THE quintessential aesthetic London department store…read more Harrods is for tourists with a lot of money. Liberty is for anybody with taste. An authentic London shopping experience that offers unique items you can't find elsewhere. A long history of beautiful design in a stunning Tudor-esqu building without a single escalator! (There are elevators) Gorgeous fabric from designers like William Morris. Come here for genuine London products, and for an authentic only-in-London shopping experience.

I was so excited to have the opportunity to visit liberty - with several floors, many offering the…read morewide array of floral materials, and others - perfumery, dining, housewares and haberdashery at premium pricing. While the staff are plenty, they are busier trying to appear busy, rather than assisting guests. I do admit to being somewhat underwhelmed. But for someone, I'm certain that Liberty will check all of their boxes.

We came here for the Jellycat store and it was worth it. This is like a large department store with…read moremany brands inside, similar to Harrod's. The location was right in the middle of the action. Specific to JellyCat, they were having the Fish and Chips pop up, which offers limited edition fish and chips related Jellycats, where you interact with the staff as they present it to you with a sticker with your name and a personalized experience. You could make a reservation or just stand in line. We chose to do neither and my daughter got a lemon wedge Jellycat. The line was short and the staff was friendly.

We stopped by Selfridges to pick up a swim suit for the honey, but also ended up dropping into…read moretheir food hall. For the food hall I loved that they had a great selection of so many different types of food and drink. I was able to pick up some sushi and drinks, while the honey got some ramen to-go. I also loved that you could pay at the specific stall you got the food from and did not have to get in line for every single item. In relation to Selfridges' clothing section upstairs, the signage for the sections was poor and we ended up having to ask where the swim area was. Everything was £80 and up so we later ended up going to Primark since it was a little too rich for our blood (DH constantly loses his swim trucks when we travel). All in all, I was glad they were close to our hotel and the food hall definitely gives the nearby Mercado (which was our goto last year) a run for it's money.

Made it a mission to go to every single one of M&S, this location has a great selection, and food…read morebar was very clean and kept.

The staff in the food department at this M&S are some of the best I've come across. I stopped by…read moretwice in the last couple of days and both times when I've asked for help the team members went out of their way to assist me and help me look for items or alternatives of what they were sold out of. Since I've been back in the UK most customer service has been terrible but they definitely do their jobs well in this department. Great selection of food and it's nice to try new meals knowing it'll always taste good!

My husband and I visited London a few weeks ago as we traveled from the US (Connecticut). On July…read more 16, we sat in a cute coffee shop, we saw everyone passing with these blue bags. Of course being a shopper I had to inquire. They were Fortnum & Mason bags. Of course this was our next stop. As we were perusing the aisles for a good strong breakfast tea we were approached by a tall energetic man who offered to assist us......and assist was an understatement. John B in the red coat gave us THE greatest experience ever in Fortnum & Mason and London. He gave us some history of the store and introduced us to every level of the store. I have to acknowledge each and every person I encountered on this day because you all made it a true London experience and I am forever grateful. John B thank you for your tea knowledge and enthusiasm and as a result, I came for one box of tea and left with three boxes of tea, and a canister of tea. To the beautiful young lady who sold me the box of delicious candy, and was told that great things were coming her way. We then ventured to household items and there was a great presentation and we were convinced we needed the cherry liquor which is delicious. To the young man in the alcohol section, you did a fabulous job describing the beverages and we left with a bottle of pink gin. John B returned and introduced us to the champagne bar and I purchased two bottles of champagne. Again thank you thank you and thank you again for a wonderful experience for us during our travel.

Before leaving London, I had to pop in…read more Starting my day early in the Parlor, I grabbed a small bite. My waiter was most genteel and even brought me a surprise birthday sweet treat! Post-nibbles, I traversed each floor, of course, settling on teas to acquire, for the trip home. F&M has a wide array of teas, some familiar and some which are signature to the brand. The staff are quite eager to assist, and properly demure when doing so. After completing my shopping, it's quite easy to admit that I'm now a tea snob, from this point going forward. LOL

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.

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.

I'll let you in on a little secret about me, well it's not really a secret, but this girl loves to…read morecook. I think about food, ingredients and spices a lot and when I travel, I like to experience and take a little something home as a souvenir. So I came to John Lewis & Partners after a friend recommended the grocery portion as a good place to find spices. I've traveled to several countries and states where I pick up spices to use in my recipes, this means a lot more to me than some novelty t-shirt or magnet. I purchased a wide selection of spices, some which I have never tried using before. As you can see in my picture, I got quite the haul and paid around $30 euros for it all. Compared to the prices I would have paid back home, I feel that I got a great deal at John Lewis & Partners.

I CHALLENGE JOHN LEWIS TO PROVIDE THE PROOF THEY SAY THEY HAVE ON VIDEO SHOWING MY CLAIM YOU STOLE…read more£160 OF MY MONEY. I was new to them at Solihull but approached by a man i now believe was head of security. He took control as the shop was shutting demand a further £200 when i can only assume my autism and unsteady state while i was suffering a minor stroke had him see an opportunity to steal. The shop was in darkness the cashier at a distance and stated events were manufactured. I was still clear in my head but unable to respond and the salesman is said to have been on holiday over 8 weeks. The head of security of that floor seemed familiar but the video would prove it weas him. JOHN LEWIS refused to show me the video or a copy but the video would show my state of health having to sit while i was being robbed. The police were offered as an alternative knowing they cannot interfere in a civil case further confirming the abuse is a regular occurrence on these premises. C9itizens Advice stated this action was typical so many have endured it. YOU OWE ME £160 but please take me to court i tried to put this on your review page but it went blank

Tips: - The foodhall is on the lower ground floor. The…read morecrisps are everything! -This company has its own bank. I grew up with Marks and Spencer (M&S). Canada had this chain for over twenty years before all locations shuttered for good in 1999. My go-to location was at Shoppers World on Danforth Avenue at Victoria Park Avenue. I still remember the last item that I bought at this store, which was a blue t-shirt. I visited London in December 2013. Out of all the flagship department stores that I wanted to go to, it was this M&S store on Oxford Street that had priority. I was staying at a hotel in South Kensington. I took the 74 bus to get to this store. I remember someone asking me where the bus stop was as I was heading over to it to take the bus to this store. I'm not sure why folks ask me for directions in a city that is new to me. It happens often. I felt accomplished that I knew something as a tourist! I remember how happy I was when I walked into this store. Hopefully, the floor plan and floors haven't changed since I was last there: - Lower ground floor - foodhall - Ground and first floors - women's clothing - Second floor - men's clothing - Third floor - homeware I don't recall being on the top floor. I could be wrong. I also don't know if the M&S Bank is still at this store. It was cool when I visited it, with comfy couches to relax. I spent some time in the men's clothing section. I bought a green cashmere sweater as a gift that was so soft to the touch. I loved the two floors full of women's clothing. I ended up getting socks that felt ridiculously soft that I had to have them. My spent the majority of my time in the foodhall. I hit the crisps section first. I got a few varieties of crisps: - Roast beef and onion - Roast chicken and garlic butter - Cheddar cheese and onion All of them were amazing. I am salivating thinking about them. So good! I also ended up getting biscuits (cookies). I got shortbread and white chocolate. They were amazing, likely due to the butter. I remember asking a woman at the checkout whether my Discover card was an acceptable payment option. It's also known as a Diner's Club card internationally. My Discover card that I've had since I lived in Minnesota worked here. Yay! I want to go back to this store. It has been renovated since I was last here. I'd like to check out the changes and get more food. (51)

I feel so happy when I'm here, I love M&S, it's the tourist in me. You can find anything and…read moreeverything, couldn't find my sticky toffee pudding but it's okay, going to try the recommended prawn sammie.

Such a beautiful place. There are multiple floors of designer shopping, cafes, a food hall, and…read moresome regular shopping. If you are in London you have to make a stop and even get yourself a souvenir. While visiting we decided to get lunch on the first floor. It was a little expensive but worth the experience. If you can't make up your mind on a souvenir by the way, there is one more location in Heathrow :)

Now this is a shopping experience. Retail, food, cafes and pastries, cocktails, lattes, teas... Can…read morewe import Harrods into the U.S. already? During the winter holidays, it's festively decorated inside and out--and it's bussssy. Great place for gift shopping, picking up a luxe lewk, or just kill some time while being a tourist.

Beautiful store but the customer service was so so…read more I went to the counter looking for an item and was ignored by the two staff members who were busy chatting, so I went to open a drawer myself to find my item. I was very quickly intercepted by a salesperson​ who somewhat rudely asked me what I was doing. I explained that I was standing there with my family for several minutes and was completely ignored​ by the staff (before anyone says that perhaps we weren't dressed well, I was wearing a Moncler puffer with a leather Prada bag, the hubby was wearing a Burberry jacket, my kids were well dressed and we were carrying​ bags from Selfridges​). He softened his position a bit but wasn't especially helpful. With Harrod's and Selfridges nearby, why bother with Fenwick?

What's happened here?! Fenwick's used to be my favourite department store, mainly because it…read moredidn't have the look and feel of a department store. It used to have just the right balance between old-fashioned, British understatement and hip, in that the layout and decor were plain and simple in a place filled with interesting and surprising brands alongside more predictable stuff. There was a time I bought most of my shoes here, lingerie, work outfits - actually, I must have spent thousands here over the years. Oh well, I couldn't find anything interesting on my most recent visit. The ground floor has been taken over by bling perfume counters - this could as easily be a small Harvey Nichols or Selfridges. The Bond Street entrance is dominated by MAC and you can't see beyond the massive structure - what is wrong with counters and a view of the rest of the store?! As I had some time to kill I took the escalator down to the basement for the heavily advertised Christmas section. All the generic overpriced stuff you find in shops at this time of year: novelty smellies, overpriced sweeties, techie toys for boys. Nothing new or exciting here. No pleasant surprises on the other floors either, all the money seems to have gone into the ground floor. The top floor was genuinely shocking. They removed the ceiling to reveal the pipes and hung up some massive disco balls to make the denim section more appealing to younger shoppers ... really? A big disappointment overall, I left empty-handed - a first ...

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.