The 30 best record shops in London

This little record shop punches well above its weight. As well as selling new releases on CD and vinyl, Banquet (an offshoot from the old Beggars Banquet franchise) is at the centre of the Kingston music scene: it regularly hosts acoustic in-store shows, intimate gigs from big acts, and the long-running indie disco New Slang.

The stock at Flashback’s oldest store is mostly second-hand and is treated with utmost respect. Get your crate-digging fix with the boxes of bargain 12-inches outside the front door before moving inside to the racks of scrupulously organised gems.

Atlantis Records is located on the site of what was the Pacific Social Club café on Clarence Road in Hackney and it’s a veritable utopia of vinyl. Sometimes, you’ll find them shifting the collections of some of music’s most respected names – in the past, they’ve helped shift collections from Rough Trade founder Geoff Travis and Hot Chip’s Alexis Taylor – while they always offer the best deals on records, cassettes and more from all corners of the globe.

The East End addition to the RT stable welcomes live performers of pretty much every persuasion and boasts not only more space and a café, but also – far more importantly – a 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.

After 20 years of trading through a stall at Greenwich Market, Casbah Records upgraded its breezy surroundings to the more permanent confines of a brick-and-mortar shop. Here, the emphasis is placed on edgy girl groups, garage, psych and ’60s soul, but you’ll find a variety of classic rock, indie and electronica, too. Once you’re done picking out records, turn your attention to their selection of books, DVDs, prints and vintage comics.

Sure, the idea of combining a record store with a fancy wine shop sounds a little snooty, but who can deny the joy of popping on a great album while sipping on something rich and red (or white, or rosé…)? Columbia Road’s Idle Moments specialises in jazz and experimental music but also boasts a massive and ever-changing range of Japanese imports. Crate-dig for slinky city pop and brain-rattling free jazz, then take home a bottle of something special.

Started by local Leyton resident Jon Clifford, the aim is for Dreamhouse Records to double as a communal space for musicians in the area. If you want to find new music but don’t know where to start, check out the store’s vinyl subscription – you’ll get a new record each month tailored to your tastes. Dreamhouse also sells locally roasted coffee from Good Folk and some nice buns from Sunday Bun Day.

Taken over by the Flashback Records team in 2006, this little record shop is a local favourite with a good selection of new and used vinyl and a friendly atmosphere. In 2021, it moved into new premises, offering even more space for shelves of quality music to rifle through.

As one of the best-known punk and hardcore record stores in London, All Ages attracts a very specific kind of customer. Within that realm, though, it covers a pretty broad scope of all things dark and heavy. Unless you hate guitars you’ll probably find something you’re into.

Founded over 20 years ago, Maestro Records lays claim to being Peckham’s oldest record store. It's run by music enthusiast Michael Fountaine, who claims that Maestro is a family affair: many customers come in for a browse with their mums, dads, and siblings. With an eclectic range spanning roots reggae, pop, jazz, hip-hop, and dancehall, there’s plenty to entice all generations.

This Shepherd’s Bush store is the kind of booze-coffee-and-music hybrid that probably horrifies decrepit purists but thrills everyone else. The three guys who started the shop are mates with entertaining food person What Willy, stock very good wine and have a bit of a focus on electronic music. Oh, and they have outdoor tables. It’s right next door to Bush Hall, too, so you can pop in for a purchase before heading to a gig.

This Soho stalwart sells everything from rare rock vinyl to classic drum ’n’ bass, as well as punk, reggae, jazz and a good range of original Mo’ Wax and Blue Note vinyl. If you’ve got stacks of unwanted records cluttering up your home, Reckless will buy most kinds of music (including CD box sets, limited editions and DVDs) and will make house calls to check out large collections.

This traditional record shop serves up a range of authentic vintage vinyl, retro tapes, CDs and original memorabilia for music fans to browse through. Priding itself on its non-discriminatory approach, the store's weekly restocks – of over 700 new items – include a wide selection of new and old records, from pop and rock to reggae and dance. Staff are knowledgable, happy to answer questions, and will even serve up tea and coffee if browsing through the vast collection has you plum-tuckered out. If its good enough for previous customers Jarvis Cocker and The Kinks’ Ray Davies, then it’s good enough for us.

With its battered leather sofas and egg-shaped chairs, this Soho store almost has a ’70s gangster feel. It’s perfect for housing its pristine selection of relatively deep and edgy club music. Come here if you want to take the sounds of the dancefloor home with you.

This three-level, three-shop operation is a sanctuary for serious record collectors in an area short on decent options. Out on the Floor is in the basement and stocks guitar music. If heavy metal, punk, prog and rock from the '60s and '70s are your jam, you’ll be happy here.

The original branch of Rough Trade offers a pointed contrast to its flashy little sister Rough Trade East. It might be poky and not have changed much at all over the years, but it’s extremely well-stocked. Like its sibling across town, it also hosts in-store gigs, although far more intimate.

Named after Jim Jarmusch’s 1984 film Stranger Than Paradise, this leftfield record store is hidden away in a converted warehouse home to Mare Street Market. Its owners worked at Rough Trade East before founding the shop, which focusses on post-rock/indie music, as well as plenty of contemporary British jazz and classics. 

A bright and airy independent record shop that attracts locals from the Dalston area, as well as crate-diggers from across London. It’s where a discerning selection of new and used vinyl across all genres (including some hard to find gems) meets books and ephemera. Kristina will also buy or exchange single records or collections.

A-rockin’ and a-rollin’ just off Camden High Street, Sounds That Swing specialises in rockabilly and blues records – you’ll spot Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison staring from the racks as soon as you enter the shop. There are CDs here, but a quick glance will tell you that the owner is a vinyl enthusiast. Tucked away behind the rock ’n’ roll, there’s also a good collection of female-fronted soul and R&B.

This legendary record shop’s owner had the good foresight to lend former hired hand James Lavelle £1,000 to set up Mo’ Wax records in the early 1990s. Prints of old blaxploitation posters crowd the technicolour walls, a sign that jazz, soul, revival reggae and global sounds remain the house specialities.

Jack White (of The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, The Dead Weather, Kool And The Gang etc) has opened his first UK record store with a bright yellow exterior. It sells White’s trademark pressing in obscure, limited-edition vinyl formats, plus a live venue and a ‘record label HQ’. You can also press your own vinyl in-store, and dig to your heart's content. The basement also plays host to a range of gigs, but be warned – things get sweaty down there.

After moving from Portobello Road to Covent Garden, record emporium Intoxica! (established in 1994) has now upped sticks to the Kentish Town/Gospel Oak borders in north London. As ever, it’s stacked with everything from reggae, funk, and ’60s beat to exotica and easy listening; there’s also a good range of alternative and new wave from the 1970s to today, a great soundtrack selection and plenty of soul, blues and jazz. You’ll need to make a plan in advance to visit – the shop is by appointment only, but you can also browse the collection online.

‘Amateur and non-amateur music’ is World of Echo’s immensely broad pitch – and that’s exactly what it delivers. This swish Hackney crate shack specialises in rare and one-off releases, from experimental session EPs to esoteric oddities by legendary bands. But there’s a decent share of better-known, commercially-viable stuff, too. Plus, with its very swish, minimal design, World of Echo is simply a lovely place to stop by and break off from the bustle of Columbia Road.

This small funk and soul specialist is just around the corner from East Putney tube station. If you like things a little more modern than wax discs, this is your spot – it leans towards CDs rather than vinyl. The stock is comprehensive when it comes to funk, soul and especially blues, and the staff are helpful and passionate about the sounds they sell.

With a slick exterior to match its equally trendy location on Hackney Road, Yo-Yo Records specialises in U.S. Originals and vintage pressings. Here, you'll find all sorts of funk, soul, jazz, fusion, Brazilian, Latin, bisco, boogie, rare grooves, Afro, and psych music. The store split from Cosmos Records in 2020 and re-opened as an independent in the same location. 

When it opened, Lion Vibes (literally and metaphorically) filled the gap in Brixton Village created by the closure of Music Temple. Opened by Matt Downs as a spin-off of his existing Lion Vibes online shop and Jamaican record label, the reggae shop sells new music and fresh imports as well as vintage Jamaican records. Oh, and Lion Vibes’s stock is strictly vinyl – so don’t come round here looking for that Bob Marley greatest hits CD.

Supertone Records started out in 1969 as a big, bassy soundsystem, blasting reggae music all over the country. The shop was born in 1984, operating as a reggae specialist, selling soul, soca, calypso, rhythm and blues, roots and Caribbean music. As well as providing a local hub for the West Indian community, it’s now one of the oldest record shops in the UK. Impressive.

Bright and breezy, this stylish store in the heart of Soho has a broad remit: grime and dubstep 12-inches jostle for space alongside new-wave cosmic disco, electro-indie re-rubs and Nigerian music compilations. It’s a music lover’s paradise that truly lives up to its name.

At the top of Brick Lane, the newest branch of Flashback (after Flashback Islington and Flashback Crouch End) stocks two floors of new and second-hand vinyl, CDs and DVDs – some of it rare, most of it at a pretty decent price. Not 100 percent sure about your potential purchases? There are handy listening points so you can try before you buy.

Started by British metal icon (and former Cathedral frontman) Lee Dorian, Rise Above has long been a record label synonymous with doomy, psychedelic music. You’ll now find its physical manifestation, Rise Above Records and Relics, on Archway Road in Highgate. As you’d expect, it specialises in musty, fuzzy music that will have you saying things like ‘Far out, man’ and ‘Geezer Butler wasn’t happy on Sabbath’s sixth album, and, if you listen carefully enough, you can tell.’