Va de Vi

as the title says...very good food but very pricy for small size of plates. be sure to get there early on... more

as the title says...very good food but very pricy for small size of plates. be sure to get there early on weekends (gets busy) more

Had lunch there yesterday with my girlfriend and sister. Two of us ordered the Asian Pear and Ham salad on arugala. Ha - First the waiter should have been kind enough to tell us there were less than three bites on the entire plate. The three slices of pears were so thin they were transparent and tasteless the three tiny leaves of arugala were barely enough to sit on a teaspon let alone make this a salad. Went away hungry and embarrassed that I had reccommended the place for our special day and disappointed in myself that I did not speak up while I was there because I certainly will not go back. Oh and had to flag the waiter from his perch by the front door for more beverage and bread. Maybe he was embarrassed too. Pros: Bread was good Cons: Micro portions, unatentive waiter more

3 weeks ago my friend and I came to Va De Vi for appertizers and drinks. We sat at the bar and our bartender was great! He suggested what to orders both in drinks and food. We loved everything he suggested and we definetly will go back . We hope to get a great dining experience like last time. We believe he mentioned his name was Andy. more

I am new to your site, and as such was very curious to see the other reviews of my favorite restaurant, Va de Vi.\r \r I must say I was shocked to read some of the negatives! - particularly the first one listed, from 10/26. I think perhaps someone needs a nap! Maybe some cookies as well, yes?\r \r I have always received beautiful treatment from your staff. And I mean ALL of your staff. Generally I find myself sitting at the bar, and have always found each and every one of the bartenders to be professional, friendly and very attentitve. But likewise, when I am at a table with friends, your wait staff is extremely personable, helpful, and right on the money with advice. \r \r In fact, while the food is truly delicious, and the ambience is just lovely, the reason my friends and I, continue to go back again and again is that the staff in particular always makes the afternoon or evening more fun. There is the ideal combination of having the excitement of being out and about, and the comfort of being made to feel very welcome. What could be better? From the first time I visited, I was made to feel at home, and as a result, I have taken more and more friends there. Nobody leaves disappointed. Why else would I continue to come back?\r \r The food is delicious, just terrific, and I find it interesting that in a restaurant where you are immediately told that the plates are small (and you are, without fail), that patrons would be shocked to find that their portions, when served, are exactly what they were described as being. In fact part of what I like about the size of the portions is that you can try so many things and still leave without feeling as though you've just eaten a Thanksgiving dinner. \r \r To sum up, your food is excellent, the ambience is elegant and warm, and your staff is informed, charming and delightful. Truly. While there are other very good restaurants in your city, I can't think of another place I'd prefer to go to in Walnut Creek. Pros: ambience, service, wonderful menu Cons: can get crowded more

When we arrived at Va de Vi last night the only seats were at the bar. It took a while to get attention, but once we ordered drinks, it then took more time to get the food menu from the two male bartenders who were cocky and pretentious. Finally we ordered and while the food came fast, it was OK-not fabulous, with too little sauce on the duck meatballs, and the lobster bisque shooters were just warm.\r \r The thing that was shocking was that the bartenders, along with the waitresses and the food runner were busy having their own party at the end of the bar with group toasts and shots ! And not just once, but several times during our dinner. When I asked if they always drank on the job, one of the bartenders said: ""you want me to be happy, right?"". And he was SO happy that he was swearing at the top of his lungs like a sailor with one of the ""regulars"" sitting next to us, and bragging to us about his longevity at his job! The bartenders clearly had their favorites of both the customers and the staff. \r \r Having a culinary management degree myself, I was saddened for the owners who must be losing a ton of juice to the staff every night, in addition to offended customers like me. Maybe this if reflective of the prices?? Serious poor management issues that if corrected could make this a fabulous venue in Walnut Creek. Pros: Fun place, great decor Cons: Staff needs managing! more

Delicious small plates (some Asian-fusion) and a huge wine selection. The downside is that this is NOT the... more

Delicious small plates (some Asian-fusion) and a huge wine selection. The downside is that this is NOT the place to go if you're in a group. (It... more

I went to va de vi for the first time a few weeks ago with my boyfriend, the side patio is pretty nice -- the food was super bland though. We had the flank steak and there was no seasoning on it what so ever and the horseraddish aioli on the top was like straight mayo. When we ordered the artichoke tortellini we were expecting more than three pieces and a filling with a little bit more flavor or at least pasta that was more than just boiled - there wasn't even any sauce or seasoning on it, I mean a squirt of lemon at least would have been better than just boiled pasta. We had the osso bucco, which no joke the bone was three times bigger than the meat, the sauce tasted a little off and again the polenta was super bland. They gave us a generous pour on the sparkling flight but two of the three weren't even bubbly. The bread pudding was excellent - I wish we would have just skipped the food and went right to the dessert. Pros: bread pudding, patio Cons: service, non-bubbly sparkling flight, super bland food more

It was our first time to the Creek. We did not have a reservation although in looking at the other restaraunts in the hood, we chose to wait out a chance at a 9:00 seating. They were very nice and sat us at the chefs counter. Service was good. Although the food.....well I do live in the heart of the City and maybe we expect more. We had wine and 4 plates. We would of gotten more plates but we were concerned that we would be dissapointed. The Carmalized Cauliflower was barely cooked and I thought that Carmelizing was the process of cooking something until it begins to turn to sugar. The swordfish was pretty unflavorful.....I felt bad for the fish. The ravioli's were tasty but you only get 3 small ones for $13. Ummmm. How do you share 3? Lastly we went for the servers redommendation of the coconut shrimp. OK. Now I was super dissapointed No taste at all. 4 smaller shrimps grilled with again, no flavor. Maybe they forgot the coconut? We kept watching them make the french fries though. They looked good. Many toppings tossed in.....do we through in the health conscience towel for a guarnteed tasty plate? We did not. We went for the dessert. This was awesome. The bread pudding was heaven. If you are looking for a interesting space, good wine(a bit on the high $ side) and great dessert. Go here. Looking for tasty small plates of food? You may want to get out your George foreman grill and salt shaker and you may be more satisfied. Pros: Dessert, Wine list & Ambience Cons: Price, Food had no taste, Serving size too small. more

I've dined at Va Di Vi only once, but can't wait to go back next time I'm in the East Bay. The food was excellent, especially the tuna dishes. It's great to explore the wine flights and find new favorites.\r \r It does get crowded, especially on weekends, so make reservations. Pros: Tapas-style dining, wine flights, ambience Cons: Crowded more

If you want quantity for your dollar, this is not the place. Va de Vi specializes in tapas gourmet. Best for two people to go and share a handful of plates (go for the starter lobster bisque if it's on the menu!). Make sure to match your desired foods with a good wine flight, I discovered a gem of a Sauvignion Blanc (Kim Crawfod, 2000) and entirely enjoyed all the fun foods. \r \r Atmosphere is very crowded, very loud and service is not overly satisfying. But the food is worth the fight. Pros: Excellent wine flights and tapas to share for two Cons: Loud, busy, odd hours of operation and overpriced more

While some of food was okay, the most of it was okay - , the service was miss and miss. The four of us were reccommended to order 4 small dishes and told to share - I get it - tapas. But for dinner 4 small dishes aren't going to satisfy anyone. When we didn't see our waiter for another 40 minutes, we were all ready to go out and have dinner- in the end we ordered more food, and still left like we needed to go out and have dinner. i really think this is a rip off - very little value for the money. wouldn definitely not go back. Pros: outside tables nice on a nice evening Cons: service, value for the money definitely not there more

There is one word to describe the staff at Va de Vi....RUDE. The service may have been some of the worst I have ever had. The bartender acted like he was doing us a favor by bringing our glasses of wine. The hostess was snotty and irritated when we asked if our table for 4 was ready. As we were finishing our champagne, my friend asked if she could have a couple raspberries or a strawberry to put in her glass...the waiter told us that we would have to order the fruit cup if we wanted any fruit. PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Our check was $370 before tip and we can't have a lousy piece of fruit? Really the food was good and the restaurant attractive, but the staff was so miserable that it is NOT WORTH IT! Pros: pretty restaurant Cons: the staff more

We decided to try ""Va de Vi"" after I read a glowing review in Diablo magazine. I must say I was disappointed overall with our experience. The ambiance/environment of the restaurant is noisy. This was on a Monday night at 5:30pm. The space is narrow and the tables are close together. Unfortunately, we had a very loud and obnoxious customer next to us and we were also seated next to the bar. Some dishes were good like the scallops on risotto, duck confit and ricotta ravioli. But, it just isn't that special compared to similar restaurants we've been to. We also noticed that someone's bar tab with an additional $50.00 was added to our bill which we understand can happen but our waiter acted like it was our fault and did not even apologize. I don't think we will be going back and will look to other restaurants to patronize. Pros: trying, some dishes delicious Cons: loud, not that special, service more

I agree with another member that Va de Vie is a really good restaurant. People get so thrown off by small portions. I'd rather have small portions any day than too much food! And when the food is delicious, even better. I think that the food is prepared to perfection and really super healthful. It's a fantastic date spot and I love the ambiance. Definitely not for kids, can be on the pricey side but truly, all in all I would say one of the best dining spots in Walnut Creek!! I mean seriously, it's Walnut Creek, not San Francisco and it definitely has that urban appeal. Pros: urban flair, good wine, excellent food more

I have been to Va de Vi about 3 times, and we are going back tomorrow. We read on this website that people were saying that the food wasnt worth the money and the service was terrible. I have to totally disagree. This place has some of the best food I have ever tasted and totally worth every penny. For a excellent meal (4-6 dishes), a bottle of wine, dessert, and a good night out, we spent less then $100.00. We went here cause we heard it was like Asia de Cuba in the City, another one of our favorites. Except with Va de Vi, we spend less, and only need to drive to W.C. instead of the City. As far as service goes, we had excellent service 2 of the 3 times, but with the great food, it made up for the 1 bad time. Pros: good food, good service, good wine Cons: crowded, cozy to neighbor more

This is one of my favorite spots in the bay area! Not only is the tapas style food consistently wonderful, but the wine selection is excellent as well! They serve flights so you can really experience some wine you normally would not. Bob, the mamager & all the staff are always very friendly and help make the experience a delight! In the summer, sit out under the big oak tree and sample some fine wines and food! Well done! Pros: Culinary Delights, Fabulous Wines, Great Atmosphere Cons: Can add up! more

Although I have now been to Va De Vie 3 or 4 times, they are still failing to impress and impress me they should with these prices! Small plates that are $15-20, yikes. The cheese plate with 3 cheeses is $16 and no joke, these are mere tastes of the cheese. We were sharing with 4 people so everyone got a couple tiny tastes. When I asked for a bit more bread, the waitress informed us that Va De Vie doesn't really ""do"" bread and there is an extra charge for additional bread. We spent $155 there and they cannot even give a couple more slices of bread?! The wine list is good, but doesn't really change and the staff is surprisingly not passionate about the wine. For a place that is touting themselves as a wine bar, unbelievable... If only there was another wine bar in WC... Pros: Um, a wine bar Cons: Overpriced, Poor service, Staff lame more

Just had lunch there and the grumpy old guy who waited on us was painfully slow, unfriendly and forgetful. The food is good but it's very loud, overpriced and the poor service make it impossible to enjoy the experience. It's really a shame. Pros: decor Cons: awful service, very loud, overpriced more