Viva! Tapas & Bebidas in Hackney

I’ve had some memorable banter with waiters in restaurants over the years, but “…AND DON’T EVER COME BACK, YOU RACISTS!” is unlikely to be superseded. Service was slow last night, and gradually disintegrated into full on dreadful (menus being taken away, no order being taken). Me and my husband finally placed an order, and the waitress returned five minutes later, barking with weird aggression: "no chicken, just beef or vegan." I asked for the menus again, and she walked away with a stage whisper of "JESUS CHRIST!" and rolled her eyes. So we said actually, we'll just pay for our drinks and leave, because… rude. The waitress then LOST IT: “Well, I don’t like YOUR attitude! YOU are the ones who have been rude – you’ve been REALLY CONDESCENDING.” We were taken aback, and asked politely and precisely how we had been condescending. "Hey, I GAVE you a menu!" she offered, then really went off on one. She was clearly having… a moment/meltdown. So we stood up and said that after that spectacular verbal assault, we were going immediately and weren't going to pay for the drinks either. As we headed for the door she shouted “…AND DON’T EVER COME BACK… YOU RACISTS!” So I turned back and said "WOAH!! WHAT!!?? WHAT DID YOU SAY!!?" She wouldn't say it again, and when I asked for the manager, she shouted “YOU WANT ME TO GET MY PHONE OUT AND GIVE YOU MY MANAGER’S NUMBER!? YOU REALLY THINK I’M THAT STUPID!!? GET OUT.” I have never left a restaurant actually SHAKEN. (And certainly never been called, totally randomly, racist, which was ringing in my ears for hours). I've been going to Viva Dalston for years and used to really like it. But now it will always just be The Place With THAT Waitress where THE THING HAPPENED

very average food went early on Sunday might have caught on bad day food was nothing special could have knocked up indoors in half hour. good alcohol menu maybe more of a drinks hang have a great outside space out back covered over.

We came in the early evening as a group of 5 for drinks for my friend's 30th. The guys at the bar couldn't do enough for us, even allowing us to choose the music! The cocktails were delicious, especially the blueberry bellini which they made especially for us! They even gave my friend whose birthday it was a free shot of tequila which was a really nice touch, we will definitely be back again when we are in the area.

We fancied an early evening snack and were not disappointed. Staff very friendly and gave recommendation on tapas and beer. Really nice well flavoured food that was different from the norm. Nice music too.

Very cosy place to eat and drink various delicious cocktails, friendly and welcoming people. Got free tequila shots :)

Spanish/Mexican food, but not traditional ie familiar things a bit different and new things that make sense. Great drinks you haven't had before too. Staff always accommodating and friendly. Strongly recommended.

Great prices Real tasty Great service and nice staff! We were looking for a nice place to chill and to grab something to eat... they got the job done really well!

Visited as my friend had picked the place after bit of research online. When we got there from the outside, I thought it was closed, absolutely no customers sat inside and barely any lighting. It was open, but apparently everyone was sat outside on the outside seating space. We tried to head that way and were told it was fully booked, but were happy to sit inside anyway. Staff were friendly and reasonably attentive. Vibe wise restaurant itself is attempting modern minimal shabby chic style. Sadly I thought it was just shabby. Food was okay but nothing to write home about. Just not my style.

Food nice, service excellent, wine list on the pricey side though. I was surprised each dish was served separately as I prefer to have them all at once but it wasn’t a problem and if that’s how they prefer to serve it’s fine. The passion fruit sorbet was amazing and the best I’ve ever tasted. A lovely ambience for a romantic meal.

I live close to this place and went in for my first time last week and by the end of the week I had gone twice more. Went there on a weekday and had a good meal for date night. Then went again on the weekend. They had a late licence which was fun. Staff are friendly and nice. The guy bartender who served us made us excellent drinks and he was very cool and friendly. GO GO GO

Wednesday night date, food was excellent, cocktails amazing and the service friendly but also efficient. We will definitely come back again.

I wanted to try this place after seeing it packed a few times when walking past... The food was ok, some dishes were tasty....prawn one particularly but some had weird flavours....the mushroom one all four of us barely touched as the taste wasn’t good... Bar staff were mixed, two guys extremely attentive, one guy just posing.... All in all a bit disappointed as there are so many places that are great in the area felt a shame ...

Went here with some friends as I live in the area and I was NOT disappointed. Amazing food, and Danielle made our evening one to remember. Thank you!

The front of house, Daniele, made our evening sublime. The food they served was like a kiss on the cheek from your grandma. We’ll definitely be back for great vibe, amazing drinks, and the PERFECT quesadillas. YUM

We've been here quite a few times, but on our last visit we had to wait an hour and a half for a table that we had booked, and were given 'free cocktails' as a compensation, that didn't contain any alcohol ... Shame, because the food is nice and the waitresses have always been great. Seems the place has lost some of it's care after opening the outside space, which seems to have put too much pressure on the kitchen ....

Fuimos de este lunes. La comida era buena, auténtica comida mexicana. Es un lugar muy agradable, con buena decoración. Lo que lo hace, es divertido, relajado y agradable personal. Un camarero encantador cóctel joven me hizo una super precioso cóctel, fue muy agradable charlar con y su bebidas eran simplemente fabuloso! ! ! ! ! ! ! Buen lugar vibraciones y volveremos a disfrutar del ambiente de nuevo.

We arrived for an early dinner on a Friday evening, the restaurant had a few tables filled but wasn’t packed. The waiter took our order, brought us some drinks and so far so good. We then got talking and time passed. We suddenly noticed that it had been 40 minutes! We called the waiter over and it turned out he had forgotten to put our order through to the kitchen. He apologised but fairly half heartedly, and the manager then did the same. We were late for something so decided just to leave. Will not be returning.

We went to Viva en route to see a gig in Dalston, it was an excellent choice. Recommend the Chilli-con-carne Quasadilla and Special Nachos. Service was excellent, restaurant had a nice feel about it and what a pleasure to get decent large Rioja's for a reasonable price

Decoración muy guay. El servicio es muy atento. Tapas era delicioso, el tamaño de las porciones son relativamente grandes. Recomendaría este lugar.

Fui a viva con unos colegas la otra noche y me encantó! El personal del bar era increíble y hace Eva las mejores margaritas, ella fue muy amable y de risa! ! ! ! Teníamos las quesadillas, que eran tan bonitas, gran asientos al aire...

Cuando llegue en Viva soy optimista, recibió música ambiente fantástico y amable personal que está siempre de buen humor (algo que es importante para crear ambiente que Central american). Normalmente un Vodka Lime Soda como su jugo de lima fresca es refrescante y me lleva...

Este es uno de mí y de mi novia ir a los lugareños. Ambiente encantador, el servicio es amable y normalmente rápido. Vamos para el pollo Mole Quesadillas, Lubina "cerviche" y Brasileña Moqueca de gambas.

Tuve una gran reunión de grupo en Hackney , Piratas justo bajando la calle el viernes por la tarde y nos preguntó a Viva un poco temprano para abrir nuestro grupo para la cena/reunión cerca. Que para nosotros el jardín reservado (30 personas) para un par de horas y compramos comida para el grupo, la comida era fantástica! ! Estoy agradecido que nos acomodaron al abrir un poco temprano, y los camareros eran muy agradables y atentos. La comida salió un poco lento, pero tenían un pequeño equipo que sirve un montón de gente a la vez, así que es comprensible. Muchos de nosotros nos la bebidas no alcohólicas, que eran dignos y refrescante Insta en un día inusualmente caliente. Recomiendo encarecidamente el horneado de queso brie butternut squash quesadilla!

He estado en este lugar por primera vez hace unos 3 años y yo seguimos regresando. La margarita es increíble y me encanta su especial nachos y quesadilla. Sin duda recomiendo una visita o un par! :)

Locale buio ma accogliente. Drink ok, abbiamo preso un margarita e una birra. Abbiamo ordinato un piatto di patatine con di tutto e di più sopra, erano buone, ma semplici da fare. Poi abbiamo ordinato dei taco ma sembrava che al loro interno ci fosse dello spezzatino piuttosto che carne e chili. Spesa totale di 35£. Si può trovare di molto meglio, non lo consiglio.

Visited for a light dinner and drinks- really impressed with the home style cooked Mexican fare. My blue corn taquito was delicious! Good wine free poured and an unusual cocktail menu. But if a wobbly table, and gets very busy, but friendly staff and quick service.

A friend and I went for cocktails here and the drinks were excellent - we both had various margaritas and definitely couldn't complain. Apparently in order to sell drinks you also have to buy food because of their license, so we had some nachos and guacamole and also their chorizo, which were both really nice. The atmosphere is good, nice and buzzy even though it was a Monday night and while much of the room is just a few long tables, it's not intrusive for two separate pairs of people to sit on the same table - though not sure if it'd be more so if it was busier. A few previous reviews have commented on service, but every time we wanted anything we just went up to the bar and ordered and drinks came within a couple of minutes which was great. The only reason I didn't give a full five marks is that it is a little bit pricey in my opinion and there isn't a Happy Hour to soften the blow; but to be fair it is probably average for a Dalston bar.

I went to the place with a couple of friends for a diner.We all had different cocktails and we've enjoyed them (the jamaïcain rum cocktail is awesome).The food is good, we had some nachos to share as an appetiser and it was enough for the three of us, then one dish each.. we were full after that, great value! The only problem with the food was that we all had to wait different times to receive our dishes on the table.The service wasn't incredible, no one acknowledged us and we had to ask many times for the bill. That's shame because the decor is cool and there's a nice atmosphere in the restaurant.

Amazing restaurant, delicious food, great staff. Never fails. Have the chorizo and the prawns with coconut milk. Love it.

Been here a few times and cocktails rock! Margaritas and Diplomatic crisis in Caracas are definitely my favourites! Sandro is a divine mixologist, with a half Italian magical touch, too bad is about to leave. Food is tasty, love the prawns and the sea bass chevice. Cool and cozy atmosphere!

One of my favourite local restaurants. Great, unique cocktails, intimate & cosy vibe, delicious, authentic food. Favourites are the caramelised onion quesdillas and the deceptively filling moquecas. Great for couples or groups, I've taken friends and family of all ages here and everyone loves it.

The people are abfab! Very kind and always here to help.The food was delicious and well presentedThe drinks were also perfect 4 cocktails, 1 beer, tortillas and salsa and two quesadilla meals. £55 Totally worth it!

The Cocktails here are brilliant and the staff great. Sandro is a magician with the shaker as are Eve and Gaby. Food's very fresh and vibrant. Just what you want on a weeknight after work- A few cocktails and some decent Mexican grub.

We went here on a Saturday afternoon and it was quite busy but our food came within 5 minutes; the staff are all very friendly and welcoming. The food is very spicy but tasty.

What a wonderful find. Atmospheric, great staff, cute little courtyard at the back. I had the watermelon martini and my two friends had bespoke cocktails. The night we visited they were giving out free cupcakes too. Heaven.I must go back to try the food.....

Been here too many times to count over the years, food is incredible, service impeccable, we've even had one of our birthdays here. Honestly, one of the best places in Dalston/London.

Perfect cocktails, possibly something for anyone. If it's not on the menu, the staff is friendly and probably capabale of finding something! ;) Also, I belive they change with the seasons.Nice cozy garden aswell, very cool place to spend a nice night with friends.Wouldn't recommend as a date place though, since the music is quite loud and tables not private.

Best margaritas, great staff (Dalston standards;) chorizo is amazing , as is the pork quesadilla. Great with friends or on a date .Highly recommended

The food and cocktails are amazing, and staff are exceptional. My favourite restaurant in Dalston by far, and favourite place to eat Mexican food in London. The blueberry margarita is a highlight. Food wise love the taquitos, chorizo and nachos. There's a new brunch menu too which we are excited to come back and try properly - we arrived too late this time but the staff were kind enough to give us a sample menu of three dishes which was delicious. Cannot recommend highly enough.

One of my favorite place in Dalston. This is a mix of many different culture food with a latino spirit.I really like this place, you have nice table for two nice for couples, tea lights and flowers.... Nice cocktails menu, and several tapas to share or not.You should try, it's completely the East spirit that we expect when we are in dalston.

My boyfriend and I went here randomly on a Wednesday night. We walked in and there was a nice chilled vibe and there were a mixture of couples and friends eating and drinking. The staff were lovely. The cocktails were spot on and the food... the food was SO good!!! Definately order the nachos to start (2 can share one easily) - they were honestly one of the best nachos I've had (and I've been to Mexico!). Will definately be going back there!

Viva restaurant offers near Stoke Newignton a good option to combine really good cocktails (inc great Margaritas yay!) and a very decent offering in Mexican (mostly) food. Tacos are very good quality and the natxos, despite perhaps being not so Mexican, are delish if you want a quick bite in between cocktails. Weather permitted, they have a decent back yard to sit, relax and enjoy una buena cerveza! Orale mano!!

We stumbled across this bar accidentally and it surpassed expectations. Huge selection of cocktails around £8 and helpful sections, including "For the indecisive". Bar staff were chatty and I'd definitely go back again. I went for the "Scotsman at the Xmas party" (the most expensive drink on the menu at £12), which came with a blow torch, cinnamon stick and a glass globe!

Such a busy little place and we were initially put in the garden under a heater than didn't work but as quick as they could the staff moved us inside to a great table. However, there was no spare wine glasses so for about 10 minutes we had an open bottle of white wine in front of us and no glasses. Finally some glasses came, food arrived and was delicious. Nachos great, and the vegetarian dish was a success as well. Only wish we had got a cocktail as they looked like real winners, but the menu was massive and I wine is such a safe bet. Might be braver next time and would definitely consider going in again with friends.

This Saturday we'd got towards the end of a very slow day and decided we needed something to perk us up so went looking for a fun Mexican evening. We'd actually picked Dalston as our location for 2 other Mexican places we had seen reviews for in the vicinity and literally tripped over Viva at the last moment and decided to go here. First impressions worried us as we couldn't tell whether we were begrudgingly being given a reserved table for a short time and whether they were going to try to get us in and out fast. However, we needn't have worried as everything was fine. We decided we must try a cocktail each as their drinks menu has loads we had never seen before with combinations that sounded excellent. In the end we had 3 each as they were so fantastic we had to try another to see what it tasted like. After the first cocktail we ordered some nachos to keep us going and they were the best nachos we have had in London - served in a funny little bowl but packed in tight, the cheese was tasty, pico de gallo and sour cream complementing it well and the guacamole we had on the side so delicious. We were almost full after this but did feel we must try the taquitos so on the next drink we ordered two and the flavour they were creating with the pulled pork and chicken was so outstanding we were both staring at each other in shock. Despite already being full we had to order 2 more as we couldn't leave without trying the chili beef one more taste experience. Viva has instantly jumped to be our favorite place for Mexican food in London and we can't wait to bring some friends back here and make more of a party of it.

Viva! features the best Mexican recipes and cocktails in a cosy setting for a very affordable price. Thumbs up for the service, too.

It was completely packed, but the servers managed to keep our drinks coming (great, great cocktails!), food served in decent time (nom!) and even though they were run off their feet (probably didn't help 7 of us were ordering new cocktails every time they walked passed our table) still found time to crack jokes, bring over free shots and generally keep the atmosphere up. Will definitely be returning!

Visited for an early lunch on a sunny Sunday, we were the only ones in the restaurant so didn't experience any over crowdedness however it is quite small so I can see how it gets really busy.Sat in the garden area which is pretty, los of potted plants and trinkets to look at, generally just a nice atmosphere. Ordered a standard black tea and it was presented in a cool jar with accompanying raspberries, never seen that before! Just a nice touch that sets it apart from other similar businesses.The food was great and very well priced - would love to go back in the evening to experience the cocktails which sounded great!

Very friendly staff who looked after our birthday party very very well. It was lovely to sit in their cute back garden. Lovely cocktails and brew dog available.The food was excellent. Being a 'bloke' I just wish a pint of ale was available- sorry!

Really enjoyed my visit to the restaurant ahead of a gig I was going to. The atmosphere is nice and the staff were really friendly. We had the nachos (with guacamole) and the tacos were especially nice. We had pork and chicken nachos (they do four for £10). Really great music played there and the atmosphere was lovely. I'd recommend it.

I spent there a saturday night with my friends. The atmosphere of this restaurant is absolutely amazing, no strong lights but only candles to create a very warm environment. The staff is very friendly and helpful, the selection of cocktails is very wide, tapas are tasty and healthy. I love it!I will go back

seriously, its the best I've ever had... the prices are standard london prices, the atmosphere is great, its small inside but they have a hidden gem of a back garden, my friend rented out the back for a birthday and we had an amazing time. they have heaters outdoors so we were outside throughout the night. service was excellent, the waiters went above and beyond. Defo recommended for drinks in dalston.

I went there a couple of times, also for the birthday of a friend. We had cocktails that were really worth there money as they were very unusual and basically a speciality of the bartender.Staff was friendly. Nibbles were tasting good.The garden in the back is for smokers ideal, the decoration of the bar is also very neat. I approve.

I have walked past this place for years but was disappointed when I finally checked it out. The food is average so I wouldn't recommend it for dinner but rather a snack and a drink. It's definitely got the romantic vibes..

Quiet possibly the best cocktails, the frozen margaritas are amazing! We spent the afternoon in the hidden courtyard garden and didn't have to move from our table all day! The table service was excellent, food was so delicious we ordered more a few hours later. Nothing was too much trouble for the staff, so could not fault the place! Will definitely be back with the sunshine!

Went in here after the great Camberlache Festival and ordered some drinks, so good so far. Then tried to order some tapas, kitchen still open, food coming out, more people coming in, but told closed for food. Them more people came in and more food served told these were relatives and the waitress wanted to go home. We moved on and had a great time over the road at Red Art.

One of my favourite places in Dalston. This small tapas bar has a lovely Mexican touch to it; lots of Virgin Maries painted on the walls and church candles on the tables. The staff is very friendly, the food is AMAZING, and personally love their margaritas. There is also a nice rear garden worth checking out! Downsides: it's very small so it gets crowded very easily, and it's a bit pricey, though not too much for London standards... I'd love if they had 2 for 1 cocktails every now and then!