I've been reading restaurant reviews for London.
We will be seeing Matilda on a Fri. night @ 7:30 in June and would like to have dinner before the show within close walking distance to the Cambridge Theater.

I would guess around 5:30ish. A bit early for dinner I think but waiting until after wouldn't work either.

Italian, seafood,beef or chicken, maybe even a sandwich or fish n chips would work.
Price is not an issue but high-end gourmet might not work for the time frame.

Any suggestions would be highly appreciated.

The Cambridge is at Seven Dials and near Covent Garden- - quite literally hundreds of restaurants w/i a very short walk. Sort of an epicenter of London dining. And MANY have early pre-theatre menus. You will have no problem eating at 6:00-6:30 PM (why 5:30? - that is awfully early for a 7:30 curtain -- unless you are talking a long/slow/posh meal - which you indicate you aren't looking for and which wouldn't be offered that early anyway)

I've been scanning so much stuff and I seem to remember a few comments on dining before the theater which said to go at 5:30 because sometimes the food takes long.

I have been looking at some pre-theater menusI was just wondering if any Fodorites had a favorite place.

We ate at a restaurant that was catty corner across from the Cambridge Theater. We enjoyed Matilda but the seats in that theater are very uncomfortable-worse than plane seats with very little knee room. Our seats were not cheap either-from what I could tell when we left the theater none looked great.

nini---do you remember the name of the restaurant?

We've eaten pre-theater at Brown's Restaurant on St. Martin's Lane, and enjoyed it. http://www.browns-restaurants.co.uk/...en/menus/food/

Pleasant atmosphere, decent food for the money.

Sorry but I did not make a note of the restaurant name. Our meals were good and the place was modern rather than an old and quaint place. There may have been a small hotel adjacent to it.

>>said to go at 5:30 because sometimes the food takes long<<

Relatively few sit down/full service restaurants are serving dinner at 5:30 though some do . . . But not to worry. There are MANY theatres and restaurants in that neighborhood and any restaurant that does a pre-theatre will feed you in plenty of time.

What is usually the case - the pre-theatre menu is more limited and geared to getting patrons in and out faster . . . then after all the early birds have left to make curtain, they wheel out the full dinner menu for everyone else.

I just pop in at any place that looks decent -- honestly you will have a TON of choices.

but these are either close or VERY close to the Cambridge:
http://www.monplaisir.co.uk
http://thehawksmoor.com/locations/seven-dials
http://www.dishoom.com/covent-garden/
http://www.jsheekeyoysterbar.co.uk
http://greenmanfrenchhorn.co

stokebailey and janisj
That's just what I was looking for---suggestions.
There are so many choices and this will give me a good start

Do you think reservations are needed that early on a Fri. in June?
We usually travel to Europe in Sept. and are mindful of the busy summer months.

Slightly further away, but the best traditional Parisian brasserie in Europe (including those still operating in that theme park 300 miles south), seriously geared up for pre-theatre suppers and only 10 mins' walk : http://www.brasseriezedel.com

Absolutely book. June is before London empties to let the foreigners come in and gawp, so theatres and decent restaurants are at their fullest: Friday is a peak theatre day. That early in the evening, you might expect places to be empty: but if you're tight for time you really can't waste it while they faff about trying to find you a place.

5.30 is absurd, though: I can't imagine starting before 6.00 (at Zedel, we arrived, late, at 6.40, ate and made it with 8 mins to spare to a theatre 10 mins away a couple of weeks back). If a place is serving pre-theatre, they're organised for rapid service (just tell them when you arrive). Starting in the middle of the morning really isn't necessary.

5:30 is terribly early I agree. I had read comments about going early in case of delays. 6 will probably work. Having a 13 yr. old with us deters us from dining after the show. Maybe dessert after will work.

We love French food but are heading to Paris after London. That said, Browns and Hawksmoor look like good choices with various menu choices.

IMO even 6:00 is over kill. But you can always arrive early at the Cambridge and have a drink in the bar (and order any drinks you might want at the interval). Even if you don't drink alcohol - they have juices, soft drinks etc.

Of those two I'd do the Hawksmoor - it is literally across from the theatre.

Gaby's deli is less than half a mile away, and is a good, value for money choice. I would not recommend their famous falafels, but the food in general is good and the service fast.

"Maybe dessert after will work."

I'm honestly not sure whether it will. Most restaurants aren't too keen on a peak day to give away scarce covers for people wanting just an ice-cream: in London, starting supper at 10pm isn't remotely unusual, though you might strike lucky

Gaby's, being a deli, is an exception, if you like halva. Zedel did ask us, when we gulped down our mains in 0.4 nanoseconds, if we'd like to come back for pudding afterwards, but it's a huge brasserie, with thoroughly unFrench attitudes to service. And even they are unlikely to welcome pudding-only customers before 11-ish.

Mind you, we don't eat puddings, so I can't claim to be an expert. Your compatriots will know more about this.

Translation for those who might need it .

Puddings = desserts (not just 'pudding')

flanneruk---good point. the restaurants here are the same way. I guess we'll have dessert after dinner, before theater.

This trip is a totally different way of thinking for us with our GD along. In Europe we often don't dine until 9-10pm. I don't think that will work this time.

Eating at 6:00 or 6:30 is fine. but another option is to Have an afternoon tea late sitting. That will take care of the hunger and then you can have a regular supper after the show.

At least once every London visit I forego lunch and have a 5:00 or 5:30 tea (which is pretty much a full meal with the sandwiches, scones and everything else and usually a glass of champagne too) before going to the theatre, then have a late supper afterwards if I'm peckish.

But I usually do this for 7:00 curtains, not 7:30.

I looked at several of those menus. Now I'm hungry.

Lee Ann

My opinion on 5:30 pre-theater dinner time, contrary to those decisive to the point of doctrinaire stated above: it's just fine. There's nothing absurd about a leisurely meal, without anxiety about finishing on time. Later dinner times are the custom of the country, but we tourists are free to come and go as we please.

If you have time on your hands, find a pub or catch the scene at Covent Garden. Alternately, ask the reservation host.

We aren't being 'doctrinaire '. The problem w/ eating at 5:30 is you will be done by 6:30 or even earlier (pre theatre menus are short and meant for in/out to make theatre goers happy)

OK -- you are now out on the street before 6:30 and curtain isn't for another hour - and hanging around a pub w/ the 13 yo probably is't doable.