Berwick Street, record shop by record shop
Berwick Street was the Golden Mile of Vinyl. Two of its record shops are still trading, with more just round the corner: here is the dig, in walking order.
By Only Soho Editorial
Berwick Street was called the Golden Mile of Vinyl in the 1980s, and it still has the biggest cluster of independent record shops in central London. Many of the names have gone, but the two that stayed are very good, and three more are a few minutes' walk away. Bring cash for a coffee, clear an afternoon and walk it in this order.
Reckless Records, 30 Berwick Street
Start at the south end. Reckless Records has been buying and selling vinyl and CDs on Berwick Street since 1984, and it is the shop for second-hand digging. Its buyers bring in collections every week from all over the country, and thousands of records go out on the racks each week, so what you saw last month is not what you will see today. It is open every day from 10am to 7pm. Go on a weekday morning, when it is quiet, and give yourself an hour in the second-hand racks.
Sister Ray, 75 Berwick Street
Walk north up the street to Sister Ray, named after the Velvet Underground song and trading since 1989. It is the place for new releases, reissues and the albums everyone is talking about, and in 2026 it has been hosting listening parties and signings in the shop. Its own history page reads like a memorial roll for the street: Daddy Kool, Shades, Red, Tag, Black Dog, Ambient Soho, Black Market, Kubla, Liberty and Vinyl Junkies all lived here once. Ask the staff what is good this week, then buy the record they tell you to.
The album cover
You will see people standing in the middle of Berwick Street with a camera pointed south. They are recreating the cover of Oasis's (What's the Story) Morning Glory, which shows two men passing each other on this street, outside what was then the London branch of the Selectadisc chain. The two men were the DJ Sean Rowley and the sleeve designer Brian Cannon. Sister Ray actively encourages the pilgrimage. Take the photo early, before the market traffic, and then go back inside for the record.
Phonica, 51 Poland Street
Cut east onto Poland Street for Phonica, the dance music shop. Time Out describes the leather sofas and egg chairs that give it a 1970s feel, and the staff are working DJs who will help you find a hard-to-get release. It is open from 11am, until half seven on Thursdays and Fridays, and from noon on Sundays. Go on a Friday afternoon, sit in an egg chair and listen to the new house and techno twelve-inches before the weekend sets.
Sounds of the Universe, Broadwick Street
A short walk west is Sounds of the Universe, the shop that doubles as headquarters of the Soul Jazz Records label. In January 2025 the Financial Times put it on its list of the greatest record shops in the world, as Time Out reported, and it stocks everything from dubstep and punk to bossa nova and jazz. Come for the reissues and the compilations, and leave with a Soul Jazz record, because that is what they are best at.
Third Man Records
The same FT list named Third Man Records, Jack White's shop near Carnaby Street. It was his label's first store outside the United States, all bright yellow, with a small music venue in the basement and a booth where you can record yourself straight to vinyl. It is the most theatrical record shop in Soho. Pay for the booth, cut a single and keep it for the next party.
What else is on the street
Berwick Street is more than records. The street market still trades along the east side in the day, Gosh Comics stocks graphic novels and manga, and Misan Fabrics is still selling cloth to people who make their own clothes. The This is Soho guide to Berwick Street covers the rest.
How to plan the dig
Give it a weekday if you can: Saturdays bring the crowds, and the market and the shops are all at their busiest. Do the second-hand racks at Reckless first while your patience is fresh, then the new releases at Sister Ray, then Phonica and Sounds of the Universe for the specialist stock. Set yourself a budget before you start, because Soho is very good at making you break it.
Where to finish
When the bags are full, go to The Duck and Rice on Berwick Street, a pub and Chinese kitchen that has been in Soho since 2014. Sit downstairs, spread your records on the table and order a tank Pilsner Urquell with a plate of dim sum. That is how a Saturday on Berwick Street should end.
