My husband and I came across Scarlet’s Covent Garden during a day out in London. We were desperate for a drink and went into the first bar that had free tables inside. Fortunately for us, this happened to be Scarlet’s.
Scarlet’s is a restaurant and bar located on the outskirts of Covent Garden/Leicester Square. It is in a great location and inside it is a lovely airy space with high ceilings, plenty of windows & natural light, unique light fittings and colourful pictures covering the walls. I also loved the murals upstairs by the toilets. I’m unsure why Scarlet’s was so quiet during our two visits, however I’m certainly not complaining – what an fantastic oasis of calm on a busy day!
I understand that Scarlet’s, previously known as Verve, has a late-night basement bar and dance floor, open until 3am on Friday and Saturday nights for the evening crowd. As we have only visited mid-afternoon on a Saturday, I am unable to comment on the atmosphere here in the evenings.
Our first visit was a quick half-hour stop to rest our weary feet and quench our thirst after a morning spent traipsing around the city. We were immediately taken with the décor and the friendly staff. The drinks (a beer and a white wine) were good and we were sufficiently interested in the choice of cocktails to decide to pay another visit to Scarlet’s on our next visit to London.
Our second visit came only a mere 3 weeks later and was courtesy of a surprise competition win from the lovely Sarah at The Prosecco Diaries, the prize being dinner and drinks at Scarlet’s.
We first ordered our drinks from the extensive drinks menu – a pint of lager for the husband and a prosecco for myself. Unfortunately, due to train cancellations/rerouting I had to drive home from the station on our return from London, so I was unable to sample Scarlet’s wide choice of cocktails. However, my prosecco was delicious and this simply gives us a reason to return again in the future. I am particularly keen to try the Espresso Martini, made with Absolut Vodka, fresh espresso and Kahlua, and the Lavender Love, being a mix of Absolut citron vodka with white peach puree, lavender syrup and pomegranate juice.
Next, we moved on to the food menu. Prior to our visit, we had slightly over-indulged at the Magnum pop-up shop in Covent Garden, so we were not hugely hungry. My husband chose the fish, chips & mushy peas and I went for the chargrilled chicken & chorizo with asparagus, rocket, pesto & salt-baked potatoes. I am happy to report that our meals were served in good time and both were delicious.
We chose not to have dessert due to our earlier calorific visit to the Magnum store.
I believe our meal came to approximately £30 in total, including drinks. Whilst it was a competition win, we were happy to leave a tip for the waitress to show our appreciation for such a pleasant visit.
Scarlet’s covers all requirements, it is a restaurant for brunch, lunch or dinner, a cocktail bar and a late-night basement bar. Whatever you’re looking for, Scarlet’s can probably offer it to you!
So, if you’re looking for good food, great cocktails and friendly service, why not give Scarlet’s a try. We really found this to be a hidden gem and a great escape from the busy weekend crowds around Leicester Square and Covent Garden. We will be coming back here again!
Scarlet’s Covent Garden: Upper St. Martin’s Lane, Covent Garden, WC2H 9NY.
Disclaimer: Our experience at Scarlet’s was complimentary, however this was due to a competition win and not for the purpose of a review.
The Curious Ginger Cat 