London Record Store Week

Sister Ray

Soho · Indie/Rock, Electronic/Techno · $$

Long-running Soho shop with a broad, well-kept used section.

Tip: Good middle ground between Phonica's dance focus and general indie stock.

75 Berwick St, London W1F 8TG, UK

Reckless Records

Soho (Berwick Street) · General, Rock, Jazz · $$

Long-running Soho shop selling new and second-hand records, with a wall of rarities and sizeable jazz and world sections. Its shopfront appears on an Oasis album cover.

Tip: The shop buys collections and takes trade-ins, handy if you are bringing records to swap.

30 Berwick St, London W1F 8RH, UK

Sounds of the Universe

Soho (Broadwick Street) · World, Soul/Funk, Reggae/Dub · $$

Soho shop tied to the Soul Jazz Records label, with a wide mix of reggae, dub, disco, funk, soul, Latin and African records. It opened in 2003.

Tip: Browse the Soul Jazz label releases and compilations alongside the second-hand racks.

7 Broadwick St, London W1F 0DA, UK

Third Man Records London

Soho (Carnaby) · Rock, Blues, Indie/Rock · $$$

London outpost of Jack White's label, with limited-edition Third Man vinyl, an in-store record press and a basement venue and recording space.

Tip: The basement is a venue and recording studio, so access can be limited when it is booked; check ahead on event nights.

1 Marshall St, Carnaby, London W1F 9BA, UK

Phonica Records

Soho · Electronic/Techno · $$

DJ-focused shop for house, techno, and dance 12-inches.

Tip: Staff are working DJs — ask what's been getting played out that week.

51 Poland St, London W1F 7ND, UK

Massive International

Camden Lock · Reggae/Dub, World · $$

Reggae specialist at Camden Lock, known for roots, dub and old sound-system 45s, and linked to Notting Hill Carnival sound-system culture.

Tip: Closed on Tuesdays; usually open late in the evening on other days.

18 Camden Lock Pl, London NW1 8AL, UK

Out on the Floor Records

Camden Town (Inverness Street) · Reggae/Dub, Soul/Funk, Punk/Indie · $

Second-hand shop opposite Camden Town station, especially strong in ska and reggae, with rock and soul on the ground floor and indie in the basement.

Tip: Staff will happily play a record for you if you ask.

10 Inverness St, London NW1 7HJ, UK

Sounds That Swing

Camden (Parkway) · Blues, Country, Rock · $$

Rockabilly, early rock 'n' roll, R&B, blues and garage specialist on Parkway, trading since 1995, with a popular selection of rockabilly 10-inch records.

Tip: Opening hours are not listed on Google, so check or phone before visiting.

88 Parkway, London NW1 7AN, UK

Hours not listed. Call ahead before you go.

All Ages Records

Camden · Punk/Indie · $$

Widely regarded as one of the best punk and alternative specialists in London.

Tip: Deep subgenre coverage — worth asking staff to point you toward something specific.

27A Pratt St., London NW1 0BG, UK

Let It Roll Records

Kentish Town · Rock, Metal, Soul/Funk · $$

Kentish Town Road shop with a coffee counter, known for rock and metal alongside some soul, and a small book selection.

Tip: Opening hours are not listed on Google, so check before a special trip.

121 Kentish Town Rd, London NW1 8PB, UK

Hours not listed. Call ahead before you go.

Rough Trade East

Brick Lane (Old Truman Brewery) · Indie/Rock, Punk/Indie, General · $$

Large Brick Lane flagship in the Old Truman Brewery, with a stage for in-store gigs, a cafe and a broad vinyl range spanning indie, punk and electronic.

Tip: Midweek hours vary (Wednesday closes at 3 PM), so check before you go.

Old Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Ln, London E1 6QL, UK

World of Echo

Columbia Road (Cheshire Street) · Jazz, Electronic/Techno, Indie/Rock · $$

Small Cheshire Street shop for left-field new and second-hand records, from experimental and jazz to art-rock, near the Columbia Road flower market.

Tip: Open every day, but only until 5 or 6 PM, so go in the afternoon.

46 Cheshire St, London E2 6EH, UK

Flashback Records Shoreditch

Shoreditch (Bethnal Green Road) · General, Hip-Hop, Disco · $$

Two floors of new and used vinyl, CDs and DVDs at the top of Brick Lane, part of the Flashback group, with listening decks in the shop.

Tip: Listening decks let you try records before buying; open every day until 7 PM.

131 Bethnal Grn Rd, London E2 7DG, UK

Idle Moments

Columbia Road · Jazz, World · $$$

Columbia Road wine shop with a record shop attached, known for jazz and experimental music and a notable stock of Japanese pressings.

Tip: Open Wednesday to Sunday only, with listening players in the shop.

86 Columbia Rd, London E2 7QB, UK

Love Vinyl

Hoxton (Pearson Street) · Electronic/Techno, Disco, Soul/Funk · $$

Hoxton shop split between new dance-leaning releases and sought-after second-hand records, covering house, techno, disco, reggae, soul and jazz.

Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday.

5 Pearson St, London E2 8JD, UK

Lion Vibes

Brixton (Granville Arcade) · Reggae/Dub · $$

Vinyl-focused reggae shop in Granville Arcade, mixing new pressings, imports and vintage Jamaican records; it has sold online since 1997.

Tip: Some stock in the shop is not listed online.

98, Granville Arcade, London SW9 8PS, UK

Palace Vinyl

Brixton (Market Row) · Electronic/Techno, Disco, Soul/Funk · $$

Market Row shop for new and second-hand house and techno, with a strong sound system and a small bar.

Tip: Open until 8 PM on Thursdays.

36 Market Row, London SW9 8LD, UK

Pure Vinyl Records

Brixton (Ferndale Road) · Reggae/Dub, Soul/Funk · $$

Small Brixton shop that leans towards reggae, including classic Jamaican labels, with other genres in the racks.

Tip: Open every day, with late closing (7 PM) on Thursdays and Fridays.

246 Ferndale Rd, London SW9 8FR, UK

Supertone Records

Brixton (Acre Lane) · Reggae/Dub, Soul/Funk · $$

One of London's older record shops, specialising in reggae, soul and Caribbean music, with listening before buying.

Tip: Open until 10 PM Monday to Saturday; closed Sundays.

110 Acre Ln, London SW2 5RA, UK

Music & Video Exchange Notting Hill

Notting Hill Gate · General, Rock, Soul/Funk · $

Two-floor second-hand shop selling records, CDs and DVDs, with vinyl upstairs and prices that are marked down on stock that does not sell.

Tip: Open until 8 PM every day, and the weekly markdowns reward repeat visits.

38 Notting Hill Gate, London W11 3HX, UK

People's Sound Records

Notting Hill (All Saints Road) · Reggae/Dub, Soul/Funk · $$

All Saints Road reggae shop with a strong ska selection, tied to Notting Hill sound-system tradition.

Tip: Closed Sundays; All Saints Road is a short walk from Rough Trade West and Honest Jon's.

11 All Saints Rd, London W11 1HA, UK

Rough Trade West

Notting Hill (Talbot Road) · Indie/Rock, General · $$

The original Rough Trade shop, on two floors off Portobello Road, with current releases, used finds and regular small in-store events.

Tip: Right beside Portobello Road, so it combines easily with Honest Jon's and People's Sound.

130 Talbot Rd, London W11 1JA, UK

Honest Jon's

Portobello Road, Notting Hill · Jazz, World, Reggae/Dub · $$

Portobello Road shop open since 1974 with its own record label, known for jazz, reggae, soul and world music including African reissues.

Tip: Ask the staff for recommendations; the world music and compilations are a particular strength.

278 Portobello Rd, London W10 5TE, UK