Alfie's Antique Market is the biggest covered market for antiques in London. It hosts numerous stall holders who sell antiques and collectables from a variety of eras. The place is frequented by interior designers, collectors, and set designers for theatre and television. You can get vintage clothes, and vintage China, including designers from the twenties like the English designer Clarice Cliff, famous for her brightly coloured geometric inspired designs. If Victorian charm bracelets are your thing, then this is the place to come, a perfect place to while away a whole day dreaming about how you'd fit out one of the beautiful neighbouring town house if you owned one, or picking up some great outfits for a fancy dress party or club night.
Recommended for Antique Shops because: Alfie's antiques market is the biggest covered market for antiques in London with a bit of everything for every taste.
Emma's expert tip: Great for gifts and things for your house and wardrobe.
The Fine Art Society have been dealing since 1876, so they bring a wealth of experience and history to their trade. Specializing in prints and paintings from the 1800s and 1900s, the Fine Art Society offers a large selection of goods. The establishment now occupies an attractive space on Bond Street. Among its eras, the Victorian period is particularly well represented. The once art-only store has recently begun to offer a high-quality collection of fine antique furnishings and decorative items too, including textiles. For upscale antique shoppers only, as prices tend to reflect the quality, but are high. TUBE: Bond Street
Recommended for Antique Shops because: The Fine Art Society bring a wealth of experience and history to the London scene.
Emma's expert tip: The Fine Art Society has recently launched a contemporary wing too, so even if antiques are not your thing, you can find something a bit more modern to adorn your home.
This quiet street becomes a hub of antique-hunting activity on Wednesdays and Saturdays, when specialists and dealers gather in stalls and arcades. The long strip keeps visitors occupied for hours and turns up treasures no matter what you're looking for. With the Georgian Village on one side, The Mall on the other, and several unique arcades in between, the area provides London's largest selection of antiques. While cheaper goods, old books and clothes can be found near the Georgian Village, the more expensive and upscale Mall side has paintings, Edwardian furniture, Victorian objets d'art, jewellery and much more. TUBE: Angel
Recommended for Antique Shops because: Camden Passage is a real treasure trove of shopping in North London.
Emma's expert tip: Camden Passage has a bit of everything from antiques to modern shops and is a real treasure trove for shopping
Kensington Church Street offers a plethora of antique outlets, and one of the best is this shop, which has sold beautiful antique clocks for many decades now. Timepieces from many periods are on display -including Georgian, Regency and Victorian - as well as Continental items from the 1800s through today. Popular among collectors, the store also restores timekeepers of all types, from watches to grandfather clocks. If vintage time takes your fancy then these people should be your first stop. And it's not just clocks either, they also offer collectors of barometers, that truly great British obsession, the weather, a place to indulge their passions. TUBE: High Street Kensington or Notting Hill Gate
Recommended for Antique Shops because: If it's clocks or barometers your after then Raffety and Walwyn should be your first stop.
Emma's expert tip: No time to waste, Raffety and Walwyn have all your antique clocks, time pieces and barometer needs covered.
Haslam and Whiteway deal in British 19th century design. It is another fabulous Kensington Church Street shop which is known for its supply of furnishings. With a huge, in-stock selection, the well-organized, elegant store is a must for furniture enthusiasts. Although the inventory varies, you can often find items of Gothic Revival and Victorian design (among others). Unique discoveries include intricate fireplace surrounds and stained-glass pieces. Some of the best British vintage designers are featured in their collections of fabric, textiles, tiles, and furniture. If you are an afficionado of the arts and crafts movement, then this is the place to go, ditto for William Morris and many other truly great British pieces of art. TUBE: Notting Hill Gate
Recommended for Antique Shops because: If it's British antiques you want, then Haslam and Whiteway is the place to go.
Emma's expert tip: Haslam and Whiteway is a delightful shop on Kensington Church St, specialising in British design.
On shop-filled Bond Street, this art dealer focuses on antique paintings in various styles from the time period of 1850 to 1940. British works are prominent, but other nations are also represented. In addition, the shop prides itself on its shipping service. Plus, many international clients browse and purchase goods after perusing the consistently updated website. Proof of authenticity is provided with each purchase. Waterhouse and Dodd are well established fine art dealers, with show rooms in London, Paris and New York. The owners started working together in 1982 and formed their business 5 years later. They are happy to advise their clients and curate exhibitions.TUBE: Bond Street
Recommended for Antique Shops because: Waterhouse and Dodd are an internationally renowned fine art dealers. The place to go for fine art.
Emma's expert tip: You can browse in one of their showrooms, online, and in their catalogue, for those with money, this is the place to go.
Portobello is a shopping mecca, but the presence of antiques, particularly from the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries is why many people flock to the market when they are in London. There is a broad range of goods, with prices to match. The antiques market is held on Saturdays, when you'll also find an abundant array of fashion; the surrounding shops and restaurants are open Monday-Saturday, and vendors congregate to sell everything from produce to clothing. Be warned it can be packed, and as with any market, not everything is always as it seems, so be careful and make sure you know your stuff if you think you've found something rare. TUBE: Notting Hill Gate or Ladbroke Grove
Recommended for Antique Shops because: Portobello road market and the surrounding shops are great for vintage finds.
Emma's expert tip: Portobello road is a shopping mecca in London, everything from vintage and antiques, food to current fashions.
The shop hits the nail firmly on the head when it describes itself as a purveyor of the decorative and the unexpected from 1780 to 1960. Every bit as satisfying as the product range is the experience: this is everything you might imagine from a visit to an English antique house that's run by a discreet English gent. Spend as much time browsing the goodies as you wish, and there's no pressure to make a purchase. Andrew Nebbett antiques specialises in classic 20th century design and industrial furniture. Their clients are everyone from interior designers, to rock stars and royalty they say, and "they all come looking for the same thing, the Wow factor".
Recommended for Antique Shops because: Andrew Nebbett Antiques puts the wow factor into antique shopping in London.
Emma's expert tip: Clients are encouraged to decorate their homes across periods, and at this shop you can blend the 1750s with the 1950s if you so desire.
Thanks to the House, fans of French furniture have no need to jump on the Eurostar to find the real thing: every item here originates from France, and littered among the treasures you'll find vases, chaises (long and short), beds and artwork. You may either buy things as you see them or pay extra to have them restored to your specifications. They like most of the London shops, have a bit of everything, from lighting which spans the decades from ornate chandeliers to 1970s glass creations, 1950s crystal, and amazing beds. Some with new bases to fit current specifications and sizes, from padded pink boudoir furniture to black and gold wrought iron, this really is a treasure trove of beauty and fun.
Recommended for Antique Shops because: The French house is a treasure trove of beauty and fun and great vintage finds.
Emma's expert tip: Like with all vintage shops, you have to keep looking to really find a treasure, but this has a great stock, for affordable prices.
Michael Hughes antiques is located on the Fulham road in the heart of one of London's top spots for vintage finds and antiques. This shop is known among the antique-hunting crowd as a top place for 18th- and early 19th-century furniture. Spanning the three-story show room, the furniture selection is complimented by period artwork and other miscellaneous pieces. The store selects items based on originality and quality, and are always willing to assist customers with specific requirements and tastes. There are mirrors, lighting, tables, cabinets, chairs, writing pieces, and objets d'art, and miscellaneous objects, so there is really something to suit everyone's taste. TUBE: South Kensington
Recommended for Antique Shops because: Michael Hughes antiques is at the centre of one of the top spots for vintage buys in London.
Emma's expert tip: Browse their website first, and get in contact by email, the staff are happy to send photos of what might suit, before you journey to see the objects in their showroom.