Vivace
| Address: | 1400 NW 23rd Ave, Portland, OR 97210, USA |
| Phone: | +1 503-228-3667 |
| Site: | facebook.com |
| Rating: | 4.2 |
| Working: | 8AM–10PM 8AM–10PM 8AM–10PM 8AM–10PM 8AM–11PM 8AM–11PM 8AM–11PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 6
BE
Ben D.
Next time you’re running around Northwest Portland and need a place to refuel but want something other than a burger, make your way to Pettygrove and NW 23rd and step into Vivace’s on the corner. It’s a fabulous little coffee house and crepery and is well worth whatever distance you have to go to get there. Vivace’s has a warm, inviting atmosphere, not surprising, since it’s a beautifully renovated older home. The rooms are small, and intimate, the many windows allowing for plenty of natural light. Vivace’s is therefore, also a prime spot for window gazing with a hot mug of Stumptown coffee (great local roaster) and one of a vast variety of crepes. In fact, long before I tasted one of their fabulous crepes, it was their perfectly crafted espresso drinks that kept me coming back to this lovely spot. As many Northwesterners know, there is a vast difference between some steamed milk with a shot of espresso sloshed in, and a well-crafted drink made with consideration to proper tamping, steaming, and creating deliciously smooth foam. The blend is heavenly. (For those who don’t know what I’m referring to, you are instructed to go and partake). The service is friendly, as are all the baristas and staff that I’ve encountered. They’re also more than willing to offer suggestions, should you struggle to choose a single option from the menu. To cover multiple palettes and meal options, Vivace’s offers both sweet and savory crepes (made with a buckwheat batter). My personal favorite is a savory crepe filled with fresh tomato, spinach, mushrooms and mozzarella cheese. Hits the spot every time! However, if you need a little protein in your meal, they have a variety of crepes that include meat. Also, for those wanting more roughage, their salads look fabulous – fresh and crisp (no iceberg here, folks!). If you’re not looking for a meal, but want a snack to go with your mug of perfection, the sweet crepes range from perfectly simple (powdered sugar and lemon juice) to downright decadent (fresh strawberries drizzled with Ghirardelli chocolate). Any one of them will satisfy. Crepes aside, Vivace’s also has a great menu of French omelets that certainly equal the quality of their crepes. Craving a more traditional breakfast, they’ve got bagels and cream cheese, and a plethora of tea options for a coffee alternative. If you prefer the fresh air, outdoor seating is also available, both on the sidewalk and the deck of the restaurant
A
A Private User
UNWELCOME. My wife and I have loved stopping in at Vivace for the environment, the friendly service, and our usual coffee and a cream cheese bagel. But we recently got a dose of reality about how Vivace really views its patrons: On our way to Vivace, my wife bought a tart from up the street to take home for a later dessert. She is 9 months pregnant, and could not wait when hunger hit her for her bagel to arrive, so pulled out the tart and started eating it. Within moments we were confronted by the same staff who were minutes earlier so eager to take our money "not to bring in outside food". They failed to ask why we brought it in nor bothered to notice how pregnant my wife was, or to even think about how my wife being THE ONLY BLACK WOMAN in the joint, this might appear like harrassment (and certainly felt that way to my wife). Bottom line is this: we did not drop in with a bucket of KFC making a scene and insult; my wife had a small snack that she was eating out of hunger desperation. We were judged and made to feel very unwelcome, and this act of insensitivity will cost Vivace any future patronage we were otherwise intent on giving (staff: ask yourself, was it financially worth it to enforce this silly policy over a tart? What has cost you more?). In sum, the message is this: Vivace legalistically enforces rules they fail to post, and will take your money with a friendly smile before they coldly confront you as a violator and make you feel unwelcome. And though we may never be able to truly know, they might be more willing to enforce their rules if you are black and hanging out on NW 23rd.
MA
Mark Rowland
Cannot recommend this place. They first brought the wrong crepe to our table, then chastised me for cutting into it, as though it were my mistake. I paid $3.50 for a glass mostly full of ice with very little tea in it. Then they charged another dollar just to refill it! I truly dont believe I have ever paid for an iced tea refill anywhere in the country, even New York. Finally, after a long wait, our food came out. My wife had ordered her salad with no crunchy Chinese noodles or nuts on it, but it came with both of those liberally applied. I would have taken it back but with these clowns at the counter I doubt it would have ever gotten made correctly. At least her coffee was fairly decent. My "bagel sandwich" was good, but if that was a bagel then I must have been eating something else all these years! My girls enjoyed their crepe although the filling was not remotely generous. Im usually fairly forgiving of a restaurant and its wait staff. Mistakes happen. But three strikes and Ill never return. Too many other wonderful places in this city to settle for poor service and nickel-and-dime procedures like this.
BR
Bryna Sampey
This spot is the perfect date-night hideaway. I felt like I was house sitting for a friend...who happened to have a full service crepe staff in their kitchen at all times! Adorable decor, and delightful crepes, the menu selection is comprehensive. Their crepes are on the thick side- reminding me of the (now defunct) Crepes-a-Go Go chain in Californias "American Style" crepe. Theyre delicious, though. Buttery and filled with may delicious things. I had the seasonal special: Pumpkin Cheesecake Crepe. It was lovely. Not too sweet (which was great) and really well spiced. It was delicious. I always appreciate handmade whipped cream, which was adorning the top of my crepe. Love. Their savory combinations looked delicious. I was regretting not tasting the pear-mushroom combo. Okay, actually, I was regretting not trying several of their offerings; They need a crepe-flight or two for tastings! :-)
AN
Andrew Hagman
Savory crepe... Not as good as past experiences with sweet ones. It was an odd take on what I have had at other shops and liked. This one I did not. It was basically a crepe on the bottom and wrapped up around the sides of a boxed salad (mixed greens) with crumb sized chicken, feta and walnuts and whole slices of medium ripe tomatoes (sandwich style, like when you get a subway sandwich and have to ask them to put the red, not yellow, slices on your sandwich). It also had balsamic on it (which I guess was a bad choice on my part) and it sogged the bottom of the crepe while the top was dry and crispy at the edges. Coffee - straight up from their air pot... Stumptown ...De Oro - poorly brewed old diner style. Get your non-milk coffee somewhere else.
AM
Ames Harlem
Ummmm, wow. That was good coffee! I swear, I search long and hard for delicious coffee in this town, and all I find most of the time is boring light roast coffee. What some coffee shops dont understand is, that its not enough for a coffee to simply not taste at all bad. The goal should be to brew a coffee that tastes delicious! The lack of bad flavors is a good start, but you have to shoot for good flavor, not just remain neutral. So, this shop gets a high rating for good coffee, and a nice friendly worker. I just didnt like the table and chairs, and the picture of David Bowie. Whats with the David Bowie worship these days? But they have outdoor seating, and theres outlets out there.
