HOTEL
Covent Garden Hotel (££)
Hip and stylish, right in the heart of London’s West End, this is close to theatres, Soho and some of London’s best restaurants, bars and night clubs.
10 Monmouth Street 
020 7806 1000; www.firmdale.com 
Covent Garden, Leicester Square
myhotel Bloomsbury (£)
Affordable boutique hotel, close to all the West End’s major attractions. Expect designer rooms, art and atmosphere, based on the principles of feng shui.
11–13 Bayley Street, Bedford Square 020 3004 6000; www.myhotels.com Tottenham Court Road, Goodge Street
Radisson Edwardian Mountbatten Hotel (££–£££)
Luxury hotel close to Covent Garden, Soho, Trafalgar Square and Oxford Street, with all their shops, theatres, art galleries and museums within walking distance.
Seven Dials, Covent Garden 020 7836 4300; www.radissonedwardian.com Covent Garden, Tottenham Court Road
RESTAURANTS AND PUBS
Café des Amis (£–££)
Authentic French restaurant upstairs, serving French onion soup, terrine de campagne, moules marinières, big salads and omelettes. Wine bar downstairs, with well-priced wines by the glass or bottle.
11–14 Hanover Place, off Long Acre 020 7379 3444 
Mon–Sat 12–11:30 Covent Garden
Cafe España (£)
Expect budget prices and big portions in this popular Spanish eatery, where all the favourites are on the menu: paella, chorizo, tortilla, tapas and affordable Spanish wines.
63 Old Compton Street 020 7494 1271 Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square, Tottenham Court Road
Cigala (£–££)
In a cool, chic setting, order modern versions of Spanish classics: albondigas (meat balls), bacalao (salt cod), grilled seafood, stuffed peppers. Excellent tapas, outstanding Spanish wine list.
54 Lamb’s Conduit Street 020 7405 1717 Mon–Sat 12–10:45, Sun 12–9:30 Russell Square, Holborn
Food for Thought (£)
Imaginative dishes at this busy, crowded and long-established vegetarian favourite in Covent Garden range from a gingery Vietnamese vegetable stew and butterbean, leek and mushroom pie to above-average desserts.
31 Neal Street, Covent Garden 020 7836 9072 Mon–Sat 12–8:30, Sun 12–5 Covent Garden
French House
This pub has been a Soho institution for over 80 years. This is no place for beer drinkers but there is an excellent restaurant upstairs.
49 Dean Street 020 7437 2799 Daily 12–11 (Sun 10:30) Leicester Square
Joe Allen (££)
The classic mainstream American food (French toast, burgers, rubs) is served, but it’s the celebrities and atmosphere that draw the crowds to this Covent Garden basement.
13 Exeter Street, Covent Garden 020 7836 0651 Daily breakfast, lunch, dinner Covent Garden
Loch Fyne (£–££)
One of a successful chain of seafood restaurants, this branch has a well-priced set menu for theatregoers or shoppers. Try the smoked fish pie or the Thai-style squid salad.
2–4 Catherine Street 020 7240 4999 Mon–Sat 12–11, Sun 12–10 Covent Garden
Masala Zone (£–££)
Dining-hall-style eatery with an easy to negotiate menu providing a top value taste of pan-Indian cooking. There are five other branches in London, including one in Covent Garden.
9 Marshall Street 020 7287 9966 Daily lunch, dinner Oxford Circus
Navarro’s (£)
Some of London’s best tapas as well as a short menu of full traditional Spanish meals, served in an attractive tiled dining room.
67 Charlotte Street 020 7637 7713 Mon–Fri lunch, Mon–Sat dinner Goodge Street
Providores (££–£££)
Fusion cooking at its best: New Zealand mixed with Asian and Middle Eastern spicing. From roast duck with massaman curry lentils to roast cod on ginger and wasabi tobikko arancini.
109 Marylebone High Street 020 7935 6175 Daily 12–2:45, 6–10:30 Baker Street, Bond Street, Regents Park
Rules (£££)
London’s oldest restaurant celebrated 200 years in 1998 and still draws plaudits for its top-quality British food.
35 Maiden Lane, Covent Garden 020 7836 5314 Daily lunch, dinner Covent Garden, Charing Cross
Wagamama (£)
This is the original Wagamama noodle bar that now has branches in Covent Garden and worldwide. Food is eaten dining-hall style.
4 Streatham Street 020 7323 9223 Daily lunch, dinner Tottenham Court Road
SHOPPING
BABY ACCESSORIES
Mothercare
This 50-year-old British institution is the market leader, with three floors of everything from babywear and toys to pushchairs.
526–528 Oxford Street 020 7629 6621 Marble Arch
BEAUTY AND COSMETICS
Neal’s Yard Remedies
The original store in Covent Garden selling essential oils and homeopathic remedies of all kinds.
15 Neal’s Yard 020 7379 7222 Covent Garden
Penhaligon’s
Beautiful Victorian shopfront and fittings with colognes and powders, perfumes and accessories. Several branches.
41 Wellington Street 020 7836 2150 Covent Garden
BOOKS
Blackwell
Expert staff know every inch of the in-depth sections on history, philosophy, finance, fiction, medical and computing.
100 Charing Cross Road 020 7292 5100 Covent Garden, Tottenham Court Road
Foyles
Despite its apparent disorder, this is the biggest book shop in Britain so you’re sure to find what you want here – eventually.
113–119 Charing Cross Road 020 7437 5660 Tottenham Court Road, Covent Garden
Stanford’s
The world’s largest travel book shop with a vast selection of guides, travelogues and maps to everywhere on earth.
12–14 Long Acre 020 7836 1321; www.stanfords.co.uk Leicester Square
DEPARTMENT STORES
John Lewis
With helpful staff and a motto of ‘Never knowingly undersold’, this seven-storey flagship department store is a British favourite: stylish and wide-ranging, from trendy kitchen goods in the basement through cosmetics, fashion and household musts.
300 Oxford Street 020 7629 7711 Oxford Circus, Bond Street
Liberty
Famously associated with the art nouveau and developing design oriented printed fabrics, the interior of London’s most beautiful store comprises series of four-floor galleries around a central well.
210–220 Regent Street 020 7734 1234 Oxford Circus
Marks & Spencer
This is the biggest branch and the flagship of one of Britain’s favourite stores with high quality and value across its range.
458 Oxford Street 020 7935 7954 Marble Arch
Selfridges
The magnificent art deco and Ionic pillar frontage promises more than the store actually delivers. Probably best for clothes, though there’s also a good food hall and a huge perfume department.
400 Oxford Street 0800 123 400 Bond Street
FASHION
Topshop
Super model Kate Moss designs just one of the ranges in this flagship store; three floors offer trendy, affordable fashion for younger women and teenagers.
36–38 Great Castle Street 020 7636 8040 Oxford Circus
FOOD AND DRINK
Neal’s Yard Dairy
Splendid rustic-style shop selling mainly British and Irish cheeses. Some French, Italian and Greek cheeses are also available.
17 Shorts Gardens 020 7240 5700 Covent Garden
MARKET
Covent Garden Piazza
There are two areas, the Jubilee and Apple markets. The general market is open from Tuesday to Friday, selling everything from clothing to household goods. Mondays are dedicated to antiques dealers. At the weekend, the speciality is arts and crafts.
Covent Garden Piazza Mon–Fri 9:30–6; Sat, Sun 9–6 Covent Garden
ENTERTAINMENT
MUSIC
Jazz ‘n’ Pizza
London has two very high-quality nightly jazz and pizza restaurants; the Jazz Club Soho and the more classy Pizza on the Park.
Jazz Club Soho, 10 Dean Street 020 7437 9595 Tottenham Court Road Pizza on the Park, 11 Knightsbridge 020 7235 7825 Hyde Park Corner
Roadhouse
A 1950s US-themed live-music bar and diner with a mainly 30-something crowd getting down to blues, funk and classic rock.
Jubilee Hall, 35 The Piazza 020 7240 6001 Covent Garden
Ronnie Scott’s
The place to see the best jazz in the capital. There are generally two sets per night, one at 8:30pm and the other at 11pm.
47 Frith Street 020 7439 0747. Booking is advised Leicester Square
Royal Opera House
There has been a theatre on this site since 1732 but the theatre is now home to the Royal Ballet and the Royal Opera companies.
Covent Garden 020 7304 4000; www.roh.org.uk Covent Garden
NIGHTLIFE
Madame Jojo’s
Madame Jojo’s presents everything from rhythm and blues to deep funk to ‘tran-tastic’ parties.
8–10 Brewer Street, Soho 020 7734 3040; www.madamejojos.com Piccadilly Circus
Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
This beautiful space has long been London’s favourite alfresco venue, staging plays (mostly by Shakespeare) and musicals.
Inner Circle, Regent’s Park 0844 826 4242; www.openairtheatre.org Late May–Sep Baker Street