It’s coffee with a side of showtunes at The Theatre Cafe.
Themed restaurants and bars are pretty in vogue at the moment, what with London’s vampire-themed pizza joint, pirate-themed coffee shop, and upcoming ABBA-themed restaurant. Still, they’ve got a fair amount to do to outshine the West End’s most theatrical coffee shop: The Theatre Cafe.
A caffeine-addicted tribute to Theatreland, a drink here is a must-do for the capital’s musical theatre fans. But don’t break out the jazz hands just yet, because there’s even better news: they’ll be opening a second location this June.
Since 2015, The Theatre Cafe has occupied a plum spot on Shaftesbury Avenue, immersing visitors in all things theatrical. Whilst you sip on a drink – options include Starlight Espresso, Phantom of the Mocha, and My Fair Latte – and tuck into a slice of cafe, classic musical numbers come flooding over the sound system, so don’t be surprised if the toe-tapping starts.
Posters, memorabilia, and original props cover every inch of the interior, and they even sell Theatre Cafe merchandise for the truly hardcore fans.
From time to time, The Theatre Cafe welcomes current West End performers for talks and live performances – although with a 40-seat capacity, they fill up rather quickly. Recent visitors have included stars from 9 to 5, Chicago, and The Play That Goes Wrong, and the regular turnover of events means there’s usually something new in the pipeline. You can also join their Open Mic nights and belt out your favourite showtune, should the mood take you.
You can even buy tickets here – indeed, The Theatre Cafe was set up as somewhat thinly-veiled excuse to sell tickets – but whatever you’re here for, the experience is certainly a unique one. From June, they’ll expand their all-singing, all-dancing empire to St Martin’s Lane, with a larger (but similarly jazzy) venue. Something to make a song and dance about, we reckon!
Location: 66 Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D 6LX. Nearest stations are Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus. See it on Google Maps.
Opening hours: 11:30am-8pm (Mon to Fri), 10am-8pm (Sat), 11am-7:30pm (Sun).
Prices: drinks start from around £2.60.
More information: on their website.
Featured image: @oliviamitche
Also published on Medium.