Vivo
Cleveland, OH 44114
Phone: (216) 621-4678
- Price:
- $$$$
- Cross Street:
- Between Public Square and East 6th Street
- Hours:
- Mon-Fri 11:30am-2 pm, Mon-Thu 5pm -11pm, Fri-Sat 5pm-12am, Sun 4pm-10pm
Editorial Review for Vivo – by John Hyduk
The Scene
Tuscan summer meets urban loft party at this see-and-be-scene hot spot. The Windy City transplant looks like it's been here forever, but the high-ceilinged space only dates from 1890. Today, velvet wall hangings provide a backdrop for candle-lit couples and larger hipster groups, while servers in long aprons navigate narrow aisles and the sound system goes thump in the night.
The Food
A "rustic Italian" menu translates as haute-bistro food based on impeccable ingredients. Grilled beef tenderloin artfully tops a rapini and mashed spud still life, and generous helpings of swoon-inducing pastas fill hubcap-sized bowls. The antipasti are made for sharing, as are an array of wines by the bottle or the glass. A simple, decadent delight is the ravioli: a creamy ooze of cinnamon-laced goat cheese between thin pasta sheets. For dessert, the pot pie-sized apple crostata with gelato is pie a la mode that would've inspired Michelangelo.
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Insider Tips
What to DrinkA Bellini is good, but the house Belliniti cocktail (prosecco, Sardinian peach puree, vodka) is better.
ParkingEvening parking is scarce, so use Vivo's valet service ($6) on Euclid Avenue.
The ExtrasThe adjacent enclosed 19th-century Arcade is worth a post-dinner stroll.
User Reviews for Vivo
12/08/2007 Posted by buckeyenation1983
First we drive up to the front of the restaurant, where there is heavy construction going on all around, then we wait 5-10 min for a valet to come up, who never even shows up, even though there are signs claiming that there is indeed valet service. So we ended up having to park in some garage. Then we proceed to our table, where our aloof and disinterested waiter absolutely reeked. I'm not sure if it was his breath or B.O., but it was awful. Then we get the food. Of course we had to ask for bread as our appetizers came out, which they should always automatically bring early on. They would never had brought it if we had not asked. Then the waiter forgot that my mother had ordered a Caprese Salad. On to the entrees- two of us got the gnocchi as, which came recommended by the waiter, and it was absolutely tasteless. It was supposed to have tuffle oil in it to give it taste, but it had no truffle oil in it. My fiancee got the prosciutto wrapped chicken breast, which was burned, making what was supposed to be the flavorful prosciutto on the outside a hardened tasteless shell around the chicken. Terrible. Then the water guy comes around to fill up our waters, and the result was that one of our waters had some digusting fleshy-leafy looking thing floating in it. Gross. We decided to give dessert a shot. Why not, right? I mean, how hard is it to screw up chocolate? Well it's quite easy apparently, just ask the chef at Vivo. We ordered the "Cholocate Obsession", which was described as chocolate lava cake on the menu. Well we get it, and it is cold and stiff in the center. Actually heating it up was apparently too difficult for the incompetent chef. If nothing else it would have been a nice gesture. But we got no such favors. Overall bad service, and even worse food if you can believe it. I highly recommend staying AWAY from Vivo in Cleveland, and suggest a fun night of fasting instead.
Cons: Bad service, even worse food
01/29/2006 Posted by margaret417
The dark lighting and high ceilings set the stage for a memorable evening. The waitstaff is attentive and knowledgeable about the food and drinks. Started with the Stolen Kiss martini which was smooth with a nice flavor of raspberry. My boyfriend and I shared the mussels to start which were some of the sweetest I've ever tasted. The smokey, mildly spiced tomato broth complemented them well. All of the seafood is very fresh and interestly paired with the other flavors of the dishes. They even have a shuttle service to get you to the theatre, if needed. A perfect choice!
Pros: Flavorful food, Great decor
Cons: None!
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