Wow what a major disappointment! I have never given a bad review of a Brazilian rodizio style steak house. Viva is a mess the minute you walk in. Playing their music really loud and I'm deaf as hell so when I say loud I mean loud. Or 20 min wait ended up being 45 min even though there were lots of empty tables that needed to be cleaned. Once we were sat it was 18 mins before any server came over to ask about drinks. The salad bar area was in disarray. Options looked like bad cafeteria food. Now the meats. Can you say over cooked! , rubbery, dry and no flavor! The picana was almost un eatable. Seriously don't know how this place stays open. It's a far cry from a real churrascaria Thumbs down! read more

In a word: meh. I had been looking forward to visiting Viva Brazil for ages after hearing so many good things about it, yet I have to say I was pretty underwhelmed. We had a table booked for 7:30, and we arrived about 10 minutes early. The staff asked us to take a seat in the bar area and we would be escorted to our table shortly. We then waited 15 minutes for someone to take our drinks orders, and another 5 for us to be taken to our table so we weren't actually seated until 7:40. Not a great start. A member of staff came over and explained the procedure: staff would come round with the different cuts of meat for us to try, it was all you can eat and when you can't eat any more, you flip a sign so they know to stop bringing you food. I headed over to the 'salad' bar to grab some sides, but most of the sides were stews, risottos and quite heavy dishes. I tried some of the pork stew, which was lovely, and grabbed some traditional Brazilian cheese rolls which were so moreish. There are 15 different meats to try, and we were determined to sample every one. We had been told that the meat was served medium rare, but I found that most of the beef either came totally rare, or very well done. There was no inbetween. The roast gammon was probably my favourite - it was salty, smokey and delicious. I wasn't really wowed by any of the other meats, although I didn't sample the Chicken Hearts - that was a bit much for me! For the full rodizio, which includes the salad bar and all the meat, it cost £24.95 per person. It's fair that by the end of it, you are ridiculously full and there is a novelty element to the meat being carved right at your table, but it seemed a bit much to me. The staff were very chatty and friendly, and often checked which meats you hadn't tried yet so they could get them over to you, I just found it all a bit lack-lustre. I don't think I would go rushing back, but I'm glad I experienced it. read more

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I sort of regret giving Tropeiro a 5 star review, because now that I've been here there is absolutely no way Tropeiro is the best Churrascaria in Glasgow to visit. After being in Viva Brazil about 10 minutes I already preferred it. Colin and I went in here for lunch/early dinner before seeing Hairspray at the Kings last night. Colin was a bit hesitant because of how much he disliked Tropeiro, but he agreed because the lunch deal is the Full Rodizio plus unlimited salad bar for £13.95. Who could resist that? With an extensive cocktail menu to boot, we looked forward to having a good meal. Upon arrival, we were taken to a nice window table in the massive expanse that is this restaurant. I'm not kidding, I've not seen many bigger restaurants in my life. The man who seated us, who I'm assuming is the manager as he was dressed differently from the servers, explained how everything worked to us and was incredibly helpful, something that was sorely missed in Tropeiro. We were then told to help ourselves to the salad bar, which is so full of wonderful hot and cold options (breadcrumbed banana?), after which we headed back to the table and flipped those cards to green. Viva Brazil, which opened it's doors on Bothwell Street in October 2011, has 15 different cuts of meat, all brought to your table by the Passadors. The meats range from common things such as sirloin steak and sausages, to more obscure things like garlic rump cap or chicken hearts (yes, you heard me correctly!) Chicken hearts are a Brazilian delicacy, and are actually surprisingly delicious! Not that Colin would know how they taste, the wimp... Yesterday, the only meat they didn't have was the chilli chicken. Everything else was brought out one by one and was so juicy and tender and flavoursome. In comparison to the meagre, burnt, fatty bits of meat we were served in Tropeiro, this was heavenly. Our waitress Joanne was fantastic, and the passadors were keen to bring us meats we'd already tried back over because we loved them so much. All in all, one of my favourite meat experiences! I'll definitely be back here munching on those yummy chicken hearts. read more

Viva Brazil - Chicken hearts anyone? - Brazilian Near Me - Glasgow, GLG

I've been meaning to visit this place for ages now and having read all the reviews, heard all the buzz and anticipated all the meat, I have to say I was a little disappointed. So you know the score with this joint and the other one we now have in Glasgow (bizarrely just a block or so between them?!). You pays yous monies. You whack potatoes and such on yer plate. Yon dudes arrive with skewered meat. You say 'yay' or 'nay' via the wee card system. You eats your own weight in meat. Done. Now the fat bas... barsteward in me thinks this is just the most awesome idea ever. 'Yes' he cries, 'bring me the meat. Shove it into my face hole and continue to do so until the world ends or I pass out!'. In reality though, i now realize I can only really eat a normal amount of meat. Like a portions worth. And that this form of feasting is just not for me. Maybe it's a ratio thing? Meat must be balanced out with other things in order to satisfy the old taste buds (let us not speak of the nutritional importance of a balanced meal... we all know that this place is not about nutrition!). Ok, so there's that part of the disappointment. Add to that the hefty price tag (about 24 notes) attached to the all you can eat buffet and you have a Chris who begins to crave 'just a nice steak' half way during the meat frenzy. Right, so i realize that this review does feel a little more negative than the three star rating would suggest. To counterbalance I'll add that the meat is certainly nice, the buffet section is well stocked, the service swift and friendly. For me though, it's just not something that i'd seek out on a regular (or ever again) basis. read more

I love rodizio when it is well cooked meats. If you like well done and salty go ahead and visit, 14 kind of meats is on offer. Unfortunate I like my meats cooked medium and tastefully seasoned. After 30 minutes of eating still had not seen any steak. Porc, chicken all had passed by. Service is slow, long waits between cuts. The salad bar is minimal, not half of what you would find in brasil at the joint around the corner where rodizio costs 10 pounds So depending how you like your meats (overcooked and salt) it may be a place for you, Not anymore for me read more

This was my first visit to viva Brazil although I had heard about it from a friend .... We arrived for a 2.30 pm late lunch in Glasgow on a Saturday and it was great that the place wasn't overcrowded - it was very busy by the time we had left, but I find less busy times better for tastier food and less rushed staff!!. The price was £17.95 for the set lunch and being a groupon queen? Wondered what I would be getting for the price ..... Well after 2 and a half hours of eating and taking breaks between dishes? We were definitely very happy, totally full and completely blown away by the fantastic tender cuts of meats!!! One word ... DELICIOUS!!! For this price you can use the vegetable and salad bar as well as taste all 15 different types of cooked meat that come to your table on a sword type skewer and cut by your own server .... These tender mouth watering pieces of meat range from various types of beef, chicken, pork, gammon as well as sausages and chicken hearts .... The food is to die for!!!! It was such a lovely restaurant and the service/server was fantastic too ... The thing is as well, if you want a wee break? You just flip your card to let the server know ... You then flip it back and the server brings the next cut of meat to your table again ... Each time, the server stamps what you've had ... I'll definitely eat here again as I've already told everyone about it ... And as for value for money? .... Well worth it!!! VIVA BRAZIL has now become my favourite food experience!!! Xxx read more

Viva Brazil - Delicious xx - Brazilian Near Me - Glasgow, GLG

The hot buffet has certainly got a rubbish selection now. It's a vegetarians dream though. Your teeth will be super clean after chewing on their half cooked salad potatoes. Costella de Porco- Pork Ribs, as dry as eating sand paper, and more salty taste than the Dover coast. Frango com pimenta, chilli chicken, dry. Coxa de frango, chicken legs, dry, almost broke my tooth on something on it. "Hello! Are anyone going to serve me, it's been 15 min since my last piece of meat?" 10 minutes longer zzzzzzzz. I feel like I should be starring in the Ghost movie. Finally! Contra-File Sirloin steak. Dry as hell. It's like chewing rubber. Presunto Defumado, Smoked Gammon. Tooth picks please? It's so dry, I need to floss. Far too much salt, yet again in the kitchen. Ambulance for MacIntyre please. Pescoco de Porco, Parmesan pork. Taste ok with a hint of star anise. Dry as hell. Linguica Brazilian Sausage, tastes ok, but dry. Frango com Bacon, Chicken Bacon, dry as hell. I need oil for the food to slide down my neck. Fraldinha, flank steak. Pink and nice. I have a feeling they were flogging yesterday's meat up until that. Picanha, Cap of rump, pink, and lovely. Too late though. I'm fuming, as I've never had a bad time here up until now. Alcatra, Rump steak nice. Usually by now. I would have eaten everything off the card. But I don't have all day. I want to unleash the fury, but I'm just too polite I'll post how far I got through the card. Nooooooooooooooooooooooo! I can't believe one of my favourite places was shocking today. I was given a guy to look after my table. I don't think anyone was. Attention to customers was shocking. This is something that needs addressed fast, as every other time, this has been spot on. This time, I don't think anyone knew what their job or role was. Around 2 hours 15 is shocking, considering what I had eaten. read more

Viva Brazil - 2 hours 15 minutes to get this far is just shocking. But I don't have all day. Usually. Would have complete the card of meats. - Brazilian Near Me - Glasgow, GLG

I was recommended by a friend to try here for dinner one evening, he thought that week days where cheaper for some reason, he must have been counting fingers then minus'ing toes, as it was twice the price. We where seated quickly into the quiet restaurant and placed by a draughty door, and l was so cold we both kept our jackets on. There was an ok selection on the buffet, and ordered soft drinks that contained more ice than soft drink @£3.00 a pop. They seem to bump you with cheaper cuts of meat, with slices as thin as a razor blade, in fact some looked the same size in portion. A big down side that the plates where filthy & greasy underneath plates where also cold. I could see a film on the background but music playing from elsewhere. Overall an ok place but not a place that l would hurry back to. read more

Oh my goodness, a churrascaria is the place to go if you're pregnant and craving meat like myself. And this one did not disappoint. The atmosphere kicks things off well by being plush, inviting and bustling. It's not too loud and it's not too brightly lit. Ah, heaven. Service is simple--a waitress takes your drink order, you go to the main salad bar to fill up on salads, sauteed veg and other sides, and then waiter after waiter comes by your table with offerings of grilled meats. There are this little coasters which you turn to green if you want more and red if you're done. The waiters completely ignore these and just keep coming. The sides are fantastic--fresh salads in a variety of options and enough warm sides that you could fill up those alone. Be careful! Remember to pace yourself. There will plenty of time to sample it all. Personally I kept going back for the sauteed kale and garlic mashed potatoes. Those served with a perfectly juicy piece of steak is my idea of a perfect meal. It's a bit spendy, but it's all you can eat. So skip lunch and treat yourself to a delectable night out. read more

Well, well, well... Another rodizio style restaurant come to test my capacity for meat consumption. The first round of Battle of the Brazilians was set at the relatively newish Viva Brazil! This is one of those restaurants I've meandered by several times and peered in the window with longing. The décor of the place is a big draw, as the interior is classy, warm and inviting - the big chandelier does draw the eye a wee bit, too. :P The idea behind rodizio is simple. You have a wee card on your table, and one side is red, the other green. When you set your card to green, you're basically inviting a passador (meat carving waiter) to come to your table and foist meaty goodness upon you. Holy meat swords, Batman! When you set the card to red, the passador will give you a miss. You are also free to fill your plate with salad stuffs in the mean time - get the garlic mushrooms, they are divine! Even though there is a salad bar, vegetarians would likely not be at home here. The salad bar is nice, but not worth the price paid on its lonesome. After we were settled with our beverages and had our salad stuffs at the ready, we set our cards to green and waited on the passadors. As is usual, the poorer cuts of meat were served first (sausages, pigs in blankets, etc), but they are still yummy! Just don't fill up on them and save yourself for the better cuts - there is usually a succulent lamb joint served that is really nice. The meat was lovely and tender, but I do feel that the passadors skimped with their cuts - not something I'd expect for the price of a full rodizio experience. Another thing that irked me a bit was that I never had to switch my card to red, as there was always a largish gap between meat service, which is again a bit off for all you can eat meats. The conclusion? Super tasty meat like things, but I wouldn't call it my favoured Brazilian restaurant in our fair city. The nicer cuts of meat didn't seem to come around as often as the other cuts, and the passadors didn't come by the tables as much as I might have liked. I had high hopes for this place, being all fancy pants looking and all, and it has just about lived up to the hype. I'd recommend giving it a try, though. Take on the full rodizio and let the meat sweats take you! read more

I have visited Viva Brazil on 3 occasions now and each time I have really enjoyed the experience. However I must add there should be warning on the door as this restaurant is the place that elasticated waist bands are made for! If you take full advantage of the dinner "Full Rodizio" I would be shocked if you don't come out feeling like you need a couple of days off eating meat. The basis of how it works is that you have a coaster on your table and when it is turned to green the waiters keep bringing meat to your table until you turn it over to red. (Or you collapse with the Meat Sweats) There are 15 options available varying from rump steak, to beef ribs, pork ribs, chilli chicken, chicken legs, pork collar, etc, etc. The cost is about £24 per person, which seems quite expensive but you don't need a starter and I would be surprised if you could manage a dessert so the only extra cost is drinks. On the bottled beer, they have a couple of Brazilian options - Xingu which is a darker beer and very nice and Palma Louca which is a bit lighter and is also pretty drinkable. The service is very good and the restaurant is really nicely done up inside. Last thing to mention is that along with all the meat options, there is a huge salad bar buffet that is available with a wide array of cous cous, rice, potato, garlic bread, olives, etc, that you just help yourself to. Very final thought - you can upgrade from the meat Rodizio to meat and Seafood - I have not yet braved this extra part to the meal as am not sure how I would fit more food in...... but maybe next time I will give it a go.... I may need a week off work to recover afterwards though. read more

When someone says the words "unlimited meat" you get a picture in your mind of the quality to expect; I can very happily say that Viva Brazil confounded this expectation with an absolutely stunning selection of meats along side an equally impressive selection of sides, ranging from beans to potatoes to fried banana. We went as a group for a bachelor do last month. It was an excellent venue for that and the waiting staff were really game. Couldn't have asked for nicer service. I highly recommend getting the roasted pineapple at the end, it's truly a treat. read more

This place is an assault on your body! They give you a lot of food there is about 20 different cuts of meat. We went for lunch and it was very quiet, because of this they kept cutting us the outer layer of each cut of meat which was covered in salt. Some of the cuts were pretty good and the salad bar is ok. I'm sure when it's busier the meal is better. After the meal I felt dirty and went vegetarian for a whole week. If you're a fat boy or are showing a Texan around town this is the place for you. Otherwise just once here is enough to say been there and had a heart attack. read more

Finally got round to trying this amazing restaurant on a wet Friday night and it sure boosted my spirits. I've heard great things about churrascaria dining, and having not even tried Topeiro yet it was all new and exciting to me. We arrived a tad late to a busy restaurant but they were very accommodating to our trademark lateness and offered us a drink at the bar where you can sit in the nice lounge area before heading to your table. The boy was very excited to find a new Islay rum behind the bar (he's a rum snob) and I had a refreshing Friday night Pinot Grigio. The restaurant itself is quite large and once the very friendly waitress explained the process we were up like a shot to the buffet. I made the error of filling up my plate on all the salads and veg before the meat came round - but the selection was just too good! I have never been so excited about kale before, but the buttery, garlicky way it was cooked was to die for. So finally we got our hands on some meat and after filling up a bit on some chicken I realised as so many before me have that you are better waiting out for the steaks. I went straight for the rare, pink centre while the boy got his fill of the chargrilled side of the skewer. The lamb was also delicious and right up my street so I had about 3 servings. The service for drinks was quite slow and it took us a while to get the attention of someone to bring us the cocktail list, but when we got it I went straight for the Beira Mar. With bourbon, amaretto and cherry syrup I really didnt need dessert and whilst boy had his eye on the rich chocolate pudding we decided for once to not leave with our trousers bursting and just asked for the bill. At £70 it's a bit steep for two with only 2 drinks each but the fact you can sit there and have steak cut to your hearts content is pretty good so I will be back!!! read more

Writing this from a vegetarians point of view. The only reason I have not given this place 5 stars is because as a veggie having meat constantly being offered to me on a skewer wasn't the best of experiences. However, after requesting the waiters to stop offering the meat to me they did so props given where props are due. I wouldn't normally eat in a place like this as I am a veggie but it was for a friends hen party so I couldn't exactly refuse. I requested the vegetarian option which was a gorgeous haloumi and salad platter and then had my fill of the salad bar which was incredible. Every kind of potato variety you could imagine as well as a mammoth amount of vegetables prepared in every way imaginable. I was in vegetarian heaven! From a vegetarian outsider looking in it seems like a meat lovers haven so if it were not for the fact that it was my friends hen night I would never have chosen to eat here and never have known how veggie friendly it can be. The hot waiter dancers were also a nice treat ;) read more

I had a friend visit me from the states, and we decided to check this place out with my boyfriend and two of our friends (one of them being Brazilian). I've been to a similar place like this in the states (Fogo de Chao- http://www.fogodechao.com/) which was an amazing experience. I can't really compare Viva Brazil to Fogo de Chao, only because the quality of meats and salad/sides bar are miles away from each other as far as what is available and and the quality of what's offered. As Amy G. said, it's pretty much meh. We booked in a table, and Viva Brazil called to confirm the table. They left a message, and I thought that was enough, but when we arrived, we were given the cold shoulder and almost an attitude for not calling them back to further confirm that we indeed booked the table. They made us sit in the bar area for almost 20 minutes while they got our table ready. Funny thing about that, the restaurant was empty, so we weren't so sure why it took so long to get seated. When we were finally seated, we were seated at the most uncomfortably placed circular booth type table- the kind all 5 of us had to move at one point to let someone out to get more food. Probably the worst table in the place. There are a few options as far as how many meat choices you get, and being complete pigs, we decided to go for the full on meat fest. 12 different meats, plus the salad and side bar. If you've read the other reviews, or gone on their websites, you now that you get a wee disc that has a red side and a green side. When you want more meat, you turn up the green disc, when you're stuffed full, the red side is turned up. Pretty simple concept, but that's not how this visit worked. They basically rushed our table with meat after meat after meat and on top of all the salad/side bar items, we filled up rather quickly. My boyfriend was in heaven, as he seems to be an endless pit for food, but the rest of us were struggling soon on. For the most part, the meats were good. Some of them were really salty (almost too salty) and some, I just had no interest of eating- like sausages. I'm not a fan of the British sausage, and that's all they were here. Boring. As long as I have Brazilian friends, I'll always be back, but maybe next time I'll stick with the smaller amounts of meats, as the salad/side bar is pretty great and you can fill up on that along with the meat. read more

The Californian in me thanked the gods when I first realised Scotland had a place for Brazilian bbq. It flooded back earlier memories of when I was first introduced to the cuisine through legends of Fogo de Chao and Bossa Nova. All the numerous times I've had it back home, amazing wasn't enough to describe the glory that was Brazilian. It was enough to want to emigrate to Brazil just for the bonkers food they magically made. Salad bars were endlessly fantastic with a plethora of varied flavours and gorgeousness. Meats were done with an ease of perfection by people who knew meat. Enter Viva Brazil. High expectation are slashed down to half whence I saw the disappointing island that was to be the endless salad bar. Too much vinegar, unintended rawness, confusion.. then the hot foods buffet section? I didnt realise I was getting jipped for Chinese buffet/tv dinner for the 'all you can eat' stuff under food lamps for triple the price here. Meats. Brazilian bbq is right now offended that something like this is trying to pass for it. OVERDONE meat is unforgivable, let alone tough dry and over season/under seasoning. Service? ohhh my my. I will assume the staff were inefficiently overworked to the point of oblivious transgression. It either took up to 20 mins for our next round or as little as two minutes.. o.O Servers were distraught with tiredness and apathy. For people who are new to the concept of Brazilian dining, this may be a fun experience. Having any sort of expectations on Brazilian food going in, you will very well be dis.appoint.ED. I did try to cut them some slack by excluding downright comparison to real Brazilian and other countries' Brazilian. But when it comes down to it.. meat speaks for itself; or in this case it didn't speak. Highlights were the Picanha & sirloin which were pretty good, but too many of the others were either dry, tough or salty... Only worth it for the Rodizio lunch special, for ordering the few meats that are okay to eat while not being conscious of eating "Brazilian meat" and just to pacify a rumbly tummy. MEH is right. Definitely had way too many times better than this. A saddening experience. read more

Did not like the food at all, horribly over cooked and somewhat fatty. Salad bar not good either, I had hoped this would fill me up while the rest of the party had some or the meat on selection. Hearts are offered which put me off whatever I was partially eating and the group said they tasted disgusting. The good part was the Brazilian dancers, that was fun. read more

Viva Brazil - Brazilian Near Me - Glasgow, GLG

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Not only is the food legit, there's even a jazz band. Probably the best churrascaria dining experience outside of Brazil. In so many ways Viva Brazil easily out shines those in my tour of Sao Paulo restaurants. Thanks to the high turnover the meat is spared excess charring, with low-fat sirloin, rump and flank steak particularly vulnerable. Discerning carnivores would appreciate the ready availability of both savory end-cuts and pink centers. Meat servers swing by, on average, at 4-minute intervals (frequency is important to me). Excellent work on the brisket, sirloin, rump and chicken heart, though one might find the skirt steak and chicken sometimes just slightly overcooked. The wine list is commendable. Being a traditionalist I've always paired my steaks with a heavy-bodied South American label. I recommend the malbec. Tie off the evening with the Bragadeirao, their chocolate rice pudding. It appears to based on a milkier blend of cacao powder, lending the dessert a very welcomed childish quality. I do not recommend the strawberry ice cream, however. Service is attentive, polite and timely. read more

All you can eat meat. The five sexiest words in the dictionary. Table for two please, where we were given a good overview of how things work (green side up on your wee card means MORE MEAT PLEASE and red side up means NOT JUST NOW THANKS). In between having the meat kings wander around looking for green cards holding big skewers (and massive knives) you can tuck into their salad island as much as you want. We had just two goes here, mostly tucking into the chicken and rice. Nothing wrong with the food, most of it was great, but we came for the meat.. We came. We saw. We conquered. The meat was immense. Super warm and moist, the meat just ripped right off. The sirloin was a particular treat where on a few occasions I let out manly roars of delight that I would have been embarrassed about, but the constant flow of rum based cocktails suppressed such emotions. Which brings me onto the issue of money. Had we not had drinks, the bill would have been reasonable. £13.95 each for lunch I believe. In other words, before 5pm. It shoots up by a tenner after that time. I wouldn't pay that price. We were also duped into paying for water which we assumed was free until the bill came. That added another £6.40 or so. The meat is really salty, especially the pork. Water is essential. Don't be making this same mistake. As with any all you can eat place, their is the issue of 'leaving'. We had zero interruptions for the first 90 mins then had around 5 members of staff asking how we were over the next 60. Don't like being rushed out, especially when we were paying loads for drinks and not actually eating that much (compared to some of our neighbours..). All in, a great experience with some of the best meat I've ever had. I also like the service style and the overall vibe and decor of the place. Well worth a look. Note, they don't just do all you can eat. They have set meals which don't include dead animals. Just so you know. read more

So on Saturday I finally popped my Viva Brazil cherry, a cherry that had been waiting nigh on years to be popped. A group of 10 of us descended on the Brazilian Currascaria for the evening Rodizio; meaning a bunch of flesh hungry carnivores paid 25 quid each for all you can eat meat! As you're seated, which took a while due to the fact that a few of our party hadn't arrived, so they wouldn't let us have the table till everyone was there, the concept behind Rodizio is explained to you; you have a card at your seat, one side green, one red. Green signals to the waiters that you are hungry, red means you're having a break. Waiters visit your table periodically with a large skewer, and some sort of roasted meat on it, which is cut directly on to your plate. We sampled approximately 15 different cuts, from steaks, to Parmesan pork, chicken hearts and sausages. I've been told by everyone who had visited before me NOT to fill up on the salad buffet, but I found the shredded beet root salads, slaws, and cabbage a wonderful palate cleanser when you're bored of chewing flesh. After about 90 minutes, and having consumed more meat than a butcher has in his window, we were defeated. And as much as I enjoyed the experience, I got pretty bored of plain meat after a while. A bit of seasoning, rub, or marinade would have made it more tasty, for me. And we did wait some time before we were asked to order drinks, and as we were already about 3 meats in, we were desperately craving liquid refreshment. The staff, our waiter Derek in particular, were still fantastic. Very friendly, and not at all stingy with portions when dishing out the meat. I also had one of their delicious, but expensive cocktails, whilst waiting for our table, and would recommend sampling their menu if it's a special occasion, and budget allows. read more

I went here with a number of Yelpers to help them experience Brazilian Dining. It is still a new thing for folks in Glasgow and the staff were helpful in explaining how it worked. Viva Brazil is slightly different from its Brazilian Dining counterpart on Argyle St. There is an elegant bar area with a decent beer and booze selection and I enjoyed a beer here while I waited for the other folks to arrive. When they showed up we got a nice booth. The restaurant was definitely busier than the other Brazilian on Argyle St restaurant. The buffet for sides was the first visit for this group. There were not as many authentic Brazilian side dishes. It was populated with veg and such that most Scots would recognise. I felt that this was a little unfortunate since there are some stunning side dishes from Brazil. Maybe the folks here would not appreciate fish stews or rice and beans. Despite this it was a decent spread of sides at the buffet in the centre. I thought I may have been an anomaly with my low tolerance for large amounts of meat. But the folks at the table fell off the carnivore wagon even faster than I did. Even though the place was pretty full, the waiters were showing up often and with a lot of different meats. I would make one general criticism of these places. The Churrascaria waiters did not really sell the meat that they had on the skewer. A simple explanation of "lamb" or "beef" was all that we got. There were a really stunning array of meats on offer. Maybe a little more explanation of what was on the skewer may have helped. As it stood, it is an expensive night for a unique experience. It is a 20 to 30 pound minimum for a start and then drinks on top. If you get a group together, start to expect a chunky three figure bill. I also find that I do not get a really great experience out of these restaurants. Instead of waiting for something I would really like. You tend to get a bit of everything that comes by. This fills you up fast and I would probably would prefer to have a decent main with a selection of stunning South American side dishes. So, get in here and try it out. The setting is lovely and I hope you enjoy it more than I did. read more

As a Brazilian I cannot say I had a good experience here, is a good imitation but nowhere near a Churrascaria. And the sausage is definitely NOT Brazilian, just local sausage grilled. I won't recommend. read more

From a veggies view!! Normally a place specialising in different kinds of meat would be last on my list of places to eat, but I went along for a friends birthday and was willing to give it a go. There was ten of us in our party, all meat eaters apart from myself. For £24.95 they opted to go for the Dinner Rodizio which as far as I could tell meant they could eat as much meat as they could stomach, with visits to the salad and buffet bar. For veggies you can select either a Halloumi cheese, tomatoes, peppers and onions kebab with salad and buffet bar or just the salad buffet option. Not being a fan of Halloumi, I thought I'd just go with the salad option. Now I had browsed the website before I went and noted a lot of tasty sounding veggie options unusual risottos, veg cakes etc but when I went I found the selection was pretty limited. I heaped up on a plate of various salads, sweet potatoes, crusty bread and some cheese. It was all tasty enough and no real complaints but when I went back for more sweet potatoes these had been replaced by chips which in my opinion just don't cut it :) - get it chips cut it .. moving on. Anyway as far as a meal went it was actually quite yummy. The meat eaters get to sample a host of different meats including steaks, sausages and gammon. The waiters go round all the tables carving off bits of meat and mark off what meats you've tried on a small card, indicating the various options. You also have a little green for 'more meat' or red for 'no thanks' card to indicate whether you want to be offered more food. Now my card was immediately set to green so they wouldn't offer me any meat, but despite this I was constantly offered meat and found it quite off putting trying to eat my veggies with so much meat being offered/ carved right next to me. The meat eaters all seemed to enjoy their meals although they did think it was slightly expensive and were eating to get their moneys worth! The desserts didn't particularly appeal to me and only one of our party opted for a dessert cocktail - Snickers which was passed round the table and suitably sweet and sickly. To be fair, the place and concept aren't really designed for vegetarians, but Viva does a reasonable job of catering for them. However, it would be nice to see a greater selection at the buffet bar or to have had the option of another veggie main course to ease the blow of so much meat on display ! read more

I've been to Viva Brazil a good number of times now and had mixed thoughts each time I've gone. I've been in as a couple or in a group. Each time has been totally different to the other. You are taken to your table where the waiter/waitress will take your drinks order then you can head to the salad bar for your sides of potatoes, rice, mash, butternut squash and other salad bar options. Then once you head back to your table the meats start coming round. You have a little card that you can flip to red for no more meat or green for bring on the meat! Going in as a couple or a small group of 4 is one of my preferred ways as you aren't rushed to try all the meats they are brought round at a steady pace. Where as when I have been in as a large group of 20 for Christmas dinner we were rushed to try the meats, they were brought round rapid one after another, losing track of which meat you were eating or even offered. Viva Brazil is a bit hit and miss unfortunately. It's either got it or not. read more

Hmmmmmmmmmm, looks the part but a bit disappointing compared to its rival Tropiero on Argyle Street (which is way better). Don't get me wrong the place is stunning and the staff are lovely. It is the same concept as most of these kind of places, green card flipped round to state 'feed me' and red side to state 'I am total gluttonous pig, please stop' On arrival we ordered our drinks and were guided to the islands that have a selection of salads, stews etc..... which I have to say were dynamite. However by the time they actually decided to serve us the meat we were a bit stuffed but we soldiered on. One thing I have noticed is that they tend to serve you the crap cuts of meat first like the chicken hearts (boke). They come round with the meat on skewers and slice a piece off for you, (the were stingy with their portions to be honest) I had to ask for a few more cuts lol. The menus on the table tell you what meats to expect. The grilled pineapple with a cinnamon coating was yum. Unlike their rivals on Argyle Street they stopped coming round once they had went through the meat selection, my wee card was flipped round at green the whole time. I was not a happy bunny. You can get good deals on 5pm.com etc... for this place now and again, but if you want to experience better go to Tropiero. read more

I've been to Viva Brazil twice now and I had mixed thoughts about it . The first time was a good 8 months ago and we went on a Sunday night - the place was busy but service was great, staff were really efficient and quick and we enjoyed our dinner. Huge amounts of meats, tasted almost all of them (not chicken heart, i really can't! lol) and overall very good quality. The second time was last week, I went with some friends and I have to say that unfortunately it was quite a disappointment - service was not good at all. We sat at our table quite late, it was between 8.30pm and 9pm, started off our dinner with a cocktail and then went to enjoy few things from the buffet - biiiig mistake, as we ended up so full by the end of the night! But you can't resist it really, there was a great choice on the table: garlic rice, stew, cheese balls (my favourite thing, they are delicious!), fries, garlic potato mash, cous-cous and many other things. It was maybe 9.30pm/9.45pm at this point and that's when the round of meats began. As during my previous visit, no complaints at all, good quality and good selections, i really enjoyed them all (again, no chicken hearts heheh) - but we felt it was quite rushed. Now i understand it was quite late, but the feeling we had was that the waitress just could wait to kick us out and finish her shift, and that's not really professional - She even tried to take cocktails glasses still full as well as the bottle of wine off the table! So that's why i only rated it 3 starts - not because of poor food but really poor service. read more

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Relentless meat on a sword. So Ive been here maybe three times. Its quite a flash restaurant but not wild, so I would sling on a fresh pair of corduroys and bring a fat wallet. Now this place first appealled to me when my girlfriend said ' Steak on a sword' She didnt lie, no, no no her hips did not lie. Infact they understated. Sword based meat included not just steak but chicken, ribs, pork, bacon, sausage aswell - and it was endless! They also have a self service bit for potatoes and sides but mainly potatoes. When i say its on a sword, the waiters actually bring it to you and you get them to carve a bit of meaty goodness off. Prepare for meat sweats. Excellent place for a party or a treat, went here for my dads birthday last year and it was good! read more

I took my boyfriend here for his birthday dinner, neither of us had been before so we were completely newbies to how Viva Brazil works. Our waiter was friendly and gave us the low down on what to do and we piled our plates up on the side and salad bar. I think they have a great choice of sides and salad, I'm not too much of a salad fan so having things like chips and cous-cous was a hit with me. We went for twelve meats, I enjoyed most of them but some I thought were a bit rubbery. The downside I had was that I felt like we waited ages to get our bill and then waited more to pay the bill. It wasn't particularly busy but was very hard to catch a waiter who wasn't serving meat. I do like how they have a good selection of mocktails though, great for when you're the designated driver. read more

Called in with 3 work colleagues. As much as you can eat buffet with selection of grilled meats served at your table. Couldn't manage everything they brought but a good selection from chicken, gammon, pork and beef with salads from buffet. Wednesday night but very quiet, service good prices "not cheap" Good concept if you like meat! read more

Love hate. I'll always go back, sometimes I'll take a notion for it BUT as soon as I sit down I remember why I swore to myself I wouldn't come back. The service is SLOW. It makes you consider getting up & leaving, with the thought that they would take so long to notice you were gone. The food is "MEH" ... Extremely fatty. Until you get to the end of the serving rounds which by that point you're 1hr 30mins later & you're so agitated you just want to leave. My biggest tip would be to not go during the week, or for lunch. Only go at the weekend, at night. It's busier, it's harder to get a table (pre book) BUT they get you served a lot better. You then feel like it's worth paying for. Nonetheless I will be back, it's an experience restaurant which you should go to with big parties (which I'll be doing) but for a small group or for 2? There's better places!!! read more

My boyfriend and I went here to celebrate his birthday (I won't disclose his age!) on it's second day of opening. This restaurant is another Brazilian place following in the footsteps of the afore-reviewed Troperio: Brazilian fare served at your table, churrascaria style. We arrived to a maaaassive, and fairly empt restaurant at 8.30pm on a Saturday evening, and were greeted by a lovely waitress who took us to our table. The restaurant itself is huge and impressive. Beautifully decorated with plush carpets, dark woods, huge windows and a massive TV with Brasilian carnival style scenes being played across the restaurant. We were seated near the buffet, to our delight! The waitress explained the process, with the red and green flip side cards provided so we could tell the 'passadors' that we didn't require any more service. She then told us that, because they were new, our first three drinks would be free of charge! Excellent! I ordered a white wine and the other half, a Brasilian beer. We made light work of the buffet which was, in my opinion, much better than Troperios. Breads, chorizo, oils, plus the traditional stews and potato and veg dishes to accompany the meat. My highlights were the prawn vatapa, a coconut based dish crammed with prawns- my only complaint is that they weren't king prawns, but it was tasty none the less. I also enjoyed a delicious helping of roasted butternut squash, and a mashed potato dish, which I think contained cauliflower. It was awesome whatever it was. You can have cold salad items too as well as the traditional hot stews. We probably filled our plates a little too full as it wasn't long before the meats arrived at our table, and we got stuck into some gorgeous cuts. The Alcatra rump steak was cooked perfectly, and the contra filet sirloin was just the right side of rare. We also enjoyed some lovely cuts of pork, and chicken on the bone, which was delicious. We turned our card over to red but, as with Troperio, they don't seem to bother taking any notice of that! We just declined the meat and they left, but it seems a bit daft to have the system if it wasn't heeded! The waitresses were lovely, friendly and asked us how we were a good few times, keeping their eye on our drinks and topping them up when needed. I hope they keep this level of service up when the place gets even busier! We finished and were absolutely stuffed, so asked for the bill. At just under £50 excluding drinks of course, it wasn't the cheapest meal. But, you could easily get your money's worth from the buffet and meat selection for the £23.95 that you pay. I noticed on the menu that there is an option to pay more for a seafood selection, but we weren't offered this so perhaps it wasn't up and running at that point. I would have liked to have seen what that entailed because I love seafood! So, we'll be returning to Viva Brazil. Nice atmosphere, beautiful building and lovely accommodating staff. read more

I went here for a staff night about two weeks ago and all the main thing I can say is yum to the food and yum to the dancers that greeted us at the door! Not my colleagues or I had tried this venue before, however, I had heard nothing but good things about it! When we arrived there was the Brazilian "dance fight' happening in the main waiting area. I was pleasantly surprised. This particular Friday night it was busy but this just helped with the atmosphere. This restaurant is a sort of buffet style layout with the "salad bar" comprising (surprise surprise) salad and all the breads, rice, roasted vegetables, stews and plates. The main cuts are brought to your table by kilt clad guys with a big hunk of meat and a knife! They then proceed to cut you off a slither of what they have to offer. I tried nearly everything on offer.....except salad. Most of the meats were cooked to perfection with the exception being the ribs. The only criticism I have for this place is that the more expensive cuts do not come around quick enough or they are being served out before they get to your table. Other than that this is an awesome place that I will be returning to!!! read more

Had a lovely family lunch here. Did not expect the huge amount of different meats though! Some were not to my liking, and I wish there was more variety in the salad bar. Overall the food was good but maybe not matching the price? read more

All the food you could wish for. Unlimited meats carved at your table and a self serve salad bar which has a huge selection of hot and cold dishes. A restaurant to visit on a very empty grumbly stomach. Some nights there are Brazilian dancers for your entertainment. read more

I fancied something different for my birthday, so ventured to Viva Brazil!! Upon arrival the staff were friendly & helpful, ran us through how it all works before bringing out some tasty cocktails! This place has a real nice aesthetic, lovely decor & right up back you can see all the tasty meats being cooked to perfection. The buffet was small, mostly potatoes & salads of some variation. Once ready, we flipped our card over to green and lord... Let the meaty bombardment commence! It was a little fast paced, I could barely finish a slice of this before being offered a skewer of that... But it was all REALLY tasty! From the steaks to the chickens & porks in between, there wasn't one thing I didn't like. Fast forward 2 hours later, I admitted defeat... 10/15 meats was pretty decent for my first attempt, I'll definitely be back to try conquer them all! Finished the evening off with the chocolate cake & ice cream to share, ah bliss ooey gooey soft warm goodness! Few niggles thus 4 stars. Although staff were lovely & friendly, as the evening went by they proved difficult to flag down when needed. The turn around time on getting a drink whether a glass of water or fancy cocktail was unfortunately slow. Otherwise twas a lovely experience , would totally recommend to any passionate carnivore read more

I visited Viva Brazil with three Brazilian friends (this is the best way to figure out what's good!) We went in on a Saturday at about 1:30 pm; I'd called ahead to be sure they could accommodate our vegetarian friend, and they recommended I make a booking, so I did. The restaurant was less than half full when we arrived so I don't think that was necessary, but no big deal either way. We were taken right to our table. We placed the vegetarian order right away (they bring out a plate with a grilled vegetable skewer and two other skewered things that I'm not sure what they were, plus some bread and a yogurt sauce.) We all headed for the "salad bar" which wasn't really "salad" in the lettuce sense, but more like pastas and potatoes. They've got rice and feijoada (black bean stew with meats) on the end, which I enjoyed very much. We didn't see any pao de queijo (cheese bread balls) but when we asked, they made some fresh for us! Then we got to the good stuff: the meats! My favourites were the picanha (steak) - they do a garlic one that's really nice, and a plain one that's solid, and the smoked gammon. One nice thing they do here is give you a sheet that has the Portuguese and English names of everything, and they stamp it as they serve you each meat, so you know what you're eating and can remember what you really liked. Do not miss the grilled pineapple... this is my favourite thing served at churrascurias, and even though this wasn't the best ever, it's still awesome. I would probably eat the whole pineapple if they let me. Skip the caipirinhas (a drink made from sugar, limes and cachaca, which is kind of like rum); they were pretty bitter. We were also underwhelmed with the cassava chips (ordered separately as a bar snack) - this is something I got hooked on in America, and then experienced in Brazil and got even more attached. It's a root vegetable kind of like a potato but more delicious (when done well); here it's not bad, but just lacks the magic of Brazil. All in all, our Brazilian friends enjoyed the meal (even the vegetarian) and I'd go back again. read more

Live to go here every few months for a treat. The food is amazing and love to share a pitcher or 2 of sangria. The only only thing I would have to say is def best time to visit is 14:00 that's when the meats are all still moist and the service is second to none. read more

I've been to this place a few times, simply because I love meat! Their salad bar is really good, with a good variety of hot and cold foods. I suggest you go during busy times, yes you may have to wait but they tend to bring out more meats and be fresher too. read more

Terrible service and the steaks were all chewy/over cooked. Very inefficient. Was constantly waiting the next type of meat to come around as the server was responsible for tending to tables and for bringing the skewers of meat around. It took the full two hours for the server to bring around all the skewers for us to try. Server was also constantly reaching over our wine glasses to put meat on our plates. There were also limited choices in sides and sauces. Do not recommend! Go somewhere else! read more