ViVetha Bistro - Queen St. E.

The food was great, fresh, tasty, and great prices. It's warm and cozy inside, a great spot for a special dinner. On top of all the food being excellent the staff is also great, they are friendly, genuine, courteous, and make you feel at home. Definitely my favourite restaurant in Toronto.

Always great food...

Always great food and lovely service! Excellent salads.

Bad Service

I've lived in the neighbourhoon for about 5 years now and I must say that this place was great once upon a time. The food is simple and tasty. No doubt. However... 1. Cutlery and glasses are not appropriately cleaned. On one occaision, my glass of orange juice had lipstick marks on it! 2. The waitstaff are rude and unprofessional. They sacrifice quality service by being understaffed and untrained. Too bad.

Do they even know how to smile as they take your $ ?? Service

I want to say nice things about this place. I have tried to and can tell you that they were nice enough to take the tip. Where do I start? Service - all staff seem very miserable and have a hard time smiling. 2 women make you feel like you are a bother to them when you walk in and then every time you ask for something. (I am not sure of the woman's name, but she was the morning shift of 9th/Aug 2011) Scary to think these people are in the "service" industry Seating- I can say it is nicely spaced for the most part when there are no people in the place. However, if you get a full house the noise is unbearable and I feel like I am 21yrs old at a night club again. Screaming over the noise is not fun. Tables- 3 of the 5 times i have been there the cutlery was left behind from previous people and partially used and placed back on the napkin. Lazy staff? When I asked for clean cutlery I was again given a huge attitude like i was a bother to them. Food- for the most part is great! there are 1 or 2 of the cooks that just don't get it I think. Consistency is a big thing if you ever want returning customers. In short, I do hope they straighten this serious problem with lack of service and a friendly smile out before the bad vibe gets the better of what could be a nice place.

Twice was enough!

As much as we enjoyed our meals at Vivetha, a second visit reinforced our first impressions - terrible service and an excessively noisy dining room. The service issues could have been easily remedied with at least a smile and/or an apology for the tawdry delivery of plates. The noise issue is just another story in itself. DP

Best food in east Beaches, not as good service

I love going to Vivetha because it's one of the only fine cuisine restaurants in the beach. I'm always surprised by how few there are and Vivetha stacks up. Interesting dishes, home cooked, menu always changing. Service on the other hand is generally not as good. Can be a bit grumpy and brusk but it somehow doesn't bother me - almost seems a bit French!

The food is always great here!!! some may order...

The food is always great here!!! some may order items and not like them ,not because of poor quality but because they are not used to the ingreadients "the food here is very rich".Strongly recommend visiting for dinner, service is much more attentive,as things run alot slower then in the day,although lunch food is just as good here the servers in the day are serving up to three times the tables than at night ,therefore I don't think it's that they are not expierienced ,it may be that they are understaffed. When it comes down to wanting GREAT food it's always consistent here and compared to alot of restaurants i can't say the same,so go enjoy a FANTASTIC meal and lets not worry about boring decor,and hard working servers.

Love this restaurant, visit it often! Amazing...

Love this restaurant, visit it often! Amazing value for the price, can't go wrong with this place!

Second visit

We were just there 4 days ago and the food was so delicious we went back for another excellent dinner. Rioja wine. Clearing of table is annoying. Staff is not trained.

Best in the Beach! Great food.

Excellent food, decent service, although the timing of the food could have been better. Not all of the apps arrived at the same time leaving some of us with apps and others with mains. Wine list could be better, a little overcrowded but over all one of the best places to eat in the neighbourhood.

We go to this restaurant about once every...

We go to this restaurant about once every 2 months. There's tons of things I like about it and I'll list a few out: 1) They have gluten free pasta on the menu. Always a nice touch if you trouble with gluten. 2) They have a great kids menu with food that actually looks like the chef has prepared it vs. some frozen entree. 3) The menu is varied and tasty. The entrees are always good and the pasta dishes are wonderful. The salads are standard but tasty. 4) And then I find out they're open for breakfast. We have had several wonderful breakfasts here as well. Its a great place in the beaches, that's casual, reasonably priced and fun.

Ab SO SO lutely so so food. Not pleasant at all...

Ab SO SO lutely so so food. Not pleasant at all. Dining experience was neutral. Would not go back because of poor service

Mmmmm.... is the best way to describe the food at...

Mmmmm.... is the best way to describe the food at this little slice of heaven in the Beaches. I have never, wrote a review but I had to give this place prop's for quite honestly the best steak I ever tasted... I am just as surprised as you are ;-) The decor needs help but that's the only negitive comment I can muster. Enjoy...

Okay... I have never wrote a review before but I...

Okay... I have never wrote a review before but I had to find a site and mention how EXCELLENT the food is!!! The decor lacks luster but the food is so good I could care less! Editor's Note: Welcome to the fold, and thanks for your review!

For the Beach area, this is the best you can...

For the Beach area, this is the best you can eat!! HANDS DOWN!! As a proud resident, my beloved area is in dire need of solid, dependable good eating establishments. There is so much sushi, Thai/Chinese and pub grub that can be had here and in all the cases, the Beach is overstocked with them (We have more than 5 of each of them!!!). Vi Vetha is absolutely wonderful...the food is excellent and the surroundings are intimate (the decor is okay at best). But the food is what people come for and we continually support this establishment. Please...open more restaurants that serve great food like Vi Vetha in the Beach. Bravo and we recommend you to anyone!!

I don't normally give reviews but I like this...

I don't normally give reviews but I like this restaurant so much I had to help spread the word.

We had a fabulous meal and great service...

We had a fabulous meal and great service resulting in a superb evening. What a find! The lamb was the best I have had at a restaurant at any price. It was tender and full of flavour. My two friends meals were also terrific. One had the Seafood Pasta and she said it was very flavourful. I liked it so much I am taking my husband and two friends there for dinner this week. Great value and substaial servings.

Decor? Who cares about decor? Stay home and...

Decor? Who cares about decor? Stay home and cook your own food if you care about your surroundings and obviously seem to know more about food than a professional chef. I'm interested in GOOD FOOD and good service. The meal I had was so yummy (it's the only word to describe it)and the service was fast and thoughtful. Go to an art gallery (or change your company)if you want something interesting to look at - I go to restaurants for the food. My party and I sat outside on the patio as we'd just dropped in after golf and found the packed, boisterous crowd filling the small bistro to the rafters (Wednesday evening). They tried to accomodate us inside but we decided outside would be quieter for talking anyway. One of us had eaten there before and recommended the linguine. The food came fast, hot and oh, so delicious. I can't remember the last time I walked away so satisfied with a restaurant meal. Sadly, I couldn't quite finish my portion (my mouth wanted to, my stomach couldn't hold any more). The server was so pleasant and attentive, I kept asking, "Is she the owner?" Each of us was happy and satisfied and impressed with our meals (one ordered the penne). This bistro is highly recommended. We got lucky - very lucky - get reservations!

This is my most favourite restaurant these...

This is my most favourite restaurant these days...wonderful, fabulous food, love the unpretentious decor and the service is warm & friendly...so glad they decided to grace the beach...I recommend this place to all who will listen !

I live very close by to Vi Vetha, so I visit...

I live very close by to Vi Vetha, so I visit often. As a former worker in the food industry; I pride myself on my knowledge as a junior chef and server. First off, the food is amazing at Vi Vetha. Sometimes there are a little too many ingredients, so there are a whole host of different flavours, although complementary. I think sometimes they need to stick to basics, and try not to be "too fancy". Simple is best sometimes. The seafood is incredible, delivered fresh daily (I see the truck with my own eyes). The ambience is a little noisy at times, but the colours of the decor and the general warm feel about the place is welcoming. Reservations for the evening at anytime are recommended. Now, the service is a whole different ballgame. As a former server myself, I know what is expected and how it should be performed. There is a particular server I'm not sure of her name who I find to be quite rude and unfriendly. Looking like she could use a smile once in awhile. Her nervousness and urgency to have you order are annoying at times. I thought I'd give her a break the first time she served us, but time and time again when she's there and serving us, I'm not pleased. She's not one to ask how your meal is either. Other than her, the rest of the staff seem hospitable, fast, knowledgeable and welcoming. I highly recommend this restaurant for friends, families and couples, not so much young families, as the place is small, and the crowd doesn't seem to be very pleased with babies around.