Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
DEPARTMENT STORES
Although all London's department stores offer a huge range of high-quality goods under
one roof, most specialize in fashion and food. Many are worth visiting just to admire the scale,
architecture and interior design, and the majority have cafés or restaurants.
Fortnum & Mason 181 Piccadilly, W1 T 020 7734
8040, W fortnumandmason.com; ! Green Park or
Piccadilly Circus; map p.78. Beautiful and eccentric
three hundred-year-old store with heavenly murals,
cherubs, chandeliers and fountains as a backdrop to its
quintessentially English offerings. Justly famous for its
fabulous, pricey food and fancy afternoon teas, it also
specializes in the best and most upmarket designer
clothes, furniture, luggage and stationery, with a
fabulous new jewellery room at prices that will break
the bank. Mon-Sat 10am-9pm, Sun noon-6pm.
Harrods 87-135 Brompton Rd, Knightsbridge,
SW1 T 020 7730 1234, W harrods.com; !
Knightsbridge; map pp.250-251. Expensive and a
little stuffy, with a number of of lah-dee-dah quirks -
don't dare to enter wearing clothes that “may reveal
intimate parts of the body”, or a backpack on your back,
or you may fall foul of the dress code - Harrods is most
notable for its Art Nouveau tiled food hall, the huge toy
department and its swanky designer labels. And, of
course, its memorial statue of Princess Diana and Dodi,
erected by previous owner Mohamed Al-Fayed. Mon-
Sat 10am-8pm, Sun noon-6pm.
Harvey Nichols 109-125 Knightsbridge, SW1
T 020 7235 5000, W harveynichols.com; !
Knightsbridge; map pp.250-251. Absolutely
fabulous, sweetie, “Harvey Nicks” has eight floors of
designer collections and shop assistants who look like
models. The gorgeous cosmetics department is
frequented by A- and Z-listers alike, while the fifth-
floor food hall and associated bars and restaurants
offers frivolous goodies at high prices. Mon-Sat
10am-8pm, Sun noon-6pm.
John Lewis 300 Oxford St, W1 T 020 7629 7711,
W johnlewis.co.uk;
Famous for being “never knowingly undersold”, this
reliable, much loved and trusted institution can't be
beaten for basics. Every kind of button, pen and rug can
be found here, along with reasonably priced and well-
made clothes, furniture and household goods, and an
excellent, enormous beauty hall. Mon-Wed, Fri & Sat
9.30am-8pm, Thurs 9.30am-9pm, Sun noon-6pm.
Ì Liberty 210-220 Regent St, W1 T 020 7734
1234, W liberty.co.uk; ! Oxford Circus; map p.78.
A fabulous emporium of luxury with a whiff of Art
Nouveau bohemia, this exquisite store, with its mock-
Tudor exterior, is most famous for its fabrics, design and
accessories, but also has an excellent reputation for
both mainstream and high fashion. The perfume,
cosmetics, gift and household departments are
recommended, too, and there's a good kids' section.
Mon-Sat 10am-8pm, Sun noon-6pm.
Marks & Spencer 458 Oxford St, W1 T 020 7935
7954, W marksandspencer.com; ! Marble Arch;
map p.78. London's largest branch of this cosy British
institution (with more than one thousand outlets
worldwide) offers a huge range of own-brand clothes,
food, homeware and furnishings. The underwear is
essential, the ready-meals good value, and the clothes
well made and reliable, if sometimes unexciting.
Mon-Sat 8am-9pm, Sun noon-6pm.
Ì Selfridges 400 Oxford St, W1 T 0800 123 400
W selfridges.com; ! Bond Street; map p.78. This
huge, airy palace of clothes, food and furnishings was
London's first great department store and remains its
best - and certainly its most stylish. The vast mens-
and womenswear departments offer designer gear and
casual lines alongside hipper, younger names and
labels. The food hall is superb, too. Mon-Sat
9.30am-9pm, Sun noon-6pm.
30
! Oxford Circus; map p.78.
interspersed with well-worn icons including vintage
typewriters and rusty old bikes. Mon-Fri & Sun
10am-6pm, Sat 9am-7pm.
Tatty Devine 236 Brick Lane, E2 T 020 7739 9191;
Shoreditch High Street Overground, map pp.192-193;
44 Monmouth St T 020 7836 2685, map p.132,
! Covent Garden; W tattydevine.com . Keeping its East
End indie aesthetic even while expanding into a prime
West End location, Tatty Devine remains as fresh and
playful as it did a decade ago. Its colourful jewellery, much
of it plastic and all handmade in Britain, has given rise to a
host of imitators, but the original is still the best. Brick
Lane: Mon-Fri 10am-6.30pm, Sat 11am-6pm, Sun
10am-5pm; Monmouth St: Mon-Wed, Fri & Sat
11am-7pm, Thurs 11am-8pm, Sun noon-5pm.
Topshop 214 Oxford St, W1 T 0844 848 7487, W topshop
.co.uk; ! Oxford Circus; map p.78. A long-standing hit
with both celebs and mere mortals, Topshop's flagship store
is still the place to check out the new season must-haves -
including a limited edition section and maternity gear - at a
snip of the designer prices. Mon, Tues, Fri & Sat 9am-9pm,
Wed & Thurs 9am-10pm, Sun 11.30am-6pm.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP HARRODS FOODHALL P.426 ; PORTOBELLO ROAD P.434 ; BROADWAY MARKET P.434 >
 
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