Best British souvenirs in London: the only list you need

This is the easiest london gift guide ever. Save or splurge on these unique British souvenirs from London. Whichever you pick they’ll make a lasting memento of your stay. Plus they’re all easy to find in central London too.

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Why these are the best British Souvenirs London

Forget the Big Ben key chains and the Union Jack umbrella, you can find a treasure trove of authentic mementoes in London. From handmade chocolates to original artworks, vintage teaspoons to cuddly toys, these unique souvenirs are more than just a throwaway keepsake.

My best travel souvenirs are the day to day objects I’ve picked up that reflect local tastes and craftsmanship. A set of water glasses and a vintage photo print from Marrakesh, a pottery jug from Puglia, a beaded fish from Cape Town, they fit into my daily life and are little reminders of great trips.

So I’ve put myself in a visitor’s shoes and picked souvenirs of London that I’d want to take home myself. They are useful, often beautiful and reflect Britain’s living traditions. The skills that create them have evolved over time, just like the city that is constantly finding new ways to reinvent itself. Plus they’re easy to find: very important when you have limited shopping time and lots to do.

London Chocolate Souvenirs

The best ideas are sometimes the simplest. And for a long time British-made chocolate has been a great way to take a piece of London home with you to share with friends.

SPLURGE on handmade luxury chocolates

Step aside Belgium! These days you can find quality bean-to-bar chocolate and highly skilled artisan makers in the UK too. For London’s best chocolate visit the boutique of William Curley, four times winner of the Best British Chocolatier award.

As befits such a famous name you’ll find delicious boxes of couture chocolates here. But I also love the purse-friendly bars and nibbles. William Curley has re-imagined the classic British snacks from an old-fashioned corner shop, His refined versions of confectionery bar favourites like chocolate-covered coconut, or caramel and raisin are British childhood nostalgia on a plate. Except so much more luxurious! Check out William Curley’s boutique in Smith’s Court, Soho or at Harrod’s Food Hall.

Back in 1875 Parisien chocolatier Madame Charbonnel was introduced to Mrs Walker, a maker of fine hat boxes in London. They set up shop together in Mayfair and became famous for their beautifully packaged confections. You can splurge on a ‘boite blanche’ the most elegant round gift box with hand-tied satin ribbons. Or stock up on mini heart-shaped boxes of pink champagne truffles. Find Charbonnel and Walker in the Royal Arcade, Old Bond Street, and their chocolates in Harrods, Selfridges and other stores.

London: VIP Chocolate Tour A dream come true for chocoholics The London: VIP Chocolate tour is a 2 hr walk through Mayfair with several chocolate tastings at some of London’s finest chocolatiers en route. With a 10% discount on purchases this is a great way to learn the secrets of artisan chocolate whilst snapping up some excellent London souveniers.

SAVE on British confectionery treats

For a budget London souvenir that’s a real taste of Britain, pop into any supermarket or corner shop and choose a handful of confectionery bars. These everyday sweet treats: Mars Bars, Maltesers, Cadbury’s Flake or slabs of Dairy Milk have rich chocolate’y flavours at pocket money prices.

London Teddy Bears

Although not uniquely British, teddy bears are a big part of our culture. These comforting childhood companions have been immortalised in print and film from Winnie the Pooh to Paddington. In fact grown-ups are drawn to them almost as much as toddlers.

SAVE on a London gift shop bear

In most British souvenir shops you’re find budget-priced soft toy bears dressed as Royal guard, police constable or Beefeater. They make sweet and inexpensive London gifts for family.

SPLURGE on a collectible British teddy bear

For a high-quality, uniquely London souvenir, these are the bears to hunt down:

Paddington Bear He was already a celebrity, thanks to the movies based on the children’s books by Michael Bond. But Paddington Bear won a special place in our hearts when he visited Queen Elizabeth II for afternoon tea during her Platinum Jubilee celebrations. Named after the London station where he arrives from Peru, Paddington Bear has come to represent London values of kindness, politeness and a welcoming and inclusive spirit.

The classic Paddington Bear (paid link) wears a red floppy hat and carries a suitcase. And you’ll find him in many London stores including his own gift shop in Paddington station.

The Harrods bear The legendary department store in Knightsbridge has quite a range of teddies, including its Harrods Annual Bear. Each year the bear celebrates a different aspect of the store. For 2025 Henry the Harrods Bear wears a tuxedo as an ode to the elegance of their Georgian tea rooms.

Bartholomew Bear The new bears on the block, so to speak, are the plush toys of Jellycat, a London-based company with a huge and staunch following of collectors of all ages. Their stuffed toys are irresistibly soft and luxurious.

Jellycats are my go-tos for toddler and baby gifts. Podgy Bartholomew Bear, here, in a range of sizes, has a winsome look in his eye that makes it almost impossible to leave him on the shelf. You’ll find Jellycat soft toys in Trotters, my favourite children’s shop on Kensington High Street. And you can track them down in Harrods, Hamleys and branches of John Lewis too.

Gin Souvenirs from London

Gin and tonic: it’s a classic refreshing cocktail that’s drunk all over the world and yet still seems terribly British. London’s relationship with gin goes back a long way. This distilled alcoholic spirit, flavoured with juniper and other botanicals, first arrived on our shores from the Netherlands. It caught on and in the 1700s London’s ‘gin craze’ was so worrying that acts of Parliament were passed to discourage its sale and get people back to work!

Later, in the 1800s, gin partnered with tonic water to make the quintessential G and T, which has never really gone out of style. Simply mix one part gin, three parts tonic, chunky ice cubes and a wedge of lemon. I like it with a sprig of rosemary too, and some sunshine!

Fashions in spirits come and go but right now gin is having a renaissance in the UK. Small artisan distillers are experimenting with gin styles and flavours whilst gin cocktails are popular once more.

London Dry gin is the traditional style to try and some of the best London Drys are distilled here in London.

SAVE on Beefeater London dry gin

This longtime favourite, produced in Kennington, has been made in London since the 1800s. Beefeater London dry gin is a great budget buy and you’ll find it in most supermarkets. Its distinctive label, featuring a Tower of London ‘beefeater’ warden, makes it a fun London souvenir.

SPLURGE on craft London gin

Whitley Neill gins are produced in small batches at the City of London Distillery and Bar. This innovative range of craft gins includes flavours like raspberry, rhubarb and ginger and even smokey bacon and horseradish.

Sipsmith is a newly established brand that makes a well-balanced premium London Dry gin and a very popular zesty orange version too. You’ll find Whitley Neill and Sipsmith in branches of Waitrose and also at Heathrow Duty Free if you’re leaving your London souvenir shopping until the very last minute.

You can even blend your own personalised bottle of gin to take home with you at the Greenwich Distillery and Tasting Rooms. It’s located in the Old Royal Naval College in the UNESCO World Heritage site of Maritime Greenwich. You can reach Greenwich easily from central London by river boat or train. Book the London Gin lab – make your own Gin here

London Tea Souvenirs

It’s a cliché to say it but tea has a very significant place in British culture. We sip 100 million cups of tea a day as pick-me-up or routine ritual, and tea-drinking plays a part in social settings from business meetings to chats with a neighbour.

Britain got hooked on tea in the 1650s when Dutch traders brought it to our shores from China. It was a luxury beverage until the 18th century, then prices dropped and tea became accessible to all.

SAVE on a box of British tea-bags

You’ll find them stacked up in every supermarket. And you can choose loose-leaf versions too if you have a teapot at home. Look out for Yorkshire Tea, PG Tips and Twinings in English Breakfast or Earl Grey varieties. They’re all favourite everyday brands that make great gifts too.

SPLURGE on a caddy of tea

The grandest grocery store, Fortnum & Mason in Piccadilly, sells beautifully packaged luxury teas. You can buy hampers of the stuff here as well as selection boxes and handsome tea caddies.

Fortnums offer a bespoke tea blending service too, where you can personalise your own mix according to leaf type, strength and flavour. They’ll even add your name to the tin for the perfect customised London souvenir.

As you’d expect, the capital city of this nation of tea-drinkers has plenty of stores devoted to the leaf. Whittard of Chelsea have several branches and sell yummy hot chocolate too. For the most British of teas visit the Twinings shop, at 216 Strand near Covent Garden, which dates from the 1700s.

This 2-hour tea-tasting masterclass is held in the historic Twinings store in The Strand in central London. You’ll sample different varieties of tea and learn how to evaluate them like a pro. It gets great reviews: “I did the tea tasting with my mom and daughter. It was our very favorite thing we did in London!” Plus the store is on hand to select your favourite tea souvenirs. Check availability and book here.

London Teapots

Although most of us make do with dunking a teabag in a mug for our morning cup of tea, Brits usually own a teapot too. We bring out these essential pieces of tableware for special occasion tea-drinking or making a brew for friends.

If you’ve travelled from outside the UK then a teapot can be more than just a souvenir from London, it can be the beginnings of a fun new daily ritual. And it is of course the mainstay of a traditional afternoon tea.

SAVE on a pottery teapot

You’ll find great everyday teapots in all homeware stores. John Lewis department stores have a good selection. This London Pottery farmhouse teapot comes in a jaunty red that’s a reminder of London’s double-decker buses and telephone boxes.

SPLURGE on a china teapot

Blue and white is a classic colour combination for British tableware and one of the most famous and historic ranges is Spode’s Blue Italian. The Spode Blue Italian teapot (paid link) is as fashionable now as it was two hundred years ago. Its sturdy yet elegant shape and distinctive blue and white pattern has stood centre stage on British tea tables since Victorian times. Nowadays this cultural icon is dishwasher safe too. You can buy it online here (paid link).

Or look out for Emma Bridgewater’s cottage-core style blue star or polka dot teapots, made at their pottery in Stoke-on-Trent. For an investment buy, browse high-end department stores like Harrods, Selfridges and Liberty for Wedgwood bone china teapots.

Whichever you choose you’ll love and use a teapot for years. It’s a perfect pick if you’re looking for a London souvenir that reflects British heritage and craftsmanship.

London Souvenir Spoons

Spoons? Yes! I know this is my third tea-related suggestion, but teaspoons are always useful and pretty sets are easy to find.

British cutlery has been well-known for centuries for its craftsmanship and high quality. The northern city of Sheffield produced the first stainless steel and nowadays historic Sheffield companies still produce high quality cutlery and silverware.

SPLURGE on silverware

These silver plated teaspoons can be found at Fortnum & Mason. Or, for a modern take on traditional flowery afternoon tea china, these pretty ceramic spoons by Royal Albert at Selfridges, make great UK souvenirs.

Antique shops and flea markets are great places to source vintage cutlery, often featuring intricate monograms or family crests. As well as teaspoons you’ll find pretty sugar-sifters and sets of serving spoons, soup spoons and so on. The best bargains are outside central London but you can still pick up mementoes from the stalls on Portobello Road (on Fridays and Saturdays) or Covent Garden (on Mondays).

SAVE on commemorative teaspoons

From Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey many of London’s historic sites offer souvenir spoons with decorative motifs. These mementoes are light to pack and useful too, you can pop them in a tumbler beside your coffee machine or on the table with the sugar. They’re a great conversation starter.

For truly unique London souvenirs collect a medieval spoon or two from the London Museum Docklands shop. These beautiful replicas are made of lead-free pewter and are exact copies of an original Tudor acorn spoon found in the Thames. You can buy them through this link to the museum gift shop too: Tudor Spoon replica.

Artwork and prints by London Artists

London’s art scene continues to inspire the world with its world-class free museums and the fresh talent and innovation you’ll find in its street art and contemporary galleries.

Looking to take a piece of London art home with you? Whatever your budget you’ll have plenty of choice from original works to street art prints, architectural drawings or local scenes.

SPLURGE on original artwork

Serious collectors head to the galleries of Cork Street, Mayfair where the sky’s the limit if you have money to invest. But you’ll find more affordable prices in smaller galleries.

The Nelly Duff Gallery on Columbia Road in east London showcases contemporary urban art with original works and limited edition prints from under £100. An artwork you’ll love for years that reminds you of your visit is one of the best London souvenirs.

SAVE on prints from London markets

For budget-friendly artworks and prints head to local markets. You’ll often find the artists have taken inspiration from London’s neighbourhoods. In Shoreditch you’ll see urban street art prints, whilst the artists in Greenwich market are more likely to capture the area’s historic maritime connections.

For classical pieces, The National Gallery shop offers high-quality reproductions of their vast collection. While the Tate Modern sells art prints and posters at very reasonable prices which make great London souvenirs.

Which are the best markets for London Souvenirs?

For a fun day out in a characterful neighbourhood with market stalls and independent shops that might, just might, reveal a hidden treasure I’d recommend:

• Brick Lane and Spitalfields markets
• Portobello Road market
• Columbia Road market – for the shops as much as the flowers!
• Greenwich market

But you need to research in advance to check which markets are actually open on the day you want to visit. For instance Sunday is a great day to browse some of London’s most iconic markets – as long as you know which ones are open. Columbia Road market is only open on Sundays but Portobello Road market is closed!

A walking tour, led by a knowledgeable local, will steer you in the right direction for authentic markets and great London souvenirs. This tour London: Sunday Markets Guided Walking Tour will take all the guesswork out of your outing with visits to no less than four East London markets. It gets great reviews. Book the London Sunday Markets Guided Walking Tour here.

Please note that all visitor information here is for guidance only. Please check the relevant websites for the most up to date information eg. accommodation details, tickets, entrance requirements, opening times etc.

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