The Strand, Covent Garden — just 8 minutes on foot
The Vaudeville Theatre has been part of London’s theatrical landscape since 1870, and today it’s home to two of the West End’s sharpest, funniest nights out. Either one deserves a proper Italian dinner beforehand, rather than something eaten on the run.
La Ballerina Italian Restaurant is around 0.6 miles from the Vaudeville Theatre’s door on the Strand, a comfortable 8-minute walk. It’s one of the closest proper Italian restaurants to the venue and has been serving Covent Garden for over 25 years. If you want the evening to feel considered from the first course onwards, this is where to begin it.
What’s On at the Vaudeville Theatre Right Now
SIX The Musical
Now booking until Sunday 28 November 2027 | Tickets from £19.50 | Age guidance: 10+ | Running time: 80 minutes, no interval
SIX needs little introduction at this point; the homegrown musical phenomenon, created by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, has become one of the great British theatrical exports of the last decade. Henry VIII’s six wives take to the mic as a girl-group pop concert, backed by an all-female band, each reclaiming her own story with wit, attitude and a soundtrack that borrows from Beyoncé to Britney. It’s fast, funny, fiercely performed and, at 80 minutes with no interval, one of the most efficient nights out the West End has to offer.
Please note: the production is staged like a live pop concert with strobe lighting, haze and loud music throughout, and touches on adult themes including miscarriage and personal trauma of a physical and sexual nature. Anyone aged 16 or under must be accompanied by an adult.
Performances run Tuesday and Wednesday at 8pm, Thursday at both 4pm and 8pm, Friday at 8pm, Saturday at both 4pm and 8pm, and Sunday at 3pm and 7pm. There’s no performance on Mondays, aside from the occasional Austentatious date below.
Families booking over the summer should note that discounted children’s tickets are currently available for performances between 25 June and 1 September, as part of the Great British Summer Savings initiative worth asking about when you book.
Austentatious: An Improvised Jane Austen Novel
Selected Mondays, until Monday 14 December 2026 | Tickets from £21.50 | Age guidance: 14+ | Running time: approximately 1 hour 50 minutes, including an interval
On the Mondays when SIX takes its night off, the Vaudeville hands its stage to something entirely different. A sell-out fixture in the West End since 2022 and a regular on BBC Radio 4, Austentatious sees its cast including well-known comedy names such as Rachel Parris, Cariad Lloyd, Joseph Morpurgo and Graham Dickson improvise a brand-new Jane Austen novel from scratch each night, taking only a title suggested by the audience and performing it in full period costume with live musical accompaniment. No two performances are ever the same.
Remaining 2026 dates currently on sale include Monday 7 September, Monday 21 September, Monday 5 October, Monday 12 October (BSL-interpreted), Monday 26 October (audio described), Monday 2 November (captioned), Monday 23 November, Monday 30 November, Monday 7 December and Monday 14 December, all starting at 7.30pm. The show may contain adult themes, language and content, and is recommended for ages 14 and above.
La Ballerina: 8 Minutes from the Vaudeville Door
The Vaudeville Theatre sits at 404 Strand, WC2R 0NH. La Ballerina is a walk away at 7-8 Bow Street; it’s a touch further than some of the other Covent Garden houses, but still a comfortable 8 minutes on foot, and a pleasant stroll at that. No tube, no taxi, no stress.
That’s worth building into your evening, especially with SIX’s punchy 80-minute running time. An 8-minute walk either side still leaves plenty of room for a proper sit-down meal without eating into the performance itself.
Coming Out After the Show?
La Ballerina stays open late — until 11:00 PM Monday to Saturday, and 10:00 PM on Sundays. If you’d rather eat afterwards, the kitchen will still be running.
- SIX runs to just 80 minutes with no interval, so an 8pm evening performance should have you finishing by around 9.20pm, leaving plenty of time for a proper late dinner at La Ballerina from around 9:35 PM.
- Austentatious runs to roughly 1 hour 50 minutes including its interval, so a 7.30pm Monday performance should have you at the restaurant for a table from around 9:35 PM too.
Either way, a post-show table works comfortably within La Ballerina’s opening hours.
Vegetarian, Vegan & Gluten-Free Options
La Ballerina caters well for varied dietary requirements. Vegetarian options include the Margherita and Quattro Formaggi pizzas, Penne Arrabbiata, Ravioli di Ricotta e Spinaci, Caprese Salad and Minestrone Della Nonna. Vegan dishes are available too, including a Vegan Lasagne, and gluten-free options can be discussed with the team when you order. The restaurant is also child-friendly, with a welcoming atmosphere for families, useful given how many families make SIX part of their day out.
How to Book
La Ballerina fills up on show nights, particularly at weekends and on the Mondays when Austentatious draws its own devoted following. A call or email the day before will secure your table.
📞 Phone: +44 20 7379 6659
✉️ Email: reservations@laballerina.co.uk
🌐 Online: laballerina.co.uk/reservation/
📍 Address: 7-8 Bow Street, Covent Garden, London WC2E 7AH
Vaudeville Theatre: 404 Strand, London WC2R 0NH — 8 minutes’ walk
Whether you’re queuing up for the Tudor queens’ pop concert or taking a chance on whatever Austentatious’s cast dreams up on the night, La Ballerina makes the whole evening easier, tastier and a great deal more Italian.
