Restaurants

Last month we saw something we'd never seen before in the theatre. Just into the second act of Tom Stoppard’s 'Rock 'n' Roll' at the Duke of York's, a well-heeled woman two rows in front of Time Out got out her sandwiches. According to TO’s esteemed opera critic, Martin Hoyle, such behaviour is neither uncommon nor uncouth: at the Coliseum it is usual for people, particularly in the cheap seats, to take in a packed supper. Our theatre critic Jane Edwardes, however, was appalled by the tale. ‘People are getting less familiar with theatre being live and forget that what happens in the auditorium can affect what’s on stage. They think they’re watching TV.’ Feature continues

Whether you’re in the pro- or anti-tuck camp, finding something to eat before, during or after a performance remains a headache. Though the trend for 90-minute shows gives you more time, in-house theatre restaurants are variable. Hoyle speaks highly of the Royal Opera House’s facilities where you can have a starter before the show, main course in the interval and pudding after the curtain call; Edwardes thinks the Royal Court’s casual menu hits just the right note but finds the run-of-the-mill options at the National ‘dispiriting’. And while the Barbican, Hampstead Theatre and Royal Court have the sort of bars you’d want to drink in, cramped West End theatre bars and their warm glasses of wine are best avoided.

In the West End, basic pre- and post- theatre menus are easy to come by, though do let your waiter know what time your show starts before you order. Afterwards, Joe Allen, J Sheekey, the Ivy, the Wolseley and the Soho private members’ clubs are the places to catch the cast, while the hoi polloi head for the time-honoured Italians on St Martin’s Lane and around Old Compton Street. For South Bank concert-goers, The Archduke, the wine bar tucked under the railway arches on Concert Hall Approach, is an old stand-by, though there are now some reliable chains along the river under the Royal Festival Hall.

To help you enjoy your theatrical experience without indigestion, a rumbling stomach, or Tupperware, here are a few suggestions for a timely bite on you night out.

Almeida
Almeida St, N1 (020 7359 4404)

Ottolenghi

Pre-theatre
Ottolenghi, 287 Upper St, N1
How about butternut squash and roasted shallot, or salmon with sour cream and wasabi sauce? And it’s open 6-10.15pm.
(020 7288 1454/www.ottolenghi.co.uk)

Interval drinks
The Mitre, 130 Upper St, N1
It’s unlovely, and the clientele (gangs of burly, pint-downing men) are not quite your average theatre crowd, but at a two-minute gallop from the Almeida you are virtually guaranteed an empty bar. Its TV screens are also handy for checking the half-time scores.

Isarn

Post-theatre
Isarn, 119 Upper St, N1
March straight past Le Mercury to this newish Thai diner; it’s a stylish place with a great menu, and dinner is served until 11pm.
(020 7424 5153)

In-house eats
Café-style food served in the fully licensed bar until 7pm. ‘We also run a special offer where you pre-order a package and get something in the interval,’ says bar manager Hannah Woolhouse.

Can I bring my own sarnies?
‘We don’t want food as it’s really noisy when people are eating during the show. but they can take in drinks as long as they’re in disposable cups.’

Where do the cast/crew go?
‘Most post-show drinking is done in the bar; last orders 11pm.’