Food Guides
Whether you consider yourself a wine connoisseur, a cocktail aficionado, or just enjoy a glass (or two), Covent Garden offers the best bars in central London, overflowing with hideaways to spend date night or an evening catching up with old friends.
Inspired by the vibrant late-night cultures of New York and London, complete with undertones of Parisian chic, Stereo will offer a masterfully curated mix of music, food and drinks. A place to arrive for an aperitif, stay for dinner and dance into the early hours.
The long-awaited opening of SUSHISAMBA in late 2018 was one for ages, Brazil had arrived at Covent Garden in true samba style. Walking into the decadent restaurant above the Market Building in an Instagram picture waiting to happen with an incredible painted staircase making way to an urban jungle wrapped around jewel toned seating.
The bar greets you as you walk in and is the perfect place for a pre or post-show drink, a catch up with friends or a destination to impress a date. Sip on signatures like their Sake Spritz or Little Pedro whilst snacking on green bean tempura and take in the sights of the Piazza below. Every month they have a different SAMBATINI, the perfect excuse to keep going back again and again.
Tucked away behind a dark curtain, La Goccia's secluded cocktail bar is the ideal spot to gather with family and friends to enjoy an evening of good company and delicious drinks. With live music, DJ performances and entertainment, the nature-inspired bar crafts seasonal cocktails using botanicals, herbs and edible flowers, and also serves a selection of fine Italian wines, craft beers and non-alcoholic beverages.
Immerse yourself in the electric energy of Gaucho in Covent Garden. Alongside the restaurant's iconic steaks and fresh seafood dishes, the venue boasts a stylish counter-top bar serving a selection of Argentine wines and handcrafted cocktails.
Marking the beginning of a new chapter at Henrietta, with renowned British chef Jackson Boxer at the helm, HENRI is inspired by classic Parisian bistros.
Open for breakfast, lunch, dinner or just drinks, HENRI boasts the perfect location for a pre-theatre meal or a relax on the sun-drenched terrace with a drink in hand. Enjoy a cocktail from the extensive drinks list, such as the "Auguste", with Buffalo Trace Bourbon and Blueberry Jam, or the "Jules", a Hine VSOP Cognac and Absinthe delight. Brandy lovers, this is the bar for you, as HENRI's signature is Cognac, with a full list available at the bar.
An ode to Kitty Clive, a pioneering feminist who transformed the London scene in 1700s, Mrs Riot cocktail bar and restaurant is the place to be for an outrageous night of fun, world class cocktails and live DJ's.
With an iconic karaoke room, weekly Bottomless Drag Brunch and more live entertainment throughout the week, you're in for an absolute riot.
Located on the ground floor, Bar Nana is the tropic-feel drinking corner of Seven Dials Market.
Serving nutritional fresh juices by day, Bar Nana turns into a cocktail paradise by night. Enjoy the Seven Dials Sour - hibiscus, strawberry, pink lady apple and gin, an absolute feast for the senses. Or choose another delicious concoction such as the Karma Colada, every pineapple lovers dream, or the Orange is the New Orange, you can guess what that one's made from...
Stocked with independent spirits, beers, cocktails and a wide range of sodas and non-alcoholic drinks, Bar Nana is the perfect place to enjoy some casual drinks, with plenty of food options to suit all tastes.
Brought to Henrietta Street by the founders of The Oystermen and Bedford Street Wines, thirty7 Restaurant + Bar is a new all-day dining concept, led by provenance, sustainability and old fashioned hospitality.
The wine list and bar menus at thirty7 centre around liquids from small producers, family-run vineyards and craft breweries. The venue boasts a cosy basement bar, reminiscent of London's most iconic live-music venues, perfect for post-work drinks or extending the evening after dinner in the restaurant.
New to the Piazza and all the way from Italy is the latest opening in the Market Building; Vyta (pronounced vee-ta). Inside and out this truly opulent space is going to be a hot ticket in the summer and beyond.
→ Vyta
A member of the Grays & Feather family, Plume Wine Bar is a word-of-mouth wine bar and speakeasy in the heart of Covent Garden. Specialising in bubbles, English wines and the theatrical, the former Charles Dickens' 1860's Publishing house is a must visit when in the West End.
Brought to you by the brains behind Adventure Bar and Dub Jam, The Escapologist cocktail bar is the place to head for drinks with a difference. Come and escape reality in their basement bar where mind-bending cocktails, underground parties and late-night shindigs are all on offer.
Transport yourself to downtown New York at Balthazar. Perch at the Parisian-style bar and enjoy a selection for carefully chosen wines alongside expertly mixed cocktails at the bar by the award-winning bartenders. House cocktails include Negroni Finis, a mix of gin, Cinzano Orancio, Campari, Byrrh and passion fruit and the Two to Four, a delicious combination of gin and champagne with Merlet Poire and lemon juice.
Covent Garden's best kept secret, Cache Cache is a modern-day speakeasy hidden in the heart of the West End. Totally clandestine and unrecognisable from the outside, the building hides a secret and seductive space holding up to 60 lucky guests. The friendly atmosphere encourages mingling and making fast, new like-minded friends.
As the night progresses, the underground bar evolves into an intimate dance party, filled with thrilling entertainment.
Bringing you a feast of Americana flavours, Christopher's is inspired by Stateside classics. The drinks menu features a selection of bespoke martinis and cocktails, so where better to grab a drink than at the Martini Bar. Opt for a classic, or try something a little different like the Nutella Martini or Apple Pie Tini.
From Instagrammable cocktails to iconic Martini Bottomless Brunches, this venue is the ideal location for cocktail-lovers seeking a martini or two in London’s vibrant West End. Renowned for their bespoke range of martinis and extensive selection of cocktails, Dirty Martini offers an irresistible menu of innovative flavours alongside iconic classics.
Perhaps the worst/best kept secret bar in Covent Garden, The Savoy’s prestigious American Bar – the world’s longest-surviving cocktail bar – is the best bar in the world. Originally opened in 1903, the first ever bartender was a lady named Ada ‘Coley’ Coleman, whose signature cocktail was the Hanky Panky, still a popular choice today. Ada’s successor was the inspirational Harry Craddock, who not only created a number of classic cocktails but who notoriously compiled these recipes into the legendary Savoy Cocktail book, still regarded today as the bartender’s bible. From cocktails such as Curtain Call, inspired my frequent guest of The Savoy Marlene Dietrich, all the way to First Impressions, which is based on the first time David Bowie and Elizabeth Taylor met in which Bowie kept her waiting for four hours.
Critically acclaimed chef and restaurateur, Adam Handling, has shaken things up at his Covent Garden sbar, Eve, where the aim is to use everything and waste less.
The extensive drinks menu contains a selection of unexpected takes on cocktail favourites, like the 'Coffee Slayer' – Eve’s take on the Espresso Martini – using whisky, vermouth, waste coffee and cacao husk bitters, and Mr Black coffee liqueur. Or try the 'Social Butterfly', using vodka, hyper melon, white chocolate, orange vermouth and champagne - the surplus chocolate from one of Frog's desserts is taken and distilled, the hyper melon utilises all parts of the melon and the champagne is thrown in because... why not?
Known for their signature Grind Espresso Martini, the Covent Garden Grind on Maiden Lane offers all-day dining as well as innovative and experimental cocktails late into the evening. The recently refurnished and Instagrammable spot opens until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays; making it the perfect spot to catch up over a cocktail with friends.
From Miami to Covent Garden comes Buns&Buns, which from the name you might this place is all carbs and no cocktails but you would be very wrong. Sat right in the heart of the Market Building this cool and casual restaurant has a striking bar in the centre where you can perch, enjoy a bun or two and sip on cocktails all the while having a prime spot for people watching. Enjoy a Lychee Martini whilst snacking on a lobster roll and enjoy the Miami way of life in Covent Garden thanks to Buns&Buns.
