Soho Record Shops: A Walking Route
Berwick Street and around: London's densest stretch of vinyl
If London has a record street, it's Berwick Street in Soho. For decades the shops lined up one after another here — enough that a defining Britpop sleeve, Oasis's *(What's the Story) Morning Glory?* in 1995, was shot on the spot. There are fewer shops now than then, but Soho is still London's densest and most walkable patch for vinyl. This is a route, not a list: where to go, in what order, how long it takes.
Soho, the record quarter
Soho has always been London's musical heart — the music publishers, the studios, the clubs, and a concentration of record shops no other part of the city has matched. Berwick Street is the spine, but the quarter is small and walkable in a few hundred metres, which makes it perfect for a morning or an afternoon of hunting without touching the Tube.
The pleasure of Soho is the range within a single block: indie and rock, electronic, soul and jazz, new and used. In an hour you go from a wall of techno 12-inches to a curated spiritual-jazz section without changing street.
Soho has always been London's musical heart — the music publishers, the studios, the clubs, and a concentration of record shops no other part of the city has matched. Berwick Street is the spine, but the quarter is small and walkable in a few hundred metres, which makes it perfect for a morning or an afternoon of hunting without touching the Tube.
The pleasure of Soho is the range within a single block: indie and rock, electronic, soul and jazz, new and used. In an hour you go from a wall of techno 12-inches to a curated spiritual-jazz section without changing street.
Berwick Street: the core
Reckless Records (30 Berwick Street) is the classic used stop: multi-genre, honest prices, constant turnover. Across and a little up, Sister Ray (75 Berwick Street) covers indie, rock, jazz and electronic with one of the widest selections in the quarter, new and used.
Steps away on Broadwick Street, Sounds of the Universe (number 7) is the home of Soul Jazz Records: soul, jazz, funk, afrobeat and an electronic section downstairs, all curated like a discography. And on Poland Street, Phonica Records (number 51) closes the loop for club music: house, techno, experimental — one of Europe's strongest electronic shops.
Reckless Records (30 Berwick Street) is the classic used stop: multi-genre, honest prices, constant turnover. Across and a little up, Sister Ray (75 Berwick Street) covers indie, rock, jazz and electronic with one of the widest selections in the quarter, new and used.
Steps away on Broadwick Street, Sounds of the Universe (number 7) is the home of Soul Jazz Records: soul, jazz, funk, afrobeat and an electronic section downstairs, all curated like a discography. And on Poland Street, Phonica Records (number 51) closes the loop for club music: house, techno, experimental — one of Europe's strongest electronic shops.
Around the edges: Marshall Street and Charing Cross Road
Widen the loop a little and Third Man Records (Marshall Street) is Jack White's London outpost: new releases, reissues, special editions and an unmistakable look. East, on Soho's edge, Ray's Jazz inside the Foyles bookshop (Charing Cross Road) is the lasting jazz stop, café attached. A little further, on Denmark Street, Rough Trade's West End shop is easy to fold in if you have time.
Always check hours before you set off: Soho shops open late morning and some close early in the evening.
Widen the loop a little and Third Man Records (Marshall Street) is Jack White's London outpost: new releases, reissues, special editions and an unmistakable look. East, on Soho's edge, Ray's Jazz inside the Foyles bookshop (Charing Cross Road) is the lasting jazz stop, café attached. A little further, on Denmark Street, Rough Trade's West End shop is easy to fold in if you have time.
Always check hours before you set off: Soho shops open late morning and some close early in the evening.
The walking route
An order that works: start at Sounds of the Universe on Broadwick Street, drop onto Berwick Street for Reckless and Sister Ray, detour to Poland Street for Phonica, then aim for Marshall Street and Third Man. With a spare hour, finish toward Charing Cross Road and Ray's Jazz at Foyles. It's under twenty minutes of walking all told — the racks set the pace, not the distances.
Half a day covers the lot at leisure. Saturday is the liveliest day and the busiest; a weekday morning is calmer.
An order that works: start at Sounds of the Universe on Broadwick Street, drop onto Berwick Street for Reckless and Sister Ray, detour to Poland Street for Phonica, then aim for Marshall Street and Third Man. With a spare hour, finish toward Charing Cross Road and Ray's Jazz at Foyles. It's under twenty minutes of walking all told — the racks set the pace, not the distances.
Half a day covers the lot at leisure. Saturday is the liveliest day and the busiest; a weekday morning is calmer.
Who this page is for
Anyone short on time who wants to maximise, or staying central and happy to walk rather than ride the Tube. After a specific sound, cross this with the guides to [jazz](/en/guides/london-record-shops/jazz/), [soul and funk](/en/guides/london-record-shops/soul-funk-rare-groove/) or [electronic](/en/guides/london-record-shops/electronic-techno/). For the whole city, start with the [London record shops guide](/en/groove/vinyl-cities/02-london/).
Anyone short on time who wants to maximise, or staying central and happy to walk rather than ride the Tube. After a specific sound, cross this with the guides to [jazz](/en/guides/london-record-shops/jazz/), [soul and funk](/en/guides/london-record-shops/soul-funk-rare-groove/) or [electronic](/en/guides/london-record-shops/electronic-techno/). For the whole city, start with the [London record shops guide](/en/groove/vinyl-cities/02-london/).
Berwick Street is still the core: Reckless and Sister Ray, plus Sounds of the Universe on Broadwick and Phonica on Poland Street. All on foot, half a day, no Tube.
Which street has the record shops in Soho?
Berwick Street is historically Soho's record-shop row, made famous by the Oasis Morning Glory sleeve. Today it holds Reckless and Sister Ray, with Sounds of the Universe and Phonica metres away.
How long do Soho's record shops take?
Half a day is enough to cover the main ones at leisure, since they're all within a few minutes' walk. The real time depends on how hard you dig, not on the distances.
Are Soho's record shops open on Sundays?
Some are and some aren't, and hours vary — Soho shops tend to open late morning. Always check the website or Google Maps before visiting, especially on a Sunday.
