Royal Opera House

Huge gift shop & cafe, perfect spot to get opera & ballet related gifts. Many were here purchasing advanced tickets or picking them up. Staff was very informative & helpful.

Had the absolute joy of taking the inaugural 'Ballet Tea and Tour' in conjunction with the upcoming performances of 'Swan Lake' (Spring 2024). Our guide, Freya, was nothing short of a revelation. Her in-depth knowledge of the venue, the history behind 'Swan Lake' and her obvious love of ballet made the tour one of our most memorable group tours of all time-- made all the more charming by her insistence that as our tour was her 'first turn' at this tour we were somehow getting a 'previews' type experience. Far from it, the tour was exceptional due to her obvious preparation for the role. Perfection.

The behind-the-scenes peek at ballet build-up was so real we actually had to be told to 'watch out for the real people working' and stay out of their way! Most fortuitous was the great luck we had by arriving at a moment when we could witness an actual rehearsal from the upper balcony-- truly magical. Wow.

One small note: the tea experience was average (but did not at all detract from the wonderful experience). Clotted cream in a single-serve container, very basic tea sandwiches and bagged tea-- and no option for champagne (!) (Full disclosure: we are so spoiled that we put high tea at fancy hotels on the top of our list whenever visiting London so snob alert!). And all made right at the end by enjoying a glass of bubbles at the Piazza Terrace with wonderful views of Covent Garden below.

Now, if we could somehow figure out how to score tix to the Monday, April 1st performance it would be the best of all time (note that all performances of Swan Lake are already SOLD OUT!!).

https://www.roh.org.uk/tickets-and-events/ballet-tea-and-tour-details

A wonderful venue for pretty much any show you will see there and tonight was no exception, Puccini's madam butterfly was phenomenal! Excellent cast a sparse but adequately satisfying set design and amazingly talented singers all supported by wonderful orchestra. I would go again tomorrow night as this is one of my favorite operas. If you don't know the story do a quick search and of course operas are always tragic and this one is especially so. Go to the venue and if you can see Madam butterfly, all the better:-))

Covent Garden is one of my favorite Opera/Ballet theater house.
For many years I have attended performances by the greatest artists of our times and always it has been a magical and unique experience.

I have been here twice since the Fall of 2015. At that time in November, we went to the Royal Ballet Carlos Acosta farewell performance with his ballet Carmen. It was an extraordinary night for an extraordinary artist. We were invited at the curtain calls to be on stage with him.

The interior as I remember it with its crimson curtains. The staff very helpful. The bars, ah! the Paul Hamlyn Hall Champagne Bar. On my second visit I pre-paid the drink and got a voucher.
There is an app for the bars at the ROH where you can pre-order drinks, food so they are ready at interval. It seems that the whole auditorium goes to the bars at interval.

The second visit recently was for the opera. La Traviata. Wonderful, beautiful production well sung by an estelar cast.

I cannot wait to go back for more enjoyment in the near future.

Not a review of the opera theater!

Enjoy a free walk thru the foyer and supporting bars and restaurants with great views of the arcade and (up the escalator) a 4th-floor view of Covent Garden from the bar, which has lots of window seating and even many padded chairs and benches to sit on. A welcome retreat from all the walking and crowds.

If you're lucky or rich enough to get a ticket, then this is one of the great treats in London.
When I was home last year, I was lucky enough to see Der Rosenkavalier. Sumptuous sets, phenomenal singing and fine orchestra.
You can dress up or not. Nobody cares.
Seats are comfortable and the acoustics are good for most seats.
Problem! My 2 tickets were over 500 GBP.
That's about $700 so you had better be a big opera fan.

Wow wow and just wow. The building is what an opera house should be. I was granted the luck of being in kid and even luckier being able to attend a ballet here. Never thought this girl from Brooklyn, NY would ever be here.

I walk up to the building and I feel it's history and see it's grace and grandeur. Then I enter the facility lines move rapidly and ticket checkers are smiling! Is this real? In the main entry area an usher explains the various areas and helps me get to the coat rack. No cash needed for the coat rack btw.

Next I went to the bar area. Wow wow wow. This is epic the grandness of this hall took me to a new place. So much so I decided I needed wine. I went up to a register and discussed my options with the person. I wasn't rushed. He explained the types I drinks and snacks and also that I could pre order for interval to save myself from possible lines and delays. As he was getting my first drink I realized I didn't have my credit cards. So he was nice to cancel my order.

I remembered I had Apple Pay with me minutes later so - Yay I asked another bar tender if hey took Apple Pay and they do!!! So I continued to order my three wines one for now and one for each interval. Tasted great BTW simple house rose.

The inside of the theatre blew my mind away. This theatre is designed old school with beautiful everything. I sat in the balcony and had an amazing view.

My drinks were ready at each interval. I had a great time. I am sure to try to come see more shows here. Maybe next time one level down.

I saw a winters tale. Originally a play but made into a ballet in 2014. The show was exquisite. But this review is about the theatre so I am ended here.

While walking around Covent Garden we found the Royal Opera House. The security guard who checked our bag as we entered was so welcoming and friendly. We were able to walk around the lower level where they had a gift shop and a café. The main entrance is on Bow Street. This is home to the Royal Opera and the Royal Ballet. We were able to watch ballet performances on the monitors in the main lobby and to see some costumes on exhibit. We really wish we had time to take a tour, but we did not. We will certainly plan to do this on our next trip.

Exactly what you would picture an opera house to be- beautiful stage, red curtains, elaborate gold framing, beautiful painted ceilings. It was like a dream getting to go there and is definitely worth it if you can snag a ticket.

Pro tip: You can order food and drinks for intermission- this way you can skip the lines and spend your time relaxing and discussing the show.

Coming from a family of dancers (everyone but me + dad haha). I still enjoy going to see ballet productions and there is no better place than at the Royal Opera House. It's such a lovely venue!
I would recommend sitting higher up so that you can see the full stage.

Depending on the production, you can often get tickets for as low as £14, which is really not that expensive if you think about the amount of hours that goes into one production.

The venue offers guests the option of pre-ordering drinks and snacks during the interval if that's something you would like. Personally, I think it's a bit rushed and the balcony area where drinks are served gets extremely crowded during the intervals.

Never the less I would definitely recommend going to see a show at this venue. The also offer tours, so check their website for more details.