Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Tickets and Meal Deals

If you have already bought Charlie and the Chocolate Factory tickets or if you are looking to purchase tickets then you may want to consider one of the Shows in London meal deals or alternatively browse our comprehensive guide to some of the restaurants and bars in the area near the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Despite the theatre’s name the theatre location is actually in Catherine Street near to Covent Garden.

 

You can benefit from great meal deals offered by Shows in London in tandem with your ticket.

 

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory mainly takes place in Willy Wonka’s eponymous creation (or, rather, that of the mind of Roald Dahl). Gobstoppers that last forever, rivers flowing with chocolate, nuts shelled by squirrels…The show in London will occupy the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, from May 2013, and is sure to make mouths water. Coming out of the show or before entering it, theatre-goers would want something less sugary and more substantial; fortunately, there are so many places to eat that choosing a spot is like being Charlie Bucket in the Wonka Factory!

 

In the area immediately around the Theatre Royal, there are places renowned for offering Londoners and tourists a quick bite. Chief among these is Sophie’s Steakhouse, where someone preparing for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory the musical can dine in the atmosphere of a New York warehouse. It serves superb steaks (with delicious sauces) and puddings.

 

Londoners are very fortunate that there are several Canteen eateries in London, ranging from Central to East London to the South Bank. The branch on Wellington Street offers all-day breakfasts, sumptuous mains, fish of the day and a roast, which all have more protein content than a Wonka Bar!

 

Nearby, SUDA in St Martin’s Courtyard offers Thai food, both old and new, with rice and vegetarian options by the dozen. For something as flavoursome as a Wonka creation, SUDA is a brilliant choice for pre- or post-theatre food.

 

The multicultural, multi-cuisined Covent Garden is a place where every global foodstyle is catered for. Chinatown and its Far Eastern delicacies are a few metres away, where there are numerous Chinese and Asian restaurants to suit every budget, including Mr. Kong’s in Lisle Street.

 

In Catherine Street, just a few hundred metres from the Theatre Royal, the stylish décor of the Opera Tavern, with its open grill and menu full of tapas of meat and vegetables, is an attractive place to eat during your trip to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory this musical. You may want food now, like Veruca Salt, but it’s best to pace yourself so you feel full enough after nibbling on so many delightful treats at great prices.

 

Indian food comes courtesy of Dishoom, on Upper St Martin’s Lane, and Sitaaray on Drury Lane, just a few yards away from the Theatre Royal.

 

 Also around Covent Garden is Kitchen Italia, on Earlham Street. You can opt for the Chef’s Innovation, be it crab, rib-eye steak or tiger prawns, or something simpler like pasta packed with zest and flavour. 

 

From Italy to Paris, on William IV Street right by Trafalgar Square, there is also the superb Les Deux Salons, two rooms (Arbutus and Wild Honey) which reflect Parisian cuisine and attitudes transported to central London. There’s a charcoal grill cooking beef off the bone, or you can taste halibut or foie gras terrine (perhaps not both, or you’ll be called Augustus Gloop!), and if you eat a late lunch or an early dinner you can have two courses for £18 and three for £21.

 

Mon Plaisir on Monmouth Street has been around longer, and is an elegant, refined choice for the discerning theatre goer. Mon Plaisir offers a pre-theatre menu, with wine and a hot drink included, for either £12.95 (two courses) or £14.95 (three courses). 

 

For more provincial cuisine, Clos Maggiore on King Street offers a mouth-watering menu where a visitor will end up puzzling over whether to have the venison, lobster or cod. It’ll be like stepping into the Great Glass Elevator for the first time. Clos Maggiore is an intimate classy restaurant perfect for that romantic pre-theatre meal.

 

Similar ecstasy comes at The Delaunay, only yards from the Theatre Royal on Aldwych, gives you a choice of a relaxed deli setting or opulent table service. Order a coffee and sandwich while looking out onto the busy Strand, or sample something even more wholesome from their a la carte menu. Whatever your choice, the Delaunay will be a perfect appetiser (even if you have a three-course one!) for your experience of catching Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

 

A personal favourite of ours at Shows in London is Orso’s in Wellington Street, literally just a stone’s throw from the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. European cuisine with an Italian flavour, including pizzas and pastas as well as chicken and steak dishes. Service is superb, friendly and efficient and always with a smile. You may catch a glimpse of the odd actor here too as it is a favourite dining place of the West End. And in the spirit of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory you simply must try their famous Flourless Chocolate cake for desert, it is simply to die for!

 

These are just a few of the restaurants in and around the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in Catherine Street, this particular area of Covent Garden has a multitude or bars and restaurants to suit every taste and every budget. You will certainly be spoilt for choice and many restaurants offer a generous pre-theatre meal at great prices. If you’d rather not leave it to chance it is always worth pre-booking your table to avoid having to wait or queue up, especially as your show starts at 7.30 p.m. so you haven’t got much time beforehand.

 

A more relaxing way to enjoy your meal and indulge in a few glasses of wine without falling asleep at the theatre is to book tickets for the matinee performance which starts at 2.30 p.m. You will be out of the theatre by 5.30 p.m., and you can enjoy a more leisurely post-theatre meal. If 5.30 is too early for you, you can always browse the shops around Covent garden or be entertained by the many street entertainers whilst you build up your appetite.

 

Click here to book tickets to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.