Viva La Pasta - Simi Valley

Love this neighborhood gem. Large menus and reasonable specials. The 5 herb salmon was very flavorful. Pasta dishes can be made with your choice of pasta, sauces etc. they are accommodating if you have special requests. The room gets noisy so that's the only downside but they do have a great enclosed back patio with heaters.

Viva La Pasta Located in the heart of the Woodranch neighborhood in Simi Valley is a popular destination for pasta enthusiasts. This restaurant is known for its wide selection of freshly made pasta dishes, from classic favorites to innovative creations. This place is known for its extensive menu and variety of dishes. I must say that the menu is impressive, offering a wide range of appetizers, pasta dishes, pizzas, and desserts. It is evident that the restaurant put thought and effort into crafting a diverse selection to cater to various tastes. However, while the menu looked enticing and impressive, the taste of the food was merely adequate. Not exceptional. We started with the Insalata di Pollo affumicato appetizer, a grilled chicken with pear, walnuts and Gorgonzola cheese on a bed of lettuce salad. Then we worked on our main dishes. We had the Mare E Terra, pasta with a combination of chicken and shrimp with cheese ravioli, #27 on the menu. The shrimp was not good. We also had the Alla Romagnola, pasta topped with chicken breast, Italian sausage, and fresh mushrooms in a marinara sauce, #10. My youngest son had the #3 item, Alfredo chicken and cheese ravioli with Parmesan cheese cream, and a touch of garlic. My oldest son had the #21 item, pasta con salsa di carne, pasta with ground top sirloin with fresh tomato sauce and we also had the #106 sweet and spicy chicken sausage pizza. All of our plates had a nice presentation but lacked the burst of flavors I had hoped for. The pasta dish I ordered, was cooked al dente, but the sauce felt a bit underseasoned and didn 't have the rich creaminess I typically associate with this dish. Left me disappointed. Similarly, the pizza I tried, topped with fresh ingredients, had a good texture and taste, but an oily crust, and the overall flavor didn 't leave a lasting impression. It seemed like the dishes were prepared with care, but they fell way short of delivering the memorable taste experience I was expecting. In addition, despite the attentive efforts and friendly service provided by the staff our table was unstable and the problem was not fixed. Our table in the outdoor section had a slight bad wobble due to uneven ground. Despite their best efforts to stabilize it, the table frequently presented a major inconvenience to our dining experience. In conclusion, Viva La Pasta has an extensive and impressive menu that covers a wide range of Italian dishes. However, the taste of the food itself was only adequate, lacking the exceptional flavors that would make it truly stand out. If you 're looking for a place with a diverse menu and just adequate taste, this restaurant might fit the bill. But if you 're seeking an extraordinary Italian culinary experience, you will definitely need to explore other options.

The food were pretty decent. Between the two of us, we got a lobster ravioli lunch special and a chicken cacciatore. Both had a choice of soup or salad to start with and we got the minestrone. The soup was good, a tad salty but had a good amount of vegetables. The lobster raviolis were okay, can't really tell it's lobster filled but tasted good. The chicken was the best of the three. Very flavorful and tender. The price is a little on the high side considering the portion. It is a casual to mid high class ambiance, so I guess it's suitable for a casual date, but they cramped everyone very close in one section while leaving the rest of the place empty. The service, however was very lacking. When we first walked in, they struggled to find the right combination of menu to bring to our table. Then immediately asked us what we want before we had a chance to study it. We told him to give us a minute but he never came back until flagged down. Once our food came, he never checked in on us and we had our glasses empty for a long time. When we finished, we waited at least five minutes before flagging the server down for the check. He gave us a check and walked away, making me think we pay up front, but then he told us after getting up front that we pay him at the table so we sat back down.

Best deal in town. Delicious food, great service, and reasonable prices. A sure bet. The patio can accommodate large groups, which is a bonus!

We walked in and kept waiting for the people up front to take our order but they ignored us. Then as we walked closer to the register to let them know we were ready to order, they ignored us again and served the people that walked in after us. Not sure if this was racism or just very bad customer service but we walked out and will never be returning.