In a swish off-street development between Covent Garden and Leicester Square tube stations, you’ll find Oriole – which, despite its relatively corporate exterior – feels like something of a breath of fresh air in this part of town. Upstairs, there’s a small but swanky bar, perfect for a pre-theatre tipple or nightcap, while downstairs, in a gorgeously decked-out basement (all Latin American references, with stylised jungle wallpaper and low lighting), is where the real action is. A small live stage hosting jazz, world music and cabaret, is surrounded by tables, where all manner of dates, after-work drinks and chattery catch-ups happen over full dinners as well as cocktails and bar nibbles. The latter is what this place seems to do best: our food was inconsistent, with the steak overdone and the dessert delivered so fast there was no disguising the plate came immediately from the fridge. That said, snackier bits, such as devilled eggs and kimchi and katsu rump steak sandwich, were divine, while the drinks – the signature cocktails feature a lot of mezcal, vodka and citrus – were spot-on. By the end of the night, the place was buzzing.
Order this
‘Cities of the Plain’ – a naughty concoction of mezcal, habanero spirit and cherry liquor.
Time Out tip
Check the ‘Live Music’ section of their website to see what kind of events are taking place across Wednesday until Saturday.