Christmas Shopping in London

A wonderful place for shopping all year round, London in all its festive, illuminated grandeur is another experience altogether. With over 30,000 shops you are spoilt rotten for choice. In the shopping haven around Oxford Street you’ll find all the usual high street outlets but elsewhere there are hordes of hidden treasures the uninitiated might miss.

There are over 300 markets, countless out-of-sight shopping arcades and boutiques in the most curious locations. Exploring the city is a great way to spend the day, uncovering your own favourites, but to give you a head-start we’ve compiled a list of highlights.

Sometimes it's hard to know where to look. We have put together a list of the best places to find stocking fillers, presents for boys and girls, presents for Mum and presents for kiddies. These shops - an assortment of old and new, celebrated and mysterious, large and small - house a limitless selection of festive gifts.

For Him

Design Museum Shop

Design Museum, Shad Thames, SE1
Practical, playful gems like the Swiss cheese door wedge and insect-topped drawing pins will add a bit of amusement to a boy's life, whereas the playful wooden monkey and inventive solitaire olive dish are simply fun. What they all share in common is brilliant design – they’re all really easy on the eye. Take the chance to look around this museum's wonderful exhibits while you’re there.

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Ellis Brigham

Tower House, 3-11 Southampton St, Covent Garden, WC2
For the great outdoors Ellis Brigham is number one – tents, boots, rucksacks, climbing kit, ski wear and a host of adornments like sunglasses, pocket knifes and torches all vie for your attention in this huge shop. This is all top-notch kit and the staff are refreshingly knowledgeable. If you can’t find anything he’ll like, why not book him up for a climbing session on the real ice wall found in store!

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Cass Art

66-67 Colebrooke Row, Islington, N1
Why not give him a gentle shove in the creative direction with a box of watercolours? It’ll get him out of the house and help him to relax. Dads, sons, brothers and boyfriends will all love it. Cass Art’s brand new flagship store stocks something for everyone from the eager beginner to the consummate expert – watercolours, oils, drawing and much, much more.

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Orc’s Nest

6 Earlham Street, Covent Garden, WC2
Boys love to get lost in flights of fancy. Orc’s Nest is the largest independent retailer of role playing merchandise in London. Inside you can pick up a host of models, trading cards, magazines, comics and table top games. This is the kind of thing usually bought online these days, but it’s worth popping in – check out the life-size figures and chat to the friendly staff.

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Fopp

240-242 Tottenham Court Road, W1
Once a market stall in a Glasgow shopping arcade, Fopp is now the UK’s foremost independent music retailer. A discerning music policy and some absolute bargain basement prices have helped it on the way. Despite the crowds this unadorned 20,000 sq ft store in the West End is easy to navigate and pretty relaxed. Classic albums start at less than a fiver and you can pick up a double album deal for only a quid or two more. Can’t argue with that. They also stock a vast range of books, films and link-up merchandise.

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Hideout

7 Upper James Street, W1
One-stop solution to all your street-ware problems – homegrown brands like Gimme 5 and GoodEnough hang next to exclusive designs straight off the boat. Don't miss foreign faves like Supreme, Vis Vim and Billionaire Boys Club. Their t-shirts, jumpers, jackets, caps, belts, bags and trainers are all achingly cool. Stop in to get ahead of the game.

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Forbidden Planet

179 Shaftesbury Avenue, Covent Garden, WC2
Cult of cults, Forbidden Planet brings together all the sci-fi and fantasy must-haves under one roof. Signed Terry Pratchett novels, Dr Who cybermen masks, Star Wars figures, manga DVDs and stacks more obscure goodies. If you are buying for someone who adores this sort of thing you will make their day and surprise them too. May the force be with you.

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Olympia Music Mania

Olympia, Hammersmith Road, W14
25th & 26th November 2006

For one weekend Olympia Exhibition Centre will transform into the biggest music store in the world, with dealers travelling from five continents to sell to British collectors. Expect big discounts on mainstream titles, rack after rack of deleted vinyl and second-hand CDs, not to mention autographs, memorabilia, concert programmes, badges and tour shirts. There will be umpteen present possibilities for a music-loving friend; the only trouble is settling on one.

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A Bathing Ape

4 Upper James Street, W1
The shop remains low-key but the name is now so well-known it seems pointless to hide, even a decade ago these guys were doing a roaring trade from an unmarked unit in Tokyo. How? Super stylish, understated, Japanese street-wear pulled off to perfection. The t-shirts only come in limited runs, so despite their popularity you’re virtually guaranteed to have something near enough unique.

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International Magic

89 Clerkenwell Road, EC1
Pulling off magic tricks with aplomb is a real skill and takes a certain element of refinement. This is a great gift for a conjuring perfectionist looking to add that touch of magic to their repertoire. Boys will love the chance to show their newly learnt tricks off to their mates. Pick them a deck of cards, any deck of cards, from their mysterious range, each suited to a certain trick type or help them learn how to pierce a coin with a cigarette or rip a £5 note in two then put it back together again – anything’s possible. You can even book him a place on the beginners' magic course.

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Milroy's of Soho

3 Greek Street, Soho, W1
Warming, complex and tantalisingly oakey - there's nothing quite like the taste of an amber-blushed whiskey on the rocks. From their cosmopolitan library of whiskeys select your boy his favourite malt or get him something new to try. There's also a fantastic selection of wine so you can stock up for the Christmas party at the same time.

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For Her

Nude Contemporary Jewellery

36 Shepherd Market, W1J
It’s not a misconception – girls do go all giggly over jewellery. Opt for a slightly expensive, very original little trinket and you’re guaranteed to make her grin from ear to ear. This shop is the ideal place to pick up something really special. A far cry from Accessorize, this ethnic little place is located in a quaint, well-hidden corner of Mayfair. Designer Nikki Galloway has accumulated work from a string of esteemed, innovative designers. Slightly quirky but all so delicate and beautiful, it would be very hard to go wrong. The silver bracelets are exquisite and always warmly received. Prices start at £50.

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Diptyque

195 Westbourne Grove, W11
Popular among female fashion followers, Diptyque products are a coveted commodity in trendy circles. It’s no surprise, with the deeply Parisian feel to this luxurious place, they have managed to strike a really sophisticated tone. Candles are their forte. They have countless varieties – the choice is incredible. The Baies (blackcurrant leaves and Bulgarian rose) and the Chevrefeuille (honeysuckle) are personal favourites while the musky rose candles are best for romance. Incidentally, they also have plenty of festive waxen treats so you can evoke that cosy Christmass-y aroma at home.

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Parfums de Nicolai

101A Fulham Road, SW3
To the eye this tiny perfume shop looks too small be to of any importance. Don’t be misled - it boasts a very distinguished ancestry. Its founder, Patricia de Nicolai, comes from the Guerlain family. They do lots of delicate fragrances that are incredibly popular with sweet-smelling London ladies. The Number One perfume is a good option. A wonderful fusion of musky Jasmine, tuberose and white flowers, it’s fresh and sexy. It will you set you back £43 for only 50 ml but you're paying for its originality. There's plenty of other choice and they are complete experts in the shop and only too happy to impart their perfected perfumery knowledge.

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Alice and Astrid

30 Artesian Road, W2
This exquisite little shop is laced with frilly girly treats that make lovely Christmas pressies. The boutique itself is very compact and screams femininity. Adorned in pretty butterflies, antique chandeliers and white painted, wooden chests of drawers it's fussy but heavenly. The lingerie is beautifully delicate. A mixture of cotton and slinky silk, you can opt for comfortable or sexy. Their camisoles are very cute - decked in decorative buttons and ribbons and washed in soft pastel colours, there is something so fresh about them. It’s not cheap but the fabrics are so soft, pretty and gorgeous while everything is well-made and suited to all shapes and sizes.

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Fogal

3A Sloane Street, SW1X
Ultra-elegant, this high-quality hosiery first opened in 1923 serving the flappers of the jazz age with warm woollen stockings. Their business is still very similar today – socks, stockings and, following the recent trend for snazzy legs, tonnes and tonnes of tights. Tights are the darlings of the fashion industry at the moment. We girlies are trotting around in short little dresses, slouch boots and a lovely pair of very cool, patterned tights. All the tights in this shop start at £11 and are laid out in an astonishing myriad of colours, designs and patterns. Swirls, blue checks, diamonds, musky grey flowers and antique style rose pink numbers are just some of the types of tights hitting the shelves in this surprisingly contemporary historical shop.

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Primrose Hill Books

134 Regent's Park Road, NW1
This is one of my favourite bookshops in the capital – it’s a literary gem and stocks lots of really quirky publications as well as all the normal run of books. Everything about this shop feels right. The books have beautiful covers and you can rummage through piles and find just one copy of an amazing book that you never knew existed. Being in Primrose Hill, there is a range of fairly intelligent books on health, inner peace, spiritual awareness and dieting - all the sorts of things that are so in vogue at the moment. They also have lots of fiction, not forgetting the raft of cookery, travel, art and children’s books stacking up the shelves. There is so much choice and many of the books would make really lovely, thoughtful pressies for sophisticated London ladies.

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Pixi

22A Foubert's Place, W1F
This fun, colourful shop churns out lovely bright make-up. Steering away from the everyday drab browns and beiges, their extravagant, effervescent make-up is a lovely option for Christmas pressies. Unashamedly girly, the hues and shades are really pretty – glittery, glossy, pinky and shiny. The best thing about this make-up is that it’s made for one's handbag. Tiny and cute, it hardly takes up any space and girls can cart their make-up round all day utterly burden-free. The Hydrotint Duos will be warmly received – the tubes of sheer tinted moisturiser that contain a co-ordinating shade of blusher/lip stain in a bullet-tip applicator are absolutely inspired.

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Hide All

9 Greenwich Market, SE10
This hidden gem is the ideal place to pick up the best in trendy handbags. Nestled on the edge of Greenwich Market, this excellent shop stocks a massive assortment of styles and sizes starting at some fairly affordable brands. Popular among trendy folk in search of a bargain the shop has a staunch crowd of loyal followers who return to bag a bag time and time again. They have heaps of large leather handbags of all colours. Some are more whimsically designed than others – Orla Kiely’s bags are really attractive. For a cheaper option Radley have cool designs and are made from that soft leather that we girlies just love.

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Paul Frank

37 Earlham Street, WC2H
A pair of cosy pyjamas makes an excellent Christmas pressie for girls. We love to slob around the house in our jim-jams as long we are wearing the latest in PJ fashion. It’s fair to say that Paul Frank leads the industry in pyjamas. Their ultra-soft, ultra-jazzy, 100% cotton flannel PJ sets are deliciously snug and perfect for winter bedtime wear. The iconic monkey (Julius) that is often splashed across the pyjamas has become a hugely fashionable symbol of the last decade. The pyjama designs are really colourful and if the monkey offends you there are some monkey-less designs. However, Paul Frank wouldn’t be Paul Frank without the monkey so opt for a pair of bright pink Paul Frank pjs with the monkey’s face peppered across it and you really can’t go wrong.

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For Kids

Hamleys

188 - 196 Regent Street, W1B
An absolute grotto of a toys store, kiddies will think they’ve stepped into Santa’s workshop in the North Pole. Miniature trains career under escalators, model planes circle above and mountains of soft toys spill across the floor. Keeping up with the latest trends as well as stocking the more time-honoured toys, the Christmas dreams of every child lie within these walls.

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Benjamin Pollock's Toy Shop

44 The Market, WC2E
A kooky haven of toys, this store is best known for its toy theatres but also stocks a raft of intricately hand-made traditional treats that kids go crazy for. Selling self-assembling paper theatres, marionettes, puppets and French music boxes it is definitely squared at the more creative child. Its traditional approach is what is so appealing about this shop and is guaranteed to give you that warm, festive glow.

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Never Never Land

3 Midhurst Parade, N10
The name alone betrays the magical appeal of this shop. A tiny toy store, it is crammed to the ceiling with heaps of old fashioned delights. The dolls’ houses are exquisite with their high-quality structures and individually sold knick-knacks that fit together, while the minute china sets, cradles and baby dolls are finished with such intricate detail. The devoted owner is an expert and tries to seek out the most unusual of toys. This place really is an enchanting harbour of innocence and is incredibly popular among Londoners.

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Little Stinkies

15 Victoria Grove, W8
Don’t let the name put you off. This is an incredibly pretty shop in one of the more sweet-smelling parts of London. Famous for their fun and creative window displays the shop itself is a pleasure to explore. Crammed full of puppet theatres, dolls’ houses, dressing-up costumes, water play toys, affordable colouring books and fun stationary - there is plenty of choice. You can pick-up the ‘bigguns’ for putting under the tree but also plenty of original little stocking-fillers. If you need to distract the kids while you buy their pressies the shop offers haircuts, mini makeovers and hair art. Ring for details.

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Mystical Fairies

12 Flask Walk, NW3
For little fairy fanatics, this shop is the ideal place to pick up the perfect winged friend for their stocking. The shop is simply awash with fairies. Many of the toys are suspended from the ceiling on delicate silver branches producing a rather startling silvery, glittery haze. There is also a little wizard corner in the dressing-up section for those young men who get dragged along. They can don their hats and fight off the fairy dust with their wands. It really is a very magical little shop. A little much for us adults but nevertheless an incredible twinkling Never Never Land.

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Farmyard

63 Barnes High Street, SW13
This traditional little shop is packed with very special, unique toys for younger kids (they target their market at newborns to eight-year-olds). They offer traditional toys but have also now developed their own range of hand-painted gifts and furniture which are exclusive only to this shop. The traditional London bus with the sliding roof is particularly popular with kiddies. There are also several shelves full of decidedly girly princess-type garb and a beautiful little collection of keepsake boxes and piggy banks.

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Petit Chou

15 St Christopher's Place, W1U
This tasteful toy shop was opened in 2005 by Marty St James and Iveta Petrakova who are famous for their elegant array of handcrafted toys from all over the world. The German Moorland sheep and wooden ride-on cat walker are great ideas for wholesome, unique presents. Everything about this shop is totally refreshing. Skittles, wooden pull-along and cuddly toys and magnificent buildings – all the sorts of toys you can knock-over again and again and again. They are all so well-made and definitely sturdy enough to withstand the rough and tumble of the playroom.

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Soup Dragon

27 Topsfield Parade, Tottenham Lane, N8
This versatile little shop is great for picking up all sorts of pressies for little ones. They offer an exquisite selection of traditional toys, unusual and affordable clothes, and quirky baby gifts. The vividly striped leggings, jumpers and hats for very tiny babies make lovely little festive gifts. Toys wise – there is so much choice - bendy fairy dolls, pretty dolls’ houses and soft toys designed especially for babies. The shop prides itself on understanding children and kits out their shop with child-friendly goodies that are a far-cry from the gaudy, modern, plastic games of other outlets and for this it has a loyal following.

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Rainbow

253 Archway Road, N6
This is a little world of fun in which to deposit your youngster while you pick up some of their Christmas treats. They have a Brio play table and plenty of seriously fun dressing-up costumes for wannabe pirates, fairies and ballet dancers. Lining their shelves they have beautiful ‘Pin and Plan’ quality wooden toys. The colourful sit-and-ride tricycles make lovely presents as do the forts, farms and houses from ‘Le Toy Van’, and ‘Papo’ animals, soldiers and knights. The selection of stocking-fillers is inspired too. Marbles, kids’ jewellery and tiny dolls’ house furnishings are lovely things with which to pad out a young one's stocking.

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For Mum

Shoon

94 Marylebone High Street, W1U
A welcome export from the civilised city of Bath, this shop stocks plenty of little trinkets and a wealth of clothes that are bound to appeal to Mum. Shoon has a really exotic feel to it - red walls, fascinating travel books and antique African ornaments emanate a wildly glamorous feel. They have some technical outdoor-sy gear but it’s their range of very casual clothes that make great gifts. Their womenswear collection includes loose, heavy linen, boiled-wool pieces, chunky knits, cotton separates and delicate wrap cardigans. Stylish, comfortable and nothing too transiently trendy or young – it’s made for Mum.

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Wall

1 Denbigh Road, W11
This exquisite shop offers simple designs in really plush, sumptuous fabrics. Peruvian Pima cotton, baby alpaca, Irish linen, silk and cashmere all line its racks. Boasting a loyal following of fairly wealthy, creative, older ladies in search of classy, very individual clothes, it has made a name for itself. The clothes are very floaty and loose – draping cardigans, fluid skirts and loose trousers are characteristic of this delightful little place. Price wise - you can get very soft, well-fitting T-shirts for £30, while knitwear, trousers and skirts start at £115. There are also some really beautiful accessories that mum will approve of - their luxurious alpaca hats, scarves and slippers are ideal for Christmas.

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Crabtree and Evelyn

Unit 3, Covent Garden Market, The Piazza, WC2E
Mums love the sweet-smelling stuff that comes from this store. Immaculately presented in floral paper packaging and delicate little baskets, their little goodies are simply the best Christmas presents for Mum. All their products are fresh-smelling and look great on the bathroom shelf. Just remember, it's Lily of the Valley and Gardenia for older ladies and Aloe Vera or Jojoba for younger yummy mummies.

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Neal's Yard Remedies

15 Neal's Yard, WC2H
There is no better gift for Mum at Christmas than a smart little navy blue package of heaven from Neal’s Yard. Most mums can spot these goodies a mile off and they will be very, very warmly received. This company is still going strong after two decades and they continue to stand by their commitment to creating only natural remedies and toiletries. That means no artificial preservatives or chemical derivatives are used, which explains why you prices are on the steep side. We recommend the delicately scented Frankincense Nourishing Cream or the Honey and Orange Scrub. The Wild Rose Beauty Balm and Rose Facial Oil are also very mum-friendly and just delicious.

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Molton Brown

58 South Molton Street, W1K
This is a very sophisticated place for picking up some fabulous cosmetics. Their products are packed with exotic ingredients such as Himalayan wild indigo and Madagascan ylang-ylang. Their shower gels are particularly indulgent and you can pick-up matching body lotions that are incredibly soft and gentle. The Celestial Maracuja line would appeal to Mum – their range has just been expanded to include a Bathing Nectar and Body Cloud (a lovely, very light finishing powder). Prices are on the expensive side but everything feels so luxurious that a little gem from this shop is a worthwhile way to spoil Mum this Christmas.

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Verde

75 Northcote Road, SW11
This shop was set up in 1988 by Ruby Cook (an ex Neal's Yard lady incidentally). It's a lovely little place to pick up goodies for Mum this Christmas. They only use high-quality botanical ingredients and oils and take a resolute stand against animal testing. Their products have a very distinctive, old-fashioned feel to them. Simple packaging is used to create a time-honoured approach. The Lavender and Myrrh Mouthwash and Brazilian Lime and Organic Lavender Sea Salt Scrub are real winners - you can't go wrong with lavender. For something really special opt for the skin-quenching Rose and Vanilla Body Cream - it's exquisite.

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Alessi

22 Brook Street, Mayfair, W1K
In this day and age mums probably won’t appreciate an apron or a food processor too much, but a neatly designed piece of kitchenware will go down very agreeably. Alessi offer a range of functional, eye-pleasing toasters, kettles and crockery. The simple, playful designs are a calming influence on any kitchen and will add a bit of style among all the old stuff mum insists on keeping. Attractive, hard-wearing and durable, there are so many excellent products you’ll be spoilt for choice in this stylish shop.

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Aria

295-297 Upper Street, Islington, N1
This design-orientated lifestyle could be the perfect spot to pick up a present for Mum. From fashion, to homeware, to cosmetics, it’s all here. Pick up a pastel-coloured pebble stool or a beautiful table lamp. Their collection of chic candles is particularly impressive. Everything is eminently stylish – there are so many aesthetically gorgeous designs. The shop is absolutely vast and you’ll keep coming across new things to admire.

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Capital Gardens

Alexandra Palace, Alexandra Palace Way, N22
Mums do tend to be a little green-fingered so a garden centre is a great place to find them something to grow. Perched on a hill, this garden centre is sheltered from the gusty winds by Alexandra Palace. Justly regarded as one of London’s best, it’s one of the largest and is comprehensively kitted out with a colourful array of plants from seasonal bedding plants to towering herbs, trees and shrubs. For a more exotic Christmas, you can pick-up lots of innovative ideas for fun presents including avocado trees, Venus Flytraps and monkey puzzles. Inside there is also a vast expanse of gardening goodies and gifts that make ideal stocking-fillers and smaller presents.

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Books for Cooks

4 Blenheim Crescent, W11
So it may not be hugely politically correct but actually most Mums really appreciate a lovely cook book - it's something that they might not buy themselves. This shop makes Christmas shopping a delicious treat. The smells that spring from this traditional place are mouth-watering. Staff cook treats from the raft of recipes and serve them up in the kitchen/coffee shop at the back. The shop's own recipe books are fab but there are also limitless other recipe books covering every type of cuisine. From titles on nutrition, to culinary history and the biographies of celebrated chefs, this place is all about food. They even do cookery workshops upstairs.

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Stocking Fillers

Covent Garden Market

Covent Garden, WC2
The rabbit warren of pint-sized shops in the old Victorian market buildings are a fantastic shopping experience at any time of the year, but when winter comes the area plucks up some spirit of old as stalls set up outside. There is a diverse collection of vendors selling anything from hand-made jewellery to antique telephones. Add to this the street performers and festive lights and Covent Garden makes for some truly atmospheric Christmas shopping.

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Cybercandy

3 Garrick Street, Covent Garden, WC2
Big kids will go wide-eyed as they stare up at the multitude of jars overflowing with sweet delights you thought were lost forever. Black Jacks, Flying Saucers, Parma Violets, Sherbert Fountains, Kola Cubes and a vast jumble of other long lost confectionary. As well as home-grown sweets there’s a selection of sugary distractions from around the globe including bizarre treats like Swedish salted liquorice and Japanese sushi lollies. Euch!

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Stephen Einhorn

210 Upper Street, Islington, N1
For some extra special stocking fillers, check out this Islington jeweller. You can err on the economic side with a neatly designed candle-holder or bottle opener key ring, step it up a level with cufflinks, a money clip or a neck charm all in silver, or just go the whole hog and get a piece of delightful bespoke jewellery to nestle right at the bottom of your loved one’s stocking.

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Oliver Bonas

801 Fulham Road, SW6
Brilliant for gifts – this shop has everything from clothes and accessories to smart homeware; a soft colourful shawl for her, or a set of solid wooden poker chips for him (and his mates), or a set of stripy jailbird pyjamas for the kids. Such has been the success of this shop that there are now 16 branches across London.

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Space.NK.Men

8 Broadwick Street, Soho, W1
Established in 1993 this Mecca for high-end beauty and skin care products has flourished with branches now all over the UK. Inside the chic minimalist interiors, unadorned white shelves display over 60 brands from around the globe. Pay a visit to Space.NK.Men in Soho for a full range specifically for men.

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Birdcage Boutique

8 Upper St Martin's Lane, Covent Garden, WC2
East Asian elegance collides with London style at this gorgeous boutique. Richly coloured jewellery mixes feathers and oriental patterns in dazzling designs, whilst the unusual prints and posters that hang on the walls are all for sale too. The dark hardwood furniture probably won’t fit in a stocking but would make a classy gift, not to mention the shops main focus – gorgeous dresses championing the cause of fusion fashion.

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Cath Kidston

28-32 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, WC2
Fresh, modern and eccentric, Cath Kidston’s designs possess an infectious childlike sense of fun. Stars, flowers and polka dots cover her products, which range from stationery, bath robes and crockery, and into the great outdoors with her designer tents – ideal for next summer’s festival season. You can even buy fabric by the metre if you want to incorporate her patterns into your own creations.

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Chain Reaction

208 Chalk Farm Road, Camden, NW1
This modest, well thought-out shop on the borders of Camden Market is the perfect place to pick up a cheap and wholly cheerful gift. Posters, mugs and colourful bits for the house are the order of the day, together with several shelves piled with comedy bits of varying degrees of humour. A jolly selection of bright wrapping paper and cute gift boxes make sure that your present arrives looking good.

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Freud

198 Shaftesbury Avenue, Covent Garden, WC2
Designed in-house and then supplied all over the world Freud does a brisk trade in upscale homeware. Everything here looks amazing and will have guests green with envy, and what's more they're all simple and functional too. Solid picture frames, retro cups and saucers, slim espresso-makers and wooden candle holders all have their lines etched just so. If you're thirsty, check out their bustling basement bar for an expertly mixed cocktail.

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Hatchards

187 Piccadilly, W1
Lose yourself among the high wooden shelves of London's oldest bookshop. You're sure to find something fascinating to slip into a stocking. For an extra special gift pick up a tome from their selection of signed copies. Pop in on 30th November for their Christmas party and a chance to meet loads of authors and sip on a glass of wine.

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