London has an amazing restaurant scene but sometime we are limited on our choices due to where we need to be in time for curtain up! Here is my list of recommendations sorted by which theatres they are close to. These recommendations try to include a range including a quick bite from where you are coming from work to see a show and you need to grab something quick, through to somewhere special if you have a celebration.

Theatre: Apollo Victoria (Wicked), Victoria Palace Theatre (Hamilton) & The Other Palace (Babies)

Happy Face, 23 Eccleston Place Victoria

8 minute Walk to the Apollo Victoria and Victoria Palace Theatre and an 11 minute walk to the Other Palace.

Happy Face serves Neapolitan Pizza ranging between £5 – £15 and the vibe is very casual. This is a great choice for a quick bite although the pizzas are large so leave time to eat it all!They also have vegan options on their menu.

Theatre: Trafalgar Theatre (People, Places & Things), The Playhouse (Cabaret)

The Old Shades Pub, 37 Whitehall.

This traditional pub is a 2 minute walk to Trafalgar Theatre and a 4 minute walk to The Playhouse Theatre. It has been named travellers choice 2022 by Trip Advisor so this is always a really good sign. It has a range of pub grub food, from fish and chips to pie and mash. Main meals are from £15 – £28 for steak.

Theatre: Savoy Theatre (Mean Girls), Adelphi (Back To The Future), Vaudeville (Six)

The Port House, 417 The Strand

Under 1 minute walk to Adelphi and Vaudeville and 3 minute walk to the Savoy Theatre.

This is a tapas restaurant which is constantly recommended on Facebook groups with people looking for somewhere to eat before the theatre. Prices can vary but for 4 dishes you are looking at around the £25 mark. It has 4.5 stars on trip advisor and is constantly recommended on Facebook by those looking for somewhere to eat before their theatre trip.

Others:

See my recommendation below for The Real Greek. There is one on the Strand which is literally next door to Vaudeville and check out the Old Shades Pub recommendation which is easily walkable from these theatres (9 minutes)

Theatre: Lyceum (Lion King), Novello (Mamma Mia), Theatre Royal Drury Lane (Frozen), Aldwych Theatre (Tina The Musical), Fortune Theatre (Operation Mincemeat), Gillian Lynne (Standing at the Skies Edge)

Joe Allens, 2 Burleigh Street

2 minute walk to Lyceum/Novello, 4 minute walk to Theatre Royal Drury Lane/Fortune Theatre, 5 minute walk to Aldwych and an 8 minute walk to the Gillian Lynne.

Joe Allen’s describes itself as a theatre restaurant with a classic New York brasserie vibe. Typical dishes are it’s burger, ribs and Caesar salad. It does a set menu up until 6:45pm on Tuesday – Friday which is £23.50 for 2 courses.

Sticks n Sushi, 11 Henrietta Street

This is a 4 minute walk to the Lyceum, Theatre Royal Drury Lane, 5 minute walk to the Novello and Fortune Theatre, a 7 minute walk to the Aldwych and an 8 minute walk to the Gillian Lynne.

Sticks n Sushi combines Japanese and Nordic dining. It has a menu which covers A La Carte, sashimi, nigiri, maki and sticks which features meat and veg straight from the grill. They also have a very good website which details what items on the menu can be changed in respects of allergens.

Others

Check out my recommendations below for Flat Iron. There is a branch on Henrietta Street which is roughly a 5 minute walk from these theatres.

Theatre: Garrick (Boys From The Blackstuff), London Coliseum, Wyndham’s Theatre (Next To Normal), Duke of York’s Theatre (Rome & Juliet), Noel Coward (Slave Play), The Arts (Choir of Man)

Bun House, 26-27 Lisle Street

This is a 2 minute walk to Wyndhams Theatre , 3 minute walk from the Arts Theatre, 4 minute walk from the Garrick and the Noel Coward and 5 minute walk to the Coliseum and The Duke of York.

This is a very casual eatery which serve fluffy Cantonese Style buns including custard filled ones. The food comes quickly and it is very reasonably priced so it is the perfect choice if you are in a hurry or want a cheap meal.

Theatre: Phoenix Theatre (Stranger Things The First Shadow), Palace Theatre (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), St Martin’s (Mousetrap), The Ambassadors Theatre (Kathy & Stella Sole A Murder), Cambridge Theatre (Matilda), Prince Edward Theatre (MJ The Musical)

Rudy’s Pizza, 80 Wardour Street.

8 minutes walk to Cambridge Theatre, 7 minute walk to St Martin’s, The Ambassadors Theatre, 6 minute walk to Phoenix Theatre, 5 minute walk to Palace Theatre and 3 minutes walk to Prince Edward Theatre.

This is a relaxed pizzeria serving Neapolitan style pizza. Pizza is between £6 – £10.50 with the option of Vegan cheese. Its 4.5 star rating on trip advisor speaks volumes!

Shack Fuyu, 14A Old Compton Street.

1 minute walk to Palace Theatre, Prince Edward Theatre, 2 minute walk to Phoenix Theatre, 3 minutes to St Martin’s Theatre, The Ambassadors Theatre and 4 minute walk to Cambridge Theatre.

The restaurant describes itself as a Japanese restaurant witch started life as a pop up but was made permanent due to demand. There is a pre-theatre menu which is served until 6:45 which is a small and large plate (served with rice) for £24. There is also plenty of sake to choose from!

Theatre: Piccadilly (Moulin Rouge), Lyric (Hadestown), Apollo Theatre (Fawlty Towers), Gielgud (2:22 A Ghost Story), Sondheim Theatre (Les Miserables)

Hawksmore, Air Street

Hawksmore is a 3 minute walk from Piccadilly Theatre, 4 minute walk from the Lyric Theatre, 5 minute walk from the Apollo Theatre, Sondheim Theatre and the Gielgud.

Whilst this isn’t one of the cheapest opinions on the list it is possibly one of the best. They also do an express menu which is available between 5:00 – 6:30pm so perfect for pre-theatre dining which is 2 courses for £26 or 3 courses for £30 and it includes their famous Yorkshire starter and steak main.

Brasserie Zedel, 20 Sherwood Street.

You can’t get much closer to the Piccadilly Theatre than this restaurant as it is literally opposite the front. It is 2 minutes from the Lyric Theatre, 3 minutes from the Gielgud and the Apollo and 4 minutes from Sondheim Theatre,

With a focus on French food you can get 2 courses for £15.75 or 3 courses for £19.50 although the choices are limited. They also have meals of the day which provide good value for money (£20 for lamb tagine on a Saturday) and a very good range of cocktails.

Others:

See below for Dirty Bones but their Soho Branch which is a 1 minute walk from these theatres.

Theatre: Her Majesties Theatre (Phantom of the Opera), Theatre Royal Haymarket (A View From The Bridge), Harold Pinter Theatre (The Hills of California), Prince of Wales (Book of Mormon)

Leicester Square Kitchen, 31-36 Leicester Square.

3 minute walk to Theatre Royal Haymarket, Harold Pinter Theatre, Prince of Wales Theatre and 4 minute walk to Her Majesties Theatre.

This is a contemporary and Mexican and Peruvian restaurant. It has 4.5 stars on trip advisor. It is open for evening meals from Wednesday – Saturday. The set menu is £23 for 2 courses and this includes choices like grilled wagu and cheese sliders. If not looking at the set menu it is probably on the more expensive side so a good option if you are out for a special occasion. There is also a vegan menu so plenty of choice there.

Theatre: Dominion (Sister Act), The Shaftesbury (Mrs Doubtfire)

Flat Iron, 9 Denmark Street

There are a few Fat Irons across London but this one is the best location for the Dominion Theatre (a mere 3 minute walk) and The Shaftesbury (4 minute walk)The menu is simple – you get a flat iron steak for £13 and then choose your sides – from chips to truffled macaroni cheese and add on a sauce so about £20 for a main meal, excluding drinks.

Theatre: The London Palladium

Dirty Bones – 13 Kingley Street, 8 Kingley Court

4 minute walk to the London Palladium.

Dirty Bones is a great place to go to for burgers with a twist and cocktails. Burgers range from £10.50 – £13.50 with chips extra. They also do small plates and chicken including chicken and waffles. My recommendation are the crispy lamb fries and the cheeseburger dumplings. There is one vegan option on the main menu but that is to possibly be expected from a burger based joint!

Top Tip – If you can get there before 6 Monday – Friday it is 2 for 1 on their signature cocktails (which are great)

Others:

See above for The Real Greek – there is also one in Soho (50 Berwick Street) which is a 5 minute walk from the London Palladium.

I would love to expand this article so please do let me know of any recommendations you have for pre-theatre food, especially if I haven’t covered that type of cuisine much above.