Record Shops in Greater London

For anyone searching for record shops in Greater London, the options range from the historic clusters of Soho to neighbourhood gems across Camden, Hackney, Brixton, Peckham and Notting Hill. Soho’s Berwick Street is still the symbolic heart of London record shopping, sitting alongside a street market that has traded since 1778, and it remains a convenient base for crate-digging on foot. Within a few minutes’ walk you’ll find stalwarts such as Sister Ray (founded in 1989 on Berwick Street) alongside specialist destinations for club music and curation-led browsing—Phonica for electronic, Sounds of the Universe for deep, genre-spanning selections, and Honest Jon’s (established 1974) for everything from jazz and blues to left-field global discoveries. Further east, Rough Trade East inside the Old Truman Brewery is a flagship for new vinyl, exclusives and frequent in-store gigs, while Rough Trade’s story began in west London in 1976.

Our directory currently lists 76 record shops across Greater London, and the scene reaches far beyond the central hotspots. Outer-London diggers are well served too, with independents in Croydon, Kingston upon Thames, Twickenham, Teddington, Enfield, Purley and Upminster—so wherever you are on the Tube or Overground map, a crate of vinyl is rarely more than a short journey away. Between them these shops cover every corner of the record-buying world: second-hand bargain bins and rare original pressings, audiophile reissues, dance 12-inches, reggae, soul, jazz, hip-hop and the latest indie releases, plus turntables, accessories and expert advice.

Many London independents run pre-orders, listening events, in-store performances and special drops, and a large number take part in Record Store Day each April, when exclusive releases and queues outside the shutters are part of the fun. Opening hours vary from shop to shop, so it’s worth checking each listing before you travel—several open late on weekdays or keep Sunday hours ideal for a relaxed dig. Use the shops listed below to plan a route that pairs record hunting with the cafés, galleries and live-music venues each neighbourhood is known for, and discover why London remains one of the best cities in the world to buy vinyl.