Date Day at Bon Vivant, London

We have recently decided that we’ll dedicate one day a month to date, Alfie-free and Ash was fully in charge of organising our first one. He had booked an hour at Bloomsbury Lanes bowling and then sent me a shortlist of restaurants to eat at, afterwards. We decided on Bon Vivant, a beautiful French restaurant in the heart of Bloomsbury. It may look small from the front, but don’t let that fool you.

On the weekend, Bon Vivant serves bottomless brunch between 10:30am and 4:30pm. Booking for 5pm, I believed that we’d miss that crowd, but unfortunately not! We had a really nice corner table, which would have been perfect for a date, or intimate occasion, but for the large table of 10-12 very loud and very drunk girls. The waiter struggled to hear us, we struggled to hear him and it made conversation between the two of us nigh on impossible. I left feeling sorry for the staff and ended up with a banging headache. We even left before them, so our entire meal and experience was like it. I know, in hindsight, I should have asked to move.

As usual, I looked at the menu beforehand, but hadn’t decided what I’d be ordering – it’s not that there was loads of choice, but it was all my favourite things. I had contemplated the king prawn spaghetti or sea bream, but eventually decided on the bavette steak. It was a great decision. I was really surprised by the portion size – and it was the chunkiest and best-quality bavette I’ve ever had. There were two large cuts of meat on a bed of wilted spinach, topped with confit onions and plenty of truffle. I would have ordered the truffle & parmesan fries, but thought it would be overload, so went for the regular fries, which were good. It really was a delicious plate of food, presented well and I’d definitely eat it again in a heartbeat.

Ash went for the dirty burger and it really was dirty, with lashings of baconnaise drizzled over a cheese burger and salad. He was asked how he’d like it cooked, opting for medium and I have to admit, I got brief food envy; it looked delicious, but very messy! It came served on a wooden paddle, which wasn’t the easiest to eat off, especially with the messy sauce. The burger came with a side of fries.

For pudding, we agreed to share the tarte tatin for two, which took 10 minutes but was most definitely worth the wait – and I’d happily have waited longer! I’m not even lying when I say it was the nicest tatin I’ve had outside of France, it really was unreal! The puff pastry was crisp and flaky; the apples poached to perfection, still with a bit of bite; and the hot caramel was so dreamy, especially once I poured the ice cream on top! It looked like a masterpiece, too. As tasty as it was, we both got full and struggled to eat it all, but it was perfect.

It was a lovely meal, there’s no denying that; the ambience just wasn’t what I was expecting and I imagine during a later dinner service, it’s a lot better. If you’re looking for somewhere slightly more casual for a date or even a catch up with friends (or your mum), I’d recommend Bon Vivant – just make sure you book outside of brunch hours. To be fair, I’d be tempted to go there for brunch, as the menu looked good and it’s two hours of unlimited French sparkling wine, bellinis or mimosas. The restaurant has that cosy intimate vibe which is ideal, but combines the feel of a traditional French bistro.

Love, Lucy xx

Bon Vivant - 75-77 Marchmont Street, London WC1N 1AP
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