house, and flavorless. Why not make your own noodles fresh everyday? You're an authentic Italian restaurant. It's what you should do best! Vivace, please don't take this as a crazed rant. I really want to love you, and I really want to see you knock it out of the park. With Chef Landon at the helm, I was hoping to see some killer changes and/or additions to the menu (at least, you know, fresh in-house pasta for all dishes), while keeping some of the crowd favorites. Now is your chance! Show us what you've got. read more

A dinner at Vivace is like eating in an Italian villa. You have the choice of eating on the patio in the summer and still stay cozy on the patio in the winter. I have never had a bad meal, the chef is innovative but also serves up the Italian main stays. The bar is very nostalgic, and the bar seating is very comfortable. A trip to Charlottesville is not complete without a visit to Vivace. read more

Love their food. Everything is delicious. Try a pizza appetizer..they make their own crust. I love shrimp scamp or try a dish with the house made sausage. The mussels appetizier is delicious (try dipping the sauce in their bread). Lattes are also so good here. Good wine selection. Amazing food. Cozy and inviting atmosphere. read more

I have never had a bad meal at Vivace and had several that were outstanding. Great atmosphere, and when the weather is nice, eating outside is pleasant. read more

Quite good and a favorite for Italian; fresh and unique, but quality quickly suffers when they're busy.

I've been here a half a dozen times and for the most part, have had an enjoyable experience. The food and ambiance are traditional Italian, which is what this place is all about. As for the food: The picatta sauce is buttery, lemony and tangy, the marsala sauce tastes fresh, not pasty; the house tomato and bolognese sauces for pasta dishes are traditional and mildly spicy, but nothing that you can't make at home. As a consumer, I may sometimes have issues with how the meal is prepared, but there is NO excuse for bad service. Occasionally the service here can be slow and for whatever reason presumptuous. I've twice had the experience of bad service. Most recently of a waiter, who rushed me through meal orders, forgetting to provide fresh bread, nor personally presenting the salad or fresh pepper, nor even the meal itself (it was tabled by a kitchen worker). He did, however, make the point to BE there to give me the check; but in all fairness, I tipped above 20%. Still, it may awhile before I return. These days when I dine out, its a "celebration" and enjoyable experience. And there are too many other great restaurants in Charlottesville that appreciate my business. Not here. Not tonight. Not again. read more

If you want creative Italian food something more interesting than Spaghetti and meatballs this is your place in Charlottesville! And the outdoor seating is awesome! I have no idea what the musty smell that has been discussed I didn't smell anything in the bar except popcorn popping! Where else in America can you still get fresh popcorn for FREE! and what a cool bar so big figure 8 design. Or you can sit on couches by the fireplace. Check it out! read more

We picked this restaurant randomly off our GPS after visiting Monticello. We were very pleasantly surprised with our pick. The ambiance was great. Very cute, decor. Very quiet setting. Perfect for a date. The staff was extremely friendly. My husband had the chicken parm and loved it. I had the Fettuccini Alfredo and it was delicious. We also got these fried rice balls neither of us had had before which were great. We will definitely go here again if we're in the area! read more

Food is super average. Wait staff has been rude on multiple occasions; a sort of bizarre pretentiousness in the sense that there is clearly an occasional disconnect between perceived value and reality. I felt embarrassed for them; I'm not pretentious enough myself to delve into indigence over being treated poorly. Charlottesville is one of the best food destinations south of the City- there are way better options and way better people in this town. Bottom line: fake-fancy waste of your money. Better options: Tavola, Bella's, Lampo read more

I took my son and his family here for dinner on a Sunday evening in January. Our party included a 6 year old and 3 year old. We were seated promptly. Nice ambience. The service was excellent. Our waiter recommended an excellent wine. My chicken parm was excellent. The whole family enjoyed their meals and desserts! read more

Endless capacity. Perfect service. Celestial food. Literally my favorite restaurant in the entire world. Go now and get the gnocchi!

Finally a good Italian restaurant with decent pricing. We went to Vivace for the first time in years a few weeks ago-heard it had new owners/management. We had gone years ago and found it disappointing. Where we grew up most Italian restaurants in this area would have closed shortly after opening. Vivace would have made it-the food and prices are great and so is the service.We returned last night and had a great dinner. read more

Terrible service. Surly waiter, uncaring owner/manager. salad came after one and a half hours. When entrees finally came they were in to go containers. (we were eating there). No apologies for this mistake from the owner. This place is a toxic mess. read more