One of the subjects I’m most often asked about, both on my blog, on all of my channels on social media and on YouTube it’s about London Shopping. It’s not a secret that I’m a shopper and, while the majority times I would prefer shopping on the internet, there’s a distinct excitement that comes from visiting the famous shops that we’re so blessed to have in London. The most ideal spot to go to for a raucous shopping spree can be found on Oxford Street, it’s Europe’s most crowded shopping avenue with more than one mile and a half of shops. In this article, I’ll give you my top tips for the famous Oxford Street shopping district!
Where to go and How to get there!
The first thing to consider is how do you find it! There are four major tube stops along Oxford Street; Marble Arch, Bond Street, Oxford Circus as well as Tottenham Court Road. I’d suggest taking a train to Oxford Circus because then you are right in the middle of the shopping district! When you exit the tube, you’ll come into a very crowded intersection, and if you choose to turn either way you’ll be in the midst of Flagship shops.
It’s likely that you’ll leave the station and you’ll be greeted by the huge Topshop flagship stores, with three floors of fashionable and fashionable designs, as well as regular DJ events, as well as other events like Live Catwalks that are happening in the this store, it’s definitely one you should visit. One of my top locations to find cheap and fashionable furniture pieces is in the Home section of H&M located a bit farther down Oxford Street toward Tottenham Court Road There are marble coasters and copper crockery in abundance!
Additionally, along Oxford Street you’ll find plenty of department stores. My favorite is Selfridges which truly offers the most amazing shopping experience! Don’t miss the massive Beauty Hall on the ground level and then work your way to the street fashion section on the 3rd floor.
Where do you go for R&R
It’s true that shopping can be tiring and, while I’m in love with the ‘Shop until you drop’ mindset I prefer to ensure that I’m well-hydrated and well-nourished during my shopping spree. You can take a short walk of Oxford Street into the buzzing SoHo area to take some coffee at Cafe Nespresso. It is located on 32 Broadwick Street, the cafe is the ideal spot to not just enjoy an espresso as well as food too. It all depends on what time of the morning you visit and you can take advantage of anything from a freshly-picked fruit platter, or a croissant for breakfast to delicious delicatessen plates of cured meats , or an energizing salad to eat lunch. I tend to visit the cafe towards the afternoon hours and, based on what I’m craving I’ll choose fresh baguettes (they have an extensive choice of baguettes, but my personal favorite is the coronation chicken!) or maybe one of their amazing cakes. I would recommend the Pistachio Cake or homemade macaroons!
Alongside the delicious snacks, I often feel the need for an espresso during my shopping. So whether I opt to have a break and enjoy Cafe Nespresso Cafe Nespresso or grab one home, you’d expect, the coffee menu is large! Since I am a fan of making myself Nespresso drinks at home, we always look for something new whenever I go to the Cafe and on my most recent visit, I sampled the After Eight Espresso and one of my favorites on warm summer days would be the Hazelnut Iced Macchiato. There are more than 25 original and original coffee combinations that are made right before your and the eyes of the coffee maestros! When you visit you can also buy additional Nespresso capsules to use in your home machine by using the Nespresso Cube Automated self-service robot machine that prepares personalized capsules in only two minutes!
Don’t Forget The Following Streets…
After a good workout and energized, you can explore the streets around Oxford Street. After a visit to Café Nespresso Cafe Nespresso you can weave your way through SoHo and then Carnaby Street which is where you’ll discover more boutiques that range across British lifestyle brands like Jack Wills, to the brand that combines fashion and fitness, which is the brand new Sweaty Betty flagship (there’s even a fitness studio located in the basement should you want to burn off some of those calories from lunch!). The top of Carnaby Street is the iconic department store Liberty Don’t be a fool to snap that important picture in front of the shop’s stunning flower display!
Regent Street is another unmissable shopping avenue, and it’s possible to walk to it after you’ve visited Liberty (it’s only 30 seconds from the Liberty station!) There you’ll find more amazing stores, including flagship designer stores like the enormous Burberry store along with more than two Zara stores, as well as a special Zara home store, as well as top high-end stores such as Karen Millen Ted Baker, Reiss, J Crew and more. In the middle of Regent Street you’ll find Piccadilly Circus an additional must-see for anyone who is new to London!
It might sound daunting It’s true that there are numerous locations to explore and shops to explore, but it’s pretty simple to navigate your way around. And the shops are all close together on 2 or 3 streets (as contrast to shopping in New York for example where some of the best shops are located on sides of the streets!) So you’ll never lose out on the best shops by sticking to main streets.