Vivace, Auckland City

By EWAN McDONALD for viva

Vivace: warm-hearted, honest, earthy, unpretentious, unselfconscious ... oh, sorry, that's our definition of Vivace, the restaurant and bar just above High St. The Babelfish dictionary-thingy on the computer says "Vivace," the word, means "lively".

And yes, it is. Mandy Lusk and Alisdair Gribben's baby is nearly 12, the past four years in its sprawling, wooden-floored dining-room, cafe, deli and bar after a move down the street from the converted law offices on the corner of Vulcan Lane.

And as the business writers like to say in those columns where they admit they were dumb enough to buy shares in the company they've spent the past 500 words slagging, we must declare an interest: Ann and I have been in love with Vivace since we used to lunch there (it wasn't open for dinner then) in the early 90s.

Why is Vivace so much unlike an inner-city restaurant, especially one that's so at home in "if-you're-not-fashionable-you're-dead" High St? How does it manage to feel like that "amazing-food-and-wine-at-really-good-prices-and-a-great-relaxed-atmosphere" place that you dream of finding?

Possibly because that's exactly what it is. Lusk and Gribben are proud of running a family-like team with everyone giving ideas for the menu, service and so on. There's no traditional hierarchy in the kitchen: they have six chefs at the same level, the team overseen by the owners.

"We have chefs still working in the kitchen who have been with us since 1993," Gribben says. "The menu is also driven by customers. The majority of our waiting staff are full-time career waiters, again with several having been with us on and off over the past 10 years."

Which is a good time for me to mention Aaron, who served us when we went back to Vivace last week. He was that rare beast, a waiter who genuinely enjoyed his work, had eaten the food and knew the wines: a useful but often overlooked trait in people from whom you seek that sort of advice. To a person, the staff are young, hip but not up themselves, another rare trait in High St.

Gribben says that with the wine, "we try very hard to support small, boutique wineries wherever possible - partly to help them to get exposure, but it also means our customers can try wines they may not get elsewhere. This means sometimes having to change the list several times a week.

"About 60-70 wines are sold by the glass or taste. Our customers are great at trying different wines by the glass rather than just getting one bottle. The tastes are popular with overseas guests who want to try as many wines as possible - and travelling winemakers, for the same reason."

With Aaron's help, we chose a Badia a Coltibuono, reputed to be the world's first Chianti, made by monks around 800 years ago, though our bottle was marked 1999. As one wine writer (no, not her on the next page) wrote, "For Chianti purists, nothing quite matches Coltibuono's aristocratic elegance," and who am I to disagree?

Leaning towards Italian, the menu is based around hearty Mediterranean food. "We have deliberately always avoided any fad food or fusion cooking. The more traditional, the better."

From the tapas list, we chose a dish of hot and spicy choritzo and a dish of warm, herby, oily artichokes and combined them, on the fork, into a tasty appetiser, or an appetising taster. The winter menu is about to become spring, so we took one last chance at osso bucco on a nutty risotto with good "bite" but, unfortunately, just a touch over-garlicked and slightly dry. It's so unusual to get genuine veal in Auckland, much less a veal rack: this was sweet, tender and juicy meat, complemented with the tastes and textures of gnocchi, spinach, sauteed mushroom and a beef jus.

At Vivace, the owners try to make people feel at home. "We have a huge number of regular diners who will eat here at least three or more times a week. At one of the larger law firms we are referred to as 'the Staffroom'," says Gribben. Not surprising, really. It's the sort of place that's so nice to go out to.

Open: Lunch Mon-Fri (noon-3pm) Dinner Mon-Sat (6pm) Tapas weekday afternoons (Vivace doesn't take bookings)

Owners: Mandy Lusk, Alisdair Gribben

Food: Hearty Mediterranean

On the menu:

* Blue cheese and marinated figs with bread $8; Deep-fried seasoned squid with lemon mayo $7

* Chicken sandwich on sourdough with bacon, mozzarella, aubergine, apricot lime relish with greens $16

* Prawn, bok choy and creamy tomato risotto $15/$19

* Lamb shanks, roasted beetroot, onion, mashed kumara and jus $25

Vegetarian: Extremely

Wine: Exceptional selection of wines, most available by the glass, many especially imported

Smoking: In bar area, well-separated from restaurant

Noise: Mellow buzz of Chianti'n'conversazione

Disabled access / toilets: It's upstairs, sorry

Parking: Victoria St carpark next door

Bottom line: The name means "lively," and Mandy Lusk and Alisdair Gribben's 12-year-old High St institution is certainly that. Food is honest, unpretentious; the atmosphere warm and relaxed; the wine list unique.

* Read more about what's happening in the world of food, wine, fashion and beauty in viva, part of your Herald print edition every Wednesday.