We were introduced to Vivilore by our neighbors. They have lived in Independence for many years and highly recommended the restaurant. We enjoyed the fresh made food and side items and the waitstaff were great too. Highly recommend! read more

Beautiful atmosphere, great food! When you go ask for Daniel, he's wonderful at his job & makes guests feel very welcome & taken care of! Highly recommend! read more

This hidden gem was such a treat. Went there for a friend's birthday. We each had superb meals in a charming atmosphere, beautiful ambience. Your table is set in the middle of a delicious antique shop We had coconut shrimp with a sweet savory dipping sauce, grilled beef steak, vegetarian tamales and an out of this world bread pudding with coffee ice cream and huge, juicy berries. I gave only 4 stars because it was so hard to find. Need your GPS! It's worth it! read more

Haven't even had a chance to eat here. Walked in for dinner one evening to check the place out and stood in front of the host stand for a solid 5 minutes as servers walked past us, bartenders looked up at us and no one acknowledged us. Waiting for host. Walked around to other areas of the restaurant trying to find host. No luck. Eventually stopped a passing server to ask if there was a host that evening and were asked why, what did we need. Umm... a table? We were then told we wouldn't be able to get a table without a reservation. Server says nothing more, and walks away. We leave, stunned. Fast forward to a month or so later, willing to give another shot. Make a phone call for a reservation. No answer. Closed on Mondays. Call Tuesday, can't make a reservation for Saturday because they close for the entire 4th of July Weekend. And entire Memorial Day weekend. And a few others. I give up. read more

Food was good, but when I returned the next day to give my server a cash tip that my girlfriend and I forgot to leave, I was told that they "adjusted" it for me by editing my card receipt after I had left. That is highly illegal and Vivilore told me they do it all the time. My bank is disputing the charge and the missouri attorney generals office has been contacted. BAD BUSINESS! Pay cash or check your card statement closely! And pray you don't get Linda as your server. read more

This restaurant needs a business manager. It's terribly unorganized. Before traveling 45 mins to eat here last Saturday, we checked the website for hours etc. Upon arriving around 6:00 we were greeted with "you can't eat here. We are having a wedding later tonight." No sign on the door, nothing. As we took a quick tour of the outdoor gardens the owners said "We can't be bothered". These people need a lesson in restaurant customer service and management. I do not recommend wasting your time. Oh and I am a glutton for punishment. This wasn't my first negative experience at Vivilore, but it will be my last. read more

It's amazing how a server can make or break an experience. We were seated & waiting while other tables that were seated after us were greeted by their waitress. She finally got here, got our drink order where she pushed alcohol, but never mentioned the daily specials until I asked after returning with our drinks. When she told us the pasta special it was a bow tie chicken & "plano" pasta. I asked what that was & she told me it was like a cheese sauce. I asked like an Alfredo sauce & she said no. I told her I was going to need to look it up & so she looked at her notes & spelled pablano! So I decided to try it... After we received our food my friend needed ketchup for her burger & I needed salt (which I rarely add) for my pasta. The waitress came out four separate times, but we could not get her attention or any other wait staffs attention. Finally my friend left the table & flagged her down for our two items. By now I have eaten half my food & the other half is fairly cold. The waitress finally returned with ketchup, mustard & a drink for another table which she dropped off first, but no salt. She did leave the table & go to a table out of our sight to get it off of that one. If I would have know it was so close I would have gotten it myself! As far as my pasta....it was fine after adding the salt (not amazing, but not bad either), I literally think they just forgot it. It did have a panko fried chicken breast on it that was a lot like japanese katsu. I think it would have been so much better grilled or sautéed, I already felt guilty enough eating the cream sauce. The last disappointment were the flies. We ate outside & I do understand that some things are out of the restaurants control, but at the end of our meal we literally counted 16 flies on our table! We literally used one hand to eat & one hand to swat flies away. Now on a positive note the garden area is beautiful. I love how they have many daily specials. The little bit of the interior that we saw as we walked through was very nice. To sum it up though I don't think I'll be back. I really wanted to like this place! I really wanted a place like this in Englewood, but from this experience I just can't recommend it. read more

We almost missed this gem, having read so many mixed reviews about this restaurant. Our experience was superb: out waitress was friendly and attentive, our food was anything but bland (the portions were generous and the add-on's eclectic), and the outdoor setting made for a special meal for my wife and I. There are no restaurants in Independence or Lee's Summit that we've been to that rival--and unless you're willing to drive downtown, this is by far the best meal we've found in Independence. read more

My husband and I are here last night for the first time. We sat out in the garden, and it was truly lovely. The temperature was in the low 80s and just perfect for eating outdoors. They brought us bread to start. I especially loved that they served it with not only butter, but also jam. My husband had the salmon, and I had the spinach salad and coconut shrimp. Everything was delicious! Some of the pairings were interesting. Melon and watermelon with the salmon, and pita bread with the coconut shrimp. We decided to have dessert, since we had heard good things about the bread pudding. It too was delicious! We would definitely return here in the future and recommend it to anyone. The indoor seating looks nice as well, and there were some live musicians there. read more

I popped in with my son after a royals game and found the food to be a cut above, all around good flavor, pallet and good portioning, I do like to be full. Secondly the server was very pleasent, quik and knowledgeable, food came plated nice and appropriate temperature. The setting is very nice, well done comfortable , very classic. Furnished in antiques and semi antiques, the second floor filled with amazing assortment of furnishing,household decorator items, florals , art, scents, perfumes,etc, something to please your wife for sure. The garden looked very relaxing and pleasing, nice flora. My son and myself enjoyed the whole experience, definitely, as Bertie Wooster would say, it bucks a chap up. Enjoy read more

We like to go out and check out different and new places from time to time. My wife and I heard about this nice little restaurant with a great court yard just to sit and have a glass of wine. Since then we have eaten at Vivilore several times this past year and never had a complaint one. My wife has food allergies and it is difficult to find places for her to eat and the Chef at Vivilore's is very accommodating when preparing her food. The owner(s) come around and monitor to make sure everything is spot on. The court yard is a "Fabulous" place to even have dinner a glass of wine and from time to time they have live music outside when the weather is nice. I highly recommend as a place to go for a nice romantic evening with your loved one. Oh I forgot to mention the decor is incredible as well and offers some interesting items for sale from time to time. Be sure to take the time to wander around on the upper floors; who knows maybe you will find that special gift as well! read more

My husband and I had dinner at Vivilore's on Friday, September 26th - arrived around 7:00 with no reservation and were immediately seated in the courtyard. The outdoor seating is what prompted us to choose this restaurant and we were not disappointed. We ordered the Lobster Rolls and the Beef Kabobs for appetizers. When something is called a Lobster Roll, my expectation is for warm, butter poached lobster on a roll. This was more like lobster salad - cold in a creamy dressing. I ended up taking the lobster salad off of the roll and eating it more like a lettuce wrap with the romaine lettuce that garnished the plate. It was OK, but not something I would order again. The kabobs were good and cooked well, but they were served with a side of barbecue sauce that seemed out of place. We both ordered the clam chowder and were impressed with this. It is not a thick chowder (which we knew by reading other reviews) so it wasn't too heavy to have in addition to the appetizers. It has great flavor and had plenty of actual clam pieces - not just clam broth. Vivilore has a pretty good wine list with reasonable prices - we had two bottles over the course of our dinner. The highlight of the meal had to have been the filet that my husband ordered for his entree. It was cooked perfectly! The menu said it came with au gratin potatoes and a mushroom wine sauce, but it also came with a scoop of stuffing that was so delicious! It was not super busy even for a Friday night and the service was good - our waitress was attentive but did not hover. She also encouraged us to look around at the art on the 2nd and 3rd floors and came to get us when our next course was ready! We will likely be back soon! read more

The best place restaurant in k c metro! The food is artistic, delicious . Generous portions !!!!! A great place to have lunch with friends or a romantic evening with that special person . The decor is exquisite...worth the trip just to see and shop in this wonderland of goodies. I highly recommend many visits to Vivilore ...a place where they always make one feel welcome and are anxious to please. Z Crum read more

Had a most wonderful dinner. Eat in the delightful outside garden. The mushroom cheesecake appetizer is an absolute must. We ordered a pasta dish and the lamb. Both were presented beautifully and were very tasty. Can't wait to come back into town from Chicago to dine here again Thanks. Betty read more

My wife and I recently hosted our rehearsal dinner for our wedding at this venue in the back patio and we were extremely satisfied. The setting, if you have yet to visit, is simply unbeatable. The service was A+ and the food was phenomenal- orchids on every plate! I handed them my ipod with a "rehearsal dinner" playlist ready to go and they plugged it in and played it all night. Their communication with us in the months/weeks leading up to the event was the only area that could have been better, but all is well that ends well. read more

The food was excellent. However our waitress Krystal needs a lot of help in how to take care of customers. When she first seated us we asked what the soup of the day was. She stated 'I don't know. I know they threw the old one out. I'll go check. ' Another person brought us our water. When Krystal came back about twenty to thirty minutes later. We asked 'so what is the soup of the day'. She replied 'I forgot to check I'll go see'. Another fifteen to twenty minutes she came back and told us. By that time we decided we had better order our appetizer and lunch all at once to try and speed up the process. A long time later she brought out the appetizer and said she would bring plates. Instead of waiting we just passed the spinach artichoke dip around several times. She finally did bring plates. After she left we realized we didn't have napkins. One of our party of six went and found her and requested silverware and napkins. She said she usually brought that out with the food. Eating spinach artichoke dip without napkins if quite a challenge! When the person who requested the napkins suggested she might need to request help she was told 'to not be rude'. When she brought our food she couldn't remember who ordered what. When she brought out our bread pudding which was served with ice cream she brought out forks! The final touch was when she brought us our checks she asked us to hurry and sign them because she had to pick up her daughter in five minutes! Lunch took over two hours. If she would have been on top of things she would have had plenty of time to pick up her daughter. If you go here and your waitress is Krystal I would suggest leaving or requesting a different waitress! read more

This is my mom's favorite place to eat and shop. She took me to lunch while I was home visiting. It was breathtaking. The garden's and the decor are spectacular! It's like stepping into another country. The food was so delicious and filling as well as presented beautifully. I would highly recommend this restaurant for a wonderful date night or lunch out with the girls. read more

Great food and exceptional ambiance. Crabcakes, catfish and New Mexico bone in porkchop were fabulous. I would suggest citronella candles or tiki torches to deter flys, mosquitoes, etc. in courtyard. read more

This restaurant is amazing. Beautiful gardens. Excellent food and service. A charming surprise!

This is perhaps the best hidden gem in the greater Kansas City area. It is a beautiful one of a kind restaurant owned by 2 siblings. The brother Whit who runs the kitchen and his sister Cindi who is in the front of the house are truly in a league of there own. The food matches there expertise for making you feel at home. It's all wonderful from the crab roles to lamb. This wonderful experience can be found in the artsy Englewood area in Independence Mo. You won't be sorry. read more

We ate here again this afternoon after spending the day at the Truman library / museum. We both had the tomato bisque which was truly divine. The humus with pita break and other veggies was delightful as well. I ordered the spinach salad with baked salmon on top: baby spinach leaves, fresh summer berries, goat cheese, oranges and candied walnuts with citrus vinaigrette. It's become the salad by which I judge all others outside of our own home. The salmon was perfectly prepared, a sweet outer glaze, the meat tender, flaky, moist and flavorful. My wife tried the house salad this time also with a side of salmon on top: mixed organic field greens, tomato, cucumber, pickled beets, carrots and red cabbage with honey dijon ranch. She usually orders the spinach salad but tried the other today. She fully enjoyed it! Her salmon was the same as mine, but she was able to only eat half of it, the remainder now resting in the refrigerator, most like disappearing tomorrow. It's a lovely venue, one that needs to be seen to be appreciated both inside and out. read more

Mostly good, but don't order the pork chop. I couldn't have cut mine with an ax. Hannah, our server was great as were the appetizers.

I loved this place! It really is a hidden gem in the Independence area. Gorgeous inside and out. I would highly recommend this place in the summer when you can sit outside in the garden area. The food was delicious as well! read more

Oh my goodness. I finally made my way to this absolutely fantastic restaurant. The food, service and ambiance were nothing short of amazing. Since I eat gluten free, I'm usually pretty limited, but they were so accommodating to my needs. I started off with a side spinach salad and hey, who knew I'd like goat cheese! The Mr. started with a cup of clam chowder that he said was excellent!! I ordered the ribeye, which was cooked perfectly and had the best flavor. Mr. got the burger and was happy he did. Also, a crab cake that had so much crab that it was unbelievable. I couldn't try it but Daniel, our server, told me that next time I call to make reservations ahead of time, tell them to prepare me one or two gluten free. How awesome is that?? We were too stuffed for dessert, but brought home creme brulee and flour less chocolate cake for later. We will be back!! read more

The food is too expensive. Whatever the owners name is treated me like poop. Eric was a fine gentlemen and that young girl Emily made me feel at home thank God for the staff or we would've not payed for our meal. read more

Good food, atmosphere, wait persons! Enjoyed Steak Salad and creme brûlée. Thank you!

Always a favorite. On good weather days eat in the back garden area. Perfect for the wild mushroom cheesecake and wine. Beautiful place

Went for Valentine's Day and the food was to die for!! The atmosphere was amazing, Cindy was charming. Can't wait to go back for the Tommy Hawk. read more

My first time at Vivilore and already have plans to return. Recommend making reservations, which we did and were seated upon arrival in the courtyard as requested. Wild mushroom cheesecake was delicious and the Reuben sandwich did not disappoint! The courtyard patio was a beautiful setting for lunch with all flowers in full bloom. Even in the lunch hour heat the outdoor courtyard, with all of the natural shade and umbrellas creating more shade was cool and breezy. Our server was attentive. Highly recommend! Don't forget to browse upstairs for that perfect item to add to your home. read more

I haven't been back to the KC area in awhile, but my last experience at Vivilore was memorable in the best sense of the word. I'm happy to report that if anything it has gotten better. The are more options on the menu, they have a new space opening--and the old space has, thankfully, remained unchanged. Truly a unique offering. As I said last time, if this place was in San Francisco the line would be around the block. If you live in the area, go here. read more

We knew nothing of the restaurant and were wonderfully impressed. Daniel our server was knowledgable and helpful. When the food arrived we were pleased with the quality and presentation both. Fresh ingredients interestingly presented. Great tastes as well. Looking forward to taking friends there! read more

Excellent food and drinks! The best part was our amazing server Tristan who was professional and helpful and made sure we were more than satisfied with everything! read more

Wow, what a place. Vivalore is the Jewel of Independence . Right in the middle of the Independence Arts District. You are met my Cindy co-owner that treats you like you are a close relative. Witt another co-owner is the best Chef in the state. His creme Brûlée is to die for. If you want that special place or a culinary delight the Vivalore is where you want to go. read more

A pleasant surprise. Was visiting relatives and we were 5 ladies for lunch. The minute I walked in I was in awe. Every room is different and decorated with antiques. There is a beautiful English garden but way to hot to have lunch in july. Food was great. I had chicken salad. Beyond delicious. My friend had a huge salad that was amazing . Looking forward to having dinner there. read more

I have had the pleasure of eating dinner and lunch at this lovely venue. The decor is outstanding. The food is prepared with great attention to detail. The service is perfect. The evening I was there for dinner there was a young girl playing a harp in the entry. The music was a lovely accompaniment to good food. When I was there for lunch there were 2 gentlemen playing isntruments in the restaurant. Both times I was there we walked through the beautiful courtyard and looked at the many items for sale in the house behind the restaurant. I am so grateful for the use of this beautiful and distinct old building. GOOD JOB!!!!! read more

Amazing place. The service by Andrew and Crystal was great. This place is a hidden gem for sure. I live in Overland Park and by far there is nothing like this place in Johnson County. The patio is amazing, all the fancy patios in JOCO face a parking lot, this one is a true garden. Plants and flowers, lights, quiet places to be alone. It's the most fantastic patio EVER. Oh and the food is delicious. We had the boiled shrimp for an appetizer, lots of wine and I had the Caprese salad. The rib eye, bone in Mexican pork chop and burger, all delicious. Great place, especially for a special night out! read more

We went to the restaurant on 9-12-15 and we had a great time with our friends. The atmosphere was grand.European style throughout. Mixed decor of antiques, new items and beautiful painted wall murals. This is a restaurant, shop and art gallery all in one. The back gardens are superior! In the evening with all the lights- the ambiance was enchanting. Our waiter was nice, but it had to be his first night or ? We were allowed to bring s bottle of wine and paid a corkage fee. He knew nothing about the way to serve clients and we had to wave him down a few times. He wanted to take our entire order at one time. He was not attentive or knowledgeable about the menu. I felt he was rushed onto the floor before he was properly trained. I felt bad for him. Our appetizers were great! My rib eye steak was poor! it was thick, full of fat and was not tender except for a few bites. The preparation with topping of cabbage, apples and bbQ sauce was wonderful! Its potential was promising but the meat its self was terrible. The meal came with a twice baked potato which was average. The lobster bisque was buttery and tasted fabulous- even had homemade croutons! Best part of the meal along with lobster appetizer and cheese and fruit plate. Next time I come I will go outside for starters and cocktails. I was intrigued with the outside space. We were suppose to be seated outside, as per our reservations-but were disappointed when the hostess told us we could not sit out there due to a private wedding reception. I doubt it was booked after we made reservations a few days in advance. There is tons of potential but it fell short of our expectations especially for the cost of the affair. read more

This place is great. Great food and service as well as shopping. Like a Webster House in Independence. I do not go as often as I like because, " its in Independence" and I think it is too far. I clocked it from just north of downtown and it was under 25 minutes. The food is great, I get the crab cakes and coconut shrimp every time. Ask for the fried pickles - they are not on the menu but they may make them for you if you ask nice. There are nice gardens outside that make you feel like you are in old Savannah. Don't hold out going here if you think it is too far - it is not and its well worth the trip. Plan a little extra time to do some shopping - great unique finds. read more

My favorite restaurant in the metro area! It's a "special occasion" place. The atmosphere is so lovely. I've had the steak salad, fish, chicken all special. Best coffee ever and great desserts. Take a friend to lunch or your wife for a nice evening out. Every season decor changes. Fabulous at Christmastime. read more

The decor, ambience, and food were superb; the server was sweet and friendly. But ... I arrived with a group (with a reservation for lunch, and we arrived right on time) and we were seated right away. We had asked for special table placement, and that was honored. We ordered drinks, only to be told about seven minutes later that one of the drinks we had requested was no longer available. (Note that the server specifically told us about this drink as a specialty for that day. She had either not been told it was sold out, or she'd forgotten.) We waited about 10 more minutes to have all drinks served and our orders taken. By this time, we had been seated for almost 20 minutes. It took at more than 30 minutes for our food to arrive. Our server checked on us once during that time. While we were eating, we did have one (maybe two?) check-ins by our server. We finished eating at 1 p.m. (90 minutes after arriving), and all five of us ordered dessert. At 1:30 p.m., we still had not received desserts. One of our party left the table to find our server and tell her we wanted to cancel the dessert order and get our checks. At that point, we'd been there for just over two hours. When she came to the table to confirm we were cancelling dessert, she asked if we wanted them "boxed to go," and we said no. We also reminded her we'd been there for two hours, and said we just needed to get our checks and leave. She responded, "Well, you'll have to come back again...." as if to suggest that we'd have to come back when we had more time? It took a full 10 minutes to complete the transactions for payment, and we were finally on our way at 1:50 p.m. In the 2 hours and 20 minutes we were there, no manager came to check on us ... no one apologized for the length of time it took to serve us ... no one apologized for the 30-minute delay to get desserts (which we never got anyway, which means they lost about $40 in revenue just from that problem). In that time, we watched two tables of six be served and cashed out from the table next to ours while we were still there. We have no idea why it took that long for our meals, but if that had been a business lunch or had we been on a lunch break of an hour, it would have been disastrous. As it was, it was just maddening and really spoiled our experience. I'll only go back if I have three hours to spend at lunch or dinner, and that doesn't happen often for me. read more