We visited Lambert on our holiday to London, it had good prices and friendly service so we picked…read moreup a few fun trinkets. However after paying, one of us checked the receipt and the full Visa card number and expiry date were printed on the receipt! This seemed sketchy as every other receipt always had the first numbers starred out. In calling the bank they agreed this was fishy and cancelled the card as a precaution. Just something to watch out for when shopping!

I love to buy cheesy souvenirs whenever I visit a foreign land. This is a great spot right by…read moretrafalgar square. This shop was perfect, it had everything I was looking for and more. No pressure to buy anything which is great. I walked away a happy tourist. I should also mention based on my shopping they are have the best prices around.

Green and Stone is a great little art shop that is also a framers…read more I love the old feel to this store, as these guys have been on the go since 1927. They have a fine selection of the best quality oil, acrylic and watercolour paint. They also sell paper, canvas, brushes and easels. They also have a great range of gifts such as globes, pencils, photo frames, perfect for the artist or writer in your family. The only downside is it is a bit pricey.

What a gem of a place…read more I love the antique art materials & always drop in on my way to nearby Chelsea Arts Club

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.

Super neat little stationary/card shop for all your unique card or paper product needs. Small in…read moresize but big on giggles. For that friend in your life that's just a little bit off, or that relative that appreciates a good F-U joke, this place has what you need. They carry assortment of accoutrement including postcards, cards, knickknacks, coasters, balloons, etc. Be on the lookout for the sale items, and don't forger to grab some stamps for your cards!!

Found a lot of rare gifts and souvenirs here! The 2 women helping me were really helpful and even…read morelet me test out some toys so I could pick out the right one. They have really wonderful items for all ages! Support this local gift store, you won't regret it!

Best card shop in London, apparently. It's quite good. Stickers, magnets, wrapping and bags,…read morecalendars, toys, novelties and loads of greeting cards. Great pop-up offerings. Near the South Kensington metro.

The Hands down, surefire, absolute, undoubtedly, without question best thing about this place was…read morethat one of the sales staff matched the wallpaper. Her shirt bore the exact same color and pattern and part of the decor. It was incredible. Besides this delight, I have little feeling for the Blue Door - it failed to catch my eye, make me swoon, whisper sweet nothings into my ear and so forth. This place sells a lot of slightly upper end, touristy and non-touristy dishwear. If you're feeling like your tea set is a bit boring, you might find something here to jazz it up. It won't be cheap, but it won't put you out an arm and a leg either. The mugs of touristy type are different than those you see in every souvenir shop, but they're still just mugs with bobbies and Big Bens. Towards the back there are some purses, pillows and gift items. My friend bought some London-y mugs for her grandmas and we skit-skedaddled out of there.

I just came back to Toronto yesterday from a 10-day Europe trip in London, UK and different parts…read moreof France. My husband was attending a conference near the Imperial College so I was tagging along and sightseeing on my own in the city. It was my first time in London, UK. We stayed at the Radisson Blu Edwardian Vanderbilt hotel, a fantastic hotel by the way. Most importantly, the WIFI service was swift with no hiccups. Since it's right across the Tube station Gloucester, it was relatively easy for me to get around. I was in London for a total of 3 days. I spent the first two days covering the majors attractions and shops including the British Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum (my favourite), the Twin Towers, the Tower of London, the Westminster Abbey, the Buckingham Palace, Covent Garden, Harrods ... I'm sure you know the rest. I reserved my last day in London for more souvenir shopping. Before the visit, I aimed to get a couple of English fine china tea sets, one for my mother, and one for myself. Both of us are big fans of red teas. We are not coffee drinkers, so breakfast tea in the morning has been a staple for us. As a first time visitor in London, I found it difficult to find affordable English china tea sets with traditional prints. There were the overpriced ones but very pretty royal collection chinaware at the official boutique near the Buckingham Palace Gate. But I think most tourists like me would unlikely be willing to drop a few hundreds British pounds on a teapot. I started googling in the hotel for places nearby that sell affordable chinaware. I came across the Blue Door in Notting Hill. I decided to bid on the Blue Door for my last chance to get the tea sets that I desired with the limited time that I had. The store did not disappoint and I was so glad that I found it. Most items in the store were reasonably priced. I was attracted to Notting Hill not just because of the store, but also the large number of antique shops and the flea market there. The location was also very convenient. Hop onto the Tube and get off at the Notting Hill Gate station and you'll find your way. The staff at the store was super helpful. The lady who helped me package my teapots took great care of the merchandises. Since I bought two sets of teapots, cups and saucers, one with a traditional red & pink rose pattern, the other one with classic blue floral prints, she also tossed in a English telephone booth magnet for me. I regret that I did not get the silver plated toast holders. They were used in the hotel for serving toasts in the hotel which I thought was very British. You don't see them very often in North America so they were new to me. If you are tired of visiting landmarks, museums and monuments, give the Blue Door in Notting Hill a try. I'm sure you'll find something you like there. It definitely satisfied my chinaware needs.

It does what it says on the tin…read more I've heard that this section of the market is at the tightest end of the credit crunch and places like these, selling non essentials - ornaments, candles and knickknacks - find it the hardest in times of crisis. So who knows how long this will last but it certainly has been around for quite a while, a good sign probably. In addition, this store is located in a posh bit of town where people aren't as strapped for cash. Also, this shop isn't an independent it's got a company behind it which mostly sells on the web. The address is www.candlesontheweb.co.uk if you want to check it out.

Disappointing, unfriendly service. Seems like it's a struggling independent business but to put it…read moresimply, just not a very good gift shop.

Harrod's is a London icon and a premier luxury department store and it is a shoppers dream. This…read morestore is massive and its known for the fabulous food hall, extravagant luxury goods, and it attracts roughly 15 million visitors per year. Harrod's also features a afternoon tea in The Georgian and it costs about $96.00 US dollars per person. We were here many years ago but I still remember the experience. It was very busy inside and we walked around for a couple of hours just looking and taking in all the beautiful products that were for sale. The architecture of the store is a stunning. We bought some souvenirs, and I also bought a purse and wallet while visiting. We loved taking pics with the life size Harrod bears. I had never been in such a majestic and exquisite store seeing so many luxury items. This store is definitely geared towards the elite and uber rich but we still managed to have a really good time. Service was ample although most of the employees we encountered were very busy hustling to locate items for anxious shoppers. A must visit while you are in London, just don't drop all your cash here.

You feel like you are in a different world when you step inside Harrods. A luxury mall with a great…read morefood hall, a Prada cafe, they make their own chocolate in the chocolate hall, and every name brand you can think. Our first stop was the dry bar. We have plenty of these back in the states but I had never been to one before, so It's pretty exciting for to me to say that my first dry bar experience was in Harrods in London! I tend to stay away from blow-dry places because not everyone can blow-dry thick curly hair. Kezia was the stylist and she was great!! She was so funny, paid close attention to detail, and this was one of the best blow-drys I have ever gotten! Next, we stopped at Burberry. She was wonderful, poise, and so knowledgeable about the brand. My husband loves his wallet. We then stopped at Louis Vuitton for a perfume. No one attended to us and it felt like they were judging us based on how we looked. Five employees walked right past us and not a single one acknowledged us. Finally someone did and when we asked her what the notes in the perfume were she googled it on her phone. Our shopping day wasn't complete without buying some sweets from the chocolate hall. Every type of chocolate you can think of is sold here and delicious taste!

Ordered a few framed posters on their ecommerce site. They have so many collections you won't find…read moreanywhere else really. Received my order in a timely matter. Satisfied customer!

From the owner: Gift Shops Londonread more

We were walking around the Covent Garden when we spotted this shop. I am a big fan of Moomin, so I…read morewas delighted! We walked up the narrow staircase with excitement. The shop itself is rather small, so it was not easy to walk around with other people in the shop. They did have a good variety of items, from ornaments, clothes, bags, trays, books... Pretty much everything you can think of, they have it and more. The price point can be high, based on what you are looking for, but some items are rather affordable. We purchased the Moomin Comfort Food recipe book (LOL!!!), and can't wait to cook something out of that book! If you are a Moomin fan, it is worth checking it out!

If you're a Moomin fan, you'll love this store. I personally found the store to be smaller than I…read moreexpected, but the wide selection of books and merchandise and the theming make up for it.