Revisiting a tucked away corner of Covent Garden
Neal's Yard is one of those nice surprises you can find in cities, there's a lane into the yard and another on the opposite side to exit. (Or enter!) I had been many years ago when a friend brought me there to get some lunch from the bakery. (It had come recommended) The yard looked nothing like the colourful place it is now.
I became curious to see it again when noticing that it seemed to be on the 'instagram map', the colourful buildings made picturesque backdrops in photos. Neal's Yard can be found close by Seven Dials, I entered by going down the road called 'Short's Gardens' and then walked through to exit onto Monmouth Street which takes you back to Seven Dials.
Laneway to Monmouth Street.
The Neal in the name refers to a 17th century property developer called Thomas Neale, but by the 1970s it was a derelict builder's yard waiting for redevelopment. A social entrepreneur called Nicholas Saunders bought one of the buildings and set up a wholesale food business. Gradually other businesses established themselves, there are restaurants, Neal's Remedies which sells ethical and organic health and beauty products, hairdressers and there's still a bakery! The buildings have been given coats of pastel paint and there are flower boxes and plant installations on the buildings. It is all very pretty and instagramable! Sadly I was there when it rained so didn't get to enjoy sitting outside and absorbing the ambiance. I did return another day for lunch and had an enormous pizza slice from Homeslice. The full size pizzas were huge!
The area is quite small, the lanes open up into a courtyard with outdoor seating. It can get quite crowded around lunchtime, plan for an early or late lunch!
Laneway from Short's Gardens into the yard.
Seven Dials, seven roads converge to this point.
Neal's Yard is a pleasant part of London to get to know, less touristy than other parts of Covent Garden. I like the 'tucked away' part of its location, you go down small laneways, that open up into a colourful, plant filled courtyard.
Neal's Yard is one of those nice surprises you can find in cities, there's a lane into the yard and another on the opposite side to exit. (Or enter!) I had been many years ago when a friend brought me there to get some lunch from the bakery. (It had come recommended) The yard looked nothing like the colourful place it is now.
I became curious to see it again when noticing that it seemed to be on the 'instagram map', the colourful buildings made picturesque backdrops in photos. Neal's Yard can be found close by Seven Dials, I entered by going down the road called 'Short's Gardens' and then walked through to exit onto Monmouth Street which takes you back to Seven Dials.
The Neal in the name refers to a 17th century property developer called Thomas Neale, but by the 1970s it was a derelict builder's yard waiting for redevelopment. A social entrepreneur called Nicholas Saunders bought one of the buildings and set up a wholesale food business. Gradually other businesses established themselves, there are restaurants, Neal's Remedies which sells ethical and organic health and beauty products, hairdressers and there's still a bakery! The buildings have been given coats of pastel paint and there are flower boxes and plant installations on the buildings. It is all very pretty and instagramable! Sadly I was there when it rained so didn't get to enjoy sitting outside and absorbing the ambiance. I did return another day for lunch and had an enormous pizza slice from Homeslice. The full size pizzas were huge!
The area is quite small, the lanes open up into a courtyard with outdoor seating. It can get quite crowded around lunchtime, plan for an early or late lunch!
Neal's Yard is a pleasant part of London to get to know, less touristy than other parts of Covent Garden. I like the 'tucked away' part of its location, you go down small laneways, that open up into a colourful, plant filled courtyard.
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