A great Italian restaurant. Rich selection of wines. Varied menu. I had Hāpuku which is a fish. It was a daily special. Fish was on a bed of risotto. Meat was delicious. Well presented. All was good. Staff very professional. Ambience romantic. read more

Vivace Restaurant - Hāpuku on top of risotto - Wine Bars Near Me - Auckland, AUK

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We were in Auckland for a few days and stumbled across this quaint, family-owned restaurant for dinner. The owners were there and seated us right away. As a group of 5, we were having trouble finding a place to eat, but we were lucky there was a table open in this small, cute restaurant. We then proceeded to have the best meal we experienced during our 2-week trip in NZ! Tye was our server and he definitely enhanced the experience. Most of us were indecisive, but he was able to give great food recommendations. We were all very happy with everything we ordered. We tried to eat there again before we left, but they were closed the last day we were in town. Vivace is a must-try if you are looking for delicious Italian food and good service. read more

We had an absolutely lovely dinner at Vivace, and I wish I didn't have to fly on a plane for 17 hours in order to get there from Saint Louis. We spotted this restaurant while strolling around Auckland, and even though they were booked for reservations, the staff encouraged us to come back to grab a drink at the bar in hopes of getting a table. That's exactly what we did, and it worked out perfectly. I can't speak highly enough of the staff at Vivace. They were some of the nicest people we met in Auckland! We happily sipped on hand-crafted cocktails at the bar, and we ended up getting a perfect patio table within 15-20 minutes. Then came the very difficult task of picking our list of tapas. Listen, our server was seriously overwhelmed by our order. He told us it was way too much for two people, and I decided to take it as a personal challenge to prove him wrong. Here's what we had: *Caprese: sliced oxheart tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, fresh basil & EVOO *Prosciutto wrapped melon with lemon *Citrus-cured salmon with avocado mousse & crispy capers *Figs, gorgonzola, and honeycomb with fresh ciabatta *Herb & chilli meatballs, tomato ragu, parmesan *Moroccan-spiced chicken tulips with green onion & mustard sauce *Goat cheese & mozzarella balls, honey drizzle Are you impressed with our order? You should be, because we ATE IT ALL. This was truly one of the best dinners I've ever had, and we could barely pick a favorite item because everything was so over-the-top wonderful. These tapas aren't just a couple of bites, either. They were a great size and we were so happy and full when we left. Never challenge me to an eating contest, because you will lose. Thank you Vivace for one of our most memorable dining experiences in New Zealand! read more

Simple review here. Enjoyed it, but had some issues. The good: The room was wonderful, the staff was friendly and the ambiance was amazing. My meal and wine were perfect and I have no complaints about the menu. The bad: the room was very warm and very loud. It wasn't too full either. This confused is. The ugly: the meal took a LOT longer than we would have ever guessed. As we sweated and were forced to yell at eachother across the table, we waited for nearly two hours before dinner arrived. The entire meal was more than three hours. For a group of 5. Not sure if it was a bad night. But as I mentioned previously, the dining room wasn't full. Overall, I'd go back.....and cross my fingers that my first experience was an outlier. read more

Vivace Restaurant - Wine Bars Near Me - Auckland, AUK

If your looking for finer than a pub feed but not quite fine-dining then check out High Street's Vivace. From fish of the day to slow cooked lamb shanks served up on seasonal vegetables and flavorsome sauces the menu offers plenty of variety that should please most. Great for a business lunch or a romantic date night, the staff are attentive and the atmosphere is warm and welcoming. There are two semi-partitioned rooms that are available for larger groups and small functions, ideal for birthdays or work events. Half of Vivace is dedicated to a bar with a satisfactory range of beers, wines, spirits and cocktails. Bar menu consists of tapas, fancy fries and pizzas. Don't come here if you're on a limited budget, meals are around $30 and the bar menu is not cheap. Drinks prices are about the going rate for the central city. read more

Vivace Restaurant - High street sign directing you upstairs to Restaurant - Wine Bars Near Me - Auckland, AUK

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The people that work at Vivace are seriously so so nice. Just good tempered, well-mannered people. We went in with a group of about 25 girls. It was a hens do so we were probably a tad rowdy and not the easiest group to deal with but clearly Vivace live by the mantra 'patience is a virtue.' Water and wine were constantly topped up, meals were delivered in quick session, service was with a smile. As for the food, it's well-priced and while it's no French café, it's tasty. We shared platters to begin with crumbed 'shrooms, calamari, meatballs, pate and a romesco dip. Everything was nice but didn't blow my socks off, except their pate - that stuff is addictive. For my main I had the lamb salad. The lamb was beautifully cooked as was the kumara. I enjoyed the zingy tzatziki dressing but I had a real aversion to pequillo peppers stuffed with feta. I must of missed them on the menu, because I really can't stand those small sweet peppers and filled with feta - much too 90's for me! We didn't indulge in dessert this time but we did have espresso martinis (of course) and they were up there with some of the best in town. If you are looking to book a large group dinner with a diverse group of people, I'd definitely recommend looking into Vivace! read more

Recently while holidaying in Auckland I visited Vivace with a group of friends on a Saturday night. The restaurant inside is grand looking - it's not like anything I have seen in Perth, it has ornate furnishings with a large fire in the middle and a lot of candle lighting. It did have a very "Interview With A Vampire" feeling about it. I did find it quite dark but this just added to the ambience. We had a large table and the service on this night was excellent, drink orders were promptly taken and delivered shortly after we arrived. My only gripe was that the beer I ordered wasn't avaliable but I was quickly shown an alternative. The menu is extensive - if you can't find something to your liking on the menu there is something wrong with you. I opted for an entree of spicy beef & cheese empanadas w parmesan & chilli aioli which came as a generous serving and I questioned whether I would be able to fit a main in. By then I had spotted the list of risottos and chose to order the spicy pork risotto with broccoli and provolone cheese. I chose the entree size which was more then enough for me having had an entree - in fact I couldn't finish it so I would say it was a generous sized entree. The food came to the table at roughly the same time and for a large table this was great. I was very happy with my choice, the risotto was really well made, light, cheesy and fluffy. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Great location for groups and there are also private rooms to hire toward the back of the restaurant. There are also plenty of small tables. This restaurant really caters for everyone and I found the pricing to be very reasonable. read more

We were craving for pizza & pasta and we went to Vivace as we enjoyed our last dining here. We had to send our coke back as it did not have any fizz in it. The waiter was very sorry and we were served with a perfect one immediately. Rigatoni w roast chicken ($28) tasted amazing with just extra olive oil for sauce. Simple and delicate. Toasted breadcrumbs were an interesting addition to this pasta which we really enjoyed. However Classic pepparoni ($20) was a bit of a disaster. The dough was very dry and hard that we nearly broke our dish while cutting it to pieces. We remembered that we had the same pizza last time when we were here which was a shame. Spaghetti w chilli & lime marinated prawns ($28) were gorgeous too. Just the right amount of chilli and prawns were served along with tangy and full flavours. Maybe just stick to pastas? read more

Vivace Restaurant - Wine Bars Near Me - Auckland, AUK

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We were invited to a birthday dinner party here for a friend. I was looking forward to finally dining here having only previously only having drinks at the bar. PROTIP: there are two large private dining rooms that seat approx 10-12+ each. Plus the sectioned off large table off the main dining room. So its perfect for larger groups... especially for those like our group that like a little privacy for the rambunctious table talk. We arrived before the birthday boy, so a smaller group of us had drinks at the bar... The cocktails are pretty clever and well balanced. The wine list is comprehensive without being extensive. And the bar service was fast. Once seated the server took our orders (we ordered a variety of tapas in pairs) and the food came out pretty fast but all at once which was fine, but I found the hot dishes that I didn't get around to eating first ended up a little colder than I'd liked. The dishes are small and designed to be shared. The menu was well rounded. A few of the group decided to do more traditional mains style and they were not disappointed. The steak and fish looked like very generous servings. The cake had a $25 cakeage fee, while that's common it was on the pricier side. But we did have the private room without an additional fee so it sort of worked out. The table side service was excellent and attentive without being disruptive which it can be with so many people. I really enjoyed the ambiance and decor. With high ceilings and polished concrete floors and the open fire and big black wrought iron gates to the private room you forget this spacious warm place is located in the heart of the inner city. All up the bill was VERY reasonable, I'd say cheap even! but instead of doing a split we ended up working it out on what people ordered. Which took more brain energy than I had left. lol. The staff was very patient and accommodating while we dithered about. I highly recommend this place for pre-movie or pre-theatre. It's a short walk to the Civic or the Aotea and Imax and perfect for relaxing and getting some really good food and drink fast. It feels impressive because the road frontage is just stairs with some curtains so it feels like you're in the know of something special... which this is. read more

I went to Vivace on a casual date with three friends one afternoon just to catch up and have a glass or two of wine. Upon our arrival we were greeted warmly and taken upstairs. I was eyeing out the lunch specials menu because it was cheap and cheerful! Plus being a student this was absolutely perfect. When I ordered the chicken schnitzel and chips, I was expecting a small amount of food, I was expecting a small kids meal looking type of serving but to my surprise it wasn't. Mind you this was an awesome surprise, the serving was large and they had even included a salad to the plate! read more

Vivace is an Auckland institution! It's laid back and casual in a city-centric dirt of way. The service is attentive, the wine list is excellent and they do a mean pizza! I enjoyed a vino and shared the chorizo, prawn and caramelised onion pizza with a friend. A great place to go if you only have a standard hour!s lunch break, read more

The staff at Vivace are seriously so so lovely! I made a booking here for a bunch of us from work and the staff were very accommodating and patient. The food and drinks arrived pretty quickly so that's always a plus. Everyone seemed pleased with their meals. The spaghetti and risottos were especially amazing. Once again, the staff were really lovely to deal with. I can't wait to go back and try out their tapas menu. read more

Me and my business partner were regulars at this establishment until recently, We both had the lamb which apparently was delivered only the day before. And 6 people had eaten it including us. The lamb tasted not so nice but not too bad, However a few hours later we both had stomach issues and indescribable bowl movements which included mucus which wasn't pleasant. To add insult to injury the manager then requested we both get tested and our personal medical records to see whether or not it was the restaurant that caused the issue. Which i believed was incredibly rude however i was recommended to goto hospital by my doctor. Do not recommend this establishment and i am very offended. read more

Loved it. Food was fresh, properly portioned and pleasant atmosphere. Plenty of GF options. Our server, Carmen, was patient with me while I tried to figure out what I was in the mood for. She knew exactly what I wanted. She was lovely and attentive. Also very reasonably priced (the food and wine, that is). We will go back again. Ask for Carmen! read more

I have been to Vivace many times over 10+ years, including twice in the last week and the food has consistently been of an above average (but not exceptional) quality, the service friendly although super slow last night. They were however very apologetic about the slow service and proactively brought some complementary breads. Good value for money in the central city. read more