R K Tailoring

R K Tailoring, Unit 6, 26 Kingly Street, London W1B 5QB, Tel. 020 7734 3222
Nearest tube - equally close to Oxford Circus and Piccadilly Circus
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The aim of this blog is to give retail recommendations, and this is from the top drawer. Unlike the other entries here it's not a shop, but it still qualifies because it's an alterations tailor.
Everyone needs an alterations tailor for three reasons:
1 - Stuff very rarely fits. I used to have a friend who had a job pinning up clothes that were used in magazine and catalogue shoots - that is, the clothes didn't fit the models, so they had to be made to fit to look good in the pictures
2 - Don't get stuff altered in the shop if it's cotton. Cotton always shrinks the first two times it is washed - including pre-shrunk cotton - so if they take up your trousers they won't fit as well after a couple of washes. Take it home, wash it twice, then get it altered
3 - Some stuff only fits in some dimensions, but with a skillful tailor it can be made to fit properly.
R K Tailoring comes highly recommended, but ring up first to check on their opening times

Lina Stores

Lina Stores, 18 Brewer Street, London, W1F OSH
Nearest Tube - pretty much equi-distant between Oxford Circus, Tottenham Court Road, Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus
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When I started this blog I didn't want to include food shops, but I'll make an exception for Lina Stores. In a city full of Italian shops, it is near the top, with excellent pasta, meat, cheese and bread, and they even make their own ravioli every day. Highly recommended!

Edwards & Todd

25A Museum Street, London , WC1A 1LY
Nearest Tube - Totenham Court Road or Holborn
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Edwards & Todd is a small shop near to the British Museum that sells a wide range of cards, jewelry, gifts, and things for the home. The perfect place for Valentines gifts, or unusual soaps, or teddy bears, or...

Freud

198 Shaftesbury Avenue, WC2H 8JL
Nearest Tube - A dead heat between Tottenham Court Road, Leicester Square and Covent Garden
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Freud is a small shop at street level at the top end of Shaftesbury Avenue. Underneath is the slightly better known cocktail bar (also call Freud), but both are largely undiscovered gems given that I know people who've worked two minutes away who haven't discovered either. Freud (the shop) sells the most beautiful fans, glasses, coffee makers and other things that would make you the best giver at any wedding. Oh - and for some reason they spell it FREVD on the door, but it's definitely FREUD...

Daunt Books

83 Marylebone High Street
London
W1U 4QW
Nearest Tube - Regent's Park, Baker Street or Bond Street
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Daunt Books is my favourite London bookshop. It exudes history, has knowledgeable staff, displays books in an eclectic way, and is a great place to both browse and buy. The branch I've shown here is in Marylebone High Street, and has an enormous travel books section, where both guides and fiction set in that country site side by side on the shelves. So if you're going to Barcelona pop in and get both your guidebook and a couple of novels to inspire you during your stay.

SKK

34 Lexington Street
London
W1F 0LH
Nearest Tube - Any of Oxford Circus, Tottenham Court Road, Piccadilly Circus or Leicester Square
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SKK is my favourite lighting shop in London. When you first walk in it looks in part like a workshop, with bits of lighting equipment lying around and a general lack of 'We are a shop' vibe. However this just encouraces you to explore, and see some of the very clever and limited edition lights that they have on offer.

Ian Logan Design Shop

Ian Logan Design Company
42 Charterhouse Square
London EC1 M6EA
Nearest tube - Barbican
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This is probably my favourite shop in London. It's very small, but contains more original gifts and ideas than large department stores. Most of my friends and family have had presents from here at some point - but I still keep finding new things every time I go back.

Update - as of early 2008 Ian Logan closed its doors, but the website is still live.

There are a couple of alternatives I'd recommend for that special present - Pedlars in Notting Hill and Magma in the West End - the 'product shop at No. 16 Earlham Street, not the bookshop at No. 8