Fortnum & Mason

What to expect

Fortnum & Mason dates to 1707, when William Fortnum, a footman in Queen Anne's household, and his landlord Hugh Mason opened a grocery in St James's. The present Neo-Georgian store at 181 Piccadilly was rebuilt in 1926 and 1927, and the firm has held royal warrants for over a century.

It is a department store built around food: tea, preserves, biscuits and the famous hampers, with a food hall, restaurants and tea salons on several floors. The clock above the entrance, installed in 1964, shows models of the two founders who bow to each other each hour while music plays. A visit is easy and calm, and you can look around without buying anything.

Don't miss

• The founders' clock above the entrance
• Tea selection on the ground floor
• Hampers and food hall
• The double-helix staircase
• Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon

Tips for your visit

• Be outside on the hour to watch the clock figures bow.
• It sits on Piccadilly in St James's, so it combines easily with a stroll to St James's Park.
• Tea and biscuits make easy gifts that travel well.
• Allow about forty-five minutes to look around, longer if you stop for tea.