Vivace

Great food, service & ambiance. Party of 5 with several appetizers, entrees and after dinner drinks. We’ll be back soon for hopefully another great experience!

I moved to North Hills and was excited to try this place. It was good but not great! Amazing and cozy atmosphere, awesome outdoor seating but the food didn’t quite match. My friend ordered off of the gluten free menu and we don’t believe everything on her plate was truly GF as promised. I had salmon and it was flavorful. I highly recommend the caprese salad, light and refreshing.

Ok. The Bruschetta is killer. I’d definitely get that again. I could eat it forever. The brussels sprouts are also delicious. For dinner, I got the pan-​roasted grouper. The fish itself was delightful — flaky, tender, and moist, with a nice sear on the edges. The swiss chard, though, was not to my taste. The way it was cooked was a bit too bitter, and I was a bit sad about it.

Usually a great place but the bar tender is not welcoming and more concerned with clean up and texting.
I won’t be back ever on a Monday evening…

Just average. Tables very close together. Hard to have a conversation. Food was Ok. Service a little slow. Had to ask for another table as we were seated (with a reservation) right at the front door. While we understand the regulars get priority seating, to sit us right at the door with the cold coming in on us, as customers came in and out, wasn’t acceptable. We decided to «vacation» in our own city this year … and selected this restaurant based upon it’s reviews. Would not come back. Not a good start for 2016 for us.

We come here a few times a week, your neighborhood upscale restaurant that knows your name. Food is great and staff is better.

In Italian, Vivace means liveliness and levity, so it’s only fitting that the restaurant incorporates both those elements. The buoyant bar scene and vivacious dining area make for a popular favorite among those young, urban professionals who want to see and be seen out and about North Hills. The food delivers ultra fresh Italian favorites with a refreshing modern edge. The caprese salad gets an update with seasoned tomatoes, the brussels are loaded with prosciutto and a savory balsamic kick, and the the cheese plate will leave you dreaming about truffles. And that’s just the shared plate menu! It’s a perfect spot for apres works cocktails and apps with friends or coworkers, but because the scene is as satisfying as the menu, make sure to get there early or opt for a reservation if you want a guaranteed table.

Wow what a find! Had some nice special spaghetti (made was with pork Joel meat) yummy And the noodles were perfectly aldente ! Oh yea we ordered the roasted Brussels sprouts for appetizer. They are one of the best. We have had them somewhere else and they were equally as good! Great food and bookmarked this place when we come back someday.

Great casual atmosphere with an upscale feel. The menu had a lot of varied food items and unique ingredients. Bring an Italian translator for some of the menu items, it’s that authentic. We went on a Sunday evening and it was not crowded at all. It is not a noisy restaurant and it was easy to have a conversation. The waitstaff was professional and attentive and the open styled exhibition kitchen made it interesting to watch the chefs create your meals. I would definitely go to this restaurant again and I am looking forward to their new restaurant opening in Durham.

Took my family here when they were visiting from CA. We had a lovely meal which included:
1. Beef carpaccio — raw, thinly sliced beef with capers. Light and refreshing way to start the meal.
2. Brussel sprouts — paired with tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, and light hints of some type of creamy sauce that added an extra dimension of flavor.
3. Caprese salad — fresh cheese slices paired with basil and tomatoes. A classic.
4. Ribeye steak — very large portion size, perfect for meat lovers, paired with earthy root vegetables in a gravy-​like sauce.
5. Olive oil cake — paired with hints of orange and a side of mascarpone cheese
Overall, I’d give the food 4 stars. Honestly, I’ve had better Italian, but everything here was good to quite good. I’d say this restaurant would be a dependable place for a tasty, albeit not awe-​inspiring, meal. But the service is truly absolutely outstanding! Polite, extremely attentive in the most unobtrusive way possible. Staff know the menu and gave wonderful wine pairing suggestions. Additionally, my dad is very picky in the type of pasta and sauce he likes to eat. The waiter was able to talk to the chef, and they created a dish specifically for my dad. That meant quite a lot to me, and propels them to 5 star status. Bravo!

Vivace is an excellent choice for dinner at North Hills! We went here on a Wednesday night and it was surprisingly busy, so I was glad we made reservations beforehand. It definitely felt more like a Friday night, with the bar bustling and a few big parties celebrating. So it had a really great atmosphere. If you want to eat outside, they also have a small patio with umbrellas.
We ordered the Prosciutto San Danielle as our appetizer, which is prosciutto topped with some of their homemade cheese, grilled strawberries, and a drizzle of balsamic. It does sound like an odd combination to have meat, strawberries, and cheese all together in one bite, but the flavors complemented each other very well and it was a delicious dish.
I’ve been here several times, and my favorite items on the menu are their pizzas. Don’t get me wrong, the pasta and other dishes are great too, but the pizzas are big enough for 2 meals for me and they are a good deal. This time I ordered the Carne pizza, which had so much flavor. There were some hot peppers on it, so for those who can’t handle heat, I suggest ordering one of the other pizzas. It is a thin crust, and I like that they don’t put on too much sauce, because I get to taste more of the cheese.
Vivace is a great option if you are looking for a place for a date night or a place to celebrate. They have great service and good food!

I’ve never been disappointed in this place. I love that they have outdoor seating for warm Spring days such as this one. I also love that gnocchi is a staple on their dinner menu. Finally, I also love the excellent service I receive at each visit. Today I had the four cheese ravioli, which although filled me up, wasn’t too much food. Their hummus and bread starter is yummy too!

Vivace by far has one of the best atmospheres when it comes to the dining scene in Raleigh. I’ve been here several times and have always enjoyed my meal. I really like their pizzas and salads. I’m not a big pasta eater and enjoy that they have a lot of variety on the menu.
Eating out on their patio is fantastic, now that the weather is warm this is the first place I think about when dining al fresco. The service is always superb and I feel well taken care of. I stopped in for lunch on the patio today and our server made sure we had everything we needed. I couldn’t believe how fast our food came out this is a go to place for a quick lunch.
I ordered the house salad with salmon. A very generous portion of fresh greens, tomatoes, red onions, ricotta salata and a light lemon dressing. The salmon was cooked perfectly and for $ 12 I think this was quite a deal.
The bread they serve with hummus which is such a nice change from the usual butter. I recently tried their mushroom flatbread as well and it was really tasty. Vivace puts out some quality food in a great environment. Get outside and enjoy this nice weather on the patio before it gets to hot.

I dined here with a friend for lunch and we both ordered the house salad with salmon. The salad was so delicious I scarfed it down without breathing. I can’t believe how good it was. I am still thinking about that salad now. The salmon was seasoned well and the lemon vinaigrette didn’t drown out the other ingredients on the salad.
I know they have other things on their menu and I will try them at some point after I grow tired of the salad…:-)

I read an article that Vicace is moving to Durham and is taking over Pop’s old location and knew I had to stop what I was doing and review the restaurant so that everyone will be as excited as I am that they’re moving to Durham! I’ve been to the North Hills location twice and both times had a fantastic dining experience. Excellent food, fantastic cocktails and the service was superb. Vivace is not only great for a date night, but also is high on the list for a ladies night (cocktails on the patio or in the bar «lounge» area). They also have seating directly in front of the kitchen, so you can watch the chefs cook – I have a secret agenda of finding all the Triangle’s open kitchens like this!
Vivace is authentic Italian food, fresh pasta, wood fired pizzas and classy cocktails. They have a very well rounded menu but also have a three course meal that changes weekly with fresh and creative specials. I recommend either ordering a bottle of red wine for the table or trying a cocktail (they’re creative and delicious). The first time I visited Vivace, we ordered a pizza which was cooked perfectly. The second time I couldn’t say no to a special they were currently having with fresh, handmade ravioli stuffed with lamb. That is what truly made the experience top notch as it was by far the best ravioli I’ve had out. And to prove to you that I truly couldn’t get enough I will also tell you that I shortly thereafter received a pasta maker (because of this experience) and have been practicing ever since! I can’t recommend Vivace enough and am so very excited for their new Durham location, I will be waiting patiently for opening night!

Oh, Vivace, what happened?
I recently came back here for my friend’s birthday dinner & 9 out of 12 of us did not enjoy our food. I tried the birthday girl’s food (which she didn’t even eat half of), and it was not good at all. It either lacked seasoning or I finally tried food that tasted bad in a restaurant. Unfortunately, I raved about this place. Really confused, especially after I hyped it up saying how delicious and awesome Vivace was, I asked our server if the chef has changed. And indeed there has been a new chef within the year. Unfortunately I have to say that Vivace is no longer a favorite of mine…

Yum, yum, yum! A day later and my mouth still salivates thinking of the delicious meal I had at Vivace!
My girlfriend and I were overwhelmed with all the delicious food options that we decided to split two dishes – the pasta bolognese and the veal saltimbocca – both were amazing! Full of flavor and good size portions. This is my favorite Italian place in Raleigh yet!
For desert we had the zepolli (deep fried donuts) which were also very tasty. We ordered a carafe of sangria for the table – good taste and not very strong (alcohol). The wonderful service complemented our delicious meal – very attentive and friendly server.
Only noticeable room for improvement is the bread – it was plain, flavorless and not very exciting.
Ambiance is perfect for date night or night out with girlfriends. Was very busy (Thursday night) so I would recommend making a reservation.
I’ll definitely visit Vivace soon!

I’ve been here a number of times because it always seems to be what I’m in the mood for — because it is absolutely delicious.
The only reason it does not get 5 stars is because the service is inconsistent. Sometimes it’s wonderful, and sometimes it’s awful (especially if you sit outside).
For appetizers, the mussels are amazing, and the Brussels sprouts, meatballs, caprese salad are all good as well. In the summer they had a chilled corn soup which was a favorite of mine.
My go-​to for dinner is the four cheese ravioli, and the risotto is great as well. They change their menu seasonally but it’s always good — I’ve tried several different risotto variations, all of which were tasty and unique. Once my boyfriend got a 32 oz bone-​in ribeye when we celebrating, and it was one of the best steaks either of us have ever had.
Vivace is a great date spot or for dinner with a group of girls. A moderate twist on traditional Italian and the food is consistently tasty.

Have been to Vivace a few times now, it’s always been pretty good but never great. Went tonight with my family and had an average experience.
Their bread was really good, but the Italian hummus spread could have been better. We started with bruschetta which I must say was really good, but it was not bruschetta. It did not have the typical fresh ingredients, it was more like a pizza. For the main course I had the black linguine which came out pretty cold and a little too al dente. No one in my family raved about their meal, we all thought it was ok.
I must add, something that put a big damper on the evening was how hot the restaurant was, we were dying. I will also add that there are not too many affordable wines on the wine list. The menu also was a bit confusing due to all of the Italian writing. It should be more clear what each dish is and what comes with each meal.
Pros are the atmosphere and we had good service. I would probably give 3.5 stars if I could but since I can’t that’s why I’m sticking to a 3. If it was a cheaper restaurant the quality of the food would be acceptable, but for the price, you expect more.

A public service announcement: Get thee to Vivace for Triangle Restaurant week! Sis & I went Monday night, tried all six items on the special menu, and all were excellent!
(see pics).
We started with Pancetta and Caccio Ricotta Bruschetta. Oh my! Neither of us have had (nor still have) any idea of what caccio ricotta is, but there was wonderful creamy white stuff (sweeter and smoother than regular ricotta) on bread with pancetta and maybe a touch of honey? Yum! We also got the Caesar Salad which was a wonderful traditional caesar, but the cheese in it was two-ways…straight up good quality parmesan, with another cooked version that really added to it. Off to a great start! Meanwhile, we were sharing a nice light bottle of chardonnay.
Onward to the «Primi» course: We got one each of these two «pastas». One was a SMOKED TOMATO AGNOLOTTI, lump crab, sweet pea and mint purée. Just remembering this makes me weak in the knees. Yes, that good. Very rich. Sumptuous. sigh. With it we also shared: FENNEL GNOCCHI, swordfish confit, basil, meyer lemon crème fraiche. I’m not a huge gnocchi fan, but this was beautifully done. Light yet rich… very flavorful!
We could have stopped here, but we still had the savory «Secondi» course. Again we shared one of each: GRILLED PORK CHOP, aglianico braised kale, blistered tomato and SALMON, semolina gnocchi, citrus brown butter vinaigrette, grilled asparagus. Both dishes were cooked to perfection. The pork chop was in a rich red wine sauce. Salmon was light. We each took some home, because we couldn’t finish it all.
Needless to say there was no room for dessert. Three courses were just $ 30 for Triangle Restaurant Week… an amazing deal for the quality! Especially loved that they were all savory. I would much rather have an appetizer than a dessert.
Service was excellent, by the way. We sat on the patio and it was a beautiful, memorable evening.
Highly recommend this place for restaurant week, or everyday!