Dining
The 6 Best Restaurants near Leicester Square
Theatre queues, neon and Chinatown's steam collide in the few streets around the square, where dinner is timed to the minute before curtain up.
In short: our top picks are The Ivy West End, Barrafina Adelaide Street and Four Seasons. 6 places in total, chosen on merit, with the full reasoning below.
Leicester Square runs on ticket times, so half the restaurants within a few streets of it have built their whole rhythm around a 7.30pm curtain. Chinatown sits close enough that a duck dinner on Gerrard Street counts as a proper pre-theatre plan, not a compromise. The square itself is mostly chain cinemas and tourist clutter, so the better tables sit one or two streets back, on West Street, Rupert Street or Adelaide Street. Booking matters more than people think; turn up without one on a Saturday and the good places simply have no room.
| Place | Area | Price |
|---|---|---|
| The Ivy West End | West Street, off Cambridge Circus | ££££ |
| Barrafina Adelaide Street | Adelaide Street | ££ |
| Four Seasons | Bayswater | ££ |
| Heliot Steak House | Leicester Square | £££ |
| The Palomar | Rupert Street, Soho | ££ |
| Plum Valley | Soho | £££ |
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Editor’s choice
The Ivy West End
Why we pick itAround the corner from St Martin's Theatre, five minutes from Leicester Square, this stained-glass institution suits a proper occasion before curtain up.
British classic
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Barrafina Adelaide Street
Why we pick itPerch at the counter on Adelaide Street, a five-minute walk south of Leicester Square, for fast, sharp Spanish plates before the show.
Spanish tapas counter
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Four Seasons
Why we pick itTwo minutes north of the square on Gerrard Street, Chinatown's queue-out-the-door duck has been drawing regulars for decades.
Cantonese roast duck
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Heliot Steak House
Why we pick itSet inside the Hippodrome Casino right on Leicester Square itself, this is a steak dinner with a side of Vegas-style theatre.
Worth knowingOver-18s only across the whole venue, so it will not work for a family pre-theatre dinner, and service slows noticeably when the casino floor is busy.
steak and casino glamour
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The Palomar
Why we pick itA brisk seven-minute walk through Chinatown from Leicester Square, the counter turns out punchy Middle Eastern small plates until late.
Middle Eastern small plates
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Plum Valley
Why we pick itThree minutes from the square on Gerrard Street, dim sum arrives fast enough to finish before an evening curtain call.
Cantonese dim sum
Before you book
Leicester Square tube (Northern and Piccadilly lines) sits right on the square, with exits onto Cranbourn Street and Charing Cross Road putting you within five minutes of every restaurant on this list. Book ahead for The Ivy and Barrafina, especially Friday and Saturday; Chinatown spots like Four Seasons and Plum Valley generally take walk-ins outside peak hours. For a 7.30pm curtain, aim to sit down by 6 to 6.30pm, particularly in Chinatown, where service is quick but tables turn over fast.
Common questions
What are the top picks in this guide?
The Ivy West End is our editor's choice: Around the corner from St Martin's Theatre, five minutes from Leicester Square, this stained-glass institution suits a proper occasion before curtain up. The Ivy West End, Barrafina Adelaide Street and Four Seasons lead the guide, with 6 places in total, all chosen on merit.
How does Lamplit London choose its recommendations?
Every place is chosen on merit, after first-hand visits where possible, with no pay-for-placement. Read our full method at https://www.lamplitlondon.com/how-we-choose/.
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