The Ivy

The Ivy at 1-5 West Street in London's Covent Garden is one of the best-known restaurants in the United Kingdom, a theatreland institution that has operated on its West Street site since 1917 and became synonymous with celebrity dining in the late twentieth century. The restaurant is recognisable for its harlequin stained-glass windows, wood panelling and polished, clubby interior, and for a menu that mixes classic British comfort cooking with modern brasserie staples.

The cooking is intentionally approachable. Shepherd's pie is the dish most associated with the house, supported by dishes such as lobster linguine, steak, fish pie, eggs Benedict at breakfast and a long list of desserts. Weekend brunch, pre-theatre menus and afternoon tea broaden the appeal, and the cocktail list and Champagne selection play a larger role than at many neighbourhood restaurants. Wine tends toward accessible, crowd-pleasing bottles with a few prestige labels.

The dining room is busy, social and loud at peak times, driven by the theatre crowd and the restaurant's reputation as a place to be seen. Service is slick and professional. Dress is smart-casual, and the atmosphere suits celebrations, business lunches and pre-show dinners. The restaurant opens daily from late morning until midnight, which makes it one of the more flexible upscale options near the West End.

Reservations are recommended, and prime slots before evening performances, on weekends and around holidays fill quickly. Walk-ins are sometimes accommodated at the bar or in less-popular time slots. Pre-theatre set menus typically offer better value than the full à la carte, which sits in the mid-to-upper price tier for London.

The location puts diners steps from Leicester Square, the Seven Dials area and the major West End theatres on Shaftesbury Avenue and Charing Cross Road, so it works well as the start or end of an evening out in central London.