London shopping

Covent Square - do you mean Covent Garden? wouldn't call anything in London quaint, especially not Harrods. Not my favourite shop, but worth it if you haven't been there before.

BUT, far nicer is Fortnum & Mason - smarter, popular but less chaotic. And Liberty - lovely stuff, and a beautiful building.

Street shoping - Burlington Arcade, Piccadilly and Regent St. Do you like markets? I can suggest quite a few. Also nice for small shops is Marylebone.

Quaint and Harrods are two words which should never been seen together.

You might enjoy Liberty in Regent Street rather than Harrods - it’s as close as a department store can get to “quaint.” Nearby Carnaby Street is worth a look, too - it was THE trendy spot in the 1960s and it’s been revived in the last few years.

Near the Covent Garden area, you will like Neal’s Yard - very instagrammable.

Hi there!

I’ll pile on… Harrod’s is fabulous - but not quaint. It is rammed all year, but gets particularly hectic (and over-heated) at Christmas. If you were to arrive early to take in the splendor of the Food Halls before they are cram-jammed, that might work… the Food Halls are eye-popping!

And if you love high-end bling, you could try Harvey Nichols, just a few blocks from Harrod’s. Stratospheric prices, but wonderful nonetheless, featuring crazy/cutting edge fashion and blingy decorations. Their fifth floor bar is a super place for a (spendy) glass of fizz.

I am also going to shout out Liberty and Fortnum and Mason. Check out pix of Liberty online: there is nothing like it! The interior is all wood, with a soaring central atrium. Their Christmas Shop is excellent. F&M has amazing treats and is packed with goodies in an historic building. So mouth-watering! Plus they have tons of quality gift items.

Carnaby Street is a fun wander - so many cute boutiques, and the decorations are fantastic! Pop down into Kingly Court for a bite to eat - or head to The Golden Union (a 2 minute walk from Liberty) for the best fish and chips in London.

Covent Garden will be super busy, but is utterly adorable at Christmas, with stunning interior decorations and an immense tree. Plenty of shopping in multiple tiny, gorgeous shops. There are high-quality street performers, including folks singing and playing seasonal music.

For gift shopping if you have theatre or opera buff friends, try the gift shop at the Royal Opera House. It’s in Covent Garden (across from the main building) and the gift selection is really interesting and classy.

Sloane Square, Duke of York Square, and the King’s Road are also not “quaint,” exactly, but the shopping is peerless, and there are lovely old buildings and beautiful residential side streets to walk down for a wander. Start at Sloane Square amd walk down the King’s Road from there.

There is so much more (Burlington Arcade, Jermyn Street, New Bond Street, all of the amazing markets, Somerset House, Kew Gardens…) that it’s tough to express how much more there is!

For example, for truly quaint, you could check out the village of Hampstead near Hampstead Heath. Hampstead feels like it’s far out of London, but it isn’t, and it is truly delightful for a beautiful stroll. It is, in a word, quaint!

Anything in particular you are looking for? Or just… shopping!? :-)

In my many trips to London, I haven’t found a lot to buy at Harrod’s, Liberty or even Fortnum and Mason except for some Christmas decor and food items. I have enjoyed the King’s Road area including the Peter Jones department store, the High Street Kensington area, and Notting Hill. Unfortunately the Oxford Street area has a lot of the same stores that can be found in every shopping zone in every city. Years ago a walk from Hampstead Heath to Primrose Hill yielded some shoes at a little spot along the way, shoes that I still love. The little shopping zones in various neighbourhoods can be more fun and worthwhile than the high profile shopping streets.

Another vote for Liberty which really does fit the word 'quaint' with its black and white architecture and galleries around a central atrium. It is a stunning place. The fabrics are gorgious too. It is well worth visiting just to look, even if you don't buy anything!

I'm not a shopper, but I absolutely love Harrod's (though I'm not sure I ever actually left the food hall). And Liberty is, as mentioned above, a gorgeous place. I also recommend Selfridge's.

Marks & Spencer food halls are also great, but more as a place to find food to take back to your apartment and actually eat. Harrod's food hall isn't really that.

Just reading the words "London shopping" makes me giddy with glee...lots of great suggestions by area already. My happy place is Liberty of London--there is really no other store quite like it, the minute you see its half-timber Tudor-esque exterior you'll be amazed, and the interior is so unique, cozy and charming and the goods are fabulous. I am biased, being a quilter, so my first stop is always the craft dept for their glorious fabric, and also a great selection of needlepoint and notions. The home goods, food, accessories and Christmas shop merit time as well. Depending on what you're shopping for--I like to add to my wardrobe whenever possible--I enjoy a good browse through women's wear at John Lewis a couple of blocks away on Oxford St. I also like the shops on Portobello Road--go for the Saturday outdoor markets, but the shops on the street are equally interesting.

The Covent Garden area is mainly chain shops, but still fun to explore and a couple of blocks away there's Cecil Court, a pedestrianized street full of charming old shops filled with books and antiques and more.

Oh, my! I want to go back with a giant, empty suitcase!

Every museum and gallery generally has a gift shop full of great things to take home.

Thank you so much. I think I confused everyone. I know Harrod’s isn’t quaint. I meant quaint area with shopping. But you’ve given me tons of wonderful suggestions!

Another thought for areas (in addition to Hampstead, which is lovely) is Chelsea - smart, with plenty of nice smaller shops.

I'd have suggested the area in London called St James's. Especially by St James's Palace, Pall Mall, St James's Street, St James's Square (full to bursting with Blue Plaques), and around there.

Much more for window shopping unless your bank manager is very generous, but such windows.

You can't get more convenient, and it is real genuine old London.

Oh, and Hampstead. Can't go wrong there, and you can have a genuine French crêpe outdoors.

I’m going to have a hard time deciding! We are only there 6 full days (day of arrival will probably hang around Covent Gardens, we’re staying in Bloomsbury). It’s our first time, so trying to hit the bug things, but leave time for unscheduled. That’s when I’d live to go to the shopping areas, quant streets.

day of arrival will probably hang around Covent Gardens, we’re staying in Bloomsbury.

From Bloomsbury it’s a nice stroll to Covent Garden (singular). The streets around Seven Dials and Neal Street are all lovely to explore en route.

Also, for a quintessential old-fashioned London shop, look out for James Smith & Sons (which sells umbrellas and walking sticks) on New Oxford Street, which you’ll probably pass en route from Bloomsbury to Covent Garden.

Thanks Golden Girl, I’ll head that way!