Only in London

By Ellen Himelfarb

A Paddington bear? So predictable. Fortnum & Mason jams? So 1980s. And besides, you can source those goodies pretty much anywhere. Here are a few novel gift ideas that can be found in the Big Smoke – and only in the Big Smoke.

Footloose and fancy

georgina goodman

Shepherd's Market in Mayfair is quaint in a good way, with traditional pubs, chocolate shops and a Mexican-Polish restaurant. But if it's couture you're after, you'll want to head to Georgina Goodman, a flagship London shoe shop. Goodman doesn't sell her one-of-a-kind boots, shoes and pumps cheap, but ask any footwear fanatic (male or female), and they'll tell you there's nothing like them. Short booties have unique details like woven-leather heels, and party shoes are not complete without multicolor trims or metallic appliqués. Who to shop for: your resident clothes horse.

40 Shepherd St., 44-20-7499-8599

A girl's best friend

tatty devine

No diamonds or rubies for Tatty fans. Jewelry junkies queue up for Tatty Devine's wow-factor plastic necklace charms in the shape of guitar picks, dinosaurs, potato chips and life preservers – that dangle from silver chains, safety pins or rubber thread. You probably won't be able to choose just one, but with such sweet prices, that's okay. (Remember: These aren't diamonds.) The headquarters on Brick Lane in the east end is an ideal place to visit Tatty (aim for a Sunday, the day all the city's hipsters descend), but there's also a location in Soho. Who to shop for: any girl with a sense of humor (and the patience to fend off questions about her lovely new baubles).

236 Brick Lane, 44-20-773-9009

Old-fashioned romance

labour and wait

In a neighborhood known for its trendy vintage clothing, mid-century furniture and curry houses, Labour and Wait is an anomaly: an old-fashioned general store in a modest Georgian storefront with earnest shopkeepers in glasses and grocer's aprons. You'll find enameled kitchenware, classic straw brooms, long underwear that hasn't been restyled since the turn of the 20th century and old-school gardening equipment fit for green thumbs. But best of all are the do-it-yourself kits: knitting baskets, carpentry sets, radio receiver kits and pinhole camera boxes. Who to shop for: the tween you'd like to wean off video games.

18 Cheshire St., 44-20-7729-6253

Spice it up

Shopping in London can take a lot out of you. To refuel, you can't go wrong at Moro, a restaurant in the pedestrian lanes of Exmouth Market, just off the beaten path. The Spanish-Moorish cuisine is without parallel – the menu changes weekly, but expect lots of grilled lamb, eggplant pilav and roasted chicken with yogurt, mint and zucchini – and the atmosphere is divine. Just as fun is the Spanish deli, Brindisa, next door. Pick up some delish perishables for a picnic; then grab a copy of the Moro cookbook or the latest edition, Casa Moro. Who to shop for: the chef with a taste for adventure.

Moro, 34-36 Exmouth Market, 44-20-7833-8336
Brindisa, 32 Exmouth Market, 44-20-7713-1666

(Ellen Himelfarb is a freelance writer living in London. Her work has appeared in The Sunday Telegraph and The Sunday Times Travel Magazine.)

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