Shopping in London

What to buy in London?

Some of the most cherished objects from London are the typical souvenirs, such as bags, t-shirts, miniature versions of red telephone booths, double-decker buses or black cabs.

When deciding what to buy in London, for those who are planning to renew their wardrobe, you have a wide range of options for all different types of tastes in clothes and accessories, from more classic cuts, to authentic vintage outfits.

English tea is a highly sought-after product when visiting London. The most popular types of tea include Earl Grey, with a slight citric taste, Darjeeling tea, Black tea with a floral aroma, Assam tea, strong black tea, and the famous English Breakfast tea (combination of Assam and Ceylon tea).

Although there are an infinite number of shops in London that sell tea, we recommend the same shop where Queen Elizabeth buys her tea; Fortnum & Mason. This is the largest tea shop in the city. It opened in 1707 and it offers over 60 kinds of tea. You will find it on Piccadilly circus.   

Where to go shopping in London?

We recommend six alternative shopping destinations in London for different types of public:

• Oxford Street: Probably the most famous shopping street in London. Here, you’ll be able to find the most popular shops and department stores.
• Covent Garden: One of the liveliest areas of London. Inside the market and in its adjacent streets you’ll find clothes, accessories and souvenir shops.
• Knightsbridge: A retail district in central London, with famous department stores like Harrods and Harvey Nichols.
• Brick Lane: With a famous vintage market open at the weekend, and great vintage stores all week round, on Brick Lane you're sure to find something different.
• Bond Street: The ideal place for those looking for high-end boutiques. Channel, Armani or Versace are some of the designer stores found on this street.
• Regent Street: Full of fashionable clothes shops, Regent Street is one of the most popular retail streets in London. It is also worth mentioning the oldest toy shop in the world, Hamleys, a wonderland for both children and adults and comparable to the recently closed FAO Schwarz toy store in New York.