‘Long live Bacchus’ can be said about Vivat Bacchus, a restaurant which pays homage to the god of wine, and it also pays homage to very very good South African food.
The food is better than very good – it’s excellent! From the nibbles to the starters to the mains and especially the desserts, and including the wine, there is not a sour note at all. Even when walking into the Farringdon Branch on a wet and cold Thursday evening, the restaurant inside was buzzy, warm, inviting and the noise from both the music and the crowd was not loud at all. With the bar on one side of this very deep restaurant, and the kitchen in the far back, we were happily seated in the middle of it all.
But it’s for the food and the wine that is the reason why we visited. The menu is nicely just one page – not many choices but it’s hard to choose when it all looks so good.
Wooden tables give a very comfortable earthy vibe, and the staff, while all very busy, were not frantic as most restaurants as Thursday is the new Friday.
We had the beef Biltong and the Beef Dröewors – both at £5 each. The Biltong was good but it was the Beef Dröewors that won us over – a long jerky style sausage stick that had a nice meat flavour – and easier to chew than the biltong. I will search for Beef Dröewors in London South African supermarkets as I loved it that much!
Our starters hit the mark. Karoo style pulled lamb, tender stem broccoli with grilled sweet corn was absolutely delicious. The two hamburger style lamb patties were tender and moist, light brown gravy poured over- and not too much, and the corn/broccoli salad came with a nice surprise of Biquinho (sweety drop peppers) mixed in. My companion and I had never had these, they were not spicy at all, and we immediately fell in love with them and will buy them in an instant if we know where. Karoo, by the way, is lamb from the Karoo region of South Africa. Another starter, while not as wonderful as the lamb, was the Mushroom and beetroot frikkadelle, Chakalaka – three crunchy meatballs filled with, you guessed it, mushroom and beetroot, with an unexpected spicy tomato sauce with a bit of greens sprinkled on top. While good, the spice took us by surprise. After these starters it was time for the main course.
What can I say about the Ox Cheek Potjie? It was the best dish I have had in years! Served in a hot cast iron dish, the Ox Cheek, which is cooked for six hours, was oh so tender, smooth, with gravy cooked in Guinness put it over the top. The Ox Cheek was served over mash with chantenay carrots thrown in. Each bite was absolute Heaven – and the Ox cheek was very substantial, and the parsley on top added a bit of color and flavor. I plan to have this again next time I visit, and it was a bargain at £24.50! My dining companion had the Ostrich Fillet (200g) at £30.50. The waiter recommended medium rare, and he was happy about the this, I personally prefer my meat medium well. In any case, he said it was juicy, a soft substantial portion, already cut up by the chef, and just what he had expected. It came with a light salad, though he coupled it off with a large bowl of chunky chips and Tenderstem Broccoli (£5 each).
Just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, the desserts put us over the top. How could desserts taste this excellent an be unlike anything we’ve had before? This is what i have to say about the Peppermint Crisp Tart. Each bite was orgasmic! Of course you have to like peppermint flavor to like this cake, as I do, and it hit the spot. Light, fluffy creamy peppermint served on top of a biscuit, with mint leaves sprinkled on top, three days later I can almost still savor the flavor. This is highly recommended to anyone and everyone.
My friend had the Amarula Fridge Tart, with coffee and chocolate flavor. While on the heavy and chocolatey tasting side (Amarula is a cream liqueur from South Africa, it was not something you typically see on a dessert menu). Very tasty, and the dish was littered with strawberries which gave the plate a bit of color.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention their 10 page wine list (!!). But to sum it up we were given, and were pleasantly surprised by, the two wines our waiter recommended.
The Rainbow’s End Mystical Corner Red Blend was light, a tiny tiny bit sweet, juicy and jammy as the menu describes, and went very well with my food. The Vinyes Ocults Malbec from Argentina was a full bodied blend, gentle, dark and red as one would expect.
It’s rare that when you visit a restaurant you immediately want to go back, but this is how I felt about Vivat Bacchus. And I would have the same food all over again. But that’s not say that there are lots of other great options on the menu to choose from (Cauliflower Steak, Grilled Maize Fed Chicken, Iberico Pork Chop, etc.) we had come to Vivat Bacchus to try something new, and we did, and we are glad we did. But we didn’t experience the entirety of what they have to offer. They also have walk in cheese rooms that are full of delectable cheeses that are paired nicely with wine if you are planning a night of drinking and don’t want a full course meal. And all their cheese boards are served with a selection of chutneys or jams, fresh or dried fruits and crackers, great nibbles to go with wine. And there are two locations, the one we ate at – Farringdon – plus one at London Bridge, both easily accessible from the City and the West End and further areas of town. We at FAB UK highly recommend a visit, the food is very memorable and delicious.