Hardens Guide to the Best Restaurants in London Covent Garden
Hardens guides have spent 25 years compiling reviews of the best Covent Garden restaurants. On Hardens.com you'll find details and reviews of 119 restaurants in Covent Garden and our unique survey based approach to rating and reviewing Covent Garden restaurants gives you the best insight into the top restaurants in every area and of every type of cuisine.
Featured Covent Garden Restaurants
1. Mon Plaisir Restaurant
French restaurant in Covent Garden
19-21 Monmouth Street - WC2
“For a romantic touch of Paris”, this “archetypal” Gallic bistro in Covent Garden (dating from 1946) certainly looks the part – “a warren of rooms”, which has seen numerous additions over the years, and where the “delightful” ambience is at its strongest in the oldest section of all. The cuisine is very “traditional” and, according to most diners, “still superb after so many years”; but others are more nuanced in their praise: “it’s not the best French food by far, but a visit is like meeting an old friend who’s been in your life for decades”. Top Tip – “the pre-theatre deal is great value”.
2. Le Garrick
French restaurant in Covent Garden
10-12 Garrick Street - WC2
“A delightful throwback to the French bistros of the 1980s, set over a couple of floors, with tables crammed into nooks and crannies” – this Covent Garden stalwart is “very romantic, with its candles and cosy booths”. The “traditional, unpretentious food” is “good value” (“nothing fancy, but consistent”) while the “staff are so friendly”: if you’re in a hurry pre-theatre, “they put you through fast without seeming to hassle you”, but “if you have more time they let you linger”.
3. San Carlo Cicchetti
Italian restaurant in Covent Garden
30 Wellington St - WC2
“Don’t be fooled by its prominent location, just off Piccadilly Circus, that it’s just one for the tourists” – this “bustling, noisy and so-atmospheric” Venetian brasserie (which also has a similar sibling, more tucked away in Covent Garden) “looks like a tourist trap, but offers an authentic culinary experience” with its “delicious small plates” (cicchetti) – “a format that caters to all appetites”, all at “reasonable prices”. Staff are “enthusiastic and professional” and “feed off the buzz of the place”, which “feels smart, even if tables are very close together”.
4. Heliot Steak House
British, Modern restaurant in Covent Garden
Cranbourn Street - WC2
“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.
5. Suda
Thai restaurant in Covent Garden
23 Slingsby Place, St Martin’s Court - WC2
SUDA Thai Cafe Restaurant
Winner of the Open Table Diners Choice Award 2014, SUDA, situated in St Martin’s Courtyard, Covent Garden, is all about the greatest hits of Thai street food!
Our menu covers the classics including pad Thai, red and green curries a...
6. Le Restaurant de PAUL
French restaurant in Covent Garden
29-30 Bedford St - WC2
Our bakery, café and restaurant at 29 Bedford Street was the first branch of PAUL in the UK and is just behind the beautiful St. Paul’s Church. You will find PAUL almost on the corner of King Street...
7. Chez Antoinette
French restaurant in Covent Garden
Unit 30 The Market Building - WC2
As a child, my grandmother used to prepare delicious Tartines in her kitchen for me. Having lived in London over the past 5 years, I became homesick and those memories came fluttering back. After a while, it became clear to me that I had to put all my effort and hard work into my...
8. Barrafina
Spanish restaurant in Covent Garden
10 Adelaide St - WC2
“The tapas is perfection and the equal of Cal Pep in Barcelona” at the Hart Bros’ “vibrant” chain of small (typically 30 covers) no-bookings bars, which its vast fanclub acclaim as “the best tapas in London or in the UK or perhaps even in Europe north of the Pyrenees!”, with “delicious, ultra-fresh seafood” a particular highlight. The preparation at the counter is “still a great piece of theatre” and – buoyed by its “exceptional, friendly, enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff” – helps create a feelgood experience. “Don’t be put off by the queuing – it’s part of the fun: sipping on Cava and nibbling on Jamon as you snake your way to the front of the line!”. This year, the group added a “slick outfit in the new Coal Drops Yard development” – “it lacks a bit of the charm and vibe of those in Soho and Covent Garden, but the edibles are still very edible!”
9. Barrafina Drury Lane
Spanish restaurant in Covent Garden
43 Drury Ln - WC2
“The tapas is perfection and the equal of Cal Pep in Barcelona” at the Hart Bros’ “vibrant” chain of small (typically 30 covers) no-bookings bars, which its vast fanclub acclaim as “the best tapas in London or in the UK or perhaps even in Europe north of the Pyrenees!”, with “delicious, ultra-fresh seafood” a particular highlight. The preparation at the counter is “still a great piece of theatre” and – buoyed by its “exceptional, friendly, enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff” – helps create a feelgood experience. “Don’t be put off by the queuing – it’s part of the fun: sipping on Cava and nibbling on Jamon as you snake your way to the front of the line!”. This year, the group added a “slick outfit in the new Coal Drops Yard development” – “it lacks a bit of the charm and vibe of those in Soho and Covent Garden, but the edibles are still very edible!”
10. The Barbary
North African restaurant in Covent Garden
16 Neal's Yard - WC2
“If fantastic food is your priority rather than comfort”, make a bee-line for The Palomar’s “fun” and “intimate” younger sibling in Neal’s Yard, which majors in “the most tasty and exciting” North African-inspired tapas, all served at the bar. “In theory this is everything I dislike in a restaurant: countertop seating only, loud music, and sharing-plates. But it blew every prejudice out of the water. The food was exquisite – lots of flavours I hadn’t had before – and the ones I had, perfectly produced. Fantastic wine, wonderful atmosphere; and despite being alongside fellow diners at the counter, it felt private and relaxed. A really special evening”. “I’d go all the time if only you could book!”
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