Covent Garden’s The Big Easy

Last week I managed to snag a table at the Big Easy in Covent Garden.

Brand new on the scene and still working out the kinks, they started with a soft launch to the public. And walking down Maiden Lane…you really can’t miss it.

So we ventured in, underneath the BIG welcoming entrance and sauntered into the main restaurant.

First impressions?

It’s massive.

Surely, this is an illusion. We’re in Central London. What property has this much space?

Well that’s the thing, The Big Easy has a pretty damn big space to work with.

Despite the shadowy dark interior, the atmosphere is vibrant, bluesy even. I feel like I’ve wandered down into New Orleans.

We took our table, eager to taste some of this fantastic menu.

Luckily for us, with the soft launch opening… this meant everything was half off on the menu.

Bring it on.

First up? An appetizer of hush puppies that we didn’t order.

But no worries, The Big Easy is still figuring out it’s restaurant groove. We dig in, compliments of the house.

A fun little fact, there are over 180 staff members employed. Seriously. That’s not the restaurant at capacity… that’s their staff.

We were astonished by these facts, but our waiter happily chatted away with us as we learned all the inside secrets.

We were also brought over our very own bibs, which, I sportingly paraded about in.

And proceeded to play with our dinner utensils.

We all carried on until the most glorious platters of food arrived.

Let’s put it this way, this isn’t meant to be pretty. It’s meant to be sloppy and delicious.

And it certainly is.

Our first dish was a mismatched amount of meaty goodness: Ribs, Brisket, Wings, and crumbly Pork in the middle.

The meat platter arrived with sides of coleslaw, baked beans, and a big old helping potato salad.

It’s a good idea when you’re at The Big Easy to go with a group and get a mix of meat and seafood dishes.

I highly recommend this option because this is not first date style food. This is: “I’ve known you forever, so we can feast like savages together” food.

Just moments after the impressive arrival of our BBQ meats… the Lobster Bake settled down comfortably at our table.

Lobster, giant shrimp, mussels, crab…basically a dish of spicy and ready to devour crustaceans (and a few roasted potatoes).

Sometimes, the only way to eat is with your hands.

We ate ourselves silly.

You don’t want to leave one bit of the dishes…and we didn’t.

Good thing I was dining with two male companions, who took on this challenge heartily.

I can’t sing enough praises about The Big Easy in Covent Garden.

The staff were polite as ever, when mistaken items were brought to our table, they left us to enjoy them (that included an extra glass of wine for me).

And the management seemed very keen to make you feel most at home… and to get our take on the place as there were two of us Americans out to eat.

“Is it true New Orleans grub?” they asked.

I replied, “Without a doubt.”

I’ve never been to New Orleans… but I know what tastes good.

And The Big Easy can call themselves whatever style of food they like, but I’m going to go with “Delicious.”

So with that, we took a last glance around, eyed up the bar as if we could fill ourselves with another drink…

But we couldn’t possibly. So we ventured back out into what had become a typical evening of light rain in London.

Has anyone been to The Big Easy yet? Anyone putting it down on your foodie list? 

Thoughts?

I’d recommend it wholeheartedly to anyone. Absolutely fantastic food. And great service.

xx Kelly