With a history stretching back to the ancient civilizations of Egypt and Mesopotamia, the art of perfumery is nothing new, but visiting these perfumeries in London will have you thinking otherwise.
Whether you are based in the British capital or staying temporarily in one of the best London hotels, you shouldn't miss your chance to immerse yourself in some of the most ingeniously designed and innovative fragrance shops the city has got to offer. From historical brands by celebrated maître parfumeurs to open-access fragrance labs dedicated to creating hyper-personalized scent experiences, our favorite perfumeries in London combine elevated interiors with captivating aroma experimentation that propels this centuries-spanning tradition forward.
1. Norfolk Natural Living
142 Columbia Rd, London E2 7RG
My earliest introduction to Norfolk Natural Living's zingy, delicate scents came, quite literally, from smelling their Coastal Walks fragrance on my partner's skin — rather fittingly, a Norfolk native. This was three years ago now, and I have since become obsessed with each of their stunningly conceptualized and executed perfumes, and the effortless versatility with which founding aromatherapist Bella Middleton readapts them into eau de parfum, body-care items, and home additions such as scented candles, room sprays, and diffusers. The London flagship, sited on the picturesque Columbia Road, expands on the brand's slow living vision by transporting passersby to a vintage-inspired apothecary punctuated by dry flowers bouquets, antique wooden cabinets, and strikingly arranged product displays, all exuding an ethereal feel.
Headquartered in Holt, in the east of England, Norfolk Natural Living invites you to take control of, and indulge in, our daily rituals through plant-based, biodegradable and chemicals- and cruelty-free compositions that dissolve the boundaries between nature and the indoors. Its hand-bottled perfumes feature some of the best designs I have ever come across on the market, elevating, at once, your routine and house shelves. Try the Norfolk Natural Living's Basil & Neroli one to know what I mean.
Shop all of Norfolk Natural Living's products.
2. Aesop — Duke of York Square
22–24, duke of york square, London SW3 4LY
Realized in collaboration with award-winning Norwegian architecture studio Snøhetta, the firm behind the Oslo Opera House and the National September 11 Memorial Museum in New York City, Aesop's Duke of York Square flagship is an unmissable stop for beauty and design addicts alike. Located in Chelsea, one of the chicest areas of London, the store pairs an earthy, organic palette with sci-fi lines and brutalist chrome, copper, stone, and cement finishes. Renowned for its disruptive, holistic approach to skin-, hair-, and body-care, with products obtained exclusively from high-quality, plant-based and lab-engineered sources, the Australian brand isn't just one of the most sustainability-oriented labels in this industry, but each of its global locations provides visitors with an inspiring does of contemporary minimalist design, too.
A recent addition to the Aesop universe, Virere Eau De Parfum reunites the best of all four seasons in one thanks to its nature-inspired composition. With bright citrus, peppery green spice, and herbaceous and warm woods notes, it evokes "sunny afternoons sipping tea beneath an arbor of fig trees", and it is my recent new favorite.
Price: $160.00
3. Maison Diptyque
107, New, Bond St, London W1S 1ED
To anyone remotely interested in perfumery, legendary French fragrance house Diptyque will need no introduction, but how many of you have visited its New Bond Street Maison? Inaugurated last May and graced by the sumptuously imaginative genius of architecture studio RDAI, widely credited with revolutionizing contemporary Parisian-style décor, the space grants a cinematic frame within which to savor the extraordinary range of luxury scented candles, perfumes, and home fragrances that have made Diptyque synonymous with sophistication across the world.
Modeled after a "cabinet of curiosities", Maison Diptyque is as fantastically whimsical as it oozes the exclusiveness of French savoir-faire, manifesting itself in a pastel-hued and elegantly balanced color, texture, and material extravaganza. Strategically located in the heart of the city, it isn't just one of the best perfumeries in London, but also the perfect base from which to explore the plethora of inspirations and stories that come together in Diptyque's boundary-pushing production.
Shop all of Diptyque's products.
Why buy one eau de parfum when you could have... five? Bringing you "five treasures of nature", this exclusive gift set contains "Les Essences de Diptyque (The Essences of Diptyque): a collection of exclusive fragrances with lingering sillages. Coral, mother of pearl, tree bark, water lily, the desert rose: none of these possesses a natural, distinctive fragrance of its own. Now, through olfactory and visual creations, they are revealed. Unique, precious, potent compositions in a miniature format, ready to awaken the senses."
Price: $200.00
4. Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella
1 Piccadilly Arcade, London SW1Y 6NH and 107 Walton St, London SW3 2HP
Whenever I find myself wandering around Piccadilly in central London, I can't help peeking inside Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella. With roots dating back from 1221 Florence, when the apothecary, one of the world's longest-standing, was established, this plush flagship absorbs passersby in a celebration of Italian craftsmanship and perfumery one product at a time. Largely modeled after the historical interiors of the house's original Florence location, this London hotspot is just as spellbinding in its décor.
With two locations across Chelsea and Marylebone and a retail stand at legendary department store Harrods, Santa Maria Novella transfers the pluricentennial herbal and botanical knowledge of the Dominican monks that founded it to the British capital in a truly unparalleled fragrance journey. Captured above, in all of its Art Deco charm, is the house's main shop in Florence, whose golden-hued atmosphere is referenced by the label's English shop fronts, and the jewel-like, meticulously designed packaging that comes with its coveted scents and beauty offering.
Shop all of Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella's products.
5. Angela Flanders Perfumery
Sometimes walking around London without expecting anything is the perfect way to make the best discoveries, and that's what happened to me while strolling along the lively constellation of independent stores that inhabits Columbia Road in the city's East End. I was instantly hooked by Angela Flanders Perfumery's Georgian-inspired, warm décor, and its beautifully presented fragrances, displayed in choreographic ways all around the brand's intimate boutique.
Founded in 1985 by former TV costume designer Angela Flanders as her passion project, the namesake perfume house grew into one of the most cherished fragrance brands in London and beyond. Much like the interiors of her original store near Columbia Flower Market, the family-owned (and run) business's products, permeated with an amusing sense of nostalgia, stand for timeless allure, elegance, and craftsmanship.
Shop all of Angela Flanders Perfumery's products.
6. Ffern
23 Beak St, Carnaby, London W1F 9RS
I'll be short: from its branding to its Beak Street flagship's minimalist interior design, there is nothing that isn't contagiously iconic about Somerset-based natural fragrance house Ffern — it's possibly my favorite of these perfumeries in London. Using organic, vegan ingredients and the best sustainable practices, the label isn't your typical perfume manufacturer either: contrary to its competitors, Ffern only releases four unique fragrances a year, each marking an equinox or solstice.
Fifth-generation master perfumer François Robert and his protégé, Elodie Durande, draw on the elements of nature to offer scents that amplify it and support it, instead of exploiting it. It is an ethos that characterizes Ffern as a whole, with all of its packaging made of degradable materials and, at times, even coming with complementary sowable seeds. And as if that wasn't enough, the brand has given both a voice and a face to Casa Italiana San Vincenzo Pallotti, a historic meeting place for London's Italian community, as part of their Summer 24 drop to support its recovery efforts. Sure, as an Italian native, I might be biased — but how cool is that for community engagement?
7. Experimental Perfume Club
53 Monmouth St, London WC2H 9DG
Launched in 2016 by French perfumer Emmanuelle Moeglin, London concept store Experimental Perfume Club (EPC) puts the science behind fragrance-making center and front in a truly thought-provoking concept store. Driven by a desire to demystify the world of perfumery and make the process at its heart easily digestible and accessible to everyone, the Institut Supérieur International du Parfum (ISIPCA) graduate has created a space for people to come together and try their hand at crafting their own scents.
Sewing the gap between fine fragrance professionals and the public, this open-access laboratory doesn't only provide sensory-reviving workshops, but it also stands out for its high degree of scent personalization. At EPC, it is up to visitors to forge their own perfumes, and everyone is encouraged to dive head-on into the magical universe of fragrance, mixing and matching their blends to unlock new hypnotic compositions.
Shop all of Experimental Perfume Club's products.
While fragrance stores are life-enhancing destinations to visit year-round, they are the ideal hotspots to have on your radar ahead of the festive season, whether for family gifting tips or self-addressed treats. This, of course, doesn't just hold for the best perfumeries in London, but counts for the capital's concept stores and the best London bookshops, too, where you'll find plenty of present inspiration.
