Covent Garden always seems like a logical place to meet up, it's pretty central, and a short walk from stations on several different tube lines, and Charing Cross for the overground. But no one ever seems to be able to come up with anywhere to GO in Covent Garden. Everywhere seems to either be too touristy or too expensive – well this is the heart of theatre-land.
Tuttons often gets overlooked by people for the same two reasons, but if you check it out in desperation then you'll be in for a nice surprise which might lead you to suggest it in future.
For this bar/ café/ restaurant/ club is actually pretty decently priced for what you get as far as London's West End is concerned.
The fact that Tuttons has been here for forever might be part of the reason you've never inspected it more closely – it's nigh on 30 years apparently. Or it could be that the location, on the piazza, seems a little too good to be affordably true. Which is naturally a tourist draw, but if you're after a drink or a meeting place then the bar, at the back of the restaurant facing the Royal Opera House, serves a short cocktail list and acceptably priced wines, beers and spirits and a decent cup of coffee. Here, at their high tables, you can let your feet dangle around a bit while you wait for the rest of your friends to join you, taking in the mix of flash snappy tourists and locals trying to get somewhere on time that you always see around Covent Garden.
Once your friends have joined you, you could even go on to the restaurant…
Where you can choose from a menu of what they call 'Modern European cuisine', and brassiere favourites like parfaits and confits. Breakfast is served from 8am until 11:30, before the lunch service starts at midday, when the a la carte menu takes over. On this list you'll find words like panzerotti, roulade, charcutarie and ala greque, but you'll also find ham hock, fish cake, salt beef and mustard mash. If you're using this as a pre or post theatre refuelling venue, then you'll be even happier to hear that Tuttons does a limited by speedy theatre menu which is £13.95 for two courses and £15.95 for three. There are only three choices for each course but they keep some good dishes on there it could be useful to know about for this use as well. Even if you're not here pre-theatre you still might feel the swift service is paced for that part of the day.
As is the current trend, produce is proudly locally and ethically sourced.
Alternatively you and your friend could head underneath Tuttons to
Dirty Martini, another central London cocktail bar trying to look like it's a hang out for the cast of 'Sex and the City'. But with no cover charge and a good happy hour, it's actually not really as exclusive as the aura it gives off.
So there's two option, three if you could the Tuttons bar, for places to meet in Covent Garden – so don't be telling me you want to meet outside the tube with everyone else!
