I last reviewed Vivace in 2018 and gave it two stars. I was disappointed enough that I never went back. Fast-forward eight years. My son insisted that we go there for Father's Day. I made several excuses, reluctantly agreed, and was fully prepared to say, "I told you so." Well. I was wrong. My son ordered the linguine with clams and loved it. He ate every single bite, which is always the most convincing review in our family. I had the kale salad and the hot honey pizza. Both were solid, not life-changing, but very good. The real star of the evening was our server, an affable older Italian gentleman who made the entire meal feel warm and effortless. There was one mix-up with the salad, and I was initially brought something with apples and blue cheese. I hate blue cheese. He apologized immediately, corrected it without any fuss, and left the other salad with us on the house. Also, the bread. Warm focaccia and ciabatta served with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and garlic. We inhaled two baskets and showed absolutely no restraint. So yes, after eight years, Vivace has earned a complete reversal from me. My reluctant Father's Day dinner turned into a genuinely lovely evening. The son was right, which I will admit publicly just this once. read more

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Five stars isn't enough. Yelp should create a special category called "I'd let these people babysit my children." I've been to a lot of Italian restaurants. Some have great food. Some have great service. Vivace somehow has both, plus a staff so absurdly kind that I'm beginning to suspect they're running some sort of hospitality cult. Let's start with Kevin behind the bar. Kevin is calm, knowledgeable, and seemingly incapable of making a bad drink or a customer unhappy. If Jon Hamm and a perfectly crafted Old Fashioned had a child, it would be Kevin. He's got the charm of the guy you'd proudly introduce to your parents and the confidence of someone who already knows they'll love him. Then there's Dana, who may very well be the best bartender on the Peninsula. Her drinks are fantastic, but it's her personality that steals the show. She's so friendly that spending five minutes talking with her feels like you've wandered into an episode of Leave It to Beaver. If you're too young for that reference, just know you'll instantly feel welcome and probably leave wondering why everyone else in your life can't be that nice. Mike, the owner, is the kind of person who restores your faith in humanity. He treats you like an old friend even if you've never met him before. The man would probably give you the shirt off his back if you needed it, and somehow he'd make you feel like he was the one getting the better deal. Arrick, the lead server, is so unbelievably nice that at first I assumed it was an act. Nope. That's just who he is. He's friendly, attentive, professional, and somehow manages to make every table feel important. Sure, he's a good golfer and handsome enough to make your significant other suddenly take an interest in Italian cuisine, but I refuse to hold that against him. And finally, Linda at the front. What an absolute sweetheart. From the moment you walk in, she makes you feel like family. Not the Sopranos kind of family where someone disappears after dinner. The good kind of family where everyone eats too much, laughs too hard, and leaves happier than they arrived. The food is excellent. The atmosphere is wonderful. But the people are what make Vivace special. Come for the pasta...Stay because apparently every employee here was personally selected in a nationwide search for the nicest human beings alive. read more

Absolutely odd and off-putting experience. We hosted my dad's birthday dinner here, and unfortunately the service really put a damper on the night. The older gentleman serving us was extremely strict, rushed, and constantly lingering around our table. He repeatedly checked if we were ready to order and would just stand nearby if we weren't. It felt like there was no breathing room, especially while we were still enjoying appetizers. I honestly didn't understand the rush. When we finally decided to order, I let him know we were ready but politely asked if he could start at the other end of the table because I personally wasn't ready yet. He told me no, that he had to start from the head of the table. Mind you, he was literally holding a sheet numbered 1-12, so it didn't seem like it would've been an issue to accommodate a simple request. Thankfully, the food itself was good and honestly saved this review. However, the service continued to disappoint. I had to leave early and kindly asked if he could pack my food. He put his finger up, said "one second," then walked away to help another table he seemed much friendlier with. He never came back, and I ended up asking another employee for help. The food was great, but the service needs a lot of improvement. I don't know if employees aren't trained to uphold a standard for their customer service or if he woke up on the wrong side of the bed???? I'd only consider coming back because of the food. read more

Vivace Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Belmont, California

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Had dinner here last night and was pleasantly surprised. It's a nice restaurant with natural lighting. Our server was nice and our food came out on time. I was really surprised at how flavorful everything tasted and was just how I like it, not to mention the portion size it's huge and I'm totally am here for it. I did have an issue with payment but hoping to get that resolved soon. Otherwise I will definitely come back here again. read more

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Another great dinner last night with friends. Drinks took a long time to get as bar was very busy but our calamari steak and ossobuco dishes were amazing. read more

Vivace Ristorante - Calamari Steak* - Italian Near Me - Belmont, California

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First visit back since the pandemic. This is a neighborhood spot serving solid Italian food. We started off with a Cesar salad with our mains being the scallop and shrimp risotto along with the short rib ravioli. The dishes were enjoyable with decent portions and good value, though the flavor profiles were fairly mild and lacked standout, richly savory sauces. The real highlight was the $3 bread basket--which included breadsticks, sliced loaf bread, and an absolutely phenomenal focaccia. The focaccia was chewy, creamy, and something I will dream about getting again!!! It's between a fresh NYC bagel and thin-crust pizza. The New York-style blueberry cheesecake was also excellent and a great way to end the meal. Will definitely be back very soon. read more

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We were a group of 15 moms celebrating May birthdays and welcoming summer, and we had such a wonderful experience. The ambiance was warm and perfect for a lively but comfortable gathering. The food was delicious and beautifully presented, and a special thank you to our waiter for being so thoughtful and attentive--ensuring everything was served in the right order and flowed perfectly for a large group. Great hospitality, great food, and a truly enjoyable evening. read more

Vivace Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Belmont, California

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This was our second rime enjoying this spot. We came once during covid at the reccomendation of some friends. I liked it the first time, but I really really enjoyed it much more this time. Walking in is a little funky - the double doors arent the entry, the single door is. Anyhow other than that you are greeted by a great bar with good TV views (perfect for football season). Our waitress was great! She had just the right amount of checking in on us and not overbearing. Pizza was great! The special (lobster pasta) was amazing and the waitress was right - Calabrian chili sauce wasn't spicy at all it was creamy and delish! Tirimisu was so silky and delish as well. The bummer: my first martini glass had tajin floating at the bottom (I got a gin martini, no need for tajin). And then the second martini my husband got had remnants of lipstick on the rim. -1 star for that. read more

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First visit with a group of friends and had a great time! Service was stellar and menu had all that Italian goodness. Great for groups or intimate dates. Looking forward to going back very soon. Love the little arancini, variety on the table bread and great wine selection. You can also get your reservation made on their site through Open Table. Mangia Tutti!! read more

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Came here for lunch on a hot summer day, super classy white table cloth restaurant. The AC wasn't on but the waitress quickly turned it up before we even got the chance to ask. Their lunch menu was very simple but still had a great variety. The food tasted super clean and didn't put us to sleep after. Slight miscommunication on "extra sauce" being misinterpreted as "extra sausage". But, the manager quickly resolved that issue no problem! Food was great, staff were great, and the atmosphere was great. Going to come back and try their dinner menu! read more

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We just hosted a family celebration for my mother's 90th birthday in the private room last night and I cannot say enough about how exceptional the whole experience was! From dealing with Linda for the planning, who was so responsive and helpful, to the absolutely incredible service we received from our server, Madison, it was a perfect celebration! Madison was attentive without being intrusive as we were delivering our prepared remarks, and she was patient as we delayed the start of the meal for some picture taking. The food was fantastic - everyone was pleased, and that can be tough with our family. I am so thrilled that we chose to host this very special family event at Vivace! read more

Party of ten to celebrate Grandma's 99th birthday! The focaccia in the bread basket was so soft and fluffy. We also shared the coconut shrimp, arancini and fried calamari which were delicious. My fiancé devoured his linguini and clams and I loved my prawns and scallop risotto. Grandma also thoroughly enjoyed her halibut. I had a bite of my sister in laws calamari steak which was tender and flavorful. Mom's eggplant parm was good too. Maddy was our server and she was amazing!Kudos for the attention to detail and little extras: they were able to accommodate low sodium for my dad's meal, we brought our own cake and they sliced and served it no charge, and they thoughtfully reserved a table near the door in a location where grandma wouldn't have to use the stairs, as she uses a walker. Thank you Vivace for a fabulous 99th birthday dinner! read more

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A Decent Celebration Spot, but Lacks Consistency I recently visited this spot for a birthday celebration with a party of 12. While there were some highlights, the experience felt a bit "hit or miss" overall. Atmosphere & Service I really appreciated that they were able to provide a private room for our large group. However, the layout was a bit odd--we were seated at a large square table that felt more like a corporate conference meeting than a cozy birthday dinner. A long table would have definitely felt more intimate and celebratory. Also, a heads-up for those driving: parking is a challenge as there is no dedicated lot, so give yourself extra time to circle the block. The Food The culinary experience was a bit of a rollercoaster: * Appetizers: We started with the calamari, which tasted fine but was a notably small portion for the price. * The Specials: We were all excited to try the Cioppino (Seafood Soup). Unfortunately, the "uneven portion" issue mentioned in other reviews seems to be true. Some bowls were overflowing with clam meat, while others were mostly empty shells. * Entrees: I opted for the Squid Ink Spaghetti, and others tried the Clam Spaghetti. Both were decent but ultimately "average"--they lacked that "wow" factor or depth of flavor you'd expect for a special occasion. Verdict It's a fair option if you need a private space for a crowd, but the kitchen needs to work on portion control and consistency. It was an average experience that didn't quite live up to the birthday hype. read more

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If you like corned beef hash then get the corned beef hash here for brunch! I think their brunch menu is pretty new so there aren't many photos of their brunch items. We had no complaints with the food items we ordered and were very satisfied. The entire restaurant gives off a classy vibe which was nice -- I'd like to come here at night for their dinner. Service was great, we came on a hot day and the AC was turned on shortly after we arrived and our waters were filled constantly throughout the meal. Small hiccup at the end on our bill from a miscommunication but management was quick to resolve the issue. Street parking is available, not hard to find at all. They have a wood-fire oven which I thought was cool cuz you can see them put the pizzas/bread in. Would definitely revisit! read more

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We ordered the muscles and beef carpaccio for appetizers. They both have big portions to share. I really like the squid ink linguine it comes with a lot of seafood. We also ordered the pizza daily special lobster dumplings, and the clam spaghetti to share. The restaurant is very busy on Friday night so definitely book ahead. We got 20% off using inKind. read more

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Went here for dinner. Parking is street but easy to find a spot. I got the steak which was really good. The staff were friendly, it was a nice cozy environment. I recommend coming here. read more

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I can't believe I have never been to Vivace! We started off with the bread basket, burrata, and a couple salads to split. The bread basket had a variety of breads and was incredibly fresh. We loved the olive oil dipping sauce it came with as well. The highlight were the main dishes. Among the table we had orders of mushroom risotto, scallop risotto, orecchiette, pizza, eggplant parmesan, and manicotti. Everyone loved what they ordered and cannot wait to come back! It is so rare that each and every dish exceeds expectations but Vivace did it! read more

Vivace Ristorante - Orecchiette - Italian Near Me - Belmont, California

I was able to book a same day reservation online for a Monday night. The restaurant was busy, but not too loud and the service was really attentive. I would order the calamari and pasta again, but the tiramisu was a bit light for my taste. read more

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Great food, really well made craft cocktails, and very friendly staff and bartenders! This is our local favorite place for great food and drinks. read more

Made a birthday reservation, and were seated immediately. We had a big group with lots of different wants. It's great they have pizza. Also ordered vegetable soup that was delicious. I ordered the Orecchiette and was so happy with my dinner, sorry I didn't get a picture. Service was great, not too in your face and not absent. Can't wait for another dinner here. read more

Vivace Ristorante - Pizza Margherita - Italian Near Me - Belmont, California

The food is very good, the service is also very good, the staff is very accommodating and our experience both the times that you've gone there has been very nice. We definitely plan to continue going there.. read more

Always great service, amazing food and this is true every time we go here. It's become our go to Italian place. More people need to go here, it's that good. Arancini is a must, the pizzas are a must!!! We haven't had one bad thing here. read more

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Vivace's trajectory continues to descend. Service is lack-luster and inattentive. I've arrived at the early part of dinner service on multiple occasions with a nearly empty restaurant. When a restaurant is busy, it's very understandable to have slower service. My consistent experience is with less than 10 diners in the restaurant and observing staff standing around. The food is good, not great, and a higher price point. Due to the poor service, I don't plan to dine here again. read more

My family absolutely loves this spot. They have so many traditional favorites on the menu that it's hard to go wrong. Especially good for a special occasion. Not so good if you're on a diet. Although they do have many nice salad options if you can stop there. My red snapper was delicious on a bed of greens, but perhaps a bit on the buttery /salty side. They seem to abide by the continental dining method of enriching dishes with a bit of cream or butter. Tasty but can be heavy. I'd skip the appetizers next time in favor of the pear salad. And they do pack in the patrons so it can be a bit noisy. Overall though, a great dining experience in Belmont. read more

Been here a few times and definitely like this charming restaurant. Their food is that Italian comfort food you crave in big American sized portions. Great wine and cocktail selection with my favorite dirty martini being extra dirty. The eggplant parmigiana is my go to and they execute it so well with that creamy tomato-y sauce. My only wish for this dish is a bit of pasta on the side to go with it, then it would be completely perfect. The bruschettas are great and worth ordering. Great bread too but you do have to order it extra (insert sad sound effect) which I feel goes against Italian restaurant laws or something. They have lava cake! Important info, believe me. Overall friendly service, though I do remember that on our first visit, I almost walked out because we had made a reservation but they still made us wait about 20 mins. There's no real sitting area to wait besides the bar which was packed so we were left with awkwardly standing at the entrance. I felt sympathetic with Larry David in that one episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm where he made a reservation for a rental car but they gave it away, or that time where he had an appointment at the doctor where they didn't honor the time. I also wanted to sputter out "but that's the whole point of make a reservation at a particular time". Thankfully I was able to keep in my hangryness and Larry David thoughts. I'm so glad we stuck around though, haven't had that occur again. read more

Vivace Ristorante - Eggplant Parmigiana - Italian Near Me - Belmont, California

Vivace is one of our absolute favorite restaurants -- whether for a special celebration or just a lovely date night out. Yesterday would have been my parents' 55th wedding anniversary. My father passed late last year, and in his honor (and to lift my mom's spirits), we took her to Vivace for dinner. We didn't mention anything when making the reservation -- we just knew Vivace would make the evening feel special. From the perfect table by the fireplace to the incredible care from the entire team -- Mr. Gunn, the servers, and especially Nessa -- everything was flawless. Nessa made my mom feel so cared for and special, even without knowing the circumstances. Thank you, Vivace, for your wonderful team, delicious food, and for creating such a beautiful place to share meaningful moments. You truly go above and beyond every single time. read more

tl;dr a decent neighborhood Italian restaurant, but menu items were very hit or miss. Wouldnt necessarily come back unles Nice private dining area in the back that can fit up to 20 people. $30 corkage fee for BYOB. Service: Definitely could have been improved. Besides bringing the food, we were essentially ignored. Appetizers Ordered the Calamari, mussels, and beef carpaccio. All were solid. The carpaccio was a bit too saucy IMO, but the meat was good. Funghi pizza: Chewy crust and nice earthy flavors. Wagyu Burger: I guess I shouldn't get a burger in an Italian restaurant.The patty was bland and they used a ?ciabatta bread that was an interesting choice. Would not order again. Tortelloni: The pasta had a nice texture and flavors were nice, but it was exceedingly salty. read more

Ate dinner there at 6 pm last night. We had appetizers of calamari and shrimp egg rolls. The calamari was delicious 9/10. The egg rolls were a 5/10. Just average. Two of us ordered the veal scallopini and the third person ordered the eggplant parmesan. The eggplant got rave reviews. 10/10. The veal scallopini was not good and I wouldn't recommend it. It was way overcooked and not tender nor moist at all. The sauce was ok but couldn't make up for the overcooked veal. Also, the bill was not correctly split up but by this time I wanted to get out of there. I phoned an hour later to speak to the manager (as they were quite busy) after we left as I didnt want to embarrass my friend who had been there many times but never heard back from them. As a result I would go to Divino over Vivace. read more

I hosted a baby shower for my daughter-in-law at Vivace . We had a lovely private room and were able to decorate it to our choosing. I could not have been happier with how everything turned out.Hayden set it up and Sanaa organized, helped me plan and executed perfectly. Above that she was so professional, efficient and kind from planning to finish. The food was excellent, great service and everyone raved about the entrées they selected. Not only is this a local gem but a destination for a delicious meal and evening. Thank you Vivace! read more

Went for a work Christmas Dinner. Everything was great, service was good but very happy w/the entrees. I haven't had Veal Scaloppine in a very long time so decided to try it. Portion was good, it came hot, freshly made and no complaints about anything. I ate all of it. Everyone was happy w/their entrees too. I would definitely go back when I'm the mood for a good Italian meal. read more

Great food & Vintage Ambiance powered by Poor Service. We ordered Kale Salad (Excellent) with Freshly Baked flat bread (4/5- lacked a dipping oil). Also, ordered Penne pasta with pink sauce for my kid- delicious and good portion for 15$. Funghi Pizza was yumm with mozzarella cheese. Ponsatti - Ravioli pockets dipped in Tomato sauce was also delicious! Poor Service: Heavily understaffed I believe, existing servers have a No ** attitude, don't care to check on your table. One Example: My wife & I kept sharing our fork to eat our food, while waiting on someone to come give us a fork (for quite a long time). read more

Vivace Ristorante - Kitchen - Italian Near Me - Belmont, California

My daughter made a reservation for my birthday a month in advance. She asked for the back room since we had out of town guests attending. She checked in with them a week before and was told the back room was no longer available for us but they would have a very nice table for us. We arrived at the reservation time but were told that our reservation was canceled. We were informed by the owner that two reservations were made by people with the same first name but not the last name and ours was canceled. We were seated but the service was very lacking. Food was very good. At end of meal, my daughter in law had a substantial portion of her entree left but they removed her plate without asking if she wanted the leftovers with her. This was one of my favorite restaurants, I am not sure that I will return. read more

Came here for a team dinner and the food was great! We got burrata to share and I got a pasta off the specials menu. We got a bottle of wine to share as well. Service was good and the restaurant had that classic Italian restaurant vibe with the white table cloths. Would come again if I'm in the area! read more

Vivace Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Belmont, California

Our family made dinner reservations here and the food was amazing! We had a few different appetizers from the bruschetta, calamari & coconut prawns. We enjoyed the service they provided our family for dinner. We will definitely be coming back again! read more

Excellent food and service. We ordered 5 entrees and all were delicious. The wine selection was very nice.

We went in for a last minute dinner after a failed attempt to dine at the new Mediterranean place across the street. We were lucky enough to have Arek ( sorry if I misspelled) as our server. He was so kind and attentive, and spent time with us to make recommendations. The food was very fresh and tasty . The ambiance was busy and fun, but also classy . I need to dine here more often ! read more

Poor food - our chicken was soggy, not fresh Poor service - lady didn't even pour water let alone pour our wine rather slammed it on the table.. 1 $ symbol restaurants offer this courstesy at least for the first pour of water!!! They seated us by the bar all for 159$ bill for dinner for 2. Never going back here again and totally over rated read more

We booked a reservation weeks in advance for nearly 10 people for a late holiday lunch, with family traveling into town specifically for this meal. The reservation was accepted for the time we selected and even confirmed again a few days prior. About 1 hour and 15 minutes before our reservation, the restaurant called asking if we could come earlier because their kitchen closes at the time of our reservation. I explained that we couldn't as people were still arriving from out of town. I was told, "That's fine, just try to come earlier if you can." Before leaving, we called again to make sure there would be no issues. That's when we were told the kitchen would be closed and we'd basically only be able to order drinks. This was never communicated clearly in the earlier call, and if the kitchen was going to be closed, the reservation should never have been available or confirmed in the first place. Extremely disappointing and frustrating, especially given the size of our group. What's the point of taking and confirming reservations if you're not actually open to serve food? Would not recommend. read more

On a Friday night, we visited this location based on its positive reviews. We were served by an elderly gentleman who initially seemed quite stern and appeared upset, though he later gave us a smile. While he wasn't very warm or engaging, especially when it came to offering specials or checking on our meal, I understand that he's elderly, and I tried to be patient with him. Despite the service, the food was excellent, and everything we ordered was delicious. Our server did mention that the pizza was a personalized size, but when it arrived, it was much larger than expected--my dad could only finish two slices! I'd say the pizza is definitely shareable. The ambiance was great, and the place was buzzing with activity, which added to the overall experience. read more

Vivace Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Belmont, California

Service by server Nesa was excellent. The food was very good. The ambiance is very nice. The service by the staff, very good. Nesa made us feel at home. Thank you read more