Vivat Bacchus — Restaurant in London

There’s nothing quite like an impromptu business lunch to lift the spirits and recalibrate your day. One minute you’re weighing up whether to endure another Super Green Falafel from Pret or gamble on that egg mayo baguette that’s been sweating quietly in the chiller since 8 a.m., and the next—you’re in a real restaurant. With wine. And cutlery made of actual metal.

It’s the gastronomic equivalent of turning up at Heathrow and being told you’ve been bumped up to business class. “Window or aisle, sir?” “Neither, actually—I’ll have the sirloin with peppercorn sauce.”

So there we were, a rag-tag assembly of office types who’d miraculously aligned calendars and decided that a working lunch meant we should actually work, albeit in the background while eating red meat and pretending our phones were on silent.

Vivat Bacchus, Farringdon, is the kind of place that gets this dance. You walk in and there’s buzz—proper buzz. Not the empty cacophony of a chain brasserie pumping out Phil Collins to two lost tourists, but actual, human voices. Laughter. Cutlery on plates. Wine being poured like someone’s going to Brexit again. Every table full, every face either deep in animated conversation or deep in an 11oz rib-eye. It’s South African-tinged, this place, and they cook your meat over a proper braai, which is not just BBQ with an accent but a whole different level of flamey meat theatre.

Service? Spot on. Slick, not smarmy. Efficient but not breathless. They knew—they knew—we all had a Teams call in 53 minutes that we couldn’t, despite our best intentions, wiggle out of. So they played it like a Formula One pit stop. Orders taken promptly, wine poured with a nod that said “You’ve earned this, champ”, and food landed just as I was mid-eye roll about someone’s CRM integration plan.

And let’s talk about the food. I went classic: sirloin with peppercorn sauce. Because sometimes you don’t want to be challenged by lunch. You want to be reassured. And this was comforting and confident: charred outside, pink within, a hunk of meat that said “I’m better than Pret” in every juicy mouthful. Fries crisp and hot, the sauce proper and punchy—no weak creamy nonsense here. This was peppercorn sauce with a point to prove.

The wine? Red. South African. Didn’t ask more questions, didn’t need to. It did its job like a good lunch guest: bold, generous, and never tried to talk over anyone. Rounded off with a solid coffee that didn’t taste like hot compost, and we were done in 55 minutes, refreshed, fed, and ready to pretend we hadn’t just had the best part of our day before 2pm.

Vivat Bacchus is the sort of place that reminds you lunch doesn’t have to be an act of desperation. It can be an occasion. Even on a Tuesday. Even in Farringdon. Especially when the alternative is a soggy wrap and a seat next to your own ennui on a bench outside...

I organised a welcome drinks reception and three-course dinner for a corporate event at Vivat Bacchus. I can confidently say VB must be at the top of your list for venues to consider!

I liaised with the warm and exceptionally organised events team throughout, primarily Kyle and Yvette, who were rapid in responding to any changes and considerations, and updated me frequently on any important matters. They made arranging this event easy and as stress-free as possible. They were also transparent and upfront, which was very refreshing.

On the day, I was greeted by the wonderful Jamie. She was our host for our private event in VB's beautiful Franschhoek room, and was an excellent orchestrator who not only kept the event running smoothly throughout, but also reacted sensitively and effectively to changes in our party as they came and left. She was an absolute delight to speak to and work with, explaining all the fabulous dishes to the party at each course, and filled me with confidence as an event organiser.

She was accompanied and complimented by the very impressive Ali, a sommelier with South African expertise. He had pre-planned welcome and dinner drink choices for our group, and shared his thought process with me beforehand on his selection of reds for our chosen menu. He went the extra mile to share his passion with us, with an explanation of New World wines and the South African vineyards and techniques, and many commended him for his knowledge and professionalism throughout the night.

On that note, I recommend the incredible 2017 De Toren Fusion V, a sumptuous red that needs to be tried to be fully appreciated.

The large venue was beautifully laid out, with a private bar area, cloak room, dedicated toilets for our private party, and a walk-in display wine cellar.

The food itself, of course, was simply exceptional - we selected the Braai menu, given the international nature of this event, and it was beautifully presented with generous portions, accompaniments, side dishes, and any added options. The sharing style made the dinner more dynamic, which was excellent for networking, and everyone got involved with conversation in a way set menus might fetter. The highlights were the lekker chicken sosaties, incredible steak cuts cooked to perfection, and peppermint crisp tarts.

As a corporate event venue, organiser, and guest, I had an exceptional experience with VB. I place them at the top of the list for any event considerations in the London area, with their competitive pricing and what they offer for the cost, and I will gladly be considering them for future events whether it be with individuals or post-conference...

PLEASE READ TO THE END Biggest let down was the food. Sausage starters were grissly and bland, only given a bit of pep by the punchy tomato and mushroom sauce. Sirloin steak was OK, but looked rare rather than medium rare as ordered. I am also not convinced that it was 300g. Those that had the crusted lamb fillet said it was overcooked and cold. Best part of the meal was the biltong and bread nibbles at the start. Service was slow, though in fairness it was very busy for a Wednesday night in March (and very noisy). We didn't stay for dessert. Expected better and probably won't go back. Follow up: 21 April 2025 Restaurant kindly offered a complimentary meal for 2 as compensation for a well below par evening meal. Despite two emails from me accepting the offer and offering a date suggestion I've had no response. Even less impressed now.

UPDATE July 2025 Delighted to say that our recent visit was infinitely better. Biltong sampler dish was good. Scallop and wagyu carpaccio starters were delicious - pickled benoki mushrooms with the carpaccio were amazing. Both out steaks were good and cooked as requested. Really glad we gave them a second chance to make good on their poor showing last time. A big thank you to Thanos and his team. We...