One of the most popular areas in London, Covent Garden has a great deal to offer at the heart of the West End. The
most important historical feature of the area is the grand piazza, formerly home to the city's largest fruit and
vegetable market. Its prime location makes it an ideal place to stay in one of the many Covent Garden hotels to be
found.
The Piazza
The piazza was designed by renowned architect Inigo Jones in 1630, and evolved into the city's premier market
following the destruction caused by the Great Fire of London in 1666. In 1670 it became an officially licensed fruit
and vegetable market, and continued to be so until the stalls outgrew the space and moved to Nine Elms in 1973.
Covent Garden Today
These days the piazza is a popular shopping centre, with many clothes and craft shops to browse. Passers-by can also enjoy the street-performers; Covent Garden is the only place they are licenced to perform, so this is something you will not see anywhere else in London. The fascinating London Transport Museum is also well worth a visit. It is a combination of all this culture and history that make Covent Garden hotels such an attractive proposition.
Getting to Covent Garden
Found just three
tube stops from Kings Cross St Pancras on the Piccadilly Line, Covent Garden's central location makes getting in and out very easy. As well as Covent Garden tube station itself, Leicester Square, Tottenham Court Road and Holborn are all acceptable getting off points just a short walk from the centre of Covent Garden.
If you are coming in on the
train, your nearest station is Charing Cross. Once again, access to the centre of Covent Garden is very easy on foot, and indeed if the weather is fine it is good fun to stroll through the streets enjoying your surroundings.
Covent Garden Theatre
There are many theatres found in the vicinity of Covent Garden, which is no surprise given its West End location.
Some of the more well-known theatres include
The Adelphi, which
has previously staged Evita, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and a triumphant, record-breaking
eight-year run of Chicago.
Others include the
The Vaudeville, most recently
known for a long-running series of productions of Stomp,
The
Garrick,
The Duke of York's and
The Savoy.
Covent Garden Pubs and Bars
The Campaign For Real Ale (CAMRA) knows better than anyone what makes a good pub, and they voted
The Harp near Trafalgar Square as their National Pub of the Year
2010/2011. Constantly busy and with a fine selection of real ale, it is a must visit.
Elsewhere, the
Coach and
Horses is a small, welcoming inn at the heart of theatreland where you can enjoy ales, lager and Guinness with
one of their excellent sandwiches. For reasonably priced cocktails, head to
Freud Bar on Shaftesbury Avenue.
Covent Garden Restaurants
As we have established, Covent Garden is fashionable enough to warrant many excellent restaurants. For a treat, try
The Northall for top quality British cuisine, or
Christopher's for traditional American fare. The
Asia de Cuba Restaurant at the stunning St Martins Lane hotel serves particularly fine Asian and Cuban flavours.
If you are in the mood for French food, head to the excellent
Mon Plaisir, which claims to be London's oldest French restaurant. Meanwhile, for a wider range of European dishes,
The Forge is a good bet.
Covent Garden Parking
There are five
NCP car parks within a reasonable range of central Covent Garden, most of which are open 24 hours a day. The hourly price is around £6.