Offering everything quintessentially British, whether its markets, the fantastic restaurants or the banter-loving traders, Covent Garden is located in the heart of West End in the midst of all its theatres, restaurants, shops and hotels. It is a must-see on tourists’ visiting agenda and is most famous for being home to the Royal Opera House. Its central piazza hosts daily alfresco entertainment and is now replete with chain stores, although it is still a nice place to have a nice stroll especially in the morning.
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Covent Garden was once a fruit and vegetable garden patronised by the Monks of Westminster but now it has transformed into one of the most fashionable areas of London with plenty of hotels of all categories ranging from the most exclusive, luxury hotels to the cheapest ones. It is an ideal place to stay because of its strategic location which is in close proximity to the various culture centres such as theatres, art galleries and museums and other tourist attractions of central London.
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There is a lot to see and experience in Covent Garden as there are many attractions in the area including St Paul’s Church which is also known as the Actors’ Church because of its long association with the acting community. You can also enjoy street entertainment by entertainers who perform magic tricks, juggling and acrobatic acts, singing, dancing and even standing still like a statue. It will provide a great opportunity for you to get clicked with them for posterity.
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There are plenty of restaurants, wine bars and cafes around the piazza, that serve all types of cuisines. These include Opera Tavern which provides the best dining options in Covent Garden, and is considered to be one of London’s top tapas bars serving Spanish-Italian dishes in a comfortable setting of a former pub; Lima Floral which is a second London venue that showcases Virgilio Martinez’s Peruvian cooking style with a focus on texture and taste and not so much on show and display; The Delaunay which has been inspired by grand European cafes and has a fantastic interior while providing something for everyone at affordable prices; and Hawksmoor Seven Dials that has been created out of a Covent Garden fruit warehouse and serves awesome steaks that are available at an affordable rate on the express menu and it also has a great cocktail bar.
Visitors coming to London who wish to see the various attractions of Covent Garden would find it convenient to stay at Park Grand London Hyde Park hotel as it is located strategically close to various attractions and offers comfortable accommodation at a cost that most people can afford.
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Most tourists on the go also look for somewhere decent to eat on a budget and that is not easy to find in central London unless you know where to find such places. There are plenty of such places in the Covent Garden area that serve different types of food ranging from British to Japanese, Indian or vegetarian. These include Abeno that prepares the food in front of you and serves delicious stuff; Bageriet which is a Swedish bakery offering delicious buns; Baozi Inn that serves northern Chinese street food; Battersea Pie which serves proper British food at bargain prices; Dishoom which is a swish Bombay brasserie; Homeslice that serves delicious pizzas; India Club that serves cheap Indian food; Jamaica Patty Co that serves proper Caribbean patties; Koshari Street that serves proper Egyptian food that would be available at a stall in Cairo or Alexandria; and Kulu Kulu which is a conveyor belt sushi joint.
Staying at an accommodation Hyde Park London is the best thing to do if you wish to explore the Covent Garden area and see and experience all that it has to offer.
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There are plenty of fashion boutiques and vintage stores in Covent Garden including fashion favourites such as Rokit, Orla Kiely and Opening Ceremony. Apart from these you can find an assortment of beauty and skin care stores. It is an ideal shopping destination for fashion geeks who can find new shops coming up all the time such as Farrell and Y-3. It is an evolving shopping destination making it an ideal place to stay for young people interested in the latest fashion trends.
Covent Garden has an array of pubs ranging from the traditional ones like Cross Keys to the modern ones like Porterhouse. One of London’s oldest pubs, The Lamb and Flag, is also located here. You can also find plenty of bars offering cabaret, live music and serving the city’s best cocktails. These include Cellar Door, Bedford & Strand and others.
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The other attractions of staying in the area include the large number of exhibitions and other events that take place here each year showcasing the collections of the Royal Opera House. Visitors can also go to the Bow Street Police Station which is the oldest and the most famous police station in the city and is known for the ill-famed people who have been defendants here. The area is also famous for being home to the London Transport Museum where visitors can see erstwhile transport vehicles, models, toys, uniforms, badges and other memorabilia including London Underground signs, posters and artwork.
Easy connectivity to other parts of the city is provided for people staying in this area of London as the nearest tube station is Covent Garden station in the Piccadilly line, Leicester Square station on the Piccadilly and Northern lines and Charing Cross station on the Bakerloo and Northern lines.