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Opera Tavern, London,

Opera Tavern

4.6
4.6
248 Reviews
£26 to £40
Italian

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 29 times today
  • Charming
  • Good for special occasions
  • Great for fine wines
Opera Tavern is a beautiful two-storey bar and restaurant in the heart of central London’s theatre land. Located on Catherine Street we are opposite the Drury Lane Theatre, seconds from the Opera House, a stone’s throw from The Strand and a lovely walk across Waterloo Bridge from the South Bank.

A beautiful former pub, the exposed brickwork, bold artwork and flattering low lighting help our two-story restaurant create the perfect atmosphere for a pre-theatre meal or drink. The ground floor houses a long bar with the open grill at one end, and a few tables placed beside the theatre box windows, where guests can watch the world go by.

We specialise in Italian and Spanish influenced tapas and have a charcoal grill on the ground floor where we cook up all manner of stunning small plates.

For groups reservations and Private Hire enquiries, contact us directly at bookings@saltyard.co.uk

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    £26 to £40
  • Cuisines
    Italian, Spanish
  • Hours of operation
    Mon, Tue 12:00 pm–10:00 pm Wed–Sat 12:00 pm–11:00 pm Sun 12:00 pm–8:00 pm
  • Phone number
    020 7836 3680
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Executive chef
    Łukasz Kiełbasiński
  • Private party facilities
    The upper floor of Opera Tavern is artistically designed, combining raw brickwork with an exquisite interior. Enhanced by impactful art pieces and soft, mood-enhancing lighting, it's an ideal setting for high-end events or professional meetings. The space caters to 45 seated attendees or 50 standing.
  • Neighborhood
    Covent Garden
  • Cross street
    Covent Garden
  • Parking details
    None
  • Public transit
    Covent Garden Station - 4 min walk<br />Leicester Square Station - 9 min walk<br />Temple Station - 9 min walk<br />Charing Cross Station - 13 min walk
  • Additional
    Banquet, Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Vegan, Wine

What 248 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.5Service
  • 4.4Ambience
  • 4.2Value

NoiseEnergetic

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Opera Tavern dazzles with its "outstanding" service and delightful tapas in a cozy, relaxed setting. Situated perfectly for theatre-goers, it's renowned for "amazing" Iberian pork belly and diverse Mediterranean flavors. The atmosphere is lively, while attentive staff ensure a "wonderful dining experience." Slightly pricey, but "good value" for quality and location.

248 Reviews
  1. Justine

    London

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent find - beautiful food and lovely atmosphere! Staff friendly and excellent service Definitely come back

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  2. Simon

    New York City

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Delicious food, original taste. Service fine but could be more attentive.

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  3. Marina

    London

    72 reviews

    4.0

    72 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent quality tapas in a lovely cosy upstairs room. We had the croquetas, octopus carpaccio and yellow tail tuna, all delicious. Very good service attentive and friendly. Wide choice of wines. Location is perfect as although it is in the heart of Covent Garden it is in a quiet side street also near to the tube. A great find and we will definitely go there again

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  4. Craig

    Dubai

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Great choice for a pre-theatre dinner. Super quality small plates (tapas) and excellent service. Good drinks list as well with a nice selection of non-alcoholic cocktails. Heartily recommend!

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  5. Debbie

    London

    16 reviews

    5.0

    16 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Excellent food and good, quick service. Perfect for a pre-theatre dinner. Haven’t been to the Opera Tavern for a while so delighted it is as good as ever.

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  6. Mmmm

    London

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The Spanish/Italian small plates menu is perfect for a light pre-theatre dinner. Recommended if you are going to Drury Lane, the Lyceum or the Royal Opera House as they are all within 3-4 minutes walk.

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  7. Chris

    Cheshire

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 16, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    A lovely restaurant that has great food. We had the tasting menu which had a good selection of food. Definitely worth a visit. Just round the corner from Covent Garden. Perfect location.

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  8. Dani

    Kent

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on November 16, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Read the reviews, did not disappoint on any level! Beautiful venue, beautiful food and our team member, Francesca was wonderful! We will definitely return!

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  9. Nikki

    Kent

    7 reviews

    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on November 14, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    First visit and completely love this place! Will be returning again very soon.

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  10. Emma

    London

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 13, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    The food was delicious, not the cheapest but reasonable for the quality. We had 5 dishes between 2 of us and were both full. We ordered lamb shoulder, slow cooked pork, courgette Tempura, croquettes and the crusted cod. We also got some bread which was lovely. The lamb and pork were stand outs and highly recommend. Everything was brought out very quickly- we were only at the restaurant about 45 minutes. We were charged £5 for water which seems a little steep, we assumed it would be tap water when they initially offered. Our fault for assuming but make sure you clarify if you want tap.

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FAQs

Opera Tavern is rated 4.6 stars by 248 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 29 times today
Google Map for Opera Tavern

23 Catherine Street, London, WC2B 5JS

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Covent Garden
  • Neighborhood
    Covent Garden
  • Hours of operation
    Mon, Tue 12:00 pm–10:00 pm Wed–Sat 12:00 pm–11:00 pm Sun 12:00 pm–8:00 pm
  • Price
    £26 to £40
  • Cuisines
    Italian, Spanish
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    None
  • Public transit
    Covent Garden Station - 4 min walkLeicester Square Station - 9 min walkTemple Station - 9 min walkCharing Cross Station - 13 min walk
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Łukasz Kiełbasiński
  • Additional
    Banquet, Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Vegan, Wine
  • Phone number
    020 7836 3680
  • Private party facilities
    The upper floor of Opera Tavern is artistically designed, combining raw brickwork with an exquisite interior. Enhanced by impactful art pieces and soft, mood-enhancing lighting, it's an ideal setting for high-end events or professional meetings. The space caters to 45 seated attendees or 50 standing.
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