Where to eat and drink near Apollo Theatre

A proper meal before the show

For a sit-down dinner close to the Apollo, The Palomar is about a 1-minute walk away on Rupert Street. Its dinner menu is Middle Eastern-inspired, with fresh breads, dips and produce cooked over fire; dishes are designed to be shared. The restaurant says it is open every day for dinner from 5pm, and that walk-ins are welcome, which is useful if your plans are not fixed. Reservations are available for groups of up to six one month ahead, and for larger groups further ahead. Its cocktails, beers, spirits and no- and low-alcohol drinks also make it workable for an early dinner that turns into a drink.

Thai Tho Soho is also about a 1-minute walk away, at 42 Rupert Street. This is an authentic Thai restaurant with a menu that includes pad Thai, chicken satay, barbecued pork skewers and Thai originals such as crying tiger. The restaurant says it is open from 12:00 to 23:00 Monday to Saturday and 12:00 to 22:00 on Sundays and bank holidays. It accepts table bookings and has three private karaoke rooms for groups of up to 10, although a normal table is the more straightforward choice before a performance.

Macellaio RC Soho is about a 2-minute walk away on Shaftesbury Avenue. The website describes it as an Italian steakhouse, with steaks, Italian ingredients, and artisan breads, focaccia and pizza made in-house. It lists service from 12:00 to 23:00 Monday to Saturday and from 12:00 to 22:30 on Sunday, and provides a table-booking link. The menu includes raw-beef starters such as carpaccio and steak tartare as well as steak dishes, so this is the candidate for a more substantial pre-theatre meal; allow time for the style of dinner you choose.

Quick bite

Speedboat Bar is about a 1-minute walk away at 30 Rupert Street. It is a Thai restaurant and bar, and its own late-night menu lists small dishes including chicken skins, sweetcorn fritters, crispy pork and stir-fried morning glory. The Soho FAQ says it opens at 12:00 every day, closing at midnight Monday to Thursday, 01:00 Friday and Saturday, and 23:00 Sunday; it also gives last-food-order times. Bookings are handled online for up to 12 people, with some walk-in space, so it can suit either a planned early meal or food after the show.

Drinks before or after

For a late drink rather than dinner, Rumba is about a 1-minute walk away at 36 Shaftesbury Avenue. Its website describes it as a nightclub focused on dancing and drinking, with resident DJs every night except one day of the year and music spanning commercial tracks, R&B and hip-hop. The site says the club runs until 3am seven days a week and offers VIP table bookings. This is the clearest late-night option here, but it is a club rather than a quiet pub: choose it when you want to continue the evening with music and dancing.

The walking times above are approximate and use the supplied distances from the Apollo Theatre. Check each venue’s own site before setting out, particularly for a show-night booking or a change to service times.