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In the same square as the Harmony Gym, you will find the restaurant Viva. This is a restaurant which serves very good food with a bit of a twist! During the summer months there is a choice of eating either inside or outside, and as the square is in an elevated position, you have a lovely sea view. As the square is set back from the road it is also fairly quiet. Viva is very family friendly and as well as steps leading up, there is also a ramp, making life easier for wheelchair users and parents with pushchairs and prams.
My partner and I along with two friends went on a weekday evening and by the time we arrived, at about 8.30, most of the outside tables were taken along with a few of the inside ones.
We were shown to our table, given the menus and offered a drink whilst we made our minds up. As Viva is also open at lunchtime, the first few pages of the menu are for the daytime dishes which are very varied, and include baguettes, sandwiches, burgers, a good choice of salads and much more. The menu is always a talking point as every dish has an unusual name! Starters include “Magic Mushrooms” (mushrooms in white wine and garlic), “Shark Attack” (salmon and shark fishcake), and “Nutty Bird” (strips of chicken coated in coconut and deep fried served with a curry dip). Most of the starters are priced at €4.95 but there are a couple at €5.95 and € 5.25.
Main courses also make happy reading with “Larry gets fruity” (lamb served with a red berry gravy on a bed of mash), “Three on a bed” (3 pieces of pork fillet wrapped in Serrano and served with a port sauce), “Gimme sole” (a cheese and spinach topped sole fillet). Main course are priced between €9.95 and €17.95 for a fillet steak with all the trimmings.
Decisions were made and the ordering began. I thought I would try the nutty bird to start with and my partner ordered the chorizo and prawns. Our friends decided on the Pop Tart and the shark attack. Everything on the main menu sounded delicious, so choices were made and then minds changed several times. Eventually we were ready to order. The two men in our party ordered the chicken kiev, my friend decided on the monkfish and myself the “3 on a bed”. Along with this we ordered a bottle of the house red a couple of beers and some white wine. The pace of the service was perfect, enough time so as to enjoy our pre dinner drinks but not so long as to make us wonder where our food had got to.
The starters arrived and we were not disappointed. Everything was beautifully presented and looked very tasty, the portion sizes were perfect, not too much to fill us up before our main course, but big enough to enable us appreciate the flavours. We all (well most of us) with the exception of one, had a little taste of each others, except for the one in question, who found his so tasty that it was gone before the rest of us had a look in. The verdict from everyone was “delicious”.
Just the right time lapsed before the main course arrived and they looked every bit as good as the starters. The Kiev looked gorgeous and was different in as much as the chicken was cooked with a creamy garlic sauce and breadcrumbs sprinkled on top, thus allowing it to stay crisp and not become a soggy mess. The monkfish came wrapped in pancetta with a mustard sauce and sauté potatoes, my pork was tender, succulent and the port sauce was lovely. Included in the price of the main course is a selection of vegetables, not soggy overcooked ones, but ones that are fresh and crisp. The house red was very nice and reasonably priced.
Although we were all really full our friends were tempted by the dessert menu and couldn’t resist the sticky toffee pudding and the Terrys cheesecake. Both of which looked and tasted yummy and were priced at €4.25 each. Also on the puds menu were “Banoffee pie”, “Bored cheese”, and “I Scream!”
Everything about the quality of the food and the cooking of it was excellent, the staff were efficient and friendly and everything was very clean (including a spotless loo).
Also worth noting for those of you with children, there is a children’s menu priced very reasonably at €3.95 and includes chicken nuggets, sausage and mash, roast beef, pasta and many more.
We rounded our meal with coffees and the total bill was €114 for the four of us.
Viva is certainly worth a visit and it is best to book a table, especially in the summer months. Very good value for money.
CATEGORY: International Cuisine
OPEN: Tuesday to Saturday 11.00-16.00 and 19.00-23.30
Closed Sunday and Monday
AMBIENCE 4
FOOD 4
SERVICE 4
VALUE FOR MONEY 5
OVERALL 5 |
