Covent Garden is one of the most visited areas and attractions for tourists and first-time visitors to London. Located in the borough of Westminster in the heart of London, this bustling area is a hub for shopping, eating and culture. With over 40 theatres nearby, plenty of bars, pubs and fantastic restaurants, this beautiful area should be at the top of your must-see list of things to do in London’s West End.
What to see: Narrow Victorian streets like the beautiful Floral Street and Neal’s Yard, art galleries, unique shopping, historic bookstores, antique shops and the beautiful Covent Garden Market Hall dating back to the 1830s at the centre of it all. The area also houses some of London’s best theatres.
Covent Garden’s Fascinating and Salacious History
Why is it called Covent Garden? Once a part of Westminster Abbey in the 13th Century, the area was once known as “the Garden of the Abbey and Convent”. The name ‘Covent’ comes from a 15th-century term for Convent.
The area, very early on, was fashionable and home to aristocracy, but began to decline when a market was introduced in the 1600s. The area where the Market Hall sits today became well known for its abundant brothels, coffee houses, and taverns.
Interestingly fact! during the late 1700s, a popular guide to the area’s brothels, Harris’s List of Covent Garden Ladies was published for for over 30 years listing details of the ladies working in the district and where to find them.
The area is now a major tourist district within London, and remnants of its sordid past are all but gone!
What to see in Covent Garden
Covent Garden is best known for its elegant shopping arcades and market hall. The Royal Operahouse overlooks the Market Piazza and affords amazing views from its terrace restaurant. Theatre Royal, Drury Lane is nearby and is the oldest in-use theatre in London.
You will also find the area contains many beautiful hidden courtyards such as Neals Yard which is full of unique restaurants and shops, and secret alleyways like Floral Court that are easy to miss if you don’t know where to look.
Touring these hidden backstreets is one of my favourite things to do in London. Be sure to venture out and find the hidden gems of this area. Look for the many round blue plaques at the entry of these little alleys for historical info.
The Centrepiece Covent Garden Market Hall and Arcade Shops
London’s open-air Covent Garden Market sits at the heart of the bustling Covent Garden district, just north of The Strand — the famous London street known for its theatres and the posh Savoy Hotel.
The Market features restaurants, a mix of arcade-style shops, and market stalls that offer food, locally-made jewelry, antiques, homemade soaps, and treats.
Street entertainers play a huge part in the charm of Covent Garden and are found outside on the Piazza and featured inside the Market hall often drawing huge crowds.
The market consists of separate market halls — the Apple Market, Jubilee Market and East Colonnade Market. Depending on the day of the week, different goods are offered in the Apple Market, ranging from collectables and Antiques to homemade jewelry and arts and crafts.
The Covent Garden Market is open from 10 am to 6 pm Daily. Open in Maps.
London Transport Museum
Adjacent to the Covent Garden Market, the fascinating, interactive London Transport Museum showcases the incredible history of the London underground and other modes of travel like the iconic double-decker busses and London cabs the city is famous for. The museum even maintains a Tube Line exclusively used for filming movies and TV.
Touring abandoned stations: make sure to check out the Hidden London Exhibit that details the abandoned and long-forgotten stations and tube lines used in the London underground’s 150-year history. The Museum also runs guided tours of some of these deep, dark abandoned stations! Museum’s website.
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Must-See Things To Do in London’s West End Covent Garden Area
Sip a pint at Lamb and Flag Pub on Rose Street, Covent Garden — hidden down a tiny alleyway, this historic traditional small pub, now popular with the after-work crowd was once known for staging bare-knuckle prize fights in the early 1800s! Take your pint out in the street and enjoy the beautiful atmosphere and architecture of the alley.
Stroll through Floral Court, at Floral Street and Rose Street – a lovely passage street with outdoor restaurants that is so pretty! The hidden passage between Floral Street leads you through to shops and ends on King Street. The picturesque White Lion pub flanks the corner of Floral Street with a beautiful outdoor terrace.
‘The Actor’s Church’ St Paul’s Church Convent Garden (c. 1638), is known as the Actor’s Church as it features memorials to famous actors throughout the 300-year-old church. The church has a wonderful courtyard where they hold live Theatre in the Garden as well as inside the Church. Grab a coffee, sit on the many benches and enjoy the views. Truly an Actor’s church! Theatre times can be found here on their website.
King Street is an upscale shopping and dining street full of boutiques like Ralph Lauren, Burberry, Joe Malone and many good restaurants throughout the street.
Neal Street — take a delightful little walk down this cozy street famous for its shoe stores like Dr. Martens, Vans and Birkenstocks in addition to beauty shops and vintage stores. You will also find some great little eateries along the street.
Neal’s yard is a vibrant and colourful, off-the-beaten-path courtyard with little restaurants, bakery and coffee shops. Buy pizza by the slice or sit in one of the little cafes and soak in the vibe. I love these little hidden courtyards in London!
Seven Dials Area — A sundial in the middle of a tiny traffic circle connects this network of seven ancient streets radially from the middle. The area dates to the 1600s and has many little shops and occasionally a market pop-up near the sundial. Seven Dials is beautiful at Christmas time when it is nicely decorated. The area was also home to the punk rock scene and the famous club The Roxy during the 1970s .
Cecil Court Alley shops: grab a bite at ‘Street Burger by Gordon Ramsey’ the popular restaurant, located at the corner of Cecil Court Alley. This street featuring galleries and shops was once known as Flicker Alley and was once the heart of the early British Film industry. look for the many historical blue placards on the walls for historical monuments and famous people who lived or worked in the area, including Wolfgang Mozart.
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Rooftop bars in Convent Garden
Climb the stairs to the Punch & Judy Covent Garden – with access from inside the Market Hall, the terrace overlooks the Piazza and street performances in the summer.
Check out the balconies at the Royal Opera House restaurant for some of the best views of Market Square. You can grab a coffee from the street level and enjoy the view from the balcony above. The Royal Opera House is a beautiful building to visit for the architecture alone.
How to get to Covent Garden on the Tube
Covent Garden Tube Station is adjacent to the market square, however, it is best to get off at Lechseter Square Station (served by Piccadilly and Northern lines) instead of Covent Garden as it is much easier to navigate and less busy.
The two stations hold the record for the shortest distance between tube stops in London at less than 900m. Open in Maps.