Highly recommend Vivilore! Superb for Date Night. Menu is inspiring and eclectic. The quality of the food is very high. Service is exceptional. The atmosphere is very aesthetically pleasing. Reservation is recommended. A true gem… ?????
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lisa B.
What a wonderful restaurant! Good menu but great quality. Great service. Nice portion size and price point. Wait staff not rushed and very attentive. Such a nice change of pace from Kansas City restaurants. Easy parking. Not a bad drive. To top it off there are rooms like an antique mall to visit in the building.
Naomi Hawes
Vivilore was sold in January of 2024. As longtime customers we were wary of what was coming. We had dinner on a Saturday night in late February. The food was amazing and the staff as wonderful as always. The only reason I give it 4 stars instead of 5 is because the new owner hasn’t been to market yet. She will have it full of things we love after the next market. Don’t hesitate to come back to your favorite spot. I loved it!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
ruth coram
Vivalore never disappoints! That place is an amazing treasure!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Alice M
Amazing food.If you want the food you dream of, like they eat in Kitchen Nightmares after he fixes it, then you have to eat here!!!We loved everything we got!I highly recommend the "cheesecake" appetizer, which is really a cheese board... The spinach artichoke dip is to die for.You can tell all the food is fresh with phenomenally sapid ingredients.They have a soup of the day; when we were there it was lobster bisque and it was tremendous!!The atmosphere is lovely and the decor, smashing.The prices aren't "dollar menu options" but neither is the food. The prices are more than fair, if not underpriced, for the quality offered.They have a nice wine list and drinks menu.We were very pleased with our entire visit.Don't forget to check the upper floors after your meal for more inviting atmosphere and maybe you'll find a keepsake to remember your experience. We did.I want to add, some of the review photos make the restaurant seem small, or crowded, it's not though. There is lots of space between the tables and there's no crowded feeling. We loved the art on the walls!Vegetarian options: Multiple vegetarian/vegan and customizable options. Many vegetarian menu items easy to veganize and they are super accommodating if you call ahead of time for special requests.The house salad is already vegan.Wheelchair accessibility: The restaurant and bathroom are handicap friendly, but the upper levels are not.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lobster Bisque, Soup of the Day, Lobster Roll w Homemade Potato Chips, Wild Mushroom Cheesecake
Daphney Partridge
Took my work team out for lunch. Great food and terrific atmosphere in downtown Independence.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Lobster Bisque, Soup of the Day
Robin Leavy
Simply the best! Fantastic food. Beautiful ambiance. Restaurants like this one are very rare.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Rebecca D.
The restaurant is an old original building restored yet still has many of the charming architectural original details such as stained-glass windows, brick, and beautiful wood stairs. The ambiance is quaint, intimate, and the service was great. The clam chowder was creamy, tasty and there was no skimping on the crab. The crab cakes were large and quite good. However, with that said, the lobster roll was disappointing. Having spent some time on the east coast, I was pleased to see a lobster roll on the upscale menu and was hoping to find one that rivals those east coast buttery sweet crusty lobster rolls. There were no large chunks of lobster on a toasted crusty roll. I could not discern lobster hardly at all and the flavor and texture was something similar to tuna salad, only not as good. The "roll" was actually two dinner rolls--a bread entirely too sweet and soft to be served with lobster. The most disappointing part is that this "tuna salad" sandwich was $35. Yes, $35. It did come with house-made potato chips which were good, but not enough to justify the exorbitant price of this very sub par sandwich. I will go back--but I won't be ordering the lobster roll because I will remember that this is, after all, the Midwest where lobster rolls, even $35 ones, are apparently hard to find.
Paula Malone
Best food I’ve ever enjoyed! We are having our daughter’s wedding and reception here! I’ve traveled the world and never had better food! Hidden treasure right in my back door!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Hattie S.
Ordered the Fish & Avocado Tostadas - it was a lot of little piles of food made into one HUGE pile of food. My guess is the over-portion is to justify the price (think The Cheesecake Factory size sans savoriness). The entrée didn't work. It was a disappointing dish, but what's caused me to give a public review at one star was because of the lack of service. The bartender raised his eyebrows when I ordered this, so I asked if he'd recommend it. He said yes. But where he had been very attentive to my party, once the food was served he never came back to ask if the food was good. I picked at the meal trying not to throw off my friends dining experience, but also to understand the flavor combinations and actually combine things, none of which went together. Goat cheese dolloped over sour cream, cold cherry tomatoes and warm orange roughy (did not seem blackened), salmon and a half an avocado, enough greens this was moist like a salad and salsa over tostadas at the bottom I could barely find let alone actually eat...nothing tasted good combined. That's why trying to eat it was like a lot of little piles of food in one hard to approach larger pile. When the bartender did finally return to us he presented two to-go boxes (yes, it took that long to get service again although we were sitting at the bar). I politely said I wouldn't be taking mine home because it was too odd for me. He apologized, but gave no other service. It was really too late to offer something else, although we were presented with a dessert menu. It's awkward to have your almost entire meal taken away, but then a suggestion to eat more from the same kitchen. As a customer this was uncomfortable. It doesn't feel good to be the person who has a bad meal sat in front of them, and try not to throw off others' experience while trying to figure out how to get service. But when I basically wasn't eating, trying to keep conversation going, my friend noticed and volunteered that theirs wasn't satisfying either, although the portion was immense. As the patron I felt the burden was all on me to figure out their dish, flag down a server, and then have to ask for an adjustment - I didn't bother. And as others have said, it's simply over priced. I believe it was ~$30 for just that part of the meal, the majority of which went back to the kitchen. As a customer, this tells me their servers, kitchen, and presumably owner no longer have the energy or finances to care and so have become adept at avoiding familiar situations. No adjustment was offered, nor made to the bill. It takes courage to ask your diner why they aren't eating your food, but it shouldn't be avoided. While the initial ambiance was welcoming, the additional shopping was basically a gift shop with a few antiques interspersed. I'd never go back, would rather drive further or just be hungry. Hence, I took the time to share my experience to save others from a similar encounter, or at the least to avoid this particular dish.
Everything I have ever eaten at Vivilore has been delicious and beautifully presented. My all-time favorite is their Rib-eye steak- it's that good. The staff are always friendly and take very good care of me.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lobster Bisque, Soup of the Day, Lobster Roll w Homemade Potato Chips, Grilled Bone in Pork Chop, Wild Mushroom Cheesecake, Smoked Salmon Bruschetta, Vivilore House Salad, Rack of Lamb, Flourless Chocolate Torte with Ice Cream, Chowder, Creme Brulee with Fresh Berries
Debbie Dierking
I'm in a group of wonderful ladies who have gone to Vivilore at Christmas the last 5 years. We also go once a year to put on our hats and have lunch in the beautiful court yard. Vivilore is a very special place like no other.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bread Pudding, Lobster Bisque, New England Crab Cakes, Chicken Salad Sandwich
Liz D.
Everything was amazing. Food was fantastic, the staff was so caring and sweet. The ambiance was beautiful and classy. I ordered a small ceaser salad 10/10 the small is still enough to share. The tomato bisque was fantastic. I also ordered a Bloody Mary which was phenomenal and well topped with goodies. The beef Wellington was SOOOO GOOD . came with sweet asparagus , vegetable medley and loaded mashed potatoes. I highly recommended
jcott
The people are amazing! The actual building and interior are memorizing! But it is loud - there doesn’t seem to be any method to manage volume of multiple tables in a small area. Spring or late summer when the outdoor seating is available would be the best time, I think.The food was plated well, but the vegetables with the entrees were overcooked and soggy. The rice was mushy and lacked flavor. I had chicken, it was acceptable but then it was cover in a sauce that may have been from a jar. Drink pours seemed a little light (not strong at all).The staff - amazing! Kind, courteous, they box take home which is a lost service and needs to return.What will bring me back are the shops. On the upper levels and my dream to own the building someday. Specifically the Boho room. It is my dream space. (Others shop spaces are fantastic just less my style.)
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 5
Charles Sevier
The food is excellent. We had the burger and it was fantastic. The atmosphere is perfect for intimate dining in the courtyard. Waiting for a table you can have any drink you wish prepared by a pro Mr. Eric Snyder. As always it was a great time as we enjoyed the entire experience!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bread Pudding, Lobster Bisque, Soup of the Day, Lobster Roll w Homemade Potato Chips, Grilled Bone in Pork Chop, Meshroon Cheesecake, Wild Mushroom Cheesecake, Smoked Salmon Bruschetta, Coconut Shrimp, Lamb, New England Clam Chowder Lunch, Vivilore House Salad, Rack of Lamb, Vegetable Tamales, Flourless Chocolate Torte with Ice Cream, Chowder, New England Crab Cakes, Chicken Salad Sandwich, Creme Brulee with Fresh Berries, Spinach Salad
Highly recommend Vivilore! Superb for Date Night. Menu is inspiring and eclectic. The quality of the food is very high. Service is exceptional. The atmosphere is very aesthetically pleasing. Reservation is recommended. A true gem… ?????
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
What a wonderful restaurant! Good menu but great quality. Great service. Nice portion size and price point. Wait staff not rushed and very attentive. Such a nice change of pace from Kansas City restaurants. Easy parking. Not a bad drive. To top it off there are rooms like an antique mall to visit in the building.
Vivilore was sold in January of 2024. As longtime customers we were wary of what was coming. We had dinner on a Saturday night in late February. The food was amazing and the staff as wonderful as always. The only reason I give it 4 stars instead of 5 is because the new owner hasn’t been to market yet. She will have it full of things we love after the next market. Don’t hesitate to come back to your favorite spot. I loved it!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Vivalore never disappoints! That place is an amazing treasure!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amazing food.If you want the food you dream of, like they eat in Kitchen Nightmares after he fixes it, then you have to eat here!!!We loved everything we got!I highly recommend the "cheesecake" appetizer, which is really a cheese board... The spinach artichoke dip is to die for.You can tell all the food is fresh with phenomenally sapid ingredients.They have a soup of the day; when we were there it was lobster bisque and it was tremendous!!The atmosphere is lovely and the decor, smashing.The prices aren't "dollar menu options" but neither is the food. The prices are more than fair, if not underpriced, for the quality offered.They have a nice wine list and drinks menu.We were very pleased with our entire visit.Don't forget to check the upper floors after your meal for more inviting atmosphere and maybe you'll find a keepsake to remember your experience. We did.I want to add, some of the review photos make the restaurant seem small, or crowded, it's not though. There is lots of space between the tables and there's no crowded feeling. We loved the art on the walls!Vegetarian options: Multiple vegetarian/vegan and customizable options. Many vegetarian menu items easy to veganize and they are super accommodating if you call ahead of time for special requests.The house salad is already vegan.Wheelchair accessibility: The restaurant and bathroom are handicap friendly, but the upper levels are not.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lobster Bisque, Soup of the Day, Lobster Roll w Homemade Potato Chips, Wild Mushroom Cheesecake
Took my work team out for lunch. Great food and terrific atmosphere in downtown Independence.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Lobster Bisque, Soup of the Day
Simply the best! Fantastic food. Beautiful ambiance. Restaurants like this one are very rare.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The restaurant is an old original building restored yet still has many of the charming architectural original details such as stained-glass windows, brick, and beautiful wood stairs. The ambiance is quaint, intimate, and the service was great. The clam chowder was creamy, tasty and there was no skimping on the crab. The crab cakes were large and quite good. However, with that said, the lobster roll was disappointing. Having spent some time on the east coast, I was pleased to see a lobster roll on the upscale menu and was hoping to find one that rivals those east coast buttery sweet crusty lobster rolls. There were no large chunks of lobster on a toasted crusty roll. I could not discern lobster hardly at all and the flavor and texture was something similar to tuna salad, only not as good. The "roll" was actually two dinner rolls--a bread entirely too sweet and soft to be served with lobster. The most disappointing part is that this "tuna salad" sandwich was $35. Yes, $35. It did come with house-made potato chips which were good, but not enough to justify the exorbitant price of this very sub par sandwich. I will go back--but I won't be ordering the lobster roll because I will remember that this is, after all, the Midwest where lobster rolls, even $35 ones, are apparently hard to find.
Best food I’ve ever enjoyed! We are having our daughter’s wedding and reception here! I’ve traveled the world and never had better food! Hidden treasure right in my back door!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ordered the Fish & Avocado Tostadas - it was a lot of little piles of food made into one HUGE pile of food. My guess is the over-portion is to justify the price (think The Cheesecake Factory size sans savoriness). The entrée didn't work. It was a disappointing dish, but what's caused me to give a public review at one star was because of the lack of service. The bartender raised his eyebrows when I ordered this, so I asked if he'd recommend it. He said yes. But where he had been very attentive to my party, once the food was served he never came back to ask if the food was good. I picked at the meal trying not to throw off my friends dining experience, but also to understand the flavor combinations and actually combine things, none of which went together. Goat cheese dolloped over sour cream, cold cherry tomatoes and warm orange roughy (did not seem blackened), salmon and a half an avocado, enough greens this was moist like a salad and salsa over tostadas at the bottom I could barely find let alone actually eat...nothing tasted good combined. That's why trying to eat it was like a lot of little piles of food in one hard to approach larger pile. When the bartender did finally return to us he presented two to-go boxes (yes, it took that long to get service again although we were sitting at the bar). I politely said I wouldn't be taking mine home because it was too odd for me. He apologized, but gave no other service. It was really too late to offer something else, although we were presented with a dessert menu. It's awkward to have your almost entire meal taken away, but then a suggestion to eat more from the same kitchen. As a customer this was uncomfortable. It doesn't feel good to be the person who has a bad meal sat in front of them, and try not to throw off others' experience while trying to figure out how to get service. But when I basically wasn't eating, trying to keep conversation going, my friend noticed and volunteered that theirs wasn't satisfying either, although the portion was immense. As the patron I felt the burden was all on me to figure out their dish, flag down a server, and then have to ask for an adjustment - I didn't bother. And as others have said, it's simply over priced. I believe it was ~$30 for just that part of the meal, the majority of which went back to the kitchen. As a customer, this tells me their servers, kitchen, and presumably owner no longer have the energy or finances to care and so have become adept at avoiding familiar situations. No adjustment was offered, nor made to the bill. It takes courage to ask your diner why they aren't eating your food, but it shouldn't be avoided. While the initial ambiance was welcoming, the additional shopping was basically a gift shop with a few antiques interspersed. I'd never go back, would rather drive further or just be hungry. Hence, I took the time to share my experience to save others from a similar encounter, or at the least to avoid this particular dish.
Restaurantji Recommends
Everything I have ever eaten at Vivilore has been delicious and beautifully presented. My all-time favorite is their Rib-eye steak- it's that good. The staff are always friendly and take very good care of me.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lobster Bisque, Soup of the Day, Lobster Roll w Homemade Potato Chips, Grilled Bone in Pork Chop, Wild Mushroom Cheesecake, Smoked Salmon Bruschetta, Vivilore House Salad, Rack of Lamb, Flourless Chocolate Torte with Ice Cream, Chowder, Creme Brulee with Fresh Berries
I'm in a group of wonderful ladies who have gone to Vivilore at Christmas the last 5 years. We also go once a year to put on our hats and have lunch in the beautiful court yard. Vivilore is a very special place like no other.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bread Pudding, Lobster Bisque, New England Crab Cakes, Chicken Salad Sandwich
Everything was amazing. Food was fantastic, the staff was so caring and sweet. The ambiance was beautiful and classy. I ordered a small ceaser salad 10/10 the small is still enough to share. The tomato bisque was fantastic. I also ordered a Bloody Mary which was phenomenal and well topped with goodies. The beef Wellington was SOOOO GOOD . came with sweet asparagus , vegetable medley and loaded mashed potatoes. I highly recommended
The people are amazing! The actual building and interior are memorizing! But it is loud - there doesn’t seem to be any method to manage volume of multiple tables in a small area. Spring or late summer when the outdoor seating is available would be the best time, I think.The food was plated well, but the vegetables with the entrees were overcooked and soggy. The rice was mushy and lacked flavor. I had chicken, it was acceptable but then it was cover in a sauce that may have been from a jar. Drink pours seemed a little light (not strong at all).The staff - amazing! Kind, courteous, they box take home which is a lost service and needs to return.What will bring me back are the shops. On the upper levels and my dream to own the building someday. Specifically the Boho room. It is my dream space. (Others shop spaces are fantastic just less my style.)
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 5
The food is excellent. We had the burger and it was fantastic. The atmosphere is perfect for intimate dining in the courtyard. Waiting for a table you can have any drink you wish prepared by a pro Mr. Eric Snyder. As always it was a great time as we enjoyed the entire experience!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bread Pudding, Lobster Bisque, Soup of the Day, Lobster Roll w Homemade Potato Chips, Grilled Bone in Pork Chop, Meshroon Cheesecake, Wild Mushroom Cheesecake, Smoked Salmon Bruschetta, Coconut Shrimp, Lamb, New England Clam Chowder Lunch, Vivilore House Salad, Rack of Lamb, Vegetable Tamales, Flourless Chocolate Torte with Ice Cream, Chowder, New England Crab Cakes, Chicken Salad Sandwich, Creme Brulee with Fresh Berries, Spinach Salad