A trip to the theatre has a sense of occasion to it, but the evening becomes extra special when you and your loved ones enjoy a delicious meal together before the show. No more sandwiches in the interval or rushed trips to the same old chain restaurants; it’s time we started putting as much thought into our dining plans as we do into the play we’ll be seeing. We’ve created this guide to the best pre-theatre restaurants in London, covering a range of locations to suit a variety of venues.
Cinnamon Soho
You might have heard of the Cinnamon Club, the ever-popular Indian fine-dining restaurant located in the Old Westminster Library. Sister venue Cinnamon Soho is a more casual affair, with a menu that offers traditional Indian fare with some quirky British twists. Try the Bangla-Scotch quail eggs or rogan josh shepherd’s pie.
Close to: London Palladium, Apollo Theatre, Criterion Theatre, Gielgud Theatre, Piccadilly Theatre, Prince of Wales Theatre, Queen’s Theatre
M Victoria Street
Winner of three awards for ‘Best Restaurant 2017’, Founder and CEO of M Restaurants Martin Williams continues to impress with his second venture on Victoria Street. These conveniently located restaurants near the Apollo Victoria Theatre are just a few minutes away from some of the major theatres and the varied menu makes it a great spot for some quality food even if your group can’t quite agree on what they fancy. The huge floor space is split up into M Grill, for high-dining and the city’s best steaks; M Raw, serving raw food and light dishes; M Bar, offering informal burgers and street food and specialist wine shop M Wine.
Booking is simple: just visit http://mrestaurants.co.uk/victoria/pre-theatre/
Close to: Apollo Victoria Theatre, Victoria Palace Theatre, The Other Palace, Curzon Victoria
Gay Hussar
The Gay Hussar has served Hungarian specialities to an array of politicians, journalists and artists for over sixty years, its unique dark wood décor and media caricatures attracting devotees back here time and again. To experience a bit of London’s history and enjoy generous portions of traditional Hungarian cuisine such as venison goulash, this is an ideal restaurant to stop by at before a show.
Close to: Soho Theatre, Phoenix Theatre, Prince Edward Theatre, Palace Theatre
Baltic
Baltic specialises in the cuisines of Eastern and Central Europe, with soups, pickled fish and dumplings from Poland and Russia as well as Hungarian spiced stews and the aromatic grills of Georgia and Central Asia. If you like unusual spicing and want to try some flavourful, authentic food before you hit the theatre, this is the place to come. They also serve over 70 varieties of vodka!
Close to: National Theatre, Old Vic Theatre, Young Vic Theatre
Palomar
The Palomar has a unique menu created by head chef Tomer Amedi, specialising in Mediterranean-Jewish cuisine. This is a restaurant that always seems to be busy, so it’s advisable to book if you’re looking to fit in a pre-theatre dinner London before you head to Theatre Royal or the Harold Pinter. Make sure you try the handmade pittas.
Close to: Theatre Royal, Harold Pinter Theatre, Criterion Theatre, Her Majesty’s Theatre
Eneko at One Aldwych
Three-Michelin-starred chef Eneko Axta grew up in the Basque Country, Spain. His newest restaurant in Covent Garden showcases fresh modern Basque dishes, each one brimming with innovation and quality ingredients. If you’ll be close to Covent Garden before the theatre and like the sound of beetroot tartare or courgette spaghetti with garlic cream, you’re certainly not going to find it anywhere else.
Close to: Adelphi Theatre, Lyceum Theatre, Vaudeville Theatre, Novello Theatre, Duchess Theatre, Aldwych Theatre, Drury Lane Theatre Royale
