(Shop 210, Left Bank Arcade)
Wellington City 04 382 9913
- Tues – Sun
- 11am – 3pm, 5:30pm – 11pm
- Payment Types: EFTPOS
- Price Range: Cheap, Under $15
- Dress Code: Casual
- Takeaways: Yes
- Dietary Restrictions: Vegetarian, Vegan, Dairy-free, Gluten-free
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Viva Mexico is the place to eat authentic Mexican food. They have a range of Huevos eggs, tacos and enchiladas dishes – all of which can be made for vegetarians or vegans and are at affordable prices.
Viva Mexico brings the real tastes of Mexican food to the heart of Wellington. This establishment has a laidback vibe and the vibrant red and yellow colour scheme, cool artworks that adorn the walls and rich scents wafting through the air further enhance the dining experience, creating a buzz that would not feel out of place in downtown Tijuana
46 Reviews for Viva Mexico
We had the Jalapeño Rollenios, which were so excellent we ordered another 2 rounds. I had the tortilla soup, which was incredible with a bit of heat, but such a great combination of flavours, and textures. Then I had a chicken taco, which was simple, authentic, and just delicious. My dining companions had enchiladas, and a pulled pork torta (sandwich) all of which the thoroughly enjoyed. The place was humming, and service was friendly and efficient, we were not made to feel hurried, it was just a great experience. Will definitely be back… Still dreaming about those Rollenios…
The service I experienced was shocking, I ordered a mild sauce (yeah right) and was unpleasantly surprised to discover that I couldn’t even eat my meal because it was so spicy. When I said this to our waiter and asked for something else he first argued with me and then said if I wanted something else I would have to pay for both meals. I was hungry so ordered a quesadilla, which was basically a chicken toastie with cheese and sour cream on the side. Very dissatisfied and would not eat here again.
(NB They did not end up charging me for both meals, not sure why possibly because they feared a bad review!)
Can’t fault this place for affordability, freshness and authenticity.
It’s a quick and tasty choice lunch or dinner. I have now eaten most of the menu and it’s all good.
However, if you are an Old El Paso Tex Mex fan, you will be disappointed, because this is authentic Mexican food, not filled with sugar and other rubbish. I’ve seen some reviews say it is too “simple” – all the great chefs in the world will agree that simple with high quality ingredients and cooked to perfection is key. This isn’t the kind of food that needs covering in salsa, cheese and sour cream and all that other gunk. It is simply devine. Worth moving to Wellington for!
Antonio is amazing, and the wait-staff are super friendly – always willing to help one practice their espanol (which is always appreciated).
Note: Sometimes you might need to be patient and wait for a table, or settle for outside, but I truly believe their food is well worth it.
The staff have always been pleasant, even though the restaurant is always full to capacity. The food is amazing, the only REAL Mexican food you’ll get in town. I have always found the portions to be huge, more than fair for what you pay – certainly more than I can eat and that is saying something.
I try not to have the same thing twice coming here, and have never been disappointed, even if I just order the first thing I see, it is always cooked beautifully. I’d recommend trying your meal with one of the Mexican beers available, as they are also wonderful.
One of my favourite things is the dessert – an extremely dense chocolate brownie served with cream, ice cream, apple slices and cinammon. Absolutely divine, the Mexicans discovered chocolate and obviously still know how to make the most of it
Not only that, but its ridiculously cheap and the decor is cute and kitchy.
Come on Friday when the night market is on- you can follow up your meal with a spiced mexican hot chocolate and some hXe people watching.
The best cheap eat in town hands down!!!!!!! we have been 5 times and will not hesitate to return! great work guys.
Apart from that the restaurant has a nice atmosphere, good service and reasonably cheap food.
The outside looks a bit dated/out of the way. But don’t let that stop you. At first I didn’t even know it was there. But when searching for the Argentinian place near it, this took my fancy.
The food is well priced and the service is fast and efficient
Although the menu is small, it is highly customisable. With a range of fillings, salsas, sauces and sizes for their Taco & Enchilada dishes. Then there’s a set of Quesadillas options, as well as Mexican style egg/breakfast dishes and a cake of the day for dessert.
Personally I’ve only tried the Tacos, but can say that they were fresh & tasty, as was the salad, beans and sasla that accompanied them. As I commented that I’d like a hot sauce I was recommended the ‘Mayan’ red salsa, but was also given a small dish of delicious chili sauce to go with it.
Everyone that I was with really enjoyed their meal, as did I and I will definitely be coming back. Highly recommended.
Friday: closed for private function. Saturday: closed for off-site catering. Sunday: just closed. No explanation, just locked doors and nobody home.
I had high hopes for Viva Mexico, but I’m thinking I may never get to try the food!
Anyway, I just got back from my first taste of the new joint. (Actually, we were headed for the excellent Newkor just down the street – but it was packed). The surroundings are slightly improved, but the place is still tiny, and it was busy, so we felt a little like sardines – you can’t really feel comfortable chatting with your dining companion in this environment. The waiter seemed somewhat less-than friendly, perhaps he was in a bad mood, or perhaps he’s always like that, either way, he seemed to have a pretty obvious problem with me, i’m not sure why.
Anyway, between two of us, we ordered 3 dishes: A lamb, cheese taco, an Enchilada, and a Quesadila (interestingly, dishes are available in 2 sizes), while some of the dishes allow you to mix n match toppings – yay! Our food was brought out at lightning pace – surprising given the fact that only two staff were present, and the little place was at capacity. The food was simple, basic, authentic feeling Mexican cuisine; each dish came with a small pile of simple salad, a small dish of delicious salsa, and some with jalapenos, black beans in sauce and lemons.
We woofed down the food so quickly, the entire dinner experience was less than 20minutes. The food was tasty, but in fairly small portions and very simple, cheap ingredients. While it is quite yum, and a welcome change from the usual Indian, Malay, Korean – i can’t help but think the prices are slightly too high for the simple nature and small portion size of the food. Don’t get me wrong – the placMoree is worth checking out, but larger portion sizes for your dollar, and a larger or more comfortable setting would push it over the edge. Worth a try for sure – but i don’t think it deserves all the hype it’s garnered.
My only complaint would be that the hours are sort of sparse, but at least you don’t have to wait for a table.