Taking its name from the God of wine, Vivat Bacchus is an absolute must for all wine connoisseurs with a top class wine bar upstairs filled with some of the best South African wines in the cellar. You can pick your favourite from the cellar while manager Eric educates you on the different wines and where they come from.
With a calming yet mysterious atmosphere you are led downstairs to the dining area where a haven of wines and the best cheeses in the world awaits you. The menu offers a variety of fairly priced dishes, with shared platters like Italian, Spanish, South African, French and vegetarian options, the main course options include grilled dishes like chicken, rib-eye and springbok. Vivat Bacchus caters for all pockets and you can order fish and chips or just a steak sandwich if you wish to. The South African platter was my choice with biltong, droewors, ostrich carpaccio, Simba chips and many more favourites, complimented with a cheese board filled with cheddar, brie, crackers and fruit. To start the evening, also be sure to ask Eric for a taste of the famous FMC Chenin Blanc.
South Africans love their meat and thus we tried the grilled Springbok for a main course and this is refreshingly served with baked polenta cake, braised winter greens and chocolate chilli jus and the shank of lamb with parsnip puree. The wine complimenting this meal would undoubtedly be Meerlust Rubicon.
For the cheese lovers they offer a tour to the cheese room where you can choose your favourite ranging from mild cheddars to the strong stilton cheeses of France, a sweet nutty flavoured cheese, called Contre became an instant choice for me!
While enjoying the candle-lit room filled with people indulging in their chosen dishes, I treated myself to a chocolate tart with vanilla ice-cream while sipping away on the Klein Constantia Muscatel
The perfect end to a very pleasant evening was a strong coffee and great conversation on the meaning of Vivat Bacchus. With our pleasant host, Eric, and his friendly staff we came to the conclusion that life is too short to drink bad wine!
London Bridge, 4 Hays Lane, London, SE1 2HB
T: 0207 234 0891
