Ivy Market Grill for pre-theatre in Covent Garden | London Dining

Our waiter was the charming Lorenzo, and he and the Ivy Market’s maître d’ Walid both catered to our every need. Lorenzo suggested a number of outstanding appetizers, including the truffle arancini, made with fried Arborio rice balls with Parmesan and truffle. These little crunchy balls were heavenly, a great mixture of cheese and truffle. Equally scrumptious was the zucchini fritti, consisting of French-fried, crispy courgette (shoestring zucchini fries as we call them in the States) served with tangy lemon, mint and chili yogurt sauce. This appetizer was the most delicious battered and fried veggie we’ve had in a long time. We’re used to heavily battered, greasy vegetable tempura back in New York, but the Ivy Market’s version is lighter, with just the right amount of breading, allowing the flavor of the zucchini to be fully enjoyed without overpowering oil.

We soon dug into “Bang Bang Chicken,” featuring juicy chicken bites in a spicy sauce, served on iceberg lettuce with refreshing sliced radishes.

My dining partner had the seared salmon with quinoa and a Spanish broccoli that is a much darker green (and less full in the leaves) than the type we eat back in the States. He said the salmon was tender and moist, and the broccoli made a great pairing with the fish.

Chargrilled minute steak with garlic butter, thick cut chips & watercress at the Ivy Market Grill, Covent Garden in London. Photo: Scott Harrah

For my main course, I chose the chargrilled minute steak available on the pre-theatre menu. It’s a thin sirloin type of meat, with garlic butter, thick cut chips and watercress for £3.50 supplement. It was wonderfully cooked at medium rare as requested, and filling but not too heavy (a plus on a hot evening before heading to the theatre). This tender steak was most enjoyable with a glass of bold Malbec wine.

For dessert, we did not know where to start because there was so much from which to choose, from an apple tart to ice creams.  My dining partner had the crème brûlé, a traditional vanilla custard with a caramelized sugar crust. I chose the vanilla panna cotta, a light and fluffy concoction, with peaches, raspberry liqueur sauce and almond tuile. This all went great with a cup of American coffee, a brilliant end to a great meal.