Covent Garden in One Day: A Walking Guide

Covent Garden is London’s living theatre, a canvas of the city’s enchanting past and its immersive present. It was once Nell Gwynn’s playground with her King, and it’s home to the oldest working theatre in London. Eliza Doolittle sold flowers to Mr Henry Higgins outside St Paul’s Church, the first place to host a Punch and Judy show. The sandwich is said to have been created here by John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, and Jane Austen lived nearby with her brother. You could spend weeks exploring, or you could follow me and see how to do Covent Garden in one day.

Covent Garden in one day: a flower cart outside the market building, the heart of London’s living theatre

This post was written in collaboration with Hotels.com. All opinions are my own.

Covent Garden in one day: where to start

First things first, you might need somewhere to rest your weary head. Check out these hotels near Covent Garden Market. My favourite is the Covent Garden Hotel, with its colour-popping, cosy interiors by hotel designer Kit Kemp. We will be returning later for afternoon tea.

Start your walk at Covent Garden tube station, which marks the spot for one of the shortest journeys on the Tube network, just a few hundred yards to Leicester Square. But don’t head down the lift. We’re staying above ground today.

Covent Garden tube station entrance, the start of a walking tour above ground

Intrepid travellers should head to Stanfords, the travel bookshop trading since 1853. Check its current address before you set off.

Neal’s Yard and fish and chips

Walk to Neal’s Yard and take photos of one of London’s prettiest courtyards.

Neal’s Yard in Covent Garden, one of London’s prettiest and most colourful courtyards

Then stop at Rock and Sole Plaice for a serving of fish and chips, one of the oldest chippies in London. Get a side of mushy peas and curry sauce.

Rock and Sole Plaice in Covent Garden, one of London’s oldest fish and chip shops

Covent Garden in one day: Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Take a tour of Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London’s oldest working theatre and one of its most haunted. A tunnel connects the theatre to the Nell of Old Drury pub across the road, and it was allegedly used by Nell Gwynn to meet Charles II after performances. The theatre’s most famous ghost is the comedian Dan Leno, who is said to leave the smell of lavender in his wake. The British premiere of My Fair Lady took place here in 1958, with Julie Andrews as Eliza Doolittle.

Theatre Royal Drury Lane exterior, London’s oldest and most haunted working theatre

Theatre Royal Drury Lane rotunda and grand staircase on a backstage tour of haunted London

St Paul’s Church: the Actors’ Church

Pop into St Paul’s Church, designed by Inigo Jones in the 1630s and one of the inaugural buildings of the Covent Garden Piazza. It is known as the Actors’ Church because of its long association with the theatre community. In 1662 Samuel Pepys recorded the first Punch and Judy show, which is still staged here every May. Look for memorial plaques dedicated to Charlie Chaplin, Noël Coward, Vivien Leigh and Boris Karloff.

St Paul’s Church in Covent Garden, the Actors’ Church designed by Inigo Jones

Walk past 10 Henrietta Street, where Jane Austen stayed with her brother in 1814.

Cecil Court and Brydges Place

Bookworms will want to walk into Cecil Court, which dates to the 17th century. The young Mozart lodged at No 9 in 1764 and, during the early days of cinema, it earned the nickname Flicker Alley. Today it’s referred to as Booksellers’ Row, with its antique and second-hand bookshops, and it is said to be the inspiration for Diagon Alley in Harry Potter. What do you think?

Cecil Court, Booksellers’ Row, the secret lane said to inspire Diagon Alley in Harry Potter

Next, head over to Brydges Place, the narrowest alley in London, just 15 inches wide at one point. You might not want to do this after a big dinner.

Brydges Place, the narrowest alley in London, a secret passage between St Martin’s Lane and the Coliseum

Afternoon tea at the Covent Garden Hotel

Who needs dinner when you can pause for afternoon tea, the most quintessentially British meal? There are several places to choose from in Covent Garden, but we opted for Brasserie Max at the Covent Garden Hotel. Don’t be put off by the name: the tea is a British affair, generously proportioned while being delicate and dainty.

We chose a pescatarian version of the Covent Garden Tea with a selection of sandwiches, cakes and scones, and the Valrhona chocolate and mint mousse with pistachio praline was my favourite. Check the hotel’s website for the current menu and prices.

Afternoon tea at the Covent Garden Hotel, with cakes, scones and sandwiches on a tiered stand

Covent Garden in one day: cocktails at Rules

Finish off with my favourite pit-stop, a cocktail at Rules, the oldest restaurant in London, founded in 1798. Charles Dickens, Clark Gable and Laurence Olivier were fans, it has appeared in novels by Graham Greene and Evelyn Waugh, and it has been used as a location for films and television, including Spectre and Downton Abbey.

Rules restaurant in Maiden Lane, the oldest restaurant in London, famous for its royal and literary fans

Its most illustrious fan was King Edward VII, who would entertain his mistress Lillie Langtry here. You can sit in the corner from which he flirted with one of the most beautiful women of the time.

Rules restaurant: the corner table where King Edward VII entertained Lillie Langtry

Sip one of the signature gin cocktails, or stick with The Rules, a blend of gin, Dubonnet and bubbles.

Rules cocktail bar in London, with signature gin cocktails in the oldest restaurant in the capital

And that is Covent Garden in one day, from the tube station to the oldest restaurant in London.

For more theatre history nearby, read about Richard Doyly Carte London, the impresario behind the Savoy Theatre, and plan more of your trip at coventgarden.london.