We are going to the Globe Theater in August.
Is their restauraunt a good place to dine before the show? is there stuff to see before the show
melissa

There are two - a cafe and more expensive restaurant. Both have wonderful views of the river and have decent food. You can also tour the Globe exhibition.

But there are also lots of other places to eat along that stretch of the river including a Pizza Express (Not what the name implies) right next door.

It's right next door to Tate Modern, so you could drop in there for a little while, or stroll further along to Gabriel's Wharf, where there are lots of small shops and cafés around open-air seating.

If you're interested in visiting a historic pub, the George Inn is fairly close to the Globe. You could have a pub dinner before the show or stop for a pint or two after.

http://www.pubs.com/pub_details.cfm?ID=187

We had dinner at the Globe restaurant -- very nice meal, but not a bargain. The main attraction was that fabulous view across the river, and nice quiet ambiance. You can see pictures on their website.

We have also eaten at the Tate Modern next door -- same view, more of an "edgy" vibe to the place. We could only eat light because they were closing early for a private party -- but what we did have was mostly good.

We went to see Romeo and Juliet at the Globe, and found out from the website <http://www.shakespeares-globe.org/> that there was a pre-theatre lecture on the play by a visiting professor. I think they call the lectures "Setting the Scene" -- see the website list under Schedule/Education Events (took some poking around to find the right page!) After some manouvering (sp?), we managed to get tickets, and enjoyed it very much.

Oh, meant to add that the guided tour is also very interesting -- that was what whetted our appetite to go back and see a play. If you are travelling around, I think the admission was a 2-for-1 with a Britrail ticket of any kind.

You could make a great south bank afternoon with the Globe tour, Tate Modern, play lecture and dinner.