London/Covent Garden

Covent Garden is one of the main shopping and entertainment districts of London, and is hugely popular with visitors, who swarm to its shops, bars and restaurants, especially at weekends. Covent Garden incorporates some of London's Theatreland and also forms a smaller extension to London's gay village that is centred on the neighbouring district of Soho.

Understand

Covent Garden takes its name from history; it used to be Convent Garden many years ago and over the years, the name has changed to Covent Garden.

This is an extensive area of high-density building and narrow streets, officially bounded by High Holborn and New Oxford Street to the north, by 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 Thames between Northumberland Avenue and Hungerford Bridge and to The Temple.

The main focus of the Covent Garden district for visitors is the Covent Garden Market Piazza. Further north, a secondary focus is Seven Dials, an intersection of seven streets, marked by a tall pillar with (you guessed it) seven (sun) dials. It is very easy for visitors to move on from here by foot to the attractions around Trafalgar and Leicester Squares, to Soho and to Bloomsbury.

Get in

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

By Tube

This district is well served by the following Tube stations, all in Zone 1:

  • Covent Garden (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 areas of Long Acre, Neal Street and Seven Dials. Covent Garden is one of the few Tube stations to lack escalators, instead having four lifts. Because of this, it gets extremely busy and TfL recommends using another station if possible.
  • Leicester Square (Piccadilly and Northern lines). The distance between Leicester Square and Covent Garden stations on the Piccadilly line is the shortest on the whole London Tube network (just 260 metres (280 yards)). It is faster to walk between the two stations.
  • Holborn (Piccadilly and Central lines).
  • Tottenham Court Road (Northern, Central and Elizabeth lines).
  • Embankment (Bakerloo, District, Circle and Northern lines).
  • Charing Cross (Bakerloo and Northern lines).

By train

🌍 Charing Cross mainline station, Charing Cross, WC2N 5DR. Southeastern provides services to southeast England, as well as Woolwich and Lewisham. All trains stop at London Waterloo and Waterloo East. 

Southeastern trains to:

🌍 London Waterloo station, Waterloo Rd, London SE1 8SW (south of the River Thames), ☏ +44 345 711 4141. South Western Railway has trains from London Waterloo to more destinations in southeast England, including: Basingstoke, Reading, Windsor, Winchester, Weymouth, Portsmouth, Guildford and Salisbury. (updated Apr 2024)

By bus

Over 30 bus routes serve Covent Garden. They are: 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 15, 19, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 38, 55, 59, 69, 73, 87, 91, 98, 134, 139, 168, 171, 172, 176, 188, 242, 243, 341, RV1 and X68.

  • Bus 8 (Bow Church to Tottenham Court Road station). Via Bethnal Green  CEN , Shoreditch, Bank/Monument, Holborn  CEN  PIC . (updated Nov 2023)
  • Bus 23 (Westbourne Park to Aldwych). (updated Nov 2023)
  • Bus 24 (Hampstead Heath to Pimlico). 24 hour service. Runs via Camden Town  NOR , Trafalgar Square, London Victoria  CIR  DIS  VIC , Westminister  DIS  JUB  and Tottenham Court Rd  CEN  NOR  ELI . (updated Oct 2022)

Get around

See

Landmarks
  • 🌍 Charing Cross and Charing Cross Station. Old train station with an enormous office and shopping complex in glass and pale stone. A lavish hotel is also on the site. The name comes from the Queen Eleanor (13th century) gothic pillar outside the station, which is actually a Victorian-era replica. Charing Cross Road is famous for its vintage book shops; one stand-out is Foyle's. 
  • 🌍 Cleopatra's Needle, Victoria Embankment, along the Thames (Tube: Embankment  DIS  CIR  NOR ). Cleopatra's Needle originated in the ancient Egyptian city of Heliopolis, in the Temple of Atum, but the Romans moved it to Alexandria in 12 BC. In 1819, viceroy Mehemet Ali presented Cleopatra's Needle to the British, commemorating military victories in Egypt, but it remained in Alexandria until 1877 when transportation was arranged to bring it to London. On the voyage, the ship capsized in a storm, killing six crewmembers. Cleopatra's Needle was thought to be lost, but Spanish trawlers found it afloat a few days later, and after some repairs, it arrived in London on 21 Jan 1878. The obelisk is flanked by two faux-sphinxes, which show the effects of bombings of London during World War II. Today, Cleopatra's Needle shows some wear from exposure to London's damp weather. 
  • 🌍 Covent Garden Piazza and Central Market (Tube: Covent Garden  PIC ). Once an important working market, and the backdrop for the musical My Fair Lady, Covent Garden today is a covered shopping mall with shops predominantly selling clothing, but also gifts and cosmetics, as well as stalls selling handicrafts (Tu-Su) or antiques (M), and restaurants. It's well worth a visit just for the attractive ambience, with classical musicians busking in the lower part of the market and a famous location for street entertainers. There is a popular pub, The Punch and Judy Tavern at the western end, with a large balcony overlooking a square where street entertainers perform. At the eastern end, the corresponding balcony is occupied by Chez Gerard, a restaurant selling relatively-expensive but good continental cuisine. Most shops are open daily 10AM-7PM, but may close earlier on Sundays. 
  • 🌍 St. Paul's Church, Bedford St WC2 (Tube: Covent Garden  PIC . At the western end of the Piazza). Completed in 1633 to a design by Inigo Jones. 
  • 🌍 Seven Dials (Tube: Covent Garden  PIC ). An intersection of seven streets in the northern part of the Covent Garden district. Lots of mid-range designer clothing and shoe stores 

Museums and galleries
  • 🌍 Benjamin Franklin House, 36 Craven St, WC2N 5NF (Tube: Charing Cross  BAK  NOR ), ☏ +44 20 7839-2006. The only remaining home of Benjamin Franklin in the world. The founding father of the United States lived here from 1757 to 1775. Many exhibits charting his life and achievements as well as artefacts. A special Historical Experience Show runs W-Su at noon, 1PM, 2PM, 3:15PM, and 4:15PM all year round. £7, under 16s free.. 
  • 🌍 London Transport Museum, Covent Garden Piazza (Tube: Covent Garden  PIC ), ☏ +44 20 7565-7299. In many cities a local transport museum would be of very narrow interest - not London, however! London's public transport is iconic, and the story of how it developed from horse and cart through early buses, Tube trains and trolleybuses to the present day is well worth coming to find out about. There is plenty of opportunity to clamber aboard the historic buses and Tube trains on display. Also, because London's transport is so well known, the museum shop contains plenty of items that make interesting and original gifts and souvenirs. £18, concessions £17, accompanied children under 16 free. 
  • 🌍 Aldwych station, Surrey Street, WC2R 2NE (Meet outside the main entrance). Weekdays: 17:05, 19:00 Weekends: 10:05, 12:00, 14:40, 16:35. The TfL-backed Hidden London offers tours around the disused Aldwych tube station which had its own branch on the Piccadilly line. The tour explains the station's unusual history including its use for protection (for both people and historical artefacts held by the British Museum) from the Blitz during WWII. More recently, it was used as a filming location and for testing station equipment and decor. Of note, it was used for filming James Bond: Die Another Day, V for Vendetta and the Prodigy music video for Firestarter. Tours are roughly an 1 hour and 15 minutes long, wear sturdy shoes (not sandals). Tickets: £44 / £39 concessions (includes 50% discount on entry to the London Transport Museum). (updated Jun 2023)

Do

Theatres

Along with neighbouring Leicester Square, this is the capital of London's theatreland. For current programmes please check the relevant theatre website or the Official London Theatre listings. Budget travellers should look for last minute bookings and off-peak performances.

Most of the booking office numbers given will only work from within the United Kingdom. If you want to make a booking from overseas, use the relevant website.

Opera
  • 🌍 Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, WC2E 9DD (Tube: Covent Garden  PIC ), ☏ +44 20 7304-4000. One of the world's great opera and ballet venues. Peak time tickets are like gold dust and it is very unlikely that a casual visitor will be able to obtain one. However, at least 65 tickets per performance are held off for on-the-day in person sales from 10AM, and tickets are sometimes available for off peak (especially matinee) performances and can be surprisingly affordable. Check the website or at London ticket agencies. Whilst there's no formal dress code for attending a performance, dressing smartly is advised. Casual styles (jeans, trainers) may get you disapproving looks from other attendees. 
  • 🌍 English National Opera, London Coliseum, St. Martin's Lane, WC2N 4ES (Tube: Covent Garden  PIC ), ☏ +44 871 911 0200, . A little easier to get tickets here than it is at the Royal Opera House but still difficult for the most notable productions. Look for last minute availability and off peak performances. 

Buy

Shoes are a speciality of Covent Garden, particularly in Neal Street where virtually every shop sells shoes, from Birkenstocks to trainers, campers to Doc Martens.

Like its neighbour Soho, Covent Garden has a wide range of clothing shops. Head to Floral Street and Long Acre for a start, but explore the backstreets too as they often house more interesting stores. If you are on a budget, head to Earlham Street for occasional clothing stalls and Oxfam Originals.

  • 🌍 The Astrology Shop, 78 Neal St, London WC2H 9PA, ☏ +44 20 7813 3051. 11AM-6PM. The place to buy astrology books and tarot cards. (updated Jan 2022)
  • 🌍 Ben's Cookies, 13a The Piazza (Inside the Covent Garden Market), ☏ +44 20 7240-6123. M-F 7:30AM-7PM, Sa 9:30AM-6:30PM, Su 10:30AM-6:30PM, bank holidays 10AM-6PM. 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 St; at 39 Leadenhall Market; and at 9 Pelham St, South Kensington. 
  • 🌍 Monmouth Coffee, 27 Monmouth St, West End, WC2H 9EU (Near Seven Dials), ☏ +44 20 7232-3010, . M-Sa: 8am–5pm; Su: Closed. Some people say this is 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 would expect of a roasters you can also purchase excellent coffee in bean form or ground, with various blends to suit your taste. Helpful and knowledgeable staff can help you make a selection. 
  • 🌍 Neal's Yard Dairy, 11 Shorts Gardens, WC2H 9AT (Tube: Covent Garden  PIC ), ☏ +44 20 7240-5700. M-Th 11AM-6:30PM, F Sa 10AM-6:30PM. 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 are busy or not, the staff are always keen to have you taste a few cheeses to ensure you find what you are looking for. Everyone here is passionate about their cheese, and while the prices are higher than you will pay pretty much anywhere else in the world for cheese, the quality and taste are second to none. 
  • 🌍 Stanfords, 7 Mercer Walk, WC2H 9FA (Tube: Covent Garden  PIC ), ☏ +44 20 7836-1321, . M-F 9AM-5:30PM, Sa 10AM-7PM, Su noon-6PM. This is the flagship store of the world's largest map retailer. They have been selling maps and travel guidebooks of all descriptions from this location since 1901. With three floors of regional maps, walking maps, guidebooks, travel books, a digital mapping service and more this is a huge store that is interesting even if you do not intend to buy anything. 
  • 🌍 Thomas Neals Centre, 29-41 Earlham St. A nice shopping plaza with clothes shops, design shops and cafes. 
  • 🌍 The Tintin Shop, 34 Floral Street, WC2E 9DJ, ☏ +44 20 7836-1131, . M–Sa 10:30AM–5:30PM, Su noon–4PM. The place to go in Britain for fans of the Belgian reporter. Sells non-fiction books, clothes, posters, figurines and memorabilia, as well as each of Hergé's 24 Adventures of Tintin comic books in English, the original French and any other language you can think of. (updated Mar 2015)
  • 🌍 Kryolan City London (formerly Charles Fox), 22 Tavistock Street, Covent Garden, WC2E 7PY, ☏ +44 20 7240-3111, . This is where the professionals buy make-up, so on the pricey side, but the range of products kept is large. Staff are highly approachable even on specialist queries. (updated Oct 2017)

Marine and watersports
  • 🌍 Arthur Beale (Yachting Chandler), 194 Shaftesbury Avenue, WC2H 8JP, ☏ +44 20 7836-9034, . M-W 9AM-6PM; Th-Sa 9AM-8PM; Su 11AM-5PM. A quite unusual shop for the centre of London. A marine supply store which sells numerous items related to yachting: from clothing to sailing hardware and accessories. The shop has been at its current location for over 120 years. (updated Nov 2015)
  • 🌍 Ocean Leisure, 11-14 Northumberland Avenue, WC2N 5AQ (under Hungerford Bridge), ☏ +44 20 7930-5050, . M-F 10AM-7PM, Sa 10AM-5PM, Su 11AM-5PM. Watersports-related items. (updated Nov 2015)

Eat

Budget
  • 🌍 Chequers, 47 Bedford St. Sandwiches (updated May 2022)
  • 🌍 Jin's kitchen, 232 Shaftesbury Ave. (updated May 2022)
  • 🌍 Ben’s Traditional Fish & Chips, 200 Shaftesbury Ave. (updated May 2022)
  • 🌍 Koshari Street, 56 St Martin's Ln. Egyptian cuisine (updated May 2022)

Mid-range
  • 🌍 Brown's, 82-84 St. Martin's Ln, ☏ +44 20 7497-5050. Always buzzing, this popular restaurant is frequented by hip (often single) clientele, who are served by attentive staff. Meals are good, the braised lamb shank is especially tasty. 
  • 🌍 Maison Malinowski Brasserie, 63 Neal St. Serves really delicious crêpes among other things. Perfect for a break while shopping! 
  • 🌍 Cafe Pacifico, 5 Langley St, WC2H 9JA, ☏ +44 20 7379-7728, . Daily noon–11PM. London's original Mexican Cantina, serving all your typical Mexican food along with a good range of margaritas and tequila. (updated Apr 2021)
  • 🌍 La Perla, 28 Maiden Ln, ☏ +44 20 7240-7400. M-Sa noon-11:30PM, Su 4-10:30PM. Another of Cafe Pacifico's venues, this one is slightly smaller with more of a bar feeling. 
  • 🌍 Scoop (Natural Luxury Gelato), 40 Short's Gardens, ☏ +44 7944 779693. 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. Large £3.60. 

Splurge
  • 🌍 The Ivy, 1 West St (Tube: Covent Garden  PIC ), ☏ +44 20 7836-4751. 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 are an avid star-gazer, go at a time when celebs are unlikely to be around. Average price £40. 
  • 🌍 Joe Allen, 13 Exeter St, WC2E 7DT (Tube: Covent Garden  PIC ), ☏ +44 20 7836-0651, . Legendary informal bistro which is incredibly hard to find for the first time - look for the dark, discrete door with a simple plaque on it on the north side of Exeter St. Food is a take on American-style grilled fare using the very highest quality ingredients. Steaks and chops are superb. Favoured by lots of celebs and booking essential, especially pre- and post theatre. 
  • 🌍 Rules, 35 Maiden Lane. Claims to the oldest restaurant still-going in London dating back to 1798. It's high-class decor matches its posh diners. Rules has a dress code: "jacket or tie not required, but smart casual preferred. No shorts." 

Drink

Covent Garden Pubs

Seven Dials Pubs

and around New Oxford Street

  • 🌍 Princess Louise, 208–209 High Holborn, WC1V 7BW (Tube: Chancery Lane  CEN ), ☏ +44 20 7405-8816. Ornately designed Victorian interior, mostly preserved from an 1891 remodelling, with wood and etched-glass partitions dividing it into smaller sections. A Grade II listed building and on CAMRA's national inventory of historic pub interiors. 
  • 🌍 The Spice of Life, ☏ +44 20 7437 7013, . M–Sa noon–10PM, Su noon–9PM. On Cambridge Circus, is a bustling middle-of-the-road gaf, with open-mic performances from talented musicians downstairs. (updated May 2021)
  • 🌍 The White Hart, 191 Drury Ln, WC2B 5QD, ☏ +44 20 7242 2317. Oldest licensed premises in London - 1216. (updated Dec 2021)

St Martins Lane
  • 🌍 The Harp, 47 Chandos Pl, WC2N 4HS (Tube: Charing Cross  BAK  NOR ), ☏ +44 20 7836 0291. Narrow pub with stained glass windows that is enthusiastic about beer. (updated Feb 2021)
  • 🌍 The Lemon Tree, 4 Bedfordbury, WC2N 4BP (Tube: Charing Cross  BAK  NOR ), ☏ +44 20 7831 1391. (updated Dec 2021)
  • 🌍 The Salisbury, St. Martin's Ln (Tube: Leicester Square  PIC ). 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. 

Strand Pubs

and to the south:

Bars
  • 🌍 Light, 45 St. Martin's Ln, WC2N 4HX, ☏ +44 20 7300-5599. Stylish, ultra-modern space inside the St. Martin’s Lane Hotel. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, many of London's most popular DJs are featured. 
  • 🌍 Freud (Frevd), 198 Shaftesbury Ave, WC2H 8JL, ☏ +44 20 7240-9933, . Th F 4–10PM, Sa 3–10PM, closed Su–W. If you blink, you'll miss this casual cellar bar that serves up a variety of cocktails you can't find anywhere else in London. Has good mojitos, and even an Apple Pie concoction that tastes like a drink version of the real thing! Always very crowded at night on the weekends despite the fact that you need to go down a rickety metal staircase to find it. (updated May 2021)

Gay and lesbian
  • 🌍 Halfway to Heaven, 7 Duncannon St, WC2N 4JF (Tube: Charing Cross  BAK  NOR ), ☏ +44 20 7484-0736, . M–Th noon–midnight; F Sa noon–3AM; Su noon–11PM. Traditional pub owned by the night club, Heaven. Aimed more at office workers and locals than the clubbing crowd. The basement bar hosts entertainment in the evenings. 
  • 🌍 Heaven, The Arches, Villiers St, WC2N 6NG (Beneath Charing Cross station and the Craven St arches; Tube: Embankment  DIS  CIR  NOR  or Charing Cross  BAK  NOR ), ☏ +44 20 7930-2020, . M 11AM–5AM; Tu W closed; Th F 11PM–4AM; Sa 10:30PM–5AM. The most famous gay club in London, and perhaps the world. Has secret performances by the likes of Britney Spears or Kylie Minogue. Good fun, whether gay or straight. from £4 bottle of beer. 
  • 🌍 The Retro Bar, 2 George Ct, WC2N 6HH (Tube: Charing Cross  BAK  NOR  or Embankment   DIS  CIR  NOR ), ☏ +44 20 7839-8760, . M–F noon–11PM; Sa 2–11PM; Su 2–10:30PM. The antidote to gay bars: a pub-like atmosphere and great music. 

Sleep

Mid-range
  • 🌍 The Fielding, 4 Broad Court W2B 5QZ (tube: Covent Garden  PIC ), ☏ +44 20 7836 8305. Great little hotel between Bow St and Drury Lane. No breakfast or other meals, but lots nearby. No dogs. Double (room only) £170. (updated Sep 2020)
  • 🌍 Strand Palace Hotel, 372 Strand, WC2R 0JJ, ☏ +44 20 7379-4737. Good value hotel in a convenient location for Covent Garden theatres and shopping. From £65. 
  • 🌍 Travelodge London Covent Garden, 10 Drury Ln, WC2B 5RE, ☏ +44 871 984 6245. Popular hotel with visitors and decent value for the area. Convenient for Covent Garden theatres and shopping. From £135. 

Splurge
  • 🌍 The Savoy, Strand, WC2R 0EZ, ☏ +44 20 7836-4343. The famed Savoy offers magnificent views of the river Thames. It opened in 1889 as Britain's first luxury hotel and remains a popular destination in London. The hotel has 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. 
  • 🌍 St Martins Lane, 45 St. Martin's Ln, ☏ +44 20 7300-5500. Ian Schrager (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 theatre district off Trafalgar Square that combines urban cool and modern design (via design guru Philippe Starck). Unique features of this trendy-meets-luxury hotel include the Asia de Cuba restaurant, the popular Light Bar and interactive light displays in every guest room that encourages guests to personalise their own individual space. 
  • 🌍 Henrietta Hotel, 14 Henrietta Street WC2E 8QH, ☏ +44 20 3794-5313. Chic hotel in the former offices of Victor Gollancz publishers, great Basque dining. Assistance dogs only. B&B double £250. (updated Sep 2020)
  • 🌍 Covent Garden Hotel, 10 Monmouth St, WC2H 9HB, ☏ +44 20 7806-1000. Gets good reviews. (updated Aug 2022)

Connect

Wi-Fi is available along the Thames for free with ads, and in various commercial establishments in Covent Garden.

Go next
  • Go south – crossing the River Thames via the 🌍 Hungerford or Golden Jubilee foot Bridge (tube: Embankment  CIR  DIS  NOR ) to the western part of South Bank, home to the Tate Modern gallery and Shakespeare's Globe Theatre.
  • Head west – into Leicester Square and Trafalgar Square or south to Westminster, home of the British government and royal family.
  • To the east – lies the law courts and inns of court of Holborn and the City of London.
Routes through Covent Garden
Bloomsbury ← Leicester Square ←  W  E  → South Bank → Southwark-Lewisham
West London ← Bloomsbury-Soho ←  W  E  → Holborn-Clerkenwell → The City
Notting Hill-North Kensington ← Westminster ←  W  E  → Holborn-Clerkenwell → The City
Wimbledon / West London ← Westminster ←  W  E  → Holborn-Clerkenwell → The City
Bloomsbury ← Leicester Square ←  N  S  → South Bank → South London
Westminster-Mayfair-Marylebone ← Leicester Square ←  W  N  → Holborn-Clerkenwell → Bloomsbury


Routes through Covent Garden
Paddington ← Soho ←  W  E  → Holborn → The City


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