Viva La Mexicana in Bristol, City of

Love this restaurant! I'm from Texas and it is hands down the best traditional Mexican you can get in Bristol. Staff are always lovely.

Viva la mexicana catered for my 40th birthday party. It was amazing. They provided hot plates for tacos and quesellias. Beans, rice, corn and salsas. Everyone loved it. They did a lovely set up too. Guests loved it and it was a great way to have food at a party 🥳 Would recommend. Lovely people too. ❤️

I rode the bus from the other side of bristol with my 2 year old son. I wanted to introduce him to Mexican cuisine for the first time. Alas they were closed, on a night their website and google both show they should be open. I checked both their facebook and instagram before I left which has no notice of a closure. We both left disappointed as we’d been looking forward to it all weekend.

The food is a delight, no Mexican restaurant compares to Viva La Mexicana. Everything delicious.

I am Mexican and I was visiting Bristol and I was truly delighted to find traditional Mexican food, a nice, warm place and very good service. I would love to return soon

Food, decor, ambience, all authentic Mexican place. And we were happy to find out that the waitress was from Puebla, which we had fond memories of from our time in Mexico.

Friendly service but it’s very dated and only one person serving.

Amazing authentic Mexican food. Small menu but all great, especially the Tequila Ribs!

Good food, good price, ok in average.

Absolutely authentic Mexican food!!! Been searching for a place like this for a long time. Thank you, it was perfect!!

I had already consumed in this place when I was a PhD student in Bristol. The best Mexican food in town

This is a hidden gem! The staff are so lovely and thoughtful we went for my friends birthday and they really pulled out all the stops. My favourite place in Bristol :)

I myself have never been here or step foot in the UK at all, I just feel like this place is cool

What a fantastic find. Really enjoyed some excellent food and drinks. Great friendly staff and a super atmosphere

Absolutely delicious food, warm welcome and great service. Couldn't reccomend highly enough. Best Mexican restaurant in Bristol.

Amazing Mexican food served by friendly staff.

The service couldn’t have been more delightful and warming. The food is SO interesting and authentic. We had such a lovely evening. Independent places like this deserve to be celebrated more! A beautiful experience. Will definitely be coming back!

Hidden gem in Bedminster. Fabulous restaurant serving authentic Mexican food. Fantastic flavours and great service. Highly recommended and we will definitely be going again

Hidden gem in Bedminster. This is a fabulous restaurant serving authentic Mexican food. The food was delicious, great flavours and great service. Highly recommend. We will definitely be going again.

I have been here before. I really enjoyed food that's why I will go again and again.

Absolutely fantastic, lovely margaritas! Family vibe and very tasty good food! Options for vegans, veggie and meat eaters. 10/10

Great place with delicious and authentic Mexican food. Plus great drinks and a lovely atmosphere. Will definitely be going back!

Excellent traditional Mexican food! It’s clear with some of the reviews that some people don’t know what Mexican food is. If you are looking for something delicious look no further. Will be back!

The lady serving was so lovely, she was by herself on Friday night but was still very attentive and managed all the tables very well. The cocktails are soooo good, very strong and great price. Very yummy food, enchiladas were delicious! Overall great experience for a great price, highly recommend :)

Such a great find in Bedminster, we had margaritas, pork tacos and nachos and it was all delicious and authentic. Very good value and lovely friendly staff. Will be back to try more!

Absolutely lovely food, cocktails and service. One of the best places I have eaten in South Bristol

Great food, amazing service. the meat wqs very impressive, recommended 10/10

Just been in with my partner and baby lovely little place amazing tacos

Reheat food nothing fresh and no taste like mexican real food and the tables dirty, sorry but needs more job to do.

Solid authentic Mexican food for Britain. We had the assorted salsas with guac and chips, pork ribs, quesadilla, panuchos, tres leches and buñuelos. The salsas and guac were the highlight of the meal. The chipotle salsa was smoky and thick, the salsa verde was just spicy enough without being painful, and the pineapple and tomatillo salsa was sweet and thick, a good accompaniment to pork. Guac was the style with chopped tomatoes and onion in, not just avocado. The protein fillings were a little bland, and appeared to be just shredded chicken or shredded pork, but the meat quality was good and they were generous with the fillings. We ordered quesadillas but I think they sent out tacos, as there wasn't a shred of cheese to be found anywhere. I was surprised that they were a semi-crispy flour shell that seemed baked instead of fried. Not bad, but also didn't feel very Mexican. But it also came with guac as a condiment and were great with the meat and salsas. The big disappointment was the desserts - they were awful. The tres leches cake came out completely frozen, and my partner who had never had it before thought it was an ice cream cake. The Buñuelos were unseasoned, oily, fried tortilla chips with a drizzle of honey. This was a huge disappointment as good Buñuelos are a proper pastry that can change your life. Honestly the desserts should just come off the menu. The service and communication was spotty, and the website didn't match the printed menu which didn't match the QR code menu so that was a little confusing. Also, the online reservation system doesn't seem to work correctly so if you make a reservation, call it in. Don't use the online tool. Overall we were pretty happy with finding *actual* Mexican food in the UK and are prepared to forgive a lot due to the fact that they've got to modify the menu for an audience that's hesitant to try the food. The only unforgivable item was the lazy, phoned-in dessert.

Lovely authentic food and cocktails, great atmosphere and very friendly service. Would highly recommend.

Just amazing! I enjoyed everything of this experience. The food was so tasty and delicious, the drinks so well balanced and the staff just welcoming and happy to give a valuable service. Can’t wait to come back and try more food. Thanks 😊

Very disappointed, I went in for a takeaway and was asked to use the app. After struggling with the app the waitress took my order. The tacos were just small chicken fillet strip in a wrap, and the enchiladas were just a larger version In a sauce. I could have done better myself. I have had better and cheaper out of KFC. I'm not going to comment in public what else I have to complain about but I will not be going there again.

Soggy bland food, quesadilla very soggy, nachos again limp...fries cold, burritos warm ish inside and again tasteless, only thing that really had taste were the jarred jalapeños....everything had to go in oven to crisp up and warm up! Not that far to come from...I can walk there in less than 15 mins ...never again!!

Very bad service, no many choruses of food and very noisy

Great margaritas! Awesome vegan enchiladas and my partner enjoyed his caluaco (ribs in tequila sauce). As a California gal this was top notch. Service and atmosphere were so perfect and authentic. Couldn’t ask for anything more. Thank you - we enjoyed every second of our visit.

Absolutely fab restaurant. Staff really helpful and friendly and the food is awesome! I can’t praise the restaurant enough - we had a really lovely evening - thank you.

We’ve eaten quite a lot of Mexican food in America but nothing compares to this place. It’s rustic and homely which adds to its the charm. The staff are lovely and the food is amazing. Worth visiting Bristol for and will definitely be back.

The best meal I've had in a while, the food, drinks and service were all amazing. Loved the atmosphere although it was shame it wasn't a little busier on a Saturday night, don't really understand as it was great all round!

Booked a table, turned up and walked in, no staff anywhere to be seen, walked around for a few minutes, there were no other diners, Friday night 815pm…. Went to a place up the road, disappointed as was staying local.

Really authentic food, great service, a really good find for a local restaurant. C

This wonderful place is 100% recommend. We felt like at home since the first minute, the customer service was 10\10 and the food delicious. I will definitely come back. Thank you very much.

This place is legit. So many fake Mexican places, this is the real deal. Loved it, best food we've had since Mexico. X

100% Authentic Mexican cuisine Best Mexican food ever with very fresh ingredients and delicious cocktails for accessible price. The staff is lovely and the  atmosphere very good. If you are looking for authentic Mexican food full of flavour, Viva la Mexicana is the best choice in Bristol.

¡Vine aquí hace un par de noches y lo pasé de maravilla! ¡Qué hallazgo! Amamos cada minuto. El personal y el propietario fueron muy atentos y amables. La comida y las bebidas eran deliciosas, auténticas y a un precio excelente. Nos encantó la decoración mexicana y la música en todas partes. Gracias por una noche tan memorable y especial.

Viva is always a treat to visit, the welcome and the food is always wonderful. Our first trip back since COVID was super, we felt safe, and they have an app to order and pay with.

Comida deliciosa como siempre - un auténtico sabor de comida mexicana; hecho por una encantadora familia mexicana. Este es un hallazgo raro en Bristol y el ambiente era encantador. Han trabajado duro para hacer que el restaurante Covid sea seguro y tienen una aplicación que se utiliza para pedir servicio de mesa. Como siempre, gracias por una agradable velada x

Finalmente se abrió de nuevo. Auténtica comida mexicana, nada especial, ¡simplemente BUENA COMIDA! ¡Las margaritas son geniales a un precio más que razonable!Leer críticas negativas: no reserve grandes fiestas o si tiene prisa, este es un pequeño restaurante que funciona a un ritmo lento, venga aquí si desea tener una noche agradable y agradable, eso seríaestar garantizado placer!

¡Amo este lugar! La comida es increíble y puedes conseguir platos principales que no encontrarás en ningún otro lugar. Nuestros favoritos son los panochos y huaraches tan sabrosos. También recomendaría probar algunos de los diferentes cafés / té.Sé que la gente menciona el servicio en sus reseñas y sí, no es un servicio de 5 estrellas, ¡pero es una de las cosas que me encantan del lugar! ¡Está claramente dirigido por el propietario que disfruta lo que hace! También creo que últimamente han tenido bastante mala suerte con los cambios de personal, lo cual no ha ayudado.¡Prueba este lugar si quieres comida increíble y no te apresures y disfruta de tu tiempo con tus amigos!

Lovely food, good price, beer on tap

The door was closed on arrival but we saw staff inside so gave the window a knock and they welcomed us in. Very glad we did as it was a pleasant experience with friends, with a few issues but overall good. The lighting in there wasn't the best, shadows made it hard to read the menu. There were no insects (for starters) because it wasn't season, when asked more information about this I wasn't given a very clear answer. The cheese on the nachos was "special cheese sauce", very gross American cheese, grated would be better. And rice dishes were very small. However the beans were super tasty, service was friendly and attentive. Great jalapeños on the nachos. Cocktails were good and lots of choice on the menu. And the salsa choices were interesting

Las palabras me fallan cuando intento describir lo horrible que es el servicio en este lugar. Les llevó casi cuatro horas terminar de servir, tanto tiempo que uno de los nuestros se fue, tomó un tren de regreso a Londres y cenó, antes de que el hombrecito incompetente que se hacía pasar por un mesero terminara de sacar nuestros platos principales.Servimos nuestras propias bebidas y limpiamos la mesa nosotros mismos para ayudar sin el más mínimo reconocimiento o disculpa del restaurante.No había nadie más en el restaurante, así que Dios sabe cómo les tomó tanto tiempo. Solo puedo suponer que tienen un chef armado abajo que dobla una lavadora de ollas.Hubiera sido más rápido ordenar en una entrega directa desde la Ciudad de México.

No había una sola característica redentora de este restaurante. El servicio era horrible, la comida era normal en el mejor de los casos y el personal tenía poco interés en hacer algo más que nada.Imploro a cualquiera que esté pensando en ir aquí para no hacerlo. Ve a otro lugar, cocina en casa, muere de hambre por la noche. ¡Simplemente no pases por la terrible experiencia de intentar comer en Viva La Mexicana!

Awful experience - terrible service, average food and poor staff. I will never put myself through the experience of eating here again!

Se ha tomado esta comida para romper mi virginidad de queja de TripAdvisor.Fue, literalmente, la peor experiencia gastronómica de mi vida, y aunque me siento mal al condenar a una pequeña empresa que intenta abrirse camino, a un fracaso inevitable, este lugar nunca debería permitir alimentar al público.El gerente / camarero / chef / lo que sea que era tan incompetente hizo que Basel Faulty pareciera el epítome de la competencia.Mientras que la comida era normal en el mejor de los casos, el servicio era ridículo.

Reservamos una mesa para dieciocho personas. En ningún momento el gerente le aconsejó que esto fuera demasiado o recomendó un menú fijo. A su llegada, el restaurante no estaba muy ocupado y nuestro grupo hizo que el restaurante fuera bastante razonable.Llegamos a las 7 pm. Nuestras órdenes fueron tomadas poco a poco entre 8. 00 y 8. 30 pm. En este punto se nos informó que el horno solo tenía capacidad para cuatro enchiladas. No obstante, pedimos y todavía estábamos razonablemente alegres en este punto. Pero entonces. . .Durante las siguientes tres horas de la peor comida y servicio que habían tenido las dieciocho personas. La comida se traía un plato a la vez con al menos cinco minutos entre cada plato. El camarero no tenía idea de lo que habían ordenado e incluso tuvo que pedirle a la gente que volviera a pedir su comida. Muchas personas no recibieron ni su primer plato ni su plato principal. El camarero describió cinco platos como veganos que tenían huevos y productos lácteos y fueron comidos accidentalmente por miembros veganos del grupo. Numerosos miembros de nuestro grupo tuvieron que irse antes de comer porque les había llevado mucho tiempo. El servicio de bebidas no se veía por ninguna parte, por lo que una persona de nuestro grupo tuvo que tomar pedidos. Despejamos nuestros propios platos en un intento desesperado por ayudar al gerente, que claramente era la única persona que servía. Nos quejamos pero no recibimos ninguna disculpa o descuento.Fue casi hilarantemente horrible. La peor comida que hemos tenido.

PROBABLY THE BEST IN THE SOUTH WEST Fantastic authentic Mexican food with lovely staff. My wife and I have eaten here several times. We always look forward to it and it always lives up to our anticipation. From the very first visit, we thought it was great how the team have really set out their stall (with just a pinch of sass, we think) when contrasting what they offer with 'Tex-Mex' offerings that are available in yellow boxes at supermarkets and half time breaks in American sports stadiums. The atmosphere is cosy, the service is friendly and laid back but attentive. Peter is a lovely guy and has always accommodated visits in a very warm way that makes this place feel homely. Never change, guys!

I am giving a 1 star because there is no 0 star. Very dissapointed on food. We ordered 1 starter and 2 mains. The starter was very bad, corn tortillas were old, smelly and cold. In regards the mains, these ones were not properly coocked and on top of that meat was burnt and greasy. In addition we were charged full amount when we couldnt even eat one of the mains and we even had a problem with the starter. It was just not eatable. Very low quality and horrible taste. Our experience in Viva la Mexicana was unfortunately really bad from begining to end. I have to say I have never eaten worse mexican food than this. We were told the main chef wasnt there but still is not an excuse for serving old, smelly and cold tortillas.

Absolutely wonderful place, never experienced Mexican food this good before. It has an authentic, welcoming feel, and is very reasonably priced. It has since become my partner and I's regular date night location. Best food in Bristol, hands down.

Delicious traditional mexican food and excellent service. We have had a lovely time there!!! :)

We went here for a meal this evening and it was incredible. The salsa verde and refried beans were the best I have ever had. Delicious food, extremely reasonable and fun, quirky decor! Super cute.

We had a family party of six for dinner.First impressions of this Mexican diner were a little unusual. Two tables had been pushed together so that we could all fit around but one was slightly higher than the other. The lighting was a bit bright and to begin with the general ambiance was like the party had just finished. But this was soon washed away with bottles of Sol, Corona, Modelo and Victoria beer plus a luscious jug of margarita well made, as good as any cocktail bar and spots better than Cuba where we went later.But forget all that, the food was the superstar here. Never mind Wahaca and all the other pseudo Tex Mex diners, this was the real deal. No chilli con carne, chimmi changas or burritos to be found here. Only authentic Mexican food cooked by a real mama Mexican chef. We all had different dishes too numerous to mention. I had Hurauchi which is pulled pork in a not too hot sauce on a grilled corn 'sandal'. Plenty on the plate. Everyone was happy. Excellent food.So forget the décor and go for the food and it wont break the bank either. Hurrah!

We went here as a last minute decision on a Saturday night. Having looked at the website we booked a table as they say if there is no bookings they may not open.Well the place was definitely open and by 8.30 was full.They were obviously not expecting so many people so they were a bit short of staff and there was a wait for drinks but once we had ordered we were not disappointed.Authentic genuine Mexican food that none of us could fault and we all said we would return.We loved the hats around the room that you could wear and the bunting made the restaurant feel such fun.Do give it a go.

A great little restaurant offering authentic Mexican food. We will definitely be returning and would thoroughly recommend this restaurant to anyone who likes something a bit different.

After six years living in Texas we were missing authentic Mexican food. Everyone in the family loved it and the margaritas did not disappoint either! The staff were really friendly too. We will definitely return.

It was excellent service and food.

This is the place to go if you want to have true Mexican food. Not Texmex but real Mexican food. It is a family own restaurant, and owner are nicer people I have ever seen. They really take care about their customers. The food is fantastic and eating often in Mexican restaurant around the world this is one of the good ones.

Unlike most reviews below we found the enchiladas really bland and too creamy and soggy, they really tasted of just warm stodge with a strong vinegar after taste. The cheese is more akin to a squeeze cheese than proper cheese and agree there isn't enough refried beans on the nachos. We did have pork ribs cooked in tequila which was really good tho I'm contrast to the enchiladas, which is the only reason I give it a 3 star rather than 2. I also had a Margherita which was also just not as good as I was expecting based on the good reviews below. We were left waiting quite a while for our final main dish to arrive on the table. It became apparent that if was given to the table next to us which was eventually taken away to the kitchen then back to us. Im disapointed to say that unfortunately Id rate this Mexican below the likes of las iguanas and other mexicans in Bristol. My expectations were an authentic experience based on previous reviews, but inline with other average reviews the service was ok not as attentive as it could be especially after we ordered our mains, we were left with no drinks and took forever to eventually finish clearing the table and get the bill.

I was looking for something a little different when I came across Viva La Mexicana. I wasn't sure at first as it was empty (Thursday at 7), but decided to stick with it. I was greeted by a lovely English gent (the owner?) who was friendly and helpful. Not being an expert I went for the set menu, which was quesilladas followed by enchiladas. The food was served by the Mexican chef and was tasty and well presented. Portions weren't huge (I was expecting more than a mouthful of rice), but freshly cooked and piping hot. Considering I was the only customer, service was a bit slow. I don't mind that between courses, but after I'd finished I had to approach the bar to settle the bill after 20 minutes waiting. But hey, it's laid back, and I wasn't in a rush. Will definitely return and try the cocktails.

Vine aquí para una comida y muy decepcionado considerando las buenas críticas, la comida de los socios fue muy seca y todo parecía estar en el microondas y sin sabor, buen guacamole y nachos, pero en general no está a la altura. No volveremos por desgracia. Carecía de especias y sabor fresco, y parecía un tío bens microondas, arroz y comida enlatada. Es una pena porque realmente queríamos disfrutarlo, ya que me encanta la comida mexicana. Servicio amable pero vino tinto servido con hielo frío.

This place continues to please, lovely dips to start at great price and then love the chicken and pork dishes. My husband likes chocolate one. This is run with very few staff so be patient and enjoy a cocktail first

Como mexicano que vivía en Bristol durante 5 años, busqué un lugar donde pudiera tener la comida mexicana "más cercana" que pudiera, y definitivamente la encontré en Viva la Mexicana.

Delicious Mexican food with the option to get an intense hit of spice. Reasonably priced and friendly service!! I would highly recommend the margarita cocktail. Already looking forward to my next visit.

Really good food & friendly service

Vine aquí por primera vez el viernes: la comida es fantástica! La selección inicial (4 por 6) vale la pena probarla: teníamos enchiladas para los platos principales (champiñones) y fue, de lejos, el mejor que he probado. Los tamaños de las porciones son abundantes y el precio es bueno. El personal es atento y amable, sin duda volveremos!

The best Mexican food I’ve ever had, outside of Mexico itself. What a gem of a restaurant. Absolutely delicious food and very friendly service. Worth booking ahead if you have a large group coming to make them aware, as they usually only have two people working.

Have walked past here loads of times but finally decided to pop in over the Christmas break. As someone who has been to Mexico and enjoyed the street food there, among other delights, the food here is delicious and very authentic. What a gem.

Great place to come for real authentic Mexican food. Prices are very reasonable and the portion sizes are more than enough. Food was very tasty, sides a little cool but overall, would happily eat here again.

Lovely little restaurant with amazing food and great service. Often live music and very nice atmosphere.

We've been coming to Viva for 4+ years now and fell and the food NEVER disappoints - authentic Mexican food is WAY better than the standard tex mex we get in the UK! Do not expect anything like store bought or chain restaurant though - just switch your brain off if you haven't been here before and go with the flow.

After seeing the restaurant on 'Wriggle', we decided to take a visit and we had a wonderful time! I had a Magarita cocktail which was really lovely then me and my partner had nachos and both a dish off the traditional Mexican menu.

What a great find. Wonderful food, we shared the four starters/dips for £6 and they were great. Then the chocolaty wraps and the chicken tacos. Loved both main courses. The Mango alternative to ice cream also great. £45 for Two with half bottle of House red. Great value. Well worth a visit.

Food was incredibly tasty and the staff very friendly, would definitely recommend to anyone! We had meals from the Mexican streetfood section and both were delicious. Don’t miss out on the margaritas!

The Food was Lovely And quite Quiet though more People should go there.

I am a Texan; I wanted to host a Tex-Mex themed birthday party for myself this year, and I was dead set on having authentic tamales as the main dish for my spread. But I don't know how to make them myself yet. Pedro, of Viva La Mex, was incredibly helpful in assisting me to sort out a menu to fit my budget and requirements. (I have a diverse group of friends, including those with Halal and Vegan diets.) The food was delivered early and fresh, with bain maries to keep them warm, and they provided LOADS of salsa verde, salsa roja, and queso toppings. Tamales are not usually part of Viva La Mex's menu, because they take a lot of time and effort to prepare. I am incredibly grateful to their team for making my birthday perfect and memorable. The food was delicious, the service was optimum, the communication was great. I highly recommend them to you to cater your next party!

Just stopped by for a quick bite.. great food, friendly service.. just moved to the area so look forward to coming again and sampling some more of their food and drinks. Cheers guys :)

Fantastic food, and friendly staff.

A highly authentic and personal restaurant, with some fantastic food and lovely staff. If you have ever actually ordered food in Mexico, this place will take you back. Top marks.

Fantástica comida tradicional Mexicana!! Los tacos al pastor, las enchiladas y el huarache deliciosos!! Se merece 5 estrellas

What wonderful authentically Mexican food. A lovely restaurant with friendly staff. There is a great vegetarian and gluten free selection too. Really good prices.

Incredible, authentic Mexican food. Me and my partner both agreed that the enchiladas were the best thing we’d eaten in a very long time! The portion sizes were great and the food was incredibly flavourful. As a vegan foodie myself, it’s rare to get such amazing food outside of a specifically vegan restaurant - I genuinely didn’t feel like I was missing out with the dairy free cheese and oat cream that the chef used... he really worked wonders! The mushrooms were rich and the salsa was perfectly spiced. My (meat loving) date had the chicken, as well as trying some of mine, and agreed that both were equally as delicious! The atmosphere was great and the staff were friendly and helpful - a real hidden gem!! We’ve raved about Viva la Mexicana to all our friends and will definitely be returning :)

Incredible, authentic Mexican food. Me and my partner both agreed that the enchiladas were the best thing we’d eaten in a very long time! The portion sizes were great and the food was incredibly flavourful.

The food was delicious, far beyond my expectations. A little bit pricy for what you got and where you are but the flavours definitely make up for it.

Friendly service and great vegan options too!

Excellent food and service. Seriously the best refried beans I've ever had and the mole enchiladas were delicious. Friendly atmosphere and lots of books and games for the kids which always helps! They loved the quesadillas too.

Loved this place! Nice and chilled and lovely tasty food. We had the set menu of quesadillas and enchiladas, very good value. Will definitely be back.

Como una persona alérgica al gluten, generalmente selecciono un menú y tengo que buscar algo que pueda arriesgarme a comer. Me quedé absolutamente impresionado con la gran selección de GF o GFOptions en este menú. De hecho, estoy tan poco acostumbrado a tener una elección que me llevó años decidir.

Reservamos una mesa para el martes por la noche para una comida con parientes que habían viajado desde Leicester. El restaurante no abrió y no contestaron el teléfono cuando llegamos allí.

Small family restaurant with tasty mex food. Bit odd but clean 👍

Really nice place to eat and family friendly. Food is fulfilling and the staff are lovely. Really enjoyed the drinks and dessert in particular.