Christmas shopping can become season-spoilingly stressful. Here’s a few pressie ideas to get you on your merry way.
Christmas swings around too fast every year, and with it comes the seemingly impossible task of choosing a mad range of gifts for family and friends. Well, don’t sweat it. We’ve put together a guide of all the best London has to offer.
From the best Christmas gift experiences London’s got going, to the sleekest designer items made by our favourite London-based designers, and for every personality type you might have to buy for.
Read on for our guide to London Christmas gifts.
London Gift Guide: Gifts For…
Culture Vultures
London Transport Museum Tours
Price: £44.00
The London Transport Museum’s tours of our city’s subterranean make excellent gifts for the engineering-obsessed, train sportster, or just anyone that’s curious to see what lies beneath our feet. They offer a range of tours and all of them are fascinating ways to up your London knowledge.
Membership at a Major London Museum
Lovers of history and the arts are sure to get a kick out of a membership to one of London’s museums.
The V&A, The British Museum, The National Gallery, and most other London institutions all offer them. They’ll get your special someone discount tickets to special exhibitions, access to after hours talks and access-all-areas type looks at the current attractions that the regular folk just don’t get.
Theatre Tickets
Nothing will get a true culture vulture’s feathers ruffled like a couple of tickets to some quality theatre. Luckily London’s got you covered with a roster of excellent shows that never seems to end.
We’ve also got you covered with a guide to all that’s happening on stage for the coming months. You can check it out here.
Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club Membership
Price: £295 per year
You love jazz but you can never get a table at London’s most famous jazz club, and every time you turn up the queue is out the door. Not any more.
A membership at Ronnie Scotts gets you priority booking and advance notice on their upcoming acts with 20% off bookings. You’ll also get to use the priority entrance. Oh, and free entry to the late shows.
A Subscription to the London Review of Books
Price: £38.99 (1 Year – 24 issues)
Nothing quite says culture vulture like a subscription to London’s foremost Literary magazine. Not only does it get you unlimited access to their worldly articles and literary criticism, but also news and access to special events with the brightest minds in the political and literary world.
The One Who Loves Experiences
Tickets to a Candlelit Concert
There are few experiences in London that come as magical as a trip to a candlelight concert, and London has more of them than you could shake a candlestick at (hehe). From sci-fi themes in grand cathedrals, to classical music by full ensemble orchestras, you’ll be spoilt for choice.
We wrote a full guide to candlelit concerts, here.
A Trip to a Peaky Blinders Immersive Performance
Price: £49.50
At this latest entry into the immersive theatre world you’ll step into a 360 degree performance that unfolds as you move through rooms, interact with actors and take part in a spontaneous story to help Tommy Shelby root out his enemies.
Saw Experience
Price: £39
Have you got that annoying person in your life who always thinks they’d survive the nasty horror movie you just watched together. Time to get your own back. This immersive Saw experience has you break out of traps from one of the most iconic horror movies of all time…
if you can survive them.
A Night at the Cauldron
Price: £35.99
When it comes to immersive ways to get drunk, London gets creative.
There’s more choice out there than we could feasibly drink our way through, but Harry Potter fans will love a night at this wizard-themed bar where you dress up in wizarding clothes and use cocktail science to make a remarkably magical experience.
A Chance to See Dali Paintings Come to Life
Price: £24.90
The creative-minded will certainly enjoy an afternoon walking among the creations of one of art’s most bizarre minds. This immersive show of Dali’s surrealist genius features 360 degree recreations of his paintings, complete with sound effects and VR experiences.
Art Lovers
A Stylish Print of No. 1 Croydon by Kate Marsden
Price: £20.00
Up-and-coming artist Kate Marsden does lovely prints of one of South London’s most iconic buildings, among other things.
If you’re buying for a true South London head, they’ll find much to appreciate with one of her works. We’re eyeing up the Croydon piece.
You can ogle her other work here
Fox Socks
Price: £5
No Christmas would be complete without someone getting a pair of socks they’ll never wear, and this year should be no exception. How about these beauties by London designer Andy Hau featuring the delightful Quinn the Fox? So nice they might actually get a wear.
You can see more of Andy Hao’s work here
Ginkgo Leaves Lampshade by Rosie and Clara Designs
Price: £60 (medium sized)
If design is something your giftee takes seriously, how about this slick lampshade? Rosie and Clara do a range of prints, homeware and gift designs that have been featured in the Museum of London, and regularly finds its way under the Christmas trees of our friends and family.
Embroidery Kit
Price: £37.50
Simple Crafted Life is a great jumping off point for anyone interested in getting creative with embroidery. With this starter pack they’ll get all they need to stitch together a tasteful image of the rolling seas.
Any guesses as to what your present will be next year?
Christmas Card from George the Card Maker
Price: £1.95
George’s cards are decked with outrageous captioning, smutty jokes and over-the-line humour. A quick trawl through his website and you’ll notice you’re spoilt for choice, and guaranteed to get a laugh from your pals at Christmas – just maybe don’t show Granny.
Foodies
Japanese Knife Set
Price: £395
Buying for a kitchen whiz? You could up their game with a set of fine Japanese kitchen knives. They don’t come cheap but you can’t do much better than this when it comes to kitchen equipment.
Look at it this way: if they’re getting inspired to do more cooking, the knives might turn out to be a subtle gift to yourself.
Check out the online store here
A Bag of London-Roasted Coffee
Price: £10.50
Brixton-based Assembly are about as fanatical about coffee as you can get. They import the best beans they can find and roast them on site in South London. If you’re buying for coffee lover, their unique craft brews will be just the ticket.
Dinner at a Sustainable Supper Club
Price: £49
Any foodie won’t be able to help but get excited about dinner at a supper club. This one is one of our favs. Founders Emily and Sarah cook up a feast only using produce they can find within ten miles of the event – a move that forces them to get very creative on the plate.
Their next event is on February 10th.
A Lump of Stichelton From London Cheesemongers
Price: £11.65
Cheese is as much of a Christmas staple in our houses as the turkey lunch, and we get the feeling we’re not alone in that.
London Cheesemongers have an excellent selection of local and British cheeses, but we most love this hunk of blue. They also do same-day delivery if you’ve left your gift shopping late.
Sake from the UK’s First Sake Brewery
Price: £16
South London-based Kanpai were the first people to brew sake in the UK. They’re at the head of a wave that’s slowly creeping over the food and drink world, using traditional Japanese brewing methods to make bottles that might be a great fit for someone’s Christmas stocking.
Self-Care Mavens
Zero Waste Shampoo Bar Set From Hairy Jane
Price: £26
Hairy Jane spent decades working in the haircare industry in London before leaving to set up her own range of sustainable, environmentally friendly hair care products. These bars of shampoo and conditioner even come with their own little holders.
Wild Winter Candle from Lost in Scent
Price: £28
Urban candle makers Lost in Scent do a beautiful range of candle ware. Don’t get it twisted: Just because they’re based in the city doesn’t mean they can’t fill stockings with candles that smell as fresh as a wintery walk through the heart of nature.
Winter Warmer Spa Treatment
Price: £73
The ultimate gift for someone who can’t get enough pampering is obviously a trip to the spa. This seasonal special at the Leonardo, Tower Bridge includes three hours use of the facilities, a hot stone massage and a post-spa glass of mulled wine at the bar.
Vegan Face Masks from Suneeta London
Price: £14
This delightful family-run business makes chemical-free, vegan, and completely natural skin care products. Any self-care connoisseur will love to find a pack of these under the tree.
Afterall, what says pampering more than relaxing in a face mask?
A Session in a Floatation Tank
Price: £55
Meditation and mindfulness gurus will be thanking you profusely for a bit of sensory deprivation. Floatworks have locations in Vauxhall and Angel, excellent service and good prices for membership if your gift gets someone hooked.
Techies
Monkey Mouse Pad
Price: £11.50
This cute monkey mouse pad from London-based designer Gosia Grodzka could make a perfect gift for anyone who finds themselves glued to their computer most of the time (which lets face it, is most of us these days).
Tumbler Selfie Bluetooth Speaker
Price: £40.00
This stylish maple-wood speaker is perfectly portable – small enough to fit in a coat pocket.
But don’t let size fool you, it still packs a punch when it comes to volume. And just in case your tech-obsessed friend is also sustainably minded, you can reassure them that the wood is responsibly sourced.
Wooden Airpod Case
Price: £19.99
Pimp out someone’s airpods with this lovely wooden outer-case that comes in three different types of wood and can be personalised for that special touch. All courtesy of London Art Crafts – makers of sleek hand-crafted wonders that we often find adding to our own Christmas lists.
Timeless Cufflinks by Oli and J
Price: £175
Sold at the V&A’s highly fashionable museum store, these designer cufflinks show the inner workings of a clock, cogs and all. The one-off designs combine old parts and new 3D tech to create a unique way to celebrate your techy’s Christmas.
Fashion Forward
Gold Fluer Hoop Earrings
Price: £30
Up there with some of London’s coolest design teams, A Weathered Penny turn out modern, stylish designs with non-toxic, sustainable materials. Pretty much everything they do looks amazing, and that’s no exception with these earrings.
Classes at Fashion School
Price: £158 (Adults)
A true fashionista would welcome a chance to try their own hand on the creative side of things and these classes in Chelsea give them a shot to do just that. They run over a period of four weeks and are suitable for kids and adults alike.
Francis Coral Silk Headband
Price: £30
These stylish headbands by Cinda Clark Designs are made with 100% habotai silk and feature bold colourful designs to bring a splash of life into the dark and gloomy winter months.
This particular design is limited edition so you better snap it up before someone else does.
Wood Grain Lambswool Scarf by Sally Nencini
Price: £80
Sally Nencini’s life as a designer may now be based out of her Norfolk home-studio but it certainly began in London.
She first hit on machine knitting at the Royal College of Arts, and founded her first design business in South London in 2009. This wood-grain scarf is just one example of her highly-tasteful talent.
Kids
Enchanted Forest Music Box
Price: £39
This charming gift from the V&A’s store is a sweet touch from a by-gone age. The walnut-wood box with spinning fir trees plays Kleine Nachtmusik by Mozart as your little one turns its handle.
Happy Squares Set
Price: £82
Happy Squares are the brainchild of French Architect Emilie Queney who runs creative architecture-focused children’s workshops in London. The Interlocking, multicoloured sheets of reinforced card are designed to inspire creative constructive play for little ones who love to build.
A Jurassic Park Experience
Price: £26 (Adult), £18.50 (Child)
Your kids will absolutely love the Jurassic Park Experience. It’s a thrilling immersive tour through what’s probably the most exciting (read dangerous) theme park there is, complete with giant animatronic T-Rexes.
The experience is such a hit it got an extension till the end of January, making it an ideal present for Christmas.
A Tour of Wembley Stadium
Price: £24 (Adult), £17 (Child)
Any up-and-coming sports star will need a tour of the stadium they should be aiming to play in. This tour goes behind the scenes to player dressing rooms and the trophy cabinets where you’ll even get a look at the original FA cup. Score!
