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Covent Garden, London

Covent Garden, Greater London, England

Description

Covent Garden is a compact neighbourhood situated between Shaftesbury Avenue and The Strand. It is divided almost equally by Long Acre: the southern side is centred around the Royal Opera House and the Market Building filled with restaurants and tourist shops whilst the northern side is more geared towards independent boutiques along the various streets leading to the Seven Dials.

Access & Transport

The location is very central with Covent Garden underground station (Picadilly line) in the middle of the neighbourhood. Other stations on the periphery include Leicester Square, and Charing Cross. It is also very convenient to reach by bus along The Strand, / Aldwych, Charing Cross rd or Shaftesbury Avenue. Driving there is straightforward but not recommended on account of traffic and challenge in finding parking spots (not mentioning the cost)

Instructions & Recommendations

We would recommend going there for lunch or dinner and spend some time walking the area randomly, peeking inside the small boutiques around The Seven Dials. This is a lively and convenient place to come after a show in the West End but also during the day, before or after visiting the National Gallery and/or Trafalgar Square - or possibly on your way towards Holborn and the City of London.

Meta review

Another neighbourhood that often makes it into blogs and travel magazines, probably deservedly so. Visitors enjoy browsing the various shops and having a nice lunch or drink. The main complaints are that the area has become too commercialized with big brands elbowing out independent operators - an all too common phenomenon - and prices being on the high side.

Environmental & Social

It is a very urban environment but no high rises. The flow of visitors allows independent boutiques and restaurateurs to operate but the area has clearly become over-commercialized.

Conclusion

Covent Garden manages to retain a quaint charm in the face of rising commercialization and tourism flow, thanks to its narrow streets and attractive architecture. We would highly recommend visitors to spend some time in the area and patronize independent operators when possible because they are the one that make the attractiveness of the place.

Key positive

Well preserved architecture creates an enjoyable atmosphere

Plenty of F&B and shopping options

Centrally located and easy to get to

Key negative

Becoming overly touristy and revenues driven

A lot of F&B venues do not have a great price to quality ratio

Suitability

Suitable for all ages but adults will enjoy it more than children. Technically accessible for visitors with mobility issues but wheelchair users will certainly not enjoy all those cobbled streets.

About this Rating

TYPE

Onsite

RESEARCHED IN

May 2024

PROVIDER

Koreval

Included Items
None
Timing
Duration of visit

av. transport time:0h 20m

est. visit time:2h 30m

Sunlight based

Sunrise / early morningNo

MorningOk

Lunch timeOk

AfternoonOk

Sunset / eveningOk

Night – bef. midnightOk

Night – aft. midnightNo

Pricing
Free

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