Bon Vivant in Camden

This corner of prime real estate in Bloomsbury has hosted an Italian joint (good), a French bistro (okay), and now Bon Vivant, a restaurant that's not very much of anything. Service: When we arrived the restaurant had one couple in the front of the house, and a group in the back. Hardly over-busy. But it took some ten minutes for the owner/server to bother giving us menus. Similar waits to take drink orders, and food orders. The food: The menu is a spiritless offering of vaguely pan-European dishes. Few options inspired me. Should have looked more closely at the menu on arrival before sitting down. My wife's chicken was Cajun style, which of course means blackened and spicy. Hers was blackened, certainly, but dry as a bone and without much amplified flavor. My pasta with pesto sauce was flavorless and dry. And my most frequent gripe about most restaurants and most places: music. I'm not good at naming music styles, but when we arrived they were playing the kind of generic R&B that is so common these days. The music was annoying, but it was at a low volume. Then, suddenly, they turned it up to annoyingly loud volume. I asked them to turn it down, which they did. Don't these people know the psychology of dining and the role of music that can help people relax (or not)? Conclusion. Far better restaurants in this sophisticated corner of London. Avoid, if you have the chance.

I live around the corner and this was my first visit since a major renovation. I was never tempted before as it looked like a dishevelled Café Rouge, but it now finally looks more inviting. Firstly, it's hard to know if Le Bon Vivant is a bistrot, a restaurant or pizzeria Three single pizzas stick out on the menu that will tempt no one away from the excellent Pizza Sophia around the corner. Incongruous menu notwithstanding, we had whitebait and a planche de charcuterie for starters for starters. Whitebait were very ordinary, from frozen, though enjoyable shallot mayonnaise to accompany, but the huge plate of cold meats was dominated by an oversized portion of nduja, so hot that my companion could taste nothing else afterwards. I had the most expensive item on the menu in the form of the ribeye steak for mains and though a good size, was very overseasoned and salty tasting. Fries look like oven chips, but have a nice coating. Unfortunately, companion only got one miniscule breast for his blackened chicken (see photo). Wine was nice and service acceptable, but there won't ve a second visit from us.

I love coming here and sitting on the street watching the world go by near Russell Square and Tavistock Square. Great food and really good fun staff. Felt they wanted me here and enjoyed the banter. I strongly recommend!

After initially being greeted we were left for over 10 minutes with no menu. When someone finally come over they told us to scan a QR code to get a menu. Why?! Slow service, largely because one waitress was busy while the only other server was busy having a chat with his friend down the street. While waiting to be served, a homeless man was talking to a table outside and smashed a glass on them. When my food, pasta, came I had to send it back because it was tasteless, soggy and not as described on menu. Pre covid this was my fav French restaurant in London, the food used to be excellent. Now it serves only poor food and service.

Abbiamo ordinato 2 pizze e una burrata….. Siamo stati serviti dopo un ora…. Abbiamo esagerato chiedendo 2 dolci… un altra mezz’ora ….. La qualità nella norma ma il servizio si è fatto decisamente desiderare ….

Diner en terrasse bien agréable. Les produits sont bons, la carte simple mais bien. Les deux personnes qui nous accueillent sont sympa et efficaces (et d ailleurs françaises).

Super endroit pour boire un verre et manger un bout ! Le personnel est super accueillant et aux petit soins ! Allez y les yeux fermés !!!!!! Encore merci au personnel de salle et à la chef!

Wow. From first walking in the door to the end has been perfect. Walid has been more than welcoming and very attentive to the fact it was my 60th birthday. The food was delicious. Service impeccable. Champagne and cocktails were reasonably priced and they were top quality. This restaurant is a hidden gem and we will definitely be back. Try guys. You won't be disappointed. Thank you for making my celebration one yo remember

Wir haben sehr gut gegessen, ich hatte einen der besten Veggi-Burger, die ich je gegessen habe. Der Service war sehr freundlich und das Ambiente des Restaurants war sehr angenehm. Wir würden hier wieder essen!

Such a well-run restaurant! The staff are super friendly and on-top of everything, even when it's busy. The food is delicious and well priced too. They've introduced bottomless events which is perfect for boozy celebrations and the decor is nice, making it a cool spot for a dinner/lunch party. Could not recommend more.

This restaurant is a perfect place for a business lunch or dinner with business partners. Sophisticated food, friendly & relaxing environment, highly professional staff added value to success of a business meeting. Excellent service and attention to details. Beautifully designed interior, warm light and calm pleasant music made this experience unforgettable. Overall: inventive, thoughtful and once in a lifetime experience indeed.

Bon Vivant is such a cosy lovely restaurant! I’ve visited many times (with family, friends and for business meetings) and food was always exceptional. This time we had a chance to try the new menue and BV are now offering delicious homemade pizzas. The staff members are so kind and attentive, they made sure we had a fantastic time! Thank you Team BV!!

We have been going to Bon Vivant for close to three years now. It feels like second home to us! Our favourite to go place and you definitely won’t be disappointed. All staff is incredibly friendly and very attentive. The food and drinks are amazing - the menu changes from time to time and there is something for everyone in there. They have both vegetarian and vegan options. The restaurant is also dog friendly - we are always welcome with our well behaved puppy! The deserts they serve are top notch. They are freshly prepared and provide explosion of taste in the mouth. I also can’t recommend enough chicken mingle! It’s light but filling and and my to go dish to order there. Overall, 5/5 for me in every aspect! They do accept walk ins if they have space, but it’s best to book in advance when possible.

Friendly staff, appropriately attentive without being intrusive. An excellent gourmet burger, nicely succulent, and great fries

What a surprise! This is a very modest appearing spot from the outside, but, once inside, the comfortable and friendly atmosphere is wonderful. Despite the "French" name, the menu has a lot of Italian vibes, and the pasta with chicken and mushrooms that I had was absolutely delicious. Service was amicable and efficient, and my reasonably priced glass of wine was quite nice. In the heart of student-oriented Bloomsbury, this place was surprisingly sophisticated and very welcome.

Why look any further down town? This is a good restaurant and has very good meals for a nice price. The service is excellent, everything is right in time at your table. Highly recommended

Amazing food amazing service having the time of our life’s. Popped in for dinner as it was around the corner from our hotel and when ever I’m in London this is where I will be coming

Highly recommend! The food is amazing, the drinks free flowing and the staff so lovely! They genuinely just want you to have a good time! We had their version of a bottomless brunch (called drunch) and they’re not really strict on when it’s up which...

Très bon hamburger vegetarien. CheeSe cake un peu lourd. Service agréable. Une bonne adresse et une addition raisonnable

I tried pan fried duck for the first time in Paris and loved it, so when I got back to the uk I was looking for a restaurant that would serve me duck BUT halal. I went and spoke to the head chef a week...

My husband and I had brunch here and were so impressed with the food, drinks and service. We arrived expecting to do the bottomless brunch but were informed that there was another offer we may want to use, 2 for 1 cocktails and a pastry...

En fantastiskt fransk atmosfär med mycket trevlig personal och utsökt mat och dryck! Trevlig miljö centralt och lugnt läge.

My friend and I decided to come here as we often meet in the area. At first all seemed fine, however things went downhill after the main course! Essentially we were completely ignored and our waiter was cold and unfriendly! The restaurant was about half...

My wife and I had dinner after a local museum visit. Although we know the area of Bloomsbury very well we had never eaten at Bon Vivant, so we went in with an open mind. I have to say we were not disappointed. The staff...

Åt huvudrätten oxsvans med potatismos, goda smaker men rättens storlek är mer som en förrätt vilket gör att man dessvärre...

Nous cherchions un endroit sympa, sans forcément manger anglais, nous sommes tombés sur cette adresse ! Le personnel parle français,...

Good food - nice bavette - but not enough in the plates - so very expensive for what you get. 30 £ for a small piece of meat with a small portion of potatoes gratin and one glass of wine.

De passage a Londres pour la St Valentin nous avons été enchantés par notre soirée. Personnels jeunes et dynamiques, hyper...

Très bon restaurant et très bon accueil. À recommander vous y serez plus que bien accueillis. La cuisine est excellente,...

The food was amazing and the bottemless brunch was great! Such good value for money really happy with the service and venue too. We will definetley visit this place again!!!

We were pleasantly surprised by Bon Vivant. The food was delicious - we had the rib eye steak with mash and the salmon fillet, which were both well seasoned and delicious. The staff were friendly and attentive and the service was quick. Would recommend!

The place is looking like a low profile restaurant but we were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food. There is also a nice selection of wines by the glass.

We had lunch for 4 people recently. Decent flavours and portion size. Three of us had pasta, which added to the feeling that the restaurant is more Italian than French. It was a late lunch and quiet in the restaurant. Service was fine. Our choice...

Si vous êtes Français et avez du mal à vous introduire dans un pub ou une taverne typique à l’heure...

Nous nous sommes rendu au bon vivant sans grande convictions, d’abord pour sa proximité mais tres belle surprise les plats...

Excellent cuisine. I especially recommend the onion soup. But for the main course both pork and beef steak was a little tough. Staff were friendly and attentive.

Distracted staff delivering mediocre food at higher prices. Not the worst but nothing to write home about.

Depressingly mediocre, insipid, nondescript, anonymous, undistinguished, disorganised, and cramped. Sadly this place is not worth even a glance.

Great restaurant away from the hustle and bustle of the main roads! Tucked away from all the main chains and really well priced for the area! Great recommendation for a business lunch or even date night. Personally, I'd recommend the roasted haddock.

Not that good. We asked for service and had to wait too long for our company. Therefore were the prices way too much.

We had dinner at this tasty restaurant. We had steak and risotto, and both of them were sublime. The only bad thing, in order to justify my rating 4/5 was the service. They were too crowded so dinner was slow. It took us over 1:30h...

Friendly waiter , clean and comfortable ambience, delicious lunch , nicely presented, good size portions. We shall return !

Decided to have chicken dish but hadn't got that but really glad as duck was amazing. Really delicious. Polite staff especially our waiter. Will definitely return on our next London trip.

We just stopped here for a drink, but after a look on the menu we considered going back here. A lot of nice options for refreshments. The food looked great! Friendly staff.

Relaxed dinning outside or inside. French flair. We walked in off the street, where greeted and asked where we wanted to sit. The menu is not over loaded, is broken down to Lunch, Dinner, Breakfast a d the food is very nice. I recommend t...

Restaurant choisi de part sa localisation et son allure externe, plus que part le type de cuisine servi, nous avons...

My parents and I popped in this restaurant hoping to have a nice supper. But this place just turned out to be very disappointing. Even though we are the only customers setting in this empty restaurant, it still took us over 30 mins to wait...

I often pop by to Bon Vivant for a small snack and a few glasses of wine. Lovely seating under a canopy outside. The wine is good, and goes particularly well with their cheese board and olives. A very pleasant place to relax. I have...

My husband wanted duck and this place had it and was close to our hotel. Warm evening so outside table on sidewalk. Service good . My asparagus risotto was very good and their tiny fried anchovies at GBP 1 were delicious.

We were there for friends & families gathering on Saturday afternoon. Before booking, we didn’t know we could only order from the ‘brunch menu’ which provides about 10 options. Food is in small portion but delicious. Music was playing loudly so good atmosphere for friends...

Got stuck for an extra night due to heat and trains being incompatible. I ate here on my first night and really enjoyed my goat's cheese salad, fries and a very welcome and well-made ice-cold G&T. Great atmosphere, buzzy, friendly and efficient service and a...

We are very surprised by so many negative reviews. Had lunch at a sidewalk table and found the food to be delicious and the staff to be very friendly.

My brother and I were staying not too far down the street from this restaurant and attempted to eat here two separate times (one Saturday afternoon and the next Sunday evening). The same few guys were working both times and were very rude. Despite the...

The food was awesome. Their pastas are amazing. Our waiter didn’t really speak to us since he seemed pretty busy, but the whole experience was great. The food is very affordable as well, I recommend if you are travelling on a budget.

Went for the bottomless brunch and got the steak, eggs and potatoes. The steak was really tough even though I had asked it to be cooked 'Medium'. Although it says prossecco it's actually sparkling wine, but it was actually quite nice so this wasn't a...

First thing first, the food was good but service can certainly improve! Food: 1. Drinks - pretty good. Definitely a go! 2. Starter - we got a mixed board. Part of the ham on the board was hard, like when you leave an open pack...

Fui jantar com minha mãe por indicação de uma amiga. O lugar não chama atenção. Pedi uma salada de queijo...

Super restaurant au coeur de Londres, ça fait du bien de manger du bon. Tout parfait, du repas au service....

Great Luch at Bon Vivant today with Monica. Beautiful food with a European touch and Parisian background Service on top with very effortless vibes. Nice music, melted originally with the pink and dark green colours of the dining room. Everything made in the house in...

Had a fab lunch here. Croque monsieur with fries, very reasonably priced and a delicious shandy. Good service, good food, reasonable price. Would definitely recommend

We thought there was a misprint on the menu: £1 for whitebait nibbles but sure enough you receive more than a handful served with tartare sauce. Delicious. Great rib eye steaks, very tasty but one was served medium rather than medium rare, for which we...

Weekday evening in solo. Steak (bavette) with a glass of wine. This place is fab. No stress. Easy. Just but all what you need. What else! Bookmarked, 100%.

My friends and I have been to Bon Vivant a handful of times for their bottomless brunch and have always enjoyed the experience. The atmosphere is warm and inviting although families should beware of the sexual art on the walls. Undoubtedly an interesting artistic choice...

We were warmly welcomed here early evening before kitchen opened! 4 kids and 3 adults. Kids had ice cream and adults a cheeky cocktail after great day in coramsfield. We considered menu but outside family budget and picky kids but would have loved to try...

Worst bottomless brunch ever! The bottle was not even Prosecco but was very cheap sparkling wine. Food was average and quantities were small. Will not go back! However staff was friendl

Nous avons une excellente soirée dans ce restaurant Français. Personnel très agréable et accueillant. Le hamburger bourguignon nous a été...

Heerlijk gegeten, vriendelijke bediending. Alleen was het wel fris binnen. Gezellig, knus tentje met sfeer.

We 20 odd people had our dinner here last week. I had: - Onion Soup -- it was nice, but onion could have been less fried. - Salmon fillet served with stir fry vegetables, soya sauce, sesame oil -- it was just perfect! - Tarte...

We eat here as what seemed the best option on a Sunday evening prior to seeing a film at the nearby Curzon. The service was friendly and efficient and the food was very satisfactory and reasonably priced.

We shared 4 starters and had a main each. The foie gras and the snails were fantastic! As for the main my chicken was great but the fish could have been better and was not warm enough. Unfortunately the restaurant was short staffed and it...

Had a great meal here on Friday 15th Feb. Pork cheak was one of the tastiest meals I have had, my partner had the bevete, which was also really good. The tarte tatin was enormous and melted in your mouth. Will definitely be going back...

Restaurent français très bon, cadre très agréable cela est très appréciable serveurs sympathiques et attentionnés je recommande

Came here for brunch with friends on a Sat morning. It was quiet when we arrived but got busier towards the end of our time. We opted for the bottomless brunch deal. The problem with the deal, however, is that it requires for an average...

After a morning tramping the streets of London- first round Covent Garden, Trafalgar Square etc. and then the Regent Canal area near King's Cross, we needed lunch! 3 pubs we had visited previously had no Saturday lunch service so a busy looking restaurant on a...

Have been here a few times in the past year and the food has been reliably good each time, as has the service. Would have rated a 4 but for (a) being asked on my last visit if I could vacate the table in 30...

Londres c’est bien, la nourriture un peu moins. Agréable moment dans un restaurant français, serveur génial et plats parfait !...

We popped in here hoping to find a good local restaurant. It was really draughty and cold. The service was slow. The waiter was nice and we cannot fault him. The food was not worth waiting for. I ordered a steak and it was a...

Very disappointed I had higher expectations. It is a lovely restaurant but last night's service let them down. The front of house staff had poor standard's and attitude. They tried to tell me that I was ordering too much I chose two starter's the calamari...

Been there in summer & brought friends this time ! Greeted with complementary drink & chose the fancy fish stew which came with some wine as well. Great sauce & wonderful mash a dish I couldn"t replicate! Would have preferred it slightly hotter but did...

We came for Saturday dinner with our friends from Ireland. Very friendly staff delicious food good service very nice music. Excellent Irish coffee! We have tried other places before in the area and in my opinion Bon Vivant is the best place to enjoy your...

The short version is at the bottom. We came here for brunch on Saturday as we were shopping in the area. We work around the corner and sometimes had lunch when it was previously Balfours. We should have just noticed that the other cafes had...

Had a lovely corporate dinner with colleague; the foods were good, well plated and good ambience. Good wine selection too. It would have been perfect if the service was not a bit slow.

We booked at this place because it was close to our appartment and it looked cosy. It was indeed cosy and staff were very friendly. We share a plate of cold cuts and paté that was served with a lot of delicious bread. As main...

We asked our son to take us to a French restaurant and he chose this one. Plenty of choice especially as son is vegetarian. Service, food and wine all good.

Came for dinner mid-week. I've not been up Marchmont Street for a while and was suprised to find the establishment here had turned from Italian to Frech. We had the Bavette steak and the Confit of Duck, with fries and some green beans. The steak...

Nous recherchions un restaurant, au detour d une rue, on decouvre ce restaurant Français... L'accueil, la salle, la carte nous...

So sad to report the presentation and taste of most of our dishes for 7 people was poor. The Bavette was well cooked but not in a jus, but a greasy liquid. The prawn spaghetti seemed pre-cooked and re-heated. The cod was cold on delivery....

We had our choice of many restaurants but picked Bon Vivant for the mussels on the menu. The surprise was that everything about our dining experience was outstanding - the food, the service, and the ambiance. The chef truly cooks from the heart and our...

Myself and 3 friends booked the bottomless brunch. I think the restaurant failed to understand the concept of bottomless and when we asked for a second bellini were met with raised eyebrows. Rather than refilling the jug again when we asked a third time (over...

Spent evening here - food ok if not scintillating.service a bit slow but it was busy and it wAs really only delay with bill .

Serveur sympathique. Le repas était délicieux : nous avons pris un filet de saumon, du poulet et des escargots. Le...

Cuisine excellente et produits frais, ambiance chaleureuse et super rapport qualité prix. Tout est réuni pour passer un bon moment,...

I came in to have a quick lunch with some colleagues and we were surprised by the quality of service and the food that was provided. If you're looking for a good cheap and quick business lunch close to the Eurostar then it's your place.

Restaurant au top! L'équipe est conviviale, le cadre est chaleureux et la nourriture est excellente! Un pur régal! Très bon...

I visited this restaurant as it was next door to the hotel I was staying at (Belle Cour). On entering the atmosphere is very warming and welcoming with a group of friendly staff to greet you. I was seen to my table (for 1) and...

I came here for 'Drunch' with some friends to celebrate my birthday. As bottomless prosecco deals go, this is one of the better ones. It's great value for money, only £18 when you spend a minimum of £6 from their Drunch menu, so can make...

Walked up and down the street trying to decide where to eat with 4 colleagues. The place was packed, so this for me, was a sign that it must be good!!! We were right.... the staff were amazing and worked incredibly hard, the cocktails were...

Restaurant très agréable avec un personnel aux petits soins. Cadre cosy et ambiance chaleureuse! Repas parfait, cela restera un excellent...

Superbe découverte! L'accueil est chaleureux et l'équipe sympathique. La cuisine est excellente, les pailles explosent. Quoi de mieux que de...

Vi fik en fin betjening mens vi spiste nogle meget møre "Bavette" med spinat og løg. Dertil spiste vi Ratatouille...