Vivilore

Haven’t even had a chance to eat here. Walked in for dinner one evening to check the place out and stood in front of the host stand for a solid 5 minutes as servers walked past us, bartenders looked up at us and no one acknowledged us. Waiting for host. Walked around to other areas of the restaurant trying to find host. No luck.
Eventually stopped a passing server to ask if there was a host that evening and were asked why, what did we need. Umm… a table? We were then told we wouldn’t be able to get a table without a reservation. Server says nothing more, and walks away.
We leave, stunned.
Fast forward to a month or so later, willing to give another shot. Make a phone call for a reservation. No answer. Closed on Mondays. Call Tuesday, can’t make a reservation for Saturday because they close for the entire 4^th of July Weekend. And entire Memorial Day weekend. And a few others.
I give up.

I hope everyone enjoys the sign out front and railings that were basically stolen If people eat there and dont pay that’s illegal but if she (the owner) has things installed and doesn’t pay thats ok I don’t understand our laws we have a small iron business but thanks to Cindy Foster we are now out of business So you all enjoy and I hope you dont get sick

This is perhaps the best hidden gem in the greater Kansas City area. It is a beautiful one of a kind restaurant owned by 2 siblings. The brother Whit who runs the kitchen and his sister Cindi who is in the front of the house are truly in a league of there own. The food matches there expertise for making you feel at home. It’s all wonderful from the crab roles to lamb.
This wonderful experience can be found in the artsy Englewood area in Independence Mo. You won’t be sorry.

Always a favorite. On good weather days eat in the back garden area. Perfect for the wild mushroom cheesecake and wine. Beautiful place

A hidden gem on the east side, where a midtown KC transplant feels at home. Great cocktails in a lovely atmosphere where you can buy the art surrounding you (although no pressure, much like the Webster House). Refreshing refinery in the suburbs, perfect for rekindling romance or catching up with your best friends. The food was as tasty as it was pretty, and the scenery was a great escape from the strip mall sadness that is often suburban entertainment.

Food was good, but when I returned the next day to give my server a cash tip that my girlfriend and I forgot to leave, I was told that they «adjusted» it for me by editing my card receipt after I had left. That is highly illegal and Vivilore told me they do it all the time. My bank is disputing the charge and the missouri attorney generals office has been contacted. BAD BUSINESS! Pay cash or check your card statement closely! And pray you don’t get Linda as your server.

I loved this place! It really is a hidden gem in the Independence area. Gorgeous inside and out. I would highly recommend this place in the summer when you can sit outside in the garden area. The food was delicious as well!

Tried it for the first time last night. Skipped the appetizer, started with the spinach salad, it was simply fantastic. Had the filet for dinner, ordered rare, served perhaps medium rare, but excellent, as were each of the side The au gratin potatoes were simply delicious. Dessert was good, but not life changing, had the chocolate torte. Service was very good, but they seemed perhaps a tiny bit under staffed, our server had the whole room, and I’m guessing they may have been short one server, just based on how many tables our served had to service. I definitely plan to return. Spent a bit over $ 100 for dinner for 2, with 2 desserts, but no drinks. Similar to what I’d expect to spend in other places of this quality.

This is my mom’s favorite place to eat and shop. She took me to lunch while I was home visiting. It was breathtaking. The garden’s and the décor are spectacular! It’s like stepping into another country. The food was so delicious and filling as well as presented beautifully. I would highly recommend this restaurant for a wonderful date night or lunch out with the girls.

My favorite KC area restaurant. Hands down best food in town. They have a great gallery upstairs and art gallery on the top floor. No rushing, just enjoy the experience of the night and great food.

The best place restaurant in k c metro! The food is artistic, delicious. Generous portions !!!
A great place to have lunch with friends or a romantic evening with that special person .
The décor is exquisite… worth the trip just to see and shop in this wonderland of goodies.
I highly recommend many visits to Vivilore… a place where they always make one feel welcome and are anxious to please.
Z Crum

We like to go out and check out different and new places from time to time. My wife and I heard about this nice little restaurant with a great court yard just to sit and have a glass of wine. Since then we have eaten at Vivilore several times this past year and never had a complaint one. My wife has food allergies and it is difficult to find places for her to eat and the Chef at Vivilore’s is very accommodating when preparing her food. The owner (s) come around and monitor to make sure everything is spot on.
The court yard is a «Fabulous» place to even have dinner a glass of wine and from time to time they have live music outside when the weather is nice.
I highly recommend as a place to go for a nice romantic evening with your loved one. Oh I forgot to mention the décor is incredible as well and offers some interesting items for sale from time to time. Be sure to take the time to wander around on the upper floors; who knows maybe you will find that special gift as well!

Vivilore is a delightful place to enjoy a delicious meal. The restaurant is decorated in a style I’d call «upscale eclectic,» as are the 2.5 floors of antiques, treasures, artwork, and gift and décor items housed above it. Be sure to allow time to shop before and/​or after your meal. Everywhere you look there is something wonderful/​interesting/​intriguing to see, both in the restaurant and the shop.
And Vivilore has the ultimate outdoor patio/​courtyard/​garden area for dining (see Joe G’s review on here for a great description). It is so beautiful, but obviously not a good choice for right after the first «big» snow of the year! However, had it been earlier in this particular December, I’d have given it some thought! So weather permitting, consider requesting patio seating when you make your reservation.
Although at first glance you might think this is a «ladies’ place,» the clientele has been about evenly divided male/​female during my two visits. Perhaps that’s because there are several hearty choices on the menu, the portions are generous, and perfectly prepared food knows no gender!
I was completely happy with my menu choice, the Grilled Duck Salad with sweet potato hash and quinoa on fresh greens, with chunks of savory duck, candied walnuts, dried cherries and cranberries, fresh blue-​, black-​, and strawberries, all lightly dressed with a sweet/​tart vinaigrette… pretty and perfectly balanced. I was initially hesitant about the «sweet potato hash» part, but the only evidence of that I saw were small cubes of diced, sauteed sweet potatoes scattered throughout. It is one of those salads that seems to get even bigger as you eat… I had plenty for lunch and enough to take home for dinner.
My companion ordered the soup of the day, organic beet, which was delicious, seasoned with something slightly spicy that we couldn’t identify. I believe it had a cream base, as it was very smooth and rich, and much more subdued in color than your average beet. My friend also had the BLT, which I wouldn’t suggest ordering because there are so many other FAR more interesting and tantalizing items on the menu, and it didn’t look like anything special. When dining out, I almost always choose something I probably couldn’t/wouldn’t easily fix at home, so I would have been very disappointed had it been mine… I like a meal to be a culinary adventure!
We discovered a major clue to the probable source of the restaurant’s unusual name tucked in a lectern-​like piece of furniture just inside the front door… an extremely well-​worn book from 1904 titled «Vivilore: The Pathway to Mental and Physical Perfection.» This establishment comes pretty close to perfection in its surroundings and ambience, and in the presentation, aromas and flavors of the food.

This is a really great place! Delicious food, beautiful place! One of mine and my familys’ new favorite places to eat.

My husband and I are here last night for the first time. We sat out in the garden, and it was truly lovely. The temperature was in the low 80s and just perfect for eating outdoors. They brought us bread to start. I especially loved that they served it with not only butter, but also jam. My husband had the salmon, and I had the spinach salad and coconut shrimp. Everything was delicious! Some of the pairings were interesting. Melon and watermelon with the salmon, and pita bread with the coconut shrimp. We decided to have dessert, since we had heard good things about the bread pudding. It too was delicious! We would definitely return here in the future and recommend it to anyone. The indoor seating looks nice as well, and there were some live musicians there.

What an unexpected beautiful cool place in old Independence.
Patio is incredible.
Unfortunately the dining experience part of the evening was far less than hoped for considering the price.
Would definitely come here for a cocktail on the patio but until I hear better things about the food, service and attention to detail, there are far better places to spend $ 150 on dinner for 2.

We almost missed this gem, having read so many mixed reviews about this restaurant. Our experience was superb: out waitress was friendly and attentive, our food was anything but bland (the portions were generous and the add-on’s eclectic), and the outdoor setting made for a special meal for my wife and I. There are no restaurants in Independence or Lee’s Summit that we’ve been to that rival – and unless you’re willing to drive downtown, this is by far the best meal we’ve found in Independence.

Everyone in the area raves about this restaurant. So my conclusion is, if you compare it to the surrounding 25 miles, this is an A+. If you are from any metropolitan larger than Kansas City, you’d give this a B-​/​C+.
Pros:
— Cute ambiance. Plenty to see in their boutique/​thrift shop.
— Lovely parrot and dog to keep you company.
— Comfortable outdoor seating surrounded by flowers.
— Quirky murals and art.
— Good fish tostadas. Of course if you know what a tostada really is, you’d be disappointed. They serve this one with large chips and you shovel the fish mix on.
(You’ll notice that only one of the pros has to do with food).
Cons:
— Terrible service. I tried to give them a chance, but they were forgetful, cranky and unresponsive at times. Our 45 min meal turned into 2 hours and no one else was in the restaurant! I can understand a packed dinner, but a slow lunchtime?
— Tried to subtly tell them the ice tea was stinky, but they didn’t seem to care. Took them another 15 min to get me a lemonade.
— The rest of the food is just ‘ok’. Lobster roll was on the chewy side and the chicken sandwich wasn’t bad. The salads were drenched in dressing to the point we couldn’t eat them.
And not really pros or cons, but a personal preference because there is SO much potential in the space:
— Their shop could use a little ‘curating’.They tried, but there was definitely some confusion from their buyers. Cowboy + religious+ Chihuly knockoffs.
— Their garden could also use a little ‘curating’. They plant like crazy, but haphazardly. Veggie garden? or even some herbs would be a nice tie in. I know you aren’t farm to table, but it would still be a nice touch.

I finally got the chance to try Vivilore ! I was pretty excited about it because I have heard such good things, and I just happened to be in the neighborhood during one of their art crawls.
we settled in the back, where the enclosed patio welcomes you. its truly amazing the beauty that’s been created. its almost the stuff fairy tales are made of. There’s a weeping willow tree, a Greek patio with a climbing vine, surrounded by buildings which the antique shop/​restaurant uses for storage and showcasing.
the objects within the 4 buildings are all truly unique. my impression is that they work diligently to find the right items for the space.
we settled outside on the patio which offered a view of the quiet garden and crickets chirping to sip on a wine and a caprese salad… both were rather nice.
I’d definitely take a trip back… its quite an experience. unique. very classy.
~j

I don’t know how to write this review. I went to 2 events there, but haven’t officially ordered food there, yet each time I did eat there, I wasn’t thrilled. Infact, I live 5 minutes away, and had no idea it was there. I want to give it 5 stars so bad, just for the environment. But you can’t just review the environment, when there’s food involved.
It is located in the nearly dilapidated Englewood district. Nearly dilapidated means, there used to be a Benjamin Franklin, it’s been closed for unteen years, the sign is still there. There’s the Puppetry Institute, thriving Cork and Barrel, and Vivilore. Plus, the CMHS. I think there’s a laundry mat as well, florist that’s been there forever.
Vivilore sits hidden among trees and I drove by it twice. There’s no signage. Parking is in front of the restaurant, and behind as well. The restaurant environment is superbly gorgeous. I’ve never seen a place so pretty. Alcoves, tables in rooms surrounded with carousel horses and statues. The bar is stunning, a white snow owl statue sits in a fire place frame. I could a whole review on the environment alone.
There is a garden that is breathtaking, including a talking parrot. The tables with umbrellas, it reminds me of being in the French Quarter.
The wine list at the bar is dead on. Infact, the wine list if I were going there for a glass of wine, this would be the place. I would love to go there and drink a glass of Moscato.
Every time I’ve been to Vivilore’s, for 2 events, the food has been so/​so. At the reception, the variety included gluten free choices, with shrimp, chicken, salad, roast beef sliders, etc… at the second event, the choices included meat balls with sauce, crab cakes, lamb chops, salmon on crackers, roast beef sliders, salad, cheese and crackers, and wine tasting. Both included cake, the second event the cake was better. I shouldn’t judge places by the food at events, but frankly, if it is a representation of the food served, I’m more interested in the wine.
I plan to return, for appetizers and wine. The regular menu is kind of expensive, but maybe they run specials. Also, both times, the service seemed rushed and rather not as friendly as it could be. I know both events were busy, but when you’re told to go to the bar for water, and the cashier rolls her eyes at you… uh yeah… that will take a review down a star.