If you are seeing a show on Shaftesbury Avenue and want a proper meal first, our restaurant at 19A Charing Cross Road is a short walk from the theatres. Our Pre-Theatre menu is served from 12pm to 5.30pm every day, so you can sit down, eat well and still be in your seat in good time.
Maharaja of India was established in 1960, and cooking for theatregoers is part of daily life for us. Here is how to plan a meal before the show, and where to go afterwards.
Why Charing Cross Road works before a show
Charing Cross Road runs through the middle of Theatreland, which makes it one of the easiest places in town to eat before a performance. Shaftesbury Avenue meets it at Cambridge Circus, and from our door, a minute from Leicester Square tube, it is a short walk to the stage doors and foyers. That means no taxis, no crowded tube change and no sprinting down the pavement with ten minutes to go.
The streets between Leicester Square and Soho are lively in the early evening, so a pre-show dinner feels like part of the night out rather than a quick refuel. Arrive early, settle in, and let the evening build from there.
Our Pre-Theatre menu
The Pre-Theatre menu is designed for exactly this. There are two ways to do it:
- 2 Course Meal: onion bhajee or chicken tikka to start, followed by a traditional chicken dish with naan and pilau rice.
- 3 Course Special Meal: chicken tikka, samosa or onion bhajee to start, then tikka masala, butter chicken, mango chicken or original masala as your main, with rice and naan included.
Here is what to expect. Onion bhajee is crispy onion fritters with aromatic spices and our house chutney. Chicken tikka is marinated in yoghurt and spices and cooked in the tandoor. Mango Chicken brings coconut milk and sweet mango to a roasted curry sauce, and Butter Chicken is tender chicken in a rich tomato, butter and cream sauce. If starters are your favourite part of an Indian meal, our guide to Indian starters and snacks is worth a read.
Timing your meal
Because the Pre-Theatre menu runs until 5.30pm, it suits matinees, early evening performances and anyone who simply likes to eat early. A few tips:
- Tell us your curtain time when you book. We will pace the courses so you are neither rushed nor waiting around.
- Book a table before 5.30pm. That gives you time to enjoy the meal and stroll over without watching the clock.
- Leave a little slack. The streets around the theatres get busy just before curtain-up, so allow a few extra minutes for the walk.
- Check your tickets. Some theatres ask you to be seated before the start, so it helps to know your venue's arrangements.
After the show
We are open from 12:00 to midnight every day, Monday to Sunday. If you would rather see the show first and eat afterwards, or you fancy a second round of naan and a nightcap, book a table for after the curtain comes down and tell us roughly when you will arrive. Our page on late-night Indian food in London has more.
You could even do both: a set meal before the show, then back for a drink and a bite afterwards to talk it over.
Seeing a show nearer Leicester Square?
If your theatre is at the Leicester Square end of Theatreland, you are even closer. Our Charing Cross restaurant at 19A Charing Cross Road is a minute from Leicester Square tube and a short walk from the London Coliseum, the Palace Theatre and the Prince Edward Theatre. The same Pre-Theatre menu is served from 12pm to 5.30pm, whichever show you are seeing.
You can find directions on our Charing Cross page, so you can plan the walk to your seat.
Before the show, sorted
A short walk, a fixed menu and a kitchen that knows you have somewhere to be: that is all a pre-theatre dinner needs. Whether it is a big musical on Shaftesbury Avenue or a matinee with the family, you can arrive fed, relaxed and on time.
Heading to the theatre? See our Pre-Theatre menu and book a table at Charing Cross before the show, and remember to tell us your curtain time.
