Opera Tavern

4.6

332 Reviews

£26 to £40

Italian

Make a reservation

2 people

Feb 26, 2025

7:00 p.m.

Booked 20 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

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
Neighbourhood
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
Banquet, Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Vegan, Wine

What 332 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
4.3Value

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!

332 Reviews

N
Nicola
London
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined 1 day ago
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
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k
kim
Yorkshire
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 4 days ago
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
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D
David
London
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 5 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Fabulous food and fabulous service - we'll definitely return.
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B
Becky
London
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined 6 days ago
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.
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P
Peter
London
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on February 15, 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.
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S
S
Surrey
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on February 15, 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.
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K
Karen
West Sussex
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on February 15, 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!
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H
Helen
Kent
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on February 15, 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.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Surrey
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on February 14, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great service and food. Seated on a high bar table but actually they are just as good as a restaurant. Nice decor and a quality enviroment
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D
Deborah
London
7 reviews
5.0
7 reviews
Dined on February 13, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
Overall this is a fantastic little spot off of the edge of the Covent Garden piazza. Did think the large charcuterie and cheese board was small to share for 4.
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FAQs

Opera Tavern is rated 4.6 stars by 332 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people

Feb 26, 2025

7:00 p.m.

Booked 20 times today

23 Catherine Street, London, WC2B 5JS

Dining areas

Additional information

Cross Street
Covent Garden
Neighbourhood
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

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.

Opera Tavern

Make a reservation

Dining areas

Additional information

Menu

What 332 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Review summary

FAQs

How is Opera Tavern restaurant rated?

Is Opera Tavern currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Dining areas

Additional information