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 121 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
“I’ve been coming with friends since the ’60s, and though it’s nothing too fancy (escargots, steak-frites, excellent cheese) it never disappoints” – that’s the kind of loyalty which keeps this “very cosy”, 70-year-old bistro in business, and even if “maybe it’s past its best”, “it’s still hard not to fall in love with it”. Much-extended over the years, “there are lots of small rooms, and although I can never decide if the food is as good as the decor, the eccentric layout is certainly all part of its charm”. Top Tip – “pre-theatre it’s a steal”.
2. Suda
Thai restaurant in Covent Garden
23 Slingsby Place, St Martin’s Court - WC2
“A fusion of delicious Asian flavours” secures votes for the fuss-free fare at this “contemporary Thai”, in the St Martin’s Courtyard development.
3. Le Garrick
French restaurant in Covent Garden
10-12 Garrick Street - WC2
“Warm and welcoming staff” and an inviting interior (“improved after a recent refit”) add to the appeal of this “reliable old favourite” in Covent Garden. “The menu comprises the usual French suspects and even if the cooking won’t rock your world, the pre-theatre menu is good value for money”.
4. The Portrait, National Portrait Gallery
British, Modern restaurant in Covent Garden
St Martin’s Place - WC2
“Views over the rooftops lend a very spacy and special ambience” to this top-floor dining room above the gallery and “justify the trip alone”. “You pay a premium” for “mainstream” cooking, but it’s “not bad” and “great for guests from out of town”.
5. Belgo Holborn
Belgian restaurant in Covent Garden
67 Kingsway - WC2
2016 Review: “Cavernous” Belgian moules-frites halls complete with waiters dressed as monks; critics say they’ve “lost their novelty”, but the opening of the first new branch in years – in Soho – shows there’s plenty of life in the old dog yet? Top Tips – the “brilliant Continental beer selection”, and early evening ‘Beat the Clock’ deal.
6. Belgo Centraal
Belgian restaurant in Covent Garden
50 Earlham St - WC2
2016 Review: “Cavernous” Belgian moules-frites halls complete with waiters dressed as monks; critics say they’ve “lost their novelty”, but the opening of the first new branch in years – in Soho – shows there’s plenty of life in the old dog yet? Top Tips – the “brilliant Continental beer selection”, and early evening ‘Beat the Clock’ deal.
7. Barrafina
Spanish restaurant in Covent Garden
10 Adelaide St - WC2
“The wait can sometimes be twice the time spent at the counter”, but no-one seems to mind at the Hart Bros kick-ass small group of Barcelona-inspired tapas haunts in Soho (now relocated to the ground floor of Quo Vadis) and Covent Garden. “The buzz is amazing” and, having nabbed a perch (fewer than 30 in each branch), everyone “loves the open kitchen and watching the keen staff at work”, while the dishes themselves are genius – “fresh seafood is amongst the highlights” but “even something as simple as tomato bruschetta is transformed here”. (So far, the February 2017 departure of founding group exec head chef, Nieves Barragán Mohacho, to found Sabor, has had zero effect on ratings – the new incumbent is Angel Zapata Martin.)
8. Barrafina Drury Lane
Spanish restaurant in Covent Garden
43 Drury Ln - WC2
“The wait can sometimes be twice the time spent at the counter”, but no-one seems to mind at the Hart Bros kick-ass small group of Barcelona-inspired tapas haunts in Soho (now relocated to the ground floor of Quo Vadis) and Covent Garden. “The buzz is amazing” and, having nabbed a perch (fewer than 30 in each branch), everyone “loves the open kitchen and watching the keen staff at work”, while the dishes themselves are genius – “fresh seafood is amongst the highlights” but “even something as simple as tomato bruschetta is transformed here”. (So far, the February 2017 departure of founding group exec head chef, Nieves Barragán Mohacho, to found Sabor, has had zero effect on ratings – the new incumbent is Angel Zapata Martin.)
9. Margot
Italian restaurant in Covent Garden
45 Great Queen Street - WC2
“An instant classic, bravo!” This “very elegant Italian on the edge of Covent Garden” proved one of the best arrivals of 2016 and although the odd report complains it’s been “hyped” the vast majority say it’s plain “stunning”. “Quality and service are in abundance” – the comfortable interior feels enjoyably “superior”, and “staff make the meal into an occasion – they make you feel very special”. “Most of the menu is of traditional dishes with a twist” and it’s “damned good too”. Top Menu Tip – “the best ever Osso Buco”.
10. The Barbary
North African restaurant in Covent Garden
16 Neal's Yard - WC2
“Bringing the fun and fizz of the best places in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv to London” – the debut of Palomar’s little brother in Neal’s Yard fully lives up to its stablemate’s trailblazing performance, with “a brilliant selection of totally delicious and vibrant Mediterranean dishes”, eaten “in a small plate, counter eating-style format”, complete with “loud banging music and chefs dancing along”. “Perfect for a drop in and quick bite, but beware of the queues!!” STOP PRESS: The Barbary now takes bookings for lunch and early dinner.
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