22 Betterton Street,
London,
WC2H 9BU
0872 148 1763
The ViewLondon Review
The Poetry Cafe is a quiet escape from the hubbub of Covent Garden, where you can order a variety of drinks from tea and coffee to wine and beer.The VenuePoetry Cafe is tucked away on Betterton Street (close to the lively Cross Keys pub), to the north of Covent Garden. The bar is a pleasant, light, open area with chairs and tables. The venue functions as a bar and cafe as well as a social meeting place for poets and other Londoners. It attract poets and writers because it is, in fact, the Poetry Society's ‘public face’ where you can find out information and join the group.
There are racks of magazines and other literature, which makes this the ideal place for poetry enthusiasts out for a quiet read. Poetry Cafe also has a small downstairs room, which hosts live poetry events every week. Some of the nights can be participated in and others incur a small charge to watch.
The AtmospherePoetry Cafe is, unsurprisingly, adept at encouraging discussion about poetry, with the events held downstairs being of particular interest. The general atmosphere is friendly and relaxed, with a camaraderie amongst drinkers unlike that of most London bars.
The FoodThere are wholesome dishes (often Mediterranean ) and a few cakes on offer for a fairly reasonable price - usually from a friendly barman - but they don’t do bar snacks, which is a shame.
The DrinkThe price range for a glass of wine or a bottle is the same as most smart pubs in London, which is reasonable considering the surrounding area.
The Last WordPoetry Cafe makes for an unusual evening out, and you may find you meet some interesting people. The bar is ideal for a drink during the day and early evening as it’s often not as busy as the other bars of Covent Garden. This feels more interesting than going to a bar for drinks, being a cultured environment conducive to either a quiet chat or a debate amongst the clientele.