Opera Tavern

Opera Tavern Restaurant Review:

Covent Garden is not known as a culinary destination; for too long it’s been dominated by chains and rather bad restaurants. The situation is improving, of course (this is London after all), but still, the addition of the Opera Tavern is welcome. It’s in a former pub, a grand 1897 one-time Victorian boozer, now beautifully converted into a casual downstairs bar, and the first floor is a bit more formal and bookable (which you will have to do in advance). There are bare brick walls and a wall of wine bottles, and it can be noisy. The owners have already made a name for themselves with Dehesa and Salt Yard, and the winning formula is the same. The small plates are ambitious and very good: lamb in jus with pumpkin gnocchi, and grilled duck skewers. Main tapas dishes run from roast salt cod with romesco crust on risotto, the now-famous Iberico pork burger, and rib of beef on polenta. The wine list is interesting; service is professional; the place jumps but take care, the bill can escalate.