Hello,
We have tickets for the last night of "Singin' in the rain" at Sadler's Wells. We were planning on having dinner somewhere in the West End after the play, but I have found out that we won't be out of the theatre until 22:15 or 22:30 at night.

Still, I don't think that there will be time for a pre-theatre dinner (some people in my party are flying that afternoon from Germany), so ... could you recommend me some place for a late dinner? We had been talking about Mela, and we are certainly open to anything (as long as it is not an Angus Steakhouse ...).

Rgds, Cova

I'm a little confused. You are aware aren't you that Sadler's Wells isn't in the West End at all, but out in the Islington area? Are you looking to have dinner out there, or heading back into the West End for dinner? Where are you staying? Maybe you need to look for something convenient to that.

If you want to eat near the theatre, the Sadler's Wells website lists some restaurants near by.

This isn't a going to compete with the Lyonnais. But I'd suggest you eat near the theatre.

Mrs F + I would almost always resort to the Kolossi Grill a couple of hundred yards back towards town along Roseberry Ave, a Cypriot place that occasionally doubles as a canteen for The Guardian.

Normal Greek - though what else would you really want that late at night? You don't have to be worrying about whether asnywhere will be open by the time you've found a taxi or bus and got back to civilisation. And you can all try and guess what Our Sovereign Lady was doing just before she had that photograph on the wall taken. It was certainly uncomfortable.

Where NOT to eat: It's almost impossible to get an edible meal anywhere in the wall-to-wall chain joints along Upper Street. In particular, that branch of Carluccio - consistently reliable for cucina casalinga elsewhere in London - is unspeakable. Dreadful food, pig-ignorant staff (none, as far as I can tell, Italian) and unbearably noisy.

Alternatively try The Fish Shop in St John St for slightly poncified fish and chips.

If you can get a booking that late, the fashionable place is still Moro in Exmouth Market

Ah, Moro! One of my favorites, and actually if after the theatre you shouldn't have any problem getting a late booking now for that Saturday -- we've always booked late night at almost last minute, and you have almost two weeks, right?

But I'm trying to picture walking there from Sadler's Wells -- probably need a taxi? I've always come from the other direction.

Actually, Patrick, we are well aware of that. I am staying in South Kensington and my friends are staying near Covent Garden. Our initial idea was to have dinner near the theatre (had already checked the website ...).

But ... we tried to convince another couple to come with us to the theatre and then have dinner up there, but they are not interested (they are italian and say that they won't understand anything ... their english is not great, but I am going for the dancing ...). So, as they DO want to have dinner with us afterwards, and they are also staying in Covent Garden, we thought of having dinner down there (don't tell me to tell them to come up and meet us, I am afraid they will get lost ).

Anyway, I'll write down Flanneruk's recs, and see what we can do ...

Rgds, Cova

Patrick:

Moro is about 30 yards from Sadlers Wells, if you could walk through the middle of the old Finsbury Town Hall.

As you have to walk round it, maybe 200 yards max.

Another recommendation for MORO here.

Exmouth Market ( the street on which Moro is sited) is full of good restaurants and bars - Don't bother going into Islington - it's horrid. It's full of chavs and gooners.

If you dont fancy that the Eagle in Farringdon Rd is good if a bit tired now.

At the bottom of Farringdon Rd is Clerkenwell, which is also well served for restaurants.

Thanks to all.
I'll write down that Moro recommendation, but I am afraid that being spanish and having checked their menu ... well, it doesn't appeal a lot to me.

My experience with that kind of restaurants abroad has been something between dismal (a place I forgot the name in Dublin) to not-bother. Kind like the awfully bad italian restaurants in Spain ... Moro doesn't look bad, but I can get better things at home in Bilbao.

Thanks to all again,
Cova

First of all I'm laughing at myself over flanneruk's post. I've taken the tube to Angel and walked past Sadler's Wells several times. And I've eaten at Moro's four or five times. But never would I have realized they are that close together. Sort of like the first time I went to London and took the tube from Green Park to Picadilly -- it wasn't until our next trip there I realized how close they actually were.

But, Cova with this new information, I do suggest you stick to Covent Garden and come back there for dinner. Near the CG tube stop on Longacre is LeDeuxieme, a lovely small place with really good food and very quiet after theatre. Their fish dishes are especially wonderful, but everything there is good. Where exactly are the friends staying? If up at one of the places on Monmouth, how about the pretty and delightful MonPlasir right across from the Covent Garden Hotel? Also great for late night. They should have no problem not getting lost getting to either of these spots.

Hi Patrick,
if this is LeDeuxieme ( http://ledeuxieme.com/ ), it sounds pretty nice (and an interesting wine list ...).

Thanks a lot again, I think we are heading in the right direction.

Cova

Ps. I have also found the website for Mon Plaisir : http://www.monplaisir.co.uk/

Hi Patrick,
I'd like to thank you for "Le Deuxieme" rec. We had a lovely dinner there last Saturday, and you were right about the fish dishes. My swordfish was well worth it

We were lucky and got a bus right after the show, and we arrived to the restaurant in 20 minutes. A couple of tables were occupied, but we were looking forward to a quiet place to be able to talk a lot (liked the show, but we weren't so enthusiastic, we would prefer to see Adam Cooper again in serious ballet ...).

Of course, that magnificent weather has also helped a lot.

Bye, Cova

Just eat at a West End restaurant of your choice - it's but a short taxi ride away.

Glad you enjoyed Le Deuxieme. It seems to be an "undiscovered gem" that opened a couple of years ago. It is very close to "my" flat and I pass it a lot -- often busy before theatre, but never after, which is when I really like it. Four of us each had a different fish dish one night and we all argued over who got the best one, they were all wonderful!