Last Updated on September 9, 2025
Beyond the Steakhouse – Vivat Bacchus will satisfy the ultimate carnivore.
4.8 out of 5.0 starsA short walk from London Bridge station, Vivat Bacchus is a South African restaurant and wine bar with a strong focus on meat dishes, an extensive wine list, and a walk-in cheese room. Opened in 2003, it has become a fixture in the area for business lunches, after-work drinks, and casual dinners. The restaurant combines a modern dining space with a cellar-like atmosphere, positioning itself as a place for both food and wine enthusiasts.
There’s also a small outdoor terrace – just a little too chilly for us on a late August evening. Perhaps more to the point is that it has a genuinely friendly and open feel, characteristic of every South African acquaintance of mine.
Invited to review, we went along with no expectation other than we’d probably be eating at least a little meat. Read on, and I am sure you’ll agree that turned out to be something of an understatement. Carl, our super-friendly host, greeted us with a glass each of Genevieve Cap Classique Blanc de Blanc, a 100% Chardonnay sparkling wine from Bot River, Western Cape, South Africa, with crisp, citrussy notes and excellent balance. A great start.
Vivat Bacchus lists their Biltong Trolley in the ‘snacks’ section. It’s a substantial option – with a selection of biltong, stokkies, and droewurst that will satisfy the most ardent carnivore. We learnt that biltong dates to the days of Dutch settlers in South Africa, when slabs of spiced meat would be hung from their wagons to preserve.
At its most basic and traditional, the spicing is just salt and black pepper, but at Vivat Bacchus, there are options of chilli and coriander-based biltong and one using Mrs Balls’ Chutney, a condiment much loved by my South African friends! There is also a zebra biltong, which my companion politely declined, but which I enjoyed – it’s a little softer and subtler on the palate than beef.
Our main, the mixed Braai Board, was a fantastic selection of meats – Sirloin, Ostrich Fillet and Coke Pork Belly in quantities that could easily have fed a table of four. Three sauces appeared for us to try – the curiously named Monkey Gland, Chakalaka (a kind of spicy bean sauce) and Bearnaise. Just in case we were still peckish, there was mealie bread with peri peri honey butter. And, we ordered ‘Flippen Lekker’ chips, although we knew we shouldn’t and a salad.
For me, a highlight of the evening was a glass of 2021 Erasmus Family Reserve red wine — my preferred choice with meat. It’s a smooth, spicy wine from Swartland, full of berry and plum notes, with just the right touch of oak. If you enjoy South African wines, you’ll appreciate Vivat Bacchus, which offers an excellent, well-balanced list, with good bottles starting around £43. The menu also features wines from other parts of the world, which isn’t surprising given that the restaurant shares an owner with The Humble Grape, a quirky London wine bar, kitchen, and shop with several locations across the city.
We were, of course, defeated by the Braai Board, but not before we’d tried and loved every element. I haven’t eaten ostrich for several years, but it was just as I remember – an ultra lean, tender red meat. And, the beef was perfectly cooked, with a good Braai char. In the end, what was left was packed up for my companion to take home – the perfect doggy bag for a hungry young relative!
The chips were perfectly cooked and the mealie bread was soft and sweet – a full-flavoured brioche-like texture. We enjoyed all the sauces, though I confess to reverting to my own favourite, Bearnaise.
You might think we’d have surrendered all intention of dessert. Easily tempted, we shared a portion of peppermint crisp tart with a caramel mousse, apparently a South African speciality that reminded us both of after eight mints, in the best possible way.
The rather austere exterior of Vivat Bacchus, tucked away in the Cottons Centre just off Hays Galleria, belies a lively, fun interior with some great food and excellent wine. This is somewhere I’ll remember and return to with friends – the prices are keen, the food is delicious, and the wine list exemplary – authentic South African hospitality of the best kind.
4 Hay’s Lane,
London Bridge
London SE1 2HB
020 7234 0891
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