Looking to explore the many record shops London has to offer? These are our favourite spots to shop vinyl in the capital.
While there’s no denying that digital streaming is king, vinyl records are back in fashion – and there are plenty of places in the capital to get your record fix.
And with London’s rich and varied relationship with music dating back to the heady swinging sixties right through to the street artists of today, there’s no better place to get your new music fix.
Whether you’re looking for a new album or want to rediscover a vintage gem, London’s has the perfect record shop for you.
Read on to discover the best London record shops…
The Best Record Shops in London
Sounds of The Universe
Sounds of The Universe has been providing groovy records to the people of Soho for over twenty-five years. It’s one of the best record shops central London boasts.
It started when owner, Stuart Baker, founded the company, by selling the records from a stall in Camden. He later moved into a shop in Soho, and became a part of the vibrant record shop scene.
Sound of The Universe is one of the best record shops to visit for cross-cultural music. In fact, Baker himself established Soul Jazz, a label that produced cross-cultural connections between jazz, reggae and soul.
The staff at Sound of The Universe are incredibly helpful. Whether you’re looking for a techno beat, or seeking out a vintage jazz record, you’re sure to find it at Sound of the Universe.
In fact, this record store is incredibly popular with touring celebrities, with one of the most notable guests being the dearly departed, and much-missed Prince.
Honest Jon’s Records
Portobello Road
You can pretty much trust that if a record shop has been around since the ’70s, then they understand music and vinyl. Honest Jon’s Records has been around since 1974, providing the local community with the best music finds and records.
The record store was founded by sociology lecturer John Clare, and then in 1992, he passed the store on to Mark Ainley and Alan Scholefield, who expanded the record store to include music from across the globe
This is a record store with a ton of history and remains an essential part of London’s record store scene. If its jazz, world music, or experimental reggae, Honest Jon will sort you out.
There’s a collection of old and new records at Honest Jon’s Records, and it’s definitely worth a visit.
Rough Trade East
Rough Trade is one of the most popular record stores in Britain, making Rough Trade East a popular stop for Londoners and indie fans visiting the city.
Rough Trade offers some of the best indie LPs in London. If you’re on a hunt for the newest and coolest LPs, then Rough Trade is the place to go.
Not only that, but Rough Trade often has tons of great gigs, so it’s the perfect place to check out new music while buying a record. Plus, they even have a fair trade coffee café, making it the perfect spot in London to endlessly browse through the stacks of records.
From punk, to electronic and experimental – Rough Trade will always supply the latest and greatest LPs.
Phonica Records
Soho
Phonica Records opened its record store in 2003, a time when record shops were closing rapidly in Soho. They are game-changers in the record store industry, committed to providing Londoners with the best dance tracks in all of Soho.
In fact, Phonica Records is known to regularly host in-store parties, and in-store live streams, unifying dance music lovers all over the country. Indeed, to celebrate their 20th birthday in 2023, they released a range of cool merch and mix tapes (or vinyl) curating a trip down memory lane commemorating their two decades serving Londoners with the finest techno, disco, and house beats.
If you’re looking to discover new dance music — from all across the world, you need to visit Phonica Records.
Flashback Records
Islington, Crouch End, and Shoreditch
Flashback Records is one of the best record shops in Islington and has been there for over twenty years. They also have stores in Crouch End and Shoreditch. Yep, you can find Flashback Records pretty much anywhere in London.
Why? Because they sell some of the best records in town and their customer service is fantastic – making it one of the top independent record shops around.
These are people who understand music, and are known for their vast varieties of vinyl selections. There are incredible hip-hop, disco, and even soundtracks to be found at FlashBack Records – not to mention former Crouch End resident Taylor Swift on the shelves.
If you’re looking for a specific record, you’ll probably find it here – along with rarities, gems, and beauties that you’d never find anywhere else.
Sister Ray
Soho and Shoreditch
Sister Ray is one of the most exclusive stores in town and has served London’s record-buying public since 1987. Quality is never in question, nor is the staff’s expertise on vinyl and good music.
Sister Ray have only recently begun to embrace online sales of stock, not because they’re behind the times, they simply believe in the old-fashioned method of finding gold in the record store.
Head to either of their stores in London and you’ll see why they’re such huge advocates of browsing in person.
You can pretty much find any genre at Sister Ray – whether that’s disco, indie, punk, or even football records – this record store has it all.
Jelly Records
Lower Clapton
Jelly Records is a newer addition to the ranks of the capital’s record stores and largely specialises in selling second-hand records.
This record store hosts the coolest vinyl from around the globe, supplying everything from soul, groove, Latin, disco, and jazz. It’s one of the best spots in town for old-fashioned vinyl hunting, packed with treasured vinyl records.
If you are looking for a killer new release, don’t fear. They do stock all the best new cuts across just about every genre you can think of.
So, whether it’s new releases or second-hand rarities you’re after, Jelly Records is the place to visit.
Kristina Records
Kristina Records sells some of the coolest experimental dance records in London.
There are tons of incredible records, with everything from ambient drones, avant-garde jazz, and even extreme techno finds. Not only that, but they love a good crossover here too.
Plus, there are tons of disco records at Kristina Records too, including extremely rare original pressings.
Be warned, there’s no way you’ll enter Kristina Records without exiting with some new discs in hand. So, if big beats or ambient tones are your things, this is a must-visit.
World of Echo
Columbia Road
Looking for the best jazz record shop in the capital? Look no further. This is a tiny record shop, in the heart of Columbia Road. Interestingly, Columbia Road is known for its amazing flower markets, but within the madness of the petals, is this small record shop.
While it may be small in stature, it stocks tons of records – both second-hand, and newly pressed recordings.
World of Echo sells mostly jazz, art-rock, and electronic, with some genuinely unique pressings available. It’s a great record shop to visit, and while you’re at it – you can visit an independent flower shop for some fresh roses!
Palace Vinyls
Upper Norwood
Palace Vinyl has been trading vinyl records for 25 years, and now stocks over 40,000 records. Palace Records is the place to go for electronica and dance music.
With old and new sounds, what Palace doesn’t know about the history of electronica and dance isn’t worth knowing. As well as releases charting the evolution of music, Palace also sells the latest releases.
You could browse online, but why would you want to miss out on visiting this powerhouse of the London record scene?
With helpful staff willing to help music lovers find the perfect record. Whether it’s a long-forgotten gem, or a banging new release, they’ll find what you want from their enormous catalogue. And, if they don’t have it, chances are they know someone that does.
Zen
Broad Ln
Zen is one of the top reggae record shops in town, selling the best reggae and soul vinyls.
This refined North London store is well-curated, sensibly organised, making the record-buying process less of a jumble sale rummage, and almost an excercise in musical science.
If, by any chance, you can’t find what you’re looking for, no problem. The staff have an encyclopedic knowledge of all things reggae and soul, old and new, so whatever it is you’re after, they’ll be able to help you out.
Sounds That Swing
Sounds That Swing are experts in rockabilly and blues. This store has been selling rockabilly and blues records since 1995, becoming a staple record store in Camden Town.
There are tons of fantastic records here, as well as rockabilly and blues memorabilia that transports you back to a bygone age.
This is a super cool niche record shop, that can solve your every rockabilly need, even if you’re looking for a super-rare gem from the dim and distant past.
Yo Yo Records
Hackney Road
Yo Yo Records is another new addition to the lexicon of cool London record stores. Primarily specialising in US originals, their funky focus is very much on soul, jazz, Latin, Afro, and plenty of very cool rare grooves.
From limited-edition rarities from decades ago, to cutting-edge new releases, whatever it is you’re after, they’ll be only too happy to help.
Yo Yo Records is a staple for music lovers of all genres, and is firmly on our list of favourite record shops to browse through during a lazy afternoon in East London.
Banquet Records
Kingston
Although it’s a little further out of town than some on this list, Banquet Records (previously Beggars Banquet) is well worth a stop, particularly if you’ve headed to nearby Richmond for a day out.
Regular listeners to the likes of Steve Lamacq on Radio 1 and 6 Music over the years will be familiar with Banquet Records, not only are they a great source of indie, rock, alternative, and Britpop sounds, they put on more than 200 live events across the local area.
Alongside their guitary vibes, they also specialise in selling killer dance cuts, from banging drum n bass through to electronica, dubstep and grime.
This is a genuinely cool spot that is firmly embedded in its local community and a mecca for fans of all things vinyl.
All Ages Records
Camden Town
If you walk through Camden, you’ll find yourself passing people dressed in black, or punky outfits on a pretty regular basis. As the centre of London alternative, metal, and punk, it makes sense to find a record shop devoted to heavy guitar sounds, hardcore wall of noise, and some of the best punk records around.
All Ages Records is exactly that spot, catering to London’s rebellious crowd with a huge array of punk, metal, ska, two-tone, metal and just about everything else in between. They also have plenty of cool merch, including patches, badges, zines, and books.
Don’t be put off by the slightly forbidding facade, the staff are incredibly helpful and will go out of their way to help you find the perfect record, whether it’s a grungy 70s metal masterpiece or the latest guitar-inspired releases.
Alan’s Records
Finchley
Many of the record shops in this list so far have their specialties and niches they serve better than others. Alan’s Records in East Finchley is different, priding itself on leaving musical snobbery at the door and providing a cool space for music fans to browse an ever-changing stock of cool old records, tapes, bootlegs and memorabilia.
This Aladdin’s Cave of music has a really cool vintage shop feel about it. With previous clientele such as Ray Davies of The Kinks and Britpop’s cool king Jarvis Cocker, Alan has built himself quite a formidable reputation.
Whatever you’re into, whether it’s pop, soul, hip hop, jazz, Latin, afrobeat, dance, or anything else you can think of, make the trip to North London and we promise you will not be disappointed.
Soul Brother Records
A smaller outlet, Soul Brother Records is just around the corner from East Putney station and has a killer combination of vinyl and CDs that’s all about funk, soul, blues, and anything else that comes with a mellow beat behind it.
Not only do they sell second-hand gems, they also have some amazing limited-edition cuttings available that will wow the musical purist. With around 25,000 soul, jazz, and funk records in stock, plus a smattering of just about every other genre you can think of – including Japanese CDs – a visit to this cool southwest London store is well worth the trip on the District Line.
