Vivo 53

Phenomenal, authentic Italian pizza. This is how its supposed to taste. Good service, nice vibe + outdoor seating, a great addition to downtown.

My boyfriend and I went here for Valentine’s Day and it was such a fabulous experience. For starters, you’re greeted by the warm heat of a real wood oven and friendly and accommodating staff. We chose the Valentine’s special, which was a four-​course meal experience, ordered ourselves a few glasses of wine, and sipped away as the oil candlelight burned slowly. The chardonnay was absolutely delicious and complimented the pasta and salad beautifully, the moscato d’asti brought out the best out of the raspberry cannolies, and the musical selection sparked a great conversation. It was all very stimulating.
My boyfriend and I are a bit difficult to please but we are planning on going back soon, specially since they have Wine Wednesdays. A HUGE part of our great experience was our phenomenal server Zach. He had such a pleasant tone of voice and outstanding serving mannerism since the moment he greeted us to the moment he closed our check.
It goes without saying that this place is extraordinary and very pleasant, we will be going back to enjoy the great food and service.

Loved the atmosphere of this place. It was very welcoming and friendly. The staffs were very attentive and helped me a lot as I was setting a table to surprise my boyfriend.

Was here first time for my bday dinner and it was delicious! The waiter provided us with some great choices! I highly recommend the cheese and meat platter

I previously left a five star review. However we have noticed some changes and after last night we decided we probably won’t return. For the price you pay, I don’t believe you get what you deserve anymore. The amount of toppings they put on our pizza last night was ridiculously small last night compared to what they used to. I looked at pictures we had from a previous get together and it definitely backed up our feelings. Service has always been spotty and at times even a little arrogant attitude has been shown.
Last night we were seated next to the station where they were preparing silver ware for the guests after washing. I did not notice this when we were seated. This preparation lasted our entire meal, two feet behind my wife. It was very loud at times. My wife said something to them once and it quieted down some but still continued. I noticed the gentleman telling our waiter and another worker of my wife complaining. He was pointing right at her while talking which made us uncomfortable. Its also an odd area due to workers and management congregating so close to you at times.
We were going to order more food and drinks but decided to go elsewhere.

I went to Vivo 53 closer to the time it was opened and at that time I probably would’ve given it a 5 star rating. HOWEVER, I just went there for lunch and it’s really not even great anymore.
For one, they changed their lunch menu without changing it on their website. Inconsistency is just not my thing. They removed all pizzas from their lunch specials as well… Very strange for a place marketed as a pizza joint. The 53 is in the name of the restaurant because it apparently took them 53 recipes to produce the dough that they have today. When I first tried this place the dough was very good on their pizzas… But now I think that 53 no longer is the number, as the dough was very different this time and SUB-​PAR. Not to mention, the pizza WAS BURNED but they still served it to us. I don’t mind a crispier crust on pizzas but for actually serving black burned crust, uh what? My bf doesn’t expect as much from restaurants as I do, so it didn’t bother him. I still ate the pizza but was less understanding. I did not want to be «that customer» by complaining and having them remake it. There were hardly any customers at lunch, but now I see why it wasn’t as busy as before. I think others might agree with my most recent experience; it’s just not that good anymore.
We also had the fried brussel sprouts and wow was the flavor way too overpowering. Couldn’t even name what they used in it but it was just not good all around. My bf who prefers super strong flavors, also thought it was a little much.
Parking Situation = No valet nor do they validate. You’re on your own *thumbs down*
But below you will find the other items I had liked on my first trip, no updates on these since I haven’t had them since.
— Cali-​flower and yogurt
— Meatballs
(I know there was more but I’ll have to add them once I remember)

I’m really glad we tried Vivo 53. Everyone enjoyed their meal.
I loved my rigatoni with crumbled sausage. Simple yet well executed. The fettuccine with truffle oil was excellent. The best thing was the lasagna. Possibility one of the best in DFW.
The pizzas were just ok. Don’t think I’ll order them again. I’ll stick with their pastas.
Will RTE for that awesome rigatoni.

Great pasta dishes and amazing pizzas. Great place for a quick bite, relaxed dinner or a place to eat while discussing business. Highly recommend the chicken meatball appetizers.

This is a really nice pizza joint in downtown Fort Worth. I do not know how the parking situation is since we parked at a meter, they look like they would validate the parking garage ha. We were greeted by what I’m assuming was the owner and sat down to our table. The owner seemed to really care about his restaurant and was constantly cleaning and making sure everyone was doing great. We got water and a soda, the water was served with no ice but it was chilled. The Dr Pepper did have ice. We ordered our pizza and waited. The restaurant smelled really good! We finally got our order and I immediately started chowing down in my Margherita pizza ( Unilocal check in discount, $ 7). The tomato sauce they put on the bottom was divine, had the right about of garlic and freshness! The mozzarella cheese looked like it was shredded, from a restaurant like this I expected fresh slices of mozzarella cheese. There was also only 4 leaves of basil on my pizza, I wish there was more because I feel like that’s a signature flavor for the pizza and it was lacking it because there was only 4 itty bitty leaves. We also had the salume pizza, it tasted good but a little greasy for me. I noticed on other tables there was Garlic powder, I wish ours had it but I was too lazy to get it from another table, another thing I wish they had was oregano, but hey. If they don’t want their pizza serviced with it then that’s fine. They did have red pepper flakes on the table and they were a great addition to the top of my pizza. The dough was nice and chewy but crispy at the same time. Quick warning to anyone eating pizza from here, you will definitely be getting flour all over you! I definitely like the pizza here and would
Come back

My husband and I went here last night for my ‘birthday dinner’ and it was some of the best food/​environment that we have had in so long! To be honest we have kind of been over the DFW food scene for a bit and this just completely reinvigorated us!
I will say that you have to try this place just to give it a shot. We had the VIVO true fettuccine and Crispy Prosciutto pizza to share and to start we had the roasted cauliflower to start. We finished up with the crème brûlée… which was the low point (if you can call it that) to the meal. That is saying something when the dessert cannot measure up to your food! But, it was just that good. The drinks and ambiance were also delightful and they have a brunch that I cannot wait to go back for!

Went to Vivo’s for lunch and got their Salumi and Margherita pizza. The Salumi pizza was great, more than enough for 1 person. The Margherita was ok but heads up I’m not a big fan of pizza without meat on it. The crusts on the pizza was amazing crispy yet puffy at the same time. The reason I gave it 4 stars vs 5 is they had a check in coupon but was told it was only for the Margherita pizza. I would have also liked to have garlic powder on the table like the crushed red pepper as well!

I couldn’t be happier with my Experience at Vivo!
I called a week before nye to get a reservation for a party of 12… And let me tell you called every restaurant downtown! Vivo was the only one that would take a reservation for that big of a group.
AND day of nye my friends decided they wanted to push our reservation back 30 minutes later… Not a problem! Awesome!
We had two servers both amazing! They kept the wine and cocktails flowing! 22 bucks for a bottle of chianti… YES PLEASE!
My boyfriend and I shared the Brussels sprouts and bone marrow for appetizer. Both were Beyond good! Don’t be scared of bone marrow if you have never had it… It’s like meat butter! Ummmm!
A girlfriend and I split the Caesar salad and the quarto pizza. The salad was simple and delish!
The pizza… So I thought I would be 4 different slices… I really don’t know what I was drinking… I mean thinking! It was good but wouldn’t ordered it again! I wish I would have gotten the Kobe meatball, next time!
My boyfriend ordered Vivo true fettuccine, and let me tell yall I hate pasta, but this was a little bite of heaven!
I can’t wait to come back for brunch!

Vivo
adjective
1: living, alive
2. intense
Although walking into Vivo 53 you don’t get a sense of that word, you definitely will upon eating their food.
My friend and I stopped in for an early dinner Sunday evening after watching The Nutcracker at Bass Performance Hall.
Enter two sets of heavy glass doors and you face their fire brick oven and classy logo. Bars are to the left and seating to your right. Tip: sit at the bar for happy hour specials 3 – 6 and 9-​closing on apps and small plates.
We unknowingly sat at a table, but he did give us half off the burrata. Then charged $ 2 for our bread. More on that later.
We ordered the burrata along with the clams & mussels. Ok. We were very hungry. I didn’t eat breakfast. But oh my goodness. These two dishes alone are 5 stars worthy. The burrata is soft, light, and perfectly balanced, with locally grown vine tomatoes roasted, taggiasca (pitted) olives, pesto, and crostini. And the clams (oddly there were no mussels on our plate… must not have been in season) were delicious! We were given bread for the burrata but used it for the clam sauce instead. It was so good, I asked for more bread and I’m irked he didn’t tell me it was extra. And by extra bread, I mean ¼ of a small loaf. I’m not sure if I would have asked for more bread if I knew he would charge us. But I know I would have eaten that sauce somehow (is drinking sauce socially acceptable?). Sorry, back to my review.
These two dishes alone are worth the trip. Since we both skipped eating until then, our hungry eyes ordered more food.
We got the egg, bacon, Yukon gold potato, and Bermuda onions pizza. Let’s call it the fried egg pizza. We also ordered the rigatoni pasta. After eating the two amazing apps, these dishes were underwhelming. The fried egg pizza in theory is unique and intriguing, but other than the spot on crust, the ingredients on it were mismatched and surprisingly bland.
The rigatoni was equally unenthusiastic; a little tangy and again felt like it was lacking something. If you’re bent on trying it, I would recommend adding sausage like our waiter suggested but my friend didn’t want it. Just make sure they don’t charge you extra!
We skipped out on dessert, but hopefully I can visit again to try them!
The service was ok; he made sure to ask us how we were doing and if we needed anything. I thought he was pretty funny with his one liners. Until I heard him say the same things to another table. Didn’t really feel special anymore. Ha.
The atmosphere was quiet, although I don’t know what weekdays or Friday nights are like. I loved the huge glass windows; bright, sunny days would be perfect for this place!
Overall a solid restaurant! If Unilocal would let me give half stars, I would give this 4.5 stars. If it weren’t for the $ 2 extra charge on bread and two main dishes, it would have been a 5.
If you are in that area, trust me and order the burrata and clam & mussels apps during happy hour at the bar. Your mouth and stomach will thank you.

Why did it take me so long to go to this place! Downtown finally has a good pizza place!
This place has great wood fired pizza. They also have a good selection of pastas, which the waiter told me if I was in a hurry, would be a good option since their pizzas take about 15 minutes to cook.
The pizzas were amazing! Artesian style, piping hot out of the oven.
I noticed that Wednesdays are half off a bottle of wine. I may have to go back for dinner sometime.
The wait staff was great. The ambiance was great. Food was amazing. It will be on my lunch rotation!!!
I’m concerned that the restaurant is not located on one of the major streets, such as Houston or Main, and people may not see it.

Ooh, this is a gem!
We had Sunday brunch here at 11:30, and it was maybe only 15% full (approaching 70% or so an hour later). The interior is modern/​traditional, yet inviting, with tufted leather benches and wooden tabletops. It also features the glorious pizza oven right where you walk in and a lovely bar area.
We took advantage of $ 1 mimosas and had cups of locally sourced coffee (wonderful) to start. They have an all-​day happy hour deal on Sunday, so I ordered a $ 7 Salumi pizza for myself and a plate of the waffles for us to split. My husband ordered a two-​egg breakfast pizza for himself.
At first I was disappointed the waffle machine was down, but take heart — the pancakes use the same batter and are just as delicious! Holy wow, the «crispy cardamom pancakes» might just be the best I’ve ever had. A normal plate is a serving of 3 – 4 perfectly fluffy, deliciously buttery, and slightly-​crisped-​on-​the-​outside cakes. It comes with a berry medley and a plate of rosemary shoestring fries. The shoestrings were actually truffle flavored! They were a bit overly oily for me, but my husband loved them and the flavor itself is great.
The pizzas: for me, they were 4 out of 5 stars (tasty, but a hair short of perfect). They’re a generous size, the Salumi had good flavor (some well-​balanced spiciness), and the bake on the pizzas was an attractive golden color. The rise on the crust was good too, with lots of puffiness and evenly sized holes. The only two things I didn’t like were the excess of flour on the bottom (although it didn’t burn, I got the taste of raw flour on many bites) and the lack of flexibility. Perhaps they were overdone for me. A slice was extremely hard work because the crust/​base is so crunchy. They hold their structure so well that when you pick up a slice, there’s almost no way you can bend the slice even slightly. If I were to come here again, I might ask for a slightly shorter bake.
Service was friendly and attentive. The prices are awesome — we had soooo much food and drink for $ 40 (incl tax). Fort Worth is lucky to have this in the area; I would be thrilled to see them set up shop in Houston!

Where do I start with this place… the location, the service, and of course the food were all amazing. We got the Burrata for an appetizer and it was delicious. I had the Spicy Sausage pizza and holy crap was it good. Mama Lil’s Kick Butt Peppers might have made the pie alone. Quite possibly the greatest topping I have ever had in a pizza. My wife had the Vivo Rigatoni with chicken meatballs and it was possibly the best pasta I have ever had outside of Italy. We got our son the Children’s pizza with pepperoni and that was fantastic as well. Finally my father-​in-​law got the the Egg and Bacon pizza and it was the BEST thing any of us ordered. Man this was a fantastic meal and topped off by some excellent service from our waiter Alex. Plain and simple this place ROCKS!!!

We went for brunch today, and I’m happy to report that the service was 10x better. I’m sure it helped that the restaurant was nearly empty at 9:30am, but regardless the food was great and the service was a much closer match this time.
Our table had mainly Eggs Benny and Vivo Hashes, with one guy ordering the French Toast (as their waffle maker was broken). Everybody really enjoyed their food. My benedict was done nicely, one of the eggs was slightly runny (as it should be), the other was a bit overcooked but still moist. I did find it very very odd that a restaurant that serves crispy shoestring potatoes as their brunch side would not have ketchup.

I was pretty jazzed about going here after hearing that they took 53 tries to get what they considered to be the perfect pizza crust. I think I would’ve stopped at this one as well — the pizza crust manages to be the perfect combination of light and tender while at the same time being crisp on the outside and chewy inside. I don’t even know how that is possible, but they’ve done it.
3 to 6 PM is happy hour, and appetizers are half price, and two of the pizzas are $ 7. They have a small but excellent selection of local craft beer, and have good drink prices during happy hour as well. We sat at the bar and got fantastic service from the friendly bartenders.
This trip we had a couple of local beers, shared the mixed bruschetta appetizer, and shared the formaggio di Capra pizza. Good stuff. Looking forward to going back and trying other items. Great location, great ambience — another trip or two might earn them the coveted five star rating!

Great atmosphere, pizzas, and phenomenal desserts!
Located in downtown Fort Worth, Vivo 53 is sure to wow your taste buds. My friends and I all opted for different pizzas and were not disappointed. The crust was soft on the edge but still had good enough body to support all the toppings. I had the bacon and egg pizza and if you’re a firm believer that everything is better with an egg on top then this is the pizza for you. (You can also add an egg to any other of their pizzas)
Now on to the show stopper. I had the affogato and if anything, make sure you get this. The espresso is fresh and compliments the sweetness of the ice cream to perfection. Then the whole thing is topped of with whipped cream and shaved chocolate bits. I gobbled up the whole thing and almost ordered another.
Service is good and the general manager even stopped by to check on us. Can’t wait to try their happy hour (3 – 6 PM) next time I’m in town!

Came here later on in the evening for dessert. The place has a modern look and delicious aroma! When you first walk in you see the huge brick oven with a the fire blazing. The menu consisted of brunch, pizzas, desserts and so much more.
Since we came here for just dessert that is what I focused on. I was wit a group of 6 so we each ordered a different dessert and passed them around family style. Two ordered the doughnuts which were warm, flaky, sugary and pure heaven and to top it off they served it with a warm chocolate sauce. The next couple ordered the ice cream espresso dessert. Not being a coffee fan I tried and loved. It was foamy, delicate and had an amazing coffee flavor. My hubby and I ordered the crème brûlée with berries. The top of the crème brûlée was browned and crisp. When I broke into it I heard the top crack to perfection :-) The crème brûlée was creamy, warm and elegant. I fell in love on the first bite. Between the crème brûlée and the doughnuts I do not know which is my favorite.
Now for the drinks: we all wanted something warm and of course they delivered. They have infamous cappuccino, regular cappuccino, espresso, tea, and regular coffee. I ordered a hot tea and the waiter recommended the tropical green tea. It did not disappoint. It had. Tropical sweet taste. Probably my new favorite.
I would love to come back and try their pizza and other menu options and some dessert of course