A mini guide to
Markets, Chinatown, historic pubs and pre-theatre dining
Food & drink
Few places in London pack so many restaurants into so small an area. Choose a type below, then narrow it down by price, area or what matters to you. Every place has its own card with directions.
£LGBTQ+ pub · Soho
One of Soho's best-known LGBTQ+ pubs, a lively place on Old Compton Street with a long history in the community.
According to OpenStreetMap contributors. Check with the venue before you go.
£Coffee & tea shop · Soho
A tiny, traditional shop selling coffee beans and teas from floor-to-ceiling shelves, trading on Old Compton Street since 1887. Good for an espresso or beans to take home.
According to OpenStreetMap contributors. Check with the venue before you go.
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£££Cocktail bar · Strand
Often described as one of the oldest cocktail bars in the world, in the Savoy hotel on the Strand.
£Swedish bakery · Covent Garden
A small Swedish bakery known for its cardamom and cinnamon buns, tucked down a Covent Garden alley.
French brasserie · Covent Garden
A large, glamorous Parisian-style brasserie opposite the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, serving breakfast through to late dinner.
According to OpenStreetMap contributors. Check with the venue before you go.
£Italian café · Soho
An Italian café open since 1949, famous for its neon sign and late hours.
££Italian espresso & cocktail bar · Soho
A small Italian bar known for its coffee by day and Negronis by night.
££Spanish tapas · Soho
A Spanish tapas bar with counter seating, where you watch the cooks at work.
£Cookie shop · Covent Garden
A popular cookie shop in the market hall, with warm cookies baked on site and a queue on busy days.
£Street market · Soho
One of London's oldest street markets, with fruit and vegetable stalls and street food at lunchtime, in the middle of Soho.
£££Italian · Soho
A lively Italian restaurant serving regional dishes in small and large portions, near Shaftesbury Avenue.
££French brasserie · Soho
A grand Art Deco brasserie in a former ballroom, known for its good-value set menu.
According to OpenStreetMap contributors. Check with the venue before you go.
££Italian · Covent Garden
A smart, relaxed Italian restaurant on St Martin's Lane, handy for the theatres and with an Italian wine list.
£Chinese restaurants & bakeries · Chinatown
Dim sum, noodles, bakeries and bubble tea packed into a few pedestrian streets. A good choice for a late lunch or a quick, flavourful dinner.
£££French · Covent Garden
A romantic French restaurant with a flower-covered conservatory courtyard.
According to OpenStreetMap contributors. Check with the venue before you go.
£Market hall & food stalls · Covent Garden
The historic covered market, with the Apple Market craft stalls and Jubilee Market, plus cafés and snack stalls. Good for a wander and a quick bite.
According to OpenStreetMap contributors. Check with the venue before you go.
£££British brasserie · Soho
A Georgian townhouse restaurant serving classic British dishes in a relaxed, clubby setting.
££Indian (Bombay café) · Covent Garden
Bombay-café dining from breakfast rolls to dinner. Expect a queue at peak times.
Cocktail bar · Chinatown
A discreet, speakeasy-style cocktail bar behind an unmarked door in Chinatown.
Steak · Covent Garden
A steak restaurant built around a single affordable cut, with simple sides and a no-fuss atmosphere.
According to OpenStreetMap contributors. Check with the venue before you go.
£Coffee shop · Soho
A pioneer of the Antipodean coffee scene in Soho, serving flat whites and brunch from a small corner café on Berwick Street.
According to OpenStreetMap contributors. Check with the venue before you go.
£Italian gelato · Soho
Italian gelato in seasonal flavours, near Shaftesbury Avenue. A treat before a show.
£Wine bar · Covent Garden
A candle-lit, vaulted cellar wine bar, open since 1890. Very busy after work.
According to OpenStreetMap contributors. Check with the venue before you go.
£££Steakhouse · Covent Garden
A steakhouse known for dry-aged British beef, set in a former warehouse near Seven Dials.
££Sri Lankan & South Indian · Soho
A casual restaurant known for hoppers (bowl-shaped rice pancakes) and spicy curries. Walk-in tables often mean a wait.
Italian deli · Soho
A family-run Italian delicatessen on Old Compton Street, open since 1929, with fresh pasta, cured meats and sandwiches.
£££Seafood · Covent Garden
A classic seafood restaurant down a theatre-district alley, long loved by actors.
According to OpenStreetMap contributors. Check with the venue before you go.
American restaurant · Covent Garden
An American-style restaurant that has been a favourite with theatre people since the 1970s, with posters of past shows on the walls.
Ramen · Soho
A ramen restaurant specialising in tonkotsu pork-bone broth, close to Leicester Square and the theatres.
Thai (northern Thailand & Yunnan) · Soho
A counter-style restaurant specialising in the cooking of northern Thailand and Yunnan, with food cooked over charcoal and in clay pots.
According to OpenStreetMap contributors. Check with the venue before you go.
££Three-storey food courtyard · Soho
A three-storey courtyard off Carnaby Street with a mix of casual restaurants and bars. Handy when your group wants different cuisines.
££French tearoom & macarons · Covent Garden
The Parisian macaron house in the Covent Garden Market building, with a tearoom for pastries and afternoon tea.
££Italian deli & restaurant · Soho
A green-fronted Italian deli and restaurant, open since 1944, serving fresh pasta.
According to OpenStreetMap contributors. Check with the venue before you go.
£French patisserie · Soho
A Soho patisserie founded in 1871, with a cluttered, old-fashioned tearoom and cakes in the window. Often described as the oldest French patisserie in London.
According to OpenStreetMap contributors. Check with the venue before you go.
££Vegetarian & vegan · Soho
A long-running vegetarian and vegan restaurant with a global menu, popular with groups.
£Coffee roaster & café · Covent Garden
A long-established coffee roaster and café, known for single-origin beans and pastries. There is often a queue, but it moves quickly.
££Cheese shop · Covent Garden
A cheesemonger specialising in British and Irish cheeses, where staff let you taste before you buy. A great stop for picnic supplies.
According to OpenStreetMap contributors. Check with the venue before you go.
££Spanish & Italian small plates · Covent Garden
A small-plates restaurant close to the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, convenient before a show.
Neapolitan pizza · Soho
Neapolitan-style pizza from a London-born group, with quick service and reasonable prices.
Jazz club & pizza · Soho
A basement jazz club with a restaurant upstairs, and live music most evenings.
Italian bakery & restaurant · Soho
A busy Italian bakery and restaurant with a counter of fresh bread, pastries and pizza. Popular for breakfast and an easy lunch.
According to OpenStreetMap contributors. Check with the venue before you go.
££Seafood & rotisserie · Soho
A champagne-and-oyster bar set in a former butcher's shop, with rotisserie chicken and seafood.
According to OpenStreetMap contributors. Check with the venue before you go.
£££Jazz club & dinner · Soho
The legendary jazz club has hosted great musicians since 1959. Book ahead for an evening of live music and a table close to the stage.
According to OpenStreetMap contributors. Check with the venue before you go.
£££Traditional British · Covent Garden
Often described as London's oldest restaurant, serving British game and classics since 1798 in a richly decorated room.
According to OpenStreetMap contributors. Check with the venue before you go.
££Food hall · Covent Garden
A food hall in a former warehouse, with stalls from a wide range of cuisines and a bar. A good lunch stop if your group cannot agree.
Burgers & shakes · Covent Garden
A casual burger counter in the market hall, with outdoor seating in warm weather.
££Cocktail bar · Soho
A two-floor cocktail bar on Old Compton Street, with a lively upstairs bar and a quieter basement.
According to OpenStreetMap contributors. Check with the venue before you go.
£Historic Soho pub · Soho
A historic Soho pub with a literary reputation, in the heart of the neighbourhood.
According to OpenStreetMap contributors. Check with the venue before you go.
£££Viennese-inspired café-restaurant · Covent Garden
An elegant Mitteleuropean café-restaurant on the Aldwych, serving schnitzels and cakes close to the theatres.
£Victorian pub · Soho
A small Victorian pub on a Soho corner, with a tiled interior and a cosy upstairs room.
According to OpenStreetMap contributors. Check with the venue before you go.
£Historic Soho pub · Soho
A tiny Soho pub with a bohemian history, known for serving beer by the half pint.
£Real-ale pub · Covent Garden
A small, award-winning real-ale pub close to Charing Cross, often busy with theatre crowds.
According to OpenStreetMap contributors. Check with the venue before you go.
£££British brasserie · Covent Garden
A theatre-district brasserie with stained-glass windows and celebrity diners. Book ahead.
According to OpenStreetMap contributors. Check with the venue before you go.
£Historic pub · Covent Garden
A historic pub on a narrow Covent Garden alley, said to have been a favourite of Charles Dickens.
According to OpenStreetMap contributors. Check with the venue before you go.
££Modern Jerusalem cooking · Soho
A lively restaurant with a counter around the open kitchen, serving modern Jerusalem-style food.
£Victorian theatre pub · Covent Garden
A Victorian pub with etched glass and velvet seating, popular with actors and theatre-goers.
According to OpenStreetMap contributors. Check with the venue before you go.
£Cantonese · Chinatown
A no-frills Cantonese restaurant in Chinatown, known for fast service and big portions at low prices.
According to OpenStreetMap contributors. Check with the venue before you go.
£££Dim sum & tea · Soho
A dim sum teahouse with a glowing blue ceiling and a pastry counter. A stylish choice for lunch or afternoon tea.
According to OpenStreetMap contributors. Check with the venue before you go.
Try removing a filter or searching for something different.
Good to know
For evenings and weekends, especially before a show, yes. Many popular restaurants fill up quickly, while lunch is easier to arrange on the day.
A shorter, set-price menu served early in the evening, usually between about 5pm and 7pm, designed to get you to your seat on time. Tell the restaurant when your curtain goes up.
Many London restaurants add a discretionary service charge of around 12.5% to the bill. Check your bill before adding a tip.
Almost everywhere in this area offers vegetarian options, and many restaurants cater well for vegan, gluten-free and other dietary needs. Use the "Vegetarian-friendly" filter above for places that are especially good.
Most shows end around 10–10:30pm. Soho and Chinatown have restaurants open late, and the "Open late" filter shows places that are good after a show.
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