The most-loved shops in London

What is it? Now located in Bow after several years in neighbouring Bethnal Green, this East End furniture warehouse specialises in liquidation stock, cancelled orders and samples. This means it's the place to go for quality household names (John Lewis,etc.) at prices you'd never get anywhere else. If you've a new flat to fill, Lofty's should definitely be on your radar. What does it sell? Luxury furniture at affordable prices. The stock spreads out onto the street and there's often sofas, beds, lamps, and tables waitng to find a new home.  Opening times: Mon-Sat 8am-5pm; Sun 9am-4pm  Time Out tip:  Why not grab some food from the nearby Roman Road Market. We suggest trying the gozlem which is £3 for all the fillings.   

What is it? A first stop for East End trendies, Goodhood is a clothing and lifestyle shop owned by streetwear obsessed couple Kyle Stewart and Jo Sindle. After seven years on Hoxton’s Coronet Street, and a decade on Curtain Road, it recently upped sticks again to a super-size, 5,500 square foot site just off Brick Lane. What does it sell? A deftly curated edit of womenswear, menswear, accessories, kids’ stuff, beauty and grooming products, plus homeware, audio equipment and fancy camping gear. Japanese independent labels are well represented, while other covetable brands include Aries, Brain Dead, Engineered Garments, Pendleton, Ganni, Norse Projects, Our Legacy and Wood Wood. You’ll also find matcha whisks, wall tapestries and quality basics from the shop’s own brand, Goodhood Lifestore – designed in collaboration with Brain Dead co-founder Ed Davis – plus curated edits of stock from Broadway Market bookshop Artwords, vintage brand Unified Goods and Hackney record store Stranger Than Paradise.  The upscale, leftfield stock is hand picked to appeal to Goodhood’s very East End customer, but is shot through with a real sense of humour and a few easy, low-cost buys: branded tees, socks and hats, plus affordable trinkets, mugs, badges and stickers. Opening times 11am to 7pm daily Time Out tip If you want to be ahead of the curve when it comes to streetwear-influenced fashion, be sure to keep tabs on the brands represented here; Goodhood has a knack for stocking...

There are dozens of good vintage stores in London, but this remains a firm favourite. Blackout II has been providing bright and beautiful frocks, handbags, shoes and all the trimmings for more than two-and-a-half decades. Here, you will find a wonderful array of dress-up clothes, from 1930s cocktail frocks to full-skirted ’50s dresses and some slinky numbers that might have graced the sets of 'Dynasty', as well as more wearable men’s and women’s clothing and accessories from the ’40s through to the ’80s. The duplex store is heaving with stock, and you’ll need a great deal of rummager’s enthusiasm to prise through the stuffed rails, but the incredibly knowledgeable staff, together with signs on rails indicating era, make the shopping experience a smidge easier. An ideal place to go if you’re after a specific item from a specific decade, it’s a magpie’s dream of costume jewellery, and also does clothing hire. As featured in the 100 best shops in London

What is it? Founded by the Salvino brothers, Antonio and Stefano, back in 1979, this popular deli offers Camden wanderers authentic Italian produce and home-cooked meals from family recipes. Although the shop started its life as a cash and carry, supplying many restaurants and cafes across London, Antonio and Stefano later decided to transform it into a specialised local delicatessen. Family is at the core of everything at Salvino - Antonio has worked in the shop since he turned 18 and views his customers as almost an extension of his own family.  What does it sell? Drop in to bag a bottle of wine (from a choice of over 50) or sit down for handmade ravioli, pizza and arancini. You can also pick up delicious homemade Italian sausages, pastries stuffed full of spinach and mozzarella and fresh-made sandwiches. No one goes hungry at Salvino. Opening times: Mon-Sat 7am-5pm; Sun Closed Time Out tip:  Do not forget to try the ravioli - there are a range of fillings on offer from crab, lemon and saffron to pumpkin. Trust us, you will not be disappointed. As featured in the 100 best shops in London

What is it? This beautiful Edwardian building, that is now home to Daunt Books has always had a literary history. Before James Daunt took over the premise in 1990, it was home to antiquarian booksellers, Francis Edwards - which claims to be the first custom-built bookshop in the world. Edwards' legacy can still be felt inside today and Daunt Books still keeps many of its original, gorgeous features. What does it sell? Though not strictly a travel bookshop, this beautiful store will always be seen first and foremost as a travel specialist thanks to its elegant three-level back room complete with oak balconies, viridian-green walls, conservatory ceiling and stained-glass window – home to row upon row of guide books, maps, language reference, history, politics, travelogue and related fiction organised by country. France, Britain, Italy and the United States are particularly well represented; go downstairs to find more far-flung destinations. Travel aside, Daunt is also a first-rate stop for literary fiction, biography, gardening and much more. Opening times: Monday-Saturday 9am-7.30pm; Sunday 11am-6pm Time Out tip: James Daunt’s commitment to providing proper careers for his workers ensures an informed and keen team of staff - so we recommend asking them questions! They'll be sure to find the right book for your next read. Branches: Cheapside, Chelsea, Hampstead, Holland Park. As featured in the 100 best shops in London

This rustic gift shop on Exmouth Market is straight out of a home counties village high street, and that's why it's a treat to find it in Zone 1. All products here are hand-crafted and hand-selected by owner Alice, with many of the store's products being made on-site, either at the shop counter or in the downstairs studio. Alongside cards, textiles, jewellery and ceramics, Botanique offers bespoke floristry too, with same-day delivery available across the country. There's also second branch on Church Street, Stoke Newington.

What is it? Now far more than just a string of stalls selling bric-à-brac and fruit and veg, Brick Lane Market, in the heart of Shoreditch, has grown and mutated over the years to incorporate seven different markets known as The Truman Markets. Operating at its fullest on Sundays, Brick Lane and its surrounding streets come alive, teeming with sellers shifting their wares. Outside the bagel bars, curry houses and vintage shops, people without proper stalls set up shop on carpets and tables, selling old electrical equipment, toys, records, broken musical instruments and furniture. There’s Backyard Market with stalls focused on arts and crafts, the Sunday Upmarket is a food hall brimming with street food vendors selling a global smorgasbord of cuisine plus vintage clothing, fashion by new and established designers, jewellery and homewares. The Vintage Market does what it says on the tin and if you’re into chintz, The Tea Rooms host charming stalls selling things like typewriters, taxidermy and vintage maps. Why go?  To shop for almost everything under the sun. Don’t miss  If you need to fuel up, there’s the Boiler House Food Hall, which has around 30 stalls selling culinary delights from all around the world. You can also explore Ely’s Yard Street Food where you’ll find favourites such as Orange Buffalo and Caboose – among many other Brick Lane restaurants. Ticket info No tickets needed.   When to visit  Open Monday to Saturday at 11am-6:30pm and Sunday from 10am-6pm. Time...

  What is it?  One of London’s best-known and prettiest markets, Columbia Road Flower Market is a bustling botanical paradise in London’s East End.  It takes place each Sunday, when market traders line the narrow Victorian street selling flowers, houseplants, herbs, bulbs and shrubs.  A hugely popular destination for weekend jaunts, it draws large crowds of tourists and locals alike. But it’s not just the market itself that draws crowds; the quaint little street is home to over 60 independent businesses, many of which follow the market’s opening hours. Why go? To soak up the atmosphere at one of the city’s longest-running markets, dating all the way back to 1869. And to pick up some colourful buds to brighten up your living room.  Don’t miss: When you’ve bought your blooms, head behind the stalls and down side streets for a good browse around the surrounding indie shops, which range from cafés, restaurants and delis to homeware shops, antique dealers, vintage stalls and small galleries. Pop into Jones Dairy Cafe for organic and local produce or go crate-digging at Idle Moments before heading to cosy boozer The Nelson’s for a locally-brewed pint.  When to visit:  The market opens at 8am and officially closes at 3pm, though it tends to start winding down an hour or so before that. During the midday rush you may well find yourself being jostled by the waves of visitors shuffling down the narrow street. If you can’t bear crowds or just want to guarantee the pick of the crop,...

What is it? The indie music label Rough Trade – perhaps most famous for signing the Smiths in the early 1980s – set up this 5,000sq ft (465sq m) record store, café and gig space in the noughties when the death of music shops in the face of internet price-cutting was widely accepted as inevitable. Perversely, Rough Trade instead offered a physical space where music-lovers could browse a dizzying range of vinyl and CDs, spanning punk, indie, dub, soul, electronica and more, providing them with 16 listening posts.  What do they sell? The store boasts a large vinyl collection, books and merchandise. But it also welcomes live performers of pretty much every persuasion to their purpose-built stage, with standing room in front sensibly factored into the planning. Gigs happen early in the evening (usually 7pm) and admission is more often than not free (with a pre-collected wristband) or free with purchase of the new album by whoever's playing. Sets are shorter than a regular gig and there can be long queues for bigger named acts, but then, who wouldn't queue to see free sets from the diverse likes of Blur, Marianne Faithful and Vampire Weekend? Opening times: Monday-Saturday 10am-7pm; Sunday 11am-7pm Time Out tip: If you're a music fan, check out the Rough Trade website. You can pre-order new releases and read their blog too.  As featured in the 100 best shops in London

What is it? London's largest antiques market occupies a prime, colourful stretch of Notting Hill, an area that manages to feel diverse and surprising despite heavy gentrification (how Hugh Grant in that movie could afford a one-person flatshare while working in a bookshop is well beyond us) in the ’90s. Portobello Road Market is really five markets in one, with different sections dedicated to secondhand goods; clothing and fashion; household essentials; fruit, veg and other food; and the main event: antiques. Why go? To sift through thousands of one-off treasures and haggle for bargains on pieces that you’ll get compliments on for the rest of time.  Don’t miss  Under the Westway and along the walkway to Ladbroke Grove, second-hand clothes sit next to the wares of up-and-coming fashion designers. Fridays are a little less hectic here, and you’ll be able to explore fashion-focused Portobello Green Market, which comprises more than 800 stalls. When to visit Portobello Road is worth exploring any day of the week, but Friday and Saturday are by far the busiest.  The market itself is open Monday-Wednesday 9am-6pm; Thursday 9am-1pm; Friday-Sat 9am-7pm and closed on Sundays. The antiques stalls are open Friday and Saturday 9am-7pm.  Ticket info No tickets needed. Just turn up and enjoy!  Time Out tip For a sweet mid-shopping treat, walk a little further down the street to Golbourne Road, where the crowd thins out substantially. There you’ll find the no fuss, no frills Lisboa...