Jenson Button opened a new restaurant today (5th Sept 2011) with the Mayor of Harrogate, Les Ellington.
The restaurant is called Victus and is on Beulah Street in Harrogate, North Yorkshire.
Founded, designed, built and operated by a team of people all with a love for fresh, quality and just generally tasty food!
The opening followed two years of planning and five months of renovation that has brought Victus to life. A chic, up beat and incredibly welcoming venue.
Victus is aiming for a relaxed and comfortable environment where dishes can be shared with friends and family. Food that’s fresh, healthy, very tasty and delivered to you quickly and conveniently.
Talking with the new Victus team, they all demonstrate a real enthusiasm and passion for the new enterprise. They have managed to open a new restaurant that is different, in a town that has many restaurants.
The event attracted a crowd of around 150 people waiting for a glimpse of Jenson. He spent time with his fans signing everything from life-sized cardboard cutouts to designer bags. Inside, he donned an apron and made the Mayor a cup of tea before spending time talking to the new kitchen team.
Founding member and Formula 1 driver Jenson Button said
Having a keen interest in great food and different types of cuisines from around the world I wanted to be part of a restaurant that combined all of my favourite elements of dining out with friends. Tasty food, great atmosphere and friendly staff. Food should be a source of enjoyment and with Victus I really feel we’ve captured that.
Mayor of Harrogate with Jenson Button
They are open 7 days a week from 7am-11pm Monday to Saturday and 9am-11pm on Sundays.
Hi Jenson,
Looking forward to tasting the menu and experiencing the atmosphere
Regards,
Jill Carlino
Had a coffee in Victus today, what a fantastc place! great service, great food and drinks menu & my 3 year old appreciated the kiddies books available to read.
You walk in and transported away from Harrogate….bliss!! Felt I was sat in a cafe in Covent Garden!
well done, and we’ll be back for a hot wrap!!
visted the restaurant in harrogate today and felt it lacked atmosphere plastic cutlery no plates and the wrap was burnt! i saw several people leave as no staff to help them as either missing or usy chatting it was also cold as door was open very disappointed
I just want to say that in the part of restaurant I was in there was a few staff and was not at all like rachel describes I asked for a menu but I was told there were none available as they were being reprinted (after a week
Advertised as a Restaurant we booked a table for 4. Turned up and was surprised to find that we were the only 4 people in the place besides the staff. There was only what I would call a snack menu available. No starters as far as i could see and we were advised to order a side order of rice or salad as the meal did not come with either. I ordered a ‘Victus’ burger with a side order of fries (I mean what else would you have with a burger?) No fries were available as they want to be seen to be a ‘healthy’ food outlet, however, there was plenty of cheese on the menu and cream for the deserts! In general the portions were small and not very appetising, there were no proper evening meal menus available, we were read out the availability of the ‘specials’ scribbled on the waiters pad. The place was also cold and even if it had been packed I don’t see how there could have been any more atmosphere! Victus were also unable to offer spirits to drink as they only have a beer and wine licence. £50 for four for what amounted to be a bit of a snack and a couple of drinks! Maybe not expensive but I’d rather spend a bit more and have a proper meal! Jensen Button – Stick to racing cars and let theJamie Oliver’s and Gordon Ramsey’s open the restaurants. Sorry but I won’t be back in a hurry!
I was going to book a party in tonight but just read these dreadful reviews! Off to the Thai instead !
25/09/11
Happened upon Victus this morning whilst looking for somewhere for breakfast. In Harrogate they really should have been cornering the breakfast market as they open at 9am on Sundays, whereas other outlets open much later. The breakfast menu is quite small, so should have been easy to deliver. We had ordered 2 drinks (which came in a timely manner) and two bacon, egg and cheese toasties. Unfortunately we waited for 45 minutes for for one of them to arrive and then a further 10 minutes for the next one to come! The excuse about the the first one was they had run out of bacon! Other people left as their order for drinks hadn’t arrived after about 10 minutes of waiting and they had only ordered a black coffee and tea. They guy behind the counter looked flustered and out of his depth and the organisation behind the simple food orders was chaotic. We were given a loyalty card for Victus, we won’t be going again. We visited Cafe M for a tea a bit later on. More organised staff, excellent table service and the breakfasts looked very tasty. I wish we had gone there! For a new restaurant, I can’t believe there approach to service is so lacklustre.
FANTASTIC. Have been several times, and food great, service good and staff very friendly and helpful.
Interior and ‘feel’ is much more Convent Garden, and a refreshing change for Harrogate.
Had breakfast with family twice and coffee with friends once. All visits have been a pleasure. Sorry some people have had less than perfect experiences, but we’ve genuinely had great times!
I organised a private party on Sat 29th Oct 11 at Victus for my friends and old school pals to celebrate my 70th birthday.
The ambience in the restaurant is first class. The service and the excellent range of food could not be faulted. I would recommend Victus
to anyone looking for a nice place to go for a party or just popping in
for a coffee. Well done to Gary and Sam and Jensen for his backing.
We will definately be back.
Took my parents to Vicytus for the first time today…….what a disappointment. Despite being nearly empty every single table was dirty with left over cups and plates, the staff seemed more concerned with chatting with each other than doing their job……one customer has even resorted to cleaning the table himself.
Who ever the manager is needs to get a grip on things…..I always thought the first few months of a new business set the standard and things should be at their best???
With the vast selection of cafes and restaurants available in Harrogate Victus needs to improve greatly or I fear it wont be around long..
On a positive note the coffee was good and hot though and the selection of cakes looked very tempting.
Well despite all the negativity here, there is only one way to find out if comments are valid. I am still going to book for tonight and i will make my own mind up! :)
Popped in for a coffee this afternoon. Not being from Harrogate, I was just looking for and independent and original coffee shop (as I love good coffee!) and came across Victus. Loved the coffee, the decor and the atmosphere – it was just what I needed after trekking around town in the wind and sleet! Loved the originality of the decor and cosy feel. Didn’t realise it was a restaurant though – I just thought it was a funky independent coffee shop. In the day, they seem to have very reasonably priced cold sandwiches and coffee shop style cakes (e.g. choci-brownies, carrot cake etc.) The service was great and very attentive, which struck me for a coffee shop – now I know it is a restaurant too, I guess that is why the service was so attentive and friendly. PS. I accidently spilt my expresso all over the table – big thank you to the staff the replacing it promptly and cleaning up my mess!!!!!!:-)