I’d never been to a cocktail bar with live jazz before but I’ve always imagined my first time to be a lot like La La Land, when Mia unwittingly follows a neon sign into a basement only to find her future boyfriend looking frustrated playing Christmas hits. But a lot was separating Oriole from my preconceptions. To start, it was born from the award-winning team behind Nightjar and Swift, and there wasn't a Ryan Gosling in sight.
This isn’t Oriole’s first rodeo, as the bar used to reside in Smithfield Market, before closing due to redevelopment in 2022. However, after a successful stint as a pop-up earlier this year (PRELUDE by Oriole), the bar has now reopened its doors for good – this time on Slingsby Place in Covent Garden.
The Oriole bar features pretty golden accents and individually lit tables orbiting a piano.
DesignMyNight Reviews Oriole In Covent Garden
Spread across two stunning levels, Oriole was designed in collaboration with Daytrip Studio. On the ground floor, the Bamboo Bar exuded classic elegance, featuring cherry-red and timber banquettes arranged around a striking bar made of Brazilian quartzite.
Descending to the lower level, we discovered a cosy, nature-inspired retreat, where bamboo ceiling panels and a signature tropical mural created an intimate, lush atmosphere. At its heart was a piano on stage, ready to be graced by the presence of a Randy Newman-esque singer who only moments before was reading a thick book with a tipple in hand, inadvertently adding to the timeless feel of the bar.
My dinner date and I were visiting to enjoy the dinner and show (£60 per person, plus an £8 live music charge) set menu, featuring a drink, starter, main and dessert, conjured up by chef director Gustavo Giallonardo, whose plates celebrate the fusion cuisines of Latin America, taking inspiration from Nikkei, Argentine-Italian and regional Mexican traditions.
I scream for green curry ice cream: the alternative main was a treat for the tastebuds.
To start, we ordered a cocktail each from the diverse menu inspired by the adventure-seeking birds that gave the venue’s name. From the Americas section, I guzzled down the Rio Verde, made with Olmeca Altos Plate tequila, peach aperitif, tamarillo juice and watermelon puree.
Ridiculously refreshing and fruity, it went down a treat, teasing my tastebuds with mellow citrusy notes. My friend’s mezcal-based Cities Of The Plain was a lot boozier, and left a bitter chocolate aftertaste in my mouth, along with a wave of cherry from the liqueur.
Our starters arrived almost imminently after that; I found myself swirling shiitake mushrooms with rich puddles of egg yolk and blitzed arepa and nodding vigorously in approval as a smoky, umami flavour filled my mouth.
To contrast its savoury notes was the Italian steak tartare, which was surprisingly tart thanks to finely chopped capers running through it and superbly delicate. We both shovelled spoonfuls onto lightly toasted soldiers of sourdough bread, which we then used to mop up the rest of the egg yolk.
Date night never looked so good.
What took me aback the most was the green curry ice cream that came with my tamarind-glazed delica pumpkin for my main course. My brain was running circles trying to decipher a flavour I was so used to consuming warm.
It enhanced the dish though, by adding a fragrant, sweet taste that worked with the earthiness of the pumpkin. My dinner date wolfed down a medium rare sirloin steak, which he then drizzled in a malbec reduction and enthusiastically attested to its succulent texture soaking up the fruity and addictive sauce.
To finish, we both enjoyed a tres leches with fig leaf and a dulce de leche sorbet which was indulgent, to say the least. I spooned out the soft sponge submerged beneath whipped cream and let the caramel flavours melt in my mouth as the pianist made his way towards his final song.
Oriole: Overall
If you're looking for live music in Covent Garden at a watering hole that exudes elegance, serves delicious cocktails and doesn't compromise on flavoursome plates of food, then Oriole is the place for you. There's a reason the bar has a permanent residence in The Yards - its subterranean drinking den transports you to a cosy, plush hideaway that's a far cry from the booming bars that populate the city, offering a refreshing date night that's era is hard to place.
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💰 Price: £136 for two, excluding service charge. 📍 Address: 7-9 Slingsby Place, WC2E 9AB. 👌 Perfect for: Date night with live music. ⭐ Need to know: The music charge is £12 on Fridays and Saturdays, but goes to the performers. |
Fancy getting cosy in a secret bar? Check out our guide to London's best speakeasies.
