Best restaurants in Covent Garden

London’s archetypal tapas bar, perennially popular Barrafina is all about dainty small plates that pack a serious punch. Be wary of the no-bookings policy, but you can always have a snack and a drink whilst you wait for a spot at the counter, and the magnificent cooking is well worth the wait. 

Come hungry: Big Easy deals in excess. This lively Covent Garden spot piles plates high with Texas-style barbecue and smokey shellfish – think brisket, ribs, lobster and surf-and-turf. Add raucous live music, strong cocktails and a long happy hour, and you’ve got yourself a crowd-pleasing dinner destination.

Billed as the world’s first kebab tasting menu restaurant, this marvellous 10-seat operation beneath Maison Bab delicately straddles the line between fine dining experience and all-out parody. It’s truly delicious and tons of fun too - fantastic cooking with a side of theatre. 

Tucked inside a Georgian townhouse, Le Garrick is pure old-school bistro romance. Candlelit tables, velvet seating and a menu stacked with French comfort classics bring the atmosphere. Onion soup, steak frites and moules headline the excellent pre-theatre menu, while cassoulet, duck confit and rich puddings keep things reassuringly traditional.

Clos Maggiore regularly tops lists of the most romantic restaurants in the capital. The best seats in the house are found in the famed glass-roofed conservatory, which is festooned with oh-so-seductive fairy lights and foliage. The menu, meanwhile, sticks to classy, sophisticated Italian and French cookery. 

From the team behind The Oystermen, Bedford Street Wines offers a cosy little hideaway from the bustling streets of Covent Garden. Wines here are all about small producers and family run vineyards, whether you’re looking to pop in for a glass, or pick up a bottle to go.

Masala Zone does Indian dining with colour and character. The Covent Garden branch pairs puppet-filled interiors with a menu inspired by regional cooking from India’s west coast. Start with pani puri and chaat before diving into coconut-rich curries, smoky tandoor grills and generous biryanis.

It may have swapped out the breathtaking views of its City sister for a grown-up rainforest vibe, but London’s second SUSHISAMBA still features all of its greatest hits from Wagyu gyozas to inventive maki rolls and more. 

At House of Louie, dinner easily turns into a party. French-Creole dishes – lobster rolls, seabass carpaccio, caviar snacks – share the spotlight with live jazz, DJs and the buzzy Alligator Bar. The glamorous weekend brunch, loaded with BBQ shrimp and fried chicken, is reason enough to visit.

Tapas and good times are the order of the day at Opera Tavern. This lively Covent Garden spot mixes Spanish and Italian small plates – from Iberian pork belly to aubergine parmigiana and octopus carpaccio – with Mediterranean wines and spritz-heavy cocktails. Ideal for grazing, sharing and long evenings.

Proper Neapolitan pizza is the name of the game at Crust Bros. Dough is proved for up to 72 hours before hitting a 500°C oven, emerging with those prized leopard-spotted crusts. The Covent Garden branch keeps things casual, though the molten, cheese-stuffed bomba doughnuts are anything but restrained.

Subtle it is not. Sarastro’s dining room is a riot of velvet booths, theatrical decor and opera-box seating overlooking the floor below. The Mediterranean menu leans slightly towards the eastern Med, with Turkish-style lamb shank, grilled sea bass, koftes and more. Really, though, you’re here for the gloriously over-the-top West End atmosphere.

Taking the title of London’s oldest restaurant (opened by Thomas Rule in 1798), charming Rules is a resolutely traditional spot serving British food. Expect staunchly old-school service and vibes, as well as proper British cookery, including some of the best seasonal pies and puddings in London.  

Just by Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Jamie Oliver’s Catherine St restaurant celebrates British comfort cooking. Expect nostalgic hits like prawn cocktail, cottage pie and beer-battered fish, all made with top UK produce. The room is lively, the cooking generous – it’s a natural stop before curtain-up.

Whether it’s for a hearty breakfast or a pre-theatre pit stop, The Delaunay’s versatile European menu is bound to have something for you, as is the drop-dead gorgeous dining room. We’d always recommend buying a few excellent pastries from the Counter to take home too.

This Parissian-style rotisserie restaurant sees two Michelin-starred chef Tom Sellers turning his hand to chicken and chips. Story Cellar finds its home in Neal's Yard, with sophisticated dining, reimagined classics and a selection of unique bottles housed in the site’s own cellar.

Kitted out to look like a traditional fishmongers, Parsons is a seafood joint with heart. The wine list impresses too – no surprise considering Parsons is a sibling to 10 Cases wine bar across the road. Come here for a few oysters or a proper meal - either way, you won't be disappointed.

Legendary J Sheekey may be best known for being a favourite among theatre stars, but the top-quality seafood and unfalteringly warm service ensure us regular folk can have a great time dining here too. Also runs an exceptional pre-theatre menu, which means it's always packed and atmospheric. 

Moody lighting, velvet seating and serious steak: Gaucho near the Royal Opera House goes big on Argentine glamour. Premium beef and Malbec are the main draw, though seafood, brunch and indulgent desserts round things out nicely. It’s slick, dramatic and tailor-made for celebratory dinners.

Found at Somerset House, wonderful Spring lives on the image of dearly missed founding chef Skye Gyngell. The restaurant is a love letter to seasonality, which thrills with disarmingly simple dishes - think the likes of girolles on toasted sourdough with sheep’s milk ricotta. The seasonal 'Scratch Menu' is also incredible value, encouraging chefs to come up with inventive dishes from leftover produce.

Overseen by Gordon Ramsay, the long-standing Savoy Grill harks back to a bygone era with its unashamed glamour; think mirrored walls, glittering Swarovski chandeliers and a massive dining room, patrolled by besuited staff. The cooking is executed with unfailing precision, but it's the history of the Savoy Grill that makes it truly special. 

The flagship of Adam Handling’s The Frog group, this smart and sophisticated restaurant is often packed to the rafters. All of Handling’s signature dishes are present and correct, including those beguiling cheese and truffle doughnuts, and the absolutely outrageous lobster, cooked in Wagyu fat and served with caviar.

There may be a good handful of Hawksmoors around, but the Seven Dials outpost is one of our favourites. Great for groups, dining here means 35-day aged steaks from The Ginger Pig, creative cocktails and sumptuous sides. These days Hawksmoor also does cracking Sunday roasts, and very affordable set menus as well. 

Few London restaurants have championed Burmese cooking quite like Lahpet. The Covent Garden branch serves vibrant dishes such as tea leaf salad, coconut noodles and fragrant curries in a colourful, laid-back space. Creative cocktails and wallet-friendly wines round out a menu that celebrates Myanmar’s bold, fermented flavours.

This all-day bistro and wine bar brings modern European fare and handpicked bottles to the heart of Covent Garden. Order a carafe, and a couple of small plates, and embrace the relaxed and refined atmosphere of The 10 Cases. It makes an especially good stop for a catch up over a shared bottle and a few snacks. 

Eastern Mediterranean flavours meet stylish brunch culture at Brother Marcus. The Covent Garden branch pairs foliage-laden interiors with a sociable menu of sharing mezze and charcoal-kissed grills like bream and roast chicken. Weekday breakfasts, big weekend brunches and clever cocktails keep the place humming from morning onwards.

Spread across two floors in The Yards, Gura Gura serves a crowd-pleasing tour of Asian flavours. Sushi, dim sum and punchy Southeast Asian plates sit side by side - everything from laksa and rendang to robata grills. Cocktails are just as playful and free-wheeling, organised by flavour profiles from sour to umami.

Inside the St Martins Lane Hotel, Restaurant 45 offers a sophisticated all-day escape from Covent Garden chaos. Drop by for shakshuka or eggs Benedict at breakfast, or settle in later for dishes like beef fillet and aubergine galette, all delivered by charming service. There’s a good bottomless brunch on the weekends too.

This humble oyster restaurant proved so popular that in 2018, the team doubled the size of its dining room. Staff are utterly charming, the menu remains very reasonably prices, and the oysters are top quality - just a few reasons why The Oystermen remains a steadfast fixture of Covent Garden. 

Steakhouse meets nightclub at STK. Inside the ME London hotel, DJs spin while plates of USDA Prime beef, wagyu tacos and truffled mac land on the table. It’s glossy, loud and unapologetic – ideal for date nights, celebrations or a bottomless brunch with serious swagger.

Pastries first, questions later. Baudry Greene is a chic neighbourhood cafe where flaky croissants, towering sandwiches and golden croque monsieur steal the show. Burgundy marble tables and sunny pavement seating (when London weather behaves) give it continental flair.

North Indian cooking gets a lively modern spin at Oorja. Family-inspired recipes meet a slick setting, with plates like Szechuan chilli chicken, creamy butter chicken and comforting sarson da saag bringing the heat, as well as diving into Indo-Chinese cooking that is lesser-seen in London.

If you're on the hunt for a quintessential neighbourhood joint, then thirty7 is sure to tick all your boxes. Led by restaurateurs Matt Lovell and Rob Hampton, expect produce-led plates, relaxed interiors and an extensive drinks menu. Head downstairs to continue the fun at the basement bar.

One of Vivek Singh’s more casual spots, Cinnamon Bazaar is a riot of colour and flavours. The a la carte revolves around snacks and chaat, but we are also fans of the Indian-style afternoon tea. Pretty phenomenal cooking for the price, with a huge range of choice to suit all sorts of dining occasions. 

Dinner comes with built-in entertainment at Inamo. Order sushi, tempura and Korean BBQ via touch-screen tables, then play games or redesign the tabletop while you wait. The pan-Asian menu is built for sharing, and playful desserts and cocktails keep the futuristic theme rolling.

When ramen cravings hit, Shoryu delivers. Its signature tonkotsu broth simmers for 12 hours before being topped with char siu pork, noodles and jammy eggs. Perfect pre-theatre fuel, though katsu curry, fluffy buns, great vegan options and even sake flights mean there’s plenty beyond the bowl.