I happily fit the stereotype of being a woman and loving shopping. I just do it so well and I read somewhere that if you excel at something, you should keep doing it. I’m probably making that up but hey, this is my post 😉
Last weekend we took a family shopping trip to Cavendish. Usually I shop alone with Rosie and whilst I enjoy it, you can’t really try on clothes because most changing rooms are built for pencils, not mothers with prams. So it was nice to be able to do some serious shopping (Obviously Mr H hated it) and after a few hours we started to get hungry but knowing that Rosie could sound off and make small restaurant eating a little difficult, we looked for somewhere more open.
Vivante is a mall restaurant in that the seating outside makes you feel a little bit like you’re in a fish bowl but, in the main restaurant, it’s tastefully decorated and serves up bistro-style classics, Asian influences and VERY GOOD mojitos.
It’s a good choice for mums on the go – ample space for pushchairs – and they have a ridiculously good collection of teas with fresh cakes from Velvet Cake Company…which makes it the ideal spot for anyone who needs a sugary pick-me-up after splashing the cash. They also serve CBC.
So, what does a hungry family eat? Everything.
We started off by picking from the extensive sushi menu and were not disappointed. Pretty as a picture, excellent ratio of rice to fish and all complemented with the right amount of mayo, wasabi and ginger. Delicious.
After sushi, we decided to take our pick from the tapas menu.
I love small plates because I love being able to pick lots of different flavors and not feel too piggish when I order so much because technically, the plates are small. It also allows for greater creativity and variety for chefs and Vivante do that well.
Here’s what we ordered:
Jalape̱o poppers Рthey were hot! Eye-wateringly hot which is always the test of a good popper.
Crispy fried hake – this was so ridiculously moreish – perfectly cooked fish and crisp, crunchy batter. I wish I had had more.
Crispy pork belly – this could have been crispier but then I like my pork a little charred. Good flavoring though.
Bacon wrapped dates – because salty and sweetness is such a good combo
As for the little one, Rosie got her own scrambled eggs and chips (she’s nothing if original) and for the entirety of the meal, she was particularly noisy. Sorry, let me correct that. Rosie blared like a fog horn pretty much the entire meal and no one batted an eye. The waiters were great with her even when she kept throwing her toys at them and eventually vomited EVERYWHERE. Yes, that was delightful and handled superbly by our waiter Robin.
All-in-all, it was a good lunch and let me tell you what I really loved, I loved that despite it being a “Mall restaurant”, the food was super fresh. I’m not always a fan of that word because I feel like it gets abused i.e. here’s a manky steak with a piece of parsley on it – totally “fresh” right but, at Vivante, the salads looked like they popped out of an Instagram account and the burgers were brimming with ingredients.
We didn’t pick a dessert this time…but I’m pretty sure I need to go shopping this weekend again.
Whether it’s breakfast all-day or an indulgent light meal shopping break; a spoil lunch with your best friend or an early dinner before a movie; or if it’s about satisfying a yen for tapas or sushi on a sociable Friday after work, Vivante serves up a new menu for living life well.
Find them at: Shop G30, Ground Floor, Cavendish Square Shopping Centre.
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