Piazza

From the lofty heights of the Royal Opera House’s fourth-floor terrace, you can spy all the best bits of Covent Garden—the street performers, the market stalls, cobbled streets—without all the pigeons and shopping bag-related injuries. There’s a European-leaning menu at Piazza but it’s so tranquil up here—tasteful grey seating, hanging foliage, proximity to ballet dancers—that it’s a pleasant spot even if you’re just having a glass of wine. A drink here is the right way to show out-of-towners Covent Garden, without making you hate yourself.

photo credit: Veronika Ward