Shop and Chill in Upscale Covent Garden, London
Clothing, Jewellery, Bars, Restaurants, Theatres etc.
Visitors to London are spoilt for choice of where to shop, what to see and where to dine. But Covent Garden, located in the heart of London’s West End, is a completely different experience. The food, the bars, the fashion stores, the cafes etc. are unrelentingly high end they make Oxford Street look like it’s for the toiling masses. Convent Garden is packed with many of London’s best restaurants, niche retailers and quirky markets, not to mention theaters and museums.
You get the feeling that the most exquisite, highest quality products have been brought from all over the world for your pleasure: Italian ice cream and meatballs, French cakes and biscuits, Cuban beef, Belgian chocolates, Lebanese manousheh, poached prawns and lobsters etc. All served in the most elegant of settings. Service is highly personalized by the array of niche and famous luxury brands. Many of them offer personal shopping services and glasses of champagne while a personal shopper advises you on the best fabrics and styles for your body or customized fragrances for weddings. There are tens of shops for little luxury gifts: handcrafted leather notebooks, handmade soaps, artisanal fragrances etc.
It’s a wonderful experience to soak in the sophistication and beauty even if all you end up buying is coffee and biscuits (you can be sure this will be one of the best you have had).
The land on which this tourist mecca is located was originally owned by the 12th-century monks of the Convent of St Peter in Westminster, who cultivated 40 acres of a fruit and vegetable garden there – hence the name. But choosing what to see, do and buy in this iconic amusement hub can be overwhelming, so here’s a helpful guide to shopping in Covent Garden.
BARS & RESTUARANTS
HOTEL CHOCOLAT
If you love quality chocolates, find your way to heaven when you are in London. Hotel Chocolat is one of the world’s top chocolatiers. They leave nothing to chance; they grow their own cocoa in their own plantation, at the stunning Robat Estate in St Lucia, itself a tourist attraction. The shop’s simple promise is “More cocoa, less sugar”. No syrups, no flavourings, no additives. Yet, there’s no compromise to the indulgence on offer. Where else can you find Ice Cream of the Gods (made from Jersey cream, infused with pure roasted cocoa) on the menu? The cocoa cannot be fresher; it is roasted right on site. Great place to indulge yourself, also pick gifts that are bound to greatly impress.
Address
Hotel Chocolat
4 Monmouth Street
Covent Garden
WC2H 9HB
Opening hours:
Monday-Friday 08:00 am – 8:00 pm
Saturday 10:00 am – 8:00 pm
Sunday 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
VENCHI: Best of Italian ice cream
Founded in Italy in 1878, Venchi has 100 shops all over the world (Hong Kong, Dubai, Rio de Janeiro, New York etc.). The gelato is made fresh everyday, using the purest, most natural ingredients, from organic milk, to hazelnuts, to almonds and olive oil. And of course, the best selection of fruits and chocolates. Many of Venchi’s offerings, including classic Italian gelato flavours such as Nougatine, Pistachio di Bronte and Nocciolato al latte, are based on Silviano Venchi’s exclusive recipes from over 140 years. There’s no corner cutting. Venchi doesn’t use artificial thickeners or no palm oil. We bet all the ice cream you have ever eaten will be immediately classed as BV (before Venchi). We wouldn’t be surprised if we find that a few Lagosians are being trolled on Twitter for flying ice cream from Convent Garden. You would have our sympathy and understanding! By the way, there are also great gifts to take away for the foodies in your life.
Address
Unit 18 Market building
Covent Garden
WC2E 8RB London
Opening times
Monday-Saturday 10:00 am – 11:00 pm
Sunday 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
MASALA ZONE – Best of India
Offering great Indian fare with clever London twist, Masala Zone is rated as one of London’s six top Indian restaurants. No mean feat given that there must be about 6,000 of them in London! The menu is a perfect blend of thalis (the balanced family platters), a wide variety of freshly made vegetables, grills, regional curries & biryanis and street food. The most Nigerian of palates would find all these very agreeable, so it’s quite safe to take aunties and uncles over 70 to the Masala Zone.
Address
48 Floral St
Covent Garden,
London WC2E 9DA,
Opening hours
Monday – Friday 12:00 – 11:00 pm
Saturday and Sunday 12:30 – 11:00 pm
1 LEICESTER SQUARE – Haute luxury dining
This is one of the most rewarding places you can ever visit if you want solid graphic evidence you really had a good holiday. The restaurant is set a whole nine storeys above Leicester Square, so you can have impeccable view of the most beautiful of London’s architectural wonders while dining. If you need to impress guests or a date while also enjoying fine food, this is the place to go.
Address
1 Leicester Square,
London WC2H 7NA.
Opening Hours
MONDAY – SUNDAY: 7AM – 1AM
THE BIG EASY: American point & kill in London
There’s so much cachet to this all-American barbecue outlet. To start with, the premises used to be a power station. The industry feel has been preserved, with food served from an open kitchen. Nigerians love and cook good meat. But there’s nothing like this in Lagos. Or Abuja. The meats are cooked slowly over 18 hours, more than enough time to take in the rich, sweet flavours of a variety of woods: cherry, apple, oak, and hickory. The seafood is no less exceptional. You can order Nova Scotia lobsters, fished out of the huge 1,500kg tank on site. Right before your eyes. And there’s live music every night. American-inspired genres.
Address
12 Maiden Lane,
Covent Garden,
London, WC2E 7NA
Opening hours
Monday – Thursday 12 noon – 11.30 pm
Friday 12 noon – 12 am
Saturday 11 am – 12 am
Sunday 11am – 11pm
FASHION
THE SHOP AT THE BLUEBIRD: Mini, Artsy Harrods
The Shop at the Bluebird sells luxury items, clothes, art and homeware, beauty products etc. designed to be unique. You will find over 1,000 luxury and designer brands in the vast store, including lots of the best niche designers you have never heard of. Bluebird’s specialty is unearthing great products from all corners of the globe. You will be amidst contemporary art installations. There’s also a stylish restaurant in the works. This is quintessential Convent Garden where just being is as enjoyable as voraciously buying.
Address
Carriage Hall,
29, Floral St,
Covent Garden,
London WC2E 9DP
Opening hours
Monday –Saturday: 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
Sunday: 12:00 – 6:00 pm
ASPINAL OF LONDON – Best of Leather
Connoisseurs can easily tell an Aspinal bag with a half a second glance by the simple, understated, classy luxury. There’s much of this elegant simplicity in the products you will find in store: handbags, briefcases, wallets, stationery, gloves and other luxury accessories. You don’t have to buy a £600 handbag, no doubt a product of immense value-for-money style-wise. A little card case or diary from Aspinal will speak volumes about your style.
Address
34 Long Acre,
Langley Ct,
London WC2E 9LA
Opening hours
Monday – Saturday 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
Sunday: 12:00 – 6:00 pm
TOM DAVIES- Bespoke Spectacle Frames
Buying frames for spectacles is for most people a mildly traumatic experience. You want to choose something that fits very well, that’s not widely faked, that’s unique, that hints at classy and expensive while not loud at all. Enter Tom Davies (don’t confuse with Ford, the other Tom of luxury fashion), who set up specifically to make spectacles designed to fit wearers’ facial features. Tom Davies’ spectacles are made from the highest quality materials, mainly silver 925, natural horn, pure titanium and premium acetate. A wide range of bespoke and ready to wear frames are available at the Covent Garden store, all made with outstanding craftsmanship as well as limited edition sunglasses.
Address
5 Royal Opera House Arcade,
The Piazza,
London, WC2E 8HD
Opening hours
Monday- Saturday 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
Sunday 12:00 – 6:00 pm
BAILEY NELSON- Big Brand, Great Bargain
A good chunk of the hefty prices paid for luxury goods consists of the cost of marketing to reinforce the perception of quality. Bailey Nelson trusts you to discern the quality without heavy marketing. This business is built on this: it cuts out the advertising, the commissions for wholesalers and distributors, so the only thing you pay for is the hand crafted, high quality and original designs that compete with what Prada or Gucci offers. So you get great quality without major damage to your debit card. Bailey Nelson offers a range of bespoke products consisting of frames for spectacles and sunglasses. Everything is designed by a creative team in Sydney. The brand combines high-quality materials-acetates from Italy, hinges from Germany, and stainless steel and beta titanium from Japan- with the exquisite craftsmanship of
handmade production.
Address
29 Henrietta Street,
Covent Garden,
London WC2E 8NA
Opening hours
Monday – Saturday 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
Sunday 11:00 am – 6:30 pm
EDWIN- Highly Influential Denims
Edwin must be the most influential yet best-kept known fashion secret. Started by one Mr. Tsunemi in Japan in 1947 (during the American occupation), Edwin in the 1970s became a leading innovator in demin making. It introduced the ‘old wash’ (designed to replicate the “used” look of traditional workwear) and invented, “stone washing” in the 1980s, a complete style revolution in denim. Edwin remains a leading innovator brand in denim, continuing to use exclusive fabrics and retaining its edge in design and fit. We would say in Lagos- if you know Edwin, you know Edwin.
Address
25 Henrietta St,
Covent Garden,
London WC2E 8NA
Opening hours
Monday-Saturday 11:00 am – 7 pm
Sunday 12-5 pm
HOBBS – British elegance with a little hint of Italian glam
A small team of experts in central London designs Hobbs’ ladies shoes and dresses. The brand has kept an ethos of “affordable luxury”, offering items that guarantee every day polish as well as head turners for special occasions. It has come a long way since it started in 1981, becoming one of the global brands that define the best of British design. Hobbs has a factory in Italy where its designs are turned into high-end products by artisans using mainly traditional tools of the craft. Go in and see their handiwork at Covent Garden when you are in London.
Address
112-115 Long Acre,
Covent Garden,
London WC2E 9PA
Opening hours
Monday – Saturday 10.00 am – 8.00 pm
Sunday 11.30 am – 6.00 pm
AFRICOLOGY – African Herbs and Essential Oils
South Africa’s leading skincare brand can be found in a plush two-storey building at the heart of the Piazza in Covent Garden. The shop has been described as a “playground of the senses”. There’s a variety of products on offer made with Rooibos, Aloe Ferox & Aloe Vera, Marula etc.: soulful aromatherapy candles, gifts, teas and home & travel scents. Others include Marula Conditioning Oil – supercharged with antioxidizing plants, the Energy Charge Oil – inspired by ancient healing rituals, the Anti Reactive Tonic – a natural source of AHAs and the Magnesium Bath Milk – boosted by the hypnotic notes of South African lavender. All the products are 100% natural.
Africology was founded by South African-born, Renchia Droganis, an experienced Aromatherapist, Reiki Master, Metaphysical Counsellor, Life Coach and Holistic Healer. The shop also offers specialist therapies for healing the body and mind. Africology was awarded Best International Luxury Skincare & Spa Brand – UK at the 3rd Annual Fashion & Lifestyle Awards. If you know any Nigerian working to be the next Africology, please put them in touch! We would like to boast that we wrote about them before they got to Covent Garden.
Address
3a, Market Building,
Covent Garden,
London WC2E 8RF.
Opening hours
Monday – Saturday 10:00 am – 8:00 pm
Sunday 11:00 am– 7: 00 pm
MULBERRY: Tailored Advice for the British Style
One of the giants of British fashion, Mulberry is internationally renowned for the
“Le Style Anglais”, a node to the esteem in which even the French hold the design and quality of Mulberry. The Covent Garden store stocks the latest men’s and women’s collections plus bags, shoes, small leather goods etc. Personal shopping assistants are available to advice you on what to wear for what and how and what best suits you. (Call the team on +44 20 3141 3420 to book). The personal shopping service is complementary as is the glass of champagne and nibbles you will be offered.
Address
8 THE PIAZZA ROYAL
OPERA HOUSE ARCADE
COVENT GARDEN
LONDON
WC2E 8HD
Opening Time
MON – SAT: 10AM – 8PM
SUN: 11AM – 6PM
JO MALONE: Have perfumes made especially for you 
The Jo Malone team can create a signature scent for you. The store has am amazing Bridal Service which can create special fragrances for the bridge, the venue/s of the wedding and the gift boxes. Here it from Jo Malone directly “Unexpected scents. Understated elegance. Adorn your day with the ultimate signature touch from Jo Malone London. Bespoke inspiration for brides, inviting fragrances that transform any venue and gifts to spoil every guest. Unexpected scents. Understated elegance. Adorn your day with the ultimate signature touch from Jo Malone London. Bespoke inspiration for brides, inviting fragrances that transform any venue and gifts to spoil every guest”.
Call 0370 192 5771 or drop in to book your appointment. (If they can’t fly to do Lagos venues, ask for “take-away” package).
Address
10-11 KING STREET
COVENT GARDEN
LONDON
WC2E 8HN
Opening Time
MON – WED: 9.30AM – 7.30PM
THU: 9.30AM – 8PM
FRI – SAT: 9.30AM – 7.30PM
SUN: 12 NOON – 5PM
HACKETT: Ultra Made-to-Measure for Gents
You will be spoilt for choice. Hackett’s Covent Garden store is one of its biggest. There’s a wide range of casual and formal wears on offer, even swimming gear and flip-flops. Hackett’s tailoring is as distinct as the choice of fabrics (we are talking about office and other types of formal wear); it stands out in the world of luxury tailoring.
Try the Made-to-Measure service if you are willing and able to upgrade Hackett experience to the next level. The consultation with the tailoring consultant results in a suits (or shirts) that fit you perfectly. The suit is completely hand-cut and stitched to your personal needs; the pattern is adjusted to fit the shape of your body. Important and minor details like internal trimmings, linings, buttons and pockets can all be made according to your individual taste and style.
Hackett has a wide variety of super-lightweight fabrics in store. Everything is completely hand cut and stitched. Very important information: Hackett Made to Measure suit start from £1900 (about N8555,000 in non-CBN pounds sterling) depending on the fabric choice, but all customisation options included. Expected delivery: eight weeks. Also note, when your suit is finished, you are required to try it on and allowed to further fine-tune to suit you. Sometimes, the work begins all over with a fresh or second fitting.
Personal Shopping Service is available at the Covent Garden store.
Address
37 KING STREET
COVENT GARDEN
LONDON
WC2E 8JD
Opening Times
MON- WED: 10AM – 7PM
THURS – FRI: 10AM – 8PM
SAT: 10AM – 7PM
SUN: 12 NOON – 6PM
Continue to Part 2.
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