35 of the best · London, United Kingdom
Department stores, luxury streets, historic shops and bookshops.
Our 35 favourites, listed A–Z · Updated October 2026
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Three of our favourites from this list, vetted by people who know and love London.
Tudor-revival landmark
A much-loved department store in a Tudor-revival building made from the timbers of two old warships, famous for its prints and fabrics.
Regent Street, W1B 5AHExplore View on map
Piccadilly’s grand grocer
The grand Piccadilly store, founded in 1707, famous for tea, hampers, biscuits and its clock with the figures of Mr Fortnum and Mr Mason.
181 Piccadilly, W1A 1ERExplore View on map
A Regency arcade
A covered Regency arcade off Piccadilly, opened in 1819, with small shops for watches, jewellery, leather and cashmere, watched over by its Beadles.
51 Piccadilly, W1J 0QJExplore View on map
In-depth stories behind the list.
The back story
Savile Row’s tailors, the royal-warrant shops of St James’s, Regency arcades and the great department stores: how London shops.
The great London stores.
Piccadilly’s grand grocer
The grand Piccadilly store, founded in 1707, famous for tea, hampers, biscuits and its clock with the figures of Mr Fortnum and Mr Mason.
181 Piccadilly, W1A 1ERExplore View on map
Knightsbridge landmark
The famous terracotta department store on Brompton Road, with its Food Halls and lights that outline the building at night.
87-135 Brompton Road, SW1X 7XLExplore View on map
Fashion on Knightsbridge
A luxury fashion department store at the corner of Knightsbridge and Sloane Street, with a food market and restaurant on the fifth floor.
109-125 Knightsbridge, SW1X 7RJExplore View on map
A former wharf under glass
A former 19th-century wharf on the river near London Bridge, roofed in glass and filled with cafés, shops and the sculpture The Navigators.
Battle Bridge Lane, SE1 2HDExplore View on map
Tudor-revival landmark
A much-loved department store in a Tudor-revival building made from the timbers of two old warships, famous for its prints and fabrics.
Regent Street, W1B 5AHExplore View on map
Shops and a roof terrace
A modern shopping centre beside St Paul’s Cathedral, with a roof terrace looking at the dome.
One New Change, EC4M 9AFExplore View on map
Oxford Street’s grand store
The great department store on Oxford Street, opened in 1909, with fashion, beauty, a huge food hall and famous windows.
400 Oxford Street, W1A 1ABExplore View on map
Luxury in a historic exchange
The grand classical building opposite the Bank of England, founded as an exchange in the 16th century, now home to luxury boutiques and dining.
Royal Exchange, Bank, EC3VExplore View on map
Stroll and browse.
Luxury fashion and jewellery
Old and New Bond Street, London’s great luxury shopping street, lined with fashion houses, jewellers, art dealers and the auction house Sotheby’s.
Bond Street, W1SExplore View on map
A Regency arcade
A covered Regency arcade off Piccadilly, opened in 1819, with small shops for watches, jewellery, leather and cashmere, watched over by its Beadles.
51 Piccadilly, W1J 0QJExplore View on map
Swinging Sixties to today
The pedestrian streets around Carnaby Street, famous since the 1960s, with fashion brands, independent shops and Kingly Court’s three floors of restaurants.
Carnaby Street, W1FExplore View on map
Crafts, antiques and food
A covered market in the heart of Greenwich, with stalls of crafts, antiques, art and street food.
Greenwich Market, SE10 9HZExplore View on map
Shirtmakers and gentlemen’s outfitters
A St James’s street famous for shirtmakers, shoemakers, cheese, perfume and gentlemen’s outfitters.
Jermyn Street, SW1YExplore View on map
A village high street
A village-like high street of independent shops, cafés, cheesemongers and Daunt Books, a short walk from Oxford Street.
Marylebone High Street, W1UExplore View on map
Mayfair’s most elegant street
A handsome street of pink terracotta buildings, luxury boutiques, a historic butcher and the quiet Mount Street Gardens.
Mount Street, W1KExplore View on map
London’s high street
London’s great high street, running from Marble Arch to Tottenham Court Road, with Selfridges, John Lewis and flagship high-street stores.
Oxford Street, W1Explore View on map
Antiques on Saturdays
The long street market of Notting Hill, famous for antiques on Saturdays, with food, fruit and vintage stalls.
Portobello Road, W11Explore View on map
Pastel houses and independent shops
The village street of Primrose Hill, with independent shops, cafés and restaurants below the hill and its view of the skyline.
Regent’s Park Road, Primrose HillExplore View on map
John Nash’s curving street
A grand curving street of the 1810s and 1820s, designed by John Nash, lined with flagship stores and famous for its Christmas lights.
Regent Street, W1BExplore View on map
The home of bespoke tailoring
The Mayfair street synonymous with bespoke tailoring, home to historic tailors such as Henry Poole and Gieves & Hawkes.
Savile Row, W1SExplore View on map
Seven streets, one sundial
Seven streets meeting at a sundial pillar, lined with independent shops, fashion and beauty brands, cafés and restaurants.
Seven Dials, WC2H 9HDExplore View on map
Luxury and Chelsea style
Sloane Street’s luxury flagships between Knightsbridge and Sloane Square, and the King’s Road, famous since the 1960s, running west through Chelsea.
Sloane Street, SW1XExplore View on map
Hours of browsing.
A cookbook shop with a test kitchen
A specialist cookbook shop on Blenheim Crescent in Notting Hill, with a test kitchen serving lunch from its books.
4 Blenheim Crescent, W11 1NNExplore View on map
Daunt on Holland Park Avenue
The Holland Park branch of Daunt Books, on Holland Park Avenue.
112-114 Holland Park Avenue, W11 4UAExplore View on map
An Edwardian bookshop
A beautiful Edwardian bookshop with oak galleries and a skylight, where travel books are arranged by country.
83-84 Marylebone High Street, W1U 4QWExplore View on map
A great London bookshop
A huge, bright bookshop on Charing Cross Road over several floors, with a café at the top.
107 Charing Cross Road, WC2H 0DTExplore View on map
London’s oldest bookshop
London’s oldest surviving bookshop, founded on Piccadilly in 1797, with creaking floors and signed editions.
187 Piccadilly, W1J 9LEExplore View on map
Maps and travel since 1853
The famous map and travel bookshop, founded in 1853, now on Mercer Walk in Covent Garden.
7 Mercer Walk, WC2H 9FAExplore View on map
Fine pieces.
Vintage Rolex in the arcade
A specialist in vintage watches, above all Rolex, in Burlington Arcade.
24 Burlington Arcade, W1J 0PSExplore View on map
Centuries of trade.
Wine merchants since 1698
Britain’s oldest wine and spirits merchant, trading from the same St James’s Street shop since 1698.
3 St James’s Street, SW1A 1EGExplore View on map
A garden centre in Little Venice
A garden centre in Maida Vale, near Little Venice, with plants, garden goods, a glasshouse and a café.
5A Clifton Villas, Maida ValeExplore View on map
On St James’s Street since 1787
A historic cigar and tobacco merchant on St James’s Street, trading from the same address for more than two centuries.
19 St James’s Street, SW1A 1ESExplore View on map
Hatters since 1676
A historic hat shop on St James’s Street, in business since 1676, which made the first bowler hat.
6 St James’s StreetExplore View on map
Candles since 1643
The London shop of the French candle-maker founded in 1643, on Marylebone’s Chiltern Street.
36 Chiltern Street, W1U 7QJExplore View on map
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31 of the best Cafés & Tea
52 of the best Bars & Pubs
53 of the best Hotels71 of the best Sights50 of the best Museums & Arts
16 of the best Parks13 of the best Walks
29 of the best Health30 of the best Property28 of the best New Developments
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