What Is a Braai, and Why London Needs One This Summer

 A braai is South Africa's cherished fire cooking tradition, part barbecue, part social ritual, built around slow-grilled meat, good company and open flame. At Vivat Bacchus, braai season runs April to October, bringing authentic South African flavour to the heart of London.

Ask any South African what a braai is, and you'll rarely get a one-word answer. It's a gathering, a mood, sometimes an entire afternoon, all rolled into one. At Vivat Bacchus, we've spent over two decades bringing this tradition to London, and every summer we watch new guests fall for it the same way South Africans have for generations.

With the days stretching longer and outdoor dining back on the agenda, now is the perfect moment to understand what makes a braai such a distinctive way to spend an evening, and why it deserves a place on your summer plans.

What Is a Braai, Exactly?

The word "braai" is Afrikaans for "grill." That's a fair starting point, but the real meaning lives in what happens around the fire, not just on it.

A Cultural Institution, Not a Cookout

In South Africa, a braai sits at the heart of family life, celebrations and everyday gatherings alike. Someone tends the fire, usually with strong opinions on how it should be done, while everyone else talks, drinks and waits, in no particular hurry, for the meat to be ready. The fire itself is the centrepiece: real wood or coals, tended slowly and never rushed.

That slower, social pace is what gives a braai its character. There's no strict menu or timing, just good meat, shared plates and conversation that runs long after the last course.

The Essential Elements of a Braai

While every braai looks a little different, a few elements tend to show up again and again.

The Fire

Everything starts here. A braai is cooked over open flame or coals, giving the meat a distinctive smokiness that a gas grill simply can't replicate. Patience matters more than heat, and the fire is left to settle before anything touches the grid.

The Meat

Expect a generous spread: sirloin, lamb, chicken and South Africa's beloved boerewors (a coiled, spiced sausage) are braai staples. Biltong and droëwors, air-dried, seasoned meats, often make an appearance too, more as a snack while the fire does its work.

The Sides

A braai always brings more than meat to the table. Pap (a maize porridge), grilled vegetables, fresh salads and a good chakalaka relish round things out, balancing the richness of the grill with something lighter and sharper.

The Company

Perhaps the most important ingredient of all. A braai is fundamentally social, built for lingering over good food with people you like, rather than rushing through a meal.

Why London Needs a Braai This Summer

London does outdoor dining well, but genuine South African braai culture is harder to come by, which is exactly the gap Vivat Bacchus set out to fill. As a South African restaurant and wine bar with a 1,000-plus-bottle cellar and heritage stretching back to 2003, we've built our summer menu around the same fire-cooked spirit that defines a braai back home.

Summer in the city calls for exactly this kind of experience: unhurried, flavour-driven and best enjoyed with a glass of South African wine in hand. Whether you're marking a special occasion or simply looking for things to do in London this summer, a braai-inspired evening brings a different rhythm to the usual dinner-out routine.

Braai Season at Vivat Bacchus

Braai season at Vivat Bacchus runs from April through October, giving Londoners a proper stretch of the year to enjoy fire-cooked South African dishes, hand-selected wines and the kind of relaxed hospitality the tradition is built on. It brings something genuinely different to the standard summer barbecue, rooted in real technique and real heritage.

Both ourFarringdon andLondon Bridge sites bring the braai outdoors, so wherever you're closer to, there's a table with your name on it.

For those keen to explore further, ourbraai season coverage andClub Carnivore events offer more ways to experience South African fire cooking at its best.

Bringing the Braai Spirit to Your Summer

A braai is a way of spending time with people you like, built around fire, food and unhurried conversation. That's the atmosphere we've tried to recreate at Vivat Bacchus, and it's why braai season has become one of our most-loved times of year.

If you've never experienced a proper South African braai, this summer is the moment to find out what the fuss is about, no flight to Cape Town required.

Craving the real thing? Book your table at Vivat Bacchus and taste braai season for yourself:reserve now.

People Also Ask

What does "braai" mean? Braai is the Afrikaans word for "grill," and it refers to the whole South African tradition of fire-cooked food and social gathering, not just the cooking method itself.

What's the difference between a braai and a barbecue? A braai is cooked over wood or coals rather than gas, moves at a slower, more social pace, and typically features South African staples like boerewors, biltong and pap alongside grilled meats.

What meat is used in a braai? Common choices include sirloin, lamb, chicken and boerewors (a spiced, coiled sausage), often served alongside biltong or droëwors as a starter.

When is braai season at Vivat Bacchus? Braai season runs from April to October, giving guests a full summer and autumn stretch to enjoy fire-cooked South African dishes.

Where can I experience an authentic braai in London? Vivat Bacchus brings authentic South African braai culture to London, pairing fire-cooked dishes with a cellar of over 1,000 wines across its Farringdon and London Bridge sites, both of which host the outdoor braai experience.