Covent Garden is blooming again

Sarah Bailey visits her favourite London neighbourhood and discovers timeless and more modern pleasures. Covent Garden has it all: culture, art, restaurants, shopping opportunities, casinos, and everything else you may wish to visit. For the casino fans, if you are not passing through Covent Garden anytime soon you can alternatively visit NetBet.

Recently I started reading “David Copperfield” every night to my husband and sons. The 800 pages of Dickens’s excellent novel may seem like a lot, especially to ears accustomed to hearing the sound from video games to headphones. But as people stopped, the two or three pages we were able to read each night made us think, stress, get excited, comfort us, and help us escape. I felt incredible joy when I returned to the famous Covent Garden, where, among his countless adventures, David Copperfield bought flowers for his beloved Dora, spent a torturous night in the theatre watching “Julius Caesar” and drank the little lamb and beer (Rose Street 33), which still exists.

Even today, Dickens would recognize the streets and alleys that house the impeccable boutiques of Covent Garden, the lively restaurants, theatres, and hotels. As well as much of the architecture and commercial buzz of the Square (London’s first modern square has been a market since 1654). Although today it is more likely that one will think about which glossy vial to choose at Chanel Fragrance and Beauty Boutique (The Market Building 6A) than to choose cauliflower from the stroller of a street vendor.

For my modern odyssey in Covent Garden, I stay at The Henrietta Hotel (Henrietta Street 14-15), a short distance from the main square, opposite a very small side entrance to the imposing St. Paul’s Church (Bedford Street), which It is also known as the “Church of the Actors” and was designed by Inigo Jones. Painter William Turner was baptized here, and rock stars Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale were married. Covent Garden street performers gather in front of its porch. Henrietta Street has a rich artistic heritage (Jane Austen visited her brother here, as the plaque above number 10 suggests) and the hotel continues to attract a creative audience, thanks to its unique style and relaxed sensibility. The pale shades of the interiors, which combine pop with deco (and make them as cute as needed), as well as the clever and sophisticated playfulness that hides every design detail, make it an ideal haven for the explorer of 21st-century aesthetics.

Arriving at Henrietta Street, the atmosphere is very festive, as the old street vendors’ carts are full of beautiful flowers (not only here but in all the streets of Covent Garden). The outdoor tables of hotels and restaurants and the beauty and picturesqueness of the place, which is offered for photos on Instagram and invites guests to come back, give an almost carnival note. Various pop-up bars serve cocktails in the Square, while next to them there are comfortable wooden chairs in pastel colours to sit and relax. I see flower garlands everywhere and the bright decoration illuminates the heads of those who eat. These are moments when I feel like I have entered a beautiful movie set.

As there was no access to cultural institutions for a year, there is a great appetite for as much art and culture as possible. Make a stop at the Counter bar in the luxurious Delaunay (The Aldwych 55) for a Gin Fizz while fooling the passers-by.

The Royal Academy of Arts (15 minutes’ walk from Covent Garden) has one of the best programs of recent years not to be missed, with exhibitions such as “The Arrival of Spring, Normandy, 2020” by David Hockney, Tracey Emin’s thoughts on Edvard Munch and a large exhibition of young talent Michael Armitage, working between London and Nairobi (Burlington House, Piccadilly). Do not forget to book tickets early, as there is a great demand.

The theatre is back, and I feel like the Open-Air Theatre (Regent’s Park, outside the Inner Circle) is calling me. There, resourceful artistic director Timothy Sheader uploads Rogers and Hammerstein’s “Carousel” (July 31-September 25). The journey from Covent Garden to the enchanting amphitheatre surrounded by imposing trees is a 15-minute taxi ride. But if the weather allows it, the 45-minute walk from the city centre to Regent’s Park is a sight to behold, while it will also offer you peace of mind.

I have loved Covent Garden as a shopping destination since my first visit to London as a teenager and, despite the many branches of relatively indifferent international brands that have been added in recent years, the place retains its independent character and one can make unique discoveries. and find various beautiful surprises. Paul Smith was one of the first architects of the independent retail revolution in Covent Garden, setting the tone with his first store in London, on Floral Street (opened in 1979), and now his empire stretches along the same road (Floral Street 40-44). For art books and independent magazines, cards, and trinkets that catch your eye and feature great design, Magma is the best (Short’s Gardens 29). Let your nose lead you to the excellent Experimental Perfume Club (Monmouth Street 53), where you can not only buy but also create your unique perfume. A little more intense but equally intoxicating aromas can be found at Neal’s Yard Dairy (Short’s Gardens 17), the “Mecca” of handmade British and Irish cheeses for over 40 years.