The Cambridge Theatre sits at the heart of Seven Dials, and for well over a decade it has been home to one of the West End’s best-loved family musicals. A night here deserves a proper Italian dinner beforehand, rather than something eaten on the run.
La Ballerina Italian Restaurant is around 0.5 miles from the Cambridge Theatre’s door on Earlham Street, an easy 5-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 Cambridge Theatre
Right Now Matilda The Musical Now booking | Tickets from £20 | Age guidance: 6+ | Running time: 2 hours 40 minutes, including a 20-minute interval
The Royal Shakespeare Company’s Matilda The Musical has called the Cambridge Theatre home since 2011, and it remains one of the most garlanded shows in West End history, having won seven Olivier Awards at its London premiere. With music and lyrics by Tim Minchin and a book by Dennis Kelly, it brings Roald Dahl’s story to the stage with wit, warmth and a properly inventive score, following Matilda Wormwood as she takes on the tyrannical headmistress Miss Trunchbull armed with nothing but a sharp mind and a vivid imagination.
Please note: children under the age of 4 are not permitted into the auditorium, including babies in arms, and anyone aged 15 or under must be seated with an adult.
Evening performances run Tuesday to Saturday at 7pm, with matinees on Wednesday and Saturday at 2pm and a Sunday matinee at 3pm. There is no performance on Mondays.
Showstopper! The Improvised Musical Selected Mondays, until Monday 21 December 2026 | Tickets from £20 | Age guidance: 12+ | Running time: approximately 2 hours, including an interval
On the Mondays when Matilda takes its night off, the Cambridge Theatre hands its stage to something entirely different. Olivier Award-winning improv troupe The Showstoppers create a brand-new musical from scratch at every performance, taking only a title, setting and musical style suggested by the audience and turning them into a full-blown production live on stage. No two nights are ever the same, and a new show is genuinely written in front of you each time.
Performances take place on selected Monday evenings at 7.30pm; children under 4 are not admitted, and anyone aged 16 or under must be accompanied by an adult.
La Ballerina: 5 Minutes from the Cambridge Door
The Cambridge Theatre sits at 32-34 Earlham Street, WC2H 9HU. La Ballerina is a short walk away at 7-8 Bow Street, a comfortable 5 minutes on foot, and one of the nearest proper Italian dining rooms to Seven Dials. No tube, no taxi, no stress.
That’s well worth building into your evening, especially with Matilda’s 2 hour 40 minute running time. A 5-minute walk either side still leaves plenty of room for a relaxed sit-down meal without cutting it fine before curtain-up.
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.
A Tuesday to Friday evening performance of Matilda at 7pm should have you out by around 9.40pm, leaving plenty of time for a proper late dinner at La Ballerina from around 9:55 PM. Saturday’s 7.30pm evening performance finishes by around 10.10pm, still comfortably within opening hours for a late table. Showstopper!’s 7.30pm Monday performance wraps up by around 9.30pm, leaving a similarly easy window for dinner afterwards. Either way, a table at La Ballerina works comfortably around the Cambridge Theatre’s schedule.
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 Matilda part of their day out.
How to Book
La Ballerina fills up on show nights, particularly at weekends and during school holidays, when Matilda draws a devoted family 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
Cambridge Theatre: 32-34 Earlham Street, London WC2H 9HU — 5 minutes’ walk
Whether you’re introducing the family to Roald Dahl’s world for the first time or catching a brand-new improvised musical on a Monday night, La Ballerina makes the whole evening easier, tastier and a great deal more Italian.
