Review: Pivot Bistro, Covent Garden

Overlooking Covent Garden’s famous and ever-overcrowded piazza, hidden away in an unassuming townhouse at 3 Henrietta Street is Pivot Bar & Bistro – a brainchild of award-winning chef Mark Greenaway. 

When my friend and I arrive, the restaurant is busy but not overcrowded – it is Monday evening, after all. The inside is surprisingly low-key with walls warmly orange and some pleasant-yet-not-overbearing art on the walls. We recline comfortably while we peruse a short and sweet pre-theatre menu: three courses, and just a few choices choices for each.  

For starters, we go for the courgettes and the salmon. Salmon comes perfectly smoked and tender, paired with capers, shallots and a bit of dill. Courgettes taste rather different than we expect them to – very fresh and summery, almost sour thanks to the addition of pomegranate. They’re both also fairly big for starters, and look beautifully colourful on simple white plates. Pivot specialises in modern European cuisine and stunning plating definitely is its forte.  

Next, come the mains. My friend happily tucks in her chicken breast with mushroom and tarragon cream sauce so thick and rich it’d probably suffice for a separate dish. I opt for roasted cod fillet and it is genuinely one of the best I have ever had. Perfectly succulent and crispy, it melted in my mouth.  

And then the clock struck dessert hour. There are only two desserts on the pre-theatre menu: pavlova or chocolate mousse, so naturally, we decide to share them. It turns out to be a wonderful decision, as pavlova – drowning in warm caramel the lovely waiter very theatrically poured on it – is akin to a candied cloud, and chocolate mousse with clotted cream and cherries oozes heavy sweetness. Paradise.  

All in all, Pivot is small but mighty. Dining is exquisite, the interiors friendly and the atmosphere intimate – if you’re looking for a perfect destination to take your boo out for dinner, you might have just found one.  

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