Viva Restaurant in County Durham

Slow to take orders , both starter and main tasted awful and I'm not a picky eater in any way. The sauce on both dishes was slimey and tasted weird ... very chemical taste. The starters the potatoes skins were chucked on plate and anemic. The salad looked old and limp. Main course faired no better and was same horrible sauce poured over chicken as was on mushroom starter To be honest this is 2nd poor meal had there so won't return . It's cheap and miserable and it shows and the owner asking for cash when just about to pay by card just felt uncomfortable. One positive the young lad waiter was little gem bless him

Beautiful takeaway Sunday lunch, all the more impressive as we didn’t order until 1pm as it was a last minute idea. Phoned up to order and it was ready 30mins later. Beef melted in your mouth, Turkey was really tasty. Lovely mash and Yorkshire’s, plenty of veg - very reasonable priced so it was great value. The roasties could have been crispier but that’s the only criticism and forgivable considering the lateness of our order. Will definitely return for more

Ordered online. Unfortunatly instead of 2 we typed 1 in address and meal went else where. Delivery driver was told at other address that they hadnt ordered. Driver told them to take it, not my problem. Attitude was same at resteraunt when told that meals were for a severely disabled gentleman and his carer"Not my problem". Not everyone can afford to just throw away £30. Disgusting behaviour from driver and resteraunt. Wouldnt go back there if my life depended on it.... oh wait, a life did depend on it but heyho ... wasnt Vivas problem!

This place is lovely inside staff so helpful and nice and the food is out off this world the potatoes skins are 1st class , i had pasta tonight and best I have ever had

Over salted bad food, rude staff , staff said management is really bad, don't pay holiday pay and only care about cash in the till

Very tasty pasta! Value for money is great. Service very friendly and large selection of dishes.

Have eaten here many times - good variety on the menu and reasonably priced. Knowledgable staff and excellent service.

Absolutely thr best risotto I've ever had. One of my favourite dishes and I've had it in many restaurants over the years but they make the very best. If you love risotto you haven't even had any unil you have had it from here.

Called in for tea, we were the only two in the Restaurant, the waitress kindly offered us a seat next to the radiator, I wish she hadn’t bothered, it was dirty, splashed with stains, it put me off immediately. My starter of Bruschetta was average, it weirdly had Parmesan on, I’ve never had that on Bruschetta before. To add to the ambiance (not) , there was a Staff Member coughing constantly in the background, it was very off putting, especially as it sounded like it came from the kitchen, eugh! My main arrived and looked nice, but the dirty radiator and the coughing had ruined my appetite. The waitress asked if my food was ok, I pointed out the radiator and said it had put me off, she asked if we wanted to move tables away from the radiator! In their defence they didn’t charge for the uneaten Pasta, as we left, the Waitress commented that she hadn’t realised that the people at the table before us had made a mess on the radiator, I think the radiator had been dirty for a while to be honest, a very poor experience all in all.

Me and my partner frequently visit this lovely Italian, the food is always delicious and the staff and service are brilliant. Would highly recommend to anyone.

Me and my girlfriend decided to visit here as we heard good things!! We arrived slightly earlier then our booking and the restaurant was busy but they quickly accommodate us, I went for the steak and asked for it medium rare which was cooked perfectly my partner went for meatballs, home made and tasted unreal, first time here and definitely will be back!!! Also the bill for everything was definitely value for money

One of the worst chicken dishes I have ever tasted. The sauce was disgusting - glutinous, overwhelmed by garlic and ‘synthetic’ tasting. A pity, as the meat and vegetables were OK otherwise. Tasted like the sauce is pre-cooked in batches and slapped on the meat after cooking.

Wouldn’t return if my life depended on it. Called and asked to book for 6:15.. was asked to come for 6:30 which was fine, then asked to come a little earlier? Arrived for 6:15 and we were seated. Strange considering we’d asked for 6:15 originally. Noticed the menu stated that happy hour ended at 6:30, obviously why they’d asked us to come then 🙃 asked to order twice and the waitress just said I’ll ask ‘Gail’ to take your order. Gail stood at the bar for 10 minutes till 6:30 arrived and she turned to take our order. ‘Sorry you can’t have happy hour because it finished at half 6’ My sister advised ‘Gail’ we’d asked to order twice and she replied that ‘she had other tables to see not just us’ yet she had parked at the bar for 10 minutes. I’ve never known rudeness like it from a local Italian. We’re not hard up for a few £ off the happy hour, but common decency and respect to custom is a must. I’d of given them the difference twice over in a tip if she hadn’t been so rude. Food was nothing flash but wasn’t half as bad as Gail’s attitude. AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE …you’ll get better respect and food up the road at Perla Nerla.

I took my family for food, we want it to try many things so we ordered many plates to share, best thing was the sauce of the chicken diana and king prawn in spicy tomato sauce. Very recommended, we didn’t have room for the dessert so we will have to go back to try the profiterols 😋

Had a lovely meal although it took a while to take our order , staff very friendly and allowed our Max the dog in restaurant area. But on the expensive side but really nice meal. Will return again if we are in the area. Just handy as we are staying 10mins drive from were we staying.

Viva is our go to place for celebrations. We have gone there since there since it opened. Food has always been fabulous. Highly recommend.

Absolutely terrible, asked to book a table at 5:30, they said we can only do 6:00 as we they where to busy, we walked in and there was 2 tables full and restaurant was empty. Special finished at 6:00 and we were in at 5:45...

Visited for dinner with my family and elderly mother ( wheelchair access and very convenient disabled loo) …the food was delicious and plentiful…very reasonable prices, staff friendly and courteous…we will certainly be visiting again, hopefully to organise 90th birthday celebration!

We were going to go to Weatherspoons but changed our minds after smelling the food coming out of Viva. We were seated immediately however where we were put was too cold to enjoy our time there. I mentioned this to our server who said "no...

Love this place! Never had a bad meal yet! Their risotto is amazing and everything is always piping hot. Great value too if you go for the happy hour!

Lovely food, huge portions, great service and more than your money’s worth. We have never had a bad meal here, highly recommended!

On holiday in Toft Hill and found this restaurant online. The waiter who served us was lovely. Started with garlic cheese bread this was think and crispy and delicious, my husband had pepper fillet steak, under £20, I had fillet stroganoff, best I have ever...

Went out with a family of 10, drinks where okay (but no fosters on tap), ordered our meal on a quiet Saturday night at 7pm, turn over time was good, but forgot one of the starters, so had to eat that alone as everyone else...

It is best Italian food ever in the whole wide world with excellent service and is my fav local restaurant

Found the place by accident but so glad we did. We were a party of 5 and were welcomed by the staff and looked after throughout. We ordered a selection of starters to share, all were fresh, piping hot and so tasty. The main courses...

Great food both in restaurant and takeaway, well recommended. Staff excellent and can’t do enough for you. We will definitely be returning.

Have been here many times and recently had several takeaways but this time the food was 20 min (ok just an estimate on when it’ll be ready so fair enough) but the main dishes portions were very small, takeaway container (rectangular not the usual round...

Eaten here a few times and always been impressed with the food and service and Friday evening was no exception. Excellent food for all of our party of 4. Very good service even though it was busy. Always made to feel welcome. We will be...

Nice to eat in a safe Covid environment. A party of 4. The food was beautiful, freshly prepared , very tasty and terrific value for money. We used this restaurant during lockdown for take away but the food is even better in house, freshly served...

Sent a meal back. Cream was sour. It came back the same. Inedible. The waiter/owner said it was our fault We tried the perla nera across the street. They are Italian And the food was at another level.

Visited today with family, our third lunch visit and every time has been great. Charming front of house staff, efficient but not rushed service and a relaxed and special atmosphere. The food was lovely as per last two visits. Delicious pizza and pastas and would...

Eaten here many times and had takeaways food usually spot on until steak ordered like a previous review turned up last, not cooked how asked for, server offered not much in the way of response , another was given but by that time everyone else...

First night opening at this fantastic place . Would the staff be as welcoming/would the food still be great/ would the value for money still be there ? Oh dear - everything was surpassed ! Staff beaming - the food was gorgeous and excellent value...

Great food, polite friendly staff and excellent service. Couldn’t have picked a better place. Can’t wait to go back

Superb food, top rate customer service, a vital service especially during lockdown, I've been going to Viva for a long time and it never ceases to please. If your looking for a truly delicious takeaway that's restaurant quality, go to Viva! They also deliver!

Superb food and always very friendly service, even in lockdown. Restaurant is lovely, can't wait for it to reopen. Always a great atmosphere and we've been going for many years

Food was awful. Medium rare steak swimming in sauce when ordered blue. Veggies like the frozen microwavable packs. Kids even refused to eat their pasta! I had to make quick meal and put them to bed late. Called to complain. Was told to bring my...

Nice enough beef dinner , very tasty , Yorkshire’s and gravy lovely. The only downside was the tiny one slice of beef ! Come on Viva get a couple of slices on .

I've visited often before lockdown and always enjoyed everything I've had. Also the staff and the ambiance are very good. Now it can't be open because of lockdown but their takeaway food is also excellent

Me and my family got a birthday feast delivered yesterday for my mams birthday, as before Covid we would go to the restaurant all the time,and it was delicous! Just as high quality as if I was sat in the restaurant. Delivery came on time...

A very good portion and amazing gravy. We always order from the regular menu and the king prawns and chicken wings are my favorite. We tried the Sunday lunch today and definitely we will order again next Sunday, thanks 😊.

This cozy restaurant has left the best impressions! Very nice atmosphere to enjoy a delicious meal. The menu contains a variety of Italian meals that were so delicious! We tried the prawn that were stunning! The best ones that I tried in Newcastle and near by. Also, we got the calamari in sauce, mushrooms in wine sauce, garlic bread a delicious and fresh salad and a mushroom risotto that was amazing! The dessert was wonderful! We tried the profiteroles that was the best ones I ever tried! And a pannacota and a mango dessert. I recommend to everyone! I would like to come back here again and again. Definitely 1 of my top 10 restaurants!

Had first meal here with family, starters pate, garlic bread, potato skins all delicious. Mains all different mixture of Italian and a Sunday dinner. All fantastic. Restaurant had nice atmosphere, tables well spaced and toilets spotless felt very safe. Service charming and efficient. Thanks so...

Excellent, tasty food enjoyed by all the family. Fantastic service, great atmosphere . Would definitely recommend

Visited today 03/10/20 with friends, made a reservation as unsure of current covid-19 rules. Very quickly seated by staff. The restaurant is cosy and well decorated. The food was the surprise. With expectations of the usual faux Italian cuisine however none of that here, the...

The food that you get in Viva looks and tastes like it was prepared by a home cook that is just starting to learn how to cook Italian. We ordered bruschetta and got two pieces of toasted bread with bland, anemic tomato. You can find...

We found this restaurant by accident, but so pleased we did! Delicious food. Quick service. Great atmosphere. Friendly staff. Excellent Covid-19 safety in place - good socially distanced tables. Would highly recommend. We will be back very soon.

the early bird, tea time menu is fantastic. Can't fault the food or portion size. Recently got friends to join us there now they are die hard fans and looking forward to the next visit

First meal out since lockdown and what a meal . Bookings only, good social distancing - no issues at all. The food bill and drinks for four totalled less than £60 - £40 discount- and included huge tiger prawns, mussels, prawn cocktail, two seafood pasta, Seafood rice , salmon, two desserts, 1/2 litre of wine, four lagers , two cokes and even two garlic breads . Excellent value, good and service . Pleased we are booked for another three nights !

Have eaten here on many occasions and have taken friends would definitely recommend this place as the food is always great and very friendly staff

Absolutely beautiful as usual. Staff are really lovely, always busy but make sure your never forgotten about . I love pasta and it is always the best from here. My husband did have a spinach side order and it was absolutely lush, the best I have ever had. Nom nom nom Thankyou

My wife & I visited Viva early Saturday evening. We had the happy hour & both of us were pleasantly surprised. Food piping hot & very tasty. Staff friendly.

I have visited a couple of times over the last few years since we moved to the area. We have found it to be great value, if you are eating on an early deal or not. Tasty food and good service.

I was working in the town and looking for a restaurant, the food was lovely, and definitely worth a visit if in the area.

Me, my husband and our son, visited this restaurant, for him having a fantastic parent evening. The staff were fantastic, food beautiful and the place is very clean. Will definitely be returning soon. We enjoyed a starter, main including 2 steaks, deserts, 2 drinks each and it was under £65.00.

You always feel welcome the food is great, the deserts are always so lovely it is difficult to choose between them . The staff are attentive and helpful

Recently been for a birthday meal, once again the food was excellent from the fish to the chicken and to the pasta, staff friendly as ever. Highly recommended

Once again a lovely meal, very good service from all the staff and the best log burner in Crook!!! We will be back soon!!

Once again a fantastic meal tonight. Never fails to please. Food is excellent, always tasty and service is second to none. Staff are all very welcoming and friendly. Best value for money by far.

first visit to this restaurant was lovely, extremely friendly and helpful staff and a nice atmosphere. some of the nice food i have tasted in a while, will definitely be returning

Another fabulous meal. Good atmosphere Friendly attentive staff Excellent value for money A regular venue for us

Fantastic restaurant, the food was amazing ! Service great . Highly recommend this restaurant, my husband iis of Italian decent and was very impressed.

We have visited this restaurant many times and have had an 18th 21st and 50th birthday there. On this occasion myself and my daughter were going for early bird before 6 30 and I had arrived a little late at 6 21 while my daughter parked the car across the road. A very rude man informed me I was late (6 minutes) bearing in mind we are regulars and are normally always on time. I said my daughter would be 2 minutes but I had her order to which he said no you both must be here to order and then it won’t be happy hour. I can understand if we were a large group but there were two of us and we were regulars. I am appalled at the way I was spoken to and I will never eat here again

Visit here on many occasions whether its a celebration or a quiet night with the boyfriend! Every time is fantastic. We have never had a bad meal. Staff are lovely and service is great. Would highly recommend for any occasion!! Lots of choice on the menu too!

Lovely/delicious food, great portions, couldn't eat it all. And great service. Would definitely go again.

I’ve been visiting Viva for a few years as it’s in my home town but tonight I took two friends from Oldham so this review is more their words than mine.

Visited here Saturday night and everything was wrong from moment we walked in. Only three staff present in whole restaurant and hard to identify who was serving. We were told by two of them to “ bear with us” straight away and restaurant wasn’t even full. After twenty minutes I’d asked the male waiter if we could order and he carried on concentrating on others, (some who had arrived after us). I eventually had to go and ask the lady behind the counter (who didn’t seem impressed.

Lovely Italian restaurant, friendly service and fabulous food at really reasonable prices. As im not a big eater i was offered a half portion of pasta for half the price...

Good portions. The pasta looked delicious and the paella, although not Italian, was delicious. Excellent house wine.

Visited with friends for birthday celebration.Food was only average but really the whole night was spoiled by the service provided and attitude of the staff.Table was cleared although some of us were still eating and then the staff started to put on their coats to leave.This was only about 9.30pm.Shortly afterwards the lights were switched off.Not only did we feel uncomfortable and rushed it was also rude.If the place wants to close at 9.30pm they shouldn’t be taking bookings for a large party for 8.30pm.We won’t be going again and wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.Very disappointing.

The food here is always good but the service needs attention. There is never enough staff to ratio of diners.

We visited for Sunday lunch and were very impressed with the quality of the food. The staff were excellent too. You will struggle to get better value for money, with a 3 course Sunday lunch priced at £10.95. The soup and the pate starters were excellent and the Sunday lunch was excellent with delicious meats and perfectly done veg, the Yorkshire puddings were also faultless. Even the coffee was top quality. Will definitely be back to try the Italian menu which also looked delicious. Well done.

Went today for date night with the husband and was blown away at how amazing of a restaurant it was. The service and food were both excellent with a good variety of food and drink to appreciate. First time eating there will definitely go again.

We attended Viva as part of celebration for an anniversary and exam results. Our other daughter works around the world and with Disney, she was extremely jealous she was not there as she says it’s the best steak in the world. Family atmosphere and fabulous food

We have been going to viva for years , it is very consistent and the value for money of the happy hour is great

Great tasty food and fantastic quality. Lovely staff especially Ernest 🥰 Sunday dinner is the best I've had, everyone I bring here family and friends love it here. My local favorite and nothing is ever a problem. Thank you x

Once again lovely meal very good atmosphere friendly service. Had chicken lovely tender. Viva special my husband had he said beautiful. We visit regularly never had a meal that we did not enjoy.

Visited this restaurant recently for Sunday lunch, the food was very nice but was rather peeved to find they don’t serve smaller portions for adults. My daughter doesn’t eat a lot and asked if she could have a child’s meal. This was same food but smaller and cheaper, she was told no this was only available for children. Apparently it is the restaurants policy! She then had to order adults portion and was not able to eat much of it. So not only was this a waste of our money it was a waste of food! Have never been to a restaurant where there isn’t a choice of portion size, be it child’s or lighter bite, I’m sure my daughter isn’t the only person not able to eat a big meal. Very disappointed with their policy and attitude.

Our party of 10 ladies was accommodated at extremely short notice (5 minutes...) when we were let down by another establishment nearby.

Booked a table for two on Saturday at 7.30, ordered pasta with tomato plenty pasta on the plate but sauce very thick and heavy, chips were very oily and dark in colour which suggests the oil was dirty and needs changed, pizza was lovely!, the spinach dish was nice, staff lovely and helpful, service was very quick.

Love this place. Super cheap during happy hour, staff are fun and friendly and the food is really good. One of our new favourites.

First visit pleasant dinner nice could ave been a tad hotter as just warm and minimal veg v attentive staff and fairly busy a good sign plenty of menu choice italian style and fairly priced worth a visit if u in area .

Well just returned from this restaurant after feasting on the fillet steak three course new years eve menu - £30 ! Well worth the drive from consett - it always is . Food, service, atmosphere everything brilliant . Top class Italian .

I have visited Viva many times with friends and family, run by real Italians who are friendly and good at what they do. Really tasty food, good atmosphere and friendly. Well worth booking a table!

The food is stunning everything cooked perfectly. Great servers too. Highly recommend this place. We will definitely be going back.

Excellent food, friendly staff, always made to feel welcome. 1st class as always. Good variation of food in menu

Fantastic food with an awesome family atmosphere. Been here many time on family occasions including birthdays and always make us feel special. A highlight is when I turned 18 we visited here with my family ranging from 1-60 everyone was happy with the service and the staff

Restaurant is comfortable with a warm friendly welcome. Menu has a good selection of courses.

Visiting friends in the area and decided to try and find a decent Italian restaurant. And did we fall on our feet. Excellant service, friendly and welcoming staff and food to die for. We only had a main course each which we struggled to finish as the portions were so generous.prices very inexpensive but quality and freshness are superb. The menu was all encompassing with pastas, pizzas and many traditional Italian dishes. Would definitely recommend.

Happened across this Restaurant by accident as we were passing through Crook, really glad we decided to stop off, the food was great as was the service and value, must drop in again when we are in the area!

Viva is a recent discovery for me and I've already been back a few times it's that good. Everything you could ask for is taken care of with a smile. The waiting staff are very attentive and welcome you genuinely. The food is delicious and the prices are very modest for somewhere with the calm tranquil atmosphere that the place carries. When I first walked in I thought oh this is gonna be expensive but was pleasantly surprised when the bill arrived.

Absolutely brilliant - service second to none, The meal was incredible, I had the chicken liver pate for a starter - on a Sunday it's 3 courses for £10.95 and awesome value - Thank you so much for making our day memorable

We went for a last minute happy hour tea and have to say it was delicious. We all had two courses each and couldnt fault it! The food came quickly and was piping hot. Staff were really pleasant and the place was lovely and clean. We will definetly be back!! Looks like a great local business that deserves the support of its community!

I'm a regular at viva, the staff are always friendly and the food is lush! Tasty pasta and pizza, "happy hour" is very reasonably priced. Will be back again soon!

Visited on Friday gone with a group of friends.

Birthday celebration visit, ordered early bird special, food was ok not my kind of restaurant unfortunately.

Given the reviews I though I'd give this place a try. However, I was very disappointed and the meal was a complete waste of my hard earned cash as the pizzas have way too little sauce on the pizza making it dry, the toppings are thin, the pizza base is overcooked so giving the sensation of eating cracker bread.

Our go to place for me and my boyfriend to go and have a meal! Absolutely amazing food and we get a variety of things like pizza pasta and chicken. Food is exquisite and the owners and staff are such a pleasure to speak too. So kind and friendly!

This is a Sunday favourite for me and my Mam and today we went with the whole family as we knew they'd be just as impressed.

Called in on wet Saturday realy cheered us up with great food and wine definetly reccomened Claire and family