Covent Garden

Covent Garden Review

Covent Garden is actually three markets. Forty stalls selling jewelry, clothes, pottery, and other unique hand-crafted items congregate in the covered area, originally designed by Inigo Jones, known as the Apple Market. The Jubilee Market, in Jubilee Hall toward Southampton Street, tends toward the more pedestrian (kitschy T-shirts, unremarkable household goods, and the like) on Tuesday through Friday, but offers a selection of vintage collectibles on Monday and worthwhile handmade goods on weekends. The East Colonnade market specializes in handmade items ranging from soaps to leather goods and children's clothing, while the surrounding arcades house upscale chains (including the world's largest Apple Store). Covent Garden is something of a tourist magnet, which may be reflected in the prices, but don't miss the magicians, musicians, and escape artists who perform in the open-air piazza. Covent Garden has recently started aiming for a more sophisticated image with the opening of upscale restaurants such as a branch of New York's Balthazar.