Despite inciting in visitors hatred for tourists, families with more than two small children and people who stop in the middle of a crowded walkway for no reason, Covent Garden is usually a surprisingly wonderful place to visit. If you're looking for gifts, especially for people outside London, it's got just about everything between shops such as Octopus and David and Golith and the market stalls (note: mostly tat and AVOID during peak times). You're also well situated for the London Transport Museum, good food and fantastic people watching.

What's most enjoyable about Covent Garden are the buskers who are always top notch (and during the holiday season you never know what famous names might show up). Keep an eye and ear out for the busker who often occupies the south-west corner of the plaza and sounds exactly like James Taylor. Brilliant.

You forgot to mention the mime 'artists'. If you hate and fear silver painted men slowly doing the robot, beware. Just seeing one of these statuesque douches puts my teeth on edge and the closest I have ever come to punching a stranger really hard in the face is in Covent Garden. I still really wish I had done it.