Two Dedicated Musical Theatre-Inspired Eateries in London.
WRITTEN BY NATASHA
Did you know that you can not only go to see a West End musical in London but that there are now two dedicated musical theatre-inspired eateries to sit, drink, eat and listen to the most musical sounds around before or after your visit?
Also, believe me - they are both utterly wonderful.
Let’s start with the Theatre Cafe Diner, where our party met for a late lunch. I was trepidation-filled for this one, as I knew that since its hotly anticipated opening just a couple of months ago it was initially difficult to get a table, staff were run off their feet and the fun-filled, musical-theatre-pun-filled dining menu had been reduced to something a bit more manageable. I even wondered whether the initial flurry of excitement and bookings might have faded and the experience (and, people, you do go for an experience) would be lacklustre.
Lack lustre? Lack lustre? Musical theatre fans - I could not have been more wrong.
A shiny den of glitz and showtunes may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but this one’s mine, and possibly yours too. With its bright exterior, amazing sound system and warm and chatty staff, what may have sounded like my worst autistic nightmare ended up being a total dream. From our initial check-in and impromptu tour of the café (and no one was aware I was a reviewer) to the attention we received from the servers/performers, the visit was a little piece of musical theatre heaven as good as any show I’ve seen.
The key feature of the Theatre Cafe Diner, you see, is that there is basically a musical theatre concert taking place in front of you, in an almost old-school nightclub style, while you eat, drink and socialise at your table. Waiting staff double as soloists, getting to perform for diners as well as ensuring their food and drink needs are met. But the staff aren’t any old singers - they are West End-ready, folks. Someone needs to pop in and sign them up soon, as the performances we saw made it seem like a two-show day (and we saw Cabaret in the evening, so I don’t say this lightly!)
Seriously, the quality of vocals - from people who also bring your food, clear your plates and have a smiley chat in between - was astounding. Add to this a wide-ranging repertoire of songs both performed and played in between turns (off the top of my head I can recall Matilda, Mean Girls, Footloose, Beetlejuice, Six, Guys and Dolls, Newsies, Hadestown, Heathers, The Wild Party, Back to the Future and Waitress combined with a few Christmas carols, songs from Nativity! and of course ‘Merry Christmas Maggie Thatcher’ from Billy Elliot.) Our party included members who (gasp!) aren’t such ardent fans of musical theatre, but who also enjoyed both concept and execution.
The Diner is beautifully laid out, decorated with show and cast photos and props and lit like a real theatre. It has also got enough distance between tables for diners to feel comfortable, it feels exceptionally inclusive and relaxed, and for those who like to feel part of the wonderful musical theatre community, it is an utter joy to share a space with others clearly so excited to be there, singing along with the soundtrack at their table and - if willing - being serenaded! As an entertaining afternoon out I would thoroughly recommend it. We were there for approximately an hour and forty-five minutes, and it flew by in a flicker of bright lights, relaxed ambience, amazing vocals and, let’s face it, too many awesome musical theatre bangers to count.
Those of you who were expecting a restaurant review may of course be wondering about the food. The menu is in fact a bonus, as dishes and drinks reference musicals in a series of hilarious to dreadful puns, and is one of the fun things about going (“Who’s Aaron Burr-ger?” “Oh, come on, you’ve seen Hamilton!”) As a foodie, I was a little disappointed by the lack of range but impressed by the speed and quality of the dishes and the efforts made to cater for dietary requirements. Apparently, the vegan ‘chicken’ burger was a great success, and the nachos (officially titled You Make Me Feel Like a Nacho-ral Woman, Beautiful fans) were generously slathered in melted cheese, soured cream, salsa and guacamole and were absolutely delicious. We sadly didn’t manage to order from the selection of cocktails (I’m still holding out for a Bend and Schnapps!) but the wine was more than acceptable. Yes, it’s cafe food at London prices, but it’s not half bad. And they serve the best cup of after-dinner coffee I have had in a long, long time!
This may not be the place you come to for an intimate lunch or peace and quiet - it is unashamedly loud and wonderfully performative (the stage lights made my food a disturbing shade of green at one point!). To confirm - the Theatre Café Diner is not a mere flash in the pan. It is a lovely place to dine, capture that West End glow, recharge your batteries and really feel a part of a community.
The only downside is that, given the staff are such exceptional performers and there’s no passing the mic to customers allowed, no one in our party got to have their own singsong. This brings me to, however -
The Theatre Cafe. As a little coda to our visit, on the way to the Kit Kat Club, we stopped at the Theatre Cafe on St Martin’s Lane for cake and a drink. Established prior to the diner, this is definitely more of a coffee shop (which also does cocktails, including a current festive range), but here you are actively encouraged to request and/or perform your own musical theatre favourites.
Again, the decor, inclusivity and ambience is to be recommended (as well as the gluten free chocolate cake!) and the service was absolutely fantastic. Again, it’s good value for a London cafe and if you have any interest in musical theatre whatsoever I would thoroughly recommend trying it. And if you have the urge to get up and sing - you just ask!
Theatre Cafe Diner (154 Shaftesbury Avenue, London WC2H 8HL) | Theatre Cafe (99 St Martin’s Lane, London WC2N 4AZ)
For further information check out this website.
