This place was AMAZING! Decoration was great, service was making fast and friendly staff and the food was to die for!! we tried margaritas, seasonal drinks, empanadas, tacos and the quesabirria. Everything was a 10/10! If you're in the area you HAVE to check this place out read more

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1/2 -- 4.5/5 We stopped at Vivaz in Downtown New Haven for my brother's 40th birthday -- small group of five of us. It was close to 11 PM on a Wednesday, and after trying multiple spots that claimed their kitchens were open until midnight (Google lied ), VivaZ came through. We were greeted right away and seated quickly. Our server was patient, knowledgeable, and very considerate of food preferences at the table -- huge plus there, especially that late at night. Food I ordered the chicken empanadas -- they were big, filled with chicken and cheese, tasty but a little too oily for my preference. I'd love a drier, crispier shell, but I'd still try them again. My brother ordered the shrimp nachos and those were excellent -- loaded, flavorful, and honestly better than the empanadas in my opinion. My cousin got the same nachos and loved them too. A friend ordered the short rib empanadillas and didn't enjoy them. He sent them back and swapped for chicken, which he liked much more. Appreciate that the staff had no issue making the change. Drinks I had an Ilegal Mezcal shot -- my go-to when I'm at a Mexican spot -- and it hit like it always does. My brother's strawberry margarita was also a winner. Overall Friendly service, good food, great energy even late on a weekday. The fact that they were open and accommodating when nothing else was is major. Would we return? Absolutely. Rating: 4.5/5 read more

I finally checked out VivaZ Cantina at 161 Park St in New Haven. Loved the décor with its whimsical, colorful art and reclaimed touches from its Viva Zapata days. I ordered the burrito with added beef, which cost an extra $9, but the meat portion was disappointingly small and didn't feel worth the price. Two friends with me felt the food was just okay and not as flavorful as we expected. That said, the ambiance is charming, the staff is friendly, and the overall vibe is lively. I also tried the tres leches, which had a slightly bitter taste that reminded me of alcohol, but staff confirmed it's made without any. Overall, I'm glad I tried it to satisfy my curiosity. Great for the atmosphere, less so for the food value. read more

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Went for drinks with friends. The waitress named Ariana substituted our order for a premium upcharge that ended up doubling our bill without notifying us. The manager fully admitted that it was an error on Ariana's part but proceeded to continue to charge us the doubled amount saying "he understood but had to charge us what Ariana entered". Through this dispute, instead of taking accountability, the waitress claimed she told us (she didn't), and we ended up paying for a mistake that the manager himself acknowledged should not have happened. When we suggested they clearly disclose substitutions or include the pricing policy on the menu for future customers, the manager said they did not plan to change it. Extremely frustrating and disappointing experience with even poorer customer service. read more

Hadn't been here in years and so happy to have gone for dinner tonight. The food was a revelation of authentic central Mexico from the posole to the tamales to the mole to the tacos. Don't miss this place and if you have not been back in a while find time to give it a try! Nice intimate setting too! read more

I stopped in quickly on a happy hour hop and it was just okay in my opinion. I loved the wooden interior and hidden cultural touches like the figures in the bookcase and art on the walls. The service was very attentive and friendly. Our bartender made the margaritas super quick and we didn't have to ask for water (!!!). The margarita was good, not great. Maybe if I had gotten a flavor, I'd like it a bit more. I did not like my taco. In my opinion, Al pastor is always a gamble so maybe that's on me for only getting that one. Usually when I'm trying tacos from somewhere new, I'll start with chicken or steak. I didn't feel like it had any flavor even with the lime and salsa which was disappointing. There are so many great reviews and I even ran into peeps I know while at the bar, so I'll have to give it another try. read more

VivaZ Cantina - Margarita and Al pastor taco - Mexican Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

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Nachos: Alright I admit, I've kind of lost it. I'm terrible at change, so I stick to routine like gum on shoe. Like going out and ordering a large plate of nachos in a brand new town. See other people, they go make friends. They go walk around. Me? I look for the nearest Mexican joint and order a mountain of nachos like it's a religious experience. And let me tell you something. Every good kitchen runs on Mexican hands. We'd be nowhere without them. We'd starve to death. Anyway. I've been in this town four months. Four months and my taste buds are on life support. My god damn soul too. I feel like a hamster on a wheel. The nachos were alright. Sizzling hot, got it all. Melted cheese dripping, jalapeños stacked, sour cream and guac sliding down the sides like they're trying to make a break for it. I wasn't in love though, it wasn't speaking to me. I don't think I'm in love with this city just yet either. This city it does things to you, messes with your head. The people? theyll size you up and gut you. I see folks walking around with their heads so far up their own asses they could bite their spines. Some town. I sat there staring at the plate like it's gonna talk to me, like answers got buried somewhere under the chips. We're in a bubble here. I'm looking for some meaning in all this noise, but there's always some loudmouth stampeding over the moment. Nobody around here ever shuts up long enough to think. They're so damn sure of themselves they'd dig their own graves before stopping to ask why. All else: bartender was like Houdini behind the bar. Made me a hell of a drink while I watched Gordon Ramsey tear someone up on TV. I respect the rage, I need to channel it more often. read more

VivaZ Cantina - Nachos - Mexican Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

Taco Tuesdays are something that I'm always down for and this place does it very well. The service was great as well. The bartender, Nicolas, was always available when I needed him. The food came out at a very reasonable time. For one person, 3 tacos instead of 6 would have sufficed. I was being a bit overindulgent. Everything tasted super fresh and I had some of the best churros I've ever had in New Haven. The decor was amazing. Made me feel like I was walking into an authentic Mexican spot that was gonna serve authentic Mexican items and I was not disappointed. Will be back. read more

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Food is good with great portions. Service is subpar. Servers and hostess were inattentive. Exaggerated upcharges for simple modifications. read more

VivaZ Cantina - Chilaquiles verdes - Mexican Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

Had the best time! Ariana is an amazing server and made sure my table had a great end to our week! Drinks and food all came out at a great time, was hot, and tasted amazing! I liked the lighting of the space -added an intimate and elevated mood to our dining experience. I don't usually write reviews, but our server, Ariana was super kind and I just wanted to shout her out! read more

VivaZ Cantina - Mexican Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

Happy hour 4-7 pm with $2 tacos is a great deal. This is extended to all day on Taco Tuesdays. Other happy hour deals include $5 beers, $6 wine, $7 margaritas, $3 tamales, and a $5 tostada. The indoor bar space looks fun. It's surprisingly spacious inside. I sat outside on a late summer afternoon but regretted it because of mosquitos. Service was good. I thought the carnitas could've used more cooking for a better texture. read more

We had our rehearsal dinner at VivaZ and it was SUCH a wonderful hit -- not only are the food and drinks unparalleled, but Bernadino and his team were so wonderful to work with, and made the experience so wonderful read more

10/10 highly recommend for casual Mexican dining! The food is AMAZING (as are the drinks) and the portions are large. Just be prepared to wait for your food. But honestly, the food was worth the wait... clearly fresh and very well seasoned. I got the steak/shrimp fajitas, and others at my table got a rice bowl, tacos, and the birria quesadilla. Everyone loved their food. The staff was also really nice and attentive. My only negative would be the uneven seat cushions, but the food makes you forget all of that. read more

VivaZ Cantina - Steak & Shrimp Fajitas! - Mexican Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

This place is AMAZING. Waiter was nice. I like the interior. Food took a long time BUT IT WAS WORTH IT. Will come back again

Love the food and we tried a lot - tacos delicious we tried all but shrimp ceviche was legit delicious empanada special decent we had short rib and potato Chipotle sauce was crazy good Quesadillas Brielle was so good and big portions Do not forget charro crazy good even if you are full Also cocktails delicious horchata so good read more

Some of the knocks I saw in the reviews were about the poor service. I'll say that was not our experience at all. We felt like the service was fantastic! The happy hour menu was a bargain Delicious food! My only complaint was the music was pretty loud read more

great prices but the food came out SO slow and felt really poor quality. the tamales that I got were mostly just masa with a tiny amount of filling. our server forgot to put in the majority of our order and when it eventually came out, it was wrong. read more

Came in on a Thursday night around 7pm wasn't busy at all. We sat down ordered our food and waited about 15 minutes for our table guac appetizer. The tacos were really good. The music inside is extremely loud, great for dancing but not for table conversation. It was busy by the time we left around 9pm. read more

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Fantastic food. I got the fajitas steak and shrimp. Everything is fresh!!! Drinks were also very good. Highly recommend

It's like you're home but you are outside and some random family feeds you all this fresh amazing food. And you want to stay because the food is that good but you have to leave because you don't live there silly. And love knowing you will be back. I had Viva Cantina food as an order that someone picked up and I was impressed back then. Fast forward, I move downtown, and no Viva Zapata (insert sad face). Ok, a pandemic was happening but when things started to open back up they didn't (). And then boom!!! 2022 and they are back. I've never had mole and tried theirs for the first time. Absolutely delicious. I had a friend in town and she thoroughly enjoyed her tacos. These were generous portions, beautifully presented, and flavorful. We washed everything down with mojitos of various flavors, like a couple each or three??? Even the churros were light and fluffy while crunchy. I am so glad they are back and open. Brings life back to the neighborhood just steps from Chapel St. Go! read more

My apologies to all New Haven area Yelpers for not having posted this review weeks sooner. Our group of six experience at VivaZ was that of a restaurant looking to provide the bare minimum and charge more. Two of us wanted the three enchiladas plate on the menu for $16. Turned out the enchiladas were nothing more than three empty rolled tortillas with lettuce and tomato on top. Any filling incurred a $4 to $6 surcharge. "How about cheese?" we asked. "We don't make cheese enchiladas," was the waiter's response. Really? We settled for our second choices, which were ok but not great. Next time we're in the mood for enchiladas prepared right, we'll look further afield. Or better yet, roll up our sleeves and make them ourselves. read more

Nice spot for happy hour. The tacos are great and you can't beat the $2 price for happy hour. For $2 these tacos offer lots of flavor and nice serving size. Bartender was friendly and provided great service. Becoming one of our go to spots in New Haven. read more

Poor attitude/service with the bar tender with tattoos. The food is fine and not terrible, but the service definitely needs improvement.

If you are looking for authentic Mexican food, Vivaz Cantina is the place to go. The portions are large and the food is delicious. The service was over the top, our waiter Jesus made our dining experience extra special. read more

Happy national taco day! First time here since 2012-13 and they still have the same booth we sat in that day! New owners but we love the authentic Mexican vibes! Who doesn't love $2 tacos! Kay was awesome from the moment we walked in! The rain scared everyone away so it wasn't crowded at all! Nice little gem in downtown New Haven! read more

Vivaz Cantina has delicious, authentic food. Literally reminds me of my mother's cooking. I feel like I'm at home with the food that they serve here. The drinks are great as well. Highly recommend El Pelón. The dinner I ordered was the Birria Quesadillas and mole enchiladas. My gf ordered the shrimp tacos and it was all prepared very well. The wait time was short. The ambience is great. Highly recommend this place if you're looking for some authentic Mexican food. Most authentic Mexican restaurant in the city for sure ! read more

Im from New Haven but live in SoCal. I always say that when visiting CT I refuse to eat Mexican food because it is never as authentic nor good as SoCal. Well, Vivaz has changed that. I've tried all of their tacos, apps, churros and WOW! The first New Haven place to actually hit it. Delicious. Vivaz is THE Mexican restaurant of New Haven now! read more

2nd visit. All meh. Nachos meh. Street tacos meh. House margaritas not good. And in the middle of winter the bar seating area was COLD and the music was too LOUD. Won't be back for a long time, sorry. Hoped I had found the perfect Mexican place but no. read more

My stepson and his gf just got an apartment near this place so we decided to give it a try. Fantastic staff, great atmosphere and absolutely delicious food and plenty of it! We tried a few different dishes and everything was fantastic, with plenty of leftovers that we took home. Will definitely be back! read more

Nice and friendly staff, and the food is delicious. Fun atmosphere. Been multiple times and will be back many more.

Great food and it was nice to learn that their tac Tuesday specials and happy hour specials could also work for take out

The food is very fresh and very authentic, and the service is outstanding. It is very clean, and you feel like you're in a real Mexican restaurant read more

As a 40+ year customer of the old Viva's I was overjoyed when Vivaz opened. They've kept much of the familiar décor and atmosphere but added some colorful murals and furniture. Nachos are still served on the well-loved metal platters. Food is better and drinks are delicious and potent. Staff are incredibly gracious, attentive and polite. I do miss the jukebox but the Mexican music adds to the festive atmosphere. Check it out! read more

There is legitimately no other place in downtown New Haven or nearby can you go and have the most authentic tasting Mexican food. An extensive cocktail menu to compliment the diverse unique dishes Bernard offers at his restaurant. Bernard has put together an amazing menu and great restaurant, a huge huge upgrade for the city of New Haven from the old Viva Zapata. Mallory is an amazing bartender, top notch service, great cocktails and food that will leave you craving it more and more read more