10/10 atmosphere with old/elegant aesthetic and outdoor seating Limited menu but very high quality options & diverse protein options for a reasonable price Bolognese was exceptional!!! They don't skimp on the meat and the noodle had a perfect al dente bite. Crab cake appetizer was super good with 2 large pieces read more

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I stopped by Vivilore this July to update my garden review as in May those epic gardens had not been planted yet by the new owner. The gardens were filled in and their outdoor patio looked inviting. When this July 2026 heat wave has passed I'll return to sit on the patio and enjoy the great vibes. read more

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I wasn't sure what to expect but I was very impressed. The crab cakes were the largest I've ever had and they were so good! You could tell they were freshly fried. I also recommend the bolognese pasta. I'm pretty well versed in pasta and this one was meaty and you could tell the sauce was simmered for many hours. Noodles were perfectly cooked. Service was great and a unique ambiance to match! read more

Wow!!!! What a great location for lunch and dinner. They have outdoor seating which is in a nice patio area. The staff were super friendly and gave great recommendations. The food was amazing. So good. I don't know what they add to the roasted beet salad but it was absolutely delicious. The crab cakes were full of flavor and the creme brûlée was sooooo good. There is street parking but there is quite a few spots. Do yourself a favor and if you're in town or form the area come here. You won't regret it. read more

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Such a great local place. Food is great, staff is so nice, great food. Sit outside if weather cooperates. Agnolotti was amazing!!!

We went for lunch. We sat at the bar. Beautiful place. Hidden gem! Bartender was very friendly. Hostess was not very friendly. Food was amazing! Great portions. Wonderful flavor. If I had to find a negative, it would be the overwhelming scented candles. Too many scents and all very strong. read more

What a cute place!! I really wanted to sit outside but they close the patio after Halloween. The inside is still decent though. The waiter was super nice! Me and my friend got four different appetizers and just split them. The mushroom cheesecake dip was the absolute best! ‍Wow I was impressed. Four apps was very very filling for us. lol. The apps were all pretty great! Coconut shrimp is good. This place is on the pricier side though! There's also a couple floors of shopping above the restaurant which is fun!! read more

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First time seat was squishy seemed old crab cakes we great on the outside but gooey on the inside should be flakey but extraordinary taste good job one person had the beet salad was large and gourmet, pork chop on the second party sauces and make up of the entire dish was superb!! Wa la good job dairy free gluten free person no 3 didn't have much options so went with the burger and asparagus very small burger for 20$ and not that surprising Staff was great but one big big no no not at our table but noticed staff delivering a drink holding it on the rim enough where he had to wipe the salt off his hands onto his pants another no no and gross need to go and send him through training so you lost a star or two on that read more

Color me disappointed! I had read great reviews but I was not impressed. The Lobster Agnolotti was missing the lobster and tasteless, totally disappointed. Crab cakes were mushy inside as if they hadn't been cooked through. Waitress was very nice but inattentive and can't blame it on being busy as she was only working 3 tables. Wait staff should be dressed appropriately for the restaurant, a sense of uniformity would have been appreciated. read more

Well it started off slow. So I had a reservation and was asked I'd mind sitting at the bar. Ok no big deal. Wasn't given a menu but heard them tell a person on the corner they are behind you. Ok I grabbed one as well. A regular came in and was asked what they'd like to order. I had to say I'd like to order ... First time here and this kind of makes one not want to return. Can't say what the dining area looks like as I didn't get to see it. When I made the reservation it seated me where it wanted. Back porch indoors wherever that was going to be. Probably would have been waited on better. Now my meal had great flavor! I was actually impressed with my mini lobster rolls. The flavor was memorable. Pesto Gnocchi was good as well but my rolls were the winner. 3 stars based on service. The food alone makes it a 5! Hopefully next time I get better service. read more

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Great food and great vibes! We ordered the ribeye, short rib rigatoni, bread service, a bottle of Malbec, carrot cake, and sorbet. My wife and enjoyed every bite! Such a unique restaurant, I've never been to anything like this before. read more

Vivilore - Ribeye - American Near Me - Independence, Missouri

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Quaint harden restaurant with a phenomenal back garden patio. We had a bottle of white wine, smoked salmon bruschetta and French onion soup to start. The salmon bruschetta was probably the most flavorful dish I've ever had. Phenomenal! The French onion soup was delicious and a little heavier on the amount of onions (which my husband and I love). Our main dishes were truly out of this world. We had the 7 oz Filet (pavé potatoes, sauteed oyster mushrooms, rich, beef demi-glace) and Herb gnocchi with grilled chicken. Everything was perfectly prepared, buttery smooth, and so good. I knew it'd be a nice dinner but I will say this food surpassed any expectation I had. A hidden gem! read more

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I drive a further distance to come here but it is always so worth it. From regular dining to pop up events, Vivilore is such a gem to the KC area! read more

Vivilore - American Near Me - Independence, Missouri

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I have had this restaurant book marked for quite a while and was glad to see an opportunity to come visit for restaurant week. My cucumber refresher was a little on the sweet side, but loved the focaccia bread and its tasty butter! I love the unique options that they have on the menu like the roasted beef salad and chicken rod with exceptional polenta. The lemon Panna cotta was a good balance of tartness and sweetness to finish out the meal. Andy provided excellent service read more

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This had been on my list for a while. The space is really nice, and we were able to get a table on the patio without a reservation for lunch on a Saturday. I ordered the chicken and root vegetables. It was very flavorful. My wife got the ragu and she enjoyed that. We also had strawberry shortcake for dessert. The dessert was my favorite part of the meal. I had a bit of buyer's remorse when I saw some of the sandwiches with fries go by to the other tables. I'm definitely going to look at those options on my next visit. read more

Vivilore - Chicken breast with root vegetables - American Near Me - Independence, Missouri

very good service and exceptional food!! love the atmosphere completely! love the art work and gallery upstairs and court yard outside with the beautiful scenery and bands that play. read more

Came for the Christmas pop up and stayed for the restaurant dinner. The event space turned into Christmas Merryton magic was pretty. The cocktail service was quite slow (~30min) for 1 drink so we took some photos and popped back into the main restaurant space. Shared some apps, some bottles of wine and some hot tasty meals. I went for the Bolognese which was great! Cool antique space! read more

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Ive been seeing this place pop up on several local KC eats pages, and I finally got the chance to come and try it out with my aunt! I dont usually come to independence often for food or otherwise, but this little spot is worth the drive! We came during lunch, so the menu is alot more limited than what their dinner menu looks like. Lunch is mostly sandwiches and salads with some appetizers, they do offer a few pasta dishes as well. We had hoped for patio seating, however they do not open their patio until Mothers day weekend and it stays open through to halloween. I made reservations for the "back porch" option because it said it had a view looking out to the garden area. It is the perfect place if you like having a more intimate setting without the normal dining crowd of other tables around you. This is such a cute little place, as soon as we pulled up I was already in love with the front of the building with the greenery crawling up the building. Once you step inside it gets even cooler! There is stained glass throuought, and tons of little candles, incense, trinkets, holiday decor, antiques, etc for sale as you walk through. The patio was a little barren since its still end of winter so I didnt take any photos. The food was AMAZING, the mushroom cheesecake appetizer stole the show for me. Fresh made to order food, we loved everything we had. Next time I am coming back to try their dinner! read more

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My husband and I went here for our anniversary dinner. We love the serene atmosphere of the garden patio. It literally felt like you were dining in a fairy garden! Our service was spectacular and our food absolutely delicious. We will be back! read more

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What do you call a four star restaurant, museum and art gallery all at once? Vivilore! Located in the art district of Independence, this unusual restaurant features quality food as well as self guided tours of their unique art work in paintings, sculpture from this century and centuries past. Serves lunch and dinner. Call for reservations. Tommy and the Tastebuds Captain Tom read more

This was supposed to be a quick visit to the bar, took one look at the menu and decided to order something! The bartender was super friendly and after I told her what I liked she suggested a drink and it was perfect. My wife and I need to actually go sit down and have dinner because it looks amazing. I did wind up ordering a little snack of the lobster rolls. I highly recommend those as they were fresh and full of lobster meat. We will be back! read more

Vivilore - Lobster roll - American Near Me - Independence, Missouri

Came here for a restaurant week so they had the limited offerings of the restaurant week menu. I knew coming in that I was going to get the prime rib, my only concern ones that didn't mention a size so I was curious to see what it would end up being. The first course was the homemade focaccia bread, which was very, very good. I tried both the honey butter and the apple butter and both were excellent. The lobster bisque was good, but could have used some small pieces of lobster in it and maybe have been a little bit warmer. The taste was very good though. When the prime rib came, it was a little smaller than expected, probably somewhere between six and 8 ounces I would think. It also was slightly overcooked to my liking, I like medium rare on my prime rib. They did bring me the horseradish and horseradish sauce on a request what they had for au jus was more like a gravy, a little thicker so I kind of used it more on the potatoes than I did the prime rib. The garlic potatoes were good, just a little bit salty, but still tasted pleasant. Our last course was the dessert and it was the flourless chocolate torte. It was very, very good, very rich and chocolatey. The restaurant itself is very quaint, kind of makes you feel like you're in an old Victorian house. The staff was pleasant, I would come here again to try the regular menu to see how it rates. Overall, a pleasant experience. read more

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Restaurant Week 2025 Atmosphere 5/5 Food 3.5/5 Service 3.5/5 Price $$$ The overall review of Vivilore is pleasant but not glowing, because the food and the service could have been better. I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt, it was quite busy because of restaurant week and reservations were are capacity. I'm assuming the staff here doesn't deal with that kind of crowd on an everyday basis since, this artful restaurant is located in the sleepy streets of the Englewood district in Independence. Anyways, the space itself is stunning and I'm not saying that lightly. The outside of the building, the facade itself, is painted green and draws you into the whimsical antique world inside, almost like a secret garden tucked away from the outside sidewalk. The dining room we sat in had floor to ceiling hand painted murals and the tables the had chosen divided the space into separate seating areas like you were at one huge split up dinner party in someone's home study or library. The feel is old school French opulent garden party, or at least those were the feels I was picking up. Now, even though the decor was one of the highlights of the meal I'll take on the food from a critical standpoint. Some things were executed well while others were not, and at the price point, even for restaurant week, that should never be the case. First course- muscles Whenever I see muscles on a menu I must order it, it is what it is. I love briny salty things and usually I can appreciate a muscle in many forms, that is unless I can't get into them and a few of these were not opened up. The nuances of the dill butter, sake and yuzu were lost to the briny flavor of the oysters, the broth was salty with slight herbaceous notes but I didn't taste any Asian flavor points. Second course- Prime Rib I always order prime rib rare or mid rare and this was no exception however, it was borderline inedible with a lot of fatty grisly pockets of sinew. I've experienced the luxury buttery perfection that prime rib can be when the fat adds to the flavor but, this wasn't that. It just wasn't up to par as far as quality of the cut was concerned. It should be noted the side dishes were superb especially the velvety mashed potatoes, these were on point. All in all, I feel as though I made the wrong choice for the main...I should have gotten the poached cod. Third course- lemon cake Lemon desserts are my go-to, when they lean on the side of tangy and not too sweet then they're delicious. This lemon cake was light, the carrot ice cream had a subtle sweetness which paired nicely with the spice from the garnish. I'm not much of a dessert fan so, when the final course is one of my high points of the meal then that's an issue. The wine, I ordered a white with my first course and a red with my second, was slow to arrive to the table and was overpriced in my opinion. Yes, this is a restaurant where a glass of wine seems appropriate to order but, maybe don't waste your time. The Malbec was so-so but I've had better. Maybe it was the lack of care that I picked up in the service that made the wine taste worse than it was. I'm not sure. The final consensus: I would try Vivalore again, specifically for restaurant week because I think the value of three course for $55 is a good price point (lunch runs $20 for two courses) not, sure about the rest of the day to day menu but, I would order differently. Maybe skip red meat all together...the decor has charm, I can overlook certain things but, overall it didn't live up to the grand picture I had in my head. Maybe, the patio dining al fresco in the sun for a cocktail, small plate and gab sesh would be a better experience. read more

Vivilore - American Near Me - Independence, Missouri

I very cute small restaurant with excellent food. You need reservations so make sure you set them up. The menu is seasonal. We had a strawberry salad with grilled snap peas, avocado, pistachios pickled onions and feta cheese it was so yummy. We had the special of the day which was a pasta which was excellent and dessert was decadent. Servings are huge so we split everything if you don't be prepared to take some home. read more

Vivilore - Chocolate cherry bread pudding - American Near Me - Independence, Missouri

We finally were able to have dinner ad Vivilore this week, and it did not disappoint. Our server was Eric, and he was wonderful. While there we tried a lot of things, and said wow with every sip and bite! We started with the Butternut Squash Bisque (forgot to take a picture!!) and it was one of the best soups I've had. I would go back there daily just to have that soup! We also tried the "soup of the moment" which was Chicken Noodle. It was hearty and lots of chicken! The Arancini was delicious. The stuff crispy risotto balls with that smoked tomato sauce, to die for. For dinner we ordered the Tagliatelle Bolognese and Double Bone-in Pork Chop. The bourbon brown butter glaze on the pork chop, wow. I didn't think I would care for the polenta, but it was one of the best parts! The bolognese was flavorful, and whipped ricotta made it even more tasty! We walked around the building after dinner, and explore the neat rooms and things for sale. It was such a cold building with different turns and nooks to look at. I can't wait to come back in the spring/summer to experience the beautiful patio. We had a wonderful time! read more

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Lovely, whimsical place. Definitely eat in their garden. Theres no other patio like this in all of KC. I got the chicken Cesar and fries (they have fries!!! Just not in the menu). My friends got the lobster roll and the burger. By the way, their plates were HUGE. That lobster roll at market price was 40$, but it was on.. probably an 8 inch sub, included Brussel sprouts as the veg side, grapes, and fries as she ordered those as well. Burger, the same amount of food. Both of those plates could have been made into two meals. My Cesar was delicious! The dressing was perfect, and the chicken was grilled well. I loved their fries and the batter that they used on them. We had a lovely time. It's a bit of a far drive for me, as I'm in Olathe, but well worth the 35 min drive. read more

Vivilore - American Near Me - Independence, Missouri

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Owner was amazing today. My friend and I didn't have lunch reservations and they were very busy with an event and other reservations but still allowed us to come in and have a very nice lunch in the patio. We had a great lunch and appreciate the owner's kindness. We will be back! Thank you. read more

Outdoor patio: lovely with birds, water fountains, could be very peaceful. Someone had brought a screaming child and bless their hearts, it did take over the other sounds of the patio for most of our time there. The interior is also quite lovely! Please don't hesitate to go on my experience with the food below - it wasn't their regular menu. Food: we were there on the Friday before Mother's Day for lunch and discovered it was a specialty brunch menu. I got scrambled eggs, the chicken and waffle, and an orange juice. The chicken was fried to perfection but unfortunately was SO salty, it wasn't edible. They offered to refry a piece but my concern was it had been brined that way or was in the breading. The orange juice was not fresh but was priced like freshly squeezed. And the scrambled eggs were crumby - like I tried to piled it on my fork to eat but the crumbs were so small I couldn't. $30 ticket for food that left me hungry and sad Service was friendly and prompt. read more

Vivilore - Chicken and waffle - American Near Me - Independence, Missouri

Don't ever pass through the Independence, MO area without stopping at Vivalore's for a fabulous meal, and a shopping experience like no other! It's a good idea to call ahead to make a reservation, as this exquisite restaurant venue is always in demand. With its beautifully decorated dining areas in an historic building, great food and service, gorgeous patio areas for strolling and dining, and a totally unique shopping adventure, I can NEVER pass it up! Ask about the sumptuous daily specials, and swoon when you hear about the desserts. Truly, always delicious food and options to please any palate. Make it a day trip...dine, then shop three stories of wonderful, eclectic home goods and decor for indoors and outdoors, unique apparel, exquisite candles and body products...and SO much more! read more

Vivilore - Light-filled dining area in the front of the restaurant. - American Near Me - Independence, Missouri

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The atmosphere, the food and the service are excellent. I recommend it, particularly for special occasions.

To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to formally express my extreme disappointment with the experience my husband and I had at your restaurant. Unfortunately, it was the worst dining experience we have ever encountered, and the response provided to my husband's review was not only inaccurate but dismissive. To begin, if reservations are required, the inside back covered patio should not be listed as an option during cold weather if it is "too cold" to sit there. We selected that area only because it appeared available. Regarding the seating issue, the explanation provided in your response does not reflect what actually occurred. We were initially placed at an eight‑top table in the middle of other parties, even though several two‑top tables were available away from the other guests. When my husband requested to move, the hostess stated that we could sit at a high‑top in the bar area but did not make any effort to relocate us--we had to move ourselves. Shortly after we moved, we overheard the bartender ask the hostess if he was "okay" or if there was anything he could do (since he seemed clearly upset about us moving). The hostess responded loudly enough for us to hear, saying, "Yes, if he could stick a fork in his f‑ing eye, that would be great." This level of unprofessionalism and hostility is shocking and completely unacceptable. The service that followed made it clear we were not welcome. We never had an assigned server; the host poured one glass of water for us to share and took our appetizer and drink order. The bartender eventually approached to take our entrée order, appearing visibly annoyed. When our food arrived, it was simply placed on the table without any acknowledgment or follow‑up. At no point did anyone check on us, ask if we needed anything, or verify that our meals were satisfactory. My dish was not even cooked, and I did not eat it despite your response stating so. The next time anyone came to our table was much later, when the bartender and food runner arrived simultaneously--one to deliver a soup that was supposed to come out before my meal and the other to ask if we were ready for our check. When I mentioned that we never received our appetizer, the bartender responded rudely, "Do you really even want it now?" Your reply to my husband's review also incorrectly stated that the appetizer was "comped." It was not. The charge was removed because we never received it. Removing a charge for an item not served is not a complimentary gesture--it is basic accuracy in billing. As for the comment regarding the tip, we did not leave one because we genuinely had no server and experienced the poorest service we have ever received at any restaurant. We normally tip generously, but in this case, a tip was not warranted. I work in customer service leadership for a large corporation, and I can say with confidence that the way our concerns were handled--both during the visit and in your public response--demonstrates a complete lack of accountability and professionalism. If your business chooses to respond to customer complaints, I recommend investing in proper PR guidance or reevaluating how feedback is addressed. Given the unclean environment, the unacceptable comments made by staff, and the overall disregard for basic service standards, we will not be returning and will be advising our friends and family to avoid this establishment as well. read more

Good food. Good service. Good atmosphere. Took us in with no reservation. Will be back.

What a cool place to shop them done. Their outdoor space is truly beautiful, I now have serious Patio Envy. Food is wonderful as well. We miss the original owners but they left it in good hands and the new owners are doing an excellent job. Reservations are a must, it is very popular! read more

What a great venue space and patio area. So quaint and charming. The service and food was excellent. So much to see and enjoy.

We went here on a Friday night for our anniversary and genuinely enjoyed our time here. The food was absolutely amazing. For appetizer we had soup baked potato and the smoked salmon bruschetta. The smoked salmon bruschetta was absolutely banging and it paired well with everything else on the plate. Then for entrees my bf had the pasta of the day which was like thick spaghetti noodles in a goat cheese sauce. I had the lamb with green jelly sauce and green beans, and potatoes. We're both absolutely loved it! The dessert was crème brûlée and it was FANATASTIC! Ended our night with the right note The service was excellent! We had a mishap of the waitress spilling our wine over the foods but they replaced it right the way and she was super apologetic about it. We still had a good time. Her recommendations were on point! Ambiance of this place is most like an English tea party rooms. The decoration is absolutely gorgeous. If you go upstairs there are a lot of good stuffs there for picture taking pleasure hehe! read more

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The food was good, but they're EXTREMELY overpriced. Somebody at our table asked about the lobster roll which was listed as an appetizer and was quoted the price. When she got her bill, they'd charged her $9 more. She asked and was told that she got the "dinner". That's not even on the menu. And she didn't ASK for the dinner. It included some squash on the side. FOR NINE DOLLARS! She asked for a drink and when they brought it, she requested it be put on ice. THEY CHARGED HER FOR THAT TOO!!! 3 rolls cost $4. This place is just too full of itself! Really sad because the food was good. It was a large group of us and you can guarantee none of us will be back here. P.S. The way the Fish and Avocado Tostadas is artfully assembled... make it damn near impossible to eat. Looks are great, but the MAIN focus should be on the EATING! read more

Vivilore - Peanut Chopped Salad - American Near Me - Independence, Missouri

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Haven't been there in years. New owners now. Food was good. No complaints. Still lovely atmosphere.

We arrived at 5:00 on a Friday and were seated at a table smaller than a tv tray. When we asked for a larger one we were told they had to save the others for those with reservations (there were no other patrons there). Three other parties arrived later, and the first one was seated directly behind us. They were VERY loud and boisterous, and I couldn't hear a word my friend said all through dinner. Then the entrees started at $30, but weren't anywhere good enough to half warrant that price. Most of the dining area was still empty by the time we left. I've learned my lesson about this place! Never going back! read more

Charming building with an eclectic variety of things to purchase in the 3 levels of the store section. The back patio is peaceful and an amazing, chill spot on nice days. We had about 16 girls, so the patio was our designated spot. I was surprised there were not more people inside for how many rave reviews I've been hearing. The kitchen was out of a few things, but my interest was in the lobster roll, as many places out here don't do it like Boston. I was pleasantly surprised to see they don't drown it in lettuce and it was delicious. The baked potato and veggies were seasoned great as well. Our waitress was very nice and did a great job with such a large party. Super cute location, higher prices than expected for what it was, but it was delicious and more of an experience than your average restaurant. read more

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FIRST-make a reservation!!! This place books up 2-3 weeks out! We called the day of and were fortunate to get seating at the bar for lunch. During our meal I heard many tired away or added to a waiting list. They are very conscious of their kitchen capacity. Which is a refreshing sign that food quality is a priority. The bartender/server Eric was excellent! He offered recommendations on both drinks and food. We had a delicious Argentine Malbec to start. The lunch menu had a nice variety of items. I really wanted to try the wild mushroom cheesecake appetizer but they were out of it . We ordered the Vivilore chicken salad sandwich and the Turkey club. Both were delicious. The basil ginger mayo in the chicken salad added a different flair as did the pesto mayo on the turkey club. After eating we wander through the boutique and out to the garden. We will definitely be back and this time I will call way in advance for reservations. read more

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