Vivace - Charlottesville

The food was fantastic. The Eggplant Parmesan was flawlessly prepared and packed with flavor. The Lasagna was delicious, boasting a hearty and robust taste. The Oreganata was delightful, complemented by a wonderful sauce, and the house rolls were also enjoyable. However, the restaurant was quite busy, which resulted in a mix-up with our table reservation and a bit of a wait before we were seated. The tables upstairs were too cramped, making the atmosphere noisy. Our waiter seemed overwhelmed and struggled to keep up. We ended up waiting for a while with our appetizer since we didn’t have any plates. The mussels were very tasty and packed with flavor. Although it was a bit pricey, we plan to return, possibly on a weekday night to avoid the crowds, which should improve the service.

The atmosphere was great, and while the bar setup felt a bit outdated, the service and food were fantastic! The bartenders were very attentive and friendly. Even though we arrived near closing time, we never felt rushed.

We absolutely love this restaurant! It's charming, and the food is outstanding. We've had the pleasure of being served by El W during both of our visits, and she was fantastic! The eggplant was incredibly delicious, and the cheesecake is genuinely the best! The only downside was that the soup of the day was quite salty, which made it difficult to enjoy. However, we've had the soup on previous occasions and it was fine, so we believe it was just an off night. We can’t wait to return!

Overall a decent experience. The staff was friendly. Food was hit or miss. The calamari was delicious, as was the Gnocchi. But the nightly special “Ribeye” was just ok. For $48 I expected more. Half of my cut of meat seemed to be just fat. Flavor was just ok. Plus the side potatoes seemed like they’d been cooked that morning and microwaved for my plate. And I received all of 5 asparagus. Also, the cheesecake and tiramisu seemed frozen. I highly doubt they were made onsite. Worth a shot, but don’t expect too much.

Great food is probably the best in Charlottesville. Friendly staff and our waitress aleah was the best.