Viva

The decor in this modern, spacious restaurant is as tasteful as the food it serves. An open kitchen allows diners the chance to watch as Sicilian and Venetian dishes are perfectly recreated. The dining experience at Viva is authentically Italian, with a vast menu offering a variety of bread, starters, pizza, pasta, risotto, meat and fish dishes, effectively catering for all tastes. At Viva, meals are expertly created from simple, fresh, ingredients.

Sipping a glass of house red, we kicked off with seafood tapenade and antipasto misto. The tapenade, featuring a tasty combination of smoked salmon, prawns and anchovies with caramelised onions, olives, capers and mascarpone cheese, topped with a Parmesan crisp, was a perfect start to the meal. My son’s selection of cured Italian meats was garnished with sundried tomatoes, capers and peppery rocket, topped with shaved Parmesan.

To follow, I tucked into a juicy chicken breast with bacon, onion and dolce latte cheese smothered in rich white wine sauce, and served on a bed of spinach. My son’s salmon risotto with peppers, mushrooms and asparagus spears in creamy white wine ragu was equally accomplished. From the enticing dessert menu we tried Italian cheesecake brûlée and flaming sambuca pancake (both powerful and boozy), with ice cream and coffee. Next time we want fantastic Italian food, we’ll certainly know where to go.