Enable JavaScript to run this app.
Skip to main content
OpenTable logo
  1. Home
  2. United Kingdom
  3. London
  4. West End London
  5. Covent Garden
Opera Tavern, London,

Opera Tavern

4.6
4.6
334 Reviews
£26 to £40
Italian

Make a booking

2 people
22:00
Booked 29 times today
  • Charming
  • Good for special occasions
  • Neighbourhood gem
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
Private dining

Private dining

Book your next event with us

View details

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
  • Website
    https://www.saltyardgroup.co.uk/opera-tavern/
  • 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.
  • Location
    23 Catherine Street, London, WC2B 5JS
  • Area
    Covent Garden
  • Cross Street
    Covent Garden
  • 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
  • Additional
    Gluten-free Options, Vegan

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 334 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
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.5Ambience
  • 4.2Value

Noise • Energetic

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Opera Tavern in Covent Garden offers a delightful dining experience with "wonderful food and excellent service." The restaurant is perfect for pre-theatre meals, providing a "relaxed ambience" and "delicious tapas." Guests appreciate the attentive staff, particularly servers like Richie and Leah. A must-visit for tapas lovers!
334 Reviews

  1. Eliza

    Gloucestershire

    8 reviews

    5.0

    8 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great food, staff and atmosphere. I went with a group of friends and had a wonderful table and were allowed to relax there for most of the afternoon. We all said we will be going back.
    Opera TavernResponded 1 day ago
    Thank you so much Eliza, we really appreciated your wonderful feedback.

    Is this helpful?

  2. Nicola

    London

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 25 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I’ve been to the Opera tavern many times and have always loved it the food and service is outstanding. A great pre theatre venue
    Opera TavernResponded 1 day ago
    Thank you so much for a kind words Nicola. See you next time!

    Is this helpful?

  3. Simon

    London

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 25 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Very friendly and nice staff. Great food and superb location for the theatre district.
    Opera TavernResponded 1 day ago
    Thank you Simon for a nice review!

    Is this helpful?

  4. kim

    Yorkshire

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 22 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent pre theatre meal. Nice size portions for tapas. All dishes, octopus, tuna, ox cheeks, pork belly, prawns were delicious
    Opera TavernResponded 1 day ago
    Thank you Kim, glad you've enjoyed. Hope to see you soon again.

    Is this helpful?

  5. David

    London

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 21 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Fabulous food and fabulous service - we'll definitely return.

    Is this helpful?

  6. Becky

    London

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 20 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Wonderful food and excellent service, our second time coming in our recent trips to London, well worth the return.

    Is this helpful?

  7. Peter

    London

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 15 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had the Valentine's Day special menu & it was superb. The 2 girls running the first floor were brilliant.
    Opera TavernResponded 1 day ago
    Thank you Peter, glad you've enjoyed! (one of the girls :)

    Is this helpful?

  8. S

    Surrey

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 15 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Amazing place. Always a pleasure to visit here. Great food, and amazing cocktails and collection of wine. Service was amazing too! Leah who served us was very friendly and helpful.
    Opera TavernResponded 1 day ago
    Thank you for kind words, hope to see you soon again.

    Is this helpful?

  9. Karen

    West Sussex

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 15 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    Food was great, Richie serving us was fantastic, responsive but not hovering. Prices seemed fair. We were sat by the door - not a great table because of this. Felt our conversation was disturbed every time someone came in. It would be good to have vegan options on the menu. The world will slowly be turning vegan because we’ll have to!
    Opera TavernResponded 1 day ago
    Thank you Karen, we appreciate all your feedback.

    Is this helpful?

  10. Helen

    Kent

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 15 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    We came to eat at the Opera Tavern on Saturday 15th February for my 50th birthday before going to see a show in the West End. We have never been before and we were welcomed to our table by Richie who could not have been more attentive and professional. He ran through the menu with us and how it works at the Opera Tavern. We were particularly impressed with how seriously he took a peanut allergy that a member of the family had and it really reassured us before ordering our food. The food came quickly and was delicious and very filling which was a surprise for tapas dishes. I would thoroughly recommend the Opera Tavern and we intend on going again when we are next in London.
    Opera TavernResponded 1 day ago
    Thank you so much Helen for kind words. We really appreciate your time writing this wonderful review.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Opera Tavern is rated 4.6 stars by 334 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a booking

2 people
22:00
Booked 29 times today
Google Map for Opera Tavern

23 Catherine Street, London, WC2B 5JS

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    Covent Garden
  • Area
    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
    Gluten-free Options, Vegan
  • Website
    https://www.saltyardgroup.co.uk/opera-tavern/
  • 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.
Discover
OpenTable
  • About Us
  • Blog
  • Careers
More
Our sites
Businesses
  • Delight more diners
  • Restaurant Blog
Join us on
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Impressum
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
Copyright © 2024 OpenTable International Ltd. Alphabeta Building, 14-18 Finsbury Square, London EC2A 1AH - All rights reserved.
OpenTable is part of Booking Holdings, the world leader in online travel and related services.
Booking Logo
Priceline Logo
KAYAK Logo
Agoda Logo
OpenTable Logo