The food here was.. ok. The service was obnoxious. My new date and I arrived at 6:00 and had a drink at their quaint bar. Shortly after we were seated we were pushed to order ( 2x within 5 minutes)! As we began to engage in conversation again. The waiter returned within 3 minutes and suggested we order because our table for two was going to be needed soon!?!?! I suggested that maybe we should relocate to one of the 4 other tables that were available? I was getting pissed off and did not want to display anger in front of my new date. We were seated at 6:15 we just finished our appetizer around 6:45 and the manager came over to our table and asked if we were ready to place our dinner order yet?! I almost said can we have our check, but remained calm as I did not want to ruin our first date. VIVO DIDA FINE JOB IF ACCOMPLISHING JUST THAT. I will never return here again . I suggest before you attend this place know what you want to order when the waiter arrives! read more

Had dinner with 20+ people here tonight. It was absolutely awesome! Everyone in our party loved the place and the food! The menu was great! The appetizers were delicious, main courses were all excellent, and the deserts were all scrumptious! Lori and her staff were all very attentive. Great ambience and atmosphere. Priced very reasonable and definitely recommend it ! read more

I had read a previous customer talk about her interaction with the owner, I honestly did not believe thinking that the customer may have been overreacting. My son, ordered the ribeye which was the most expensive item on the menu, it came out completely burnt, the server was extremely gracious in trying to rectify the situation but the owner's reaction was like she was being put out. After 2 hours of ordering, my son was served the second Ribeye, most establishments would have at least offered to take the item off the bill since my son is in the industry, he would have probably refused but not the owner of Vivo, when I questioned her about it, she said they rectified the situation and even though he had to watch us eat our food and wait 2 hours, she said he would have to pay. Vivo is extremely overpriced, the food was terrible and if you are doing BYOB, beware they charge a $15 corkage fee, probably the highest in the area. read more

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. read more

My go to place in Sewickley! Fabulous food, excellent drinks, and a lovely ambience. The wait staff is overly accommodating, catering to my every demand, of which there are many. The most delicious food I have had in the entire city. The lamb ribs and brussel sprouts make my mouth water just talking about them. Treat yourself to a one of a kind meal and drinks of your dreams. I warn you though you will be hooked and looking forward to your next visit as soon you are walking out the door.This is a restaurant not to be missed. read more

Went there for New Year's Eve (again!) Had an amazing dinner starting with soup with truffles. Every course was delicious, beautifully plated, and served graciously. Staff are hard-working and obviously enjoy what they do. Sam and Lori aim to please. read more

Vivo Kitchen is simply our favorite restaurant. To think it resides here in our village is especially wonderful . The menu for New Year's Eve was a true example of both Sam's and Lori's abilities to delight the senses. Their prix fixe menu offerred a wide variety of flavors and textures, ranging from a delightful potato soup to pork osso bucco and a salad of fresh greens topped with succulent lobster and shrimp. To finish it off, Lori's excellent marscapone nutella mousse dessert was just the perfect ending. Service was also excellent, paced well and attentive. Dining at Vivo is like having an excellent supper at a friend's home. read more

Drove out to Sewickley to try this place because Pittsburgh Magazine called it a "destination dinner." Food was fine, service was disappointing. We had the meatballs and escargot to start, and preferred the meatballs but didn't dislike the escargot. Bread service was three small slices, and the waitress asked if we'd like "one more" when we finished that. Yes, both apps are saucy, we'd like to slurp it up, should we be embarrassed about that? For entrees, the scallops were good, the pork chop was dry and came with severely undercooked sweet potatoes. Husband finished quickly, I still had half my scallops to eat (and a full glass of wine) when the waitress came by and cleared his plate and gave us the extended dessert pitch. She then came back for a dessert order about 60 seconds later, and of course I was still eating. She could not get rid of us fast enough. Both of us noted she was borderline rude as she dropped the check at the end of the meal. For $130, there's about 20 places in the city we'd rather go for dinner. Won't be back. read more

Food and service were exemplary. Excellent ambience, great Porterhouse steak and Shishito peppers, and both the owner and the entire team were very dedicated to curating a wonderful experience. read more

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! read more

The food was average at best and bad at worst. My wife ordered duck breast and it wasn't properly rendered at all. So fatty. Also, the portions of proteins were really miniscule. I had octopus as a starter. Taste was fine but thinly sliced over greens. Maybe 1/2 of a small tentacle. I'd say 2 ounces. The duck breast was 4 small pieces, maybe half a breast!! My elk loin was two slices. Maybe 3 to 4 ounces of proteins on main dishes. At an average of $30 that's a crime. The other thing that was strange was he used the same side on both entrees....sliced asparagus and sun chokes in a sauce that was like teriyaki!?!?! A bit unusual for a place like that. read more

Food is good, just incredibly overpriced for what is delivered. Great atmosphere. Service is OK.

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. read more

wow, what a disappointment. loud, average food, not what we were expecting after reading all the reviews.

Best option in Sewickley this far. The food was delicious and the service was excellent. There wasn't a disappointing plate served to our large party. There was enough that we could all share small portions with each other to sample. The waiter was extremely knowledgable of the wine list and made fantastic, educated suggestions. I highly recommend. read more

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. read more

The wine was the best part of our experience tonight. The servers ability to pour it was less than inept. The menu, that seems to be the same menu, with minimal changes need updating. Our server was so friendly and courteous but lacked professionalism. With not much to choose from, we will return. Vivo is a 3.5 out of 5 but could easily be a 5 with a few changes. read more

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. read more

My husband and I stopped in without reservations on a Saturday night and were told the wait would be about 30 minutes. We put our names in and walked over to Lula for drinks and an appetizer. We are SO glad we waited, because boy- was it worth it!!! Our server was very personable and attentive (unfortunately I didn't catch her name, but she had a long ponytail- pretty girl!) I ordered the chicken with fried garlic and my husband chose the duck. I was a bit turned off when my plate came out with a whole Cornish hen but I dug in anyway and WOW- absolutely delicious. The chicken, the fried Garlic and roasted seasonal vegetables in combination were excellent- I enjoyed every bite! My husbands duck was cooked perfectly and the chef gave him extra beets at his request, very nice. The Chef even came out and personally asked us how our meals were- you can't beat that kind of service! We both felt totally satisfied but not stuffed (like at other restaurants) after our meals; good enough to order desert and espresso (all made from scratch in house!). A perfect date night, we will certainly be back! read more

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! read more

Vivo! This place is a dump!! What a terrible experience from the time we walked into the small gloomy whole in the wall establishment. The hostess who was actually one of the owners, was rude from the moment we set foot in the place. The bartender was unfriendly, but the worst was the waiter who was the rudest, had no personality, and had no idea what was on the drink menu and was annoyed when I asked what was on tap! When I made the reservation, they did not bother to say thwy had a prix fixe menu, a d it woukdnt have mattered except that 2course had seafood and my campanion is alergic. They at first refused to accomodate her diet, but then reluctantly agreed to replace a course with a lobster tail, shrimp, and crab wifh a few strands of spaghetti squash and had the audacity to charge the same price for the dish. Food allergies are not uncommon and any decent establishment is prepared to make accomodations without giving an attitude about it, but not so at Vivo apparently. read more

My husband and I went to Vivo Kitchen on Saturday night with our nephew. It was a beautiful night and many people were enjoying alfresco dining in the beautiful gated courtyard lined with fresh herbs. We sat inside and the small bar was hopping with friendly conversation; some people enjoying drinks, some people enjoying starters, and even some people eating dinner. Our dinner was excellent. I actually made a meal of the starters. I started with a beet salad accompanied by a plum ricotta. The taste was phenomenal; the plum ricotta was unlike anything I have ever tasted. I followed the course with grilled scallops on a half shell with Mango chutney. All three of us enjoyed the local fried egg with bacon jam and grilled bread - delicious. This dish was a great pairing from Chef Sam. My last course was mushrooms and gorgonzola. I should say this has always been my favorite starter. I have always loved a pairing of mushrooms and cheese, and this dish did not disappoint. My husband had the Arctic Char for his main course. It was cooked perfectly and was topped with Rhubarb Chutney. Lori's homemade desserts are always special. We shared tastes of the ricotta tart and two different gelato flavors- yummy. Overall we loved the ambiance and the food. The wait staff was attentive and friendly. And it is always nice to see Chef Sam break away from the kitchen to talk with the people enjoying their meals. A great neighborhood gem for small plates and or for dinner! As we were leaving, the fire feature in the courtyard was lit adding a beautiful glow to the courtyard Stop in for dinner, or small plates and a drink. You will not be disappointed. read more

My wife and I and another couple ate at Vivo's last night to celebrate our friends birthday. It was truly exceptional from beginning to end. We were sat immediately with our 7p reservation. Service was excellent. I had the Norwegian scriel fish dish which I never had before but it was prepared perfectly with a great taste. My wife had the flat iron steak which she enjoyed and Which I tasted and agreed it was cooked perfectly and tasted excellent. We also ordered several appetizers which were all tasty especially the arugula flatbread and Brussels Sprouts. We brought our own wine. Ambiance was just ok, it was noisy in the small restaurant which I didn't mind but it caused you to talk louder to be heard. read more

Went to Vivo Kitchen tonight for my birthday and it did not disappoint. The patio is wonderful and the food is fabulous. I had the lamb and my husband ordered the veal chop. Both were excellent! I love everything about this restaurant . The owners stopped by the table and made sure everything was alright, I love that touch....excellent service and the homemade gelato is to die for.....try it! read more

I really enjoyed this place. I loved the lobster tail. This is a good find and my new spot.

Another FABULOUS evening at Vivo Kitchen! It was "girls night out" so we tried a bunch of apps and dinners to share. Everything was amazing! Be sure to leave room for dessert because that was the best part! read more

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. read more