Central London may be criticised for a lack of all-night restaurant options but there’s always somewhere open into the wee small hours for late-night food – if you know where to look.
Check out our pre-theatre dinners post if you’re heading to a show and are still deciding whether to eat early or late; otherwise here are some post-theatre options and top late-night spots for dining at midnight and beyond.
Note: Most kitchens will stop serving food 30 minutes to an hour before closing time, so call to check if you plan to order around then. We’ve listed these in order of their latest opening time, which is usually at the weekend, but other times are shown.
Open until midnight:
Bocca di Lupo
Bocca di Lupo doesn’t have a post-theatre set meal, but from 9.30pm until midnight on Monday-Friday they do have a wine deal where you can choose any wine (up to £300 per bottle) from their extensive list to try by the glass. Expect elegant and accomplished Italian regional cooking, with outstanding house-made gelato.
Soho
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Tuttons
Their post-theatre menu is available on weekdays from 12pm to close on Monday-Wednesday and 9pm to close on Thursday and Friday, when you can enjoy 2 courses for £23.95 or 3 courses for £27.50. Even at the weekend, with most main courses priced at just under £20 it’s an affordable late-night option for classic dining right on the piazza.
Covent Garden
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Open until 1am:
Speedboat Bar
Loud and lively bar/restaurant from renowned chef Luke Farrell, channelling Bangkok’s Chinatown here in Soho with excellent Thai food, inventive cocktails and ice cold Singha beer towers. On Friday and Saturday they are open until 1am and have a late-night menu of their greatest hits: chicken skin nibbles, sweetcorn fritters, stir-fried morning glory, crispy pork, fried rice, minced beef and holy basil, noodles and their legendary pineapple pie.
Chinatown
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La Bodega Negra
Worth a visit just to see the look on your guests’ faces when they see the peep show frontage, it’s actually a great spot for Mexican classics and cocktails. It’s not the cheapest place on the list but it is glamorous, sexy and a whole lot of fun.
Open: 5.30pm-midnight, Sunday and Tuesday-Wednesday; 5.30pm-1am Thursday-SaturdaySoho
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Open until 2am:
Penelope’s
There is also a pre-theatre menu here but at the weekend DJs take over and it’s part restaurant, part club night; if you’re missing mirrored ceilings and European hotel bar vibes, this is your place.
Covent Garden
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Cecconi’s Pizza Bar
Carb up on wood-fired pizza and fresh pasta along with Aperol Spritz on tap, or nibble on cicchetti with a cocktail or two, depending upon how your night is going.
Soho
Website
Open until 3am:
Haidilao Hot Pot
If you’re in a group and you want to keep the vibes going, then a hot pot might be your answer. Pick your soup bases, proteins and other ingredients, create your own dipping sauces at the buffet-type condiment station and then sit back and watch the noodle-pull performance. Sociable, interactive, as spicy as you need it to be and a lot of fun.
Piccadilly Circus
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El Camion
Open until 3am in the heart of Soho for good quality Mexican food, Margs and Micheladas. The Pink Chihuahua basement bar (still aka to some as Dick’s Bar, after legendary former bartender and inventor of the espresso martini, Dick Bradsell) is open 6pm-3am for tequila-fuelled fun – if you can charm your way past the bouncers.
Soho
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Dumplings’ Legend
Famous for their xiao long bao, or soup dumplings (check out our Chinatown post for tips on how to eat these), Dumplings’ Legend has almost 50 different dumplings for you to try. It’s one of the most comforting ways to finish a night out.
Open: 11.30am-11pm Monday-Thursday; 11.30am-3am Friday-Saturday; 11.30am-10pm Sunday
Chinatown
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Old Town 97
Named after the year of the handover of Hong Kong in 1997, Old Town 97 is a late-night Chinatown favourite of London School of Economics (LSE) students – so much so that there is an off-menu dish of LSE Fried Rice: fried rice with honey and black pepper pork, topped with a fried egg. If there is anything missing from the hangover cure holy trinity of carbs/fat/protein, then let me know – and there’s even a shot of sugar from the honey to prevent you having to drink flat Coke.
Chinatown
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MEATliquor W1
Burgers, fried chicken, fries, craft beer and cocktails; all available just when you need something homely and familiar to soak up your late-night excesses. Order the Dead Hippie burger and the chilli cheese fries, and thank us later.
Oxford Circus
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Cafe Boheme
Welcoming, laid-back and calmer than some other early morning destinations, this welcoming French bistro has a special late-night menu including croque monsieur/madame, moules frites and a cheeseburger. There may even be jazz to soothe you through your evening.
Open: 8am-1am Monday-Thursday; 8am-3am Friday; 9am-3am Saturday; 9am-midnight SundaySoho
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Open until 4am or later:
Chop Chop by Four Seasons at the Hippodrome
Fabulous contemporary Chinese famous for its Cantonese roast meats (particularly the duck) although we’ve been consistently impressed with the whole menu. And if you’re looking for late opening, how does 4am sound?
You might also want to check out the secret cocktail bar while you’re there – if, of course, you can crack the code.
Leicester Square
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Balans Soho Society no.60
The larger Old Compton Street branch is (apart from, apparently, the purveyor of more porn star martinis than anywhere else in London) one of the few places open and serving food past midnight on a Sunday. However, all you really need to know is that you can get a late-night breakfast – full English, High Society Eggs Benedict (with lobster), steak and eggs, American pancakes – as well as classic mains and puddings, until close.
Soho
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Bar Italia
Favoured late-night haunt of post-gig musicians, post-show actors and post-club party people, Bar Italia is a magnet for Soho’s finest characters. Get some top-rate coffee down you, maybe with a sandwich, pastry or tiramisu on the side, and enjoy the vibe.
Soho
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Lanzhou Lamian Noodle Bar
Hand-pulled or knife-cut noodles, beef and a big bowl of broth, all customised to your tastes; who needs fancy decor and linen tablecloths? This affordable, no-frills noodle bar is exactly what you need in the wee small hours; hearty food, generous portions, and a handful of off-duty chefs hanging out after service.
Covent Garden
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While we do our best to ensure it is correct, information is subject to change. Please confirm details with the restaurant before booking.
