Bar/Cafe
We want to make it as safe as possible for you to come and enjoy a drink with us, and our priority is and always will be the safety of all of you and our staff. Because of that, you will notice a few small changes to the theatre bar and communal areas to make you feel secure when you come by.
You can make a reservation by clicking here or emailing us on reservations[at]southwarkplayhouse.co.uk, but if you don’t want to book in advance you can still come along – you might just have to wait a bit in a socially distanced queue if we’re at capacity.
Please note we are operating a cashless bar so will only be taking contactless/card payments during this time.
For a TikTok video tour of our new socially distanced bar click here.
Opening Hours
Monday 5.30pm to 11pm
Tuesday 1pm to 11pm
Wednesday 5.30pm to 11pm
Thursday 5.30pm to 11pm
Friday 5.30pm to 11pm
Saturday 1pm to 11pm
We are open on show days, so if we don’t have a performance, our bar probably won’t be open – check out our full performance schedule here.
Menu
Our bar serves an assortment of beverages to suit all tastes from hot and cold soft drinks to beer, wine, cocktails and spirits and a whole lot more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Indoor gatherings should only be occurring in groups of up to 2 households (including support bubbles).
Outdoor gatherings should only be occurring in groups of up to 2 households (or support bubbles), or a group of at most 6 people from any number of households.
Yes, we will. It is compulsory for customers and visitors on arrival to share their details in order to support NHS Test and Trace. This information will only be used where necessary to help stop the spread of COVID-19. We will do this via an online form which you will be able to access via your smartphone.
We will ask customers and visitors for the following information:
– Your name. If there is more than one person in your group, then we will ask you all to fill in the form.
– A contact phone number for each customer or visitor.
– The date of your visit, arrival time and, where possible, departure time
– Your table number
If you need to cancel a table please reply to your confirmation email with CANCELLED in the subject line or, if you can’t find that email, then drop us a note on reservations@southwarkplayhouse.co.uk directly to let us know.
Great question! We’ll be operating with a limited capacity of 28 (indoors) and 16 (outdoors). You’ll notice that the tables and chairs will be arranged slightly differently to usual and there will be more general signage around to show you where to go.
We’ll be operating a table service so you don’t need to queue at the bar. When you arrive at the theatre you’ll be shown to your table and then, when you’re ready to order, a member of staff will approach your table with a tablet and card machine. You can let the member of staff know what you’d like to order and, once you’ve paid, they will send your order to the bar where it will be prepared. Once your order is ready it will be brought to you direct on a tray.
No. We will be accepting contactless and card payments only for the foreseeable future.
Yes. You can bring in food from Mercato Metropolitano opposite us, you can bring your own snacks or you can order Deliveroo to the theatre. We will not be serving any food from our bar.
We will have most of our usual drinks, minus the cocktails. This includes draught beer on tap, wine, prosecco, coffee, tea including herbal tea, spirits, soft drinks and fruit juice.
We’ll be COVID-proofing our toilets and cleaning them regularly. There will be signage and markers on the floor to show you how to get to the toilets and they will observe social distancing.
We’ve conducted an extensive risk assessment and briefings for all staff which includes strict cleaning, handwashing and hygiene procedures. Rest assured we have everything in place to make your visit as safe as possible. There will also be hand sanitizer available.
Yes. We are an unfunded charity organisation and a huge amount of our income is ‘earned’ which means it comes to us via ticket sales and bar income. At the moment we are selling tickets to 50% of our capacity which means our cashflow is, like many other arts organisations, looking pretty perilous. Any money you spend at our bar will help generate a bit of income which will, in turn, help us to continue operating like we were before the pandemic.