Covent Garden sits at the heart of the West End, a mix of museums, theatres, underground bars and old-school pubs. Looking for the best things to do in Covent Garden? Here’s where to start.
Covent Garden is one of London’s best-known areas, but it’s too easy to dismiss it as a jumble of theatres, high-end restaurants and not much else.
Londoners often have an aversion to anywhere deemed “too touristy,” which is ridiculous really, as it means missing out on some of the best spots in the city. We’ll put our hands up and say we’ve been guilty of this in the past, big mistake.
Take some time to explore the area and you’ll discover iconic landmarks sided by fabulous bars and pubs, a vibrant patchwork of London past and present.
Let’s explore the best things to do in Covent Garden.
Best things to do in Covent Garden
Wander around Covent Garden Market
Well, you can’t take a jaunt around Covent Garden and not go to Covent Garden Market itself, can you? No.
Sitting at the heart of Covent Garden, the market is one of London’s most recognisable attractions. The beautiful market hall with its glass roof dates back to the 19th century, but the piazza itself actually dates back to the 17th century, making it the oldest planned square in London.
You could go shopping in the market, but to be honest, these days there’s not much you’ll find that isn’t on any well-heeled high street. Skip the shopping and instead marvel at the architecture, that is if you can get through the throngs of people to see it.
Dinner and drinks at Rules
Rules is the oldest restaurant in London and still the go-to place when you want a traditional British dinner of the highest quality served with class and panache.
Not in the mood to eat, or want to whet your whistle before you eat? Head to the fabulous Upstairs at Rules, which, quite frankly, is pretty much the best cocktail bar in London.
The cocktail bar is plush and comfortable, there’s even a gorgeous winter room complete with palms and a glass ceiling for cosy cocktail tête-à-têtes. The classics (like a Martini or Bloody Mary) are a fitting choice, although leaving it up to the bartender to decide is yet another option.
Looking for more? Read our full guide to Covent Garden’s brilliant bars.
Get cultured at Somerset House
Is Somerset House truly in Covent Garden? Who knows, but it’s only a short walk from the heart of the area and well deserving of a visit while you’re there.
Somerset House is one of the few remaining palaces that used to line the Thames, a gorgeous, stately construction built in 1776 on top of an old Tudor palace. These days you’ll find open-air cinema screenings, a winter skating rink, concerts and events held in its stately piazza, quite fitting, as Somerset House was always intended to be open for the public to enjoy.
The Courtauld Gallery, located inside, is one of the most impressive in the UK, work ranging from Medieval and Early Renaissance to Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, Van Gogh, Botticelli and Pieter Bruegel the Elder among the famous names on show.
How to go: Book tickets directly with the Courtauld.
Explore Neal’s Yard
The colourful and higgledy-piggledy buildings of Neal’s Yard are like stepping into an alternate vision of London, one filled with quaint alleys and small shops.
It offers a colourfully vibrant respite from the hustle and bustle of London, and features many shops and cafes devoted to health and wellness. That’s no surprise, the area was developed in the mid-1970s by Nicholas Saunders, founder of the Whole Food Warehouse, who oversaw a total rejuvenation of the area as a base for several of his ethical and eco-friendly businesses.
Be sure to check out the original Neal’s Yard Remedies, famous for its skincare and cosmetics.
Unwind at AIRE Ancient Baths
Housed inside the former home of J.M. Barrie, the author of Peter Pan, AIRE Ancient Baths is a genuinely different way to spend an afternoon in Covent Garden, a series of thermal baths at varying temperatures, plus a steam room and salt water flotation pool, all set inside candlelit vaulted cellars.
It’s an unusual, properly relaxing pit stop between sightseeing and a show, and the building’s own history makes it worth the visit even before you’ve stepped into the water.
How to go: Book directly with AIRE.
Visit the Royal Opera House
Want to really push the boat out with an iconic London experience? Book yourself in for a night at the opera or the ballet in the Royal Opera House.
With buildings dating back to 1858, the Royal Opera House is home to the Royal Ballet and the Royal Opera and has been entertaining the city’s hoi polloi ever since, the Royal Family included, they attend shows quite regularly. Famed opera singer Luciano Pavarotti got his big break here as an understudy.
There’s a regular calendar of ballet and opera, alongside theatre shows and dance. Tickets tend to sell out quickly, so book ahead, and head to the terrace restaurant pre- or post-performance for a meal with a spectacular view.
Eat your way around Seven Dials Market
With more food options than you could possibly ever need, plenty of pop-ups, and live DJ evenings, Seven Dials Market (AKA the coolest food court in the capital) should be at the top of your list of fun things to do in the area.
Previously a banana warehouse, Seven Dials Market has got all bases covered, from pan-Asian cuisine to spicy Mexican delights, from perfect pizza to sizzling steaks, head upstairs for a vision of pink terrazzo and stool seating, or opt for downstairs with communal tables in a steel bar setting.
Looking for more? Read our full guide to Seven Dials, bars, restaurants and a genuinely strange history included.
Take a step back in time at Cecil Court
The quiet enclave of Cecil Court has stood the test of time, remaining largely unchanged since the 17th century.
Dotted with booksellers, it’s like being transported into Dickens’ London, complete with some of London’s last gas lamps. It’s the perfect place to get lost imagining how London would have looked hundreds of years ago, and a great place to pick up an unusual souvenir of your time in the area.
Find the seven ears of Covent Garden
Soho has its noses, Covent Garden has its ears.
Keep your eyes open for the seven ears stuck to various buildings around Covent Garden. A few years ago, the artist Tim Fishlock made casts of his own ears, which he then used to make prosthetics to stick up around the area. They’re certainly one of the more unusual icons in Covent Garden, and he’s never explained exactly why he thought to give the walls literal ears, hunting them out is one of those weird but fun things to do.
We once embarked on a mini adventure to see if we could find all seven, we’ll give you a hint and say there are two on Floral Street (one by 9-10). How many can you find?
Check out the K2 telephone boxes
It’s a classic London shot, right? The K2 (Kiosk Two) telephone boxes are British design classics.
First installed in the 1920s, you can still find many of the iconic red telephone boxes dotted around the city, but Broad Court, just around the back of Covent Garden, is one of our favourite spots. There’s not one but five boxes perched jauntily behind the beautiful Young Dancer statue by Enzo Plazzotta. The perfect ‘gram shot if we ever saw it.
Browse the plants at Petersham Nursery
Tucked into Floral Court, Petersham Nursery is a genuinely lovely detour, part plant shop, part lifestyle store, part restaurant, all wrapped into one beautifully styled space.
It’s the kind of place you wander into for five minutes and leave half an hour later having bought a candle you didn’t know you needed. The attached café does a proper lunch too, if you want to make more of a stop of it.
Have some fun at the London Transport Museum
We absolutely love the London Transport Museum. Transport doesn’t sound like it would be that exciting, but the museum does a stellar job of whirling you through the history of London’s transport system, complete with little-known facts to boggle the mind.
It’s an interesting and interactive exhibit that’s great fun for visitors of all ages, including kids, and kids-at-heart. If you’re lucky enough to catch one of their After Dark events, nab a ticket, the adults-only events are so much fun.
An adult ticket gives you unlimited entry for an entire year.
How to go: Book directly with the London Transport Museum.
Delve into the world of the London Film Museum
Opened in 2008, the London Film Museum is a great stop while exploring the area.
Inside, you can see costumes and accessories from famous and recognisable films, alongside information about how films have been made over the years. Since 2014 the museum has been home to a “temporary” exhibition featuring vehicles from the James Bond films, it’s shown no sign of going anywhere, so there’s still time to catch the famous cars.
Take a tour of Freemasons’ Hall
Genuinely one of the more unusual free things to do in the area, Freemasons’ Hall is the headquarters of the United Grand Lodge of England, and its Art Deco Grand Temple is open to the public via guided tour.
You’ll learn the history and purpose of Freemasonry, and the temple itself is a genuinely stunning space, marble, mosaic and bronze on a scale you don’t expect from a building you could easily walk straight past without realising what’s behind the doors.
Get some serious wanderlust at Stanford’s
Specialist travel bookshop Stanford’s is the place to go when you want your head filled with new places and your wallet emptied. It’s been inspiring serious wanderlust for over 170 years, and shows no signs of slowing down.
The flagship store moved from its long-standing home on Long Acre to Mercer Walk back in 2019, you’ll still find the same huge collection of travel writing and guides to help you hit the road, alongside the in-store café.
Worth knowing: the Long Acre building it used to occupy for over a century has been vacant of Stanford’s for some years now, if you’re looking for the shop specifically, Mercer Walk is the current address.
Theatre at the Theatre Royal
OK, so we’re complete theatre luvvies. There’s nothing we like more than heading to a show where you’re transported to an alternate world for a few hours, drawn into a story that’s so different from your own.
It’s safe to say Covent Garden isn’t short on a theatre or two, heading to a show is practically a must when it comes to things to do around the area at night. Even so, the Theatre Royal is special. It’s been welcoming theatregoers through its doors for over 350 years, although it’s moved several times in that period, and for two centuries after it opened, the theatre was considered the most significant in London.
Today it still has a great calendar of shows, including many musicals. It’s also said to be one of the most haunted places in London, with many ghost stories revolving around the alleged ghost of an actor killed during a spat with a fellow performer over a wig.
Cutting edge drama at the Donmar Warehouse
The Donmar Warehouse theatre is surprisingly intimate for such a powerhouse, with just 251 seats. This allows you to experience theatre as it should be, up close and personal, appreciating all the subtleties of the actors’ performances.
Under current artistic director Timothy Sheader, British acting legends still perform alongside obscure up-and-comers, you never know whether you may just be watching the next big rising star.
We recommend booking well ahead, or trying to nab some last-minute tickets, however you get in, a trip to the Donmar is always a good call.
Splash out on a meal at Clos Maggiore
Clos Maggiore is considered one of the most romantic restaurants in London, and it’s pretty easy to see why.
Overgrown with pretty white flowers that wind their way up the walls and across the ceiling, Clos Maggiore is fairytale-like in the best way. It’s a place you go to splurge, think a fancy pre-show meal before the theatre, or a romantic soirée, and the menu reflects it with delicious French contemporary meals. Many of the plates are designed to be shared, so there’s no chance your date will be ruined by food envy.
Looking for more? Read our full guide to romantic things to do in London.
Relax in the Phoenix Garden
One of the last things you’d expect to do around the hurly-burly of Covent Garden is find an oasis of calm in natural surroundings.
The Phoenix Garden is a stone’s throw from Covent Garden station and a stunningly maintained community garden designed to offer a place to sit, reflect and enjoy wildlife slap-bang in the middle of the West End. Established in 1984 on a former WW2 bombsite, the garden benefits from the urban heat island effect given off by its central London location, keep an eye out for the Giant Viper’s Bugloss, usually native to Mallorca.
The last of Covent Garden’s community gardens, this is perfect if you want to get away from it all and quietly unwind.
Steak and cocktails at Hawksmoor
If you love steak or cocktails (or both, especially both), you’ll love Hawksmoor.
The restaurant chain started by restaurateurs Will Beckett and Huw Gott may have taken over London, but the Seven Dials one is one of the early incarnations and still one of the best, part of why they’ve become some of the best-known steakhouses in London.
Head down the stairs into a world of hushed conversations, delicious cocktails and hearty meals. Although food is the centrepiece, it’s the ambience that has locals returning again and again, and there’s often the chance to spot a celebrity or two.
Party at the Covent Garden Social Club
Much less salubrious, the Covent Garden Social Club isn’t going to win any mixology awards, but it is the place to go for reasonably priced cocktails, loud music and a spot of dancing on the table.
Go for their rather ridiculous happy hour every day before 8pm, then stay for the pumping tunes, it’s always a reliable spot for a cheeky night out without the fuss. You’ll need to sign up for free membership before you head down, check the website for details.
Hang out at the Escapologist Bar
It’s no secret that we love the Escapologist Bar in Seven Dials, having a drink at this bar, themed after a cheeky Victorian crook who kept evading the law, is a must.
The cocktails are eclectic and modern, with the Plum Saké Negroni and Lemongrass Collins being just two of our faves from the menu, although you can’t really go wrong here, everything is delicious.
See St Paul’s Church
This 17th-century church is known as “the actor’s church,” thanks to its long association with the theatre.
St Paul’s was built in 1631 and has been associated with the dramatic arts ever since, it even saw the first recorded performance of the puppet show Punch and Judy back in 1662. Today the church has its own in-house theatre company and regular events, even if you can’t catch a performance, it’s still well worth popping in for a visit.
The church is open with free admission from 8.30am to 5pm on weekdays and 9am to 1pm on Sundays. It’s open at other times if there are events, check the website for what’s on.
Chow down at Pivot by Mark Greenaway
Scottish Chef Mark Greenaway has smashed it out of the park with his Covent Garden opening. If you haven’t read our review of Pivot, you’re seriously missing out.
British fare is served on a rotating menu, haggis and onion roscoff, duck breast, and monkfish with a stuffed chicken wing among the standout additions. Drinks-wise, the menu is small but perfectly formed, an impressive selection of global wines and cocktails that pair perfectly with the flavoursome dishes.
Enjoy underground cocktails at Stereo
The only thing we love more than cocktails is cocktails in a secret underground cocktail bar, and Stereo emphatically delivers the goods in every possible way.
The perfect place for post-work cocktails or a catch-up over dinner while being serenaded by the mellow vibes of the house band, before being regaled by one of the roster of singers between 9pm and 11.30pm and the in-house DJs playing their heady mix until the small hours. With more than a dozen classic and in-house mixes to sample, you can’t go wrong, don’t miss Midnight Opera though, an absolutely devilish delight.
Spend a jazz-filled evening at Middle Eight
Want to give your jazz hands a workout? Look no further than Middle Eight Hotel, which regularly hosts live jazz nights with a rotating cast of musicians and special guests. Check their current events listings before you go, since programming shifts, but it’s a reliable spot for an unashamedly glamorous night out.
We popped down there recently and, purely by chance, ended up watching a very well-known face belt out an Elvis song. We promise we were only one cocktail in at that point.
Check out London’s last gas lamps
Did you know London still has some fully functional gas lamps, particularly in the Covent Garden area?
There’s a kind of romantic appeal to these antique gas-lit lamps, that look like the pages of a history book come to life. Even though London is such a cosmopolitan city, there’s certainly no shortage of throwbacks to the London of old, including the humble gas lamp. The lamps are spread throughout the area, you’ll spot them by the slight flicker and ornate lamp posts, especially numerous around St Paul’s Church.
See the Patent Sewer Ventilating Lamp
For an even odder sight, swing by the Patent Sewer Ventilating Lamp, one of London’s quirkier sights.
The lamp used to be operated by the gases given off by London’s noxious sewers. In Victorian England, there was a real fear that the methane gases in the sewers under the streets would eventually explode, so holes were drilled to let the gases escape. The problem was, they smelled totally awful, so a bright young inventor came up with the idea of creating a lamp that would burn off the gases and illuminate the street.
Unfortunately, the idea never really caught on. Nonetheless, you can still find the original just behind the Savoy Theatre on Carting Lane. These days it’s just powered by standard gas, though.
Pop into the Moomin Shop
London is filled with shops devoted to cult classics. One of the more surprising, but most charming, can be found in the heart of Covent Garden.
The Moomin Shop is devoted to the classic Tove Jansson-created characters that burst onto the scene post-World War II and became an instant cult hit. Everything about the shop encapsulates why these soft, rounded, hippo-looking trolls are so popular, even today.
Alice through the looking glass
It’s a book that’s captured hearts and minds for generations. Whether you’re a Carroll obsessive or just a casual Alice in Wonderland fan, you’re sure to love this gorgeous shop in Covent Garden.
Since 2012, Alice Through the Looking Glass has been selling anything and everything related to the much-loved children’s classic. Even if you don’t come away with a souvenir, it’s still wonderful to let your imagination wander and go “down the rabbit hole” in the colourful and eclectic store.
Check out the tea collection at Mariage Frères
Set inside a five-storey Georgian townhouse near Covent Garden, Mariage Frères features a huge wall on the ground floor filled with an impressive collection of tea, reportedly the world’s largest. You’ll spot everything from classic English Breakfast to Darjeeling and hundreds of varieties of green tea.
Fancy delving deeper? Head to the Salon de Thé, the first-floor restaurant that uses tea in every dish, whether as a spice or flavouring. It’s an interesting experience and one of the more quirky things to do near Covent Garden.
Scoff some (very rude) waffles
How do we put this delicately? Zizi Factory is a Paris-based waffle company that’s taken social media by storm for its phallic-shaped waffles, and it’s opened up a London café so you can get in on the action too.
Hilarious shapes aside, the waffles are actually delicious, opt for the Yves, milk chocolate and speculoos, and you won’t be disappointed.
Pick up a kilo of vintage clothing
PICKNWEIGHT is a German company promoting the reuse of clothing and sustainability in fashion, railing against fast fashion by selling a vast range of one-off vintage items and accessories by the kilo.
With four stores in Germany, Covent Garden is home to their one non-German store, a brilliant place to browse and pick up something that’s not only pre-loved but that no one else will be wearing. Students get 10% off all year round, and happy hour every Tuesday between midday and 3pm offers everyone a 20% discount.
Have a side-splitting time at the Covent Garden Comedy Club
Nights out in Covent Garden aren’t just about theatre, fine wines, cracking cocktails and marvellous music.
The Covent Garden Comedy Club regularly plays host to some of the funniest emerging talents in the UK and international comedy scene, some of whom you might just recognise off the telly. Promoters Comedy Carnival also offer a package deal enabling you to grab a bite to eat at a local eatery before taking up your reserved seat.
Pose outside a replica of 10 Downing Street
The black door of number 10 Downing Street is probably the most famous front door in England, if not the world. Sadly, taking pictures outside the real one is impossible, heavily guarded by armed police behind wrought-iron gates.
A two-minute walk across the Strand from Covent Garden takes you to Adam Street, though, where number 10 is an almost exact replica of its more famous Georgian sibling, designed by George Downing between 1766 and 1772, only half a mile away. Number 10 Adam Street is also a Georgian-period building, now home to offices, with a near-identical doorway and a copycat black wooden front door.
Get some grammable shots here and see if your friends and family can tell the difference.
The London x London Take: Covent Garden Market and the Piazza get all the tourist attention, but AIRE Ancient Baths and Freemasons’ Hall are the two entries here we’d genuinely prioritise on a repeat visit, both are the kind of thing you can walk past a hundred times without ever knowing they’re there.
