London Covent Garden And The Strand

Once the hottest proving ground for new designers, Covent Garden is gradually being overtaken by large clothing chains: almost every store with an eye on the youth market has more than one shop in the area, with a main branch on Oxford St. or Regent St. Mid-priced chains and tacky souvenir shops fill the piazza, though there are still enough quirky specialty shops left to make it worth a quick wander. However, in the mainstream mess there remains a haven of hope: the streets around Neal’s Yard have some quasi-predictable chains, but also a handful of boutiques, specialty shops, and cafes. To the east, Short’s Gardens has chic menswear and to the west, Earlham and Monmouth Street have a similarly stylish selection of women’s clothing. (Covent Garden unless otherwise noted.)

Books

Stanfords, 12-14 Long Acre (☎ 020 7836 1321; www.stanfords.co.uk), Another location at 1 Regent St. A travel superstore, Stanfords covers every corner of the universe. With a sweeping range of hiking ...more

Clothes

Apple Tree, 62 Neal St. Small boutique that specializes in upcoming and independent designers. Almost everything in the store is hand-sewn, and many items are one-of-a-kind. Selection ranges from beautiful ...more

Gifts And Miscellany

Neal’s Yard Dairy, 17 Short’s Gardens (☎ 020 7240 5700; www.nealsyarddairy.co.uk), Also at 6 Park St. (☎ 020 7367 0799). You’ll smell it from a mile away—and that’s a good thing. The enormous ...more

Shoes

The Natural Shoe Store, 13 Neal St. (☎ 020 7836 5254; www.thenaturalshoestore.com), Covent Garden. The 1st shoe store on Neal St. Smells like nature and looks like nature: a tree house, to be exact. ...more