Note: That there is another Cafe Viva location all the way uptown on the Upper West Side. Other than the location info, this review is accurate for both locations. They’re both awesome!

I love this hole in the wall place where you can buy kosher, vegetarian pizza by the slice. The location is on 2nd ave, between 11th and 12th st, and it’s right by a movie theater. There are only a few tables but they’re comfortable enough. It’s extremely affordable for one of the basic slices. They have wholewheat or white flour crust with cheese (non-animal rennet), as well as a vegan option that is a thick spongy (approx 1 inch) crust with a spicy tomato sauce on it.

They have soy cheese for an extra charge but I believe it’s not vegan.

Other than the plain slices, there are lots of slices with diverse toppings and quite a few vegan options. These are piled high with veggies.

The slices are huge. If you’re a female, you will only need one, or perhaps get 3 slices between two people if you’re really hungry.

There is no bathroom so you will need to make arrangements. You can usually go at the movie theater if you leave an id with them. Otherwise, it’s a bathroom desert in this neighborhood.

I’ve always found the service friendly. Since the plain slices turn over the most often, these will likely be the freshest (often straight out of the oven). Otherwise they’ll put the slice back in the oven when you order it.

I’ve always found the service friendly, quick, and non-pretentious.

They sell vegan cakes and vegan cheesecake made by the Vegan Treats company. These get delivered weekly on a Tuesday afternoon, so your best bet for the freshest product is Wednesday. I like the vegan death by chocolate cake and the vegan cheesecake. The peanut butter bomb is popular but I don’t like chocolate with peanut butter. The Vegan Treats cakes here are priced cheaper than at some other NYC restaurants who carry the same product.