Vivat Bacchus, Club Carnivore

Vivat Bacchus
Another adventure took place back in August in London.  This time was a rustic and vibrant meat feast at Vivat Bacchus, a South African restaurant with two premises one in London Bridge  and the other in Farringdon. The Club Carnivore is not for the fainted heart; it’s a full-on meat celebration. If you read this blog frequently you know how much I enjoy a good meat and wine. The summer feast  of five courses was carefully masterminded by head chef Nicola Rivelli, who sourced some top quality meat with the centrepiece being an entire suckling pig. The atmosphere in the room was electric, and the dishes were superbly prepared and presented. Club Carnivore simple rules: 1- Red meat ONLY 2- Red wine ONLY 3- Wine served in MAGNUMS or larger. We started with an evening with the delightful Graham Beck, South African sparkling wine, which I have tried many times, and it never fails to impress. It has a creamy texture and it delivers a soft fresh zesty tones to the palate.
Graham Beck – fabulous South African bubbles!

A taste of things to come…

Starter was a soft peppered melt in the mouth sirloin steak served with delicious mushroom hash and fresh coriander cress, it was  paired with a red burgundy Domaine Faively Clos de Myglands 2012, a Pinot Noir full bodied, well balanced with rich texture with a taste and redish-purple plum deep colour.

The suckling pig at Vivat Baccus

2nd course: The suckling pig was amazingly juicy, I really enjoyed the contrast of textures of meat, crackling  and the sweet sharp apple sauce. A winner dish.

the crispy lamb cutlet

3rd course: lamb cutlet cooked to perfection with Pedro Ximinez jus and fresh chopped salad – very enjoyable

Rioja Finca Allende 2007

The next wine was Rioja,  a sweet ripe berry to the nose with a slight tar edge. The palate is vibrant with dark fruits with a
slightly spicy notes. A deep ruby red coloured  wine that went down smoothly.
Gerrie, the perfect host, overseeing the evening’s proceedings and enthusiastically introducing each dish

Beef of Rib

4th Course: beef rib (Jacobs ladder) was smothered in a tantalizing BBQ style cola glaze, blossom honey, star anise, stem ginger and soy sauce – amazingly juicy and tender, that cut like butter, effortless falling off the bone and beautiful deep mahogany gravy
beef rib -delectable!  Vivat Bacchus!
“life’s too short to drink bad wine” – the wine room is well stocked and very impressive

The cheese course

5th Course: the cheeses:
Fourme d’Ambert and Lancashire bomb,
lovely paper thin sliced biltong and crackers
The perfect finish!
 lovely guests at our table
If you are a meat lover and enjoy red wine, Club Carnivore is for you! I enjoyed myself immensely. The food is superb, with very good portions, wine was flowing and Gerrie was interacting with the guests the whole night, which made the evening a bit more special.
The wine cellar and the cheese room are worth of a visit. They have regular wine tastings and various events happening at all times, for more details: Vivat Bacchus
Highly recommended. P.S.: They don’t have a vegetarian option 😉
For more on this fabulous evening and beautiful pictures: CooksisterDisclosure:
I was a guest of Vivat Bacchus. I retained full
editorial control over this review. All opinions are mine.


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4 Comments

  1. September 14, 2014 / 7:20 pm

    Vivat Bacchus has been on my radar for some time, although I've never been. Club Carnivore sounds (and looks) right up my street!

  2. September 14, 2014 / 7:48 pm

    Hi Nicola, thanks for stopping by, Club Carnivore is an excellent meat feast/celebration – worth a visit!

  3. Theodore ge
    September 19, 2014 / 8:31 am

    I have never visited Club Carnivore during my London trip. I really like red wine and I am also a lover of delicious food. After reading your blog I have decided to go Club Carnivore after my us west coast tours with my friends. I will taste there your shared dish.

  4. September 22, 2014 / 11:24 am

    Cheers Theodore! I am sure you going to enjoy it!