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Shopping in London. It Would be Rude  Not To.

The British Capital Has a Lot to Offer
From Oxford Street to Knightsbridge, from Kings Road to Camden...It's all Worth a Look.

by Rowena Carr-Allinson

If your idea of heaven is shopping, then come to London to experience some of the world's best retail therapy.

Unfortunately, a lot of Great Britain's High Streets are starting to lose their identities and becoming home to chains, squeezing out the unique, smaller local retailers. You could be standing in London, Leeds or Bristol and you will be faced with the same main street offering a Boots the chemist, a young clothing outlet, Topshop and a branch of giant food retailers: Tesco's. Luckily some areas still retain some form of originality and each corner of London keeps its own special atmosphere.

The West End: Oxford Street, Regent Street and Bond Street

When visiting London for shopping, the first port of call would be the street which runs through the center of the city wedged between Hyde Park with Marble Arch at one end and Tottenham Court Road and Centerpoint at the other.

Oxford Street is London's shopping Mecca. The street is home to all the biggest clothing chain stores such as H & M, Zara, Mango, the traditional Marks and Spencer’s and many, many more. It also hosts flagship stores for international companies such as the Italian giant, Benetton. The street which stretches 1.25miles is a hive of activity and, if you can  stand the crowds there isn't much you wont' be able to find here.

The halfway mark on the street is Oxford Circus which is home to Nike Town, just one of the rapidly increasing number of sports shops due to the recent arrival of American giants, Footlocker and Sketchers.

Oxford Circus is at the crossroads of Oxford Street and Regent Street, which is also worth a visit. The stretch between Oxford and Piccadilly Circus offers such delights as Aquascutum, Mango, Zara and Burberrys.

Venture further into the heart of the West End and Theatreland, from Leicester Square, up Long Acre and you’ll find yourself in Covent Garden. Covent Garden, famous for its buzzing crowds and market is also renowned for its trendy clothes shops, ranging from skiwear to Paul Smith. 

Selfridges and House of Fraser also reside on Oxford Street as do other department stores such as John Lewis and the more down-market BHS (British Home Stores). For traditional 'British' produce, try John Lewis and House of Fraser, for luxury goods from all over the world, you can't beat Selfridges. Clothing, home-ware, food, garden furniture - everything is available in these impressive buildings catering for all your needs despite being located in the heart of the West End.

If you're looking to rest your feet, an ideal place to take a break is St Christopher's Place just in front of Bond Street tube station. The square is an oasis away from the maddening crowds where you can have a bite to eat in one of the numerous restaurants and cafes. You can try Italian, Middle Eastern at Sofra, or stick to a pancake or a pizza at Pizza Express. Carry on beyond James Street and the square to sample the delightful calm ambience of Marylebone High Street with its cozy bookshops, exclusive designer boutiques and numerous patisseries.

Going the other side of Bond Street you can amble down South Molton Street, excellent for shoe shopping and make your way to the more exclusive shopping district of Bond Street.

Bond Street is a haven of chic boutiques and boasts flagship stores for Burberrys, Hermes and every girl’s favorite: Tiffany’s. Here it’s a case of ambling amongst the Dior clad ladies who lunch and having a friendly bank manager or plastic that can take the pressure!

Piccadilly and Knightsbridge

If you're into exclusive, it's worth checking out Piccadilly for Fortnum and Masons the famous food hall, a great place to pick up British presents, and, a little further along, past Green Park, Knightsbridge and it's most famous store: Harrods.

Harrods operates a strict door policy, even celebrities have been turned away for wearing too short a skirt or torn denim! Amongst things worth seeing in this opulent over the top feast of ostentation, is the memorial Al Fayed, the stores' Egyptian owner, has had built for his son Dodi, and Diana Princess of Wales. Even if you don't want to buy, browsing through Harrods is an experience worth having in itself. Don’t miss the food halls that offer the best products from around the world in extravagant displays slightly reminiscent of Roman style decadence.

On the same street you can also find the pretentious Harvey Nichols with its snooty sales assistants. Although, if you're looking for over-priced designer kit this is one of the places to come. Worth a visit too, is the Harvey Nicks Restaurant on the Fifth floor with its eclectic food mix and sushi bar.

Round the corner, another interesting shop is Rigby and Peller, corsetier to the queen, a unique store which makes made-to-measure Corsetry. The store has held the Royal Warrant of Appointment as Corsetieres to H.M. Queen Elizabeth since 1960 and the Queen Mother since 1993.

Head down to Sloane Street for more ‘upper class’ retail. Sloane Street boasts Prada, Dior and Gucci amongst its big names and is a favourite with British stars and celebrities. At the end of Sloane Street is Sloane Square, a quaint and clearly chic area with its theatre, restaurants and cafes. From the square walk up the trendy King's Road.

The King's Road, once the epitome of the swinging 60's in London has been able to maintain a veneer of class and its image as the cool place to see, be seen and shop! The King's Road is great for clothing, shoes and also home stores such as Habitat and Heals which offer good quality designer home-wear at affordable prices. It also has numerous places to take a break, from the multitude of coffee shops, chains such as the Pitcher and Piano, or down to earth eateries such as Rotisserie Jules for roast chicken and chips or Pizza Express. If you’re looking for something a bit different, try Bueno Serra, a tiny family run Italian restaurant on two levels.

Kensington High Street and Notting Hill

Slightly further afield it’s worth popping to Kensington High Street for its selection of shops and pleasant atmosphere as well as its numerous restaurants, cafes and pubs.

It's also a stone’s throw away from trendy Notting Hill which has experienced such a boom since the movie that the area has become a niche of chi-chi shops - perfect for art galleries, antique stores or specialist shops. The walk from Kensington High Street up Church street is a lovely route, especially if you are keen on expensive goods like Antiques. If you are hungry and looking for good value food, The Churchill Arms is a fantastic traditional English pub. You’ll feel right at home amongst the pub’s bric-a-brac decoration, including a gallery of past American presidents and an extensive exotic butterfly collection as well as the compulsory Winston Churchill memorabilia. As for the food, it’s good value, spicy Thai on the menu!

Notting Hill, now the uber-trendy place for the black polo-necked brigade who think themselves at the helm of intellectualism and culture, is, despite its locals, a great place to stroll and shop too. The market in Portobello is definitely worth a look. On Saturday mornings it seems the entire world comes here to shop for bric-a-brac, food, clothing or anything that's for sale, which is everything! An eclectic mix of items, food and people, a fun excursion if you can handle the crowds of tourists!

Another market worth visiting is the Camden market, north of Regent’s Park. Camden is a mix of arts and crafts and outlandish stalls. Every weekend, browse through the original creations with a fabulous selection of street foods from all over the world, from corn on the cob to sweet and sour, to curry or jacket potatoes. Camden is busy, throbbing and has something for everyone.

Photographs by Mowgli Frere and Rowena Carr-Allinson.

For Further Information

Multimap
Search any street name in the UK
Maps, webcams and aerial views.
http://www.multimap.com

Marks and Spencers
458 Oxford Street
London
W1N 0AP
http://www.marksandspencer.com
Tel (+44) 20 7935 7954
Fax (+44) 20 7486 5379

Rigby and Peller
2 Hans Road
London SW3
Telephone (+44) 20 7589 9293
Fax (+44) 207 581 8915
Nearest Tube: Knightsbridge
www.rigbyandpeller.com

Harrods
Knightsbridge
London SW1X 7XL
Telephone (+44) 20 7730 1234
Fax (+44) 207 581 0470
http://www.harrods.com/

Harvey Nichols
109-125 Knightsbridge,
London SW1 X 7RJ
Telephone (+44) 207 235 5573
http://www.harveynichols.com/

The Churchill Arms
119 Kensington Church Street,
London W8 7LN
Tel: (+44) 20 7727 4242
http://www.theaa.com/pubs/100639.html

Portobello Market
http://www.portobelloonline.com/

Camden Market
http://www.camdenlock.net/markets.html

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