Berwick Street is worth checking out.
Oxford Street has become a shopping haven for tourist and it seems like there is no day where it seems to not be full of people with shopping bags from every high–street retailer store on the street. Even venturing around Soho can be quite a feat navigating your way through with Google maps being the savior of many of us. Everyone knows Soho is full of bars, restaurants, cool independent shops here and there and once in a while something surprising seems to pop up.
Recently, PAUSE had a chance to check out a gem of a street in the corner of Soho called Berwick Street. This short street can be easily missed but it is definitely a street not to be missed and it would be the go to place for guys who seek something different in terms of fashion, music and everything in between.
Berwick Street has a strong British menswear presence with cool sneaker store Foot Patrol and Underground, and among others is a store by a British menswear label that truly captures the essence that is quintessentially British, Oliver Spencer. They represent a bridge between popular street wear and traditional tailoring with quality fabrics and modern fits. There is also Universal Works, who offers wearable, sustainable and affordable contemporary clothes that cleverly mixes modernity and British heritage seamlessly. Popular Swedish denim brand Nudie Jeans have just recently opened their first UK store there complete with the unique Global Repair Station where you can fix your ripped Nudie Jeans for free. Why not even get a haircut while you’re there with Ted’s Grooming Room by Ted Baker just along the street so you can look your best even when shopping.
After a day of shopping around and checking out the menswear tailors as well, you will want to head to the very cool Ember Yard, a tapas restaurant that takes inspiration from Spanish and Italian methods of cooking over charcoal. The ambience is the perfect place to enjoy great delicious food with friends while enjoying a nice glass of wine, with great food, great ambience and great company, who could ask for more. Every season, their menu changes and as of now some of the stand out dishes would definitely be their Blackened Sea Trout with Pickled Cucumber and Chargrilled Red Spring Onion, and Hot Smoked Butternut Squash with Goats’ Curd and Grape Jam which was definitely a must try, with their slight burnt taste and woody flavours, you’ll definitely be wanting more.
This street isn’t just for fashion and food but with its rich history and famous records shops, Berwick Street is definitely the go to place for music fans with London’s largest concentration of independent record shops such as Sister Ray where you could possibly find any kind of vinyl records from any genre or artist, digging and going through their vinyl collection, you’ll never know when you’ll find a gem.
End the day grabbing a coffee and pastry at Soho Bikes, the newest shop on the street, where this coffee shop also sells mountain bikes and gears and is also a repair bike shop where you can get your bike checked, fixed and serviced all while sipping on that latte.
Next time when you’re heading to Soho, don’t forget to check out Berwick Street. For more information, head over to their website.
Words: Ievan Darwin
