The service sucked!!! The bartender was rude and acted like he didnt need our service. AND THE PLACE WAS EMPTY. There are other placed in the area that treat you better to go to. First and last time every going there! read more

HORRIBLE,, HORRIBLE.. HORRIBLE!!!!! We went there with a Groupon for 2 people to have paella with seafood and a pitcher of sangria. Started off great Sangria was good then it went downhill quickly. First off there were only two waiters in a crowded restaurant . Took 50 minutes to get food. When the food arrived the Lobster which was cut in half was not cleaned and very over cooked . The Shrimp and rice were also over cooked. When I told the waiter he said there was nothing they could do and then proceeded to give my the check with a gratuity of $ 18.00 added in. The whole meal wasn't worth $18.00. It was totally DISGUSTING. I will never go back again read more

We have been longtime customers. The food, service and Sangria always amazing. We have referred so many of our friends and family to this restaurant. We slowly started to hear from friends the food and service are now horrible. We went last Saturday with our Son. The moment we stepped in we knew everything changed. The atmosphere was no longer friendly. The Bartender has no clue how to make Sabgria. The pitcher was half vodka and rum with very little wine, and not sweet at all. Half way thru the pitcher we were so drunk. The appetizers were uneatable and not even hot, or fresh tasting. The meals took forever to come out. We thought of getting up and walking out without paying. Will never return. So sad. They used to be so friendly and family oriented. read more

Went to vivo with a Groupon (paella and a pitcher of sangria for two). The Groupon stated the sangria was for the large picther and we received the small one. Which was most upsetting as the sangria was one of the better parts of the meal. We ordered shrimp stuffed peppers appetizer which was very good, Definitely the highlight of the experience. Our paella came out and while it looked appetizing the first bite made me squeamish. Not only was the seafood all overcooked and dry, but there was an unpleasant crunch of uncleaned bivalves and a fishy taste unlike i have ever experienced. To top it off our server was completely inattentive, the bus girl deserved more of a tip than him. She was at least pleasant when removing our full plates of "paella". I Don't think I've ever had an experience quite like this one. Will not be returning to vivo ...ever read more

Lunch service as well as plate presentation met my expectations. Food portions weren't over welmming left me satisfied. Waiter's attention to customers satisfaction is a priority. I would highly recommend it and that's without speaking about its night kife. read more

I've been to Vivo a number of times with friends.. Always a fun night! The staff is welcoming and the bartenders and cocktail waitresses are very friendly and accommodating! Great music! Had fun dancing and especially LOVED the Hookahs!! Looking forward to going again!! read more

Excellent service..mango sangria was superb.. food was good. Dessert and expresso was good as well. Beautiful astomsphere .

We ate dinner at Vivo without regrets. The food was delicious and the coconut mojito was great. Nuno our server was awesome. Oh oh before I forget...flan was the best! We'll be back! read more

Amazing!!!! It was my birthday eve and I was dropping off someone at the airport. we drove from Long Island. We had some extra time and looked on yelp for some local places and decided we would just go for sushi. Not realizing that the parking situation would be like it was we parked wherever we could at that point. As we were looking for a spot we both eyed a place that caught our attention . We parked and walked in we were welcomed like celebrities very warm and pleasant. We both had never had tapas and eaten at an authentic place like that and let me tell you it was one of the best times and meals and it was so delicious I wish I lived within driving distance and that saying I would definitely drive to go there but not two hours . I hope to find myself within the vicinity so we can find ourselves back there. Their happy birthday they sang to me was epic and unbelievable. Definitely a go to thumbs up read more

VIVO Tapas KITCHEN LOUNGE - Head on shrimp is hard-to-find and it was phenomenal along with everything else seen . perfect - Spanish Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

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Awful. We ordered and then two hours later we were told that they served our food to another table. Then when we got out check they charged the tip all ready so we had no choice but to pay it. Luckily we noticed they charged us the tip automatically. Awful service. Never going to this place again. A shame since the ironbound section on Newark is so awesome. read more

I was there on a Saturday night and the place was almost empty , that should have been my first hint. Food was way overpriced and dry. Maybe that's how they get you to buy their over priced drinks. While there I saw the manager give someone with a groupon a hard time. Very rude . Guess he was out of business school the day they taught the customer is always right . There are so many GREAT restaurants in the ironbound section. Ths isn't one of them . AVOID ! read more

GROUPON RIPOFF!!!!! Went there tonight (9/6/14) with a friend. Showed the waiter the groupon and automatically received a nasty face. The we were told the food was going to take 45 minutes and we should or some appetizers. Then came the small pitcher of juice that they call Sangria. The groupon was for a large pitcher of sangria. The small pitcher is $15.00 The paella is there normal size paella which cost $24.00. Definitely not a $58.00 value. If you purchase a Groupon, you will receive HORRIBLE service and save $4.00!!! Lastly were the gossiping staff. They stand behind the bar talking about the customers and looking like they smell poop for a living. Absolutely horrible!!! STAY AWAY FROM THIS PLACE!!! Maybe good for dancing. NOT FOR FOOD OR GOOD SERVICE. They are lucky the gratuity is included in the bill. read more

If I could give them zero stars I would. This place, known for their sangria in the Ironbound, is a molesters paradise. Security as secure as their management - overlooked and disrespectful. Arrived here on a Saturday night around 11 pm, with a group of friends, only to end up leaving violated, unaddressed by the manager, and swearing never to return again. Ladies, beware, this place gets packed after 2 am and turns into a beck and call of aggressively intoxicated men. We had a total of 5 girls, and while one of them was dancing with another man, she was pushed to the ground by some belligerent and ignorant man who passed by them. This quickly escalated into the passer byer, who violated my friend, being escorted out by security. The only act which was correct for such inappropriate actions. When I asked who the manager was, none of the security staff would provide me with his name. Though the manager was present the entire time, when I spoke to him directly asking him if the police would be called, he dismissed me with a wave of his hand. This place is not safe. I do not recommend coming here at all. Whether you're single, a couple or in a group, the guests and staff of this establishment will not guarantee you a good time or your safety. read more

The staff failed to do their job. The food took 2 hours to come out, it was only breaded chicken. Most importantly, the people there were mean, the staff didn't seem to care at all. All of the staff there was bad except for one person, whom we happen to be family friends with. I went their on Mother's Day, never again. read more

I had a hard time finding the restaurant because it was not directly on the corner. It was actually more on the cross street. I had to go in in the bakery on the corner to ask where it was because I didn't see a sign on the building. Once I entered the lounge there wasn't many people in side, only about 3 other tables. But it was a small setting anyways. The decor was really nice and comfortable. My mother and I ordered a pitcher of the red sangria, it was a bit too sweet for me( I am not a sweet wine person, I prefer dry) but my mom enjoyed it. We ordered the seafood and chicken Paella. It was a bit too salty for my taste and I like my rice a little less cooked. The waitress was great! She was very attentive and friendly and I know what good service is because I have been in the business myself. Her accent was strong so it was a little hard to understand her, but I did not mind because she was very nice and didn't mind repeating herself. I have had many different Paella from different restaurants can't say this one was my favorite but won't say it was the worst either. read more

VIVO Tapas KITCHEN LOUNGE - Spanish Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

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Great Seafood Paella. It includes a lobster tail. Freshly made to order. Garlic shrimp is delicious. Blue sangria is refreshing. Great place for a date. read more

i'm so not surprised at my outcome dealing with ViVo. i was told before hand what might be. either way i've come to realize there one of the most racist places Down Neck. After my coworker spent the last two weeks putt g together a party Pkge. once it came time to leave the deposit and they realize she was black.. first it was Oh we don't do parties of only 10. Yea Ok... then they realize she was paying in cash, they could do it. took the deposit. Now it's Oh we have a larger party (booked after her) so we can't accommodate you. SHAME. Not surprised though read more

Management is horrible in this place. I purchased a groupon as per the deal for two it was a paella (value up 58) however each paella on their menu was priced well under 30 which means the paella is for one. We were not given in the option of ordering two separate ones. When this was brought up to the "manager" he bluntly told us "due to us having a groupon we can only order one" "had us not had the deal the option of ordering 2 would've been available" so in other words the resturant did not want to take the lose. We did not get to order the food we simply walked out. I will never patronize this business again. read more

Bad experience in VIP room Have been there 4/8/2018 My buddy and me with girls, VIP table (a table is about 20 x 20 inches) paid about 400 bucks for meal and drinks, party of 4. Then a party of 8 took the next tiny VIP table, after a while another party of 10 took the other VIP tiny table, now the VIP room is totally packed with about 15-20 people, no way ! super uncomfortable at all !! besides that we had to watch their underwear while they ghetto dance literally on our faces, ALL that just in that tiny VIP place (they wanted to be sure they were VIP and everybody should know it, I think) but that is not enough, after a while one of those guys started to smoke weed, yes weed, can you imagine the smell? the came in high for sure, it was stopped right away but not a nice experience at all, we paid good money for this? yes, but only once for sure. No music variation but it depends, if you are in the urban hip hop this is the place for you. Never again. read more

My wife and I were here for Valentine date. The restaurant had a $99 special per couple. It included two tapas a picture of sangria or bottle of wine , a paella and two deserts. We went for the special. The sangria was very mediocre Watery and lacking any depth. The tapas were good. Flavorful and fresh. The paella Valenciana was also very mediocre. The lobster was very tough and dry. The rice over cooked. For desert we had a crema Catalans which also was mediocre. The service was very good. Friendly and attentive. There are many other restaurants near by with much better food. read more

So being that this is my first time EVER yelping because I never saw the need to actually write something about any place. Since I'm such an easy going person I don't let little things get to me. But I had to start one day and this just did it for me this evening. As my boyfriend and I went out for dinner like every other Monday night. We came to vivo to try something different. We love our Spanish food so we thought hey just another great place to add to the list. We arrive, the layout of the place is wonderful. Nice ambient lighting nice color scheme. And a friendly welcome. As the night progressed we went about ordering our drinks and as I was puzzled by the menu being so large our waitress just stood there with zero acknowledgement or better yet no suggestions what's so ever. I went about ordering my usual "comfort drink" and my boyfriend a cappuccino since he doesn't drink. We started with some tapas "appetizers" again no suggestions of any kind from my server. Just standing there not even smiling making me feel awkward and rushed. The night continued and everything was normal as we were just eating. Not once during the 10 minute grace period did she come back to ask if we were ok or would we like any more drinks or anything. Me and my boyfriend were just sitting there mesmerized by the lack of attention we were receiving. Keep in mind there were only 5 tables. And the dinning area is about 30x30. So not that big. A big table of about 10 came in and all their attention went there. They were asked anything and everything meanwhile we were waiting for a courtesy "how's everything over here". It just surprises me that some places give little to no attention to parties of two vs parties of 10. We are all here for the same purpose and we aren't leaving without paying. Give the equal attention to your customers. Personally coming from a restaurant setting I know that smiling takes your further and that's something that place lacked. I don't think we'll be going back. Not because the food wasn't good. Again it was just good. It wasn't even great. But because the service has been one of the worst I have experienced in a very long time. read more

I have to agree with a lot of the other reviews about the service, or rather the lack of it. We were here on Thursday night and the restaurant was not all that busy; there were four of us--two with a groupon ordered the paella and the other two ordered off the menu. We also ordered a couple of appetizers; in all, not that difficult of an order for an experienced staff to handle, yet when the meals came the paella came first (after about an hour), the second order off the menu came 10 minutes later, and mine never came. When I complained to the waiter (about 5 minutes later), I was told it would only be a few minutes more; 20 minutes later he showed up with a dish that presumed to be a tapa that had nothing to do with my order (ironically, my order was one of their daily specials, so I can't imagine it was that hard to convey to the kitchen staff). At that time it was nearly 40 minutes since the paella came, so I told him to forget it; 10 minutes later (now nearly an hour after the first entrée was served), the manager came by the table and asked if something was wrong. When I told him, he said that he could have my dish for me in 10 minutes (where was this speedy prep when it was ordered or after I asked for it again), but didn't buy it and told him to forget it, everyone had already finished eating. We ordered the dessert (I needed to get something in my stomach after the wine) and were not charged for it (although I don't know if that was intentional or a waiter error), and the waiter also apologized and said he was removing the mandatory 20% gratuity (of course, I still tipped on what we received). My guess is that the waiter was new and didn't understand English well enough to take the order (although we took pains to point out everything on the menu), but the way it was handled was pretty ridiculous, culminating in the manager offering to get me my dinner after everyone finished. Even on a busy night this would be unforgivable, but on a Thursday when many tables were empty (and perhaps rightfully so) it was unbelievable. The food, from what I tasted (a little paella and some appetizers) was pretty good, but certainly no better than many of the other restaurants in the area. Parking is on the street, but generally available within a couple of blocks. All in all, if you are planning a dinner in Newark, try one of the many other Portuguese restaurants along Ferry and the adjoining streets. Even with a groupon, this place is no bargain and is not worth the trip. read more

4 stars for their happy hour, which is the best I have seen. This place should be packed every evening from 4 to 7. All martinis, even top shelf, are four dollars and for a very nice sized drink. Not your every day 4oz martini glass. Also $2 to $3 beers, in the bottle, make this place a steal. The bartender is nice, pleasant and mixes a good drink and you dont need to speak Portugese. The tapas menu on Tuesdays are two for one which makes it an even better place to be on this day. Not all shine like the sun, but at least like a nice full moon on a cloudless night. Try the sliced apples with manchego cheese and olive oil. Out of this world for a simple dish. Shrimp and garlic, which is offered in like only a thousand places in Newark is very good. The garlic is roasted first and then combined with the shrimp. Pure garlic heaven. If they offer Rock and Roll Shrimp as a special, it is a must order. These are the highlights but nothing is not at least good. And two for one makes a great bargain. read more

The service was as good as you can possibly get. Food was delicious! Atmosphere was great too. Wine I had was very good (Waiters recomendation). Can't wait to come back again!! read more

I got there at 11:00am with my husband, we were going to shop in the area so we chose to get some breakfast there. We ordered a ham and cheese. 30 minutes passed and we still didn't get our food. My husband goes and asks is our food is being prepared and the waitress said "oh i'm sorry let me see your receipt" 10 minuted later the waitress comes to our table to see the receipt again. Very unprofessional. The place wasnt even busy. We literally began eating around 1pm, NEVER AGAIN!!! read more

it was a terrible experience. the food was over cooked, which made the sea food rubbery and tasteless. the Sangria tasted bland. read more

Unbelievable food and amazing service. I can't say enough how the attentive, friendly, professional, and awesome our server was. Add that to amazing food and I can easily give 5 stars. read more

We had a groupon and we called in for a reservation. We were put at a table by the door and it was snowing outside. When we asked for a different table we were told that the table next to us was reserved for 6:00 PM. No one ever for the table next to us. We were never moved. The Tapas were good with a lot of variety, dinner was good and the Sangria average. The problem came with the service. We had to ask for water or soda. Everyone was served their dinner except one person. When we asked about the missing dinner we were told they would check on it. Then we were told that there was a mix up with the computer and the food would be rushed. Well everyone else was finished with their meals and they asked how was everything and we inquired about the missing dinner. They said it would take 5 minutes more. It finally came a half hour after the other meals. At the end of the meal we asked if we would be compensated for the late arriving meal. The hostess said she would ask the manager. The answer was that they were very sorry but since we had a groupon we couldn't be compensated for the long wait. If we wanted to come back we would be put in the VIP section if we explained on the phone what happened to us and this would never happen again. As we were leaving and getting our coats on they asked us if we wanted desert and attempted to show us the desert tray. I would say for food 3 stars, service 1 star. read more

I really like the atmosphere, but really bad food. I went to Vivo to watch the Euro Cup and first of all the food was horrible. The food was so bland, had no taste and only thing that was good to eat was bread, which is sad. The drinks were reasonable, but I was upset because I liked the place, but bad food. read more

We had never been to Vivo before and bought the Groupon for the Paella and sangria for two. The paella was v. good. with a lot of seafood and the rice was also flavorful and not too dry. The portion was was probably enough for 3 or 4. The sangria pitcher for two is probably enough for about two glasses each. It's more of a carafe size. The service was excellent and the atmosphere also fun. An 18% tip is added to the pre groupon price. read more

Food was overpriced. We got a $50. restaurant.com certificate to use. We only ordered Tapas since it was lunch time. We were a party of 6 girls, we ordered 10 Tapas, only soda and each had a dessert and coffee/cappuccino. The bill was still $200. AFTER the $50 was deducted! The food itself wasn't bad. They waiter insisted on a special ham from Spain so we ordered it only to learn it was thin slices of prosciutto! Only street parking during the day which was another inconvenience. read more

We were so impressed with this restaurant. The food was so fresh and so good. Our hostess Andrea was awsome, so friendly and attentive. The rest of the staff who helped serve us were also excellent. Love that place. read more

went last night had a amazing time..the food ans service was great...used a groupon and it went very well...booked my birthday can't wait...... read more

I got a Groupon and went there with my fiancé. It was such a SCAM, they charge you the amount you pay for the Groupon in tips and taxes. So technically there is no reason to purchase the Groupon . It says you get paelle for two people worth $58 but no they make you choose only one paelle for $28 dollars. Food was soooooo saltyyyyyyyy . Please stay away and don't waste your money read more

I went to this bar with a few girlfriends. We got there a bit early so the dinner tables were still on the dance floor. We had a drink and this bartender was amazing and I wish I had gotten her name. Then the bartenders were switched when the dj came on and the lights were turned off. The service was like night and day. Those bartenders were rude and had no idea how to make a drink. We complained about the drinks and all we received was an attitude. I would go back to try their food but never again for the club. The music was something that was probably popular 5 years ago. New dj and bartenders and this place wouldn't be so bad. read more

Food is great, but you'd better bring your iPad or iPhone so you can read a book or play a game when you wait for your food coming lol.

I would not give even one star to this disgusting joint ! It is by far the worst Spanish restaurant I have ever dined in ! We ordered a pitcher of red sangria ! This sweet drink is just a plain fruit punch with no hint of alcohol ! For the main course we both opted for Paella Marinara at $26.00 dollars a pop ! An absolutely disgusting inedible dish ! The rice that is advertised as Saffron Rice is just a very greasy , bitter yellow rice with no hint of any saffron with lots of rubbery calamari ! We found no lobster tail in the platter served but only two little langostino lobster for both of us ! The rest of seafood : shrimp , mussels , clams and "fish" was tough , rubbery , bitter and chewy ! Bottom line , most of the " food "was left untouched . The waiter asked us if we wanted to take this trash home !! Obviously , the answer was "No Thank You " !! On the positive side , I was able to fill myself with bread and butter ! The service was good and the waitstaff were rather attentive !! I will never go back to this horrible joint again ! read more

We went yesterday with a groupon and they would not give us full value. They also overcharged us . and added tip on the bill.. Service was very slow and I've had better food . Do yourself a favor and go to a different restaurant. Solmar is excellent. read more

Amazing food and great service! I have nothing bad to say about this place! Everything we ordered was delicious! Highly recommend the jamon pata negra, chicken empanada Gallega, fried calamari and the manchego and Serrano tortilla! Finish it all off with a yummy dulce de leche flan! Cannot wait to go back! read more

I love the food and the Sangria! But you have to stop the Asian females from coming in and trying to sell their DVDs to the customers. There we were trying to eat our meals, and not once, but three times a person came over to us trying to sell their DVDs. So annoying! read more