South Bank London

South Bank Pre-Theatre Dining


Live performance, theatre and cutting edge film is what South Bank is all about, so naturally there is no shortage of brilliant pre-theatre dining options to choose from! 

Whether you are catching the latest play at the National, a live classical concert at Royal Festival Hall, a film premiere at the BFI or something a bit edgier and underground, South Bank has a wide variety of places to enjoy drinks and dinner before (or after) a show. 

Pre-theatre set menus

Many South Bank restaurants offer two-course or three-course pre-theatre set menus. Designed to coincide neatly with show times at Southbank Centre, the Old Vic and the National Theatre, these menus are typically available from around 5pm to 6:30pm and booking is recommended!

The Archduke

PRE-THEATRE OFFERS: Prix Fixe menu until 7pm, two courses £26, three courses £30

The Archduke was among the first restaurant and wine bars to open in South Bank in 1979 and remains to this day a neighbourhood institution, located literally a stone's throw from the Royal Festival Hall at Southbank Centre. Owned and operated by Black and Blue Steakhouse, steak and wine of course features prominently. Options on the prix-fixe menu include starters like Forestière terrine chicken and mushroom pate, classic mains like Steak Frites, and for dessert warm apple and cinnamon pie, ice cream sundae, blood orange sorbet or Cornish brie and grapes.

Lasdun

PRE-THEATRE OFFERS: Two courses for £32, three courses for £38, available 12pm–2pm and 5pm–6:45pm
 
This chic restaurant at the National Theatre serves timeless brasserie-style dishes. Lasdun’s menu is brought to life through a classic yet contemporary lens, featuring seasonal, locally sourced ingredients, served in a brooding and atmospheric Brutalist dining room. Typical options include starters like Tamworth and duck terrine with pickled pear or soused mackerel with warm potatoes and horseradish and mustard and mouthwatering dessert choices such as quince and saffron Eton mess or vanilla soft serve with rhubarb and toasted oats.

A plate of haddock fish cake with a poached egg on top

Brasserie Blanc

PRE-THEATRE OFFERS: Available Mon–Sat 4pm–6.30pm, two courses £19.50, three courses £24.50

A great option for those wanting proximity to the National Theatre, the BFI or Royal Festival Hall. As with everything they serve at Brasserie Blanc, there's a rich influence of French cuisine, made with the freshest, seasonal ingredients, and a raft of gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian that ensure everyone can find something they will enjoy. Menus change monthly to reflect the sessions, with comforting wintery dishes like bread and butter pudding making way for strawberry fool and confit lemon sponge in the summer.

Comptoir Libanais

PRE-THEATRE OFFERS: Pre-theatre menu of mezze platter to share plus a main £23.95 per person

Located on Mandela Walk right next to the entrance to the Royal Festival, this colourful Lebanese restaurant is deceptively large and great for large groups with plenty of booth seating. Great for fans of Middle Eastern flavours the pre-theatre menu begins with a mezze platter to share stacked with classics like hummus, baba ghanuj, tabbouleh and falafel, followed by your choice of a 'large plate' with options include a lamb kofta burger or aubergine and chickpea tagine. For an extra £3.75 you can also add some sweet and sticky baklava served with fresh rose mint tea to finish.

The Green Room

PRE-THEATRE OFFERS: Two courses for £24

Located just behind the National Theatre and the BFI on Belvedere Road, The Green Room boasts a huge sunny garden terrace that is ideal for that pre-theatre summer drink, while inside the timber-framed dining room with its full-length glass walls is very Scandinavian chic. The two-course set menu is very straightforward with a choice of arancini, jerk chicken skewers and cajun prawns for starters and for main fish and chips, beef burger or superfood salad.

La Gamba

PRE-THEATRE OFFERS: Tapas sharing menu from £29.50 (minimum 2 people)

Led by the Applebee brothers from Borough Market, La Gamba is a bright and breezy Spanish bistro at Southbank Centre that takes its inspiration from the north-west Galician region of Spain. A great option if you're heading to a show with a group, simply order a selection of tapas (the menu allows for three per person) and dig in! Tapas options are all savoury and include Iberian favourites such as padron peppers and croquettas, albondigas (meatballs), patatas bravas and tortilla potato omelette.

OXO Tower Brasserie

PRE-THEATRE OFFERS: 3-course Set Menus available Mon–Fri until 6:30pm, Brasserie £35, Restaurant £45

OXO Tower boasts two dining experiences; the famous fine dining OXO Tower Restaurant and the more relaxed but no less elegant OXO Brasserie – both enjoy stunning rooftop views over the river to St Paul's Cathedral. There's no dedicated pre-theatre menu here, although on weekdays there's a Set Menu available until 6:30pm that will suit the same purpose! The set menus change with the seasons and include a welcome cocktail. Check out the latest menus here.

Fast-casual pre-theatre spots

The following venues don't have dedicated pre-theatre menus, but due to their location and speedy food styles they still make for great options if you're looking for a casual sitdown spot for a pre-show meal.

Forza Wine at National Theatre

The National Theatre's chic wine bar and restaurant offers fab terrace views, a long, expertly curated wine list and regularly changing seasonal house cocktails plus a brief but fashionable 'sort of Italian’ food selection of small plates. For dessert try one of their signature Soft Serves or the famous custardo.

KERB at The Understudy

Year-round KERB has a fast-food style residency at The Understudy, National Theatre’s riverside craft bar showcasing the hottest London street food brands. This is a great option if you are in a rush and don't want anything too fancy, but still value food that's a bit different. Current options include Sireli's Armenian flatbreads and SENoods spicy Singaporean noodle bowls. In the summer extra food trucks pop up outside forKERB'S summer pop-up. It can get very busy just before shows, so make sure to give yourself enough time to order.

Summer at KERB at The Understudy

PizzaExpress

You can't go wrong with pizza, and PizzaExpress's timeless menu is always a winner! The South Bank branch is located on Belvedere Road just behind the Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall and right around the corner from the BFI. The restaurant is deceptively large with dozens of tables. An especially good option if you have small kids in tow as the space is very neatly contained and far from traffic.

Ping Pong

Regular Southbank Centre concert-goers will no doubt be familiar with this popular dim sum restaurant next to the Festival Hall. Staying open later than most other restaurants in the area (until 10:30pm Tue, Wed, 11pm on Thu and until 11:30pm on Fri, Sat), it's a handy spot for grabbing something quick to eat after a performance with an extensive selection of dumplings, bao buns and gyoza in all shapes and sizes, including lots of gluten-free and vegan options.

Wahaca

Made from brightly painted recycled shipping containers that straddle the eastern side of Queen Elizabeth Hall next to the BFI cinema, Wahaca is known for its speedy service and consistently tasty Mexican street food. The sharing platters for two are great value with the option to try lots of different dishes and multiple balconies and terraces make this a great al fresco dining spot.

Wahaca at Queen Elizabeth Hall

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