Viva Brazil in Cardiff

We've been to a lot of similar restaurants, and this was one of the least positive. Service was very good apart from one person whom clearly wasn't a happy being their. But the food salad bar was ok, but from cracked dry cheese and the skin on some of the sauces/ dips made it unappetising, mixed meats were dry and dehydrated. With Magor garlic over load ( I love garlic), but theirs a limit. I'm guessing the weekend may be better with a higher volume of customers, but for us, it was experience for what was available

First time visiting here, we went for a late lunch, at table for 3.30pm, although we only went to salad bar once you can fill your plate as much as you want, the meats were delicious, service was great and when the bill was brought to the table we were actually told the service was optional which I thought was a nice touch, during the meal a waiter would pop over to the table to check everything was OK this happened several times again a really nice touch, very attentive, will definitely be going here again

It was a great venue for Mums 80th, the staff were lovely

Warm welcome, great personal service at the table by our server. 14 different meats with too much beef maybe but nevertheless an enjoyable evening. The homemade creme caramel was outstanding.

Wow such a hidden gem in town, I really loved the atmosphere, exceptional staff members and clean bathrooms.Wellnif you a rw a meat lover you get to try all different kinds of meat dishes.Their buffet is simply the best.Good value for money, even the drinks are well priced.The music and the vibe is outstanding.Definately booking again sooner

I had an extremely disappointing experience at Viva Brazil in Cardiff. The food was served cold, and the quality left much to be desired. The service was painfully slow; the waiter took an unreasonable amount of time to attend to our table, which made the whole experience even more frustrating. The atmosphere did not capture the vibrant, authentic Brazilian vibe at all—it felt dull and uninspired. For anyone looking for a true Brazilian dining experience, I would strongly advise avoiding this place. It was simply not worth the time or money. I would give 0 stars, but not possible

Bland, busy and basic. Not worth your time nor money. The meat is tasteless and chewy, the salad bar is acceptable and the service is inconsistent. There are far better places in Cardiff to go. It was interesting, I overheard all of the tables around us saying it was their first time dinning there. It appears to be a one and done type of place.

Amazing place and great food. The salad bar was second to nine and the food itself was shaving. Definitely a great place to visit

Awesome, attentive service. Great salad bar. Very flavorful meat served as each person preferred it. Well done, medium, etc. Very good,This was our first visit, and it certainly won't be our last! The concept and the food was outstanding! The staff were amazing 👏 Really looking forward to our next visit. Congratulations to a great team of people, especially to Luiz and Clayton, wishing you every success.

I went to this place in Cardiff with a colleague who had been there years ago, and had been telling me about it for a while. Unfortunately I wasn't thrilled, but he also says it's changed compared to years ago. We opted for the buffet + meat formula (served at the table as is customary in churrasheries in Brazil, with skewers and cut on the spot) The buffet was varied, but nothing exceptional. Good fejoada (I don't remember how to spell it) For the meat section, nothing in particular, not even the pichanja impressed me. We left with a mouth lined with scary garlic. 😅 Overall, I wouldn't return but not bad either, let's say at school I would have given an educational 6

If you want feast! This is the place to go!. Great atmosphere and the staff are very attentive. Like the red/green disc that you use to control the flow of delicious meat! The cinnamon pineapple to finish off is sublime!

Alex was a brilliant member of staff and brought an excellent customer service and deserves a raise

Stunning food. We went on a Sunday lunchtime, our server alex was so lovely. The meat was amazing and we loved the self service buffet too. Will definitely go again. The cinnamon pineapple was divine 😋

Absolutely fantastic food. Great buffet selection and the constant supply of various meats are all delicious. We've been 3 times so far and will be back again. Highly recommended

A dream place to eat at! Loved absolutely everything, and specially the meats! Very tasty and juicy. Also, the pineapple: a must try! Have to mention the cocktails: we all agreed that it was the best pina colada we have ever had! We came with a very picky 6 year old, and the staff made him feel very welcome, gave him special attention and provided the food he actually loved. And definitely core memory was made by the magician! Thank you so much ❤️ It is pricy but everything was absolutely perfect and worth every single pound.

Fantastic place, bet you can't beat the buffet though 😄

For £38/head I expected more. Meat was tough to chew, dry, and tasteless. Service was good for the time we went (on Sunday 4:30PM, as they weren’t as busy as I imagine at peak times), but we weren’t sat until we got up to a staff and asked about our booking. A good spot if you're in the mood for steak, but the experience can get a bit repetitive and boring after a while. The endless servings of meat are appealing at first, but the novelty wears off quickly. The sides were underwhelming and didn't add much to the meal. Overall, it was a decent dining experience, but given the price, I expected more variety and quality. Not quite worth the cost in the end.

Absolutely awfully disappointed with the place. The service was not existent ( the waitress were looking bored). I asked for water as the food was over cooked and salty - we were 5 people, we got one bottle of water and no glasses. My friend after asking 3 waiting staff who were passing, decided to take the glasses from another table. A lot of items from £40 menu not available ( we werent informed at the point of entry), so not really place where you want to eat on Sunday evening. No information on website that you will be charged £10 per person if you cancel the booking ( terms and conditions, which we all know not everyone is reading). Food over cooked, salty, minimum portion and the most of all awaful service ( i give one star as the boys who carried the meat were really nice) waitresses with no customers service at all, we have asked to remove the service charges as they dont deserve anything a part of being fired. No one attended our table to clean glasses or plates, we ordered the drink from the bar directly as we were tired of waiting for anyone to take our drink order Please avoid at all cost, the worst place ever. I booked for my husband birthday and was disappointed beyond believing.

Nice place to have a dinner with family and friends

Fab place,lush food and friendly staff x

Sorry but, a churrascaria is all about the meat. We had the full £40-per-person service and every.single.one of the meats we got was ridiculously overcooked. I haven't cheffed in 17 years and i still could do a better grill than these guys who pay someone to be their chef .. Salad bar was excellent, but it's not a great consolation. Service was ok. I wouldn't go back. I wouldn't recommend it.

I went here with family for a birthday celebration. This was my first visit to a Viva Brazil restaurant and it was thoroughly enjoyed by myself and the whole family. Our server was very quite but friendly. The meats were excellent and of good quality. The salad bar was fabulous, such a wide variety of salad foods plus plenty of potato choices. Top tip: don't overfill on salad and potatoes because you'll fail to eat all your meats. They also do vegetarian and vegan options for those that don't eat meat. Being a Saturday night the restaurant was really busy so I would recommend booking a table to avoid disappointment. A unique experience but be prepared to pay top prices.

Mostly burned food was served on our table. We were not offered any second round of meat cuts. Servers seemed uninterested and unfriendly . Completely opposite experience compared to our last visit. We had to wait for a long time for the food to be served on our table

Salt… One meat no salt… Second … all the salt from from the first meat plus the salt from the Dead Sea I’m going to be dry for the next 2 years to come.

Very reasonable price, generous portions, lovely meats, and varied salad bar/buffet. Staff were friendly and helpful.

The staff is amazing and Victoria is extremely kind she explains us with details everything in the restaurant because it was our first time. The salad bar is so complete and so delicious i loved the black beans and white rice, polenta, cheeses and salad of course. I really disappointed the Brazilian sausage is not a Brazilian sausage I've trying in others places but this one is like a normal UK pork sausage, the Picanha is the best wow i was impressed with the flavor and the texture pinch of sea salt is the best and the Pineapple 🍍 as well They take walk in and that's so fantastic I recommend this place and definitely I will come back 😍

Fantastic food and service, absolutely loved the chilli chicken and cinnamon pineapple

Wow! What a place. The photo was the only one I took as I was too busy devouring everything they brought to the table. What you see on the plate was just a small helping of what was offered at the salad bar (which is unlimited). We were then brought freshly cooked items from the BBQ, and everything was cooked and seasoned perfectly. The service was also excellent. You've definitely become my favourite place to eat!

Dared to try the Full Rodizio and it did NOT disappoint. Got to sample lots of different cuts, all perfectly cooked and served to your table. Any time you needed a breather you could simply flip the card from green to red. Very much recommend booking in advance as the restaurant was very popular and busy. The salad buffet was very nice also!

Excellent food, meat cooked to perfection, excellent service too. Very busy and only booked 90 minutes beforehand. Highly recommend if you like lots of meat. Salad bar could be more extensive.

Amazing food and incredibly attentive staff. We had a really fun afternoon. The meat was delicious and the self serve sides were also gorgeous. Delighted with the whole experience, topped off with a fun twenty minutes with the magician!

Had an amazing birthday meal out here. They gave me a birthday brownie, which was an amazing surprise and really unexpected. Staff were excellent, super friendly, and accommodating. The food was absolutely delicious. I will definitely be coming back!

A super delicious meal, very good organization, 👏

We choose "Rodizio especial" (the cheapest one), but they charge us with "Full Rodizio" (the richest). Very disappointed, I never come back again! 😫

Best steak I have had in the UK!

Good service and vibe. For meat, beef topside and ribs are the best. Salad buffet has great variety.

Good choices of sides, highlight was the Brazilian beef stew. A lot of the meat was chewy and gristly which was a shame because the flavours were really nice. Marked down on atmosphere because the floor was really slippery and where we were sat was so closed in everytime someone walked past we’d get knocked into.

Great food Barman was great Outstanding service

Viva Brazil in Cardiff is a good spot if you're in the mood for steak, but the experience can get a bit repetitive and boring after a while. The endless servings of meat are appealing at first, but the novelty wears off quickly. The sides were underwhelming and didn't add much to the meal. Overall, it was a decent dining experience, but given the price, I expected more variety and quality. Not quite worth the cost in the end.

The food was great . The waitresses were great . 1 did manage to spill ketchup over my new shorts but it was an accident & these things happen . The Manager was useless though. We asked to box up the remaining food so I could take home for the dogs . He said they do not allow this & he has had alot of people ask and complain about this. I asked why didn't you tell us this before ordering so we was aware and could make our decision whether to still have food there . He kept ignoring the question and waffle on about something else without answering the question like a politician would he went onto say we use to do this & 1 time the people took the food with them left it in the car all day then became ill and blamed the restaurant so they do not allow food to be taken out . then 5 minutes later said if you pay 40 gbp you can take the food on the plate home which is a contradiction to what he said previously how is paying for the food going to make any difference to the previous scenario he said . if someone pays they can still blame the restaurant if ill . the real reason is money money money he also said your lucky we do not have a wastage charge like other restaurants. We asked for his name and he would not give it . The manager is in the pictures below I think it was a real shame as the experience was great before this . however regardless of this and how frustrating it was i feel i need to give an honest and fair review as i would visit again . like i said the food was good but they need to let people know before ordering that they do not allow the food to be boxed up and taken home / doggy bag as it would save them so much hassle and the customer knows exactly what the rules are before ordering . maybe they do not do this as the customer might change their mind about eating there and they lose money but i feel this is dishonest CONCLUSION worth a visit but do not expect to take remaining food in doggy bag and you might have to deal with a useless manager if you have any issues . also the smaller platter is the better option and better value for money unless your a big eater

Food was nice. I felt the chicken was abit dry and needed abit more flavour. The red meat was on point.

Decent Brazilian food for an acceptable price. The service is really good and polite. Recommend if you are missing some BBQ Rodizio.

Very attentive staff, when I explained I was a carnivore. Took the time to advise what I shouldn't have. Very good service.

Food was amazing, the meat cooked to perfection lots of salad , rice and other things to accompany the meats. The staff are really friendly and accommodating. This was our first visit however we will definitely go again. We would recommend this place to anyone.

Viva Brazil in Cardiff is a good spot if you're in the mood for steak, but the experience can get a bit repetitive and boring after a while. The endless servings of meat are appealing at first, but the novelty wears off quickly. The sides were underwhelming and didn’t add much to the meal. Overall, it was a decent dining experience, but given the price, I expected more variety and quality. Not quite worth the cost in the end.

What a fantastic lunch. We had a voucher from Travelzoo. The lunch was a selection of 8 meats and as much salad as you want. We enjoyed it so much we will definitely visit again. The staff and atmosphere was brilliant.

Had a fantastic dining experience, friendly staff and excellent service. Nora was especially great and was very professional after an incident. We appreciate all the staff there today and look forward to coming back again soon!

It was our first time visiting for my birthday. It's safe to say the food was great and the service was fantastic. Certainly no shortage of food and the servers were more than generous with their portions. They were also very accommodating for my eldest who has autism and is very fussy with his food. Would highly recommend.

First visit to this restaurant, a little pricey. Nearly £90 for my husband and I was a little shocking and that was with one drink each. Definitely recommend it though and the foods lovely.

They have an interesting menu that allows you to taste an incredible variety of dishes, a good option if you are looking for a centrally located restaurant.

Something different,great if you're a meat lover.excellent service.

Been many times before but this time wasn't so good and since they changed the menu I wasn't a fan of the chicken wings (flavour) , pork ribs(tough) or gammon(salty) but did like the parmesan pork Brazilian sausages and the garlic steak. The seating layout had changed which I wasn't keen on and the tables were really close together

Have small portions at the beginning so you get through the range of meats on offer. Salad bar available to. Plenty to eat and mostly really nice.

No one to greet us on turning up 5 mins before our booking. Eventually someone greeted us and went away to check the booking. When he did come back asked us to wait at the bar, nobody there to serve us. 5 mins later the same person walked past us and said he was preparing our table (two thirds of restaurant was empty and tables setup). Eventually taken to table past food on floor and had to wait another 5-10mins before someone else came and told us procedures in the restaurant. Not asked if we wanted drinks and not offered the £17 lunchtime offer only told we were having the £26 menu option. The 'salad' could have been a main meal but took another r r 10 mins before meat was offered to us at the table. This meal left two out of three of us with a bad stomach. If I could give service a zero I would. I would love to see Gordon Ramsey there with his Hell on Wheels kitchen, because I know I know we won't be going back.

Didn't have a chance to try the food, as the waitress was very rude. Left without waiting for the table.

Where to start Well, it's supposed to be a BRAZILIAN restaurant, but the name is almost Brazilian. Lunch> not much meat, the buffet lacked some basic things (fried potatoes, cabbage, among others) what was available was very tasteless, the fried banana WAS THE BEST I'VE EVER EAT 5*, the drinks took a long time to arrive, and the BRAZILIAN sausage 😂😂😂😂😂 it's a joke (the sausage is from the UK and has nothing to do with the Brazilian one) Ambiance> the space is beautiful and spacious, the music is another joke (Spanish 😂😂😂😂) The waiters I DID NOT SEE ANY BRAZILIANS all English (speakers) In short> I don't recommend it for anyone looking for typical food and it's not cheap at £28 per person

First time at Viva Brazil, after having tried Casa Brasil and Fogo de Chão. I was really disappointed with the quality of the meat. The meat was either dry or chewy and either bland or too salty. The sausage they claim is Brazilian is most definitely not a Brazilian sausage (you'd expect either toscana or calabresa, instead you get a breakfast sausage). The buffet was also underwhelming without a lot of variety. The service was lovely and welcoming, but I will not be coming back as it's not worth the price you pay.

Brazilian "rodicio" in heart of Cardiff. Great variety of very good meat cuts and reasonably varied free buffet. Excellent roasted pineapple for dessert. The attention was fantastic. I would highlight that while our reservation was for just two people, a friend that was just passing by while we were mid-way through dinner was allowed to come in and seat with us in our table without the need to order anything.

Had a great deal through Travelzoo for lunch for 2 with a drink each for £35. Service was fab from start to finish, the girls there work so hard and a fantastic job they do too! We were quickly seated, drinks order taken, and process explained within the first 10 minutes Items on the salad bar looked (and tasted) fresh and delicious with a lovely range to choose from. But the meat was absolutely stunning! Of the 7 courses, I only skipped the chilli chicken (not a spice fan) and didn't really enjoy the sausage but the rest of the meat was gorgeous! Juicy, tender and perfectly seasoned. The only slight downer was there were a couple of large parties that were a bit on the loud side but the acoustics of the place made it sound so much louder but it didn't stop us from enjoying the experience. Would highly recommend 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Great lunchtime dining experience!

Fantastic food and service, really enjoyed our time and staff made us feel welcomed.

Excellent service food was beautiful. There was also a magician there who was very entertaining

The best Brazilian style restaurant I've been to in the UK. Fantastic meats, excellent salad bar, speedy and friendly service. Brilliant.

Hi everyone so I will share my experience Two friend and me, Sunday dinner between 20:00 and 21:30, maybe is because we come little late, but most of salads have been gone or old in buffet, the back beans is only soup and don’t have many options to choose, I understand that in a Steakhouse( churrascaria) we came to eat beef’s not salad or beans, but for 39£, all the foods need to be fresh, don’t matter the time. About the meat, chicken hearts overcooked, ribs dry, hard & tasteless, ‘Brazilian’ sausages tasted like supermarket sausages, most of the steaks so undercooked, garlic bread also undercooked with no ‘garlic taste’. But our dinner have was saved by the amazing waiter called Dounia, she is completely helpful and kindly, she asking for meat for the right way for us, all time friendly and smiling, the pineapple that’s great. Drinks are okay. Thank you.

Not a great welcome creating, some of the beef was tough but generally really tasty. Garlic bread was undercooked and doughy. Can't fault the service. Our waitress was really good.

Such a shame to see how the food has changed & sadly not for the better. This was about our fifth visit over the years and I’m sorry to say we will not be returning- the meat was fairly tasteless. The chicken hearts overcooked, ribs dry, hard & tasteless, ‘Brazilian’ sausages tasted like supermarket sausages, rump steak so undercooked almost raw, garlic bread also undercooked with no ‘garlic taste’. Went to the bar while we awaited our table, 2 staff behind the bar. One stocking up the fridges etc. totally ignoring customer waiting. The other started preparing drinks after I had arrived at the bar, presumably the drinks were for a table, however the member of staff didn’t so much as acknowledge me. No polite nod, ‘will be with you in a minute’ etc. by the way neither the bar or the restaurant were busy! Lots of empty tables. The best thing on offer was the buffet - really disappointing experience

Great meal, hot and tasty. Staff very friendly and helpful

Fatty meat and expensive. Look on Compaines House and search Viva Brazil Cardiff before making any payments for future bookings. The company has been dissolved.

I hope thats not traditional brazilian food. Never had such an Bad Steak before. Sidedishes was dry and tasteless. Never ever again

Came for lunch it was very nice and I’m super full. Thanks.

If you love meat come here. A little pricey but you pay for steak cuts etc

Dunia was the perfect hostess! Food was fantastic! Will come again soon. The pineapple was amazing, but the best meat was the gammon.

Dunia was fabulous. Really friendly and helpful. Nothing was too much trouble. We just need to know how to make the cinnamon pineapple at home.

We came for something to eat before the concert. What a great food and atmosphere. Our waitress Dunia was outstanding and so friendly. Defiantly will be back

Dunia was great, attentive but not intrusive. The perfect combination of friendly and respectful. The food was superb as usual, the Pichana is still my favourite.

Excellent, will absolutely go again. Food was delish 😋

It’s a shame to see how much it’s changed since I came for the first time few years ago. Food quality has really gone down a lot, not much food on the buffet and the meat was dry and tasteless. Service was not great at all. We have to wait so long to them to come with meat also staff doesn’t seem to be happy. I definitely won’t come back it was the first time my friends tried Brazilian food and it ruined the experience.

The best cooking in the country!

Always fantastic experience. Food, service and atmosphere brilliant

Team was lovely. But the food quality this time was not up to previous visits. Pork Ribs were dry and revived with a sauce. Other meats looked more boiled than flame cooked. Side buffet was nice as usual. Bit disappointed really.

Went here for fathers day treat and came out of the stuffed to the max. Besides all the meats an sides you can eat they had an offer of a free 28day old 10 ounce ribeye for the fathers, and it tasted lush, cooked to perfection. This place is well worth a visit.

On travelling to Cardiff for a concert we got recommendations from a friend about where to eat and he said we should try here. We werent disappointed. On arrival it was explained to us by our waiter about how the restaurant worked, you use the red side of a card to halt any meats coming around to be carved at your table and green to welcome a new meat. The meat was all delicious and good to experience different styles of meat. The salad bar was self service and all you can eat. A different experience and would try again.

Friendly helpful staff. Nothing is too much to ask.... within reason of corse. Love it.

Today, Monday, we ate at this restaurant, and the service and food have been impeccable, especially the attention of the Manager, his name is Jonathan, we will surely return again.

We were there with my colleague last week. It was a great experience. One of the best all you can eat meat experiences I've had actually. Words were not enough to describe the taste of their picanha. It was perfectly cooked and the level of fat was just amazing. Service was very friendly and attentive as well. If I visit Cardiff ever again, I'll definitely stop by for another time.

Great place to go if you love meat. Sooo much food I had a protein coma after. Great service and super friendly staff

Absolutely stunning food. The cheese steak was the best❤️

It was terrible. Meat was very chewy and salty. This was the first time I visited and I will never go back. Poorly cooked meat, had to fill up on the salad x never ever again. 8 of us went for birthday celebrations. We were so disappointed we all paid our bill and went straight home feeling sad.

1st time here to celebrate my 40th Birthday what an awful experience the waiter just forgot about us when asked to repeat a meat we was told that we could floor was full of food tables left dirty very disappointing.

Absolutely amazing and well worth the cost

My first time at a Brazilian BBQ, if only for the experience you must try the full rodizio. 14 dishes or courses of different meats including pineapple. There is a buffet island with Brazilian fare but don't carb up too much if you want to go full meat attack. There are pescatarian and vegan alternates too along with other menus too.

Great sinner had here, lots of different meats to choose from. Nice varied salad bar. Staff very friendly

Great food beer and service . Recommend visiting

Name it, they have it. One stop point to quench your omnivorous instinct

Fantastic only wish we'd had more time to book at night

No atmosphere. No customer service. Salad left over from lunch wilted. Half the salad bar empty and not refilled. At £38.95 a head pretty poor. Gamin too salty. All guests crammed into one corner to facilitate their staff but horribly close to other patrons to enjoy the experience.

The food was absolutely amazing, especially the picanha cut and pork sausages. A good selection on halal options as well upon request, highly recommended!

Takes a bit of getting used too but once seated, you get meats carved at your table. Meat portions were good, our waiter was a very nice man who engaged in conversation every time he brought us new meat to try. Fourteen meats to try in the dinner menu, although I had about nine, while my wife managed about five. Some of the best meat you will eat, although pace yourself. Can be a bit salty so be prepared to drink plenty of beer 🤣

Awesome restaurant. Great meats. Been here many times. Really highly recommend this place for a nice dinners, dated and/or celebrations!

Amazing food as always and the waiter was amazing. Wish I got her name but she was awesome, thank you to the pregnant waiter, you were the best. Best Brazilian food I have had in a long time. Garlic steak and cinnamon pineapple is a must try, trust me!