118 Best Places to Shop in London, England

Before there was Harry Potter, there was Tintin. Created by the Belgian cartoonist Hergé, the story of the fictional boy detective and his intrepid dog, Snowy, has been a cult favorite for generations. At this namesake shop devotees can find Tintin-related books, posters, T-shirts, metal and resin figurines, die-cast model airplanes, alarm clocks, and more.

This furniture, lighting, and accessories store is a must-see if you're into mid-century and modernist design. It carries an enormous selection of 20th-century classics, including pieces from Eames, Noguchi, Wegner, Aalto, Prouvé, Saarinen, and the husband-and-wife team Robin and Lucienne Day, both in the form of original pieces and licensed reissues. You can also find contemporary products from modern masters like Tom Dixon, Thomas Heatherwick, and Marc Newson. Small accessories like tote bags and bath mats will easily fit into your luggage.

This petite boutique claims to be London's first store dedicated to socially and environmentally sustainable fashion, with a strict transparency and accountability policy that all its brands must adhere to. So you can happily indulge in the likes of Marimekko, Kowtow, and Bobo Choses, plus accessories from Aspiga, ELK, and LULU Copenhagen entirely guilt-free. 

French-Cambodian sisters Val and Vanda Heng-Vong arrived in London in their early twenties and launched this shop to showcase the best of French clothing and designer housewares. Expect to find cult French labels like Isabel Marant and Gigi Clozeau, along with gorgeous housewares. Aimé also has its own in-house label, with the accent on everyday style with a French twist.

Since the legendary designer's untimely death in 2010, his right-hand woman, Sarah Burton, has been at the helm, receiving raves for continuing his tradition of theatrical, darkly romantic, and beautifully cut clothes incorporating corsetry, lace, embroidery, and hourglass silhouettes, all of which were exemplified in Burton's celebrated wedding dress for Kate Middleton. Can't afford a gala gown? Go home with a skull-print silk scarf.

This four-story, bohemian-chic labyrinth is London's largest indoor antiques market, housing more than 75 dealers specializing in art, lighting, glassware, textiles, jewelry, furniture, and collectibles, with a particular strength in vintage clothing and 20th-century design. Come here to pick up vintage (1900–70) clothing, accessories, and luggage from Tin Tin Collectables; antique and vintage glassware and vases at Robinson Antiques; or a spectacular mid-20th-century Italian lighting fixture at Vincenzo Caffarella. The atmosphere may be funky, but the prices are not. There's also a rooftop café with free Wi-Fi if you need a coffee break. In addition to the market, this end of Church Street is lined with excellent antiques shops.

For more than 100 years, Dunhill has been synonymous with the most luxurious and sophisticated men's goods, including accessories, briefcases, and superbly tailored clothes. This Georgian mansion, their flagship, also features a barbershop, cellar bar, courtyard restaurant, and bespoke services, where you can order custom-fitted menswear or unique versions of the brand's celebrated leather goods. The smaller, original St. James's shop has been on Jermyn Street since 1906.

Exquisite leather bags and personalized, printed canvas totes are what made Hindmarch famous, and this store sells her complete collection of bags, several with a whimsical motif. You can also order a custom piece from the "Be A Bag" collection, with its totes and wash bags imprinted with your chosen photo, or from the "I Am A Plastic Bag" collection made from recycled plastic bottles. There are branches around the corner on Pont Street in Knightsbridge and in Notting Hill.

The company's "global flagship" store displays exquisite jewelry—as well as silver and leather goods, watches, china, and crystal—in a discreet, very British setting that epitomizes quality, expensive good taste, and hushed comfort. If you're in the market for an immaculate 1930s cigarette case, a silver cocktail shaker, a pair of pavé diamond and sapphire earrings, or a ladylike handbag, you won't likely be disappointed. And, for the really well-heeled, there's custom service available as well (Ringo Starr had a chess set made here). Having been at its original location since 1847 (some 66 years after Asprey was established in 1781), the company celebrated its 240th birthday in 2021 with a move to a new flagship store just around the corner on Bruton Street.

For years the purveyors of Britain's coolest motorcycle leathers, Belstaff has expanded into dresses, skirts, and handbags, as well as knitwear, boots, tops, and trousers for men, women, and children. Outerwear in general and leather jackets in particular remain a strength. All the items reflect the brand's functional yet unconventional heritage. Previous customers include Lawrence of Arabia, Amelia Earhart, Steve McQueen, and Che Guevara.

The early bird catches the worm at this Friday market, so come at 6 am (flashlight recommended) to bag a bargain at London's largest antiques market. Dealers also arrive before dawn to snap up the best silver, paintings, objets d'art, jewelry, and furniture, most from Georgian through Edwardian times, but there's also the odd vintage collectible like 1980s arcade games. The early start grew out of a loophole in the law (dating from when the market began on the site in 1885) that said stolen goods bought between sunset and sunrise could not be prosecuted as the origin of the goods could not be determined (stolen goods are no longer welcome). An influx of French antiques dealers has recently joined the Bermondsey veterans selling from their covered stalls. The market finishes at 2 pm.

This unique shop near the British Museum specializes in rubber stamps, with everything from businesslike "Paid" stamps to Alice in Wonderland characters, Egyptian gods, VW Beetles, flying saucers, and more. Get a custom-made personal stamp—a great gift for a young person—or bring back stamps of British icons like a double-decker bus, the Tower of London, or a bust of Shakespeare as souvenirs. It also carries crafting supplies and scrapbooking materials, and has friendly knowledgeable staff on hand to advise.

These well-made, well-priced Italian shoes hit the elusive sweet spot of being both fashionable and wearable. Styles range from sneakers, flatforms, and loafers to ankle boots, ballerina flats, and elegant suede heels.

The noisy center of the Bangladeshi community is a hubbub of buying and selling on Sunday. Stalls have food, hardware, household and electrical goods, bric-a-brac, secondhand clothes, spices, and traditional saris. Some of the CDs and DVDs are pirated, and the bargain iron may not have a plug, so check carefully. Shoppers nevertheless flock to the market to enjoy the buzz, sample curries and Bangladeshi sweets, or browse at the many vintage stores lining the northern end of the street. Brick Lane's activity spills over into nearby Petticoat Lane Market, where there are similar goods but less atmosphere.

The knitwear is cozy, but the style is cool in this contemporary Scottish cashmere emporium for men, women, and kids. There are stylish pullovers, wraps, cardigans, hoodies, and adorable baby ensembles, as well as non-cashmere items such as T-shirts and jersey, silk, velvet, or linen dresses. Other branches are in Marylebone and Covent Garden; plus there's a clearance store farther down King's Road.

A trendsetting boutique since it opened in the 1970s, this shop occupying interconnecting town houses has been reinvigorated after a purchase by luxury e-tailer Farfetch.com. Browns focuses on well-established international luxury designers, such as Vetements, Valentino, Marques'Almeida, and Saint Laurent. The menswear, footwear, and accessories collections are equally well chosen. If you're about to go down the aisle, check out the appointment-only bridal boutique at 12 Hinde Street in Marylebone.

Known for its trademark tartan, this company has cultivated an edgy, high-fashion image in recent years, and following the departure of designer Riccardo Tisci, creative director Daniel Lee is set to put his own stamp on future collections. For those who prefer the traditional Burberry look, the raincoats are still a classic buy, along with handbags and plaid scarves in every color imaginable. If you're up for a trek, there's a huge factory outlet in Hackney on Chatham Place that has clothes and accessories for men, women, and children at half price or less. There are also branches in Chelsea, Knightsbridge, and the Westfield shopping center in addition to this spectacular flagship store.

Specialists in bold costume jewelry where imaginative design gives you a lot of bang for your buck, Butler & Wilson's affordable glamour attracts fans that include the Princess of Wales. Semiprecious stones have been added to their foundation diamanté, colored rhinestone, and crystal collections. The noted British sense of humor is reflected in items like a champagne-glass brooch or crystal skull earrings.

This is the place for adorable yet understated clothes for children six months and up. You'll find everything from 100% cotton baby romper suits to a fab selection of floral dresses, gingham shirts, and handcrafted alpaca and merino jerseys, as well as twill, corduroy, and cotton pants. Kids’ accessories range from charming mittens and beanies to cool sunglasses and superchic hair bands and clips. A sister shop farther along Ledbury Road (No. 38b) offers moms the chance to buy clothing in a similar vein. Caramel also sells a small selection of children's books as well as decorative functional items like sleeping bags, lamps, and quilts. Prices aren’t cheap, but the quality is superb. Every Tuesday and Saturday, the shop offers a hair salon for little customers. There are also outlets in Selfridges and Harrods.

Established in 1875, this master chocolatier's Mayfair shop specializes in traditional handmade chocolates (rose-petal creams and champagne truffles, for example) and has been creating these beautifully packaged, high-quality candies from long before most of today's fashionable brands appeared. Their drinking chocolate—coarsely grated fine chocolate in a tin—is worth carrying home in a suitcase.

The weekend open-air Clock Tower Antiques Market on Greenwich High Road has vintage shopping, and browsing among the "small collectibles" makes for a good half-hour diversion. Give it a miss in bad weather, when the number of stalls falls dramatically.

This elegant yet comfortable store is like stepping into the linen closet of your dreams, complete with tasteful cotton sheet sets, wool blankets, quilts, fluffy towels, Indian silk holdalls, and cotton nightgowns and robes. There are also several items for kids, including sheets with prints of dolphins or whales, sleepsuits for babies, and charming soft toys from France. The "cologne" is from well-chosen niche brands (mostly from France) for her, him, and the room. Other branches are in Marylebone and Kensington. 

Tricia Guild's exuberantly patterned fabrics, wallpapers, paints, furniture, and bed linens have decorated design-conscious British homes for several decades, and her soft-furnishings book has taught many budget-conscious do-it-yourselfers how to reupholster a sofa or make lined draperies. The shop also stocks contemporary furniture, wallpapers, and home accessories by other designers like Christian Lacroix. There's another branch in Marylebone.

With its creative displays and eclectic, well-chosen mix of merchandise, this four-floor emporium is as much art installation as store. The merchandise and its configuration change every six months, so you never know what you will find, which is half the fun. The creation of Comme des Garçons' Rei Kawakubo, Dover Street Market showcases all the label's collections for men and women alongside a changing roster of other ultrafashionable designers, including Gucci, Raf Simons, Balenciaga, Loewe, Wales Bonner, and Molly Goddard, all of whom have had their own customized miniboutiques—plus sneaker and denim collaborations, eyeglass frames, and jewelry. An outpost of Rose Bakery on the top floor makes for a good break.

Tucked away in a residential mews, this uncluttered shop in a former Victorian dairy is the brainchild of Maureen Doherty, once Issey Miyake's assistant who still shares his relaxed but cutting-edge aesthetic. More than half the minimalist, unstructured styles for men and women—in natural luxury fabrics such as silk, cashmere, antique cotton, or even felted Tibetan yak wool —are handmade. Garments may be casually hung on hooks or folded on wooden tables, but the price tags are anything but unassuming. The clientele includes the likes of Donna Karan and former British PM Theresa May. One-of-a-kind ceramics, scarves, blankets, bags, and jewelry are also on display.

What did Queen Victoria, Mary Shelley, and Marilyn Monroe have in common? They all used products from Floris, one of the most beautiful shops in London, with gleaming glass–and–Spanish mahogany showcases salvaged from the Great Exhibition of 1851. In addition to scents for both men and women (including the late Queen Elizabeth II), Floris has been making its own shaving products---plus combs, brushes, and fragrances---since 1730 (and is still owned by the same family, nine generations later), reflecting its origins as a barbershop. Other gift possibilities include a famous rose-scented mouthwash and beautifully packaged soaps and bath essences.

The oldest jewelry house in the world, Garrard has been in business since 1735. Between 1843 and 2007, the company was responsible for the upkeep of the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London and for creating several royal crowns (you can see some on display in the Tower). Today the focus is on precious gems in simple, classic settings, along with silver accessories. Although some collections are definitely contemporary (with items like minimalist hoop earrings or two-finger rings), many of the designs are traditional and impressive—which will be handy should you be in the market for an old-school diamond tiara.

Open since 1979, this is London's leading gay and lesbian bookshop. Thousands of titles, from literature and thoughtful nonfiction to erotica and prodiversity children's books, fill the shelves. The shop is a well-loved fixture on the scene (it features prominently in the 2014 movie Pride) and often hosts discussion groups, readings, and other events.

One of the grand men's tailoring houses of Savile Row, this company made its name outfitting British royals who served as officers in the armed forces. The company still supplies custom-made military uniforms, as well as beautifully tailored formal and civilian wear for clients who have included Winston Churchill and Ian Fleming. Prices for a bespoke suit start around £5,000 and made to measure at £1,150, but you can find ready-made versions from around £900 (separates from £200), while a new line of casual wear has several items under £200. Custom-made shoes are also available.

Combining style with practicality and a whimsical twist, this delightful interiors shop carries a broad but carefully curated selection of faux-fur throws, elegant lamps and lampshades, embroidered cushions, sheepskin rugs, agate or Venetian glass doorknobs, folding deck chairs (as found in the Royal Parks), shabby-chic sofas, ceramics and cutlery, dinosaur string lights, and more. There are branches in Notting Hill and Bayswater.