Restaurant Review

Pre-Theatre Dining in London

Make your London theatre trip extra special by enjoying a fabulous pre- or post- theatre dining experience!

Sara Gibson

20 Jul 2025 — 7 min read

Pre-theatre Dining in London

London's theatre scene is highly regarded as one of the best in the world, with over 240 professional theatres in the capital! Unsurprisingly there is no shortage of restaurants serving up wonderful pre- (or post) theatre menus which will still get you in your seats in time.

I love visiting the theatre whenever I can and once I've booked those tickets, the next thing to book is a fantastic dinner location. Many of the top London restaurants have a set pre-theatre menu at much more reasonable prices compared to a la carte, so it can be easy to make a cultural night out even more special! Here are some of my favourite recommendations!

Gunpowder

Gunpowder specialises in serving up tapas-style Indian plates that certainly do not disappoint on flavour! I have visited several times now and have loved each and every dish I have sampled! If you can get a table, I'd highly, highly recommend it when visiting The Bridge theatre.

There are 3 set menus available, including a specific pre -theatre option that all offer sufficient dishes to satisfy your hunger. The pre-theatre menu currently consists of the kale bhuna aubergine salad, the iconic Karwari soft shell crab, mustard malai broccoli and the whole beef rib in Kerala Pepper Sauce. Whereas the feast menus, one for meat eaters and a separate vegetarian offering, feature 5-6 dishes and a pudding instead.

I have written a full review of the restaurant that can be found here.

Pre-theatre menu: Pre- theatre Monday - Saturday 5:30-6:30pm

Cost: Pre-theatre menu £25 per person

Best For: The Bridge Theatre

Closest Tube/Train: London Bridge

Website: Gunpowder Tower Bridge

Gaucho Group

The Gaucho Group, with restaurants across London & the UK, opened with dreams of bringing the world's best steak to London. Inspired by modern Argentinian flavours and other global influences they use beef from premium Black-Angus cattle bred at hand selected Argentinian farms to serve up their infamous steak dishes.

gaucho 1 — Sample pre-theatre dishes at Gaucho

The set menu changes seasonally, but you can guarantee to find some delicious dishes all year round. Starters often include a seafood ceviche dish, alongside flavour packed empanadas or salads. As expected there will be at least one steak option for the main dish. Other options usually include a fish, a chicken and a vegetarian dish. The puddings are pure indulgence and definitely worth stretching to a third course!

Pre-theatre menu: Monday - Friday 12-6.30pm and 9.30-10.30pm

Cost: Set menu - 2 courses £24.50/ 3 courses £27.50. Cocktails £10+

Best For: All theatres, especially The Bridge or West End

Closest Tube/Train: Restaurants across London

Website: Gaucho Restaurants

Hoppers

Outstanding Sri Lankan food awaits you at Hoppers! After travelling to Sri Lanka, I was delighted to see authentic food in London and I'd highly recommend this for a pre or post theatre dinner to enjoy some local classics that will transport you to the village toddy shop in Sri Lanka in no time!

The set pre/post theatre menu features some of their most loved dishes for you to choose from & includes a drink. To start you can select from dishes like mutton rolls or bonemarrow varuval - both are marvellous! For the mains classic streetfood like kothu roti, dosa and their infamous hoppers are available, along with kari (curry!) of different varieties.

I have written a full review of the restaurant that can be found here.

Pre-theatre menu: Pre- theatre 5:30-6:30pm/Post theatre 10-10:30pm

Cost: £25 per person, includes a drink!

Best For: West End

Closest Tube/Train: Bond Street/Oxford Circus/Kings Cross (depending on branch!)

Website: Hoppers

The Coal Shed

Offering modern dishes celebrating coal roasted meat and fine seafood The Coal Shed is perfectly placed for a pre-theatre menu when visiting The Bridge Theatre. It's also one of the most reasonably priced pre theatre menus in London! The set menu changes regularly to showcase seasonal produce, with a fish, meat and vegetarian option for starter & mains along with 2 desserts and a cheese selection (surcharge applies).

Examples of dishes you may find include sticky pork belly, tacos or salads for starters. Steak dishes, chicken mains, tasty fish dishes and vibrant vegetarian options. This is normally finished with a dessert du jour; my rhubarb cheesecake option was delicious!

Pre-theatre menu: Monday - Saturday 5-6.30pm. (Not on bank holidays)

Cost: Set menu - 2 courses £19/ 3 courses £23.

Best For: Bridge Theatre

Closest Tube/Train: London Bridge

Website: The Coal Shed

Ham Yard Hotel

Located in the heart of London's theatres, the Ham Yard Hotel Restaurant offers a sophisticated pre or post theatre dining experience with it's high quality, seasonal British produce set menus. You can dine in their beautiful indoor bar and restaurant or choose to dine alfresco all year round in their elegant courtyard under the lovely Oak trees.

The menu highlights fresh British produce and is therefore changed frequently! When I visited in summer I thoroughly enjoyed a chilled pepper gazpacho, followed by a seabass and potato salad main and a gorgeous raspberry & gooseberry pavlova to finish! I'd definitely recommend dining here at least once in each season to enjoy the variety and the different atmosphere of the courtyard.

Pre-theatre menu: Monday - Saturday 12-10.30pm

Cost: Set menu - 2 courses £28/ 3 courses £32

Best For: West End

Closest Tube/Train: Piccadilly Circus

Website: Ham Yard Hotel

Dehesa

Inspired by the cuisine and wines of Spain, Dehesa is a seasonally inspired charcuterie and tapas bar with an ever changing menu. It's in the perfect spot for tapas before heading out to the West End theatres.

The tapas features a plentiful selection of fish, meal and vegetable tapas to share and desserts as well. Plus they have an amazing wine list and beautiful wine cellar! Dishes change frequently, when I visited some of the dishes we had included paprika baby octopus, poached cod on a chive veloute, braised lamb belly & chargrilled flat iron steak on rose harissa peppers!

A la Carte Tapas

Best For: West End

Closest Tube/Train: Piccadilly Circus

Website: Dehesa

Norma London

A contemporary Italian institution in London led by Chef Ben Tish, Norma celebrates the cuisine of Sicily. The restaurant in the heart of Fitzrovia oozes glamour without compromising on warm hospitality. There isn't a specific pre-theatre menu, but the service is quick and the dishes are ready in a reasonable time turnaround that you can definitely dine here before a show. Remember to let them know the time you need to leave out of courtesy.

IMG_20191128_182543 — Delicious dinner at Norma London

When I dined with friends, we shared 3 dishes between us as we all wanted to try a few things! One must order dish is the Pasta alla Norma. This is a Sicilian classic made using a rich tomato sauce with aubergine and topped with cheese! We also ordered the wonderful 'Norma' aubergine parmagiana and a creamy pumpkin risotto served in a pumpkin! Small touches that make a meal memorable as well as delicious!

Pre-theatre menu: Standard a la carte.

Cost: Set menu - Dishes from £10-£30 each

Best For: Dominion Theatre & West End

Closest Tube/Train: Goodge Street/Tottenham Court Road

Website: Norma London

Floral by Lima

Dishing up contemporary Peruvian menus in a stylish and relaxed setting, Floral by Lima is a fantastic Latin American option for pre-theatre express dining. The set menu offers choices of 2 beautifully presented and flavoursome starters, mains at extremely reasonable prices.

I opted for the intricately balanced Sea Bream Ceviche served in ginger tiger's milk. No it's not actually milk from a tiger, instead it's the Peruvian name for a citrus marinade used to cure the fish. For main, I picked slow braised pork belly with parsnip & tiger's milk - it's a real delicacy of Peruvian cuisine! Plus I had time so added a dessert of passion fruit panna cotta, all paired with a traditional Pisco Sour cocktail!