Covent Garden, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

2021 Review: “One of the more individual, thoughtful places opening up in Covent Garden” – this “lively”, “very enjoyable little sister of Kitty Fisher” opened in mid-2018, and inspires many reports of “simple, luxurious food” from “an incredibly attractive menu” of “delicious, little, sharing bites”. “Decent-without-being-exceptional” is another school of opinion on the cooking, though, and middling ratings overall take into account seating that’s “so cramped” and service that’s “at times, pushy, brisk and hurried”. Top Tip – “I’m not sure what they did to the chips but they transcended any normal form of potato – order a bowl each as you won’t want to share!”

2021 Review: “Maybe the brand is a bit stretched”, but Richard Caring’s bold expansion is paying off by-and-large, certainly in commercial terms, and – though most branches’ average food-rating is run-of-the-mill – by the standards of large chains, the group delivers a consistent-enough formula, whereby folks accept predictable nursery fodder in return for a dependable dose of ‘affordable glamour’. The “beautiful and festive” Ivy Chelsea Garden (SW3) is the best known in the stable and it’s particularly “wonderful if you manage to get a table in their fabulous garden”. The “big and buzzy” Ivy Kensington Brasserie (W8) is less highly rated, but nevertheless fills a vital niche in the local market for a comfortable, atmospheric and versatile rendezvous (“its bar is also a fun place for a drink”). The City branches (The Ivy Tower Bridge, The Ivy City Garden EC2) and Canary Wharf outlet (The Ivy in the Park, E14) are the highest rated all-round (perhaps reflecting the ongoing lack of convivial spaces out east). “Awesome views” at Tower Bridge are distinct client-pleasers. Other branches taking above-average flak include The Ivy Soho Brasserie, W1 (“busy mayhem” with “slow and disorganised service”) and The Ivy Market Grill, WC2 (“nothing special, rather overpriced, and very busy”). See also Granary Square Brasserie.

2021 Review: “This American-style French brasserie” in Covent Garden – an offshoot of Keith McNally’s downtown NYC institution – has a “great atmosphere any time of day”: “love the decor as you enter”. It’s “a large space but a very cosy one”, and, say fans, “not outrageously priced considering its position and what it must have cost to create”. But at times it’s “a victim of its own success – packed, loud and slow, with staff trying heroically to cope”, and “the food is not exactly world-shattering”, just “fine in a ‘here’s one I prepared earlier and heated up’ sort of way”. Top Tip – “it’s very good for breakfast, which is less costly than other meals here”.

2021 Review: Promising, if limited, early feedback on this modern ‘wine parlour’ – recently opened by wine expert Andrew Gray (a merchant with a business at the Southbank Food Market) on a corner-site near Covent Garden (the erstwhile office-space of a Mr Charles Dickens); and with an excellent list of 70 wines: “limited food, but what they do is lovely; tiny space, but it’s gorgeous, and well worth a visit, especially as staff are so lovely”.

Part of a £60m refurb of the Theatre Royal (nickname ‘The Lane’) started in 2019. Very simple all-day dining incorporate breakfast, lunch, and after-work drinks. Afternoon tea will be available later in the year when they open the Grand Saloon.

2021 Review: “Useful pre-Wigmore Hall” – this Marylebone original is now the sole surviving branch of what for a few years become a chain, but which retrenched last year. The space – with large windows and dominated by the bar – “doesn’t encourage you to linger”, but the “simple dishes are well executed, at a good price”. Really, though, it’s “all about the wines by the glass” (15 reds and 15 whites), plus a ‘Collector’s List’ of rare vintages by the bottle.

2021 Review: “So cool eating at the bar” – this “enjoyably bustling” spin-off from the neighbouring Theatreland classic has “very good, 1930s-style decor” (even though it was only created about 10 years ago). Compared with the main restaurant it’s “perhaps a bit more about the ambience versus the food” here, and – “with the menu opting for the small-plates approach – costs can mount up”. But, results are “predictably good”, and the operation’s “slick” style and “flexible” format suits it to many different occasions: it’s particularly “great for lunch sitting at the bar, or an early pre-theatre dinner at one of the tables”.

2021 Review: “An old favourite, but the diffusion-brand has tarnished its name” – it feels like this Theatreland legend is steadily being sacrificed for the greater good of its growing stable of spin-offs. Many supporters do still feel its “comforting” menu delivers “reliable, traditional British food” in a “classy and buzzy” setting and that the trip is “still worth it (especially if you can get into the adjoining Ivy Club)”. But scores here are heading inexorably south across the board, supporting the many former regulars who feel the place “misplaced its soul, serving food that’s decidedly average at best” and “lost its caché” to the extent it’s “a shadow of its former self”.

2021 Review: “A lovely use of a beautiful space” – “with delicate light flowing in, and a cream-focused colour scheme” – this “open and airy room”, within magnificent Somerset House, properly “lives up to its name”, and “is the perfect setting for the light, fresh and wonderful dishes” created by Skye Gyngell from her “fine, seasonal” menu. That it’s “not cheap” is noted, but seldom with rancour. “Courteous service” completes a “superb” and “romantic” experience.

2021 Review: “Exceptional value set deals” (particularly at lunch and pre-theatre) provide reason to discover this unusually situated grill, in the former dress circle of the converted theatre that nowadays houses the UK’s largest casino (right by Leicester Square tube) and looks down on the gambling tables below. Casino owner Simon Thomas prides himself on the quality of the steaks and wines on offer, and it shows.

2021 Review: “An old favourite – but still the best place to meet friends in London” – this lovingly preserved, 1890s wine bar by Embankment station has a huge outside terrace and “atmospheric cellars” lit by candles. “This is not about the food (which is perfectly OK, just very limited) or the grumpy staff – it’s about the wine and the ambience, delivered here in spades”. “How wonderful to take someone who’s never been before, to experience the atmosphere”, either as a boozy hideaway in winter, or for a BBQ by the park in summer.

On the ground floor of Covent Garden members' club The Conduit is this new sustainability-led restaurant from ex-Silo chef Brendan Eades.

Marco Pierre White's first West End opening in over a decade serves "steaks, gin cocktails and pizzas".