Vive Bistro and Bakery

The aesthetics in this spot it beautiful. When you first walk in there is seating to both the right and the left and a little waiting area with couches next to the window. Very roomy no need to feel squished at any seat.
The wait staff there is always nice and helpful
I’ve only gotten their desserts since I have a vegan friend who can’t find many vegan desserts when eating out, but I enjoyed them all.
–The donuts are just as good, if not better than regular donuts. They are covered with cinnamon and sugar and it comes with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
–Crème Brulee– Beautiful caramel on the top and very nice and smooth, you can’t even tell it’s vegan
–Grilled Fruit– Oranges, and peaches surrounded by a berry i believe compote like. It is served cold but it is very refreshing yet decadent in a way.
–Strawberry dessert-​There is one dessert there that is in French that I don’t remember the name but it is served with a fried dough like mound with strawberries on top. It is probably one of my favorites

I am so bout this place. This is probably my new favorite place in Rochester, no competition.
Firstly, the space itself is so cute and clean. Even the bathrooms are super clean and decorated very well — ideal for selfies. Though the [lunch] menu is small, we had a hard time picking what we wanted because everything sounded so good. Due to hype on Unilocal about the tartines, we got the sampler ($ 10) and we were not at all disappointed. My favorites were the fig and tomato ones. Would highly recommend that. For our entrees, we got the mushroom florentine and the grilled vegetable pizza. Both were delicious! The only small comment I have regarding the pizza is that the crust is extremely thick and I (personally) would’ve enjoyed it a bit thinner.
Our server, Cal, was very hospitable and welcoming. He was also quite knowledgable of the menu which helped a lot considering it was our first time.
TLDR: go here. order everything. it’s so good. everything is vegan.

It was a really great place for all vegans because it provide a full vegan menu. The atmosphere is amazing. Food was great and I would love to come back and try their other dishes plus the desserts.

Once upon a time, in a land far far away … Kidding, it’s only Rochester. Found this place for Mother’s Day brunch with my parents. I can’t imagine this place being here for more than 2 – 3 years which is right around the time I moved to Buffalo otherwise I’d have definitely heard/​tried this place out, being a vegetarian. Since my parents are also vegetarians, it seemed fit that I brought them here. I made a reservation for 5 including a couple friends from grad school were also going to join us. Our table was ready when we walked in and I thought that was refreshing because usually even if you make a reservation, restaurants make you wait another 15 – 20 mins before seating you. I’d studied the menu before going in so I knew exactly what I wanted to order for the table. Since everything was going to be vegetarian, we decided to just order a bunch of food and share it all. We ordered Poutine, Grilled Veggie Foccacia Pizza, The Lentil Burger, Daily Tofu Scramble and Vanilla Crepes to top it all off. The food is something from another dimension altogether. Two words — food coma. It was evident on my mom’s face too. She’s generally a little choosy about her taste buds so for her to have that look of satisfaction and content was all that I was hoping for.
Only reason I’m giving it 4 stars is because of the service. We waited almost 30 mins for our first plates to arrive. It was a long wait! I wished they were a little quicker. Although the waitress was super nice and extremely understanding of the situation. Not to take away from the food though — left us all in awe.
If you get a chance, definitely pay this place a visit. It’s worth the wait.

This place is terrible. I went three different times and had really different experiences. The last time was specially awful, everything was extremely salty and impossible to eat. We ordered their poutine because I heard really great things about it and we couldn’t even finish it. It was SOOO salty! Then we had one of their socca pissas and it was even worse… tomato sauce, arugula and a bunch of deep fried zucchini again salty and really oily :(
We will definitely never come back again.

Hands down the best damn restaurant I’ve ever been to. Super gorgeous atmosphere. Had that European vibe. And we had the most educated waiter when it came to not only knowledge of the menu but also knowledge of the vegan lifestyle. I’ve never had a more educational waiter at any food establishment, ever !!! Not to mentioned extremely friendly and outgoing ! I believe his name was Cal !
The food was amazing, a friend and myself visited for lunch and we ordered the daily soup and salad which consisted of a roasted red pepper soup, and the salad was grilled romaine with nuts, artichokes and the most delicious dressing. I can’t remember exactly what it was, but I feel like it was a lemon base. We also decided to order tartines, which are opened faced sandwiches essentially. I told our waiter to surprise us and he came out with one with avocado and grapefruit, and the other was smoked cashew and strawberry… I believe.
The meals also came with infused water, we first tried the lime and rosemary, and moved on to the grapefruit and mint. So delicious !
Super amazing ! We were so full and satisfied ! We are already planning our next visit. And I’m starving and drooling just writing this. Totally worth the check out, even if you’re not vegan ! You’re eyes may be open up to something totally new ! And you may learn a thing or 2 !

Agh I wanted to love this place. My friends and I had made reservations on Saturday before I went to try on wedding dresses we made a reservation for 6 two hours before the dress appt and you can see where this is going — our food and even drinks took so long we had about 5
Minutes to eat it before we had to pay and jet
wasn’t that busy and we ordered salads and sandwiches so you think it shouldn’t take so long. The infused waters were fabulous a I loved my salad and the white pizza and roasted red pepper sandwich I tried was delish. I love healthy foods that have a twist and are not just the same boring plain veggies and chicken healthy. Even though they do have very slow service, I think it would be the cutest place for a date night and the food was great enough to give this place a second try with s little smaller of a crew next time!

I’ve been here three times now, and each time it was fantastic.
The cheese plate has been a huge hit with everyone each time I’ve gone, and I’ve liked absolutely everything else I’ve tried on the menu.
It’s so amazing to have such a great vegan option in Rochester!

One of the best dining experiences I’ve had in recent memory. I’m an unabashed omnivore and food enthusiast. Food is one of the greatest loves of my life; I can’t imagine a life without all incarnations of it. HOWEVER. If all vegan food is as inspired and beautifully executed as the food at Vive, well, things could be very different for me. As Stanley M. said, Wow!
I’ve been wanting to try Vive for awhile, and my friend wanted to grab brunch, I jumped at the chance to come here instead of one of our usual places. I knew she’d appreciate what Vive is doing, and we were not disappointed. We met up here right around opening time, 11am on a Sunday. It’s beautiful: light and airy, with a chic yet cozy vibe. Loved it. We were seated in the dining area to the right of the hostess stand. The large windows let in tons of light and are great for people watching.
We were given both the brunch and lunch menus, and despite the many tempting brunch items (I will be back for you, Roots!), we both decided to go with the light lunch salad special once we heard the server gush over that day’s salad: grilled romaine lettuce with sautéed brussels sprouts, fried sweet onions tossed in a white wine vinaigrette. The salad came with a choice of soup or two tartines. I decided with go with the tartines, and chose the smoked cashew cream + pomegranate and avocado + grapefruit. The salad was divine: the grilled romaine was chopped, the sprouts had nice color on them, the fried onions provided delicious crunch and the salty factor, and the dressing was light and dressed perfectly (just a light coating).
As mentioned in other reviews, the tartines are less open faced sandwiches and more like large crostini. The avocado was smashed on the bread, but pretty chunks still remained which I appreciated. It came topped with four large segments of grapefruit. I would have loved the tartine to be topped with a touch of rock salt or fleur de sel, but that’s a personal preference. The real star on my plate? That smoked cashew cream + pomegranate crostini. OH. MY. GOODNESS. DELICIOUSNESS. I freaking loved it; I could have eaten seven of them and been a happy, happy girl. The cashew cream was sweet and tangy and perfectly complimented the pomegranate seeds. I had to try to not devour it, it was so good. I also appreciated that the bread was crisp but had good give to it, so it was pleasant to eat.
We decided to get dessert, and split the Le Gateu: a chocolate ‘cake’, chocolate pudding with peanut butter powder. With edible flowers! The cakes were small squares, with the light and airy pudding in between each piece. It was large, delicious, not too sweet and perfect for sharing. Insanely delicious, and this coming from someone who could do without chocolate!
We each had coffee, which comes with an almond milk creamer and raw sugar/​sugar sweetener. I like that they offer up regular or infused water (we had both — the infused was a lemon and thyme water). We drank both. The service is friendly and polite; albeit a touch slow and oddly paced. It was a long time to get dessert, so long we wondered if she forgot us! No matter, the restaurant had filled up in the 2 hours we were there.
Our bill totaled $ 37 with both lunch specials, dessert and two coffees. Affordable, inspired and delicious plant-​based food in a beautiful space? YES PLEASE!
P. S. The bathrooms are gorgeous.

Wow! Great food! I’m a hard-​core Wegetarian omnivore, so I wasn’t sure what to expect… Was blown away by the Fritters which came with an AWESOME tomato rabe. My Italian compadre thought it was the best «Sunday Sauce» he’d had in a long time. I sampled his impressive gluten free pizza which was based on a tasty chickpea crust. I WILL be back!

Vive served me the best vegan food I think I’ve ever had. We went for brunch at opening time on a Saturday, we were the only patrons for a bit. The service was friendly and helpful. The portion size leaves you very satiated. Really, try this place, leave a poo poo blah blah idea of vegan food at the door.
We tried their breakfast sandwich, the avocado and homefries were crazy good mixed in with the smokey soyrizo. The parmesan spread was a great creamy addition. The bread held up but also lovingly took on some of the moisture from the ingredients. Don’t skip the veggie chips, they are a crispy bomb of delight.
Next we had the lentil burger which was equally delicious, the onions, spinach and smoked mozzarella were a wonderful blend of texture and flavor topped off with the house BBQ sauce. Their fries were long and thick and amazing!
My only critical comments would be the food was a bit over salted and get a few napkins cause it can be messy… good and messy!

Vive is FANTASTIC!
The atmosphere is super inviting and beautiful, the wait staff was exceptional and welcoming, and the food is AMAZING. I’m a vegan, so you can trust me on this– Vive is a super great place with locally sourced, seriously delicious cruelty-​free fare.
Here’s a quick run-​down:
The cheese plate appetizer is an ABSOLUTE must here!
The cocktails are great and there is a nice wine selection.
GF options are available! (the Socca pissa selections and the risotto, from what I remember!)
Vive would be a great place for a date or casual dining in a lovely setting. I’ll definitely be back!

Great place, nice ambiance. Specials are out of yours world. Desserts made while you wait. I’m not a vegetarian but if I ever become one this is where I want the transformation to happen. They do a brilliant job of putting together vegetables in a way that makes my mouth orgasm.
Great place to come just for dessert too.

I am so impressed with this place. A pure Vegan/​Vegetarian restaurant. We went to dinner here with group, and one in the party needed to avoid all dairy. This is not easy for many restaurants. But for Vive, it is standard.
The ambiance: upscale chic. Clean, white, bright in the main dining room, while darker tones accentuate the «bar room».
Good wine selection, limited beer (but a good selection nonetheless), but creative cocktails and martinis (also vegan, of course).
The food: Don’t skimp on the appetizers. Excellent choices here, especially the pâté.
The entrees are also very good, though I would avoid the Cauliflower Steak as it is a a very heavy helping of heavy vegetables (the server stated «thanksgiving on a plate»). The other entrees are amazing, particularly the Portobello dish and the Croquettes (mine and my wife’s, respectively). These dishes were delicate and filling without «hiding» the vegetables.
On a prior visit, I had the «pizza,» it’s made with a chickpea crust, which was a unique approach. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but know others were expecting something else when they ordered it.
For fine dining, the prices are ridiculously affordable (nothing more than $ 15!!). The alcohol, however, is not cheap.
Honestly, I cannot wait to go back.

First time came for brunch. Menu had great variety and food was good.
Service was sooo slow, 45 min to get ap, then waited for food.
They need to work on timing and service, but over all food very good.

First the good news. The décor is charming and fresh. The location is good with huge windows to watch foot traffic on bustling East Avenue. The choice to have plain or infused (basil lemon) water was refreshing. The menu was full of dishes I was interested in trying. The food on the plates that passed our table was artfully arranged.
Our server (who I just learned is one of the owners) was likable, described the restaurants philosophy of homemade/​plant based/​made to order fare. Great. Based on Unilocal photos, we decided to start with the 4 tartines. He complimented us on making a wise choice, took our entire party of 4’s order for a variety of their chick pea crust pizzas and left us to chat.
Within 5 minutes, we finished our water and waited patiently for our appetizer to arrive. After 45 minutes passed, we felt a bit ignored as no water refills were offered and no appetizer had arrived — nor had any staff member spoken to us in all that time.
50 minutes in, our pizzas arrived. When asked if our appetizer had been forgotten, we were told it had. Oops. (Seems like if you’re trying to impress guests by memorizing orders and not using a pen and paper, you had better be sure to get it right!)
With pizzas in front of us, the server offered 2 options: bring the tartines now or box them to go. We declined both.
My tomato, tomato, tomato pizza was very good. My husbands blanc was also good. Our other 2 guests each had the summer garden pizza. They said theirs was overly salty and toppings were too dry.
As we finished, our server brought us 2 complimentary desserts as an apology for letting our appetizer slip through the cracks. This was a kind gesture to be sure, however, as you look at the photo of the chocolate pots de crème, you can draw your own conclusion. It honestly looked like poop covered in dish suds and garnished with pencil shavings. Maybe time to rethink this presentation?! I had to turn my head so I wouldn’t gag. My husband ate it and said it tasted good.
Our waters were only refilled after about 90 minutes and only because we flagged our server down to ask. That’s just poor.
I wanted to love it here. They do get quite a few things right. The prices are reasonable. It’s refreshing to dine in a place that caters to vegans/​vegetarians. I just think some of the finer details need working out.
*get orders written down asap
*pay attention to water bottles/​glasses
*completely rethink your presentation on the chocolate pots de crème
I would like to give them another chance. Hope my suggestions and observations are heard.

I love the vibe of Vive. The owner is the nicest guy and has been our server each time I’ve visited. I go to Vive when I need to feel revitalized. The space has a really good energy and the food instantly makes me feel alive again. Super cheesy, but it’s a thing. I love that I can get vegetables in a seriously savory fashion. I always leave full and like I got all the vitamins my body could ever need. Perhaps in excess. I typically come for lunch. The space is bright and beautiful and I can whip out my laptop and get some work done — free wifi.
— Go for the infused water. Always.
— Gluten free folks have lots of options. Laura consistently gets the pizza (chickpea crust).
— Vegan folks: eat «cheese» like you’ve never eaten cheese before
— I typically go for their seasonal salads
— The pan bagna sandwich is messy, but so hearty. All the marinated veggies. Anything that lists avocado, I’m ordering. All the sandwiches, really. Just do it. Add a side salad with a light vinaigrette for $ 2.
I’ll be back for dinner and to give the poutine a try.

Caveat and full disclaimer I am an unashamed and unshame-​able omnivore, so I realize that I may not fully appreciate this place as others do, that said:
This is the place for «mixed couples» yes you know what I mean: the vegan with the meathead, the Gluten Free with the Doughboy (or girl), they can all get a enjoyable dining experience.
Party of four on a Saturday about 11:45 am, two strict vegans, one GF, and moi. The Tartine, Vichyssoise, Summer Garden Pissaladiere, Poutine, and Grilled CB &J were all tasty and recommended by those who ate or sampled them, and were presented well plated. Service was attentive and well paced given the rush of patrons that entered within 30 minutes of our arriving.
This is IMO the best vegan option in Rochester, (the above caveat re-​noted) and serves well as place that non-​vegans/​non-​GFs can enjoy too.
Looking forward to trying their brunch.

Went to VIVE Bakery and Bistro tonight. What fabulous flavors. Totally plantbased. The wild mushroom salad was just that wild. From appetizers to entrée totally delightful.
Great décor good for casual or that special night out.

I’m not vegetarian and was somewhat forced to check this place out by my cousins and brother who are all vegetarian and one who is dairy free.
You know when you ask for a recommendation from the waiter and they tell you everything is good? Well that’s what happened except everything was amazing! She did steer us away a bean dish that is no longer on the menu but retrospectively we thank her for that!
We tried cheese with fruit dips to start. They were difficult to split but I almost forgot I was eating fake cheese and it was amazing. Then we ordered the stuffed cabbage, crepes, a sandwich-​no longer on the menu and the croquettes de la mar. Can I tell you that I still dream about these croquettes?! They were incredibly filling and so delicious. I recommend this place to anyone who appreciates creative, well executed, and tasty food. I’m still dying to come back for the croquettes and try new menu options. See you soon!