Out-of-town shopping centers may well have ushered in the decline of the traditional British high street in recent years, and it’s easy to see why. However, while London doesn’t offer any of these, you don’t have to!
London literally has it all. From market stalls to the world’s largest department stores, from cheap trinkets to exorbitantly priced avant-garde fashion from the world’s best designers, London’s many and varied shopping areas cater for everyone.
As convenient as the malls are, they don’t even scratch the surface of what London can offer the shopper in terms of diversity, and wherever you are in the city, it’s all just a short tube or bus ride away. With the chance to also see some of the world’s most famous landmarks, the London shopping experience is second to none.
oxford street
Britain’s busiest high street and London’s best-known shopping area is packed with the country’s most popular shops – over 300 in fact. Many of the street’s biggest names have their flagship stores here and the street it also boasts the oldest record store in the world (HMV at number 363). Also home to the world famous Selfridges department store, Oxford Street is a 1 ½ mile shopping utopia for those who don’t mind the experience being a bit hectic.
Nearest tubes: Marble Arch, Bond Street, Oxford Circus, Tottenham Court Road
gentlemen’s bridge
Knightsbridge is home to chic fashion boutiques and quality department stores: the crown jewels are the absolutely fabulous Harvey Nicholls and the world’s most famous corner store, Harrods. Big name fashion designers can be found on Sloane Street and equally stylish but smaller outlets on Beauchamp Place.
Nearest Tube: Knightsbridge
Kensington High Street
Kensington offers a little bit of everything for those shopping in London. It has all the well-known chain stores, many department stores (the main one being Barker’s), a variety of antique shops (in nearby Kensington Church Street) and many restaurants. It’s less crowded than the West End and certainly has a more elegant feel to it.
Nearest tube: High Street Kensington
regent street
Running the ¾ mile between Oxford Circus and Piccadilly Circus, Regent Street certainly offers London’s most visually elegant shopping experience, with all the shops conforming to the same ornate architectural style. It boasts department stores, fashion boutiques, restaurants and high street household names and is also home to the world’s best known toy store, Hamley’s.
Nearest tubes: Oxford Circus, Piccadilly Circus
bond street
If you’re looking for a London shopping experience with a touch of class, and don’t mind paying for it, then Bond Street is for you. Lined with the biggest designer names, including Armani, Calvin Klein, Gucci, Cartier and Tiffany & Co, the street boasts more royal family purveyors than anywhere else in London. A world away from the every man for himself experience of Oxford Street, many shops have their own doormen. The street is also home to the world famous Sotheby’s auction house.
Nearest Tube: Bond Street
Tottenham Court Road
If you’re shopping for electrical items or home furnishings in London, Tottenham Court Road is well worth a visit. The area’s narrow streets offer a variety of interesting pubs and specialist shops, and nearby Charlotte Street has a wide variety of restaurants.
Nearest tubes: Tottenham Court Road, Goodge Street, Warren Street
Soho and Chinatown
Soho has cleaned up its act over the years and no longer has the bad rap it was once known for. If it’s sex shops he’s after in London, he’ll still be well catered for, but his reputation today rests so much on the many cafes, bars and restaurants, making the area an extremely popular 24-hour attraction. . one day. It’s an incredibly racially and culturally diverse area, has a thriving gay community, and has also become a media capital in recent years. Soho is busy and messy, but it’s worth the experience.
Nearest tubes: Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square
carnaby street
The London fashion mecca of the 1960s has become almost as famous today for souvenir shops that cash in on tourists drawn to the street by its iconic name, however it is now starting to regain a reputation. cutting edge, particularly in the far south. of the street. Newburgh Street (which runs through Carnaby Street) features the shops of several top designers including Jean Paul Gaultier and John Richmond, and nearby Kingly Court has 3 floors of concept stores set around an open courtyard offering off-the-shelf items. nowhere else in London.
Nearest Tube: Oxford Circus
King’s road
The road gained a reputation for fashion-forward fashion in the 1960s and 1970s that it may not have today, however it still boasts many independent clothing and shoe stores. There are also several contemporary furniture stores and a wide variety of bars and restaurants. Peter Jones department store is at the end of Sloane Square and opposite is the new Duke Of York shopping district. The road has always had a glamorous reputation, and as well as providing a great London shopping experience, it’s also a great spot for celebrity spotting.
Nearest Tube: Sloane Square
fulham road
Fulham Road runs parallel to King’s Road and offers a much more relaxed London shopping experience. If you are looking for antiques or specialized interior furniture, you will find a more than adequate service here.
Nearest tube: South Kensington
portobello highway
Notting Hill has become quite a fashionable area of late, but long before the film and even the annual carnival, in fact since the 18th century, Portobello Road Market has attracted large numbers of visitors. Known primarily for its antiques, trinkets, and collectibles, there are also shops and stalls selling everything from fruits and vegetables to trendy clothing. And if so much shopping makes you thirsty, you won’t be short of pubs to choose from.
Nearest Tube: Ladbroke Grove
islington
Another area of London that has become fashionable in recent years, Islington has a little bit of everything to satisfy its inhabitants and visitors alike. Upper Street is the ‘main street’ of the area and has all the well known chain stores as well as many bars and restaurants. Chapel Market offers all the usual market items such as fruit and vegetables, clothing and housewares, while Camden Passage has some nice antique shops. Islington isn’t London’s obvious shopping destination, but it’s worth checking out.
Nearest metro: Angel
camden town
If you’re looking for a more bohemian shopping experience in London than Knightsbridge or Bond Street offers, then head to Camden. One of the city’s coolest areas has an endless variety of shops and stalls selling items like clothing (new, secondhand and vintage), Doc Martins and custom sneakers, jewelry, bootleg CDs and DVDs, and handicrafts. Open every day (and very busy on the weekends), it’s a multicultural experience with small food outlets scattered throughout.
Nearest Tube: Camden Town
covent garden
Once a fruit and vegetable market, ‘The Garden’ is now a hive of constant and varied activity. It has a very diverse selection of shops, restaurants, bars, a market selling arts, crafts, antiques and souvenirs, historic buildings, theatres, the Royal Opera House and fantastic free entertainment provided by street performers and musicians. If you can’t find something that catches your interest in Covent Garden then there really is no hope.
Nearest tube: Covent Garden
