Welcome to London x London’s Leicester Square Guide: your guide to the best bars, restaurants and things to do in this Central London neighbourhood.
Leicester Square sits at the heart of the West End, wedged between Piccadilly Circus and Covent Garden, with Chinatown and Soho just to the north and Trafalgar Square a short walk to the south.
Tacky, brash and a little overwhelming, Leicester Square (it’s pronounced Lester, not Lei-ces-ter) remains one of London’s biggest tourist draws.
Look past the tourist traps, though, and there are still plenty of gems to be found nearby.
Most Londoners avoid Leicester Square, which has never quite developed an appeal of its own despite being surrounded by Soho, Chinatown and Trafalgar Square. It was once home to the 18th-century “Leicester House set,” a circle of rebellious Hanoverian princes who did not see eye to eye with the rest of the royal family over at St James’s. Over the years, the square became a haven of brashness — the bright lights of a big city rather than anywhere with much character of its own.
That said, it remains one of the city’s best-known tourist attractions, and among the tourist-trap megastores and overpriced restaurants there are genuine points of interest worth seeking out, from historic theatres to a couple of proper cinemas. We would skip the casinos and chain restaurants on the square itself in favour of the better options in the surrounding streets.
Brash, touristy, with real gems nearby
