Soho

Clothing and accessories

clothing and accessories
The Great Frog
10 Ganton St W1F 7QR
+44 20 7439 9357
tube: Oxford Circus

Rock and heavy metal jewellry specialist. Been in business here for more than 40 years. The iconic skull ring worn by so many famous rockers was originally designed and produced by Great Frog.

clothing and accessories
Stromboli's Circus
1.5 Kingly Ct, Carnaby St W1B 5PW
+44 20 7734 1978
tube: Oxford Circus

Electic range of vintage clothing, furniture and other homewares. Some quite wonderful stock and a must for those in search of both retro chic and the truly kitsch.

clothing and accessories
Ben Sherman
50 Carnaby St W1F 9QA
+44 20 7437 2031

The flagship retail outlet of this iconic British fashion brand. Men's and women's clothing, accessories and shoes.

clothing and accessories
Social Suicide
8 Ganton St W1F 7QP
+44 20 7617 7696
M-Sa 11:00-19:00, Su noon-18:00
tube: Oxford Circus

Beautifully tailored men's jackets with a real funky design flair.

Music and record shops

music and record shops
Revival Records
30 Berwick St W1F 8RH
+44 20 7437 4271
tube: Oxford Circus

Mostly old rock vinyl but just about any genre could jump out at you.

music and record shops
Vinyl Junkies
94 Berwick St W1F 0QF
+44 20 7439 2493
tube: Oxford Circus

Cutting edge dance music including house, tech and old rare soul. A favourite with many famous DJs and producers.

music and record shops
BM Soho
25 D'Arblay St W1F 8EJ
++44 20 7437 0478
tube: Oxford Circus

Specialises in house and drum 'n' bass.

Others

others
Blackwell's
100 Charing Cross R WC2H 0JG
+44 20 7292 5100
tube: Leicester Sq

Small secondhand section in this mainstream bookshop.

others
Foyles
113-119 Charing Cross Rd WC2H 0EB
+44 20 7437 5660
09:30-21:00

London's best known bookshop is a mazy warren containing a seemingly impossible number of books! It is not always easy to find your way around and although greatly improved since the renovation in 1999, the service is notably surly. Nonetheless, this place is a must for all book lovers.

gay-related
Prowler
5-7 Brewer St W1F 0RF
gay-related
Clone Zone
64 Old Compton St W1D 4UQ

The world's largest gay retail company.

gay-related
 

Unsurprisingly, Soho has a number of gay-related outlets, some of the best known are:

Soho has a diverse range of shops, tending towards the arty, boutique and independent style of outlet.

After a period in the 1970s and 1980s when Carnaby Steet became little more than a tourist trap and a pale imitation of its innovative, trend-setting heyday in the 1960s, it is now once again a major centre of new design. There are some especially interesting independent fashion stores in the small streets and courtyards off Carnaby Street, so it is well worth exploring the area carefully.

Berwick Street is notable for a collection of independent record shops specialising in different genres of dance music.