Neal's Yard
the west end's secret rainbow yard
A tiny, riotously colourful courtyard hidden off the streets of Covent Garden. Free to find, if you can spot the alley, and the prettiest two minutes in the West End.
Free to visit · Covent Garden · Covent Garden · WC2H 9DP
Opening: Always open · cafes have their own hours
Thousands of people walk past the entrances every day without ever realising it is there. Neal's Yard is a tiny courtyard tucked behind the streets of Covent Garden, and stepping into it from the grey lanes outside is a genuine surprise, a sudden explosion of colour.
Every wall, window frame and shopfront is painted in clashing brights, hung with greenery and trailing plants, ringed by little independent cafes and health shops. It was rescued from dereliction in the 1970s and turned into this deliberately joyful pocket, and it costs nothing to stand in the middle and take it in.
It is small, so you will not spend long, but it is one of the most photographed corners of central London for good reason. Find it on the walk between Covent Garden and Seven Dials and it turns an ordinary stroll into a little moment.
Getting there: Hidden between Shorts Gardens and Monmouth Street near Seven Dials, a couple of minutes from Covent Garden.
Best time to go: Early morning for an empty, photogenic version before the cafes fill, or a sunny lunchtime when the whole yard glows.
Insider tip: The two entrances are easy to miss, which is the whole charm. Come first thing in the morning before the cafe tables and the influencer queues fill it, and you can stand in an empty rainbow courtyard in the middle of the West End for free.
Official site: https://www.coventgarden.london
Free things to do in London · London Free Guide