Good Restaurants in Covent Garden/ Holborn (London)

Roadhouse

This American diner, bar and live music venue offers a lively evening out for young tourists, Covent Garden office workers, and passers-by who aren't averse to a boisterous West End bunch. 50s American retro-style decor, complete with diner paraphernalia and an original 1952 Harley-Davidson centerpiece, make Roadhouse a real rocking spot. Check website for event schedules and timings.

AKA (at The End)

AKA - attached to The End club - is the ultimate in funky cool. The restaurant is suspended in one top corner of a huge warehouse style bar. The atmosphere in the restaurant is nowhere near as bustling and rowdy as it is in the downstairs bar. The dark lighting and shiny metal decor gives a truly futuristic feel to the venue. The food is modern British in what now seems to be a time-honored eclectic formula. There is a noticeable Asian influence (like the Soy Sauce on Fennel or Spicy Duck pancakes) but with a Mediterranean touch, too. But in reality, you'll be far too busy people watching and absorbing the atmosphere to focus too much on the food. The good cocktail and wine list soothe away the hours nicely.

Belgo Centraal

Mussels, Frites and Belgian beers are the order of the day at the Covent Garden branch of the Belgo chain. Situated in a basement, Belgo Centraal's industrialist decor - with benches, metal and earthy colors - creates a unique atmosphere, particularly enjoyable in a group because it affords you space for a little boisterousness. Have we mentioned the mussels and frites yet? Seriously, if you're in the mood for hearty Belgian fare, whether it's sausages (try the wild boar) or Waterzooi (a light chicken and vegetable stew topped with cream), Belgo hits the spot. Be sure to wash it all down with beer from their huge, and often bizarrely-named (from Delirium Tremens to Paauwel Kwak), selection. There's a kid's menu, too (excluding beer, of course), and often-changing promotions (lobster and frites meal deals, for example).

Fuel

This former fruit store has been wonderfull10:56:51y redesigned to house a bar. The bar itself is situated in a multi-arched stone cellar and is bathed in red, brown and a mix of blues. Beer is priced at around £3 a bottle and cocktails are around £5. There are DJs every Wednesday to Saturday. The food is not very adventurous and is mostly a selection of pizzas and basic snacks. So sit back indoors or take a seat in the piazza and enjoy. The bar closes daily at 2a, and event timings may vary, kindly call number provided for more details.

12 Bar Club

This small venue, owned by Andy's Music shop next door, is a favorite with aspiring artists and their groupies. The stage is so very small that it is a great place to get up close and personal with some of your favorite low-key musicians. The size of the place means that it is hot, smoky and gets crowded very quickly, but it's worth a visit to catch a bit of music and sample the bar's particular buzz. Event timings vary, kindly check website or call using number provided for further details.

Café des Amis

The cleanly modern interior at this French brasserie and wine bar would, on first appearance, seem to have less to do with a convivial supper amongst amis, and more to do with business lunches. That said, the wan wooden walls open out onto a multi-colored mural-covered lane in the summer, for some coveted al fresco treatment. A commendably imaginative menu offers carefully judged combinations such as roast suckling pig with celery and apple mash, pancetta, balsamic roasted red onions and sage jus or a creamy black risotto with succulent jumbo prawns. Desserts are deliciously refreshing and the extensively fine wine list combines French bottles with New World varieties. Check website for further details.

Chez Gérard at the Opera Terrace

From an absorbing spot over Covent Garden Piazza, take in the mime artists, milling tourists and music-makers below your gilded seat, at this fine French restaurant. With a glass of wine in hand, dabble in the offerings of traditional French hors d'oeuvres, like grilled queen scallops with garlic and herb butter followed by succulent grillades such as paillarde de veau and Onglet. Daylight floods in through the airy conservatory, and the spacious outdoor terrace is complimented by box hedges and heating lamps. Clientèle often consist of local office workers dropping by for a reliably good dinner and a chance to watch the world go by. There is a private dining room that can fit 40 people sitting and 70 standing. The Chez Gérard at the Opera Terrace is open seven days a week, kindly call number provided, for information on opening hours.

Covent Garden Brasserie

Situated in the north west corner of Covent Garden Piazza, this little café-bar does a great trade out of the tourists visiting the market, and no doubt soaks up some of the overflow custom from the Rock Garden on the other corner of the parade. Small and somewhat poky inside, with a kind of dilapidated charm, there are plenty of tables on the outdoor terrace which is a popular draw in the summertime as this is prime Piazza people-watching territory. The food will fill a gap if you're hungry after taking in all the stalls, street performers and music makers, but it's nothing to write home about... Choose from sandwiches, soups, pastas and familiar main-course faces, but beware of the location-based mark up in the prices. At least the entertainment is free.

Axis at One Aldwych

The Axis at One Aldwych unlike other noisy and pushy restaurants is off-beat for the fact that here's one place where you can sit down for a sumptuous meal without having to walk in with your gastronomical worries. This busy, modern and fun restaurant and bar at One Aldwych has a striking feel with its muted colors and impressive design elements. The cuisine is Modern British, albeit injected with Eastern and other influences. Desserts are to die for. See hotel website for sample menus, private party options, reservation info and more.

Los Locos Tejas

Los Locos Tejas is a bar/restaurant with a predictably cheesy Tex-Mex theme - expect fake cacti and other typical trappings of the genre. The generic food is quite reasonable at about £6 a dish, but it is certainly not spectacular. When the kitchen closes for the night, the dancing begins, and you only have to look at the variety of the theme nights to realise that you can't predict what will go on. Mondays are Cocktail Crazy soul and funk, Thursdays are Pure Cheeze, and Fridays and Saturdays are simply named Party Zone. The drinks menu is somewhat limited but the atmosphere of mindless fun and lack of self-consciousness displayed by the varied clientele may actually be an exercise in post-modern irony for some - or just a refreshing whiff of fresh (tequila-soaked) air in the haze of London's bars-du-jour.

J Sheekey

Enjoy upmarket jellied eels, caviar, French and Irish oysters, or soused Arctic herrings with Swedish mustard at J Sheekey. These followed by an ingenious blend of traditional favorites with more modern representations, offering anything from Fish Pie to Salmon Fishcake with Sorrel Sauce on a Bed of Spinach, or Risotto of Scottish Girolles. It makes an exquisite after-theater treat, and desserts like Scandinavian Iced Berries with white chocolate sauce are indescribably good. J Sheekey's gastronomic haven magically evokes a bygone age of gentlemen's clubs and quality living.

Boulevard Brasserie

The two floors of this Covent Garden brasserie are usually full to the brim. Boulevard seems to have a universal appeal, if you can stand the crush that is. Tourists, local residents and business people all flock here for good value fresh cooking with a strong French influence. The menu is split into sections of salads, large sandwiches, snacks, pastas, meats, vegetarian and fish. Pre- and post-theater dinner menus are available, and there's also a set lunch menu.