3 Henrietta Street is a beautifully restored five-floor townhouse in the heart of Covent Garden. Built in 1780, the building is steeped in history, having been home to bakers, lace-makers, drapers, surgeons, stockbrokers and members of the nobility.

In recent years, the space has evolved into a vibrant all-day dining destination, having hosted a range of food and beverage concepts over time, including Pivot, El Ta’koy, Lilly’s Café, Doughnation and coffee house favourite The Gentlemen Baristas.

Managed by TGP International in partnership with sister company Game Changers International, the building has also operated as an incubation hub for the wider hospitality group and investment portfolio. While the mix of concepts has naturally evolved, the venue has remained a lively destination for locals and visitors alike, continuing to reflect its role as a social and culinary gathering point.

Importantly, the building is also home to TGP’s UK office, with the group’s London-based creative, strategy and operational teams based within the top-floor workspace.

The Brief

The brief for 3 Henrietta Street Covent Garden was to design an incubator hub: a platform for emerging food and beverage brands to test ideas, build visibility and connect with one of London’s most dynamic, high-footfall audiences. The ambition was to create a destination that felt commercially agile, culturally relevant and distinctly Covent Garden, playing on its historic market vendor heritage.

TGP International reimagined 3 Henrietta Street as a multi-concept dining destination. The challenge was to preserve the historical integrity of an 18th-century Grade II listed townhouse overlooking the Covent Garden Piazza, while creating a contemporary, cohesive environment suitable for multiple food and beverage experiences.

Rather than compete with its heritage, the design approach worked with it, celebrating original features, embracing the character of the multi-storey townhouse, and using the layered spatial structure as the foundation for a contemporary hospitality experience.

The project aimed to deliver:

• A fully restored building that retains its original features and quirks
• Individual design identities for each dining concept
• A strong, overarching brand for 3 Henrietta Street that ties the entire building together
• A flexible and welcoming space that attracts both locals and visitors

 Developing the Concept

3 Henrietta Street was envisioned as an incubation hub for an evolving mix of culinary and lifestyle brands, bringing together diverse concepts under one historic roof.

At its core, the concept balances a powerful but restrained architectural environment with the need for each venue to express its own identity while still belonging to a larger whole. This was achieved through carefully designed shared spaces and a spatial framework that supports multiple independent food and beverage concepts, each with its own micro-kitchen and aesthetic.

The result is a layered, curated destination that feels natural in its setting, yet distinct in its individual experiences.

A key strategy was zoning the venue with floor-specific identities, with each level designed to reflect the character and ethos of its respective brand, creating unique atmospheres while maintaining visual harmony across the building.

Entrance hallways, lobbies and vertical circulation spaces reimagine the classic London townhouse experience through a contemporary lens. Traditional detailing is retained and reframed with modern lighting and materiality, supported by a visual wayfinding strategy that gives the building clarity and cohesion. These transitional moments are not treated as secondary spaces — they are part of the guest experience, shaping movement through the building and reinforcing a sense of discovery from one concept to the next.

Branding was developed as an extension of the architecture. Inspired by traditional London street signage, the visual identity for 3 Henrietta Street uses a left-aligned lock-up that feels modern while referencing heritage cues. This graphic language carries through into wayfinding, creating a consistent thread across the building and unifying a multi-brand environment without diluting the individuality of its occupiers.

Pivot Bar & Bistro

Spanning two floors, Pivot is a modern British restaurant curated by Chef Mark Greenaway. Its first-floor dining room overlooks Covent Garden Piazza, blending classic British bistro elements with a modern, relaxed aesthetic. Pivot Bar & Bistro on the upper floor offers reimagined gourmet classics, providing an intimate, immersive experience where every detail is centred on creating memorable dining moments.

El Ta’koy

This Hawaiian-inspired street food and tiki bar brings global influences to Covent Garden, reflecting Chef Luis Pous’ culinary journey through Hawaii. The space is lively and dynamic, echoing the multicultural flavours of the menu while introducing a more nighttime destination energy to the building.

Doughnation

Set within the conservatory to the rear, Doughnation introduces an artisan pizza concept that contributes to the evolving mix of operators within the building. It reflects the flexibility of the incubation model, allowing concepts to shift and evolve while maintaining the integrity of the overall destination.

Lilly’s Café

Located in the ground-floor conservatory, Lilly’s combines wellness, fun, and design-driven experiences. Inspired by astrology, gems, and the elements, it offers brunches, afternoon teas, and mood-boosting drinks, complemented by whimsical touches such as star-sign cakes, tableside tea-leaf readings, and lighthearted daily affirmations.

The Gentlemen Baristas

Rooted in London’s East End, this specialty coffee brand emphasises craft, quality, and community. Its space is designed to celebrate the ritual of coffee, creating a welcoming hub for locals and visitors alike to connect over expertly roasted and brewed drinks.

Original architectural features such as exposed beams, ornate cornices and period detailing were carefully restored. These historical elements serve as the foundation for modern design interventions that highlight each concept’s individuality while supporting a cohesive overarching environment.

Materials, lighting, furniture and finishes were curated to enhance the character of each brand. From Pivot’s refined elegance to El Ta’koy’s vibrant energy, Lilly’s playful wellness-focused interiors, and the approachable warmth of The Gentlemen Baristas, each concept engages visitors’ senses and creates a layered experience across the building.

Today, the hub supports multiple distinct brands operating under one carefully orchestrated roof, demonstrating the strength of the model: different tones of voice, different concepts and different environments, all coexisting within a single destination framework.

3 Henrietta Street is compelling in the way design operates as both aesthetic and business strategy. With its striking views over the Piazza, its blend of heritage and modernity, and its ability to house multiple concepts without losing identity, the project offers an alternative to the conventional single-brand restaurant model.

It is a hospitality destination shaped by flexibility, character and place — designed to attract, designed to evolve, and designed to give new brands the best possible stage.

See Current 3 Henrietta Street Brands

Design Drivers

Several core principles guided the design process:

• Respect for heritage – Maintaining the integrity of the Grade II listed townhouse while allowing for functional, contemporary use
• Character and individuality – Each concept required its own personality without compromising the overall building identity
• Versatility and flow – Creating spaces that accommodate varying occupancy levels and different times of the day
• Brand cohesion – Ensuring that while each concept is visually distinct, all share an overarching visual language connecting them to 3 Henrietta Street

Communicating the Brand

TGP developed a visual identity that encapsulates the history and vibrancy of 3 Henrietta Street, with a branding and visual communication strategy that includes:

• An overarching brand identity for the building, reflecting sophistication, history and culinary excellence
• Concept-specific adaptations for each operator while maintaining a coherent visual link to the wider destination
• Environmental graphics and wayfinding inspired by traditional London street signage, ensuring clarity while enhancing the heritage character of the building

The Outcome

The restored 3 Henrietta Street is now a landmark destination in Covent Garden, celebrated for its layered design approach and multi-concept hospitality model.

Highlights include:

• Preservation of original architectural details alongside contemporary interventions
• A strong destination identity recognised across physical and digital touchpoints
• A multi-level guest experience where each floor offers a distinct but connected journey
• Continued evolution of the tenant mix, demonstrating the flexibility of the incubation model
• The inclusion of The Onion Room, a flexible private dining and meeting space designed for corporate events, celebrations and bespoke hospitality experiences

The project has established itself as a dynamic hospitality hub where concepts can evolve over time while maintaining a coherent destination identity.

Contributors