insideKENT Magazine Issue 88 - July 2019 | Seite 93

From the moment you enter you are awed by bright,
bold artwork and glowing neon ‘hello gorgeous’ signs
which lead the way to the first floor. Here, you’re
greeted by a sleek brass bar, mirrored by curved
ceiling racks of wine glasses and glamorous modern
chandeliers, semicircular banquette booths and round
tables in the main Dining Room, which are offset
by dark blue and dramatic pink upholstered chairs
and benches. This element of inspired design-with-
a-twist continues through to a cocktail menu
influenced by history and a food menu that showcases
a modern take on great British classics. Everything
here screams attention to detail and effortless chic,
and while there is a nod to the swinging 60s, it
delivers this vibe in a totally new, contemporary and
very cool way.
Cocktails complete – we highly recommend the Pink
Floyd Rhubarb made with Chase rhubarb vodka,
Cointreau, cranberry juice, vanilla essence and lime,
and the Harry Hyams Hay Day, which is named
after the developer of Centre Point and blends
Sagatiba cachaça, limoncello, Strega liqueur, lemon,
elderflower and mint – we took our seats in a booth
offering uninterrupted views of the dining room
which subtly transformed as time ticked on from
calm, informal and cosy to a buzzing, hipster
atmosphere. The lights came down and music shifted
pace as we made our way through our carefully
selected menu choices.
As a slightly fussy traditionalist at heart, it was an
enlightening moment to be presented with a menu
from which I had so much choice. Make no mistake
however, the dishes may seem classically familiar
but are incarnated in every way from presentation
to taste as modern fine dining at its best.
Starters included classic prawn cocktail, steak tartare
and chicken terrine, but it was the Cornish crab with
crushed avocado and sharp Granny Smith that lured
my guest, while I couldn’t resist the highly
recommended twice-baked cheese souffle which
came atop a rich mornay sauce.
Main courses came into their retro best with
tasty menu favourites such as the Vivi Hereford
beef burger, chicken Kiev, duck a l’orange and fish
and chips, but it was the Berkshire pork chops
served trimmed with a seared loin, hispi cabbage
and Armagnac jus, and the perfectly seared fillet
from the grill menu accompanied by amazing
cauliflower cheese, tarragon-glazed carrots and crisp
truffle and parmesan french fries that ultimately
swayed us.
Desserts continued the recognisable retro theme -
we opted for the After Eight and Rhubarb and
Custard, but in keeping with every element of Vivi
there was a contemporary twist and an element of
surprise as we were presented with a rich, smooth
dark chocolate ganache mousse with mint flavoured
chocolate shards and ice cream, as well as rhubarb
flavoured candy floss melted with rich custard to
reveal sugar-frosted rhubarb and custard ice cream
to form a bowl of sticky, sweet, lick-the-plate-clean
dessert bliss.
Vivi is a complete delight; innovative yet
unpretentious, beautifully retro yet wonderfully
contemporary in its concept and sophisticated
yet fun. And the food is pretty damn good too.
Hurrah for the new retro kid on the block and
viva la Vivi!
Vivi Restaurant and Bar
Centre Point
11 St Giles Passage
London
WC2H 8AP
[e-mail]
www.vivirestaurant.co.uk
VIVIrestaurant
vivirestaurantlondon
vivirestaurant
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