Travel Tips - Drinking in Covent Garden, England

For an authentic laid-back atmosphere with a real kick-start coffee aroma, there are few places like Ray’s Jazz Cafe in Foyle’s Bookshop. As much as the famous Charing Cross Road branch of Foyle’s has become a safe-haven for the literary minded, their recently rejuvenated first-floor lunchroom offers a relaxing mixture of cool music, great food and freshly-brewed blends – setting it in complete contrast to the sterile coffee-house chains that have taken over the city.

The wide range of organic freshly-made food – from out-of-the-oven quiches to scrumptious salmon bagels and pastries – is also what separates this cafe from its lowly generic counterparts. Another feather in their cap is the reliable free wi-fi service that they provide, although you will find most patrons prefer to sit back with a light refreshment and an engrossing novel. If you are on a whistle-stop tour of the London sights, this chilled-out refuge – halfway between the British Museum and Trafalgar Square – is an ideal place for a quick time out. Also, try to pay a visit on a mid-week evening, when they host performances with some of the most accomplished jazz musicians the city can offer.