Heading to London for a gig, concert, or recital is often a major trip for those outside the capital, so making a day of it with a good meal is a great way to enjoy two well-cooked birds with one stone. From the big venues like Wembley, The O2, to Highbury, one thing London’s music venues are never short of is good London restaurants, from the big names, Michelin-star winners, and pop-ups with the latest cuisines to delight.
Get Ready to Work at Wembley
With 90,000 people capable of packing out Wembley Stadium for a big-name concert, booking is advisable for any of the well-known restaurants around the stadium complex. Even a show at the 12,500 at Wembley OVO Arena can bring a sizeable buzz to the Brent and NW London area.
However, there aren’t many great restaurants, with most of the spaces set aside for disappointing chain food. One stand-out location, offering Indian street food for those looking for a light meal before a show, Masalchi is a favourite for the pre-concert Wembley Stadium crowd.
Masalchi’s chef, Atul Kochha,r celebrates India’s spices with an event menu full of flavourful and filling dishes designed for sharing and enjoyment. One Pan-Indian menu features dishes with familiar flavours like masala, and maybe new ones like Mauritania’s Kalia, which delivers a refreshing blend of cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, cumin, and turmeric.
Grilled meals, including chicken thighs in Masalchi Teekha, Old Delhi Seekh Kebab, and Patiala Lamb Chops, will all warm fans up before a show.
A few miles from Wembley, if you want a Chinese, and to make the “Wok at Wembley” header work, Maxim’s Peking Cuisine on Northfield Avenue offers a traditional menu. A bustling venue, there’s a special Peking roast duck you have to order 24 hours in advance. Maxim’s is also a shellfish lover’s paradise; there’s also lobster, jumbo prawn, soft shell crab, and scallops available in a variety of flavours, including peppercorn salt.
Fine Dining Around The Royal Albert Hall
South Kensington’s Royal Albert Hall is a Mecca for classical music and opera lovers, with a wide range of fine-dining establishments to meet the needs of “Friends of the Hall” or casual visitors.
One of the best-rated nearby restaurants is Macellaio Roberto Costa on Old Brompton Road. It offers meat from the exclusive Fassona beef breed, sourced from mountain valleys in the north of gorgeous Genoa.
Featuring authentic Italian ingredients, the meat is prepared in front of customers, and even the lard and bone marrow make an appearance on the starters menu. With plenty of luscious breads and pasta, and chicken and lamb on the grill, you don’t have to go for the top-tier £125 steaks, but that might be missing the point.
The London Secret Garden by Umami on Cromwell Road offers outdoor dining in those little domes that are becoming increasingly popular for guests who prefer their privacy. With multiple sharing menus and an à la carte menu, planning ahead is probably a good idea, along with booking a dome.
Each themed menu is a delicate and delicious adventure to be shared by the dome or table, with Japanese, Chinese and Korean flavours across the menu.
Gimme, Gimme, Gimme Food Before ABBA
Abba’s Voyage show is running into 2026 and still packing in crowds to the live/avatar combination show featuring the band’s classics. Showing at Pudding Mill Lane on the Olympic Park, Stratford. Not far away is Hera (queen of the Gods), an eatery with classic Greek and Mediterranean flavours, and with the meze or set menus, a great way to top up before the show.
Punk Up Your Dining in Camden
Camden’s Underworld remains one of the last bastions of old-school concerts with a history of punk, a constant schedule of great live up-and-coming and legendary bands playing across the Electric Ballroom, Underworld and many pubs around the area.
The top location for the Camden vibe remains The World’s End Pub, above The Underworld. Home to many legendary gigs, fights and drinking sessions, it might only offer pizza, hot dogs and wings, but they are all perfect before a night in the mosh pit or singing away.
If you want something a little more refined, YoKOKA offers Japanese food with a focus on tradition and slower-paced times. YoKOKA offers two ways to eat, with Kaiseki as the more immersive and formal dining experience, or the Izakaya small-plate experience, depending on your group size or timing.
Whatever your fancy, there are plenty of great dining opportunities in and around Camden, or if you’re headed to any of the other venues in central London, check out this list of foodie destinations.
