London Covent Garden
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Covent Garden is at the very heart of London's city centre, and it is a popular area for both tourists and locals. Whether you are in search of culture, restaurants, shopping opportunities or a night out, you will find what you are after in Covent Garden.
This page gives you an overview Covent Garden and what to look out for. We show you how to get there, and you'll also find links to more detailed pages on eating out, shopping, bars and popular attractions in Covent Garden including the Royal Opera House and the Covent Garden market.
What to expect and what is special about Covent Garden
Covent Garden sits at the very heart of the city and is close to other famous areas such as Leicester Square and Soho.
Some of the highlights of Covent Garden include the following:
Long Acre: this is one of Covent Garden's main shopping streets. It sits just outside Covent Garden tube station and offers a wealth of shopping opportunities. It is where you can find flagship stores and some of your high-street favourites such as Reiss, Mango and Cos.
Covent Garden Piazza: this is a large square with the Covent Garden market at the centre of it (see below for more details). It sits at the bottom of James Street as you exit the Covent Garden tube station. The piazza and the streets surrounding it are where you will find restaurants and bars. This is also the place that you should head to if you would like to see some of the street performers that the area is famous for.
Neal Street: This is the area to head to for a more unique shopping experience. This street has a reputation in London for being one of the coolest shopping areas in the city. This is the area to head to if you would like to find interesting and unique boutiques. It sits at the other side of Long Acre when you leave the Covent Garden tube station.
Seven Dials: This is the area is close to Neal Street and is classy area of Covent Garden. To reach Seven Dials you will need to head down Neal Street and take any of the streets on the left. The area is called Seven Dials as there is a small quaint roundabout at its centre, with seven small streets leading from it. Head to Seven Dials to find high-quality bars, restaurants and shops.
Street peformers: Covent garden is a popular spot for street performers - particularly outsite the market area and the exit from the tube.
Covent Garden has its own tube station that is on the Central Line (red line). This makes it a convenient area to get to. On exiting the tube station you will be right in the very heart of the Covent Garden area (see above for where to head for the different areas of Covent Garden).
Covent Garden tube
Covent Garden's tube station is in the very heart of the area. It is on the Central Line (red line). It is a fairly unique station as it is one of the furthest underground of the tube stations. To exit the station you will need to take the lifts (you can attempt the stairs but it's a long way up and not recommended!).
Covent Garden Station
London Underground Ltd
Long Acre
London
WC2E 9JT
Website: Official Transport for London Covent Garden website
Parking options
In general, if you are heading to Covent Garden, it is best to avoid driving there. Parking in the area is severely restricted. However, if you do need to drive there, you will find a limited amount of on-street parking in the streets surrounding the tube station.
If you need a car park, you will find a couple of NDP car parks in the area:
London Covent Garden
Covent Garden
London
WC2B 5NT
For more inforamtion on the car parks, see the Official NCP Website.
If you are planning on driving into central London remember that you will have to pay the Congestion Charge when you enter Covent Garden. This is a charge that cars have to pay for driving in central London. For details on what the Congestion Charge is, how you pay it and how much it costs, see the Official Transport for London Congestion Charge page.
Eating out in the area
Covent Garden offers a wide variety of options for a meal out. Whether you are in search of a quick lunch, a full 3 course meal or a celebrity-spotting gastronomical experience, the area will be guaranteed to have what you are looking for.
For a guide to eating out in Covent Garden, including advice on how to book the place for you and links to individual restaurant review pages (with descriptions, booking details, location and photos), see our page on Places to Eat in Covent Garden.
Pubs and bars
Covent Garden is a popular area for a night out in the city centre. Tourists and locals alike enjoy the buzz of the area any night of the week. For those looking for a more sophisticated option, there is an abundance of wine bars. If you are in search of bars where you can enjoy cocktails and dance all night long, there is a wide range of them to choose from in Covent Garden.
For links to our reviews of Covent Garden's top bars (including a who, what, where, when and why guide to each bar), plus an overall guide to what to expect on a night out in Covent Garden, see our page on Covent Garden Bars.
Shopping
Covent Garden is a popular area in London for a shopping trip. Our Covent Garden Shopping page will offer you some advice on what areas of Covent Garden to head to depending on what sort of shopping you would like to do. Covent Garden has it all: boutiques, department stores, high-street shops and markets to suit all tastes and budgets. You will also find links to detailed pages on the areas individual shops, with photos, descriptions and contact details.
Covent Garden market
Covent Garden Market is the central point of attraction in the area. In fact, there is actually more than one market in the Covent Garden piazza. These markets are places to head to if you would like to find a memento of your trip. They offer antiques, crafts, art and fashion. For our guide to the Covent Garden Markets, with details on how to get there, opening times, what is available on what day, photographs and descriptions, see our page on Covent Garden market.
Attractions nearby
Covent Garden is the place to head if you are in search of culture in London. One important cultural attraction in the area is the Covent Garden Royal Opera House. This is a venue that offers world-class ballet and opera. For details of the Opera House, including the programme, opening times, what facilities it offers and some background to the building, see our page on the Covent Garden Royal Opera House.
If you are feeling you need a break from culture and shopping, maybe it's time that you took yourself to a spa for some pampering. One of Britain's top spas is located in Covent Garden. Originally built to cater for the ballet dancers at the Royal Opera House, the spa now welcomes all women and offers a wide range of facilities and treatments. For details on the facilities, treatments, location, prices and opening times of the spa, see our Covent Garden Sanctuary Spa.
Covent Garden is a popular and vibrant area in London. It offers something for everybody - the kids will love the street performers and the buzzing atmosphere, shoppers will have every kind of shop that their heart desires, food lovers will go wild for the restaurant selection, and if you enjoy nightlife, you will be spoilt for choice. Whatever your reason for heading to Covent Garden, during a trip to the city be sure to set aside some time to get to know this area.