For a long time, London’s interval-food game hasn’t been much to rise from your seat for. But more recently, theatres have lured audiences towards their bars and foyers with snacks themed around what’s on stage or that are, simply, of a higher standard than what theatregoers are used to. Here, some of London’s best off-stage theatrical treats take a bow – from marmalade sandwiches at (where else?) Paddington The Musical at the Savoy Theatre to a St John sweet near Tower Bridge and more.
Incognito Ices at the Almeida Theatre
Quality theatre calls for quality interval ice-cream. Islington’s Almeida gets its ice-cream from Incognito Ices, an anonymous local maker that delivers freshly churned batches daily by bike. Flavours change with each show, though chocolate sorbet and salted butterscotch are mainstays (Ted Lasso star Toheeb Jimoh had a tub of the latter every night when he was playing Romeo in 2023). Recent specials have included Tory-coded elderflower and prosecco for the Thatcher-era Line of Beauty, and, for the current show, Christmas Day, stem ginger and honey. Order before curtain-up to bags your preferred flavour.
almeida.co.uk
St John madeleines at the Bridge Theatre
The smell of freshly baked madeleines wafting through the foyer at interval is just one of the joys of a visit to the Bridge Theatre near Tower Bridge. When St John partnered with The Bridge for its 2017 launch, the restaurant group’s co-founder Trevor Gulliver made clear it was no ordinary caterer: the madeleines would be served warm and fresh, or not at all. Pre-order online in multiples of three or place your order at the bar on arrival, and your little brown bag – your “St John moment”, as Gulliver puts it – will await you at the interval. Right now, the theatre is showing Stephen Sondheim’s Into The Woods, which runs until April 2026.
bridgetheatre.co.uk
Pretzels at the Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre
An ice-cold shot of schnapps as you head down into the crepuscular basement is your cue to get into character as an habitué of the Kit Kat Club, home of Cabaret, the Kander and Ebb 1966 Weimar Berlin musical that’s now in its fifth year at the Playhouse Theatre in the West End. Another cue is the soft-baked pretzels for sale (from German bakery Ditsch, established 1919), which are props as much as they are snacks. Pair with more schnapps, a glass of riesling or a Bavarian beer. Prost!
kitkat.club
Custardo® at Forza Wine at the National Theatre
The Custardo® – yes, it has a registered trademark – began as a chef’s treat, when Michael Lavery, co-founder of Peckham’s Forza Wine, would snaffle the last drop of crème anglaise to add to his espresso. It’s now available at Forza Wine at the National Theatre, too, and the team will happily serve you one at the interval, whether or not you ate there pre-show. Lavery compares his creation to a hot affogato: “It’s a dessert for people who don’t want dessert and coffee for people who don’t want coffee.” That’s not to suggest you’ll need caffeine to stay awake during Ballet Shoes, which runs until February 2026.
nationaltheatre.org.uk
Marmalade sandwiches at Paddington The Musical at the Savoy Theatre
Themed snack menus are trending, particularly at shows with a devoted fanbase. Witness the Scoops Ahoy sundaes at the Phoenix Theatre, home of Stranger Things: The First Shadow (a nod to the ice-cream parlour featured in the show’s third season) and the popcorn machine at Ride The Cyclone at Southwark Playhouse (referencing the production’s fairground setting). But the most clever must be the marmalade sandwiches – and matching Martinis – now at the mezzanine bar at the Savoy Theatre, where Paddington The Musical is currently showing. They’re made just the way Paddington likes them: two thick slices of white bread, generously filled, crusts on.
paddingtonthemusical.com
