Take me shopping in... Angel
Angel is just a stone's throw from of the capital’s financial heart and minutes from London’s West End and theatres. But it rarely gets the credit it deserves for being an undeniably wonderful place to visit boutiques and unique shops which are off the beaten ‘Topshop’ track.
One of our favourites that’s a must to visit is Annie’s Vintage Costumes on Camden Passage. Down this little side street you will find a whole host of stalls and shops selling vintage and retro clothing as well as some traditional British designers. We love Annie’s Vintage as its owner collects all the best stuff from Chelsea's antique fairs and serves it up to us in an easy to view set up. Another great little store down this street is Felix and Lily's baby store. If you know any expectant mums and dads, you'll surely find the cutest and most original baby gift here.
The very fact that Angel is not talked about as a destination shopping area, is a large part of its attraction. If you’re not a serious shopper but love a good browse then After Noah is your destination in this part of London. This is a great shop for quirky, pretty bits and pieces as well as perfect gifts for those hard to buy for people. They also have a range of retro toys and a great selection of stocking-fillers, well worth a look for the last minute shopper. The only problem with this shop is that we feel there are some things that are overpriced but on the whole an enjoyable shop with lots to discover.
Like most areas in London, Angel has a market with its own unique characteristics. Chapel Market
has fantastic fruit and vegetable stalls but the fish you can find
there is by far the best in the area. It's one of London's most
traditional and lively street markets and is quite a tourist
attraction. Its busiest days are the weekend but it is open from 9am to
3.30pm every weekday if you want to avoid the crowds.
No shopping trip is complete without a spot of tea and cake. In Angel you really are spoilt for choice with a large portion of Upper Street dedicated to pastry fans. Ottolenghi can be found walking down this road from Angel tube to Highbury and Islington. You'll not only find a selection of cake, meringues, cake cake and more cake (we hope you get the point here!) but also a tapas style menu of savoury treats. The staff are friendly, the food tasty and imaginative, overall a hit with us all here at LBC.
If you love shoes but hate blisters, Lollipop holds the answer in Angel. Packed to the brim with drool-over-ably beautiful shoes that are jaw-droppingly comfortable, we think the savings you’ll make in plasters is a perfectly justifiable excuse to spend your well earned money here. They stock Chie Mara shoes as well as other designers but if you’re not convinced, they do have a website you can browse to convince you to make the visit.
Forget the internet when shopping for music, nothing sounds quite like placing a 45 on a Danset player. Flashback on Essex Road has everything from Brahms to Wishbone Ash behind its dirty glass shop front. Don't be put off by the appearance, as it contains hidden gems and bargains that you won't find anywhere else. There stock is plentiful and often replenished so you can expect to find something new each time you visit.
You're bound to leave Angel with a sense that you've discovered something that not everyone else has (and that you've bought things that everyone else won’t be wearing to the office on Monday).
If the promise of cutesy boutiques and tasty delis isn’t enough to have you hot-footing it to Angel, perhaps knowing you'll be following in the footsteps of stars of stage and screen will. Charlie Chaplain and the legendary director Alfred Hitchcock are both previous residents of Angel so it clearly has a long established charm.