Covent Garden is the perfect one-stop destination in London to celebrate Easter and the arrival of Spring this March. The neighbourhood will welcome a variety of activities and experiences for all to enjoy, including a brand-new immersive Easter Egg Trail in collaboration with artist Caroline Dowsett. The estate will also welcome the return of Piazza pop up favourites Kocktail and loungewear brand Peachaus, along with a selection of must-visit drinking and dining options and unbeatable shopping experiences.
In celebration of Easter, Covent Garden has partnered with Manchester-based artist, painter and maker, Caroline Dowsett, to create a free and interactive outdoor Easter Egg Trail for all visitors to enjoy from 27th March – 24th April. The immersive multi-point trail will hide 10 eggs adorned in Caroline’s vibrant and playful designs throughout the streets of Covent Garden, challenging visitors to find hidden clues at each stop. Visitors who discover the correct answer from all the clues will be in with a chance of winning an amazing prize including a family stay and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory afternoon tea experience at the luxury five star hotel, One Aldwych, and an indulgent Covent Garden chocolate hamper.
Alongside the trail, Caroline will offer visitors a range of free children’s crafting workshops within Seven Dials Market on Friday 7th April, as well as transforming the neighbourhood’s much-loved alfresco area, painting the picnic tables in her signature brightly coloured prints and patterns to bring a splash of colour to the Piazza.
For chocolate lovers this Easter, Covent Garden has an unrivalled lineup of chocolatiers offering endless Easter treats. Lakrids have launched their crispy caramel Easter eggs with sweet liquorice centres, whilst Barnaby’s are offering their iconic handmade bars with flavours including the ‘Matchstick’ filled with S’mores, brownie butter and torched marshmallows, and ‘Spectacular’ filled with brownie butter, cookies and speculoos cream.
Ladurée have launched their Easter collection, featuring their iconic milk and dark chocolate eggs, and the best friend of any Easter egg hunt ‘Lala the bunny’ available in milk, dark and pink chocolate. Godiva, Hotel Chocolat, Laderach, Neuhaus, Pierre Hermé and Venchi will also be offering endless Easter chocolate treats, throughout March.
For those looking for sweet alternatives, head to St John’s Bakery for their pillowy fruit-studded hot cross buns, Blondies Kitchen for their creme egg topped warm cookies and their new cookie-croissants, WatchHouse for hot cross buns served with fruit and a spiced rosemary glaze, and VyTA for their insta-famous chocolate dipped Maritozzo cream filled buns.
Luxury French tea house Mariage Frères are celebrating their 170th anniversary and the start of the Sakura season with a range of new tea blends, including ‘Sakura Sakura’, an enchanting green tea with notes of blooming cherry trees, and ‘Lapin Joyeux’ the ‘Happy Bunny’ hazelnut praline and tea flavoured marshmallow dessert.
Spring menus and limited-edition dishes are available at a range of Covent Garden dining destinations this Easter. GAUCHO will be serving their Sunday Roast including sirloin of beef with roast potatoes, seasonal vegetables, and unlimited Yorkshire puddings, along with a limited-edition ‘Coco Noir’ cocktail made with Mozart dark chocolate liqueur, Flor de Cana 7 rum, coconut milk and black walnut.
The Ivy Market Grill will serve their new spring menu featuring a limited-edition Chocolate Afternoon Tea, whilst Din Tai Fung’s indulgent chocolate-filled hot cross lava bun’s will return to the menu. Sticks’n’Sushi have created an elevated Sakura seasonal menu, including a cherry chocolate fondant dessert with a luscious pink centre and Sakura Hanami Cocktail that harnesses the essence of spring. Families can also join in with Sakura themed origami activities and children will receive a delicious Easter egg to takeaway.
Foodies can enjoy a range of day-to-night dining options whilst in the neighbourhood, highlights include breakfast and brunch at Apple Butter Café, Lilly’s Café and The Breakfast Club, Sunday roasts at Cora Pearl, Story Cellar and Pivot or lunch and dinner at Ave Mario, Notto, SUSHISAMBA, The Barbary, The Oystermen, The Petersham and more.
For those looking for Easter holiday entertainment, at Covent Garden there is something fun for everyone. The London Transport Museum is inviting visitors to enjoy the weird and wonderful world of the Lost Property Office. Between 2nd-18th April families can visit a trail exploring all the lost objects of past and present and experience exclusive talks from children’s authors Emily Rand and Kate Wilkinson, whose books take inspiration from lost momentos. Guests can join Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels for their ‘Bountiful Bouquet’ themed Wine & Dine event on 18th April or attend a Petersham Nurseries spring bulb planter masterclass on 23rd March or exclusive floristry workshop on 12th April at The Petersham. Tickets will be from £95 and are bookable online via the website.
From the end of March, culture lovers can delve into the rich and fascinating history of Swan Lake at The Royal Opera House through a ballet-themed tour followed by afternoon tea, whilst music enthusiasts can enjoy an Easter special at Stereo with performances from funk and soul instrumentalist Ben Jones.
Covent Garden will also welcome a number of exciting new brands this season, including outdoor performance-wear brand Arc’teryx who recently opened their new flagship store on King Street. The team behind Covent Garden’s iconic The Oystermen will be opening thirty7, a new British bistro-style restaurant and bar on Bedford Street at the end of March and further openings are set for Spring from luxury Swiss watch brand Omega, piercing studio Metal Morphosis and luxury French home fragrance brand Trudon.
To put a spring in visitors’ steps, the estate will host a range of pop-ups this Easter. The iconic Kocktail van will return to the Piazza from 29th March-14th April, offering chocolate negronis and a build-your-own margarita bar, whilst Australian lingerie brand Peachaus has launched a pop-up boutique at 55 Monmouth Street, perfect for those looking for ethical and sustainable lingerie and loungewear.
