Small but perfectly formed: London's best independent shops

WEST

Kokon to Zai
86 Goldborne Road, W10
Quirky Kokon to Zai was set up in 1996 on Greek Street by Marjan Pejoski and Sasha Bezovski. They opened a second branch on Golborne Road, run by Romeo Milicevic, three and a half years ago.
How would you describe Kokon to Zai? The beauty is not being able to define it, but I like to call it 'eclectic eccentric'. We source jewellery, contemporary art, taxidermy, skulls, sculpture and other curiosities and collectibles. It's a kind of lifestyle store, but a very special kind.
What's your favourite item at the moment? The Napoleonic marriage chairs, and a crown of thorns from a church sculpture of Jesus on the cross. We also have some beautiful ironwood skulls and lots of butterflies.
How do people react when they come in? I hear 'wow' all the time. People say it's the coolest shop they've ever been to, but there's also a lot of 'Oh my God, this is very weird' and a lot of attitude.
What's your favourite thing you've ever sold? An Amish piece. It was an old magazine where the pages had each been opened and folded in half to make a round, amazingly colourful piece. No one could guess what it was: it was meant to be used as toilet paper. It was
the most crazy beautiful and expensive toilet paper - we sold it for nearly £1,500.
(kokontozai.co.uk)

Sole Heelers
82A Great Titchfield Street, W1
(020 7580 9066)
A brilliant cobbler, happy to stretch shoes, find soles of any colour Nothing is too much trouble. And there's a lovely man behind the till.

Stenton Family Butcher
55 Aldensley Road, W6
(020 8748 6121)
Not only is this brilliant butcher in Brackenbury Village committed to selling meat from British farms, but its boss, John, can advise you on how to cook your cut to perfection. It's a hub for local gossip - go in for a chicken and come out 20 minutes later fully updated on goings-on.

Mario's Shoe Care
26A Colville Square, W11
(020 7221 5288)
A fashion editor's secret. They reheel Louboutins with red leather so they look as good as new.
A messy but charming shop.

Indian Summer
624C Fulham Road, SW6
(indiansummershop.com)
Great for gifts for women and children, from Indian tops to Savon de Marseille bath
products, Alex Monroe jewellery, kitsch homeware and toys. It also sells retro sweets such as Sherbert Fountains.

Nomad Books
781 Fulham Road, SW6
(nomadbooks.co.uk)
A great independent bookshop with a well-chosen selection of books and friendly and knowledgable
staff. Real geek chic with book clubs, poetry readings and a great little café.

Little Heroes
638 Fulham Road, SW6
(020 7348 7907)
A proper old-fashioned toy shop with all manner of wooden and educational playthings. An antidote to all the brightly coloured plastic and noisy toys sold elsewhere.

Emilia's Italian Delicatessen
88 New Kings Road, SW6
(020 7751 0189)
If you like the idea of takeaway containers filled with fresh, homemade Italian food, from lasagne to tiramisu, this is the place for you. It's not cheap but the selection of antipasti is exhaustive and the quality excellent.

La Cave à Fromage
24-25 Cromwell Place, SW7
(la-cave.co.uk)
You'll smell this place before you see it: with more than 300 varieties of French and British cheese on offer, it's a turophile's dream. There are also a couple of tables where you can settle in for some bread and cheese with a glass of wine.

Chandler Guitars
300-302 Sandycombe Road, Kew
(chandlerguitars.co.uk)
Hidden away near Kew Gardens, this is the only shop guitar lovers could ever need: high-end acoustic models, vintage beasts, amps, repairs Dave Gilmour shops here. Enough said.

NORTH

Cheeses
13 Fortis Green Road, N10
Cheeses in Muswell Hill has been open for 28 years, and was bought by the current owner, Morgan McGlynn, last year.
With all this cheese around, you must get awful nightmares That's a myth. There's a chemical in cheese that helps you sleep, it doesn't cause nightmares.
Why did you buy the business? I'd worked here with Vanessa, the previous owner, for four years. When the opportunity came along, it was an easy decision to make. The main thing is to encourage people to shop locally.
Has it been tough? It's been a learning process. There are days when I've cried, but it's also been fun.
What do you enjoy most about owning Cheeses? I love seeing the queues on Saturday morning - I love our regulars. I'm excited about expanding, too, especially online and the wedding cake side of the business.
Do you have a favourite cheese? We have more than 250 here and change them all the time, so there's a lot to choose from. I adore Brie with truffle in it, which we'll have in over Easter. There's nothing like it.
(cheesesonline.co.uk)

Seconda Mano
114 Upper Street, N1
(020 7359 5284)
Second-hand designer clobber from recent seasons at great prices. Easy to miss, as the entrance is shared with a hairdresser, but worth finding.

North One Garden Centre
25 Englefield Road, N1
(n1gc.co.uk)
Nestled between old Victorian houses in De Beauvoir, this garden centre has won a string of awards. It stocks a panoply of gardening essentials, including plants, herbs, seeds, tools etc.

Aria
Barnsbury Street, N1
(ariashop.co.uk)
A wonderful shop in Islington selling great homeware and design classics; jewellery and watches on the top floor, bath and beauty downstairs. It even has a barista making coffee for visitors.

The Peanut Vendor
133 Newington Green Road, N1
(thepeanutvendor.co.uk)
A fantastic vintage furniture shop in Stoke Newington with Anglepoise lamps, mirrors and desks, all at manageable prices.

Gill Wing
190 Upper Street, N1
(gillwing.co.uk)
This offers a dazzling array of kitchen gadgets, as well as knives, glassware and linens; effectively anything you need to create or
eat a meal.

Get Stuffed
105 Essex Road, N1
(thegetstuffed.co.uk)
This is the go-to place for taxidermy: either bring your own animal for stuffing, or choose something from their wide-ranging stock. Just the place to check out if you fancy having a stag's head over your mantelpiece.

Belle Epoque
37 Newington Green, N16
(bellepoque.co.uk)
A traditional French patisserie with très charmant staff selling wonderful home-baked bread.

Pomona
179 Haverstock Hill, NW3
(020 7916 2676)
A fantastic independent greengrocer with an amazing range of organic produce.

Mystical Fairies
12 Flask Walk, NW3
(mysticalfairies.co.uk)
If there's a little girl in your life who likes things pink and sparkly, you can find anything
from wings to wands at this fairyland boutique.

Louis Patisserie
32 Heath Street, NW3
(020 7435 9908)
This Hungarian cake shop specialises in cream-filled delicacies (the croissants are excellent, too).

Cocoa Bijoux
Broadwell Parade, Broadhurst Gardens, NW6
(cocoabijoux.com)
This gorgeous chocolate shop opened last year; favourites include the Prestat bars and chocolate almonds - and don't miss the salted caramel truffles.

Panzer's Deli
13 Circus Road, NW8
(panzers.co.uk)
If a small part of your heart yearns for New York Jewish deli-style food, then check out this place, which stocks everything from Graham crackers to Pepperidge Farm cookies, through to root beer and kosher meats (including foie gras).

All Aboard
125 Golders Green Road, NW11
(020 8455 3184)
A charity shop in Golders Green for seriously good bargains donated by local label-loving matriarchs. (Don't forget, it's shut on Saturdays as it's the Sabbath.)

SOUTH

The Hive Honey Shop
93 Northcote Road, SW11
James Hamill has been keeping bees since he was five. He moved to London from California in 1982 and opened his shop 20 years ago.
Has the perception of beekeeping changed over the years? The world has woken up to the plight of the bee. Like the canary in a coal mine, it's the first indication that something's not right. Bees have been around since the beginning of time; I have a bee in amber that is 40 million years old. Take them out of the equation and the repercussions are devastating - the whole ecosystem will collapse.
How many bees do you have?I have 150 hives around the UK, and around 60,000 bees per hive.
What makes this shop special?I source honey from all over the world. Years ago I had cherry honey made purely with nectar from cherry trees. That was the only crop I've seen in 20 years.
How has the high street changed since you started?
What originally made this street what it is were the independent, artisan shops, but now all the big brands have moved in. I originally paid £17,000pa in rent, now it's £70,000. That isn't sustainable.
Is there a solution? Rate each shop on a merit system and give
a discount to ones that prove they're giving something back to the community.
(thehivehoneyshop.co.uk)

M Moen & Sons
24 The Pavement, SW4
(moen.co.uk)
An old-school butcher's with friendly staff and a delicious spread of organic and free-range meat. Don't forget the sausages.

Sajna
4 Edgeley Road, SW4
(020 7501 0001)
A basic salon, but you can have your eyebrows threaded and your legs waxed both well and cheaply.

Wild Caper
Unit 11A Brixton Market Row, SW9
(wildcaper.co.uk)
A magical deli: the bread is baked on site, the pastries are organic and the vegan offerings are delicious.

Regent House Gallery
223 St John's Hill, SW11
(regenthousegallery.com)
This tiny gallery and shop in Wandsworth has been in business for more than a quarter of a century. You're as likely to find a set of hand-painted 1930s plates as a 19th-century print. They also offer a framing service for any picture you buy in the store.

La Cuisinière
81-83 Northcote Road, SW11
(la-cuisiniere.co.uk)
This kitchen emporium is not the cheapest but whether you're looking for a state-of-the-art saucepan, a shiny new kettle or simply want to hire a cake tin, it won't let you down.

The Real Cheese Shop
62 Barnes High Street, SW13
(020 8878 6676)
This shop may be tiny but it's stuffed with an awesome choice of cheeses from England, France and Scandinavia.

The Dining Room Shop
62 White Hart Lane, SW13
(thediningroomshop.co.uk)
On one of the prettiest shopping streets in London, this charming boutique is packed with dining room essentials from plates to furniture.

Woolfson & Tay
12 Bermondsey Square, SE1
(woolfsonandtay.com)
Imagine your dream bookshop with titles you've been meaning to read, author talks, a coffee shop and even t'ai chi classes. This is it.

Mr Lawrence
391 Brockley Road, SE4
(mrlawrencewinemerchant.co.uk)
This off-licence stocks all the craft beers from London breweries, plus cider from Kent. The staff also give brilliant advice to help with your wine selection.

Norris Bedding
86-88 Coldharbour Lane, SE5
(norrisbedding.co.uk)
The best place in town for mattresses, each lovingly handmade to your specifications.

Hills & Parkes
49 Honor Oak Park, SE23
(hillsandparkes.com)
An amazing deli with an impressive larder of fresh local produce, sausage rolls and delectable
Scotch eggs. ES