The Opera Tavern

The Opera Tavern is a tapas bar and restaurant on Catherine Street, in the middle of Covent Garden's theatre district and a few doors from the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. It splits across two floors: a bar downstairs with counter seating, a communal table and graphic prints by artists including Ben Eine, and a warmer, lower-lit dining room on the first floor. The menu draws on Spain and Italy in equal measure.

The tavern belongs to the Salt Yard Group, the London family of tapas restaurants that also runs Salt Yard, Dehesa and Ember Yard. Head Chef Pavlin Karantatski and his team build the kitchen around Spanish and Italian-influenced dishes made with seasonal ingredients, from croquetas and patatas bravas to plates off the grill, backed by an extensive wine list and a set of regionally inspired seasonal drinks that runs from Spritz serves to long drinks. A Tapas Trio lunch is offered Sunday to Friday from midday until 4pm, group menus are available for parties of eight or more, and it picked up a 2024 Diners' Choice Award from OpenTable UK.

A tapas bar in Covent Garden built for theatre nights

The timing of the place follows the stages around it. Pre-theatre and post-theatre menus sit alongside the a la carte, so a table can be turned around before curtain-up or kept for a slower supper after the interval crowd has gone. The first floor also works as a private dining room for up to 42 seated guests, or around 50 standing, with exposed brickwork and soft lighting, and the group runs wine tasting sessions for anyone who wants to dig into the Iberian and Italian list.

What to expect on a visit

Doors open at midday every day. The kitchen runs until 10.45pm on Monday and Tuesday, 11pm Wednesday to Saturday and 8pm on Sunday, which makes an early Sunday table the quietest way to see the room. Walk-ins can usually find a stool at the downstairs bar, while the upstairs room is best booked, particularly on show nights. For a pint rather than a plate, The Stranded on the Strand pours Czech side-pour lagers a short walk south, and our guide to bars in Covent Garden covers the rest of the neighbourhood.