Atmosphere is fantastic, not too fancy or too casual. Pricing is very good for the food, ranging from $12ish to $30ish depending on what you order. Our server was amazing and friendly, she made sure we had everything we needed. The food came out timely and very fresh. I've tried the Gnocchi and the brick oven pizza - definitely the best I've had since moving to the states. The wine selection is good. Highly recommend trying this place if you're in the area.
(5)
Wilma D.
This review is only for Pick up service. The order for pizza, appetizer and salad was put in without any problem. Staff was helpful, friendly and polite. The wait time was faster than I thought. The Pizza Margherita was crisp, thin and very flavorful. The Calamari was really good, as well. Light breading and the sliced peppers were a great compliment. The aioli and marinara were tasty. The house salad and bread were delicious. Overall, a great experience.
(5)
Edward K.
My wife and friends have become quite fond of this casual, intimate, quiet traditional Italian eatery often visiting on a Sunday evening when the casual ambiance is apparent and the suits have not yet arrived for the business week. The two servers who are in addition skilled mixologists are fun and attentive engaging in casual friendly rapport with genuine good humor. All that's very nice but it's the food, it's preparation and presentation that keeps us coming back. Favorites include any of the parmigiana dishes and the roast shank is consistently memorable. So if you are tired of the big noisy fake Italian food chain operations as I am, give VIVO an opportunity to win you over as it has us.
(4)
Kimberly T.
Went here for an anniversary dinner with my other fabulous other half. It was a little difficult to find (it's hidden in a mall, next to a hotel). Nice ambiance (an inside-out kind of feel), but a bit too kitschy. The food was decent (I had the gnocchi, hubby had the braised beef, and we shared a pizza - solid crust, a little too thin). If we're around, we're around, if not, there's plenty of other Italian stops to hit up.
(2)
Jessica C.
It *almost* pains me to say this, but I was a little bit disappointed after coming here for dinner last night. I had been wanting to come here for a while and was really looking forward to my meal after hearing and reading about how amazing everything is. For some reason it just felt like it fell a little bit short. The restaurant has a very nice ambiance. It's got an upscale Italian rustic kind of look (is that even a thing?) but was actually much smaller than I was anticipating. The customer service also seemed to be very good. I honestly think I just ordered the wrong thing. After careful consideration I decided to order the crab imperial pizza, which comes with mascarpone, lemon panko, slivered jalapenos, and a red pepper aioli drizzle. The pizza is actually very big, maybe too big for a single person (it's like the size of a medium sized pizza at your standard chain delivery place). It was actually bigger than the plate, which seemed a little weird to me but maybe that's supposed to enhance the wow factor. It was cut into 9 slices, and each slice had 1 slice of jalapeno and what amounted to 1 mini crab cake. I ran into two problems: First of all, it was SUPER oily. And the crab cake was pretty creamy (not my favorite way to have crab cakes, anyway), but it meant that once I bit into the crab it just added more creaminess onto the already oily slice. And that leads to the second issue, which is that it was very difficult to eat. The only way I could eat it was by folding the slices in half with the crab in the middle, but the slices are small enough that it's difficult to do. The crust is very, very thin and got a little soggy as I ate. I think less oil and a thicker crust would make all the difference. Everyone else in our party seemed to love their food, including my fiance, who got the veal saltimbocca. We will definitely be back to give Vivo another shot because it really is a nice restaurant in a very convenient location. I just think that was my first and last time ordering the crab imperial pizza.
(3)
Elle Z.
Excellent food. I've come here a few times now and every time the food is spot on. The restaurant has a nice, dim ambiance - not the place for wild a$$ kids. Bar takes up the majority of the restaurant but it's not like a pub. Knowledgeable, pleasant and attentive waitstaff. Exceptional service from Danielle.
(5)
Carolyn C.
My rating is solely based on Monday's Happy Hour. I went to Sushi with my neighbor across the street (Red Parrot) where we were already enjoying crappy (headache prone) happy hour white wine on special for $5.00 a glass. We decided we were done eating but still wanted to drink. My neighbor and I are the common wineos which of course within a blink of an eye we were sitting happily at this bar after a short phone call to see if Happy Hour was still on. We had no idea what was placed in front of us, we didn't know why we each received $10.00 coupons for next time and we didn't understand why our bill was $10.00 for a huge carafe of wine for two. AWESOME! Best two bartenders ever! The wine was great! Who knew wine in tap could taste so yummy! Their happy hour deals are amazing, especially if you like pizza. Will come again!
My review is based solely on their happy hour. I have been to this place a couple of times and had another great visit last week. If you get there towards the beginning of the happy hour you will not have a problem finding a seat but by 6pm the bar seems filled. Great drink and food specials. Great girls get together spot. Great place to grab good drinks and great food. Meatball sliders are a little spicy and very juicy for a meatball. The Arachini balls are delish too. Rail Drinks $4 and food about $6. Special wine and pizza special at $20. Beers and House Wine $5.
(4)
Mary G.
Overall a really great date night venue. I wish they had a better wine and beer selection (my husband wanted more IPA's to choose from) and outside of the pizzas, the menu is limited. Service has always been great and it's got a beautiful atmosphere away from the hustle and bustle that is Arundel Mills. We will be back!
(4)
Nicole H.
Let's see...place was kind of empty for a Saturday night, thought that it would be busier...the complimentary bread was nice and the olive oil and herbs with white bean puree (no it was not parmesan cheese) was actually ok. Ordered the garlic shrimp which came on a bed of spinach and added some fresh aged parmesan cheese and it was absolutely delicious. Wanted to try the crab imperial pizza but did not see it on the menu. Ordered the bucatini lobster and shrimp pasta which I thought was ok but not in love with so I gave the rest to my paramour and he could not finish it so we took it home. The next day heated it up in the toaster oven and it was AMAHZING! So what happened you ask? Here is the problem...the bucatini is a very hard pasta, so when prepared in the restaurant when it is ordered, does not soak up the sauce, the sauce just pretty much sit on top and doesn't really flavor the pasta, so it just seems like you are eating a hard bland noodle...BUT...when it sits overnight, it absorbs the sauce, so when you reheat it in like a toaster over with a tablespoon of water added to it, it is AMAHZING...maybe they should prepare it in small batches the night before and then heat it as it is ordered and add some additional sauce, because I am telling you, I regretted giving it away after I tasted it the following day! All in all, we enjoyed the drinks, they made a nice sangria for my companion so we will definitely be back!
(4)
Ann K.
Escaping the busy office to relax in a nice ambiance of Vivo wine bar, I finished our lunch within an hour despite the big group ahead of us. I wish I could have drunken a glass of wine. The wine by the glass list contains only ten choices each for red and white wine. It will be a good place for happy hour with like minded co workers and some wine. The fried calamari was soft in the inside and crunchy on the outside. My favorite is bucatini with lobster and shrimp. The creamy sauce is just flavorful and not drowning the pasta. The other combination is the garlic shrimp with sun dried spinach sauce with mozzarella and shrimps. The creaminess is balanced out by the sour taste of sun dried tomatoes. I wish I have plain pasta to go with it. Warning: NO free bread to tame the growling stomach.
(4)
Ric P.
Was in the area this Tuesday last and had been thinking of pasta all day so a stop at Vivo Trattoria And Wine Bar would hopefully satisfy that craving. Upon arrival I was promptly acknowledged and seated. The hostess asked my table preference. I liked that as I hate it when restaurants force a single diner into a seating area which is all by yourself with no one around. The waiter was friendly, made suggestions of wine and appetizer. When bringing the wine he also brought bread and a white bean humus with olive oil and spices. That was good. Could have used a few extra pepper flakes but good it was. I spend a long time with the menu and the waiter checked back often. It's not that I was undecided as most of the dishes looked good, I wasn't interested in a large dish. I finally decided and the waiter was immediately there. I went simple and order the pasta marinara with bucatini noodles. Now the moment I provided my order my perception of the waiter was disappointment. I mean he almost looked deflated at my choice. But this was a perception based on face expression and body language. The antipasto arrived and the waiter was polite but again, I had the feeling that ... I don't know as I can't explain it. It's like he no longer wanted me at his table. He was never rude but his body language had changed from before I ordered to after I ordered. Antipasto done ... wine gone ... Where's my waiter. He was all over me prior to ordering; now its crickets... I spied him at other tables being attentive to them and each trip to the kitchen or bar was on a path that came no where near me. I finished the bread and I'm thirsty. Usually wine and beer glasses get filled fast but here I sat; waiting. I finally asked the waitress who kept going past me for some more wine. She said that she'd alert my waiter. Whatever... Pasta arrived, brought to me by a runner. No wine yet. I asked the runner to find my waiter and send him to me. Half way through the pasta dish he hadn't arrived. I then asked a waitress for the manager. Pasta dish almost done; no wine;no waiter; no manager. Finally the manager arrives. I provide my issues and he immediately defended the waiter as being busy and overloaded. Sixty percent of the tables were empty and my waiter had only four tables;mine and three others which were 3 and 4-tops. The manager offered to get me a glass of wine but my meal was done! I had wanted more bread, too. Manager said he could get me bread. My pasta was gone. Was I to munch on bread and wine now? By the way, the pasta sauce was excellent and the bucatini noodles were good but thicker than I liked. I declined the wine and bread as the meal was over. I was no longer in a good mood as I now felt slighted and it was my perception the issue was because I was a single diner who had ordered the lowest priced dish, pasta marinara. No money in this single customer. However I generally tip 22-25 percent; not that they knew this... Finally the waiter arrived, apologized for not being there and said the manager had offered a free dessert. So ... thinking this was all in my head I ordered a dessert. Dessert arrived 15 minutes later and was delivered by a runner ... did they go out and pick the eggs from the chicken coop ... did they make it special just for me? Wait a minute ... where the heck was my waiter? Dessert gone and waiter arrived to ask if I wanted coffee or and after dinner aperitif? i WOULD have liked coffee with my dessert. Again I could not shake the feeling that he just wasn't providing me good customer service as I was a single customer. It doesn't happen often but I have had this happen before at other places and they were not subtle about it... The waiter dropped off the ticket and as I looked it over guess what was on the ticket that should not have been added or should have been comped; year ... the dessert. I [again] asked a different waitress for the manager. He arrived, I pointed out the error and he took care of it. Why would the waiter tell me it was a comped dessert and then actually place it on the ticket? Ok ... while my experience wasn't the best, the food was excellent, the wine was great and the atmosphere was nice. I gave three-stars for the food but based on the waiter I should have given 2-stars...
(3)
Angela I.
Excellent food and service. This wine bar is perfect. Extensive delicious menu, great HH specials! I'll be a regular here! The tiramisu has great presentation and it tastes great! I ordered the gnocchi special with steak, bacon, and sausage. Delicious!! The spinach arancini and calamari are great as well!
(4)
Tammie R.
My rating is based on Take Out. We phoned in an order and food was ready for pickup 25 minutes later. We ordered calamari, pizza Margherita, tres carne pizza, canoloes, and tirimusu. The pizza was very yummy. The crust reminded me of pizza we had in Italy, as the crust is thin. The sauce was delicious on both pizza. I would recommend both. The canoles order comes with two canoles. The Tiramisu was my favorite out of the two dessert. Light and delicious. My least favorite was the calamares, the taste of the oil was too much for both of us. All in all the food was good and would order it all again except for the calamari. Because the Take Out service was so good, we are looking forward to go for dining in next time.
(4)
Kimberly K.
LOVE this place! I'm so glad I tried this restaurant because I had a lovely time here with my mother the other night. The food was absolutely delicious, and the joint was beyond cute. I adored the interior for sure - a beautiful establishment without the snooty atmosphere! ANYWHO, I'm gonna jump right to the fresh-made pasta because it was effin' phenomenal. I ordered the Ricotta Gnocchi, and my mom got the Mafaldine Bolognese. Both were ridiculously yummy! The Mafaldine came with sweet sausage, braised short rib, and a dollop of warm ricotta. The pasta was cooked PERFECTLY - al dente just the way I like it *grins * The Gnocchi dish was also good. Rich sage brown butter sauce with pine nuts and bits of butternut squash? I think YES. For dessert, we split the Flourless Chocolate Cake. A perfect end to a scrumptious meal! So rich. If you like chocolate, you'll go bonkers over this cake *drools* YAY! I can't wait to come back! If you're in the area, check this place out! It's a little on the pricy side, but the food is worth it IMO.
(5)
Marissa T.
The ambiance was great! Food tasted good. We tried the butternut squash gnocchi but it tasted fairly bland. The bucatini was yummy (it was jeweled with shrimp and a lobster richness after all). Great Italian date spot!***
(4)
Jennifer Q.
They hab my lemon drop! My faborite Only this place can make me relax. How can I not love this place?
(5)
Amira M.
From the people who brought you Grillfire, Vivo is a new hot spot in Hanover MD. If you have a hard time finding it, try searching for the intersection of Arundel Mills Blvd and Dorchester Blvd in Hanover. Parking is located in the garage of "The Hotel". They have a great atmosphere and excellent service. We were taken care of by one hostess, three servers, and had three managers check on us during and after our meal. If you are looking to spend $10-$30 on dinner, hit up the chick-fil-a down the road. We spent about $120 for dinner. Each appetizer and side is about $6-9 and entrees were $15-$25. My chicken parm was a huge portion but did not come with any noodles. Drinks were priced $7-$12. We also tried take out on another occasion. It was great. The managers really appear to want to make sure you are happy and everything is running smoothly. This place just opened this month. I'll try to write an updated review after a couple more visits.
(5)
Eve H.
Ok. Probably won't return. I really wanted to like the place, but was expecting more. Waiter/bar tender tried hard, but just wasn't connecting with our needs that night. Food was good. A little overpriced. Atmosphere felt artificial.
(3)
Danielle L.
Dear Pasadena-ens, Glen Burnie-ites, Hanover-ers, well let's just say all of Anne Arundel county. I almost cringe at reviewing this place because it was a Friday night and it wasn't jammed packed. But I'm going to do the community justice. Date night plans were in my hands and I always want to go somewhere new, honey not so much. But read over the menu and took a chance. Made reservations through open table. We arrived on time, they sat us right away as the restaurant wasn't full. The bar was full, but the table area there probably about 6 table sat out of plenty of seating. Our server (greg I believe was his name) was great and educated on the food selection and wine when asked questions. If you read my reviews then you know What ordered and it won't be a surprise. Pizza!!!!!!!! Crumbled sausage with peppers and onions. It was great pizza as far as taste goes, but my only issue is when I pulled my slice out to eat it..the end you bite, flopped . I usually hate floppy pizza. But the flavor of the sauce, cheese and sausage overcame my hate for floppy pizza. I also got the quartino of Riesling Honey ordered the Chicken Milanese it came with 3 lightly breaded thin chicken bread with and arugala salad. He also order a side of linguine with pomodoro sauce. Apparently by his on going of talking about how great the food was, he enjoyed every last bite of this food. I did taste it and agreed it was a great dish and the side of pasta accented the chicken and arugala perfectly. The pasta was cooked perfectly and was not boxed tasting. The total before tip was 55.48. My quartino was $15.00. So if I hadn't of had that, the meal would have been 40.00. Completely affordable meal for 2. As with any restaurant alcohol will drive your bill up. Go here you won't regret it. I also checked out there HH specials ...Friday is half off bottles of wine. Also Friday is lotsa of pasta..which I believe is never ending bowl of pasta, your choice of pasta, sauce and meat. Also you get salad to start and canoli to finish for $25, sound expensive but your second serving why not take home for dinner tomorrow ? ? ?
(4)
H D.
Rocky start but the waiter has a comeback. The appetizers are great very well made. The ambiance is great. You can hear each other and the presentation of food is great.
(4)
Sherri G.
Had a most delightful evening with friends. We all tried different appetizers and shared. We also purchased the happy hour special. Recommend sharing the happy hour wine with a friend or two. We couldn't drink the entire half carafe. They fill it up. The food was delicious. The wine wasn't bad for on tap. The bar tender was perfect. We had more than enough care and attention from the many restaurant workers walking around checking on customers. Very nice.
(4)
J N.
I have been here 3x and the food is consistently good. I had the pork shank which was a big portion and very tasty. Everyone else liked there food also. The service was below average. Our server seemed very busy hanging out with his friends at the bar. This seems to be the trend in the arundel mills area. Hit or miss on food and rude service. This is why i avoid the restaurants in this area whenever possible.
(3)
Laura S.
Wonderful service and tasty food. I went to this restaurant on a whim with my boyfriend while we were in the Baltimore area. It had the atmosphere and service of an upscale restaurant, perfect for a date. The dining room was large and spacious with the lights dimmed for ambiance. They had a nice wine selection, along with a bar, which we did not par-take in. We were seated by the window and immediately poured a glass of water from a clear wine-like bottle which they left on the table for us. A major plus in my book considering I always hate it when my water glass is empty and I'm waiting to get more. As we looked over the menu they served us bread with seasoned olive oil, a nice start to any Italian meal. We began by ordering meatballs as an appetizer. These are what both of us remember most from the meal. The meatballs had amazing flavor as well as the pasta sauce. Any Italian establishment should have good pasta sauce, it can make a huge difference and this place did not disappoint. The presentation of the meatballs were beautiful (picture below) with four meatballs served over ricotta and a crostini topped with sauce and olive oil. The ricotta really enhanced the dish by giving a creamy quality. All of the flavors blended together perfectly. The crostini was great too for mopping up the sauce and oil. For our main dishes we split the chicken parmesan and pizza with sausage, hot peppers, and pepperoni. The chicken parm was boring in comparison to everything else. While the sauce was good, albeit a little watery due to the noodles, the chicken was on the dry side and had little flavor. Although the melted mozzarella was generous which is always a plus in my book. The pizza was brick oven style with a crispy crust and delicious toppings. I love the smell and taste of fresh basil which was sprinkled over the top adding to the taste and presentation. Once again, all the flavors melded together perfectly to create a tasty dish. For dessert, we ordered a flour-less chocolate cake and mini nutella cannolis. My boyfriend loves cannolis and nutella so this was a must order dish. They were just as good as we expected. I am very critical of cannolis when it comes to the filling and they did great. I get annoyed when the filling doesn't fill the entire shell, but that was not the case here. The filling was delicious as was the shell which had a pleasant cinnamon taste. The chocolate cake was warm, moist and oh-so chocolate-y. We should have ordered milk it was so rich. The strawberry was a pretty additive as well as a nice burst of tart while eating it. Overall, this place was perfect for us. It was romantic, had great food, and amazing service. Throughout the entire meal the waiter was very attentive to our needs. He brought us a total of 3 bottles of water, serving them just before we ran out of our previous one and he was very pleasant the entire time. It's definitely not a cheap place, somewhere to go on occasion for a special meal, but if I was in the area again looking for good Italian food and a nice atmosphere, I would come back here.
(4)
Paul M.
My wife and I love the food and give it 4 stars. However, they just raised their prices and now it is not worth the price. They also got rid of their family style portions. My kids would share the pasta and meatballs for $23 and now it will cost $36. That is insane. And you can't get a side salad with the pasta and need to spend another $10. It use to be our favorite place to go, but now will only be with a coupon and on a special occassion. While we were there he other day, another table also commented on the price increase. Maybe they will realize they went too high.
(3)
Jennifer B.
This has become one of my favorite places in the arundel mills area. Their staff are very friendly and helpful. We went there for lunch the other day and had called ahead our orders to make sure we had plenty of time to enjoy them on our lunch order. When we arrived we were taken to our table and the food was almost immediately brought out to us. I had the pasta with shrimp and lobster and loved it. The garlic sauce that was on it was exceptionally good if you like garlic. Will definitely go back.
I decided on Vivo for the location for my annual birthday dinner as It is no secret that i LOVE italian food. They were super easy to put in a reservation online and was very accommodating when part of my party didnt show :( Their wine menu is very extensive and the waitress was pretty knowledgable about the selection which is always helpful. Everyone at the table ended up going with the endless pasta special, my only disappointment was the amount of sauce on my first dish but it was quickly remedied with my second bowl. I even liked that they allowed me to take a bowl to go (some places are weird with all you can eat). The waitress asked if we were celebrating anything and was nice enough to stick a candle in my cannoli, its the little things like that, that makes a person want to return. They were also awesome enough to split the bill so that each person could pay separately. From the looks of things online this place appears to have a great happy hour that im hoping to try out first hand!
(4)
Nick K.
The bartender is the best I've ever seen. He is an expert at his craft. The overall customer service from the managers was great too. The food was pretty good too.
(5)
Terrence M.
Great, fresh salad and pasta. Came for lunch so the portions were smaller but filling. Great service and really good food. Most definitely coming back.
(4)
Von B.
We went early on a Monday, and it was quiet enough to enjoy our wine and meal before a noisy large party arrived. Nice ambience and the salmon steak was impressively huge. We drank 'em out of Malbec, consuming their last two bottles and moving on to a Merlot. A good dinner party with friends.
(4)
Eddie A.
Vivo Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar by Eddie Applefeld I suppose it is a compliment to our local restaurant scene that a restaurateur from out of state decides to open not one but two restaurants in Maryland. After all, the owner can go to any state and is sure to find a suitable location. So I guess we should be grateful to the George Martin Group for opening two restaurants in The Hotel, located in an area known as Arundel Preserve. If you're not familiar with that site, it is about one mile from Maryland Live Casino. The one I'll be telling you about here is, as the title above reads, Vivo Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar that opened in mid-December 2013. My first visit was on a Thursday night, a school night mind you, and the place was packed. Both at all the tables and the bar. The age range seemed to go from the 20's right through to those who could be enjoying retirement. Which, by the way, is not me. I think that says something about the restaurant. There are many choices within a five mile radius, so the fact Vivo was crowded, and with folks who have been there before, I know because I asked, tells me there's something people like. Maybe it's the food and atmosphere. Vivo is certainly casual, it's open daily for lunch and dinner, seats about 110, there's an area for a private party or meeting, reservations, especially on weekends, are suggested, there's free parking in an adjacent garage, a wine selection of about 120, carry out and catering. Let me point out the restaurant is located off the lobby of The Hotel. So to get there you'll walk across a very nicely appointed lobby. And if by chance you have just a bit too much to drink, just check in and take the elevator to your room. By the way, I got a tour of the room styles and can assure you they're all quite nice. The owner, the gentleman who is there almost everyday, is George Korten. He has seven restaurants, five of them in New York. The two in The Hotel is his first venture in Maryland. I asked him how he would briefly describe Vivo and he said, ' I think it is a true Italian kitchen with familiar food.' He also mentioned that over half of the diners are locals. He was enticed to this location by his long time friend David Hillman, perhaps the biggest apartment developer in the mid-Atlantic. David owns Southern Management Corporation out of McLean VIrginia.
(4)
D R.
My guest and I were I interested in finding a new Italian restaurant nearby and so we tried Vivo. We were greatly disappointed with the quality of food. Menu read well and atmosphere was pleasant. One dish-malfadine bolognese had unpleasant flavor, maybe nutmeg or something in the sausage and the pasta was too soft. I could not finish it. Other dish-gnocchi with vodka sauce had too soft gnocchi. The pasta should not be pre-cooked which was reflected in the less than 10 mins from order to table. Will not be returning, sorry GM.
(1)
Shay X.
My boyfriend and I loved the food and wine/cocktails at Vivo this past weekend. The starting bread was delicious and my house Pinot Grigio was the best I've tasted locally. We shared a very delicious calamari and I had the ravioli. My boyfriend had the spaghetti and meatballs and loved it as well. They have an option for gluten free or wheat pasta as well which makes keeping on the diet even easier. I also liked the selection of awesome dance/house music that was playing. We plan to go back for Valentine's day.
(5)
Dale B.
The food rivals the best of Little Italy. The ambiance is great, new, clean, and classy. It's everything that I would expect from an Italian restaurant and more. I don't see what some of the other reviews were talking about, in terms of the place being too "noisy," or having a bad experience with the wait and the food. That was probably while they were working through their growing pains, and have since sorted everything out. From what I can tell, the place has their act together now!! Do not be deterred!!
(5)
Betsey B.
I was in town for business, and couldn't bear the thought of takeout huddled in my hotel room, so I decided to eat at the bar at Vivo. The bartender was friendly, helpful, and offered great service. The food was good, but pricey for what it was. $23 for chicken marsala over pasta, with no vegetables? It's suburban Maryland, not downtown NY. The Vivo salad was good, but $5 for a side salad with the purchase of a meal? Really? It was also just way too much food. I'll be back, perhaps for a pizza next time.
(3)
Susan C.
Lunch was terrible. I ordered limoncello chicken entree. At $14, it was WAY over-priced. The portion was that of a small appetizer. There were 2 very small chicken cutlets (maybe a total of 2 ounces). The sauce tasted like thawed can lemonade - cloyingly sweet. It was accompanied by 3 asparagus. No starch came with the meal. The bread placed on the table was stale. Another of our party ordered a lunch salad which she said was very over-dressed. I ordered a cappuccino which was very bitter and had a powdery residue.
(1)
Tyler R.
Great place. Came for happy hour and got the house white and pizza combo. House wine was great(shocking for a house, usually they suck, but this one is great!) and pizza was great. Jamal is a great bartender too! Happy hour was really slow though, but can't complain!
(4)
John P.
Mr. X and I love Italian restaurants, so when we stumbled across a coupon for Vivo located in The Hotel at Arundel Preserve (perhaps the most retarded name for a hotel chain ever), we couldn't resist trying it out last Sunday evening. Usually, I will avoid any restaurant that has the owner's name emblazoned on the facade. I find this practice extremely arrogant and pompous. No one knows YOU or cares about YOUR name, trust me. The only person I think should get away with doing that is Gordon Ramsey, and the only place YOUR name belongs is on your paychecks, but I digress. In this case I felt compelled to go because just a couple weeks prior to our visit, The Sun, Baltimore's local newspaper, had just finished giving this place a horrid review, calling the food bland, uninspired, and tasteless, among other nice things. I know that this particular reviewer can be hard to please, and sometimes just spiteful if he has a personal issue with a restauranteur, so I ignored the review and we pressed onward. I wanted to find out for myself if this was just another ego-booster to George Martin's restaurant portfolio. Am I ever glad I did. Now I'm a guy that will eat anything as many of you know, and Mr X., although somewhat a pickier eater than myself, isn't that far behind. I'm the first to admit that I'm not that great of a food reviewer in that I don't have extremely discretionary taste buds, but I DO know what tastes good and what doesn't, and I DO know what I like. And I like Vivo-- A lot. We wanted to try a bunch of things, so we ordered a good bit of food. We were greeted warmly by Greg, our handsome and very helpful server. Greg is a bartender of the house as well, and he has an extensive knowledge of just about everything that goes across the bars and tables at Vivo. He was very helpful in suggesting to us various dishes and specials, as well as various family-style pricing options, and describing how everything is made. He made us feel very welcome as first timers, and he was very attentive to our needs. A basket of delicious, crusty, rustic bread is brought out first, served with a saucer of pureed white beans and garlic topped with a little red pepper, then drizzled with olive oil. Even though not authentically Italian, it was still very novel, going perfectly with the bread, and Mr. X. and I took care of all of it in short order! Next we were brought Calamari with tomato sauce, and it was very fresh and satisfying. It is drizzled with a creamy red pepper sauce on it which was really great, but might not be to everyone's fancy; so if you think you might not enjoy that, just ask and I'm sure they will put it on the side for you. The nice surprise in this dish were the slices of battered and deep fried jalapeno pepper rings. Yum! Mr. X. ordered Baked Rigatoni with added sausage. Of course, I had to try it since all of the pastas are made in house and I'm fat so I'm a sucker for anything made of pasta. It was delicious, with the sweet blend of fresh cheeses and sausage you'd expect from a restaurant that makes everything in-house. As a side, I ordered a small bowl of their linguine in red sauce. It was the best bowl of pasta I think I ever had, perfectly done and just the right amount of chewiness. It was awesome! Their sauce has an overwhelming taste of fresh tomatoes, as it should be. It was perfect. I ordered Frank's Veal, which has got to be one of the greatest things I ever tasted. Fresh veal breaded and lightly fried, topped with mushrooms, cheeses, prosciutto, and Marsala sauce combine to make one of the most delightful entrees I ever tasted, and served with a helping of fresh, sauteed spinach on the side. Seriously, it was amazing. As if this was not enough, we got a Margherita pizza to go. Mr. X. and I shared a slice before we left. It was very good, but didn't quite have the flavor I would have expected. I think it could have used a little more fresh mozzarella on it, but also I like my pizza finished a little more done and crispy on the bottom than this was presented, so maybe next time I'll just ask them to drop a little more cheese on it and give it a few more minutes in the oven. Like I said it was very good, but just didn't give me the knock-your-socks off feeling I usually get when I order the same type of pizza at Bertucci. Overall it was a wonderful experience, and the pricing for what you get is really a great value. Everything tastes great and the atmosphere is cozy and upscale. It's obvious a lot of time and money was spent on this interior. Still, I'd like to see a few less of (and less different styles of) ceiling lights. It kinda looks like you've walked into a light fixture store. The brightness of the lighting isn't very balanced, either. There are really bright spots, and then areas of near darkness. These are minor things, and do not detract from the experience at all. Mr. X. and I have found a new regular spot and we can't wait to go back and try more things.
(4)
Jarrod F.
Came here on Friday with the family... was definitely impressed. The restaurant itself is sleek, modern and stylish. The woven "basket" light fixtures were definitely unique and classy as well. I'm a big fan of the open kitchen concept too. The semi-loud electronic dance music in the background seemed a bit out of place but it definitely increased the "fun factor." Gave the place a bit of liveliness and pep. Despite the fact that our server was pretty bad (more on that in a sec), the food was very good. The Cesar and antipasti salads were fresh, crisp and flavorful. There was just a tad too much dressing on both salads for my liking. However, the salads are big enough for 2 people to share, which for $8 a piece was a great deal. I ordered the Bolognese pasta (homemade) for dinner with braised beef, sausage and fresh melted ricotta. The sauce was light and not overbearing. All in all, a balanced dish with great texture. My future father-in-law ordered the Veal Parmesan but ended up getting Chicken Parmesan because our waitress put in the wrong order. He seemed to like his chicken but wasn't blown away by it. My lady and her mom ordered Nick's chicken -- sausage, roast chicken, potatoes, peppers and broccoli. The dish looked spectacular but seemed like it could have used a bit of sauce. They ordered the "white meat" only option but once again, the waitress forgot to put this in so they got both white and dark meat in the dish. As you can see our waitress messed a few items up. She also forgot to refill our drinks, get us bread, get our check, etc. I'll give her the benefit of the doubt since she was new. But the manager came over and apologized for the service. He gave us all shots of Limencello and free dessert for the inconvenience. This wasn't really necessary but we couldn't turn it down. I had the chocolate filled cannoli's which were awesome. Everyone else liked their desserts too. All in all, this was a great experience. Few restaurants in the area make homemade pastas.... few restaurants offer "shared" meals for under $30 that could easily fill 2-3 people... and few restaurants have a truly authentic Italian menu like Vivo does. George Martin himself came over to our table, which was kind of cool since he owns both Grillfire and Vivo @ The Hotel. between the two restaurants I definitely would have to go with Vivo though. Verdict: I'll definitely be coming back.
(4)
Brian A.
Best Italian food I've ever had. Staff is great and so is the service. Happy hour deal is great as well. If you love pasta go on a Friday for unlimited pasta.
(5)
Karen B.
Jamal is an amazing bartender/waiter - he's a great mixologist & definitely delivers a drink made with love! Food is pretty good too! One of my new favorite spots when I'm in town!! I highly recommend the lobster bucatini - delicious!
(5)
Michelle H.
Had a late dinner there with my mom and decided to go light. I had the little neck clams and a side of their spinach. The clams were good with lots of tomato and carmalized garlic. The spinach was quite salty. Mom had the linguine with marinara and chicken. She really liked the chicken but the marinara was just meh. Finished the meal with the Nutella cannoli and that was the perfect finish. Really good and I'm not much of a canolli person. Service was great.
(3)
Jenni G.
We had been looking forward to trying Vivo based on the great reviews, and it fell far below our expectations. We ordered a Friday night pasta special- salad, pasta and cannoli for $25. The salad was good, but the pasta was pretty terrible. We both got linguini with a Gorgonzola cream sauce- mine with shrimp,his with chicken- and they were terribly bland and watery-- almost no Gorgonzola taste to it. We both commented how we wished we had driven all the way to Hampden to a little hole in the wall there that has MUCH better takeout Gorgonzola cream sauce pasta for like $10. No one offered any Parmesan or anything either. When it was time for dessert, the waiter told us our cannolis would be out in a moment-- almost 25 min later, I had to chase him down to say they still had not come out yet. This is not a large restaurant, and we were right next to the kitchen, so I am not clear on how he would not have seen that. He did apologize and bring us out an enormous cannoli as an apology, which was nice, but honestly we did not need that much cannoli, and it was also so sweet it almost put us in a sugar coma. In addition, we ran out of water several times and had to wait quite a while for refills. All that for $75 plus tip. I was so disappointed. Really wanted to like the place.Maybe the pasta special was not their best work-- other tabes seemed to enjoy their meals a lot--but we will not be back for a round 2. There are too many other great places around here to spend our money at Vivo.
(2)
Stacy L.
Went here for my birthday dinner. We had been here before for a private birthday party and the pizza was DELICIOUS! We ordered the calamari appetizer, which was very tasty. I ordered the garlic shrimp which was a good sized portion (about 8 large shrimp). My husband ordered the pork shank and it was very tender melt in your mouth delicious. The waitress was very attentive, and came by a few times to check on us and refill our drinks. Very good wine selection as well. Big "after-work" crowd there, but nothing too loud or nosy. We will definitely go here again for a date night!
(4)
Nicole P.
This spot was good. Came on a Saturday night after making reservations beforehand. We were seated right away and the place is really nice. It wasn't packed at all which was nice because with the dim lighting it gave off a really romantic vibe. The food was good but nothing I can rave about. I had the cheese ravioli and my date had an entire little hen. It was big and he really enjoyed it. My ravioli was ok. Combined with the wine--our dinner came to eighty something. Nothing really bad to say about the restaurant so yes, I would come again. Service was pleasant and prompt but not overbearing.
(4)
Katie M.
Everything at Vivo was amazing. The service was impeccable. The food was beyond delicious. We had the antipasta to start with the best Gorgonzola ever. The calamari was the best anyone has ever had. The bruschetta was so good with a really good balsamic. Our entrees were very good although we all would have preferred more of our appetizers! The Nutella canolis are not to be skipped. Wow. They are quite the treat. If you haven't gone yet--go. You will not be disappointed. I wanted to go back for lunch today!!
(5)
Renee B.
Architecture/Ambiance: While it has a cool, industrial and rustic look, it's hard for me to appreciate it as much as buildings like the Bagby Building and others in Baltimore City. I really like renovations of old spaces. That being said, it is really nice and has an authentic Italian feel. Service: Over the top. I know that I'm being treated as a guest*, but it seemed like everyone was well tended to. All servers were incredibly friendly and helpful. It was pretty busy at 8pm on a Thursday, but no one appeared to have to wait long to be seated and served. Food, food, food: We started with two apps, the calamari and the mozzarella bruscetta. Steve was a big fan of the calamari (and he gets it everywhere he goes, so he's learned a lot about it), and the bruscetta was a generous portion. For our main dishes, we both opted for pizzas -- prosciutto and pear (pignolia, fig vincotto, gorgonzola dolce, sage) for me and tre carne (crumbled sausage, meatballs, pepperoni, fresh mozzarella) for Steve. I loved the cheese, fig, herbs, and prosciutto on mine but the pear was a little off. (I ate the leftovers for lunch the next day, so definitely not bad by any means!) Steve liked his and was only able to finish about half because it was so hearty. I was a little disappointed in my wine, the Fire Road sauvignon blanc (Marlborough 2012). New Zealand sauv blanc is my go-to wine, but I probably should've done Italian, considering the restaurant. It just wasn't my favorite. I couldn't turn down dessert, so I ordered the chocolate tart, which was amazing. It was so decadent and rich; I was savoring every bite. Steve's vanilla ice cream, while delicious, definitely paled in comparison. Biggest pro(s): Free parking! There's an open lot as well as a free garage. The pizzas are a good size and the desserts shouldn't be skipped. Biggest con(s): It's in Arundel Mills. (See: Would I go back, below.) I think that people assume it's associated with the casino, but it's not. The area is really cute with a few other restaurants and shops. Would I go back? Yes, if I'm in the area, and I'd definitely encourage others to go. We tend to stick with the city because we can take Uber and Lyft anywhere we need to go without losing our parking space. (If you live in a city, you understand.)
(4)
Sara E.
I got one of the pasta dishes (I can't remember what it was called but it was a red sauce) and added sausage. It was soooo good. I also really liked the hummus dip they bring you with the bread. It was a nice twist on the usual bread & oil. The atmosphere was great and our waiter was really friendly. It was not crowded which I liked because it wasn't noisy and there was no wait. I'd definitely rather go here than an Olive Garden.
(5)
Lindsey L.
Great food, great service. Lively but romantic atmosphere. Our order included roasted mushroom pizza, bucatini lobster & shrimp, and a nightly special with hanger steak and gnocchi. Everyone enjoyed their food and hope to come back again soon!
(4)
Barry H.
Great service. I just grabbed a late night salad at the bar...romaine and baby kale Ceasar. I'll be back for a chilli dinner experience.
Just ok in my opinion! Had the lobster risotto and chicken parm... Wasn't impressed! My girlfriend had the Marg pizza which was also just ok! Probably won't return anytime soon! I prefer Maggiano's in Columbia
(2)
Joe C.
Second visit. Visited here a a few years ago when it first opened and enjoyed it. Returned recently and again had a positive experience. Had the mezzo litre of house red which was very good. Wife and I split the arugula goat cheese salad and the il porco pizza. Also shared an appetizer of fried ricotta balls. My daughter had the marguerite pizza. Salad was plentiful for two or even three. Pizza was perfect for an individual or to share with a salad. Food was prepared well. Service was attentive and the ambiance was very nice. It was a quiet Sunday evening during the holidays and most people were sitting at the bar. Prices were appropriate for the portions and the Quality!! Would visit again and recommend.
(4)
Mike T.
Good food and good wine selection. Friendly customer service and good environment. Only thing I did not like was the lack of vegetables included with some dishes.
(4)
Barry H.
Vivo is another great place to eat in our neighborhood. Located across the lobby from George Martin's Grillfire restaurant in the The Hotel in Hanover, this bar has a great atmosphere and limited, but diverse menu of Mediterranean themed fare. We chose to go there on Christmas Eve for quiet place to have appetizers and drinks. The wine/cocktails were excellent and the Calamari Fritti and Zuppa di Vongole were outstanding. The service was perfect for our mood and our servers were very knowledgeable about the menu and wine list. One distraction is that VIvo allows children in the evening. I believe this restaurant should remain true to being a wine bar and not allow children during dinner hours. The menu is more adult driven as is the theme of the restaurant. Children that are hungry and fussy will not enjoy the slower paced service, food nor the atmosphere if this neighborhood gem.
(4)
Jesse A.
We ordered take out, but now we're looking forward to making done reservations and having a nice dinner here. Their food was simply fantastic and worth the slightly higher than average price for Italian food. Great service, though I want there very long. We will be back for sure.
(5)
Cherrice S.
Great service, the crab imperial pizza is amazing. The freshly made pasta is great too. Been 3 times in 2 months and never been let done yet.
(5)
Paul S.
This new spot is now one of my go-to places for Italian. Homemade pasta is excellent, especially their Bolognese with Malfadine. Their Carbonara is also very good, not heavy at all and lots of pancetta.
(4)
Matt H.
We were already fans of Grillfire, so when we saw that a new George Martin Italian restaurant was going in across the hall at the Hotel, we were elated. The restaurant opened in mid-December, and we've been a few times. For a new restaurant, we're very pleased with how good things are so far. Vivo is an intimate restaurant, with fewer seats and no booths as compared to Grillfire, but you don't feel like you're on top of another table when you're seated. It's also relatively quiet by comparison. As a few others have mentioned, they make all their own pasta in house, so that's a big plus for me, although I'm sure that also means the quality may vary from time to time. They also have their house red and white wines on tap.... nothing fancy about it, but hey, it makes refills just a little bit faster. The entree prices are in the $12-22 range, but even for an individual portion, you get a good bit of food. We've had leftovers to bring home each time so far, so it seems like a better value (and quality) than the Olive Garden down the street. Additionally, they also apparently have family-style pricing, with portions big enough to feed 2-3 people. We haven't tried it yet, but I'm sure I'll give it a shot at some point when I want a lot of leftovers! We've tried different dishes the few times we've been in, and so far, I've been very pleased with everything so far. Of the dishes I've tried so far (or at least had a bite of), my favorites are the lasagna and the bolognese mafaldine. Both have really good flavors! I love the combo of short ribs and sausage in the mafaldine! As for other dishes, the spinach ricotta ravioli was tasty, and I enjoyed the sauce. I've only had a bite of the meatball parmigiana pizza and thought it was great, but the crust the night I tried it was a bit salty (for me, that's saying something). We haven't tried the desserts yet, so I can't say anything one way or the other about them. So for a brand new restaurant, I'm loving this place so far! The service so far, both at the bar and at the tables, has been very friendly. This could be our new go-to place. Hopefully, this place will take off and keep getting better and better! tl;dr -- New restaurant in the area. Good food, good portions, friendly staff, off to a great start!
(5)
Mark D.
I loved the restaurant space, server was terrific and the meal was certainly worth the price! Great night out with a plan to return for another shot at the menu selections.
(5)
Jason L.
Severely overpriced for subpar pasta. Ordered takeout, and for a measly bowl of visually unappealing and oilve - garden quality vodka pasta with shrimp and chicken it was $28, with no bread or anything. This is for pasta. In the suburbs. Just cause there's a crappy casino down the road I don't see any justification for such a ridiculous charge for such a bland dish. I guess cause it's a hotel restaurant with a captive audience. All this did was remind me why I never go out for italian. On the plus side, the bartender was awesome. But not awesome enough to ever draw me back in.
(1)
Paloma P.
FYI: If anyone was intrigued and anxious to have the Lobster Risotto..don't be. It is no longer offered on the menu. But my God it 'twas amazing when it was
(5)
SalesandTrails H.
Better than the majority of nearby restaurants. I came here for a nice dinner to celebrate our anniversary. We had reservations and were seated promptly. Our first round of drinks seemed to take awhile from the bar; however, we were happily eating the warm bread with olive oil and balsamic (which we asked for). The bottles of wine were reasonably priced and they had a nice variety of wine in different price ranges. We ordered calamari and the rice balls as appetizers. The rice balls were good but came out barely warm. The calamari was piping hot. For our main course, we ordered Nanas Sauce. The pasta was delicious as well as the sauce. It was enough for us because we had the appetizers. If we hadn't, we would have needed another entree. I think that serving 3 is stretching it! I also ordered an espresso martini which was amazing. My husband ordered a Bloody Mary, the first one he was raving about how amazing it was and his second tasted much different and was less pleasing. All in all, we enjoyed the ambiance and our meal.
(4)
Brooklyn L.
This place is a must try. On a recent trip to New York from South Carolina, we spent the night at The Hotel at Arundel Preserve. After a traumatic Christmas shopping experience at the mall, we were greeted by the warm and inviting atmosphere, at George Martin's latest restaurant, Vivo- a wine bar and trattoria. You can have everything from a simple glass of wine and a pizza to a full course meal. We had dinner at the bar, where we were taken care of by Melissa and Jamal- who whipped me up a fresh margarita with fresh muddled fruit-so good. They were attentive and great company. We started off with the Vivo salad which was fresh and crisp, zucchini frittes, and a Tuscan bread soup which was out of this world delicious- I held onto it my whole meal and it was even delicious when it was cold. Then we tried the bucatini with shrimp and lobster. The pasta is homemade, the flavors are simple but so flavorful. Then after all that we were intrigued, so we tried the olive oil cake. I'm usually a chocolate person but this was amazing. It's light and heavenly and topped with caramelized figs and a dollop of vanilla gelato. Seriously, try it.
(5)
Mario M.
I'm always on the look out for good italian. In a suburb of Baltimore/Washington where Olive Garden is considered "good italian" Vivo is a true diamond in the rough. Menu is authentic, quality and portion are excellent. Atmosphere is perfect and service is very good. Really love this place.
(5)
Stan M.
Great atmosphere, staff is friendly and accommodating. Food and wine is second to none, pricing is slightly above average but the place is worth it.
(5)
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Address :7793 Arundel Mills Blvd,Ste B
Hanover, MD, 21076
Sorry, Store hours have not been updated. If you are the owner of this restaurants. Please update the store hours.
Specialities
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Garage Bike Parking : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Trendy Noise Level : Average Music : Background Good For Dancing : No Alcohol : Full Bar Happy Hour : Yes Best Nights : Mon, Thu, Fri Coat Check : No Smoking : No Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
Anie C.
Atmosphere is fantastic, not too fancy or too casual. Pricing is very good for the food, ranging from $12ish to $30ish depending on what you order. Our server was amazing and friendly, she made sure we had everything we needed. The food came out timely and very fresh. I've tried the Gnocchi and the brick oven pizza - definitely the best I've had since moving to the states. The wine selection is good. Highly recommend trying this place if you're in the area.
(5)Wilma D.
This review is only for Pick up service. The order for pizza, appetizer and salad was put in without any problem. Staff was helpful, friendly and polite. The wait time was faster than I thought. The Pizza Margherita was crisp, thin and very flavorful. The Calamari was really good, as well. Light breading and the sliced peppers were a great compliment. The aioli and marinara were tasty. The house salad and bread were delicious. Overall, a great experience.
(5)Edward K.
My wife and friends have become quite fond of this casual, intimate, quiet traditional Italian eatery often visiting on a Sunday evening when the casual ambiance is apparent and the suits have not yet arrived for the business week. The two servers who are in addition skilled mixologists are fun and attentive engaging in casual friendly rapport with genuine good humor. All that's very nice but it's the food, it's preparation and presentation that keeps us coming back. Favorites include any of the parmigiana dishes and the roast shank is consistently memorable. So if you are tired of the big noisy fake Italian food chain operations as I am, give VIVO an opportunity to win you over as it has us.
(4)Kimberly T.
Went here for an anniversary dinner with my other fabulous other half. It was a little difficult to find (it's hidden in a mall, next to a hotel). Nice ambiance (an inside-out kind of feel), but a bit too kitschy. The food was decent (I had the gnocchi, hubby had the braised beef, and we shared a pizza - solid crust, a little too thin). If we're around, we're around, if not, there's plenty of other Italian stops to hit up.
(2)Jessica C.
It *almost* pains me to say this, but I was a little bit disappointed after coming here for dinner last night. I had been wanting to come here for a while and was really looking forward to my meal after hearing and reading about how amazing everything is. For some reason it just felt like it fell a little bit short. The restaurant has a very nice ambiance. It's got an upscale Italian rustic kind of look (is that even a thing?) but was actually much smaller than I was anticipating. The customer service also seemed to be very good. I honestly think I just ordered the wrong thing. After careful consideration I decided to order the crab imperial pizza, which comes with mascarpone, lemon panko, slivered jalapenos, and a red pepper aioli drizzle. The pizza is actually very big, maybe too big for a single person (it's like the size of a medium sized pizza at your standard chain delivery place). It was actually bigger than the plate, which seemed a little weird to me but maybe that's supposed to enhance the wow factor. It was cut into 9 slices, and each slice had 1 slice of jalapeno and what amounted to 1 mini crab cake. I ran into two problems: First of all, it was SUPER oily. And the crab cake was pretty creamy (not my favorite way to have crab cakes, anyway), but it meant that once I bit into the crab it just added more creaminess onto the already oily slice. And that leads to the second issue, which is that it was very difficult to eat. The only way I could eat it was by folding the slices in half with the crab in the middle, but the slices are small enough that it's difficult to do. The crust is very, very thin and got a little soggy as I ate. I think less oil and a thicker crust would make all the difference. Everyone else in our party seemed to love their food, including my fiance, who got the veal saltimbocca. We will definitely be back to give Vivo another shot because it really is a nice restaurant in a very convenient location. I just think that was my first and last time ordering the crab imperial pizza.
(3)Elle Z.
Excellent food. I've come here a few times now and every time the food is spot on. The restaurant has a nice, dim ambiance - not the place for wild a$$ kids. Bar takes up the majority of the restaurant but it's not like a pub. Knowledgeable, pleasant and attentive waitstaff. Exceptional service from Danielle.
(5)Carolyn C.
My rating is solely based on Monday's Happy Hour. I went to Sushi with my neighbor across the street (Red Parrot) where we were already enjoying crappy (headache prone) happy hour white wine on special for $5.00 a glass. We decided we were done eating but still wanted to drink. My neighbor and I are the common wineos which of course within a blink of an eye we were sitting happily at this bar after a short phone call to see if Happy Hour was still on. We had no idea what was placed in front of us, we didn't know why we each received $10.00 coupons for next time and we didn't understand why our bill was $10.00 for a huge carafe of wine for two. AWESOME! Best two bartenders ever! The wine was great! Who knew wine in tap could taste so yummy! Their happy hour deals are amazing, especially if you like pizza. Will come again!
(5)Victoria S.
Writing this review the day after my visit. With the memory of sweet delicious pork belly runs through my mind. Okay, let me back up. I read some kick-butt reviews on this place from you guys so I had bookmarked it. I'm moving to the Severn area and was secretly hoping this would be my new spot pending the food/ambiance. Well, Hanover you did not disappoint. Vivo is located attached the "The Hotel" on Arundel Mills Blvd. a GORGEOUS hotel made up into a small shopping center. I noticed an Indian restaurant, coffee place and bagel/breakfast sandwich shop. We made reservations and I was so thankful we did. The bar was packed, (looked as though there was a work HH going on or something because eventually they cleared out). We were sat right away. The ambiance is cool. Kind of rustic with and old world charm. Open kitchen which I always love. And extremely friendly waitstaff. We were waiting on another couple so the fiancé and I grabbed the menu to pick out some apps. Then. I saw it. The specials list. On it, was an appetizer of "Pork belly wrapped in bacon", with a few other ingredients but the world went black after that. Bacon, wrapped in bacon? Could all my dreams have come true? Thank you Vivo! Without hesitation. We ordered that, and some delicious hybrid brussels and kale sprouts (no idea what they were called but it was GOOD). The pork belly was phenomenal. I hope they have it all the time so you all can go and try it! On to entrees. I had Charlie's Chicken. Which is a bone-in chicken dish. This was okay, it almost reminded me of a tandoori chicken dish I had had before. A little dry, but flavorful none the less. It did, however come with their cauliflower side dish which is roasted, sprinkled in parmesan and crumbled pistachios. I could have had a whole bowl of this! Wine, I had their white on tap. It was a pinot grigio, which was okay but nothing to write home about. They have a VERY extensive wine list and if I had been feeling more adventurous, I would have tried more! I would absolutely go back. It was a cool place. A bit pricey but worth it for a nice meal out.
(4)De'Leisa N.
My review is based solely on their happy hour. I have been to this place a couple of times and had another great visit last week. If you get there towards the beginning of the happy hour you will not have a problem finding a seat but by 6pm the bar seems filled. Great drink and food specials. Great girls get together spot. Great place to grab good drinks and great food. Meatball sliders are a little spicy and very juicy for a meatball. The Arachini balls are delish too. Rail Drinks $4 and food about $6. Special wine and pizza special at $20. Beers and House Wine $5.
(4)Mary G.
Overall a really great date night venue. I wish they had a better wine and beer selection (my husband wanted more IPA's to choose from) and outside of the pizzas, the menu is limited. Service has always been great and it's got a beautiful atmosphere away from the hustle and bustle that is Arundel Mills. We will be back!
(4)Nicole H.
Let's see...place was kind of empty for a Saturday night, thought that it would be busier...the complimentary bread was nice and the olive oil and herbs with white bean puree (no it was not parmesan cheese) was actually ok. Ordered the garlic shrimp which came on a bed of spinach and added some fresh aged parmesan cheese and it was absolutely delicious. Wanted to try the crab imperial pizza but did not see it on the menu. Ordered the bucatini lobster and shrimp pasta which I thought was ok but not in love with so I gave the rest to my paramour and he could not finish it so we took it home. The next day heated it up in the toaster oven and it was AMAHZING! So what happened you ask? Here is the problem...the bucatini is a very hard pasta, so when prepared in the restaurant when it is ordered, does not soak up the sauce, the sauce just pretty much sit on top and doesn't really flavor the pasta, so it just seems like you are eating a hard bland noodle...BUT...when it sits overnight, it absorbs the sauce, so when you reheat it in like a toaster over with a tablespoon of water added to it, it is AMAHZING...maybe they should prepare it in small batches the night before and then heat it as it is ordered and add some additional sauce, because I am telling you, I regretted giving it away after I tasted it the following day! All in all, we enjoyed the drinks, they made a nice sangria for my companion so we will definitely be back!
(4)Ann K.
Escaping the busy office to relax in a nice ambiance of Vivo wine bar, I finished our lunch within an hour despite the big group ahead of us. I wish I could have drunken a glass of wine. The wine by the glass list contains only ten choices each for red and white wine. It will be a good place for happy hour with like minded co workers and some wine. The fried calamari was soft in the inside and crunchy on the outside. My favorite is bucatini with lobster and shrimp. The creamy sauce is just flavorful and not drowning the pasta. The other combination is the garlic shrimp with sun dried spinach sauce with mozzarella and shrimps. The creaminess is balanced out by the sour taste of sun dried tomatoes. I wish I have plain pasta to go with it. Warning: NO free bread to tame the growling stomach.
(4)Ric P.
Was in the area this Tuesday last and had been thinking of pasta all day so a stop at Vivo Trattoria And Wine Bar would hopefully satisfy that craving. Upon arrival I was promptly acknowledged and seated. The hostess asked my table preference. I liked that as I hate it when restaurants force a single diner into a seating area which is all by yourself with no one around. The waiter was friendly, made suggestions of wine and appetizer. When bringing the wine he also brought bread and a white bean humus with olive oil and spices. That was good. Could have used a few extra pepper flakes but good it was. I spend a long time with the menu and the waiter checked back often. It's not that I was undecided as most of the dishes looked good, I wasn't interested in a large dish. I finally decided and the waiter was immediately there. I went simple and order the pasta marinara with bucatini noodles. Now the moment I provided my order my perception of the waiter was disappointment. I mean he almost looked deflated at my choice. But this was a perception based on face expression and body language. The antipasto arrived and the waiter was polite but again, I had the feeling that ... I don't know as I can't explain it. It's like he no longer wanted me at his table. He was never rude but his body language had changed from before I ordered to after I ordered. Antipasto done ... wine gone ... Where's my waiter. He was all over me prior to ordering; now its crickets... I spied him at other tables being attentive to them and each trip to the kitchen or bar was on a path that came no where near me. I finished the bread and I'm thirsty. Usually wine and beer glasses get filled fast but here I sat; waiting. I finally asked the waitress who kept going past me for some more wine. She said that she'd alert my waiter. Whatever... Pasta arrived, brought to me by a runner. No wine yet. I asked the runner to find my waiter and send him to me. Half way through the pasta dish he hadn't arrived. I then asked a waitress for the manager. Pasta dish almost done; no wine;no waiter; no manager. Finally the manager arrives. I provide my issues and he immediately defended the waiter as being busy and overloaded. Sixty percent of the tables were empty and my waiter had only four tables;mine and three others which were 3 and 4-tops. The manager offered to get me a glass of wine but my meal was done! I had wanted more bread, too. Manager said he could get me bread. My pasta was gone. Was I to munch on bread and wine now? By the way, the pasta sauce was excellent and the bucatini noodles were good but thicker than I liked. I declined the wine and bread as the meal was over. I was no longer in a good mood as I now felt slighted and it was my perception the issue was because I was a single diner who had ordered the lowest priced dish, pasta marinara. No money in this single customer. However I generally tip 22-25 percent; not that they knew this... Finally the waiter arrived, apologized for not being there and said the manager had offered a free dessert. So ... thinking this was all in my head I ordered a dessert. Dessert arrived 15 minutes later and was delivered by a runner ... did they go out and pick the eggs from the chicken coop ... did they make it special just for me? Wait a minute ... where the heck was my waiter? Dessert gone and waiter arrived to ask if I wanted coffee or and after dinner aperitif? i WOULD have liked coffee with my dessert. Again I could not shake the feeling that he just wasn't providing me good customer service as I was a single customer. It doesn't happen often but I have had this happen before at other places and they were not subtle about it... The waiter dropped off the ticket and as I looked it over guess what was on the ticket that should not have been added or should have been comped; year ... the dessert. I [again] asked a different waitress for the manager. He arrived, I pointed out the error and he took care of it. Why would the waiter tell me it was a comped dessert and then actually place it on the ticket? Ok ... while my experience wasn't the best, the food was excellent, the wine was great and the atmosphere was nice. I gave three-stars for the food but based on the waiter I should have given 2-stars...
(3)Angela I.
Excellent food and service. This wine bar is perfect. Extensive delicious menu, great HH specials! I'll be a regular here! The tiramisu has great presentation and it tastes great! I ordered the gnocchi special with steak, bacon, and sausage. Delicious!! The spinach arancini and calamari are great as well!
(4)Tammie R.
My rating is based on Take Out. We phoned in an order and food was ready for pickup 25 minutes later. We ordered calamari, pizza Margherita, tres carne pizza, canoloes, and tirimusu. The pizza was very yummy. The crust reminded me of pizza we had in Italy, as the crust is thin. The sauce was delicious on both pizza. I would recommend both. The canoles order comes with two canoles. The Tiramisu was my favorite out of the two dessert. Light and delicious. My least favorite was the calamares, the taste of the oil was too much for both of us. All in all the food was good and would order it all again except for the calamari. Because the Take Out service was so good, we are looking forward to go for dining in next time.
(4)Kimberly K.
LOVE this place! I'm so glad I tried this restaurant because I had a lovely time here with my mother the other night. The food was absolutely delicious, and the joint was beyond cute. I adored the interior for sure - a beautiful establishment without the snooty atmosphere! ANYWHO, I'm gonna jump right to the fresh-made pasta because it was effin' phenomenal. I ordered the Ricotta Gnocchi, and my mom got the Mafaldine Bolognese. Both were ridiculously yummy! The Mafaldine came with sweet sausage, braised short rib, and a dollop of warm ricotta. The pasta was cooked PERFECTLY - al dente just the way I like it *grins * The Gnocchi dish was also good. Rich sage brown butter sauce with pine nuts and bits of butternut squash? I think YES. For dessert, we split the Flourless Chocolate Cake. A perfect end to a scrumptious meal! So rich. If you like chocolate, you'll go bonkers over this cake *drools* YAY! I can't wait to come back! If you're in the area, check this place out! It's a little on the pricy side, but the food is worth it IMO.
(5)Marissa T.
The ambiance was great! Food tasted good. We tried the butternut squash gnocchi but it tasted fairly bland. The bucatini was yummy (it was jeweled with shrimp and a lobster richness after all). Great Italian date spot!***
(4)Jennifer Q.
They hab my lemon drop! My faborite Only this place can make me relax. How can I not love this place?
(5)Amira M.
From the people who brought you Grillfire, Vivo is a new hot spot in Hanover MD. If you have a hard time finding it, try searching for the intersection of Arundel Mills Blvd and Dorchester Blvd in Hanover. Parking is located in the garage of "The Hotel". They have a great atmosphere and excellent service. We were taken care of by one hostess, three servers, and had three managers check on us during and after our meal. If you are looking to spend $10-$30 on dinner, hit up the chick-fil-a down the road. We spent about $120 for dinner. Each appetizer and side is about $6-9 and entrees were $15-$25. My chicken parm was a huge portion but did not come with any noodles. Drinks were priced $7-$12. We also tried take out on another occasion. It was great. The managers really appear to want to make sure you are happy and everything is running smoothly. This place just opened this month. I'll try to write an updated review after a couple more visits.
(5)Eve H.
Ok. Probably won't return. I really wanted to like the place, but was expecting more. Waiter/bar tender tried hard, but just wasn't connecting with our needs that night. Food was good. A little overpriced. Atmosphere felt artificial.
(3)Danielle L.
Dear Pasadena-ens, Glen Burnie-ites, Hanover-ers, well let's just say all of Anne Arundel county. I almost cringe at reviewing this place because it was a Friday night and it wasn't jammed packed. But I'm going to do the community justice. Date night plans were in my hands and I always want to go somewhere new, honey not so much. But read over the menu and took a chance. Made reservations through open table. We arrived on time, they sat us right away as the restaurant wasn't full. The bar was full, but the table area there probably about 6 table sat out of plenty of seating. Our server (greg I believe was his name) was great and educated on the food selection and wine when asked questions. If you read my reviews then you know What ordered and it won't be a surprise. Pizza!!!!!!!! Crumbled sausage with peppers and onions. It was great pizza as far as taste goes, but my only issue is when I pulled my slice out to eat it..the end you bite, flopped . I usually hate floppy pizza. But the flavor of the sauce, cheese and sausage overcame my hate for floppy pizza. I also got the quartino of Riesling Honey ordered the Chicken Milanese it came with 3 lightly breaded thin chicken bread with and arugala salad. He also order a side of linguine with pomodoro sauce. Apparently by his on going of talking about how great the food was, he enjoyed every last bite of this food. I did taste it and agreed it was a great dish and the side of pasta accented the chicken and arugala perfectly. The pasta was cooked perfectly and was not boxed tasting. The total before tip was 55.48. My quartino was $15.00. So if I hadn't of had that, the meal would have been 40.00. Completely affordable meal for 2. As with any restaurant alcohol will drive your bill up. Go here you won't regret it. I also checked out there HH specials ...Friday is half off bottles of wine. Also Friday is lotsa of pasta..which I believe is never ending bowl of pasta, your choice of pasta, sauce and meat. Also you get salad to start and canoli to finish for $25, sound expensive but your second serving why not take home for dinner tomorrow ? ? ?
(4)H D.
Rocky start but the waiter has a comeback. The appetizers are great very well made. The ambiance is great. You can hear each other and the presentation of food is great.
(4)Sherri G.
Had a most delightful evening with friends. We all tried different appetizers and shared. We also purchased the happy hour special. Recommend sharing the happy hour wine with a friend or two. We couldn't drink the entire half carafe. They fill it up. The food was delicious. The wine wasn't bad for on tap. The bar tender was perfect. We had more than enough care and attention from the many restaurant workers walking around checking on customers. Very nice.
(4)J N.
I have been here 3x and the food is consistently good. I had the pork shank which was a big portion and very tasty. Everyone else liked there food also. The service was below average. Our server seemed very busy hanging out with his friends at the bar. This seems to be the trend in the arundel mills area. Hit or miss on food and rude service. This is why i avoid the restaurants in this area whenever possible.
(3)Laura S.
Wonderful service and tasty food. I went to this restaurant on a whim with my boyfriend while we were in the Baltimore area. It had the atmosphere and service of an upscale restaurant, perfect for a date. The dining room was large and spacious with the lights dimmed for ambiance. They had a nice wine selection, along with a bar, which we did not par-take in. We were seated by the window and immediately poured a glass of water from a clear wine-like bottle which they left on the table for us. A major plus in my book considering I always hate it when my water glass is empty and I'm waiting to get more. As we looked over the menu they served us bread with seasoned olive oil, a nice start to any Italian meal. We began by ordering meatballs as an appetizer. These are what both of us remember most from the meal. The meatballs had amazing flavor as well as the pasta sauce. Any Italian establishment should have good pasta sauce, it can make a huge difference and this place did not disappoint. The presentation of the meatballs were beautiful (picture below) with four meatballs served over ricotta and a crostini topped with sauce and olive oil. The ricotta really enhanced the dish by giving a creamy quality. All of the flavors blended together perfectly. The crostini was great too for mopping up the sauce and oil. For our main dishes we split the chicken parmesan and pizza with sausage, hot peppers, and pepperoni. The chicken parm was boring in comparison to everything else. While the sauce was good, albeit a little watery due to the noodles, the chicken was on the dry side and had little flavor. Although the melted mozzarella was generous which is always a plus in my book. The pizza was brick oven style with a crispy crust and delicious toppings. I love the smell and taste of fresh basil which was sprinkled over the top adding to the taste and presentation. Once again, all the flavors melded together perfectly to create a tasty dish. For dessert, we ordered a flour-less chocolate cake and mini nutella cannolis. My boyfriend loves cannolis and nutella so this was a must order dish. They were just as good as we expected. I am very critical of cannolis when it comes to the filling and they did great. I get annoyed when the filling doesn't fill the entire shell, but that was not the case here. The filling was delicious as was the shell which had a pleasant cinnamon taste. The chocolate cake was warm, moist and oh-so chocolate-y. We should have ordered milk it was so rich. The strawberry was a pretty additive as well as a nice burst of tart while eating it. Overall, this place was perfect for us. It was romantic, had great food, and amazing service. Throughout the entire meal the waiter was very attentive to our needs. He brought us a total of 3 bottles of water, serving them just before we ran out of our previous one and he was very pleasant the entire time. It's definitely not a cheap place, somewhere to go on occasion for a special meal, but if I was in the area again looking for good Italian food and a nice atmosphere, I would come back here.
(4)Paul M.
My wife and I love the food and give it 4 stars. However, they just raised their prices and now it is not worth the price. They also got rid of their family style portions. My kids would share the pasta and meatballs for $23 and now it will cost $36. That is insane. And you can't get a side salad with the pasta and need to spend another $10. It use to be our favorite place to go, but now will only be with a coupon and on a special occassion. While we were there he other day, another table also commented on the price increase. Maybe they will realize they went too high.
(3)Jennifer B.
This has become one of my favorite places in the arundel mills area. Their staff are very friendly and helpful. We went there for lunch the other day and had called ahead our orders to make sure we had plenty of time to enjoy them on our lunch order. When we arrived we were taken to our table and the food was almost immediately brought out to us. I had the pasta with shrimp and lobster and loved it. The garlic sauce that was on it was exceptionally good if you like garlic. Will definitely go back.
(5)Tom C.
I have to question the Yelpers who find Vivo to be a quiet restaurant. When did you go? Was it 3 AM? If it was a normal dinner time, then you must be very hard of hearing. Anyone who has read my reviews knows that I like a quiet atmosphere, where I can converse in normal tones with my lovely wife. Vivo is not this kind of place. I loved the food, and the service from Oscar was first-rate. The place is small and a bit crowded, and noisy as hell! I can't believe anyone would rate this place as "quiet." Let's get to the good stuff. The food was excellent. They make a fine Manhattan. We started with the Neapolitan meatball app which is superb, as is the Vivo Insalata. The missus really enjoyed the spinach ravioli. The Tuscan Filet Mignon was good, but a bit overspiced. I like to taste the beef, but the spices overwhelmed the meat. Cooked to perfection, though, so it wasn't a total loss. I won't order it again. The wine list is adequate, so no issues there. The desserts were superb. Oscar, our server, couldn't have been better. He was attentive, accommodating, and very knowledgeable. The one thing that keeps Vivo from 4 stars is the noise level. The food is good, and we may return to try other dishes. But if we want a quiet dinner there are other places in the area to chose from. It's becoming harder and harder to find a quiet place, but we keep trying. Vivo, like Grillfire, is a hotel restaurant, catering to those who seek cheap drinks at happy hour. These folks aren't very particular about dining atmosphere. Those who are can be found at Café Bretton, Charleston, or Tersiguels enjoying fine food and quiet conversation. You'll likely see us there. Addendum: It is obvious to me from reading other Yelp reviews that we are old codgers. We love good food, and we love conversation over dinner. We love good wine. We can afford to eat wherever we wish. Vivo (and similar places) is not our kind of place, but it doesn't mean it is a bad place. There are many folks who don't mind the noise and the crowded atmosphere. More power to them! We, however, would rather spend $300 on dinner for two and enjoy the evening than spend $150 and listen to everyone else's problems. That's just us.
(3)LaToya E.
I decided on Vivo for the location for my annual birthday dinner as It is no secret that i LOVE italian food. They were super easy to put in a reservation online and was very accommodating when part of my party didnt show :( Their wine menu is very extensive and the waitress was pretty knowledgable about the selection which is always helpful. Everyone at the table ended up going with the endless pasta special, my only disappointment was the amount of sauce on my first dish but it was quickly remedied with my second bowl. I even liked that they allowed me to take a bowl to go (some places are weird with all you can eat). The waitress asked if we were celebrating anything and was nice enough to stick a candle in my cannoli, its the little things like that, that makes a person want to return. They were also awesome enough to split the bill so that each person could pay separately. From the looks of things online this place appears to have a great happy hour that im hoping to try out first hand!
(4)Nick K.
The bartender is the best I've ever seen. He is an expert at his craft. The overall customer service from the managers was great too. The food was pretty good too.
(5)Terrence M.
Great, fresh salad and pasta. Came for lunch so the portions were smaller but filling. Great service and really good food. Most definitely coming back.
(4)Von B.
We went early on a Monday, and it was quiet enough to enjoy our wine and meal before a noisy large party arrived. Nice ambience and the salmon steak was impressively huge. We drank 'em out of Malbec, consuming their last two bottles and moving on to a Merlot. A good dinner party with friends.
(4)Eddie A.
Vivo Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar by Eddie Applefeld I suppose it is a compliment to our local restaurant scene that a restaurateur from out of state decides to open not one but two restaurants in Maryland. After all, the owner can go to any state and is sure to find a suitable location. So I guess we should be grateful to the George Martin Group for opening two restaurants in The Hotel, located in an area known as Arundel Preserve. If you're not familiar with that site, it is about one mile from Maryland Live Casino. The one I'll be telling you about here is, as the title above reads, Vivo Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar that opened in mid-December 2013. My first visit was on a Thursday night, a school night mind you, and the place was packed. Both at all the tables and the bar. The age range seemed to go from the 20's right through to those who could be enjoying retirement. Which, by the way, is not me. I think that says something about the restaurant. There are many choices within a five mile radius, so the fact Vivo was crowded, and with folks who have been there before, I know because I asked, tells me there's something people like. Maybe it's the food and atmosphere. Vivo is certainly casual, it's open daily for lunch and dinner, seats about 110, there's an area for a private party or meeting, reservations, especially on weekends, are suggested, there's free parking in an adjacent garage, a wine selection of about 120, carry out and catering. Let me point out the restaurant is located off the lobby of The Hotel. So to get there you'll walk across a very nicely appointed lobby. And if by chance you have just a bit too much to drink, just check in and take the elevator to your room. By the way, I got a tour of the room styles and can assure you they're all quite nice. The owner, the gentleman who is there almost everyday, is George Korten. He has seven restaurants, five of them in New York. The two in The Hotel is his first venture in Maryland. I asked him how he would briefly describe Vivo and he said, ' I think it is a true Italian kitchen with familiar food.' He also mentioned that over half of the diners are locals. He was enticed to this location by his long time friend David Hillman, perhaps the biggest apartment developer in the mid-Atlantic. David owns Southern Management Corporation out of McLean VIrginia.
(4)D R.
My guest and I were I interested in finding a new Italian restaurant nearby and so we tried Vivo. We were greatly disappointed with the quality of food. Menu read well and atmosphere was pleasant. One dish-malfadine bolognese had unpleasant flavor, maybe nutmeg or something in the sausage and the pasta was too soft. I could not finish it. Other dish-gnocchi with vodka sauce had too soft gnocchi. The pasta should not be pre-cooked which was reflected in the less than 10 mins from order to table. Will not be returning, sorry GM.
(1)Shay X.
My boyfriend and I loved the food and wine/cocktails at Vivo this past weekend. The starting bread was delicious and my house Pinot Grigio was the best I've tasted locally. We shared a very delicious calamari and I had the ravioli. My boyfriend had the spaghetti and meatballs and loved it as well. They have an option for gluten free or wheat pasta as well which makes keeping on the diet even easier. I also liked the selection of awesome dance/house music that was playing. We plan to go back for Valentine's day.
(5)Dale B.
The food rivals the best of Little Italy. The ambiance is great, new, clean, and classy. It's everything that I would expect from an Italian restaurant and more. I don't see what some of the other reviews were talking about, in terms of the place being too "noisy," or having a bad experience with the wait and the food. That was probably while they were working through their growing pains, and have since sorted everything out. From what I can tell, the place has their act together now!! Do not be deterred!!
(5)Betsey B.
I was in town for business, and couldn't bear the thought of takeout huddled in my hotel room, so I decided to eat at the bar at Vivo. The bartender was friendly, helpful, and offered great service. The food was good, but pricey for what it was. $23 for chicken marsala over pasta, with no vegetables? It's suburban Maryland, not downtown NY. The Vivo salad was good, but $5 for a side salad with the purchase of a meal? Really? It was also just way too much food. I'll be back, perhaps for a pizza next time.
(3)Susan C.
Lunch was terrible. I ordered limoncello chicken entree. At $14, it was WAY over-priced. The portion was that of a small appetizer. There were 2 very small chicken cutlets (maybe a total of 2 ounces). The sauce tasted like thawed can lemonade - cloyingly sweet. It was accompanied by 3 asparagus. No starch came with the meal. The bread placed on the table was stale. Another of our party ordered a lunch salad which she said was very over-dressed. I ordered a cappuccino which was very bitter and had a powdery residue.
(1)Tyler R.
Great place. Came for happy hour and got the house white and pizza combo. House wine was great(shocking for a house, usually they suck, but this one is great!) and pizza was great. Jamal is a great bartender too! Happy hour was really slow though, but can't complain!
(4)John P.
Mr. X and I love Italian restaurants, so when we stumbled across a coupon for Vivo located in The Hotel at Arundel Preserve (perhaps the most retarded name for a hotel chain ever), we couldn't resist trying it out last Sunday evening. Usually, I will avoid any restaurant that has the owner's name emblazoned on the facade. I find this practice extremely arrogant and pompous. No one knows YOU or cares about YOUR name, trust me. The only person I think should get away with doing that is Gordon Ramsey, and the only place YOUR name belongs is on your paychecks, but I digress. In this case I felt compelled to go because just a couple weeks prior to our visit, The Sun, Baltimore's local newspaper, had just finished giving this place a horrid review, calling the food bland, uninspired, and tasteless, among other nice things. I know that this particular reviewer can be hard to please, and sometimes just spiteful if he has a personal issue with a restauranteur, so I ignored the review and we pressed onward. I wanted to find out for myself if this was just another ego-booster to George Martin's restaurant portfolio. Am I ever glad I did. Now I'm a guy that will eat anything as many of you know, and Mr X., although somewhat a pickier eater than myself, isn't that far behind. I'm the first to admit that I'm not that great of a food reviewer in that I don't have extremely discretionary taste buds, but I DO know what tastes good and what doesn't, and I DO know what I like. And I like Vivo-- A lot. We wanted to try a bunch of things, so we ordered a good bit of food. We were greeted warmly by Greg, our handsome and very helpful server. Greg is a bartender of the house as well, and he has an extensive knowledge of just about everything that goes across the bars and tables at Vivo. He was very helpful in suggesting to us various dishes and specials, as well as various family-style pricing options, and describing how everything is made. He made us feel very welcome as first timers, and he was very attentive to our needs. A basket of delicious, crusty, rustic bread is brought out first, served with a saucer of pureed white beans and garlic topped with a little red pepper, then drizzled with olive oil. Even though not authentically Italian, it was still very novel, going perfectly with the bread, and Mr. X. and I took care of all of it in short order! Next we were brought Calamari with tomato sauce, and it was very fresh and satisfying. It is drizzled with a creamy red pepper sauce on it which was really great, but might not be to everyone's fancy; so if you think you might not enjoy that, just ask and I'm sure they will put it on the side for you. The nice surprise in this dish were the slices of battered and deep fried jalapeno pepper rings. Yum! Mr. X. ordered Baked Rigatoni with added sausage. Of course, I had to try it since all of the pastas are made in house and I'm fat so I'm a sucker for anything made of pasta. It was delicious, with the sweet blend of fresh cheeses and sausage you'd expect from a restaurant that makes everything in-house. As a side, I ordered a small bowl of their linguine in red sauce. It was the best bowl of pasta I think I ever had, perfectly done and just the right amount of chewiness. It was awesome! Their sauce has an overwhelming taste of fresh tomatoes, as it should be. It was perfect. I ordered Frank's Veal, which has got to be one of the greatest things I ever tasted. Fresh veal breaded and lightly fried, topped with mushrooms, cheeses, prosciutto, and Marsala sauce combine to make one of the most delightful entrees I ever tasted, and served with a helping of fresh, sauteed spinach on the side. Seriously, it was amazing. As if this was not enough, we got a Margherita pizza to go. Mr. X. and I shared a slice before we left. It was very good, but didn't quite have the flavor I would have expected. I think it could have used a little more fresh mozzarella on it, but also I like my pizza finished a little more done and crispy on the bottom than this was presented, so maybe next time I'll just ask them to drop a little more cheese on it and give it a few more minutes in the oven. Like I said it was very good, but just didn't give me the knock-your-socks off feeling I usually get when I order the same type of pizza at Bertucci. Overall it was a wonderful experience, and the pricing for what you get is really a great value. Everything tastes great and the atmosphere is cozy and upscale. It's obvious a lot of time and money was spent on this interior. Still, I'd like to see a few less of (and less different styles of) ceiling lights. It kinda looks like you've walked into a light fixture store. The brightness of the lighting isn't very balanced, either. There are really bright spots, and then areas of near darkness. These are minor things, and do not detract from the experience at all. Mr. X. and I have found a new regular spot and we can't wait to go back and try more things.
(4)Jarrod F.
Came here on Friday with the family... was definitely impressed. The restaurant itself is sleek, modern and stylish. The woven "basket" light fixtures were definitely unique and classy as well. I'm a big fan of the open kitchen concept too. The semi-loud electronic dance music in the background seemed a bit out of place but it definitely increased the "fun factor." Gave the place a bit of liveliness and pep. Despite the fact that our server was pretty bad (more on that in a sec), the food was very good. The Cesar and antipasti salads were fresh, crisp and flavorful. There was just a tad too much dressing on both salads for my liking. However, the salads are big enough for 2 people to share, which for $8 a piece was a great deal. I ordered the Bolognese pasta (homemade) for dinner with braised beef, sausage and fresh melted ricotta. The sauce was light and not overbearing. All in all, a balanced dish with great texture. My future father-in-law ordered the Veal Parmesan but ended up getting Chicken Parmesan because our waitress put in the wrong order. He seemed to like his chicken but wasn't blown away by it. My lady and her mom ordered Nick's chicken -- sausage, roast chicken, potatoes, peppers and broccoli. The dish looked spectacular but seemed like it could have used a bit of sauce. They ordered the "white meat" only option but once again, the waitress forgot to put this in so they got both white and dark meat in the dish. As you can see our waitress messed a few items up. She also forgot to refill our drinks, get us bread, get our check, etc. I'll give her the benefit of the doubt since she was new. But the manager came over and apologized for the service. He gave us all shots of Limencello and free dessert for the inconvenience. This wasn't really necessary but we couldn't turn it down. I had the chocolate filled cannoli's which were awesome. Everyone else liked their desserts too. All in all, this was a great experience. Few restaurants in the area make homemade pastas.... few restaurants offer "shared" meals for under $30 that could easily fill 2-3 people... and few restaurants have a truly authentic Italian menu like Vivo does. George Martin himself came over to our table, which was kind of cool since he owns both Grillfire and Vivo @ The Hotel. between the two restaurants I definitely would have to go with Vivo though. Verdict: I'll definitely be coming back.
(4)Brian A.
Best Italian food I've ever had. Staff is great and so is the service. Happy hour deal is great as well. If you love pasta go on a Friday for unlimited pasta.
(5)Karen B.
Jamal is an amazing bartender/waiter - he's a great mixologist & definitely delivers a drink made with love! Food is pretty good too! One of my new favorite spots when I'm in town!! I highly recommend the lobster bucatini - delicious!
(5)Michelle H.
Had a late dinner there with my mom and decided to go light. I had the little neck clams and a side of their spinach. The clams were good with lots of tomato and carmalized garlic. The spinach was quite salty. Mom had the linguine with marinara and chicken. She really liked the chicken but the marinara was just meh. Finished the meal with the Nutella cannoli and that was the perfect finish. Really good and I'm not much of a canolli person. Service was great.
(3)Jenni G.
We had been looking forward to trying Vivo based on the great reviews, and it fell far below our expectations. We ordered a Friday night pasta special- salad, pasta and cannoli for $25. The salad was good, but the pasta was pretty terrible. We both got linguini with a Gorgonzola cream sauce- mine with shrimp,his with chicken- and they were terribly bland and watery-- almost no Gorgonzola taste to it. We both commented how we wished we had driven all the way to Hampden to a little hole in the wall there that has MUCH better takeout Gorgonzola cream sauce pasta for like $10. No one offered any Parmesan or anything either. When it was time for dessert, the waiter told us our cannolis would be out in a moment-- almost 25 min later, I had to chase him down to say they still had not come out yet. This is not a large restaurant, and we were right next to the kitchen, so I am not clear on how he would not have seen that. He did apologize and bring us out an enormous cannoli as an apology, which was nice, but honestly we did not need that much cannoli, and it was also so sweet it almost put us in a sugar coma. In addition, we ran out of water several times and had to wait quite a while for refills. All that for $75 plus tip. I was so disappointed. Really wanted to like the place.Maybe the pasta special was not their best work-- other tabes seemed to enjoy their meals a lot--but we will not be back for a round 2. There are too many other great places around here to spend our money at Vivo.
(2)Stacy L.
Went here for my birthday dinner. We had been here before for a private birthday party and the pizza was DELICIOUS! We ordered the calamari appetizer, which was very tasty. I ordered the garlic shrimp which was a good sized portion (about 8 large shrimp). My husband ordered the pork shank and it was very tender melt in your mouth delicious. The waitress was very attentive, and came by a few times to check on us and refill our drinks. Very good wine selection as well. Big "after-work" crowd there, but nothing too loud or nosy. We will definitely go here again for a date night!
(4)Nicole P.
This spot was good. Came on a Saturday night after making reservations beforehand. We were seated right away and the place is really nice. It wasn't packed at all which was nice because with the dim lighting it gave off a really romantic vibe. The food was good but nothing I can rave about. I had the cheese ravioli and my date had an entire little hen. It was big and he really enjoyed it. My ravioli was ok. Combined with the wine--our dinner came to eighty something. Nothing really bad to say about the restaurant so yes, I would come again. Service was pleasant and prompt but not overbearing.
(4)Katie M.
Everything at Vivo was amazing. The service was impeccable. The food was beyond delicious. We had the antipasta to start with the best Gorgonzola ever. The calamari was the best anyone has ever had. The bruschetta was so good with a really good balsamic. Our entrees were very good although we all would have preferred more of our appetizers! The Nutella canolis are not to be skipped. Wow. They are quite the treat. If you haven't gone yet--go. You will not be disappointed. I wanted to go back for lunch today!!
(5)Renee B.
Architecture/Ambiance: While it has a cool, industrial and rustic look, it's hard for me to appreciate it as much as buildings like the Bagby Building and others in Baltimore City. I really like renovations of old spaces. That being said, it is really nice and has an authentic Italian feel. Service: Over the top. I know that I'm being treated as a guest*, but it seemed like everyone was well tended to. All servers were incredibly friendly and helpful. It was pretty busy at 8pm on a Thursday, but no one appeared to have to wait long to be seated and served. Food, food, food: We started with two apps, the calamari and the mozzarella bruscetta. Steve was a big fan of the calamari (and he gets it everywhere he goes, so he's learned a lot about it), and the bruscetta was a generous portion. For our main dishes, we both opted for pizzas -- prosciutto and pear (pignolia, fig vincotto, gorgonzola dolce, sage) for me and tre carne (crumbled sausage, meatballs, pepperoni, fresh mozzarella) for Steve. I loved the cheese, fig, herbs, and prosciutto on mine but the pear was a little off. (I ate the leftovers for lunch the next day, so definitely not bad by any means!) Steve liked his and was only able to finish about half because it was so hearty. I was a little disappointed in my wine, the Fire Road sauvignon blanc (Marlborough 2012). New Zealand sauv blanc is my go-to wine, but I probably should've done Italian, considering the restaurant. It just wasn't my favorite. I couldn't turn down dessert, so I ordered the chocolate tart, which was amazing. It was so decadent and rich; I was savoring every bite. Steve's vanilla ice cream, while delicious, definitely paled in comparison. Biggest pro(s): Free parking! There's an open lot as well as a free garage. The pizzas are a good size and the desserts shouldn't be skipped. Biggest con(s): It's in Arundel Mills. (See: Would I go back, below.) I think that people assume it's associated with the casino, but it's not. The area is really cute with a few other restaurants and shops. Would I go back? Yes, if I'm in the area, and I'd definitely encourage others to go. We tend to stick with the city because we can take Uber and Lyft anywhere we need to go without losing our parking space. (If you live in a city, you understand.)
(4)Sara E.
I got one of the pasta dishes (I can't remember what it was called but it was a red sauce) and added sausage. It was soooo good. I also really liked the hummus dip they bring you with the bread. It was a nice twist on the usual bread & oil. The atmosphere was great and our waiter was really friendly. It was not crowded which I liked because it wasn't noisy and there was no wait. I'd definitely rather go here than an Olive Garden.
(5)Lindsey L.
Great food, great service. Lively but romantic atmosphere. Our order included roasted mushroom pizza, bucatini lobster & shrimp, and a nightly special with hanger steak and gnocchi. Everyone enjoyed their food and hope to come back again soon!
(4)Barry H.
Great service. I just grabbed a late night salad at the bar...romaine and baby kale Ceasar. I'll be back for a chilli dinner experience.
(4)Ky T.
Yelp reviews led me to visit this restaurant and this is by far the farthest off target my beloved fellow Yelpers have ever been. I was pleased to be able to get a last minute late Friday night reservation. I was a little surprised when I arrived last night and was not greeted nor was the host in sight for 7-10 minutes. When the host finally did show up he just stated "oh you must be the reservation" which I found odd to be the ONLY reservation during the 9pm bracket on a nice Spring Friday night. We were escorted to kind of a lame table for the restaurant to have had so few patrons :/ There were more nicely placed empty ones all around. Calamari was salty, crunchy, & chewy, with a fishy flavor.... The marinara sauce for dipping was good. The zucchini frittes (fries) were pretty horrid. The inside was soggy with greasy exterior batter and was pretty flavorless generally. The lobster & shrimp pasta was also extremely fishy tasting & smelling, more so than any seafood dish really ever should be. The house made noodles were like a thicker hollowed spaghetti type I'd never had before & were pretty outstanding. Overall, the noodles paired with the chewy chopped shrimp bits & soggy lobster pieces, fishy tasting sauce, & random shell bits were not something I would ever order again especially not at a $32 price point. The rockfish & clam entrée looked delicious but had some of the fishiest tasting flavor I've ever experienced from a filet. There were few clams at all but the ones that were in it were better described as tiny or mini clams as opposed to baby clams, also the smallest I'd ever seen. The sauce was very watery and also flavorless... A tasteless mess on the dish. This was frankly one of the worst ways I've wasted $120 in quite a while and I really wanted to like the place. Service was inattentive and way too slow. We did however enjoy the signature Manhattan & house riesling. Decor seems to have been much more of a priority than food & service for the concept of VIVO but the execution just turns out to look like a light fixture store as some one has already stated. Hugely disappointing.
(1)Tevona R.
Just ok in my opinion! Had the lobster risotto and chicken parm... Wasn't impressed! My girlfriend had the Marg pizza which was also just ok! Probably won't return anytime soon! I prefer Maggiano's in Columbia
(2)Joe C.
Second visit. Visited here a a few years ago when it first opened and enjoyed it. Returned recently and again had a positive experience. Had the mezzo litre of house red which was very good. Wife and I split the arugula goat cheese salad and the il porco pizza. Also shared an appetizer of fried ricotta balls. My daughter had the marguerite pizza. Salad was plentiful for two or even three. Pizza was perfect for an individual or to share with a salad. Food was prepared well. Service was attentive and the ambiance was very nice. It was a quiet Sunday evening during the holidays and most people were sitting at the bar. Prices were appropriate for the portions and the Quality!! Would visit again and recommend.
(4)Mike T.
Good food and good wine selection. Friendly customer service and good environment. Only thing I did not like was the lack of vegetables included with some dishes.
(4)Barry H.
Vivo is another great place to eat in our neighborhood. Located across the lobby from George Martin's Grillfire restaurant in the The Hotel in Hanover, this bar has a great atmosphere and limited, but diverse menu of Mediterranean themed fare. We chose to go there on Christmas Eve for quiet place to have appetizers and drinks. The wine/cocktails were excellent and the Calamari Fritti and Zuppa di Vongole were outstanding. The service was perfect for our mood and our servers were very knowledgeable about the menu and wine list. One distraction is that VIvo allows children in the evening. I believe this restaurant should remain true to being a wine bar and not allow children during dinner hours. The menu is more adult driven as is the theme of the restaurant. Children that are hungry and fussy will not enjoy the slower paced service, food nor the atmosphere if this neighborhood gem.
(4)Jesse A.
We ordered take out, but now we're looking forward to making done reservations and having a nice dinner here. Their food was simply fantastic and worth the slightly higher than average price for Italian food. Great service, though I want there very long. We will be back for sure.
(5)Cherrice S.
Great service, the crab imperial pizza is amazing. The freshly made pasta is great too. Been 3 times in 2 months and never been let done yet.
(5)Paul S.
This new spot is now one of my go-to places for Italian. Homemade pasta is excellent, especially their Bolognese with Malfadine. Their Carbonara is also very good, not heavy at all and lots of pancetta.
(4)Matt H.
We were already fans of Grillfire, so when we saw that a new George Martin Italian restaurant was going in across the hall at the Hotel, we were elated. The restaurant opened in mid-December, and we've been a few times. For a new restaurant, we're very pleased with how good things are so far. Vivo is an intimate restaurant, with fewer seats and no booths as compared to Grillfire, but you don't feel like you're on top of another table when you're seated. It's also relatively quiet by comparison. As a few others have mentioned, they make all their own pasta in house, so that's a big plus for me, although I'm sure that also means the quality may vary from time to time. They also have their house red and white wines on tap.... nothing fancy about it, but hey, it makes refills just a little bit faster. The entree prices are in the $12-22 range, but even for an individual portion, you get a good bit of food. We've had leftovers to bring home each time so far, so it seems like a better value (and quality) than the Olive Garden down the street. Additionally, they also apparently have family-style pricing, with portions big enough to feed 2-3 people. We haven't tried it yet, but I'm sure I'll give it a shot at some point when I want a lot of leftovers! We've tried different dishes the few times we've been in, and so far, I've been very pleased with everything so far. Of the dishes I've tried so far (or at least had a bite of), my favorites are the lasagna and the bolognese mafaldine. Both have really good flavors! I love the combo of short ribs and sausage in the mafaldine! As for other dishes, the spinach ricotta ravioli was tasty, and I enjoyed the sauce. I've only had a bite of the meatball parmigiana pizza and thought it was great, but the crust the night I tried it was a bit salty (for me, that's saying something). We haven't tried the desserts yet, so I can't say anything one way or the other about them. So for a brand new restaurant, I'm loving this place so far! The service so far, both at the bar and at the tables, has been very friendly. This could be our new go-to place. Hopefully, this place will take off and keep getting better and better! tl;dr -- New restaurant in the area. Good food, good portions, friendly staff, off to a great start!
(5)Mark D.
I loved the restaurant space, server was terrific and the meal was certainly worth the price! Great night out with a plan to return for another shot at the menu selections.
(5)Jason L.
Severely overpriced for subpar pasta. Ordered takeout, and for a measly bowl of visually unappealing and oilve - garden quality vodka pasta with shrimp and chicken it was $28, with no bread or anything. This is for pasta. In the suburbs. Just cause there's a crappy casino down the road I don't see any justification for such a ridiculous charge for such a bland dish. I guess cause it's a hotel restaurant with a captive audience. All this did was remind me why I never go out for italian. On the plus side, the bartender was awesome. But not awesome enough to ever draw me back in.
(1)Paloma P.
FYI: If anyone was intrigued and anxious to have the Lobster Risotto..don't be. It is no longer offered on the menu. But my God it 'twas amazing when it was
(5)SalesandTrails H.
Better than the majority of nearby restaurants. I came here for a nice dinner to celebrate our anniversary. We had reservations and were seated promptly. Our first round of drinks seemed to take awhile from the bar; however, we were happily eating the warm bread with olive oil and balsamic (which we asked for). The bottles of wine were reasonably priced and they had a nice variety of wine in different price ranges. We ordered calamari and the rice balls as appetizers. The rice balls were good but came out barely warm. The calamari was piping hot. For our main course, we ordered Nanas Sauce. The pasta was delicious as well as the sauce. It was enough for us because we had the appetizers. If we hadn't, we would have needed another entree. I think that serving 3 is stretching it! I also ordered an espresso martini which was amazing. My husband ordered a Bloody Mary, the first one he was raving about how amazing it was and his second tasted much different and was less pleasing. All in all, we enjoyed the ambiance and our meal.
(4)Brooklyn L.
This place is a must try. On a recent trip to New York from South Carolina, we spent the night at The Hotel at Arundel Preserve. After a traumatic Christmas shopping experience at the mall, we were greeted by the warm and inviting atmosphere, at George Martin's latest restaurant, Vivo- a wine bar and trattoria. You can have everything from a simple glass of wine and a pizza to a full course meal. We had dinner at the bar, where we were taken care of by Melissa and Jamal- who whipped me up a fresh margarita with fresh muddled fruit-so good. They were attentive and great company. We started off with the Vivo salad which was fresh and crisp, zucchini frittes, and a Tuscan bread soup which was out of this world delicious- I held onto it my whole meal and it was even delicious when it was cold. Then we tried the bucatini with shrimp and lobster. The pasta is homemade, the flavors are simple but so flavorful. Then after all that we were intrigued, so we tried the olive oil cake. I'm usually a chocolate person but this was amazing. It's light and heavenly and topped with caramelized figs and a dollop of vanilla gelato. Seriously, try it.
(5)Mario M.
I'm always on the look out for good italian. In a suburb of Baltimore/Washington where Olive Garden is considered "good italian" Vivo is a true diamond in the rough. Menu is authentic, quality and portion are excellent. Atmosphere is perfect and service is very good. Really love this place.
(5)Stan M.
Great atmosphere, staff is friendly and accommodating. Food and wine is second to none, pricing is slightly above average but the place is worth it.
(5)