Covent Garden

Covent Garden is one of the main shopping and entertainment districts of the English capital 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.

Contrary to what its name suggests, there is no garden or gardens here, though there once was. The name is derived from when the area was used to grow produce for a nearby convent, and then as a market place for that and other produce. Today, it 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.



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. Further north again, across Shaftesbury Avenue, you enter St. Giles - home of the Phoenix Garden and St Giles-in-the-Fields Church. 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.

Public Transport

This district is well served by the following tube stations:

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 also Seven Dials.

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.

Holborn (Piccadilly and Central lines).

Tottenham Court Road (Northern and Central lines).

Embankment (District, Circle and Northern lines).

Charing Cross (Bakerloo, District, Circle and Northern lines).

By train: Charing Cross mainline station services the south-eastern region of England.

Plan and Book:

About Covent Garden

At the centre of things is Covent Garden Piazza and Central Market is a covered shopping mall with shops predominantly selling clothing, but also gifts and cosmetics. 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. In the central area of Covent Garden is The Apple Market, a small market of handicraft stalls (Tuesday-Sunday) or antiques stalls (Monday). Classical musicians will often busk in the lower level of Covent Garden, including extremely talented opera singers.

The choice of food for lunch or dinner is immense, and caters for every taste and price range, from budget take-aways to slap up dinners. There are also plenty of bars and pubs. In terms of specialist food shops, Ben's Cookies, 13a The Piazza (inside the Covent Garden Market), has a reputation for baking the most excuisite biscuits. For many, Monmouth Coffee, Monmouth St (Near Seven Dials), has arguably the best coffee in London. Being 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, 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 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 can be higher than one might be used to paying, the quality and taste are second to none.

Specialty Shopping

Covent Garden is somwhat of a shopper's paradise, particulary for unique apparel. 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 also has a wide range of clothing shops. Head to Floral Street and Long Acre for a start, but explore the back-streets 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. Most shops are open 10:00-19:00 daily, but may close earlier on Sundays.

Stanfords, 12-14 Long Acre, is the flagship store of the world's largest map retailer. They have been 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.

Forbidden Planet is London's most renowned science fiction themed shop and the world's largest and best-known comic, science fiction, fantasy and cult entertainment retailer. It's good place to get merchandise, T-shirts, plus character figures and toys. The original Forbidden Planet opened at 23 Denmark Street, (also known as the famous Tin Pan Alley) in the heart of London's West End on July 22nd 1978. 179 Shaftesbury Avenue, London.

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Museums and Galleries

London Transport Museum

is access from Covent Garden Piazza. 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. Entry fees apply.

Benjamin Franklin House

Benjamin Franklin House is 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 original artefacts. A special Historical Entry fees apply. >Benjamin Franklin House, 36 Craven Street.

Sir John Soanes Museum

Sir John Soanes Museum, the Georgian house of the famous architect and collector, is in nearby Lincoln Inn's Field. The Hunterian Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons is located the other side of the square.

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Theatres

Along with neighbouring London/Leicester Square, this is the capital of London's theatreland. For current programmes please check the relevant theatre website. 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.

Adelphi Theatre, Strand. Ph +44 0844 412 4651.
Aldwych Theatre, Aldwych.
Ambassador's Theatre, West Street. Ph +44 0844 8112 334.
Cambridge Theatre, 32-34 Earlham Street. Ph +44 0844 412 4652.
Donmar Warehouse, Earlham Street. Ph +44 0844 871 7624.
Duke of York's Theatre, St. Martin's Lane. Ph +44 0870 060 6623.
The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
Fortune Theatre, Russell Street,Covent Garden.
Lyceum Theatre, 21 Wellington Street.
New London Theatre, Drury Lane. Ph +44 0844 412 4654.
Noel Coward Theatre (The Albery), St. Martin's Lane. Ph +44 0870 950 0920.
Novello Theatre, Aldwych.. Ph +44 0870 950 0935.
Savoy Theatre, Strand. Ph 0844 871 7627.
Shaftesbury Theatre, 210 Shaftesbury Avenue.
Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Catherine Street.
St Martin's Theatre, West Steet.. Ph +44 0844 499 1515. This is the theatre which has been showing The Mousetrap continuously for the past 60 years!
Phoenix Theatre, Phoenix Street

Opera

Royal Opera House

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. Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Ph +44 20 7304 4000.

English National Opera

It is 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 and off peak performances. English National Opera, London Colliseum, St. Martin's Lane. Ph +44 871 911 0200.

Covent Garden Opera Walk, Depart Covent Garden Tube Station. From John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera, to the controversial Jerry Springer the Opera, the history of Opera in London is explored, as well as the composers who contributed to the genre. Tours last 2 hours. Click on Tours And Sightseeing banner above to book.

In The Area

Charing Cross and Charing Cross Station are close by. 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 Elenaor (13th C.) gothic pillar outside the station, which is acutally a Victorian-era replica. Charing Cross Road is famous for its vintage book shops, one stand-out is Foyle's.

Seven Dials (tube: Covent Garden) is an intersection of seven atmospheric streets in the northern part of the Covent Garden district. Centred by the iconic Seven Dials Monument, this Covent Garden 'village' is set at a slower pace, providing an escape from the busy streets of the city and home to 90 stores, with a focus on mid-range designer clothing and shoe stores.

Located within Seven Dials, Neal's Yard is home to a collection of independent restaurants, cafes, shops and wellbeing brands you must explore. Known as one of Covent Garden's most instagrammable destinations, find entrances to this not-so-secret gem on both Monmouth Street and Shorts Garden.

St Martin-in-the-Fields is an architectural jewel sitting at the north-east corner of Trafalgar Square. Dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours, there has been a church on the site since at least the medieval period. This location, at that time, was farmlands and fields beyond the London wall. It became a principal parish church west of the old City in the early modern period as Westminster's population grew. Today it is a popular concert venue.

Phoenix Garden, Stacey Street, is a community run wildlife garden opened in 1983 - home of the West End's only frogs. Location: Behind the Phoenix Theatre on Charing Cross Road (tube: Tottenham Court Rd).