You heard it here first. For fans of that delightfully chewy, spiced, mildly vinegary and fiercely savoury meaty snack, there is one place in town that fits the bil(tong). South African restaurant group Vivat Bacchus is not new to London; in fact, 2003 saw the opening of the flagship restaurant in Farringdon, and the London Bridge venue opened its doors in the summer of 2008.
Vivat Bacchus: viva la vino!
South African restaurant and wine bar Vivat Bacchus is a wonderful place to while away an evening. Pay a visit to the London Bridge or Farringdon outlets
Read moreFor those in the know, the original Vivat Bacchus is an irresistible corner of the city; if it’s dimly lit dining and copious quantities of meat and red wine that you’re after, then Vivat Bacchus’ South African concept is a refreshing take on all of those things. The London Bridge venue, where we headed, offers a lighter dining experience with brighter interiors, which nod to the South African bush by way of wooden walls and floors, contrasting wooden tables and chairs, and ouches of indigenous indoor flora.
The group has recently launched something that is shaking up the status quo among London’s steakhouses – VB Moments, a series of offerings bringing the theatre and fun back to eating out. For £22.50, a pair of diners can immerse themselves in a biltong trolley tasting, accompanied by a glass of bubbly. Retro trolley-style service has found a new lease of life with this array of hanging dried meats – all cured in-house – on wheels.
The restaurant sources its biltong from a South African meat supplier who brings dried meats from all corners of South Africa. We’re talking ostrich, zebra, and stokkies – an Afrikaans word meaning ‘stick’, the only fitting descriptor for this stick of dried beef – which is in fact locally sourced beef from the UK.
Sirloin steak
After an initial tasting from the trolley, where one of the restaurant’s South African staff, and verified dried meat experts, will carve slices of biltong dried with varying spice mixes using a large, manual stainless steel slicer, you can choose your favourite three flavours and fill your plate with the sweet and salty, unctuously rich and fatty biltong. Added to the dining table are a selection of more wacky varieties – out comes the zebra. My favourite had to be the stokkies and sweet-rub beef slices. Delightful.
After gorging on the plate of biltong, one of the many Kyles in the restaurant staff – there’s Big Kyle, General Manager Kyle and Carl, whose names all sound identical with a South African accent – will offer you the main menu. Of course, once the stomach has been opened to meaty flavours from all corners of the South African bush, it seems obscene not to order a platter of their finest barbecued meats, the Heritage Braai Selection, which could easily feed four diners.
Boerewors, a traditional South African beef sausage.
Included in the spread is their much-loved crispy-skin Coke pork belly, tender ostrich fillet slices, sirloin steak and Boerewors, a traditional South African beef sausage. Do not skip out on their iconic beef dripping candle, the wax of which is surely laced with something dangerously addictive. Equally as essential is their cornbread, which has to be the best version of the stuff I’ve ever tasted.
Once the meat sweats are firmly under way, now is the time to order their house dessert, just as the coma is knocking on your door. Brought to the table in a ‘grandma-style’ dish, Vivat Bacchus’ peppermint crisp tart is truly a touch of magic. Reminiscent of Tiramisu, the tart assembles layers of coconut biscuit, peppermint crisp cream and crunchy dark chocolate to create a sensation of pure nostalgic joy in your mouth; this is mint-choc-chip ice cream grown up.
Of course, the restaurant’s South African-focused wine menu deserves praise in itself. A Plaisir Cabernet Sauvignon was the perfect accompaniment to this mouthwatering meat fest. Rolling home feels better when you know you’ve hit your protein quota for the next four days.
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4 Hays Lane, London Bridge, SE1 2HB; 47 Farringdon Street, Holborn, EC4A 4LL; Vivat Bacchus
