Best Pre-Theatre Dining in London

 
 
 
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STK - London

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STK - London
STK - London
Hawksmoor
Bob Bob Ricard
Bob Bob Ricard
HIX Soho
Brasserie Zedel
Brasserie Zedel
Balthazar
Flesh and Buns
Frenchie
Frenchie
Homage at The Waldorf Hilton
Sushisamba Covent Garden
 

 

Forget chain restaurants and substandard set menus, these London restaurants ensure your night in theatreland is memorable right from the start.

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Homage at The Waldorf Hilton

The West End restaurant regularly partners with theatres to present a menu of show-themed cocktails.

22 The Aldwych, The Waldorf Hilton, , Aldwych, Covent Garden, London, WC2B 4DD

Tube: Covent Garden Station , Temple Station

 
 

Homage is located in one of the stately ballrooms of the Waldorf Hilton right next to Covent Garden. As you might expect, it is a prestige restaurant with grand surroundings and impeccable service to match. Guests are invited to dine against a backdrop of Louis XVI-style decor inspired by the grand cafes of Europe. Think towering Corinthian columns, sparkling chandeliers, floor-to-ceiling Art Deco mirrors, and lacquer, gold and velvet accents. During the day, there's plenty of natural light while in the evening glimmering candles and chandeliers make for a romantic setting, ensuring it's the perfect spot for everything from breakfast and brunch to afternoon tea and dinner. Classic dishes such as scotch egg with asparagus and lamb shoulder with pea puree, as well as tempting desserts like Oreo cheesecake with clotted cream and strawberry mousse with champagne sorbet, also ensure the menu has a broad appeal. Heading to a West End show? The hotel's proximity makes it perfect for a pre-theatre dinner and the restaurant regularly partners with theatres to present a menu of show-themed cocktails.

 
 
 

STK - London

The pre-theatre menu at STK includes mini burgers and prime rump steak.

ME Hotel, 336-337 Strand, Covent Garden, London, WC2R 1HA

Tube: Temple Station , Covent Garden Station

 
 

If you're all glammed up ready for a night at the theatre, be sure to start your night in style with a meal at STK. Found within the luxury ME London, the restaurant brings together glamour and good food, with hand-selected, hand-cut beef and a chic bar/lounge. The pre-theatre menu is a tempting option with a generous menu for just £30. Diners can feast on USDA beef mini burgers, ging & tonic marinated Scottish salmon or tomato and burrata to start; South American grain fed beef sirloin, North Sea cod fillet, BBQ corn fed chicken breast or fregola risotto for main; and New York cheesecake, mango coconut panacotta or a boozy ice cream Sundae for pudding.

 
 
 

Hawksmoor

Four Hawksmoor branches offer express menus that are ideal for pre-theatre dining.

5A Air Street, Mayfair, London, W1J 0AD

Tube: Piccadilly Circus Station

 
 

With two branches located in theatreland - Air Street and Seven Dials - Hawksmoor is the perfect stop for a pre-theatre dinner and the Knightsbridge and Borough branches also offer pre-theatre menus. Both venues offer express menus that are available for lunch, until 6.30pm and after 10pm. At £25 for two courses or £28 for three, diners can choose from smoked mackerel salad, roast, raw and pickled carrots with goats cheese, and potted beef with bacon and Yorkshires for starter, and rump steak or fillet tail (£6 supplement) for main. Three tempting puddings are included in the offer: plum pavlova, sticky toffee sundae and peanut butter shortbread. They even have a map of local theatres on their site, showing which of the two venues is closest to the theatre you're visiting. 

 
 
 

Bob Bob Ricard

A glamorous start to your night in theatreland.

1 Upper James Street, Soho, Soho, London, W1F 9DF

Tube: Piccadilly Circus Station , Oxford Circus Station

 
 

Located nearby to the West End, Bob Bob Ricard is perfect for an indulgent pre-theatre dinner. While the restaurant doesn't offer a specific pre-theatre menu, it opens from 6pm during the week and 5.30pm on Fridays and Saturday - often the only time slot you can get booked in for! This allows plenty of time to enjoy the restaurant's infamous beef wellington or lobster macaroni and cheese before settling in for your chosen shown. With its renowned 'Press For Champagne' buttons and glamorous Art Deco interior, Bob Bob Ricard is a glitzy way to begin your night out in theatreland. Just be sure to book well in advance as tables can be very hard to come by. 

 
 
 

HIX Soho

Choose from a two or three course menu in the heart of theatreland.

66-70 Brewer Street, Soho, London, W1F 9UP

Tube: Piccadilly Circus Station , Leicester Square Station

 
 

Sitting at the heart of theatreland in London's West End, HIX Soho is the perfect spot for pre-theatre dining or a post-theatre drink in Mark's Bar. Available Monday through to Saturday, the set menu includes both a pre-theatre dining option between 12pm and 6.30pm and a post-theatre menu from 10pm and 11.30pm. Diners can enjoy either two courses for £19.50 or three courses for £23.50 with options including spiced butternut squash soup, crispy Cornish squid with squid ink mayonnaise and pan fried fillet of Cornish cod with whipped potato and parsley sauce. For dessert there's Bramley apple pie and custard and Peruvian gold chocolate mousse with honeycomb. 

 
 
 
 

Brasserie Zedel

Feast on classic French dishes in a glamorous Art Deco setting.

20 Sherwood Street, Soho, London, W1F 7ED

Tube: Piccadilly Circus Station , Leicester Square Station

 
 

The grand Brasserie Zedel offers a prix fixe menu, with two courses for £10.95 and three courses for £14.25, and also a formule menu, with three courses for £19.75 that includes a glass of wine. Located just off Piccadilly Circus, it's the perfect spot for a bite to eat before a night at the theatre, and with beautiful Art Deco interiors - high ceilings, marble pillars, brass rails and large mirrors - it's an unusually glamorous setting for such good value. Choose from classic French dishes such as coq au vin and beef bourguignon. 

 
 
 

Balthazar

Enjoy a number of theatre and dinner packages at this Parisian-style brasserie.

4-7 Russell Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2B 5HZ

Tube: Covent Garden Station , Leicester Square Station

 
 

A grand Parisian-style brasserie in the heart of Covent Garden, [Balthazar]{http://www.londontown.com/LondonInformation/Dining/Balthazar/7bc84/} is a tempting destination for a pre-theatre pit stop. The prix fixe menu is available for both pre and post-theatre dining with the choice of two or three courses. The menu offers the choice of three hors d'oeuvres: baked eggs en cocotte, burrata and soupe du jour. Entrees are grilled chopped steak with pepper sauce, fillet of black bream, and baked macaroni with wild mushrooms and tarragon while dessert is raspberry profiteroles or a selection of French cheeses with toasted walnut bread. Two courses are £19.95 and three courses are £22.95. 

 
 
 

Flesh and Buns

Feast on seafood ceviche and pork-filled buns before heading to the theatre.

41 Earlham Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9LX

Tube: Covent Garden Station , Leicester Square Station, Tottenham Court Road Station

 
 

With an express menu available every day until 8.45pm and after 10pm, rock 'n' roll Japanese eatery [Flesh and Buns]{http://www.londontown.com/LondonInformation/Dining/Flesh-and-Buns/c3bf2/} is a good alternative to your standard pre-theatre dining options. Designed for sharing, the menu includes three small dishes: mixed seafood ceviche, salmon avocado roll and, a menu highlight, Korean fried wings with spicy sour sauce and sesame. For main, choose between three of the restaurant's infamous buns, with crispy piglet belly, salmon teriyaki and crispy duck leg on offer - don't be fooled by the deceptive measly portions, these buns are unbelievably filling. Unfortunately, the Instagram-worthy s'mores aren't on the express menu, but the equally tasty sobacha brulee, kinako black custard donuts, and Bone Daddies sundae are. Two courses cost £22 and three courses cost £24. A true bargain. 

 
 
 

Frenchie

Gregory Marchand's first London restaurant is perfectly positioned for pre-theatre dining.

16 Henrietta Street, London, WC2E 8QH

Tube: Covent Garden Station , Charing Cross Station, Leicester Square Station, Embankment Underground Station

 
 

The first London restaurant from Gregory Marchand, Frenchie is an elegant spot in Covent Garden, making it perfectly placed for pre and post-theatre dining. The set menu has the choice of two courses (£29) or three courses (£32) along with additional nibbles, sides and a cheese selection. To start, tuck into mushrooms on toast with goat's curd or wild boar ragu pappardelle while for main there's pumpkin and ricotta tortellini and confit duck leg with turnip and mushroom. An indulgent banoffee, nutmeg and caramelised pecan along with the tarte of the day make up the dessert menu. Dusky pink chairs, brass accents and a sweeping marble bar create the beautiful backdrop.

 
 
 

Sushisamba Covent Garden

Enjoy a three-course pre-theatre menu alongside views across Covent Garden.

35 The Market, London, WC2E 8RF

Tube: Covent Garden Station , Leicester Square Station, Charing Cross Station

 
 

Sitting on Covent Garden's Opera Terrace, Sushisamba Covent Garden boasts a prime location for pre-theatre dining. Much like its sister restaurant in east London, which sits on the 38th and 39th floor of Heron Tower, the venue offers spectacular views, this time across the famous central London piazza thanks to a terrace that runs along the entire east side of the market. Available every day from 11.30am-6.30pm, the Samba Fixe Menu offers three courses for just £28 with a choice of small plates such as short rib gyoza and seasonal vegetable tempura to start, a selection of sushi for main and a menu of three indulgent options, including mini chocolate banana cake, for dessert. 

 
 
 
 
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