We enjoyed our week stay in Covent Garden. We took full advantage of the Covent Garden Market,…read morevisiting in several occasions. The Market is picturesque with lovely flower carts by the entrances. Historically, Covent Gardens were the gardens for the convent. Today, the beautiful enclosed market hosts various vendors that change regularly. The market is a great way to connect with locals. We went to the market four times during our visit. On Sundays, various art vendors set up and we visited with a local fossil dealer and purchased a couple fossils. We loved our dinner in one of the nearby cafes. On Mondays, antique dealers set up and sell various treasures. My husband bought me a vintage bracelet. We also watched a quintet play in the atrium. We found a few reasonably priced souvenirs to take home for gifts. Plenty of great restaurants surround the Market. We ate at several places and enjoyed our meals. The Market always seems to be new and people were friendly.

Covent Garden is an area in West End with a collection of shops and restaurants. This is considered…read moreto be in the city of Westminster. All of the shops are high-end, luxury. Think Rodeo Drive in London. It's a fun area to visit and check out all of the amazing offerings that most probably can never afford lol. Another must-see for hitting tourist areas in the West End.

This was one of my bookmarked shopping destinations while I was in London. Mostly because I…read morediscovered Vendula (purses, wallets, fabulousness) a few years ago and this is where their bricks & mortar shop is located. I'm so glad I made it! I arrived late in the day so many shops had already closed for the day, but I was able to shop at Vendula (yay for sales) and then I discovered Southbank Printmakers. OMG so many beautiful pieces. Definitely a area to peruse and relax a bit. Next time I'll allow for more browsing.

Good for something quick to eat and some little shops with nice stuff for gifts and artsy…read moreboutiques. The wooden sculptures are fun. Gabriel's Wharf has become highly popular with local workers, residents and visitors on the South Bank. The buildings in this intimate spot are actually old garages but now frequented by restaurants, cafes, shops and a whole lot more, overlooking the river - indeed, they offer a relaxing step back for local employeesa chance to escape the office. With Studio 6 providing the liquid refreshment. With great food from pizza to crepe, and some fabulous shops specialising in jewellery, art, sculpture this small area on the South Bank will inspire all who visit. Walk past, wander round..have a snack or a drink and take it all in.

One of my absolute favorite places to shop when in London. I'll never pass up a chance to trek down…read moreto Carnaby street as the shopping and dining options are elite. For any one of my friends traveling into London I always recommend veering off a little to Carnaby. Over the years some shops have come and go but some of my favorites remain open. I'm a huge Great Frog lover and their shop is nearby, also for us rock n rollers I can't help stopping into The Rolling Stones Uk store. Lots of major branded stores but also cute local vendors and stores. It's a very walkable street and safe. Plenty busy so come earlier in the day to beat the crowds. Another pro tip is catching a reservation at dishshoom down here as I've found it easier to snag a reservation here than at their other locations. Plenty of dining options though and local stalls like Starbucks and Joe & the juice. It's a touristy street of shops but I love it - definitely bookmark this area on your must shop / see list when on this side of town.

Fun one mile shopping area and eating area in SOHO located in the west end of Westminster. No cars…read moreallowed, only pedestrians. After having a tasty snack at Pizza Pilgrims, went to the two story Rolling Stones store which was my favorite place on Carnaby Street. A bunch of boutique shops and found one bathroom and a drinking fountain. There was an old English style red phone booth containing an unspeakable object on the floor inside, good conversation piece for the rest of my trip. Welcome to London.

Another good trip to this location. They have so many festive items, including; homeware, clothing…read moreand decorations. Great place for stocking stuffers and their bath bombs selection is one of the best! So many to choose from, including Disney and Christmas designs, all either £1 or £1.50! Staff on the floor are a bit useless and unwilling to help but the register staff were pleasant. As always - come early to avoid the crowds!

Your enjoyment or appreciation of this place is going to be entirely dependent on who you are, and…read morewhat your lifestyle is. I am not local (American) but I have lived in London as a young poor 20 something. Primark was a Godsend for me. It's also really interesting now that they have expanded into the states (although not where I live) to come back and see how it has changed. When I lived here and had no money this was my go to for anything trendy, or needed. When I moved back to America quite unexpectedly I went there to stock up on inexpensive suitcases to pack up my life and carry back across the world. Any fast fashion or trendy items, this was my go to. Needed something for my home that didn't need to be high quality, Primark. I got a job at AllSaints a few blocks away and we were supposed to wear their clothes exclusively, but we only got a 60% discount (that's a big discount but still not inexpensive for a college kid) so I got a lot of my work shoes here and they never noticed. Now that I visit as a tourist, it's my go to for things like I need an umbrella that I can leave behind when I go home, or it's raining and I didn't bring my raincoat with me today...or it's colder than what I planned for on this trip so let me stop by and grab a few pieces of layering clothes or a coat. The Disney selection makes me wonder why there isn't a Primark in Orlando (because they get very unique Disney licensed items). If you don't have a big budget or are in need of souvenirs, I also recommend Primark. But if you're looking for a luxury experience, this isn't for you. If you're anti fast fashion, please just skip this. It's busy and loud and sort of a cattle call at the till, but it's great novelty spot. The layout has shed over the years bit it's still a great spot for cheep gifts, replacing broken or lost items and getting an unexpected suitcase for any souvenirs if you are a tourist (my favorite suitcase going on 11 years was £25 from here & yes we got another this most recent trip) 3 stars because I've definitely had some weird experience here over the years but generally if you go in knowing what it is and what to expect, it won't disappoint you.

The Mall is the poor cousin to The Glades shopping centre. Not to say that it does not serve a…read morepurpose, just that it is on a much smaller scale than it's more known neighbour. It's a useful couple of alleys, wilth a mixture of alternative and mainstream shops and attached parking complex. On the alterntive side, there is Pathways; a sandalwood incense sort of shop and Games workshop for the War gamers. There's also an independent jewelers, cafe, newsagent and designer clothes boutique as well as some more familiar names; Poundland, Argos, UniQlo, Shoe Zone etc. There's also a recruitment agency and pine furniture store to boot. Quite useful, it's had a makeover in the last couple of years and is limited only by its size.

Cardinal Place is a small shopping and dining complex just outside Victoria Station's Underground…read morelifts on Victoria Street and of course opposite the stunning Westminster Cathedral., it consists of a few shops, places to eat and banks including Bill's, Marks and Spencer and Lloyds, to name one of each. The complex did seem quite modern, well laid out and staffed well for a small complex of its' size, and the location being in Victoria, central London and a short walk away from Westminster (or one stoop on the tube right next to it) is pretty handy too. It might not be a huge building, and it might not offer much which can't be found not too far away (which is actually quite typical of London) but it is a cool, albeit bang-average place. 3* - Useful but doesn't particularly stand out as special.

I love that Cardinal Place has just enough of everything that you need in one place…read more I know it sounds lazy, but I only get 1 hour of lunch break and I'd rather not have to spend 20 minutes walking from shop to shop with little browsing time. Cardinal Place = problem solved! Want a Birthday card? M&S will sort you out. Wrapping paper too. Present? Thorntons Chocolates and L'Occitane - fab Lunch? Boots (meal deal £3.50) or M&S (yum) - sweet Clothes/shopping spree? Topshop is 10seconds around the corner - awesome! I sound a bit sad, but really this is a cool shopping centre when you are tight on time (or just really lazy)! (Also - much as it annoyed me at first - you cannot smoke under there any more, so it's clean too :D )

Went here on Saturday, I was greeted by friendly staff, and they were very polite. The store is…read morewell laid out. Lots of different brands available and there is a good range of sizes. I found some lovely boots that are hard to find in other stores. I will definitely be shopping here again soon.

What the Butler Wore is a great vintage shop. They carry beautiful old school pieces. What is up…read morewith vintage high heels though? Why are they so small? Did women have super petite feet in the 1960s or do I just have gigantic bear paws? It's just so odd. If I could fit into a pair of one of these gorgeous shoes then I would be out £20, £30 maximum. They carry awesome coats and beautiful dresses. I found a bowtie selection that would make any swing dancer weep. Men's clothes are abundant in this store as well. There are lots of really suave jackets for male hipsters. The woman that runs the shop is lovely. She helped me through the whole shopping experience. If I needed any information from her she was quick to provide it. This place is just a great experience.

What did the butler wear?…read more Well if he dressed himself in this shop, he'd be wearing a lot of uninteresting vintage. Some people like 80's vintage with its loud sequins and copious ruffles. Some people like 60's vintage with its flowing skirts and bohemian prints. Some people like the emperor's new clothes which gets quite risque. Some people like to ride Bengali tigers around town. What the Butler wore like mainly dull 40-60's clothes that don't much hold my attention. Nor do they hold grudges, which is always appreciated. Someone somewhere sometime someplace will like this stuff, but it's not my style. I want color and pizazz and fitted pencil skirts and 20's flapper dresses, not much of which I saw here. (I saw not, but nor did I chainsaw. Good thing eh? But if you know of a good see saw in town, we should talk). There's a lot to look at in the store and the staff seems nice enough, but if this store were a magnet, I wouldn't be a metallic product. I'd probably be plastic, or cellophane or just walnuts and peanuts and nuts nuts nuts.

12/10-11/2018: Needing laundry detergent washing what little wardrobe I brought with me for this…read moreLondon UK wedding event and journey via bumbling around exploring locals' habitats, haphazardly getting lost, sweating riding the all too cuddly "Tubing" with LONDONITIANS . . . Resulting, an all too arduous, reluctant task I cannot possibly ignore . . . EYE ROLL~please! Searching for a small, no-minuscule packaging of laundry, detergent pods and color bleach is ALL I want-two needful necessities insuring my wardrobe remains clean, fresh . . . Uh-I have never shopped at an UK grocery store, literally. Hunting this store, Tesco whatever its name is, assuredly reminds me of the disastrous Tosco Refinery I had to film for almost two years leaving a negative sensation, a bad vibe causing me immediately evacuating the premises . . . Searching a Mom & Pop store-nope~they only sell snacks, drinks, and candy . . . and fruit! Anyway, trudging the lower level of this shopping center . . . What does this store sells? Uh~I really hoped and thought this small business merchant would sell-nope~not-only luggage . . . Leaving disappointed. Bumbling, searching for laundry pods is making my head feeling tight . . . Poundwhat? Uh-ohhhhh~This store is similar to 99-Cents Store in USA; HOWEVER, the store is an unorganized, pig sty, filthy, horrible, disastrous mess which doesn't have the small detergent pods, either? WHY NOT? Strolling across the other side of the shopping center . . . What's this? Iceland what? Oh-I guess this store is comparable to USA's Save-Mart, right? Right. EUREKA! Ice whatever its name is~sells the minuscule packaging of detergent pods! YAY~I buying the pods-I'm in and outta of here-STAT. Overall, Elephant & Castle is NOT, definitely NOT the upscale Westfield Malls I visit every blue moon . . . Instead, this shopping center is specifically you make a beeline for whatever needful, immediate necessities you need NOW and leave STAT! DONE the "honey-do-shopping list" shopping-now, let's address insuring the boring laundry task gets completed TONIGHT!

Holeprefix swearword. That was my original view of this shopping centre. I mean it is pink too. It…read morewas in my view the worst shopping centre on the planet. It has a tesco and a rather horrid market. That was the appeal. Upstairs? don't even bother. It scared me as a child. Nowadays, now I know this centre has a short lifespan I really have conquered my middle-class suburban fears and embraced the urban charm of this shopping centre. So what if the upstairs area is a place where English is the second language, with greasy spoon caffs, south american bars, shops, grocery store and and money transfer, internet cafes and bizzare bowling and bingo outlets. Isn't that what shopping centres are for? Downstairs is like most shopping centres. A Tesco, a branch of boots. The market outside is pretty random, but then so are some of the discount shops on the ground floor. What really gets me though is that if you want to change between the rail and tube stations you have to walk through the shopping centre. PS - Need business cards in a hurry, there is a machine on the upper floors here, which you can design and print them in under 30mins. Pretty handy I have found before. PPS - Read the entrance sign. No door to door salesmen. Got that? Good.

This M&S Food Hall location was conveniently located 2 blocks from our hotel. We would stop by on…read morethe way back to the hotel to pick up some snacks and light grab & go type meals. They have a huge selection of "grab & go" sandwiches and salads. My favorite is their Tuna Nicoise Salad; I picked that up on 3 different days because I loved it that much! My other favorite is their bakery dept. Their Triple Chocolate Cookies exceed expectations for a supermarket bakery item. We actually went back another day to pick up a 2nd package. We loved their Strawberry & Raspberry cereal, which was sort of like Special K cereal but much much better. We bought 2 boxes of this. M&S was also our source for apples, bananas and grapes. They also sell other precut melon, pineapple, etc. The store sells most other supermarket stuff. It's a place for locals to quickly grab groceries before heading home. They have meats, vegetables, frozen foods, pasta, sodas, wine, tea, coffee, candy, etc. There are no cashiers at this store. It's all self-check out. We discovered they have a different system for buying weighed items. Some of the self-check out kiosks have a connected scale. When using a self-check out kiosk without a scale, you need to go to a separate scale near the check out area to weigh your stuff, and then it prints out a barcode sticker which you scan at the check out kiosk. Marks & Spencer is all over London, we would always pass by one when we were out and about sightseeing. There are 2 small ones at the Waterloo Railway station near our hotel. I'm a big fan of M&S. I love how they are open until 10pm, which made it easy to stop by when we returned to the hotel later after a long day of sightseeing. I also picked up a reusable canvas M&S tote bag & a reusable mini insulated bag as souvenirs.