What: The Lane
In a nutshell: Theatre Royal Drury Lane revamped
Summing it all up: Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber can put aside his Cinderella opening night woes, with the happy news that his newest venture, a complete restoration of Covent Garden’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane has launched without a hitch. Two years and £60 million in the making, The Lane will host four different drink and dining venues: The Garden, The Rotunda Bar, Cecil Beaton and Grand Saloon.
The low-down
It’s only taken two years but, to be fair, quite a lot has been happening in the world during this time. London’s oldest continuously used theatre site, Theatre Royal Drury Lane in Covent Garden, reopens today after a £60 million total restoration. And whether you’re a theatre lover (take a number) or even if you’re a bit ‘meh’ about performances, you need to know that it’s going to be home to some exciting food and drink spaces.
Originally it was to be a planned collaboration with Richard Caring - but as there's no talk of that aspect, we'll assume that's not the case any more.
Known as ‘The Lane’, there’ll be four distinct drinking and dining spaces to enjoy during the day or night, whether you have a ticket to a show or not. It’s all part of English composer Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber’s vision, after acquiring Royal Drury Lane in 2000. “The restoration of the Theatre Royal, uniting my two great passions of theatre and architecture, has been a colossal task rendered very difficult by the Covid pandemic,” said Sir Andrew. “[We] hope that [it] will become a vital part of the Covent Garden community. We want to welcome you all through its doors all day and every day for everything from cocktails to coffees and lots, lots more.”
You can drift amid the theatre's art and sculptures from emerging and established artists to find where you fit in best...
- The Garden - all-day dining, whether that be coffee and pastries in the morning or wine cocktails and cheeseboards in the evening. There’s loads of outdoor seating here as well as impressive high ceilings and oversized chandeliers if you're eating inside. Food wise, think Morecambe Bay Potted Shrimps with sourdough toast and Negroni Ice Cream Sandwiches.
- The Rotunda Bar - Champagne and swooning over Georgian architecture in a space inspired by the Pantheon in Rome, with perfectly preserved Regency public interiors.
- Cecil Beaton - a cocktail bar named after the renowned high-society photographer and costume designer, with a list curated by mixologist Tristian Stephenson. The bar features cocktails inspired by Beaton memorabilia, such as the Peter Pan (everleaf forest, mint, apple, Franklin & Sons soda), Eliza Doolittle (No 3 Gin, white port, crème de violet, lemon juice, Franklin & Sons soda) or Beautiful Wasp (Bacardi quatro, pineapple, tonka, saffron , coconut sugar).
- Grand Saloon - a regal space opening later in 2021 with Regency-inspired afternoon tea by one of the UK’s top cake-makers (we’re intrigued).
More about Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Where is it? Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Catherine St, London WC2B 5JF
When does it open? 23 July 2021
Find out more: Visit the Theatre Royal Drury Lane website or follow them on Instagram @thelaneldn.
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