La Boheme & Asia de Cuba

The food is Asian / South American fusion – tuna tartare with soy sauce but also black currants (worked really well!), pan fried beef with watercress and eggplant, seared tuna steak with wasabi mash. All were impeccably presented as you’d expect and simply marvellous! I had a lovely glass of Pinot Noir to accompany my meal for £9 – house wine was less expensive but the Pinot was worth it.

The inside of the restaurant – was a bit dim for good food pics though :s

This was the tuna tartare starter – served in wonton basket with lightly pickled cucumber

Desert! The Cuban Opera on the left and the Mexican doughnuts in the right. Not sure about the Mexican-ness of it, but both were good.

View up St Martins Lane to the Coliseum with its famous rotating globe with the name lit up.

When we were done eating – in just over an hour – we headed to the opera. Now the ENO sings everything in English, but there are still surtitles above the stage so you know what everyone is saying. It’s a little disconcerting when it first starts – especially as I was familiar with Puccini’s opera being sung in Italian.

View from our seats – very grand! You can see the surtitles under the top of the curtain.

However the production was very emotive – cue me crying a lot in the second half! (La Boheme is a story of romance and tragedy for those who don’t know it)

I would definitely recommend both Asia de Cuba for a nice meal – the pre theatre deal is especially good value for money – and the ENO for first time opera goers.

Roman touches about the auditorium.

The theatre its self is very grand with high ceilings even in the top rows. The best seats in the balcony are NOT the front row – there is very little legroom and the bar that stops people toppling over restricts the view – so go for seats in row C backwards!

Check out the ENO for special deals like the Opera Undressed – Give opera a go and for £25 you will get:

• one of the best seats in the house (worth £99)
• a pre-performance talk about the production
• an outline of the opera’s story in advance
• a complimentary Sipsmith and Fever-Tree gin and tonic at a post-show party with the cast
• a discount for future ENO performances