Saturday Shopping In Dulwich Village

Lawrence Roullier White shares the many and varied joys of a Saturday spent shopping in verdant Dulwich Village. 

I never need an excuse to pop along to Dulwich Village - it has to be one of, if not the, prettiest places in London. The prospect of checking out the newly opened Gail’s Artisan Bakery was all the incentive I needed.

Dulwich Village is with in easy reach of London Bridge, take the train (10 minutes) to North Dulwich.

I have been going to Dulwich Village since I was a teenager, when many a night was spent in the Crown and Greyhound - or the Dog as locals affectionately refer to their local - along with the Clockhouse (in nearby East Dulwich), back in the day the Dog was one of the only few decent pubs in the area. That of course has now changed and the locale is full of wonderful places to eat and drink; but I shall always have a soft spot for this man's best friend. Linger with a lunch-time cask ale and share a legendary meat board, mixed charcuterie with quail scotch eggs.

But we are here to shop so better get a move on. Another long term draw for me has been Village Books on Calton Avenue, there is nothing more satisfying that browsing around a well-bought for bookshop. Everything about the experience is so much better than shopping on line, right down to that delicious bookshop smell. Hazel and Julian have run the shop since the mid 1990's but the site has been a bookshop for over seventy years and their selection is superb including a huge selection of children's titles.

But the best news; if you are rushing to meet someone, and forgotten that all important gift, Village Books offers a free gift wrapping service.

Jane Newbery is lovely woman with a wonderful shop full of carefully selected design-led accessories and gifts; from quirky applied arts and crafts to modern manufactured goods. I love the witty designs of Thornback and Peel which appear on hankies, lampshades and the splendid and decidedly English eccentricity of this Pigeon and Jelly deck chair. Beautiful cards and wrap make Jane’s shop the perfect present one stop shop.

Jane has a gallery down stairs - check her website for details of current shows.

Another treasure is Tomlinson’s, a Dulwich Village institution, the store has been trading for decades. Elegant items for the home are chicly presented in a manner which reminds me of the style of some of the finer stores one would find in the Hamptons or New England. The slant is towards the vintage in feel and the colour palette is pared down, making products suitable additions to any decorating scheme. Tomlinson’s also has a selection of body care items – including iconic British brand Neal’s Yard Remedies - and fashion displayed in the rear.

Just next door Question Air deserves its reputation as one of the best independent fashion retailers in London. If I am ever stuck for a gift for a man I am guaranteed to be able to find something perfect, a scarf in winter or a t-shirt or polo shirt in summer. More often than not I get something for myself too, as does my sister who drives up from Dorset to shop there. We are so lucky to have such a fashion forward store right on our doorstep. Women’s wear: Vivienne Westwood, 360 Sweater, IRO, 2ND Day and recent additions Rebecca Taylor, Sam Edelman and Lucy Choi. Men’s wear: Orlebar Brown, Penfield, American Vintage, Hartford, Ash, Nudie and recent additions Acne, Shades of Grey, Grenson and Edwin.

The Groom Room offers all the barber services one would expect plus a host of other treatments for the modern gentleman-about- town, all served up in a congenial atmosphere and very realistically priced. Nothing feels better than a hot towel shave and if you are looking to impress at an important meeting or embarking on a hot date, the added confidence is bound to give you an edge. The Groom Room offers a lovely father & son barber service for dads or guardians and their boys under 11 years old. You can also pick up some very stylish shaving supplies from the likes of Edwin Jagger and Proraso.

Just along Lesley Leale-Greene offers a whole array of treatment and spa therapies in the beautiful environment of her newly refurbished clinic. The clinic also offers a skin analysis service to ensure you receive exactly the right treatment you require and to steer your home beauty routine along the right path.

Harold George offers everything you would expect from a top West End salon minus the journey, congestion charge, parking tickets, inconvenience and exorbitant price tag.  The salon cuts children’s hair too.
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Romeo Jones is a food emporium full of deli-delights from home and the continent; cheeses, meats and gourmet cakes and pastries. There is always a selection of traiteur-style meals you can take home and heat through if you don’t feel like cooking or you can just sit with a coffee and cake and watch village-life go by.
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The Art Stationers is another jewel in Dulwich’s crown with supplies for the professional or the casual amateur. Many’s the time I have used it to pick up a gift for a child of whose interests I was a little unsure. You cannot go wrong with colour pencils and sketch pads, charcoals and watercolour paints, and if the child does not use them then it might inspire something in the mum or dad! Secreted behind the Art Stationers is a joy of a toy shop, Green’s Village Toy Shop packed full of fun and educational activities as well as money items, ideal if you are planning a child’s party with lots of goody bags to stuff.
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And you don’t have to go very far to get the perfect children’s party outfit. Biff Kids is packed with the wholesome type of clothes every parent would want to see their child wear. Stocking sizes from new born up to age 12 Biff Kids is a one stop shop for clothes, shoes and accessories. I love the dresses from Emile et Rose, and this bang on trend blue and white striped one from Joules, perfect for a day at the seaside. Boys will love the witty t shirts by Frugi and cool Lily and Sid shorts.

You can refuel on delicious coffees or ice creams at Panino d’Oro, where a selection of sandwiches and snacks is always available as is a veritable cornucopia of foodie finds. Around the corner in Au Ciel Patisserie you can enjoy afternoon tea in sedate style. Whilst leafing through a paperback from Village Books.
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Fashionistas should hot foot it along to Roger Pope for this season’s selection of shades in the hottest shades; Pucci oversized frames come in purple, pink and this gorgeous turquoise. Perfect for cocktails in Capri or later this summer the local glamour of Frank’s Campari Bar in downtown Peckham.

Rocca is a favourite place of mine for a family lunch, if the weather promises to be nice book the patio at the back and imagine you are in a cortile in Italy, easily done when the huge wood fired oven was built by craftsmen flown in from Naples. Enjoy an authentic Napoletana pizza whilst sipping on a sublime Sicilian Syrah; Feudo Principi di Butera. Or how about a plate of Cassarecce (black & white pasta, aubergine, courgettes, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, and pecorino) & a glass of chilled Gambellara Classico? Peckish yet?

Bartley’s Flowers must have the largest ‘kerb appeal’ of any florist in London with its consistently enticing display of gorgeous cut blooms and plants which beautifully grace the pavement. This family florist has been a glorious part of Dulwich Village life for decades and is one of the best in the area.

Don't be frugal with your flowers, scatter jugs and vases of flowers everywhere, the more the merrier! Don't be sacred to mix colours. Gone are the days of a single stem lily in vase, today's fashion is for the full-on floral.

I have long been a fan of museum and gallery shops, not only are you guaranteed to find unusual and creative products, the profits from your purchases are ploughed back into the work of the institution. Gino Brignoli, Head of Retail at, Gino Brignoli, Head of Retail at Dulwich Picture Gallery, is doing sterling work with the gallery’s gift shop. If you have seen the current exhibition you can always visit just the shop by entering via the covered walkway. The café is great too.

But back to why we came; start the day at  Gail’s Artisan Bakery with a hearty English breakfast or a wholesome and healthy Gail's granola served with organic yoghurt, mid morning coffees from Union Coffee, or lunches of sandwiches, salads and soups and afternoon delights with Tea Palace teas. Buy bread to take home, although if it’s the Potato & Rosemary Sourdough (with handpicked rosemary) it may not make it that far! Or pick up cheese from Shepherd's or Romeo Jones opposite for an impromptu picnic in Dulwich Park. Where you could also sample the delights of the Pavilion Café.

With the Pavilion Café the charming sisters Domani and Tarka are redefining park catering and hospitality. I had friends staying from New York and after a wonder and wander around the gallery and a long stroll around the gorgeous park we popped in for some fish pie. When we proposed lunch the next day at Skylon they said they would rather go back to the Pavilion Café!

And were a Saturday morning to find you feeling a little fragile and frail for any reason, it would be hard to beat one of the Pavilion Café's bacon butties, with bacon sourced from a local butcher and lots of creamy butter.

Lawrence Roullier White's shopping guide appears monthly in the SE Magazines group of publications.