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Why did we dine here? – Wonderful food at great prices. La Viga derives from the massive central seafood market in Mexico City where our chef Manuel Martinez (Left Bank, Reposado) comes from. They focus food with local sustainable ingredients and draw a huge crowd. This restaurant has a high 4.5 rating on Yelp from almost 1000 reviewers. A friend tipped us off.
We dined at La Viga during dinner, around 7pm. The place was packed and there was a line out the door. The restaurant was very loud, not just loud. Keep this in mind when dining here. Not exactly a great relaxing, romantic dinner, but the food is very good.
Insider Tip – Come early, make reservations via Yelp
Cuisine – Latin – Mexican – Peruvian
Location – Redwood City
Opened – 2012
Service – La Viga had better service than you would expect from a small restaurant tucked away on a non descript street. The food came fast although pacing was not there.
Verdict – La Viga is one of those gems that services food far superior than you would expect. Prices are reasonable, so a strong following has developed. We ordered way too much food and had another nice meal the next day.
They also run LV Mar in Downtown Redwood City. The atmosphere there is a lot nicer and less noisy.
Is this restaurant worth a 5 minute drive? Yes. 30 minute? Yes. 1 Hour? Maybe.
La Viga Signature Dishes – Paella, Pulpos, Camarones, Cerviches.
La Viga’s Menu is pretty broad with lots of tapas, tacos, Ceviche, annd many large plates. Several options for vegetarians.
La Viga Food Picks:
Sangria ($8 Glass, $24 Carafe) red or white wine mixed w/fresh fruit juices seems to be on every table. Fruity and addictive!
Mojito ron copa rica wine, lime and mint ($8 glass / $24 carafe) is decent and deceptively mild, then you feel the hit.
Free complimentary chips that are really good. Very spicy habenero dip.
Guacamole queso fresco ($9) creamy ripe avocados, onions, cilantro, tomatoes & lime hit the spot, although the cubes of cheese were weird.
Pulpos Salteados ($14) sautéed octopus & calamari, baby potatoes, rocoto chile, fennel in a garlic & saffron sauce was highly recommended. Really tender octopus in a rich sauce.
Paella Mixta ($25) chorizo, prawns, chicken, mussels, clams, saffron rice, lime was not large, but a lot cheaper than most. Really good prawns although there were only 3. Interesting to get chicken on this dish, seem like a filler. This is very good paella but not as good as Bellota in San Francisco, but for 66% less.
Salmon Special ($18) was also recommended by the server. Wow, huge portion, cooked just right. Some specials are just leftovers they want to move, this is not.
OK: (Order if you like this dish)
None
Pans: (We would not reorder these dishes)
None
Do you agree with our review? Have you found other similar restaurants that are better?
Restaurant Map:La Viga Overall Rating: 
(Very Good
Come Back? 
| Food Rating: | (Very Good) |
| Service Rating: | (Very Good) |
| Atmosphere Rating: | (Average) |
| Value Rating: | (Excellent) |
Guide: 0 = poor, 1 = Below/Average, 2 = Good, 2.5 = Very Good, 3 = Excellent , 4 = Extraordinary
| Alcohol: | Beer, Wine |
| Attire: | Casual |
| Parking: | Street |
| Reservations: | Yes |
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