A local’s guide to the best shops in Covent Garden, Central London, for anything from vintage clothes to makeup, stationery and books!
There are so many hidden gems in Covent Garden, artistically speaking, that we often forget there are plenty of must-visit shops, too – for absolutely all tastes.
Since I’m a lover of all things secret in London, from hidden alleys to tiny, unusual shops, I thought I’d tell you a bit more about the Covent Garden area today.
Locals, tourists, from tiny bakeries and coffee shops to some of the city’s most beautiful bookshops, you’ll learn everything about shopping in Covent Garden here!
12 Shops in Covent Garden for Clothes, Books and Souvenirs
If you’ve read articles on The Working Line before, there’s no denying I love bakeries and coffee shops, which is why you’ll find a couple at the end of this guide.
However, by cool shops in Covent Garden, what I really mean is places where you can buy a new lipstick, a new properly British perfume, that kind of item you can bring back home and enjoy for months after your visit to London.
You’ll obviously find even more British shops in London’s shopping centers and other areas, but today, I felt like sharing my favorites around Covent Garden.
The Best Lifestyle Shops in Covent Garden
Best Shops in Covent Garden: Penhaligon’s Perfume Shop
Let’s start with Penhaligon’s, a British perfume house with branches scattered all around London.
Founded in 1870, this is one of the oldest English perfume shops in London, and I have been collecting their incredibly posh perfume bottles for years now.
If I may, a few scents to try would be Yasmine, from the Portraits collection, as well as Babylon, my go-to scent since a couple of years.
In terms of perfumes for men, the Endymion Concentré perfume isn’t only attractive bottle-wise, but an enticing and confident scent.
Penhaligon’s has grown to be a global brand, but a perfume of this specific brand makes for one of the best things to buy in London.
Best Shops in Covent Garden: London Graphic Centre
The London Graphic Centre is another one of my favorite shops in Covent Garden, and it’s located close to the admirable St Martin’s Courtyard.
From pastels to notebooks, paints and other colors, the London Graphic Centre caters to all kinds of artists with countless art supplies.
The shop is pretty huge, and once you’re done shopping, if you’d like to find other kinds of stationery shops, you also have Art Box closeby, another must-visit for kawaii Japanese stationery.
If however, you feel like you’ve done enough shopping for the day, make your way to Neal Street and Neal’s Yard, two of London’s most colorful places.
In any case, a visit to the London Graphic Centre helps you see the city from another angle, that of locals trying to make it in art or just shopping for new ways to express themselves.
Best Shops in Covent Garden: TK Maxx Shop, Long Acre
I can’t stop raving about TK Maxx; the TK Maxx shops in London are filled with hidden gems.
These range from discounted high-end skincare and makeup to huge DW Home candles and much, much more.
Visit the Gold Label and Modbox alleys to find brands such as Dolce & Gabbana, or make your way to the shoe racks to find the likes of Guess, Replay and Converse.
TK Maxx on Long Acre is one of the very best shops in Covent Garden all around, because you’re just sure something is going to call your eye.
It’s also a perfect budget shop whether you need accessories such as tweezers, a new type of cocktail ring, or would like to find new stationery brands you wouldn’t otherwise find in other shops.
The Best Bookshops in Covent Garden
Best Bookshops in Covent Garden London: Stanfords
One of the most unique shops in London, Stanfords is also one of the oldest.
Established in 1853, the map and travel bookshop offers a complete, immersive experience.
Even if you’re not planning to travel (who isn’t ever?! But learn how to properly pack a suitcase first!), Stanfords is such a beautiful bookshop you’d do well to visit.
We’re in the heart of Mercer Walk here, with some of Covent Garden’s best restaurants, including Miscusi, a deliciously fresh Italian restaurant.
The London Graphic Centre is located closeby, TK Maxx is as well, and you also have the Infinity Chamber, with its thousands of LED lights situated a couple of minutes away on foot.
Globes, maps, gifts and multicolor balloons – we’re here in one of the most instagrammable shops in London as a whole.
Best Bookshops in Covent Garden London: Oxfam Charity Shop, Drury Lane
Some of my favorite Oxfam shops in London are located around the East End and North London, but you have quite a few good Oxfam in Central London as well.
The Drury Lane Oxfam shop is open every day of the week, and you’ll find plenty of second hand clothes, shoes, bags, jewelry and even homeware inside.
It’s true you’ll find a few good charity shops in Central London.
Yet, not as many as in places like North Finchley and Muswell Hill, to be completely transparent with you.
But funnily, my favorite in the center are Oxfam shops, just because I know I always find something there for a few quid.
And if you’re down to walk a little bit, you’ll also find an Oxfam bookshop close to Tottenham Court Road, on Bloomsbury Street.
What’s really cool is that if you decide to visit the Oxfam Bookshop, you’ll also be close to many of Holborn’s hidden gems.
And that starts with Caffè Vergnano, one of the oldest and best Italian cafes in town, and continues with the wonderful Sir John Soane’s Museum with its sculptures and paintings galore.
But going back to Covent Garden, and whether you’re visiting London for the first time or living here, you’ll find at Oxfam Drury Lane lots of good and cheap clothes.
The Best Makeup Shops in Covent Garden
Best Cosmetics Shop in Covent Garden London: Kryolan
Few people know about Kryolan, and that’s because it’s one of the most hidden shops in London.
Located off Long Acre in a tiny alley, Kryolan is a professional makeup brand that sells anything from holographic pigments to duochrome eyeshadows.
Their long lip liners hold their stand very well, as do their liquid matte lipsticks, and that makes the Kryolan products perfect for everyday consumers.
In addition, what makes Kryolan worth a visit is their large range of special effects makeup products.
If you’re a makeup artist starting out in London, the Covent Garden shop is another one you can’t miss.
Best Makeup Shops in Covent Garden London: Charlotte Tilbury
Charlotte Tilbury is undeniably one of the best shops in Covent Garden; the British makeup brand has crowds of people visiting it on the daily.
You can buy the Charlotte Tilbury products in several places around town, but I have always felt that a visit to the Covent Garden store was part of any good trip to London.
There used to be another amazing makeup store located a few doors down, 3ina Makeup, a Spanish makeup brand with affordable prices and quality products, but it has sadly shut down.
In any case, if you don’t want to get a Pillow Talk lipstick dupe and would rather get the real thing, pop by the Charlotte Tilbury store to treat yourself.
The Best Clothes Shops in Covent Garden
Best Clothes Shops in Covent Garden London: Free People, Floral Street
The first time I came across Free People was actually not in Covent Garden; the boho-inspired clothing brand has branches all around London.
Anyone looking to go shopping on Regent Street, for instance, will find Free People there as well, with amazing fringe jackets, classic shoes, and bohemian blouses and dresses.
The funky jewelry range Free People updates regularly is another must-see when you’re looking for good jewelry shops in Central, if I may.
Plus, when it comes to Covent Garden, Free People is located on Floral Street, one of the prettiest streets in Central London, with the same vibe as neighboring Rose Street.
Best Vintage Shops in Covent Garden London: Wow Retro, Drury Lane
There’s a plethora of vintage shops in Covent Garden, as well as many independent clothing brands imported from Scandinavia, Italy and France.
If there’s one you shouldn’t miss, just one to recommend, that would be Wow Retro, located on Drury Lane close to the Oxfam shop.
Wow Retro offers lots of different styles that mainly revolve around the 90s and 2000s fashion trends, and you’ll find clothes and accessories for both men and women there.
It’s open every day of the week, too, so if you work long shifts and just have one day to rest, maybe shopping for a couple of new accessories, hats, bags, or vintage jackets could be a good way to unwind.
Best Clothes Shops in Covent Garden London: Pineapple, Seven Dials
For our next shopping destination, we have Pineapple, an exercise and dance shop located on Mercer Walk, Seven Dials.
The Seven Dials neighborhood is located so close to Covent Garden station that many people mistake one for the other, but the truth is, we’re really just a couple of minutes away from the station.
The Pineapple shop is situated seconds away from the famous Pineapple Studios, where you can book dance classes – a very nontouristy thing to do in town, dare I say.
The dance shop is nonetheless one of London’s most instagrammable shops, with a vibe that makes you feel like all your dreams are possible.
The Best Coffee Shops and Cake Shops in Covent Garden
Best Coffee Shops in Covent Garden London: Roasting Plant Coffee, The Strand
If you’re looking for amazing coffee shops in Covent Garden, just to have coffee, hot chocolate or relax for a bit, you’ll find many.
Like, many.
There are lots of good study cafes in Covent Garden as well, spacious, with free WiFi and power outlets I love visiting when it’s that time of the year I live in London.
Even if you’re looking for places to have amazing breakfast in Covent Garden and don’t really care for places with WiFi, may I recommend Roasting Plant Coffee on The Strand?
The very minimalist coffee shop is located within walking distance of Covent Garden, and closer to Embankment – and provides delicious, fresh coffee.
If you’re down to visit a few medieval sites just for the fun of it, walk up The Strand and Fleet Street once you’re done having breakfast.
Somewhere on the right, you’ll find the very secret Temple Church and the Inner Temple Gardens.
Magical courtyards, stone buildings that house the Inns of Court, fountains, and a posh vibe – that’s a great follow-up to breakfast at the Roasting Plant Coffee.
Read here my guide to the historic Temple area and its hidden gems, from Fountain Court to the secret poetic sundial in Elm Court, photogenic columns facing Temple Church and more.
Best Cake Shops in Covent Garden London: Bageriet, Rose Street
Bageriet is one of the only bakeries in Covent Garden, and with its Scandinavian recipes, it just keeps me coming back – again, again, and again.
I’ve already mentioned the Bageriet bakery a few times on The Working Line, and you might have seen me talking about their incredible cinnamon buns.
Another good place to get fluffy cinnamon buns close to Bageriet would be Buns from Home on Long Acre, close to the TK Maxx shop, but Bageriet, folks…
Bageriet is on a whole other level.
The tiny – and very cute bakery is located on Rose Street, which is itself is one of the most secret alleys in London, all cobbled and filled with history.
The Princess Cake, the cinnamon buns, and all the pastries that Bageriet offers are out of this world – really a must-try if you’re looking for cheap eats in Central London and just have the budget for a pastry and a coffee.
12 Shops in Covent Garden for Clothes, Books and Souvenirs
There you have them, all the best shops in Covent Garden, Long Acre and surrounding areas!
Hopefully, you’ll have found here some really cool places to go shopping for new books, vintage clothes, or just a piece of cake with coffee!
Other places to visit to go shopping would include the incredible charity shops London is filled with if you’re on a budget.
From Kentish Town and Camden Town to the really posh Chelsea neighborhood, you’re sure to find something really cheap in these as well, with often brand new clothes and accessories.
In any case, start in Covent Garden, maybe make your way to Regent Street, and finish with all the cool shops in Oxford Street!