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Covent Garden is an important part of the West End of central London, one of the main shopping and entertainment districts of the English capital and hugely popular with visitors, who swarm to its shops, bars and restaurants, especially at weekends. Covent Garden incorporates much of London's Theatreland in the West End; it also forms a smaller extension to London's gay village that is centred on the neighbouring district of Soho.

[edit] Understand

Covent Garden actually takes its name from history, it used to be the convent garden many years ago and over the years this has been changed to Covent Garden.

Covent Garden is an extensive area of high density building and narrow streets, officially bounded by High Holborn and New Oxford Street to the north, by the Kingsway to the east, by the Strand to the south and by Charing Cross Road to the west. For all practical purposes, however, the district can also be seen to extend down to the Embankment along the river Thames between Northumberland Avenue and the Hungerford Bridge, and the Temple.

Covent Garden's central location makes it very easy for visitors to move on to the attractions around Trafalgar and Leicester Squares, to Soho, to Bloomsbury and those along the Strand.

The main focus of the Covent Garden district is the Covent Garden Market Piazza.

Further north, a secondary focus is the Seven Dials, an intersection of seven streets, marked by a tall pillar with (you guessed it) seven (sun) dials.

[edit] Get in

Owing to the London Congestion Charge and the general shortage of parking spaces (plus stringent parking restrictions and fines), it is generally recommended that visitors to the area consider public transport to access the district:

[edit] By Tube

Covent Garden has its own eponymous Tube station, situated in the very heart of the district:

• Covent Garden Station (Piccadilly line). Exiting Covent Garden Tube station, turn right (southwards, downhill) to walk to the Piazza, or turn left (northwards) to find the main shopping thoroughfares of Long Acre and Neal Street.

Other Tube stations convenient for visiting Covent Garden include:

• Leicester Square Station (Piccadilly and Northern lines)..
• Holborn Station (Piccadilly and Central lines).
• Tottenham Court Road Station (Northern and Central lines).
• Embankment Station (District, Circle and Northern lines).

[edit] By train

• Charing Cross station - to access the core of the Covent Garden area, turn right on leaving the station on Trafalgar Square and walk down the Strand for about 100 m before veering left up any side street - this should bring you on or very close to the Covent Garden Piazza

[edit][add listing] See

[edit] Landmarks

• Covent Garden Piazza and Central Market. The most famous market in England, go in and explore
• St Paul's Church, Bedford St. Located centrally at the western end of the Piazza, completed in 1633 to a design by Inigo Jones.
• The Seven Dials. An intersection of seven streets in the northern part of the Covent Garden district.
• The Royal Opera House [1]. Recently renovated and displaying spectacular views, try and catch an opera here if you can.
• Somerset House [2].Located between the Strand and the river Thames, lies immediately south of Covent Garden proper.
• The Courtauld Institute of Art Gallery http://www.courtauld.ac.uk/gallery/index.html]. Houses the biggest collection of Impressionist and post-Impressionist paintings in Britain.
• The Savoy Hotel [3], the Strand. A famous landmark in Britain, splurge and dine upon high tea in the restaurant.
• The London Coliseum, home to the English National Opera [4], St Martin's Lane. Recently renovated with views over Trafalgar Square, the performances vary from classic operas to experiental works.
• Charing Cross and Charing Cross Station. Old train station with an enormous office and shopping complex in glass and pale stone.

[edit] Museums and Galleries

• The London Transport Museum [5], Covent Garden Piazza, tel 020 7565 7299. As the name suggests, dedicated to the history of transport in London, past, present and future - old buses and tubes feature in a big way.Adults £5.95, concessions £4.50/2.50, accompanied children under 16 free.
• The Photographers' Gallery [6], 5 & 8 Great Newport Street WC2H 7HY, open Mon-Sat 11.00-18.00, Thu 11.00-20.00, Sun 12.00-18.00. 020 7831 1772. The gallery is actually split across two galleries, No.8 houses the main exhibition and an interesting little bookshop (with a small stock of novelty lomo cameras), and No.5 has a small cafe with more photos on the walls. The exhibitions are wide and varied, from documentary photographers to fine artists, some long gone, and some on their way up. With the crowds and chaos of Leicester Square on one side and Covent Garden on the other, this is a welcome retreat. Free admission.
• The Courtauld Institute of Art Gallery [7], Somerset House, the Strand, open daily 10am-6pm, last entry 5.15pm, closed 24-26, 31 December, 1 January, admission adults £5, concessions £4, under-18s, full-time UK students, university staff and unwaged free; free admission for all Mo 10am-2pm (except public holidays); admission includes access to collections and special exhibitions - home to a small but impressive collection of great art works, The Courtauld Institute of Art Gallery has one of the most important collections in Britain, including world-famous Old Master, Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings, and an outstanding prints and drawings collection featuring works by Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Cézanne and Turner. The collection includes around 530 paintings, 7000 drawings and 15,000 prints as well as significant holdings of medieval, Renaissance and modern sculpture, ceramics, metalwork, furniture and textiles.

[edit][add listing] Do

• Go to a show at one of the many theatres.
• Take in a free lunchtime recital or Opera or Ballet production at the Royal Opera House.

[edit][add listing] Buy

• Shoes seem to be a speciality of Covent Garden, particularly Neal Street where virtually every shop sells shoes, from Birkenstocks to trainers, campers to Doc Martens.
• Clothes. Like its neighbour Soho, Covent Garden has a wide range of clothing shops. Head to Floral St and Long Acre for a start, but explore the back-streets too as they often house more interesting stores. If you're on a budget, head to Earlham Street for occasional clothing stalls and Oxfam Originals.
• Neal's Yard Dairy is a fabulous cheese shop specialising in British cheeses. The smell as you walk up the street can be enticing or repulsive, depending on your preference for fragrant cheese. But regardless, a trip to this shop is well worthwhile. Whether they're busy or not, the staff are always keen to have you taste a few cheeses to ensure you find what you're looking for. Everyone here is passionate about their cheese, and while the prices are higher than you'll pay pretty much anywhere else in the world for cheese, the quality and taste are second to none. 11 Shorts Gardens WC2H 9UP, 020 7240 5700 M-Th 11am-6.30pm, F-Sa 10am-6.30pm [8].
• Monmouth Coffee, Monmouth Street, near Seven Dials. Arguably the best coffee in London. Primarily a venue for quality coffee roasters, the shop on Monmouth street has a 'tasting room', i.e. a café, where you can marvel at the fact that not everywhere in London sells poor chain-café coffee. A selection of goodies such as croissants, pastries, and brownies are also available. As you'd expect of a roasters you can also purchase excellent coffee in bean form or ground, with various blends to suit your taste. Helpful and knowledgable staff can help you make a selection.
• The New Zealand Shop [9] and The Australia Shop [10] provide antipodean visitors with a taste of home, albeit at London prices. Both at 27 Maiden Lane WC2E 7JS M-F 10.30am-6.30pm, Sa 11am-6.30pm, Su 11am-5.30pm.
• Stanfords 12-14 Long Acre WC2E 9LP, 020 7836 1321, M-F 9am-7.30pm, Sa 10am-7pm, Su 12-6pm. Since 1901 Stanfords has been selling maps and travel guidebooks of all descriptions from this Covent Garden location. With three floors of regional maps, walking maps, guidebooks, travel books, a digital mapping service and more this is a huge store that's interesting even if you don't intend to buy anything.
• Second-hand books - Cecil Court [11] links St. Martin's Lane and Charing Cross Road, and is lined with small second-hand and antiquarian outlets, selling anything from first editions to antique posters. Many of the bookshops have full catalouges available to view online.
• Thomas Neal's, 29-41 Earlham St, is a nice shopping plaza with clothes shops, design shops and cafes.
• Ben's Cookies, 13a The Piazza, Covent Garden (Inside the Covent Garden Market), ☎ +44 2072406123, [12]. 0730-1900 Mon- Fri, 0930 - 1830 Sat, 1030-1830 Sun, 1000-1800 Bank Holidays. Very nice cookies. Try their white chocolate with macadamia cookies. Price is about £1 per cookie, and the cookies here are almost twice as big as those at Millie's. They also have branches at 12 Kensington Arcade, Kensington High Street; at 39 Leadenhall Market; and at 9 Pelham Street, South Kensington.  edit

[edit][add listing] Eat

[edit] Budget

• The George, 213 The Strand, ☎ +44 20 7353 9638. Established in 1723, not much of the decor has changed in this traditional English pub, where you can order happily inexpensive, tasty food.  edit
• Primrose Bakery, 42 Tavistock Street, ☎ +44 20 7836 3638, [13]. You can get possibly the best cupcakes in London here. They have an impressive clientele that includes U2 and Kate Moss. They also supply Selfridges food hall, Fortnum & Mason and Libertys, where the prices are MUCH higher (£1 more in Fortnum & Mason). They have another branch at 69 Gloucester Avenue, Primrose Hill. Prices start from £1.75 for a regular cupcake. Try their chocolate on chocolate cupcake with cherry filling.  edit

[edit] Mid-range

• Paul's Bakery, 29/30 Bedford Street, tel 020 7836 3304, open Mo-Fr 7.30am-9pm, Sa-Su, 9am-9pm - A French favourite, now in London, Paul's serves coffee and teas together fine French pastries, tarts, cakes and breads for savouring on or off the premises. Light snacks, lunches and dinners are also catered for, at prices a little higher than your average café (but reasonable for the touristy Covent Garden), somewhat less than a restaurant.
• Cafe Pacifico, 5 Langley St, open Mo-Sa 12noon-11.45pm, Su 12noon-10.45pm, tel 020 7379 7728 - London's original Mexican Cantina, serving all your typical Mexican food along with a good range of Margaritas and Tequila.
• La Perla, 28 Maiden Lane Mo-Sa 12noon-11.30pm, Su 4pm-10.30pm, tel 020 7240 7400. Another of Cafe Pacifico's venues, this one is slightly smaller with more of a bar feeling.
• Maison Malinowski Brasserie, 63 Neal St, serves really delicious crêpes among other things. Perfect for a break while shopping!
• Scoop Fine Italian Gelato, 40 Shorts Gardens, London WC2H 9AB, ☎ 07944779693, [14]. This place is popular among the university students in London. Come here for some genuine Italian gelato or coffee and cake. Try their hazelnut gelato, which is simply amazing. For a large cup the price is around £3.60, and it's worth every penny!  edit

[edit] Splurge

• The Ivy, 1 West Street, tel 020 7836 4751, average price £40 - Wining and dining rooms of celebrities, the actual difficulty in getting a table these days gives the restaurant slightly more kudos as an eatery than it deserves. Cosy and intimate, serving traditional but diverse restaurant meals. Competent cooking and reasonably good service, but not worth waiting 6 months for. Unless you're an avid star-gazer, go at a time when celebs are unlikely to be around.

[edit][add listing] Drink

[edit] Cafés

• Monmouth Coffee, Monmouth Street, near Seven Dials - Arguably the best coffee in London. Primarily a venue for quality coffee roasters, the shop on Monmouth street has a 'tasting room', i.e. a café, where you can marvel at the fact that not everywhere in London sells poor chain-café coffee. A selection of goodies such as croissants, pastries, and brownies are also available. As you'd expect of a roasters you can also purchase excellent coffee in bean form or ground, with various blends to suit your taste. Helpful and knowledgable staff cann help you make a selection.
• Paul's Bakery, 29 Bedford Street, tel 020 7836 3304, open Mo-Fr 7.30am-9pm, Sa-Su, 9am-9pm - A French favourite, now in London, Paul's serves coffee and teas together fine French pastries, tarts, cakes and breads for savouring on or off the premises. Light snacks, lunches and dinners are also catered for, at prices a little higher than your average café (but reasonable for the touristy Covent Garden), somewhat less than a restaurant.

[edit] Pubs

• The Salisbury, St Martin's Lane, is beautifully preserved Victorian pub. Full of mirrors and lights, cut glass and mahogany, this place is nothing like the dark and dingy pubs that are all too common in London.
• Porterhouse 21-22 Maiden Lane WC2 E7NA, 020 7379 7917. A modern pub split across multiple levels connected by narrow staircases and walkways, with a selection of over 100 bottled beers from around the world.[15]

[edit] Bars

• Box, 32-34 Monmouth Street (at the Seven Dials). 020 7240 5828. A trendy gay bar.

• Rum Bar, 45 St. Martin's Lane. +44 (0) 20 7300 5588. [16]. Asia de Cuba, the trendy restaurant located inside the St. Martin's Lane Hotel, also houses the stylish Rum Bar. With tall, 'lean-on' tables designed by Phillipe Starck and a meticulously designed interior this is a great place to meet for a cocktails before or after heading out for an evening.

• La Perla, (see the Eat section for details).

• Light, 45 St. Martin's Lane. +44 (0) 20 7300 5599. [17]. The Light Bar is a stylish, ultra modern space inside the St. Martin’s Lane Hotel. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, many of London's most popular D.J.'s are featured.

[edit][add listing] Sleep

• myhotel Bloomsbury, 11-13 Bayley Street Bedford Square London WC1B 3HD United Kingdom. [18]. Close to Covent Garden and Soho in the Bohemian area of Bloomsbury

[edit] Splurge

• The Savoy, The Strand. 44 20 7836 4343. [19]. The famed Savoy is located on The Strand in the heart of the West End theatre district, offering magnificent views of the river Thames. The Savoy opened in 1889 and remains a popular destination in London. The hotel boasts 263 rooms and suites, a nifty blend of elegance and contemporary design. Inventive cuisine can be enjoyed in the Savoy Grill and the more informal Banquette. The theaters, opera, ballet and shopping of Covent Garden are located nearby.

• St Martins Lane, 45 St. Martin's Lane. 44 (0) 20 7300 5500 (US 800-697-1791) [20]. Ian Schrager (he of Studio 54 fame) is known worldwide for being an innovator in the ‘hip’ hotel business. His first foray into London, St Martins Lane, is a playful and urbane destination in the West End theater district off Trafalgar Square that combines urban cool and modern design (via design guru Philippe Starck). Unique features to this trendy-meets-luxury hotel include Asia de Cuba restaurant, the popular Light Bar and interactive light displays in every guest room that encourage guests to personalize their own individual space.

[edit] Contact