Covent Garden, International Restaurant Guide

“Famous for being London’s top romantic dining spot with good reason” – this bewitching Covent Garden “haven” comes complete with an “exquisite” rear conservatory, with “a glass roof that opens in summer” and “the treat of a log fire in winter” – and “on the first floor you dine under a vibrant canopy of flowers”. By most accounts the European cuisine is “beautifully presented and tastes as good as it looks” too, although a slight slip in its ratings of late supports those who feel that “it’s more hit and miss since the pandemic”. No change in its “wonderful wine selection” however: “a surprisingly eclectic list of wines, alongside the bonus of an extensive cognac offering (and Armagnac dating back 70 years!”). “A must for a special celebration”.

The soaring windows and high ceilings of this revamped hall make a “great setting” for a bite at the opera – “and you get somewhere to sit in the interval!”. Yes, it is “expensive” and the menu options are “rather limited”, but it does the job.

“Good pre-theatre option very close to the Royal Opera House” – this Covent Garden fixture is “not overly expensive”, and even if its French brasserie food is sometimes “OK but uninspiring”, it “hits the spot for a quick dinner” and provides a very “buzzy” launchpad for an evening in the West End. Top Menu Tip – “excellent onion soup”.

Named for a “wine list built on love and low mark-ups” (they order 10 cases of each vintage on a rotating basis), this “bustling little wine bar and bistro” in Covent Garden is a marvellous haven for oenophiles, serving “top-quality food and regularly changing wines without too much faff” – and “not too stratospherically expensive” either. “Very well run, with professional yet discreet service”, it’s “a top place pre-theatre for a relaxed supper and a glass or two”, even if “the tables are a little close”.

“As many lovely sandwiches as you can eat, a big selection of teas, great cakes etc; all impeccably served in a beautiful and very comfortable room with a pianist” marks out the central lounge of this famous property as offering one of London’s top teas. The space was called ‘Thames Foyer’ up till its redesign and relaunch in late 2024 and one report does quibble at the changes (“it’s now not as comfortable as extra tables means you eat much closer together and prices seem to be higher”). Most feedback, though, is a hymn of praise and also claims that tea here has “less pressure and formality than at The Ritz”. The venue is also tipped for “a good selection of posh breakfast classics, well-prepared and served with style”.

“It’s been going for very many years, has become far too busy and can get very cramped”… but that’s been a typical description of the capital’s oldest wine bar (est. 1890) near Embankment Tube for as long as anyone can remember. One casualty of popularity in recent times has been the hot food specials – it’s now just the cheeses, cold cuts, pâtés and salad selection, although they recently introduced meat and mezze sharing boards. The “great wine list” is the same pull it always was. Top Tip – try to visit in winter and arrive early for a table in the candle-lit cellar… but in summer they also have one of central London’s biggest, nicest outdoor terraces.