London Westminster

Westminster is filled with chains. The area is worth seeing for the sights, but die-hard shoppers might be best served by looking elsewhere.

Westminster Bookshop, 8 Artillery Row (020 7802 0018 ;www.westminsterbookshop.co.uk) The last independent bookstore in Westminster, this little shop is fighting the chains with an excellent and specialized selection. In case experiencing London first-hand isn't enough for you, you can utilize the store's impressive British history, British politics, biography, political thought, and London sections for a full English intellectual experience. Just be sure to swing by the classics for some Austen, Dickens, or Woolf (among many, many others) on your way out. If you're looking to pick up the 5000th Bourne book that you saw advertised on the subway, this is not the store for you. Liverpool St. Take a right onto Liverpool St., a left onto Bishopsgate, right onto Artillery Lane, and then right onto Artillery Rw. Open M-F 9:30am-5:30pm, Sa 11am-4pm. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access.

Hotel Chocolat, 133 Victoria St. (020 7821 0473; www.hotelchocolat.co.uk) One of a chain, Hotel Chocolat is one of the more exciting accommodations in Westminster. The inside is sleek, like a more efficient version of Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. Seventy percent of the chocolate here is made in Britain, and it's packaged into ridiculous items like framed chocolate portraits and chocolate dipping sets, all for sale. For anyone who's ever felt that a chocolate "slab" is preferable to a chocolate bar, you have found your store. Victoria. Take right onto Grosvenor Pl and follow it onto Victoria St. Open M-F 8:30am-7pm, Sa 9:30am-6pm, Su 11am-5pm. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access.