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Liberty This
handsome, half-timbered building dates from 1925 and its fine
wood-floored and panelled interior is part of the shopping experience
there. Long associated with the Arts and Crafts movement, it employed
artists such as William Morris to design its fabrics. Great for its own
Liberty floral fabrics, home furnishings, men’s and women’s fashions and
lovely gifts .
Liberty’s mock-Tudor façade
Fortnum and Mason London’s
most elegant store has hardly noticed the arrival of the 21st century.
The ground-floor food hall is famous for its traditional English
produce, and lavish picnic hampers can be found, along with wines, in
the basement. The upper floors are good for designer women’s fashion and
stylish gifts .
Harrods London’s
most famous and exclusive department store is more of an event than a
shop. Covering seven floors, it is full of extraordinary things to buy –
from pianos to children’s racing cars – all with equally extraordinary
prices. The children’s toy department is excellent, and the store’s food
hall is rightly famous, with bars selling upmarket ice-cream, pizzas
and countless other treats .
Harrods by night
Harvey Nichols Almost
a parody of itself, “Harvey Nicks” is where the glamorous shop. There’s
wall-to-wall designer labels, an extravagant perfume and beauty
department and stylish homeware. The fifth floor is for consuming, with a
food hall, sushi bar and the to-be-seen-in Fifth Floor restaurant .
Hamleys The
five storeys of London’s largest toyshop contain just about anything a
child might want, from traditional puppets and games to giant stuffed
toys, models, arts and crafts supplies and the latest electronic
gadgets. There are also many delights here for adults who haven’t let go
of their childhood . Portobello Road West
London’s liveliest street sells a mixture of antiques and bric-à-brac.
As it heads north, there are food stalls, crafts, clothes and music. The
market is every Friday, which is quieter but has fewer stalls, and
Saturday .
Antique shop, Portobello Road
Camden Market A
great place to spend a Saturday, this rambling market around Camden
Lock takes in several streets and buildings. Street fashion, world
crafts… it’s as if the 1960s never ended. Sundays are a crush .
Camden Market
Waterstone’s Piccadilly Claimed
to be the largest bookshop in Europe, Waterstone’s stocks a quarter of a
million titles. There’s a restaurant, cafés and bars . John Lewis This
store has a large and loyal clientele, with departments ranging from
kitchenware and haberdashery through furniture, fashion and fabrics to
electrical goods. Staff are informed, prices are excellent and the
quality is guaranteed . Westfield Europe’s
largest inner city shopping centre mixes high fashion with overseas
brands and luxury labels (housed in the boutique-style setting, The
Village). Also has a 14-screen cinema.
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