Visit Covent Garden

Despite living in London, the one thing I don’t take as much advantage of that I should is visiting tourist hotspots. Travelling around London is something I tend to do when family and friends come to visit, often choosing to stay in a hotel in Covent Garden because it is central enough to the West End and easy to get to on public transport as well as to and from national train stations.

I was challenged to head to Covent Garden to explore the area and discover new pubs, restaurants, event spaces and anything that really grabbed my attention to write a blog post about, a challenge I was excited to do because Covent Garden is one of my favourite places to visit.  Covent Garden is a major London tourist hotspot and it has everything you can think of with its rich history, much of which is detailed on blue plaques from over the last 200 years which adorn the buildings in and around the main square.  The Apple Market which sits in the middle of the main Piazza which was once home to the world-famous fruit and vegetable market still continues to support market traders, with their stalls which have offerings such as unique handmade crafts, jewellery, prints and collectables to name just a few.

For me, Covent Garden is a bit more than just main square and  with all its designer shops - some of which have opened and closed since I last mooched about. The likes of Charlotte Tilbury, Tiffany, Dior, Chanel and MAC all catch your attention as you walk out of the underground station and unless you have been living in a bubble, Boots have opened up the most amazing store and it’s worth coming to Covent Garden to visit this alone.  

For me, Covent Garden is visiting the little back streets like Floral Street, Neal’s Yard, Seven Dials and Monmouth Street where you will find the delight that is Mon Plaisir, one of the best French Restaurants I’ve ever eaten in outside of France, the Covent Garden Hotel which I’ve used for work meetings and then you will find brand names such as Fresh Beauty, Malinger + Goetz, Miller Harris and Caudalie to name a few, all of which are less than a few minutes walk from the tube station.

Eating and drinking is definitely something I never do round here. Places such as The Ivy and Balthazar are easy to find and are well known but if you look just a little further out there, the choice is endless with Seafood, Greek, Spanish and to my surprise there is now a Wahl Burger restaurant which I had never noticed and I am sure the last time I was in Covent Garden, it was definitely another restaurant. So we decided to check it out and see what all the fuss was about after reading a few reviews.  

Covent Garden is one of those areas of London which has it all - coffee shops, places to eat, pubs, bars and of course shopping, but outside the main piazza it is definitely worth venturing into, finding those streets off the beaten track and discovering old and new favourites without the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

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