Tough to find spot across from London Bridge underground. Look in Google maps Mostly fried fare Good wine list. South African wines with good variety. Others also available Good service. Ordered a Chenin Blanc. Good flavor. western Cape so more generic blend of CB. Easy drinking. Carpaccio was tasty. Nice radish and acidity added. Some aioli for flavor. Really good. Beets were great too. read more

Vivat Bacchus - Modern European Near Me - London, XGL

We were excited to try this place as neither of us have had South African cuisine before. The inside was very nice and had a great vibe and the staff was extremely friendly and welcoming. I wish the food was as great as the people working there however. We started off with the trio bread order and there was nothing really to distinguish between the breads. They all tasted the same. I was probably most disappointed by the lamb I ordered. It was a little too well done and chewy. It had decent flavor but really lacked tenderness. I was really hoping for a better food experience. read more

We came to Vivat Bacchus as part of a food tour so I can only really judge them on the dessert we enjoyed. The sticky toffee pudding with the vanilla ice cream was so delicious! We had half portions which was perfect because it was quite rich. The cake was perfectly moist but the toffee sauce that was on top of it was amazing and the ice cream really made it all come together. Definitely a great spot to enjoy this quintessential English dessert! read more

Vivat Bacchus - Sticky toffee pudding and vanilla ice cream (1/2 of a portion). It may not look the prettiest but wow was the flavor amazing! - Modern European Near Me - London, XGL

Great food. Enjoyed the ribeye immensely, and the cheese selection was outstanding. Pricing was moderate and portions were good. My favorite part of the place was the Cheese Room! The Cheese specialist was very, very knowledgeable and very expertly matched up the cheeses I liked with just the right wine and fruit. I'd recommend for anyone that likes beef. If you are a Cheese lover, I suggest you run, not walk, over there. read more

See all

Vivat Bacchus host a monthly cheese and wine quiz... and it's as good as it sounds! Wine tasting, cheese tasting and general knowledge questions. Plus great service and food, what a wonderful evening! The tickets cost £8 but include a drink on arrival, all of the cheese and wine tasting, plus 15% off your bill. The winners can choose between a bottle of sparkling wine or a cheese board. We didn't win but came a respectable 3rd out of 10 teams. We also learned a lot about wine regions and production! I had the beef burger while we quizzed, which was delicious, and a shared bottle of wine which came to £20 each. Pretty good for the evening! I'd highly recommend this place after my experience tonight and we're looking forward to doing the quiz next month! read more

Vivat Bacchus - The beef burger with blue cheese - Modern European Near Me - London, XGL

Perfect food. Perfect location. Perfect Service. Perfect Wine. Our team agreed we could come here every year we were in London - it was that memorable. Originally wanting a steak and wine restaurant near the Tower of London, we picked this place - the best decision we made thus far on this trip. Service was first class- our waiter was attentive, offered helpful suggestions, and really catered to us. For example, we wanted to Mix the cheeses for the cheese board and he was happy to do that for us. He also made sure to fill the wine, water, and juices appropriately. For the wines, he was very knowledgeable and offered appropriate suggestions allowing our team to taste the wine before buying a bottle (they weren't familiar with the South African wines). He also informed us we could get a cheese and wine tour if we wanted. I ordered the Sea Bream - it was delicious and perfectly cooked. It also didn't have any bones so it was very easy to eat. I loved how it was perfectly seasoned and not dry. Cheese Board - All the choices were delicious And the Included Jam was to die for. Very delicious. Bread and crackers were replenished as necessary. Next time I come I think I'll order this only since I was full afterwards. Lamb appetizer with sausages - Very much enjoyed. Cooked to perfection. There were two ordered on our table of 4 and it was gone in seconds Steak - Team members all orders Steak. Coming from the USA we all know what good Steak tastes like and everyone loved it. The monkey glands sauce was good too (and unique) they stated. Location was great - located near the pier. We saw Hayes Gallerie which was lit up with lights, then walked down towards London Bridge and got a great view of the tower. We took lots of pictures. read more

See all

Dinner at Vivat Bacchus was a random choice but one that I'm happy I tried. The food and wine selections were gorgeous, and not entirely overpriced. We ended up in the downstairs bit of the restaurant and I was quite pleased to be there as it seemed very loud upstairs. All three of us decided upon the burger and it was a fabulous choice. The garlic mayo made it. And the triple cooked chips were lush. Two of us decided to share a bottle of red wine, which was gorgeous and easily within our budget. The service is what really made it special. They were on top of everything and super sweet to boot. I will most definitely head back there! read more

Vivat Bacchus - Modern European Near Me - London, XGL

See all

Really enjoyed this place! I am staying at the Hilton nearby and was walking and came across Vivat Bacchus. They have set up a nice outdoor patio which was great. I ordered the soup (vegan, carrot soup that was very good) and the grilled chicken (delicious) along with some broccoli. A great find--just off the main street which is nice as it is quiet. I will be back! read more

I have very mixed feelings about this place. I booked a table last Friday night on the spur of the moment, as I was meeting a friend in London Bridge and we both like wine! We arrived and walked through the room upstairs that was packed, noisy and buzzing. We were shown downstairs to an empty dining room with no one in it. It did fill up a bit as the evening went on, but it was a lot quieter than upstairs. We also considered moving to the "cheese room", but never quite made it. (Mainly because I thought it sounded like we would have to crawl into a giant edam or something). I tried a couple of different red wines by the glass that were recommended by a every helpful chap. I liked them very much, but there was a lot more choice by the bottle and I suspect that had I been with a red wine drinking friend, we may have had a great time with them! (My friend's white wine was also lovely - very fruity and exactly what she asked for). We were not terribly hungry, but they offer a lot of bar snacks, so we chose a small French cheese plate, the terrine and a bit later on, we had the 'double' chips. The cheese was lovely - made me wish I had gone and sat in the cheese room, no matter what it was made of. The terrine was fine, not spectacular, but certainly edible. The chips were DELICIOUS. Large, fluffy, cooked all the way through and a little crispy on the outside - perfect in fact. Here again was one of my mixed feelings - they were great, but at £5 for a pretty small bowl, I felt that they should have been the best chips I had ever encountered. With diamonds sprinkled on them instead of salt. We moved on to pudding, and that's where it all went really wrong. My crumble slice was completely and utterly tasteless. Also, it came with clotted cream rather than custard or ice cream. I felt that the taste did not justify the calories and I sent it back. They were very good about it and took it off the bill. My friends sticky toffee pudding was ok - she did eat it all, so it can't have been too bad. So, the bill came, and it was pretty reasonable - £30 a head for an evening out where we left feeling full, a little drunk and had had a good time. However, I just can't muster up the enthusiasm to try the place again, unless I go and try the cheese room perhaps... read more

I went to Vivat Bacchus last night for a quiet dinner and some wine and had a pleasent evening. Although the overall meal was nice, I do have some critiques that made it not quite a 3 star rating. Our nice bottle of wine was served in a plastic bucket w/ice and left on our table. I feel like a wine bar should either a) invest in some nice "chill" gear or b) hold the bottle at the bar. The appetizer salad of Goats Cheese, Cheries, and Orange was amazing. The lamb steak I had as a main was nice, however, I felt it was way too oily along w/the sides (new potatoes) that came with it. The restaurant is nice...not too quiet and bustling which I liked. The service was alright but I don't think our server realized we didn't want anymore wine after our first bottle....as he asked us like 3 times. I know you have to make your sales numbers...but c'mon! Even though it was a nice evening, if in the area again...I would likely go somewhere different. If you are around London Bridge, however, and need a place last minute...it is a nice evening out. read more

As I came here on a food tour I only got to try a dessert here and not a full meal but even then I loved the experience. We tried the sticky toffee pudding and it was amazing a truly magnificent treat. I would absolutely come again to try the rest of their offerings if I'm back in London. read more

I was confused about this place. But I was pleasantly surprised. It says its 'European with a good selection of South African Wines' but in fact the food is South African as well. And it is great. The location is good as well - between the station and Tower Bridge. We went there to celebrate a promotion at work and was pleased with the selection of wine - from cheap through to bloody expensive. All in all, I wouldn't mind returning! read more

It's a little difficult to find, but once you do, expect a pleasant and relaxing evening. The mains were ok, the sides, especially the triple cooked chips, were excellent, and the dessert was outstanding. The cheese room was a special treat, but then I'm easy to impress when it comes to cheese. I'll definitely be back. read more

Booked through Toptable for set menu for £13.50 for my daughter and I. Arrived a early but no problem cheery welcome table ready even though busy inside and out. Busy with after work diners, a bit noisy but not unexpected. Set menu choice limited but did have additional options with a supplement, we didn't fancy any o the choices though so went for the A la Carte. Good portions, tasty, chicken liver for me pint of prawns for my daughter, followed by ostrich burgers with coleslaw and chips, managed it all!! Good choice of wine at varying prices. For a simple dinner, very handy for London Bridge Station, would recommend. read more

I had dinner at the Hay Market Vivat Bacchus tonight and it was a very satisfactory experience. I have passed by this place hundreds of times, and quite honestly, if my friend hadn't suggested trying it out, I probably never would have gone. I just assumed it was another wine bar around London Bridge with wine and overpriced cheese plates. But boy, I was wrong. I had the burger and it hit the spot. It's amazing with cheddar cheese - but they charge you extra for it!!! Also, the wine is good but a bit overpriced. I would come back, particularly for the duck breast, which also sounded fabulous. I recommend it! read more

They really need to try harder at this samey place. It does not really stand for anything and is just another wine bar.

By contributor: Mr Vieri Renowned for their fantastic selection of South African wines and cheese room, I was very excited to experience them both for myself. Upon arrival, you're struck by the wood surroundings and understated mood lighting. It's sophisticated but not pretentious. The staff instantly made us feel at home, and offered a great selection of white wines. We tried 3 and settled on a 2012 Meinert Chardonnay. Our sommelier was incredibly knowledgeable and her recommendation flawless. Onto the food... I wouldn't normally focus on the entrees, but, the biltong is well worth talking about. Fresh and light, it came served in a small cup and didn't last much more than about 30 seconds, it was that good. For a starter we shared the sourdough and mushrooms. Strong overtones of garlic were perfectly placed alongside the well executed mushrooms. Quite filling, so I'd only recommend if very hungry! The mains are very interesting; they offer a chance to explore some much lesser eaten meats from South Africa. I went for the ostrich steak (the leanest meat on earth) ideal for the waistline ;). It came with a side of veg and triple cooked chips, both flawless and the veg just the right side of crispy. My first time having ostrich which came in a biltong coating, it had the look of steak, but a taste somewhere around chicken. I had it medium rare as suggested by the waiter. I'd highly recommend giving it a try. The crocodile burger was very tempting, maybe next time! The final coup de gras, was a trip to the famous cheese room where we went on a tour of Europe including England, Switzerland, Italy, France and Spain. Everything from soft English cheeses through to a lovely French blue cheese. The level of knowledge from the staff was top notch and we left with a list as long as our arm of cheeses we must buy in the coming months. read more

Vivat Bacchus, London Bridge, is a bright restaurant. The leek & potato soup was lovely; croutons arrived soggy in soup instead of served on side. Risotto with courgettes was good. Pork chop with sweet potato & pickled apples was nice, but fat should have been rendered a bit more. Raspberry Eton Mess was good, & lovely Creme Brulee. Also, waitress upsold us a bottle of wine (only 2xwine glasses ordered)-& did not apologise. Manager resolved. Generally, pleasant waiting staff & reasonable food. read more