What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Vivace
Review
About
Travellers' Choice
2024
Vivace Restaurant and Bar is one of the best inner city restaurants Auckland has to offer and has been consistent over the last 30 years. The environment is lively & offers a warm ambience with excellent table service, a superb wine list and a menu which caters to diverse palates. Vivace’s food is unmistakably Mediterranean. We offer a full al-a-carte menu and for those wanting a more casual approach to eating, tapas are available throughout the day. There is a separate vegan menu and a large proportion of the menu is suitable for Coeliacs. Off to one side (& hidden by large barn doors) is a small discreet bar reminiscent of the Speakeasies of old - perfect for a casual drink & nibble pre show or after work. Full table service & the whole menu are available in the bar at the high top tables. The wine selection is extensive with 30 by the glass & there is a good selection of spirits, craft beers & cocktails. Bookings suggested on Friday & Saturdays however walk ins are welcome
Features
CUISINES
Italian, Mediterranean, European, Spanish
Meal types
Lunch, Dinner, Brunch
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
FEATURES
Accepts Credit Cards
American Express
Cash Only
Digital Payments
Full Bar
Mastercard
Outdoor Seating
Reservations
Seating
Serves Alcohol
Street Parking
Table Service
Visa
Wheelchair Accessible
Wine and Beer
Location
Does this restaurant offer free wifi?
Save this restaurant
Hours
Closed today
Sunday
Closed
Monday
Closed
Tuesday
12:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Wednesday
12:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Thursday
12:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Friday
12:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Saturday
5:00 pm - 10:00 pm
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4.4
445 reviews
Excellent
252
Very good
147
Average
27
Poor
15
Terrible
4
kiwidrum63
Auckland Central109 contributions
Apr 2024 • couples
Vivace is an old friend. Many meals and fun times with colleagues and friends in the old location. First visit to the new location
The fit out bought back excellent memories of the fun times
The menu was fresh but had links in the style back to the old location
Visited on a week day night ahead of the James Taylor concert
Vivace was packed
That being said the food was exceptional, the service first class
Not normally a tipper, I left a tip as the team did an exceptional job tonight
Written 29 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mandy Lusk
Thank you so much for revisiting us! It is always lovely to see some faces from the past - and really nice to know that is brought back good memories.
It is great to have the shows back on in town as they really do lure some faces from years gone by back into dine before they go.
Thank you for choosing to dine with us as we know there are plenty of places to choose from.
Written 1 May 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
LandC46
Auckland266 contributions
Nov 2024 • friends
The welcome and the service was a real treat. We booked, even though there were only two of us for a casual lunch but that was sensible - as when we arrived we were informed there would also be a large party dining and we were therefore being offered a table as far away from the group as possible. A very early Christmas event? The party was inevitably fairly noisy so we did curtail our stay.
The menu was extensive and promising. My first choice was not available so I settled for a pizza as did my companion and we were both very happy with the quality. ( One being the gluten free option. )
What deserved high praise was the faultless service carried out in a charming manner. Thank you.
We look forward to returning after the festive season!
Written 27 November 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Muriel R
2 contributions
Dec 2024 • family
Lovely relaxed atmosphere, a great quiet spot in the city close to britomart to soak up the Summer evening. The service was excellent - friendly and knowledgeable waiter. All the tapas we ordered was beautifully served, very tasty and came quickly. Highly recommended spot for tapas or dinner in the city.
Written 13 December 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Virginie
Noumea36 contributions
Oct 2024 • couples
What we ate was lacking in taste, a little too bland. The service is fast and the wine is good. We find that for the price, it's too expensive.
Having tried other Italian restaurants in Auckland, we were disappointed by this one which is promising.
The atmosphere is perfect for a romantic dinner, just a little more work at the culinary level and everything would be in place.
Written 21 November 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John491
Auckland666 contributions
Aug 2023 • couples
I read Mandy's letter to the NZ Herald on just how restaurants in the Auckland CBD are struggling to survive after 3 years of Covid. As co-ordinator for organising monthly dinners for our Parnell Probus Club I took my wife for a meal to form an opinion.
I was not disappointed, and I am confident in saying you wont either. We caught the train from Newmarket to Britomart and Vivace was less than a 5 minute walk. Mandy and her team were excellent, prompt service with a friendly smile , and the ambiance of the restaurant is cozy and relaxing.
The menu in this Italian style restaurant is extensive and exciting. I started with the Morrocan Spiced chicken entree, followed by the pan fried schnapper , which were both generous servings cooked to perfection and delicious, but leave room for dessert, the baked Panocota Cheese cake with vanilla bean ice cream was to die for! My compliments to the chef .
Vivace's prices are fair and reasonable. I have already booked our Probus group to visit this wonderful restaurant in October and would encourage all to support this establishment. Thanks for a lovely evening Mandy. John Oliver
Written 15 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Carly Bird
5 contributions
Aug 2023 • family
A group of 11 of us dined to celebrate my son's graduation. Our party had many different dietary requirements which were all catered to superbly and without any fuss. Booking the table was easy, as was changing the number of guests and time! The staff were wonderful, especially our waitress Carol who remembered everybody's food and drink orders and asked at exactly the right time when refills, etc might be required. We felt like royalty! The food was to die for. I was very sad when I ate my last mouthful of mushroom risotto as I wished it to go on forever. We will certainly be back and I will recommend it to everyone!
Written 19 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mandy Lusk
Thank you for choosing us for such a special family dinner - we know there are so many places out there to choose to dine at. We are so glad that we helped make the night a special one for you all and we look forward to seeing you again hopefully
Written 21 September 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Susan P
Monterey8 contributions
Jan 2023 • none
This restaurant is wonderful. The atmosphere is open and inviting, with floor to ceiling widows in front, and a clear view of the kitchen and the chefs, which is always a good sign. Wonderful selection of beers, wines, and cocktails. We decided to share small plates, as we often do, and from the first bite we were in heaven. First we ordered the Marinated olives w/ herbs, chili & garlic. Then we split the NZ beef Herb & chili meatballs, with tomato ragu, parmesan. This was one of the best bites we have ever shared at a Tapas restaurant. We finished with Coriander, chili & garlic prawn cutlets w/ chermoula sauce, and a fresh local greens with shaved parmesan salad. The pizza and pasta dishes looked delicious as they made their way to tables close to us.
Our server, Tye was fabulous! He made a us feel very welcome and had a thorough understanding of the menu. Very attentive, to us, and helped us greatly with suggestions for our journey through New Zealand.
We were thrilled to hear Vivace is also open for lunch, and we will not miss the opportunity to dine here upon our return visit to Auckland in three weeks!
Written 10 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sam D
Brisbane1 contribution
Mar 2023 • couples
We went to this restaurant with high hopes due to the myriad of good reviews on here however we were left very disappointed. This is speculation, but the menu reeks of a restaurant in financial distress looking to charge as much as possible whilst cutting corners in the food preparation and we would not return here. I will try to review as fairly as I can.
The good parts: the wait staff are all lovely and the service was good. In terms of the food, the Moroccan chicken dish I enjoyed
Unfortunately, the prosciutto pizza was not good. It was made with what I suspect is pre-purchased dough that had not risen properly with not enough salt in it. The prosciutto was placed in before it went in the oven which is not right. It tasted like a home made pizza a child might make but cost $25.
The $30 gnocchi (for small size, main is $40!) was no good. Gnocchi not cooked properly (like paste inside and you could squash it with a spoon) and made from pumpkin which was not advertised. The “creamy” Napoletan sauce was orange with 2 pieces of chicken in it which I’ve not seen before (Napoletan sauce is red with herbs). Regardless of semantics though it did not taste good. I think there needs to be some education about how to cook these dishes.
I found the staff lovely in dealing with my polite feedback at the end and with thanks for the discount but we could not come back here. The prices are also far too high without justification for this quality of food. This is in comparison to the other restaurants we’ve been to in NZ in the past 2 weeks.
Written 23 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mandyl501
Hi Sam,
We were devastated to read this - especially the first paragraph.
Every day we all arrive hoping to "make people's day" and very clearly, for you we did not. For that we apologize.
Our pizza dough is made by hand in house every morning. Our golden kumara gnocchi has been made to the same recipe since 1992 - always with kumara and we have not purchased a pumpkin this year. We are so sad to hear that it was not to your liking.
Thank you for dining with us and again, apologies that you did not enjoy the experience or the food.
Written 27 March 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Roger L
1 contribution
Jul 2023 • couples
The second time we have been to Vivace, first time a pre show dinner. It was excellent food. This time back to fully appreciate the food and dinning , we had a 4 course meal and wine match as part of the Heart of the City August Resturants promotion. A relaxed and memorable taste experience. Staff were very attentive and we never felt rushed.
Written 18 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mandy Lusk
Thank you both so very much for choosing to dine with us again. We know there are an awful lots of restaurants out there to choose from so the fact you returned is even more appreciated.
Written 20 August 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Adventure748086
3 contributions
Feb 2023 • couples
Excellent food and service, very nice ambiance. The hostess gave extra effort to find us a table. Our server Tye was very attentive, great recommendations for wine, main meal and dessert. The filet was best I have ever had, done perfectly. Sides were delicious as was the apricot Malvasia. Highly recommend!
Written 13 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jksgrand
Saint Cloud11 contributions
Jan 2023 • couples
Delicious restaurant find on our visit to Auckland. We had fantastic service from Tye. So nice to have a server who is so friendly and knowledgeable. When we asked for recommendations, he listened to what we liked and made wonderful suggestions. We shared the Hot tapas meatballs and Spaghetti - Aglio e olio with prawns. Both were flavorful and delicious. After when Tye found out we were heading to Queenstown, he took the time to offer suggestions of places to go and dine while we were there. We highly recommend dining there, and ask for Tye!
Written 30 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mike F
Napier27 contributions
Dec 2022 • couples
I don't often write reviews but we had dinner at Vivace restaurant on New Year's Eve . Wonderful atmosphere and the food was a Taste sensation . We had the prawns for starters which were unbelievable as well at the goats cheese balls . The eye fillet steak and slow cooked lamb shoulder for mains was also stunning . The service was second to none and the owners Mandy and Gene were unbelievable hosts and ensured everyone was enjoying themselves . I hadn't been to Vivace for a while but it seems to just get better and better !
Written 31 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
cleo01paw
Bay of Plenty Region226 contributions
May 2023 • family
Group of 6 family members celebrated a graduation with pre-dinner drinks and an excellent dinner, all supported with great service. A selection of very good small plates was a great way to start. Everyone very happy with their main plate choices, which included a couple of different risotto dishes (the mushroom especially good). The menu provided a good range. Not strictly Italian, but great all the same. All acknowledged Vivace was an excellent choice and good value.
Written 23 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thembi Moraes
Auckland137 contributions
Jun 2024 • couples
Had lunch on my birthday. Very warm ambiance. Good food and great service. The prawns were nor what l was expecting as their coriander sauce was very mashy, too much as well. I really liked their pork ribs. Good quantity and great quality and taste too. Will definitely recommend the ribs. My husband enjoyed their muled wine while l had a cocktail 🍸. The steak was perfect except for the sauce which was sweet however the side vegetables complemented it well.
Written 19 June 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Muz Sue B
Auckland Central23 contributions
Jun 2024 • couples
Excellent… as always!
Vivace has always been one of my favourite restaurants (though its various locations).
A great menu (one where you’d be happy to choose any of the dishes) … and where the food never disappoints.
Also a very good wine list.
The service is excellent.
Mandy and her team do a fantastic job!
Written 20 June 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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