People who come to see The Mousetrap tend to plan. They book weeks ahead, they arrive early, and they treat the evening as an occasion rather than a night out that happens to include a play. This guide is written for that kind of evening.
Where St Martin’s Theatre actually
This trips people up more than it should. St Martin’s Theatre is on West Street, a short street connecting Cambridge Circus to Upper St Martin’s Lane. It sits directly beside the Ambassadors Theatre, and the two buildings are easy to confuse from the pavement.
From Bow Street, walk west along Long Acre, then bear right at Seven Dials or continue to Upper St Martin’s Lane depending on which route you prefer. West Street is a minute or two beyond. Allow around eight to ten minutes at a comfortable pace.
That is a real walk rather than a stroll around the corner, so build it into your evening properly. Ten minutes in Covent Garden on a Friday at 6.45pm is not the same as ten minutes on a quiet Tuesday.
The timing that actually works
Evening performances are generally at 7.30pm, with matinees on selected days. Check your own ticket, because The Mousetrap runs a fuller week than most productions and the schedule varies.
For a 7.30pm curtain, book a table for 5.30pm. That gives you two full hours: ninety minutes to eat without watching the door, ten minutes to walk, and twenty minutes at the theatre. St Martin’s is a small Victorian house with narrow stairs and a busy bar, and twenty minutes there is time well spent rather than time wasted.
If you are the sort of person who likes a drink before a play, this timing gives you that too. Arrive at the theatre at 7pm, have a glass of something in the bar, and go in without hurrying.
We would rather you booked at 5.30pm and finished early than booked at 6.30pm and spent the last twenty minutes anxious. Tell us the curtain time when you reserve and we will pace it for you.
What to eat before a play, as opposed to a musical
A play asks something different of an audience. The Mousetrap is a whodunit that rewards attention, and you want to be alert rather than comfortable.
Eat well but not heavily. Our handmade pasta is the sensible core of a pre-theatre dinner, and dishes like the Tagliatelle Mare e Monti or the Spaghetti Carbonara do the job without sending you to sleep in act two. If you want something lighter still, our Pesce Fresco menu has grilled salmon and sea bass, both of which sit easily.
Start with something sharp rather than rich. The Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil is the obvious choice. Our Avocado and Prawns with Marie Rose sauce is a proper old-fashioned British-Italian starter and it suits this crowd particularly well.
Leave the heavier end of the menu for another night. The Lasagne alla Bolognese and the Bistecca al Pepe are worth coming back for, but they belong to an evening that finishes at the table.
Coffee at the end is not a bad idea. This is a play with a twist and you will want to be paying attention when it arrives.
Making it a proper occasion
A good number of our Mousetrap guests are marking something. Anniversaries, birthdays, a first visit to London in years, or a long-planned day out with friends who do not live nearby.
If that is you, tell us when you book. We sit at these tables where it is quieter, we do not rush the courses, and if there is a birthday we would rather know in advance than find out when someone produces a card at the table.
Our dining room is indoors, warm and low-lit, which is the right setting for the kind of evening this tends to be. We have been described in reviews as a quiet table in the middle of Covent Garden, and on a Friday night in this part of London that is not a small thing.
For groups, and we do get plenty of eight and ten-person bookings around theatre nights, please call rather than booking online. Larger tables need arranging and we would rather do it properly.
Afterwards
The Mousetrap comes down at around 10.10pm. There is a tradition at the end of the play where the audience is asked to keep the ending secret, and it is a genuinely nice moment to walk out of.
We serve until 11pm Monday to Saturday, so a coffee and a dessert afterwards is possible if you are quick, but it is not the evening we would recommend planning around. Ten minutes back from West Street plus a full dinner does not fit.
The better option, again, is the matinee. A 2.30pm performance lets you eat afterwards at a proper hour with nothing to rush for. Our daily lunch menu also runs from midday if you prefer to eat before an afternoon show.
Practical notes
Book early, in both senses. The Mousetrap sells out and so does every table near it. Reserve your dinner when you book your tickets, not the week before.
Leicester Square is the nearest station to St Martin’s Theatre, but if you are eating with us first, Covent Garden station is two minutes from our door on the Piccadilly line. Be warned that it gets very busy and the lifts queue at peak times.
West Street is narrow and it gets crowded at around 7.10pm when three theatres are opening at once. This is the argument for arriving at 7pm rather than 7.20pm.
We are open from midday, seven days a week, so there is no wrong time to build the day around.
Frequently asked questions
What restaurants are near St Martin’s Theatre?
There is a good spread of dining in Covent Garden within a ten-minute walk. We are at 7–8 Bow Street, opposite the Royal Opera House, roughly eight to ten minutes from West Street on foot.
**What time should I book dinner before The Mousetrap?**
Book for 5.30pm if the curtain is at 7.30pm. That allows a relaxed ninety-minute dinner, the walk across Covent Garden, and time at the theatre before it starts.
Do you have a theatre set menu?
Yes. Our pre-theatre set menu is built for guests heading to a performance and is served at a pace that gets you there in good time.
Can you cater for a group before the theatre?
We can. Please call us on 020 7379 6659 rather than booking online so we can arrange the table properly.
Are you open after the show?
We serve until 11pm Monday to Saturday and until 10pm on Sundays. After an evening performance of The Mousetrap that is tight, so please call us first.
Come and find us
La Ballerina is at 7–8 Bow Street, Covent Garden, London WC2E 7AH, opposite the Royal Opera House. We are open Monday to Saturday from midday until 11pm, and Sundays from midday until 10pm.
Book on our website or call 020 7379 6659. Tell us your curtain time and we will do the rest.
