A Day in Covent Garden London

Covent Garden is an area that Londoners tend to avoid – mainly due to the crazy number of people. But even if it’s crowded, there are some hidden (or not-so-hidden) gems worth seeing. Welcome to Covent Garden.

Covent Garden sits at the heart of the West End, a mix of museums, theatres, underground bars and old-school pubs.

Before I forget, this is the video in case you prefer to watch a more complete version:

PART I: COVENT GARDEN PIAZZA

We kicked off our day at the cobblestone square of Covent Garden Piazza, where talented street performers can be found entertaining the crowds. We saw 3-4 buskers and they were actually amazing.

Then we went for some food at Abuelo on Southampton Street. This is an Australian / South American coffee house and kitchen serving light, fresh food and a variety of speciality coffees. Combining South American beans with an Australian coffee technique provides a truly special coffee experience in the heart of London.

PART II: ROYAL OPERA HOUSE

We briefly passed the London’s Royal Opera House, a world-class theatre. The building itself is open during the day to the general public, although if we want to see an actual Opera or Ballet we need to book ahead.

Opposite the Opera House there were many restaurants showing Wimbledon. In fact, during that moment Djokovic was facing Shapovalov in the semi-final. Novak won 7-6 7-5 7-5 and eventually he would win the tournament achieving his 20th Grand Slam.

PART III: SHORT’S GARDENS

We strolled through St Martin’s Courtyard, a beautifully-designed, open-air shopping lane, and then walked to Neal Street and turned into Short’s Gardens to discover Neal’s Yard and the courtyard with shops and restaurants. In fact, Neal’s Yard also have the original Neal’s Yard Dairy nearby selling some iconic cheeses, and Neal’s Yard Remedies for organic skincare.

In fact, the courtyard should be called Neal’s Yard Gardens instead of Short’s Gardens as they truly stand out in that area.