London’s top pre-theatre dining in Leicester Square
If you’re coming into the heart of London to see a show, why not take advantage of the capital’s many fantastic restaurants and grab a bite to eat as well? In Leicester Square you’re spoiled for choice, with a wealth of restaurants to choose from for your pre-theatre dining.
Pre-theatre dining in Leicester Square
Leicester Square is famous as the home of movie premieres in London, but it’s also bang in the middle of the West End theatre district. Within a few minutes’ walk you can be at Wyndham’s Theatre, Duke of York’s Theatre, Palace Theatre, Harold Pinter Theatre and the London Coliseum, plus Arts Theatre, Leicester Square Theatre, Jermyn Street Theatre and many more.
Pre-theatre dining in Leicester Square on a budget
Leicester Square Kitchen
People-watching is one of the most entertaining and inexpensive ways to pass the time in London’s West End. Take a seat on the alfresco terrace outside the Radisson Blu Edwardian Hampshire hotel in Leicester Square and watch as the entire world strolls past you and your selection of Mexican and Peruvian small plates (Three dishes for £20).
TGI Fridays
When you’re going to see a West End musical filled with flare and razzamatazz, your pre-theatre dinner should help lift the spirits and get you in the mood. This fun-filled American-style restaurant does just that and more. Smiling is not optional. The pre-theatre menu offers two courses for £16.99 (Monday to Thursday only).
Garfunkel’s
Full of traditional fare and comfort food – think sausage and mash followed by crumble – Garfunkel’s offers two-course and three-course evening menus that come in at well below £20 per person. With a great kids’ menu too, it’s a good option for homely food just a few steps from the theatre.
Splashing out on pre-theatre dining in Leicester Square
Portrait
Located at the pinnacle of the National Portrait Gallery, Portrait offers fantastic views over Trafalgar Square, the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and the London Eye. Food-wise, tuck into the two- or three-course pre-theatre menu featuring dishes such as chargrilled vegetable salad, grilled Gloucestershire Old Spot pork chop and, to finish, chocolate mousse.
Heliot
A casino may not automatically spring to mind as a pre-show location for dinner, but from The Hippodrome’s lofty steak restaurant you can take in all the drama of the gambling floor below – the perfect appetiser to the theatre. Arrive early enough to take advantage of the two- or three-course pre-theatre menu, which includes goat’s cheese lollipops, rump steak and a chocolate Kahlua dessert.