While Mayfair and Soho take top spots for London’s fine-dining destinations, it would be wrong to dismiss Covent Garden as being limited to pre-theatre dinners and post-show drinking holes. A stone’s throw from the culinary haven that is Chinatown, the West End is no stranger to decadent tasting menus, Michelin-starred restaurants and a variety of perfected cuisines ready to tempt even the most discerning of foodies, whether they’re heading for the stalls or not. Here are the best restaurants in Covent Garden. 

Story Cellar

Fans of Tom Sellers’ Restaurant Story – the two Michelin-starred establishment that reopened earlier this year in Bermondsey – must visit his second outpost in Covent Garden’s Neal’s Yard. A stylish, more laidback little sister, Story Cellar opened last year and takes its cues from Paris via London, featuring a monochrome, ruby red and navy interior palette with marble counters lining both the street-side windows and open kitchen – great for those who are always keen to get in on the action. It’s one of Covent Garden’s best kept secrets and has surprisingly maintained a relatively low profile – until now.

While the concepts may differ, the menu here features some of Sellers’ signature recipes, such as the stand-out snail bolognese on toast with parsley butter and tuna tartare with tomato ponzu, sesame and seaweed. Larger plates, however, champion premium rotisserie chicken which can be ordered half or whole, served in caramelised juices (perfect for dipping crispy fries in). Also don’t miss the steak Diane in the creamiest, peppery mushroom sauce, and a selection of grilled meats and fish of the day such as dry aged pork chop with brandy-pickled dates. Desserts reflect the essence of Story Cellar’s concept, featuring well-executed favourites like bread and butter pudding that would rival your grandmother’s recipe any day. Combine these decadent dishes with exceptional service, expertly-picked wine (the walk-in cellar downstairs and in-house sommelier has the answer to everything) and a relaxed atmosphere rarely found in an accoladed restaurant, and you have a meal to remember. Story Cellar is certainly one to watch – and we will keep on coming back.

17 Neal’s Yard, WC2H 9DP, visit storycellar.co.uk

Café Murano

The younger, more casual outpost of Angela Harnett’s British-Italian Michelin-starred restaurant, there are Café Muranos dotted across the capital in St James, Bermondsey, and Covent Garden. It’s raison d’être is offering an affordable and relaxed approach to Italian cuisine, inspired by Harnett’s award-winning recipes while taking its cues from the Italian province of Veneto, showcasing the dramatic differences between the mountainous regions on the Austrian border, and the metropolitan, coastal region of Venezia. 

Pasta is made in-house twice daily, with every meal beginning with a slab of Harnett’s signature focaccia. Move onto the secondi slice of the menu to experience Murano’s modern Italian flair, mixing classics like chicken Milanese and osso bucco (saffron risotto) with seasonal specials such as bistecca alla fiorentina (Italian steak) with courgette fritti. Café Murano is ultimately a love letter to Harnett’s heritage, honouring the bold, satisfying flavours of Italy without being too heavy or too rich – and is a must when in Covent Garden. 

36 Tavistock Street, WC2E 7PB, visit cafemurano.co.uk

Henri

Having only opened in June, Henri has already made waves in the West End as a must-try Parisian-inspired restaurant by renowned chef Jackson Boxer. Combining the best British and French sensibilities, interior designer Dorothée Meilichzon has decked out the Henrietta Street address in tribute to the historic Covent Garden fruit and vegetable market via botanical shapes and timeless Art Nouveau accents.

Served from an open kitchen, start with Boxer’s take on Parisian classics like fried pieds de cochon (pig’s trotters) with prune and beer mustard, and grilled snails with green garlic and veal rice. Steak frites is available every lunchtime, offered alongside simple but effective fried eggs with morels, and raw tuna with green tomato and pickled honeymoon melon. Expertly tended meat, fish and vegetables sit on the charcoal grill section, ranging from roast duck served with blood orange and green olives to Brixham cod finished in a crab and lime leaf bisque. Bon appétit!

14-15 Henrietta Street, WC2E 8QH, visit henricoventgarden.com

Oriole

You’ll find the second outpost of award-winning cocktail bar Oriole nestled within Covent Garden’s The Yards, offering a plush hideaway among the hustle and bustle of the West End. It’s the only Oriole setting to offer an á la cartè food menu, courtesy of chef director Gustavo Giallonardo who has drawn on his Argentinian heritage to create a fusion menu celebrating Latin America, Nikkei (Peruvian-Japanese), and regional Mexican traditions. Expect an array of sharing small plates ranging from hamachi tiradito with kimchi aguachile to chicken arepas with mushrooms and mole velouté, and sea trout with torrontés beurre blanc and trout roe to coconut tres leches with fig leaf sauce. 

To accompany the food menu, bar director Samet Ali has developed a cocktail menu inspired by Oriole’s namesake: the adventure-seeking birds. Drinks draw on distinctive imbibing traditions from around the world, and include the Finca Filadelfia – a complex, full-bodied take on an espresso martini with Eminente rum, Del Maguey Vida mezcal, chamomile liqueur, espresso and coconut foam – as well as the classic Rio Verde, a form of tequila punch with tamarillo (tomato tree) purée, peach and watermelon. 

7-9 Slingsby Place, WC2E 9AB, visit oriolebar.com

Frog by Adam Handling

The flagship, Michelin-starred restaurant from Scottish chef and Masterchef: The Professionals finalist Adam Handling is just as theatrical as one would hope, considering it’s situated at the heart of London’s West End. Diners are positioned directly in front of the open kitchen so they can watch the action unfold, before being served their choice of a meat or vegetarian tasting menu. All ingredients showcase the best of British, sourced from independent farmers, fishermen and growers, and presentation is second to none. The menu is kept firmly under wraps but think sea bream with tiger’s milk and white radish overflowing with wafts of dried ice, before plates of lobster with smoked chilli and roasted lemon, and pigeon, hen of the woods mushroom and black garlic. 

34-35 Southampton Street, WC2E 7HG, visit frogbyadamhandling.com

The NoMad Hotel

Despite only opening in 2021, The NoMad Hotel has made a name for itself as a foodie haven. Comprising its signature eponymous restaurant, the Mexican-inspired Side Hustle, the Library, and recently-opened cocktail bar, Common Decency – where all menus are created by executive chef Michael Yates – it's the former that is buzzing every day of the week. Set in a soaring glass conservatory with hanging plants and pale-green furnishings, the signature restaurant’s menus focus on farm, field and coast, featuring lobster tail in citrus beurre blanc, fire-roasted tomahawk for two to share with creamed chard and roasted potatoes, and courgette tagliatelle as well as a stand-out Sunday lunch. 

28 Bow Street, WC2E 7AW, visit thenomadhotel.com

Stereo

If you’re looking for guaranteed (and good) live music, head to Stereo, located on Covent Garden’s Piazza. The restaurant-come-music-bar opened at the beginning of 2023, and takes its cues from the vibrant late-night culture of New York with undertones of Parisian chic. Its delectable cocktail and food menus – overseen by chef Andrew Clarke, formerly of Brunswick House and St Leonards – sit harmoniously alongside Stereo’s eclectic daily music programme, where an in-house band plays relaxed soul, funk and jazz tunes in the early evening before building tempo throughout the evening. 

Culinary fare fuses American classics with European influences, so you'll find plates of cheeseburgers, fried chicken sandwiches and Stereo hot wings alongside roast cod with potato puree, pork schnitzel and aged sirloin. At the bar, pick from bottles by South Bermondsey microbrewery Partizan, Thames Distillers (creating Stereo's house vodka and gin blends), Biercraft and The Lakes Distillery, alongside an exceptional cocktail menu. Chin chin!

35 The Piazza, WC2E 8BE, visit stereocoventgarden.com

Louie

Louie is an opulent party palace by Parisian hospitality director Guillaume Glipa on Covent Garden’s West Street, bringing the art of French hospitality with a touch of jazz and soul to the capital. Housed in a historic, 19^th-century townhouse with all four floors designed by Dion & Arles, the ground-floor restaurant takes its cues from the classic brasserie, where guests can graze and share little plates of seafood from the raw bar. The first-floor dining room, with its plush, sultry décor, is the perfect backdrop for wine aficionados to discover hidden gems and enjoy Louie’s signature New Orleans-style barbecued lobster and shrimps. 

After dinner, guests can move to the Alligator bar, terrace and smoking lounge. The cocktail menu has all the classics, as well as a few special serves, such as the Madame Laveau, Louie’s take on a margarita, a selection of Cuban cigars, and bar-sized portions of the dining room’s signature dishes. Dining or drinking at Louie also means buying a front-row ticket to artists from around the world, from the recurring Jazz Night Tuesdays, Soulful Wednesdays to All About Rhythm Thursdays, plus DJs on Friday and Saturday nights. Keep an eye out for Louie’s exclusive movie nights at the top-floor Cabana, and vibrant jazz brunches on weekends. 

13-15 West Street, WC2H 9NE, visit louie-london.com

La Goccia

Petersham Nurseries’ Richmond venue has long been a favourite for elegant, Italian-inspired dining in the capital and it didn’t take long for its two outposts in Covent Garden to emulate the same experience. Both The Petersham and La Goccia take their cue from the slow-living and sustainable values synonymous with the Petersham brand, serving seasonal, nose-to-tail Italian aperitivo and dishes. However, when the sun is shining, we love La Goccia’s sunny courtyard, where you can dine al fresco to enjoy plates of cured beef tartare, Tuscan dough balls filled with mortadella and gorgonzola dolce, and brown crab cacio e pepe bucatini.

1 Floral Court, WC2E 9FB, visit lagocciacoventgarden.com

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