Off to the Royal Opera House or the English National Opera? Whether you’re a Baroque buff or a ‘Norma’ novice, seated in the gods or near the pit, with the children or with your grandmama, it’s always best to take a pew after a proper supper. A night at the London opera or ballet is always a glittering affair, and you’ll need sustenance to get you through the drama of the evening. So, without further ado, here are some of my favourite restaurants near the opera in Covent Garden.

Note: distances are by foot and are approximate.

Where can I eat near the Royal Opera House and the English National Opera?

Dining options in the Royal Opera House (or the ROH)

Let’s start with dining inside the opera houses. These restaurants offer pre-performance and interval courses and are perfect if you want some drawn-out taste bud pampering throughout the evening. You can dine or graze in one of eight restaurants at the Royal Opera House. Some of these can only be accessed if you have a ticket whilst others are open to the general public.

Formal Dining

Food in the formal dining rooms has to be pre-ordered and you can eat pre-performance or during the interval. Most people opt to have their starters prior to the first act and mains and desserts during the interval(s). You must have an opera booking to access these restaurants.

I always feel like the belle of the ball when I walk into the Crush Room. It literally sparkles. The 17th century chandeliers are said to be made from the original chandelier that once hung in the centre of the auditorium. The Crush Room serves British food: you’ll often see poached salmon, fillet of beef and British cheeses on the à la carte menu.  There are several gluten-free and vegan options.  Expect to pay £80 excluding wine.

Overlooking the Paul Hamlyn Champagne Bar (and one of the most beautiful rooms in London) is the Paul Hamlyn Balconies. Expect to pay about £80 for a 3-course menu without wine.

Casual Dining

Dining doesn’t always have to be expensive and formal at the Royal Opera House. For something a little more relaxed, head to the Piazza. You’ll need to eat pre-performance here and you’ll be paying about £50 a head for a three-course meal excluding wine. An opera booking is required. Or, head over to the magnificent Paul Hamlyn Bar for champagne, sandwiches and cheese and charcuterie plates.

Small plates

The cafes in the Royal Opera House are all open to the general public which means you don’t need an opera ticket to have a drink or a snack. Choose from the Royal Opera House Café, the historic Dorfman Conservatory, the Linbury Bar on the ground floor, and the Terrace Bar with its sweeping views over Covent Garden.

Dining options at the English National Opera (or ENO)

The four bars at the English National Opera offer a good selection of sandwiches, salads, popcorn and nibbles.

The American Bar is run by Benugo and offers a tempting and reasonably-priced seasonal à la carte menu. You can come in two hours before for a leisurely dinner and tuck into your dessert during the interval. The restaurant is located on the lower ground floor of the opera house.

Dress to Impress

The Ivy

The Ivy doesn’t need much of an introduction: it’s one of London’s most famous grande dame restaurants, established in 1917 and having served all manner of actors, politicians and literary types. Eating here feels like you’ve been ensconced in a very special dining room, one where your taste buds and your eyes are guaranteed to be tantalised. I wish the Ivy had clung onto its classic menu post-refurbishment, but I suppose the restaurant, like London around her, had to move with the times. Thankfully, you can still sample some of the old classics: shepherd’s pie, haddock and chips, welsh rarebit, and the iconic baked Alaska are still on the menu. This is definitely one of the best restaurants near the Royal Opera House and English National Opera – as long as you’re happy to splash the cash.

ENO: 5 minutes  ROH: 7 minutes

Note: The Ivy is one of the few restaurants in London which offers valet parking.

The Savoy

The Savoy was recently refurbished, but it still feels like a London time capsule. I will never forget the day in 1989 when I walked into the hotel as Omar Sharif walked out. My middle name being Larisa, of Doctor Zhivago fame, it was a memory I will always treasure of the exquisitely beautiful actor and of the hotel. But I digress!

If you really want to hit the golden dining ticket, head over to the Savoy Grill by Gordon Ramsay. This restaurant was favoured by Winston Churchill, Oscar Wilde and Frank Sinatra. Even Her Majesty the Queen has dined here. The menu includes revived classics from Chef Escoffier’s days, when he ruled the London restaurant scene back in the 1880s and before he left in disgrace to open another rather famous hotel with Cesar Ritz.  Vegans and gluten-free patrons are fully catered for.

ENO: 7 minutes  ROH: 6 minutes

Rules

Rules is London’s oldest restaurant and serves traditional British fare. Some of its star attractions are its oysters, the potted shrimps, steak and kidney suet pudding, saddle of rabbit and golden syrup sponge pudding. Dine in the company of Rules’ legendary ghosts: Henry Irving, Laurence Olivier, Stan Laurel, Charles Laughton, Clark Gable, Charlie Chaplin, Charles Dickens, John le Carre and Evelyn Waugh. Upstairs in the bar, you can sit in the corner where the Prince of Wales, soon to be Edward VII, flirted with his mistress, Lillie Langtry.

ENO: 4 minutes ROH: 5 minutes

No ordinary Trifle

Ivy Market Grill

Not to be mistaken with The Ivy, the market grills and brasseries offer fantastic, reasonably-priced all day dining in well-designed surroundings and with good service. And it’s much easier to get a table! The Ivy Market Grill in Covent Garden overlooks the busy piazza and is a stone’s throw from the Royal Opera House. They offer a pre and post-theatre menu and have plenty of vegan and vegetarian options. They also do a well-priced cream tea.

ENO: 5 minutes ROH: 4 minutes

Opera Tavern

This is one of my favourite pre-opera restaurants and sister to Salt Yard restaurant in Soho. It’s a Spanish meets Italian tapas menu featuring all sorts of divine small plates. I’m not a meat eater but my friends rave about the Jamón Ibérico de Bellota, and I could wax lyrical all day about the haddock croquetas and the courgette flower with goat’s cheese and honey. I recommend the Affogato to finish, which literally means a drowned coffee dessert, in this case, inundated with chocolate ice cream, prunes and coffee mascarpone. That should keep you from snoozing!

ENO: 8 minutes ROH: 2 minutes

Balthazar

This New York outpost is one of my favourite restaurants around Christmas. It’s cosy and glamorous at the same time. It has a children’s menu making it great for families, and is right next door to the Royal Opera House which means you don’t need to panic to get to your performance. The prix fixe menu is ￡19.95 for 2 courses and ￡22.95 for 3 courses. The Duck shepherd’s pie is famous, but I’m a fan of the moules frites.

ENO: 7 minutes ROH: 1 minute

Café Murano

Angela Hartnett’s delizioso northern Italian restaurant has two London outposts, but it the one in Covent Garden to which you want to head over. They have a special, and quite extensive, theatre menu.

ENO: 7 minutes ROH: 2 minutes

J Sheekey

I must mention my absolute favourite London restaurant here: Sheekey’s. It’s the best fish restaurant in London, and a great pit-stop before or after the opera. Don’t take my word for it – go try!

ENO: 3 minutes ROH: 8 minutes

Casual chain dining and kid-friendly restaurants

These chain restaurants and all tried and tested and good for families as well.

Cinnamon Bazaar

It’s buzzy, fun and spicy, and it’s a stone’s throw from both opera houses. With dishes ranging from curried popcorn to soft shell crab chaat, poppy seed gun powder chillies, tandori cauliflower and pistachio kulfi, the Cinnamon Bazaar never disappoints. If you’re catching an afternoon performance, the restaurant does a Traders High Tea which includes Chaats (street food) and Indian sweets, washed down with masala chai.

ENO: 3 minutes ROH: 5 minutes

Reservations only before 6 pm or for groups of 7+.

Wahaca Covent Garden

Wahaca is a chain of Mexican restaurants owned by Masterchef winner Thomasina Miers, and I love its authentic, fresh and seasonal food. Plus, it has a fantastic range of pure, agave tequila. It is practically next door to the English National Opera.

ENO: 2 minutes ROH: 6 minutes

Sticks ‘n Sushi

Denmark meets Japan in this chain of restaurants which boats a slightly overwhelming selection of skewers, sticks and rolls. Its not the cheapest restaurant, but if you need a quick and healthy fix, Sticks ‘n Sushi won’t disappoint.

ENO: 3 minutes ROH: 4 minutes

Busaba Eathai Covent Garden

Conceived by restaurateur Alan Yau (of Hakkasan fame) in 1999, this chain of Thai restaurants is still going strong. Expect to see stir-fries, curries, salads and Asian-inspired juices. There’s a special menu for children as well.

ENO: 7 minutes ROH: 2 minutes

Dishoom Covent Garden

If you go early enough, you’ll be able to bag a table at this insanely popular Indian chain of Bombay-inspired cafés. My favourite dishes are the okra fries and the Mahi tikka, but the bhel (puffed rice with pomegranate, tomato, onion, lime tamarind and mint) is moreish as well.

ENO: 4 minutes ROH: 6 minutes

Pho – perfect for vegans and gluten-free

So you’re off to the opera and you need a gluten-free and vegan restaurant? Look no further than Pho. It’s cheap, cheerful and delicious Vietnamese food. And if you need to stay awake, they their coffee. It rich and creamy, tastes of chocolate, and it’s guaranteed to keep your weary eyes open during that final act.

ENO: 8 minutes ROH: 1 minute

Fire & Stone

Sometimes only a pizza will do, especially if you’re heading to the ballet with the kids. Enter Fire and Stone, perfect for the whippersnappers and not bad for adults too. There’s a whole baked camembert, polenta chips, buttermilk calamari and Cajun mushrooms on the starter menu. The Global Pizza menu includes the Mumbai curry pizza, the New York folded, the Marrakech spicy and the cheesy Zermatt.

ENO: 3 minutes ROH: 6 minutes

Pubs

The Lamb and Flag

The Lamb and Flag was one of Charles Dickens’s favourite watering holes. There’s a full range of kiddy favourites (mac and cheese, pizza, sausages and mash, beef or chicken burger and fish and chips). Adults could try the smoked mackerel paté, rib-eye steak and the vintage ale sticky toffee pudding.

ENO: 4 minutes ROH: 4 minutes