Viva

80-90 Lark Lane, Liverpool, L17. Tel: 0151 726 0160

Update: (scan down for my first review) Over a year on, a return to Viva found the same well presented menu, with only a few changes to the wine list. Deep fried rings of red onion and mozzarella sticks were two simple but tasty dishes presented as our first course. We tried the skewered meats again, and they were very good. Good quality cuts with an appealing chargrilled flavour. A filo parcel of roasted vegetables in a spicy tomato sauce was a great vegetarian option. The desserts still look fairly uninteresting, but the Mövenpick ice cream never disappoints. It took only seconds for me to select the Chateau Musar 1994 from the wine list, although what arrived at the table was actually the 1995, with cork already removed. I wonder what would have happened if I was unhappy with this replacement, or if the waitress had opened completely the wrong bottle? Never mind, this was a great opportunity to try the 1995. Another enjoyable evening at Viva, with no significant change in cost. Great value.

Chateau Musar (Bekaa Valley, Lebanon) 1995: A deeply coloured wine, although not as dense as the 1994. Trademark volatile acidity is quite prominent on the nose, together with plenty of fruit. A nicely structured palate, with a good level of spicy black fruit and well integrated tannins which stand up well to the still prominent acidity. This has more volatile acidity than the 1994, but it is still a lovely Musar for those that follow this producer. Very good. (28/9/01)

Prices: as below.

My previous visit:

A smartly presented restaurant on Lark Lane, an area of the city well known for its restaurants, wine bars and pubs. It has quite a large dining area, which is brightly lit and clean. Some tables afford views through into the kitchens, where calmness and serenity seem to reign. The staff are extremely friendly and courteous, and all suggests we shall have a pleasant evening.

The wine list is well presented, but is quite brief, and there are few wines of interest. The red offerings, however, terminate with the excellent Château Musar 1991/3 which was my immediate choice. After five minutes the waitress returned to explain that they had run out of Musar - so I plumped for an old favourite from Chile, which was fine once we cooled it down to the correct temperature, achieved with an ice bucket.

Errazuriz Syrah Reserva (Aconagua) 1997: The colour is a dense, inky purple-black. At the right temperature the nose had lovely blackcurrants and blackberries, with a streak of new oak. The palate has weighty, extracted fruit with obvious tannins, which provide lovely structure, even though they seem a little bitter on the finish. In the past this has been a well balanced, up front, fruity wine in very much a New World style. Tonight it seemed a little disjointed and angular - but this may have been storage related. Will try again from my own cellar. (5/6/00)

The menu is a wide-ranging mixture of cuisines and styles. Your main course could be a pasta dish (these have always been delicious), pizza or fajitas. It could also be a classic steak dish, such as Steak Diane, or something more provençal. It's a very 'safe' menu, with plenty of old favourites and no surprises. It is printed on a plastic fold-out, suggesting that it doesn't change very often. But you don't come to Viva for innovation. You come for the value.

To start we had Jalopeno frittas - jalopenos stuffed with a non-descript soft cheese, battered and deep-fried, with two accompanying dips. Tasty. We also had ribs in a barbecue sauce. Very tasty. The table was cleared just as our cutlery hit the plates. Well meant, overly efficient service. I feel they aim for a rapid turnover.

For our main courses we had pasta in Mediterranean sauce - again very tasty - and a selection of charcoaled skewered meats, served with pittas, salad and Tahinah sauce. This was also good, despite the advertised steak/lamb/chicken combination arriving, without forewarning, as steak/pork/chicken. Not important to me, but this would vary depending on your religious persuasion.

Dessert is depressing. There is nothing of interest except for a selection of flavours from Mövenpick, manufacturer of some wonderful ice-creams. We chose a variety of flavours, but accepted what appeared to be a completely random selection that arrived at the table.

Overall, this restaurant provides good but uninspiring food. The attraction of Viva, however, is the prices. Despite all the mishaps we enjoyed ourselves, bearing in mind this a place for a 'cheap and cheerful' night out rather than a special occasion.

Prices: £15 per head (three courses) not including drinks. Uninteresting and brief selection of wines, but almost all are under £20 per bottle.

Viva

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