Pre/Post Theatre Dining Options

[Jon Tseng]

incognico

three courses for twelve fifty

and decent sized portions too

j

[Hallie]

In bit of a pickle here -

We will be celebrating our 3rd wedding anniversary on a Tuesday night by going to the National to see 'the History Boys'. The play begins at 7pm and as I unfortunately need to be up before 6am the next morning, the idea of sitting down to dinner after 10 somehow seems to have lost its charm. This really means that only a pre-theate meal somewhere within the vicinity of the National is practical.

As it is our anniversary it would be nice to have something a bit special, though I imagine that our choices will be somewhat limited by time constraints and location. Has anyone tried the People's Palace lately - or is that a no-go zone?

Thoughts?

[curlywurlyfi]

People's Palace is a bit nondescript - plus no guarantee of getting a table with a view, and if you're going to have ho-hum food you may as well have a knock-out view. though if you're going early you might be OK?

other options round there v thin on the ground. I had tapas a couple of weeks ago at the Meson Don Felipe in the cut (I went to see Cloaca, yes I did, shriek) and the tortilla was fantastic but the green beans + anchovies were too buttery and too sharp, respectively.

what if you took your own little pikey picnic (either from home or by raiding somewhere like Villandry or at a pinch M&S) and just bought yourself some overpriced wine from the National bar? if it's a nice evening you could sit outside and watch the river go by.

or, you could have supper somewhere like Gordon's Wine Bar (Embankment, though again, it's not magnificent) and then walk over the bridge to the theatre? you could probably do this with the Savoy Grill, too - mmm - cocktails in the American Bar...

Fi

[MobyP]

If you want view and middling food - the Oxo Tower

[Suzi Edwards]

I'm not very good on that area but I think that Baltic is near by. Never having been I cannot say if it's an especially romantic location...

[endless autumn]

Tas on The Cut is perfectly serviceable, certainly far better than Gordons for food. (I think the stuff looks terrifying.)

Anchor & Hope pretends to open at 5pm. If it does, that should solve your problems.

[Winot]

How about RSJ on Stamford St/Coin St? Decent French grub, excellent Loire wines and they're very good at pre-theatre efficiency. Slighty odd atmosphere, though not unpleasant.

Anchor & Hope in the Cut (get there at 5.45 and get your name on the list) but might be a bit rushed.

I don't think you'll have any trouble getting a window view at the PP at that time and I think the food's better than the Oxo Tower.

Or there's Admiralty over Waterloo bridge, though I haven't been for 5+ years.

[Romaney O'Malley]

I second Fi's idea of a picnic - spend the money on posh food and a killer bottle of bubbly or red wine. Proper plates and glasses and two rugs - one for over one for under. You can just cloak your bag of stuff when you get to the theatre.

Have a lovely evening

[Hallie]

Thanks guys for the good suggestions.

A couple of major problems with the picnic: our anniversary is the 23rd of November and the probability of good weather at 5pm on that day is quite dim.

Just FYI - I had a quick look at the People's Palace website and apparently the restaurant is now run by the same team who run the Capital Hotel. The chef apparently comes the Coq d'Argent. The menu doesn't sound half bad:

http://www.capital-london.net/peoples-palace/menus.html

I certainly intend to try the Anchor and Hope some time.

Fi: Meson Don Filipe and I go way back. It was at one time a constant after-work haunt due to its accessibility for a number of friends of mine. Its been a while since I've been there. I seem to recall that it was a bit hit and miss at times but generally better than most tapas joints.

Suzi: Baltic isn't bad. I've had one very good experience there about two years ago and two alright experiences since then. Until I find a better place for Eastern European food, I'll probably keep going back.

Last time I tried the Oxo Tower the whole experience just had an air of 'over-rated' about.

Its starting to look like the People's Palace...

[Clerkenwellian]

Suzi: Baltic isn't bad.  I've had one very good experience there about two years ago and two alright experiences since then.  Until I find a better place for Eastern European food, I'll probably keep going back.

what about Potemkin on Clerkenwell Road?

[emsny]

If you feel like spending a few bucks, you could go to the Savoy Grill, then waddle across Waterloo Bridge to the theater.

[Helenandchips]

Has anyone ever found a good restaurant in the West End with reasonable pre or post theatre deals? £15 a head would be great. . .

[Clerkenwellian]

Has anyone ever found a good restaurant in the West End with reasonable pre or post theatre deals? £15 a head would be great. . .

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Mon Plaisir is very reliable, and has a £15 three course set menu for pre and post theatre.

[Janice]

I like Abeno on Great Newport Street (Japanese Okonomiyaki and fantastic green tea ice-cream) for pre/post-theatre.

However, it might not meet your requirements if you're after a formal meal. Quite a bit of the seating is at the bar and food is cooked in front of you on built in hotplates. Not sure if they take bookings, but if you're early or late then the queue is usually not to long.

You could definitely get away for £15 a head if you control yourself when choosing side dishes (we usually don't). Mains are pretty much all under a tenner.

Janice

[kind]

Has anyone ever found a good restaurant in the West End with reasonable pre or post theatre deals? £15 a head would be great. . .

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A good and under £ 15.00 is an Italian Restaurant in 51 Greek Street.

Trattoria Da Aldo, maybe the only Italian at that price in soho area and good

[jdtofbna]

Has anyone ever found a good restaurant in the West End with reasonable pre or post theatre deals? £15 a head would be great. . .

←

A good and under £ 15.00 is an Italian Restaurant in 51 Greek Street.

Trattoria Da Aldo, maybe the only Italian at that price in soho area and good

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That wouldn't be the restaurant that was Aldo Zilli's Il Siciliano some 20 years ago, would it?

[kind]

Has anyone ever found a good restaurant in the West End with reasonable pre or post theatre deals? £15 a head would be great. . .

←

A good and under £ 15.00 is an Italian Restaurant in 51 Greek Street.

Trattoria Da Aldo, maybe the only Italian at that price in soho area and good

←

That wouldn't be the restaurant that was Aldo Zilli's Il Siciliano some 20 years ago, would it?

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Trattoria Da Aldo "il Viareggino". Viareggio is in Toscany not Sicily.. Nothing to with Aldo Zilli ......

[Helenandchips]

Thanks for the tips. We went to Mon Plaisir and enjoyed it a lot. The menu wasn't expansive - a choice of two starters and rather pedestrian mains - but it was good value and, importantly, the waiting staff didn't make us feel like plebs for not spending a bomb. £12.95 for celeriac soup, a mustardy chicken main and a glass of isnae bad. Really great bread was repeatedly offered and they didn't turn their noses up at the free champagne vouchers we had printed off their website either.

But why they insisted on serving undercooked peas swimming in cream as a sidedish I'll never know.

[Champagne Sadie]

Quod is not bad in an emergency.

[Clerkenwellian]

Thanks for the tips. We went to Mon Plaisir and enjoyed it a lot. The menu wasn't expansive - a choice of two starters and rather pedestrian mains - but it was good value and, importantly, the waiting staff didn't make us feel like plebs for not spending a bomb. £12.95 for celeriac soup, a mustardy chicken main and a glass of isnae bad.  Really great bread was repeatedly offered and they didn't turn their noses up at the free champagne vouchers we had printed off their website either.

But why they insisted on serving undercooked peas swimming in cream as a sidedish I'll never know.

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Pleased you liked it. I should have warned you: Mon Plaisir does classic French dishes really well, but their attempt at modern stuff is often a bit random.