Cabana

Grilled meat on skewers, carried around tables on long metal spits, is the format Cabana built its name on, and the Covent Garden branch at Central St Giles Piazza keeps to that formula: a relaxed, colourful room aimed squarely at groups who want to share plates and drink Caipirinhas rather than sit through a formal multi course meal.

The spicy malagueta chicken is the dish that comes up repeatedly as the one to order, marinated properly and grilled fresh rather than reheated, and the Bossa burger, topped with guava-cue bacon, is a genuinely interesting departure from a standard cheeseburger. Sides like the pao de queijo cheese dough balls and cassava chips fill out the table well, and the black beans are a solid, unfussy accompaniment to the grilled meats.

Cocktails lean hard into Brazilian classics, flavoured Caipirinhas and blended Batidas both feature prominently, and the drinks menu is arguably as much of a draw as the food for groups treating this as a starting point to an evening rather than the whole event.

Prices sit at the affordable end for central London, most dishes and skewers priced under £15, and a full meal with a few shared plates and a couple of cocktails comes to around £25 to £35 a head, genuinely good value for the Covent Garden location. It suits birthday groups, casual work dinners, and anyone who wants a lively, sociable meal rather than a quiet one.

The honest caveat is that quality has been reported as inconsistent across Cabana’s various London branches, and while Covent Garden generally holds up well, some reviewers have noted service dipping when the room is at full capacity on weekend evenings. It’s a strong pick for atmosphere and value rather than precision cooking. Booking through OpenTable is worthwhile for groups of four or more.