A sore omission

It’s a bit geeky and predictable that I consider Time Out London a perfectly sound shopping guide.  It’s just such an obvious ‘name’ but the truth is, I look forward to reading its ‘Consume’ pages every week and seeing what new boutiques they have checked out.  Afterall, I can’t inform myself by experience alone and the people writing the articles are clearly writing like they too are seasoned London shoppers as opposed to sounding like a generic travel guide.  So I was eager to see what Time Out had for their annual Top 100 London Shops List. 

I haven’t had time to quibble over the rankings of where some of my favourite shops have come in but immediately, I have noticed some big omissions in my opinion.   One in particular who I expected to skim over in the list, and yes, I am damn well repeating myself is Shop at Maison Bertaux.  Simply for the fact that Pippa Brooks, the owner of Shop at Maison B, is a Soho boutique legend (read more on Ponystep) should have got Shop at Maison B on the list.  No broken record playing here but let’s see....we have the combination of a legendary patisserie/cafe and cute clothes in a basement.  We have delightfully fun staff and an ambiance that encourages random discounting at any given weekend (subscribe to their newsletter and you’ll know what I mean...).  An interior that has personality and is personable.   

Then there's the selection of labels and wares themselves... By all means, A.P.C. and Sonia by Sonia Rykiel can be found elsewhere but I doubt the pieces could be sold with as much enthusiasm, pretty presentation as they do at Shop at Maison Bertaux.  Post-shopping warm feelings of jubilation just don’t come easy these credit-crunching days and a simple APC dress (though as demonstrated below, the SS08 offerings aren’t the usual cotton smock affair...) bought at Shop at Maison B, puts a different slant on what is a minimalist label.    

I'm hoping their incomplete webshop expands from the current wee selection of three different kinds of Madame a Trois tea sets to include attire for wearing whilst drinking tea from the pretty cups... just so that non-Londoners can get a bit of lovin' from Madame too...

Comments

[WendyB]

The light blue cup is lovely!

[enc]

Lots of good stuff there. I love the look of the walls in that shop.

[Chelsea Rae]

This is why the next place I live will be London, or at least after I convince my parents to help me get an apartment in Brooklyn. There are very few places like NYC, shopping-wise, but London is definitely on par but in a completely different way. I'll have to remember Maison B when and if I ever make it to London.

[Make Do & Mend]

Well said - can't believe it was missed out. It is tres jolie (not accent available)

[Géraldine]

Thanks for the tip, I would have missed it without you. It looks great.

[rollergirl]

Well...this stinks. To be honest though, there was something fishy going on with the Time Out website, cos when I tried to vote, it was like there was a page or a 'submit' button missing. I gave up in the end. London does need more shops of the 'good retail experience' kind though and Pippa and Max have done pretty well in the grand scheme of things considering they have lasted in retail for bloody years!

[Tam]

Pippa has given me free chocolate and style advice. Her blog is amazing. And her shop surely has the highest ratio of lovely frocks to square feet in all of London. Pippa for PM!

[Jill]

I really like some of the pictures you have up, and although the tea sets look quite nice, I agree that some clothing added to the web shop would be nice.

[Rachel]

Those cups are adorable, they would go very well with a lovely feminine dress, maybe you should write some tips to them ;)

[winnie]

I need one of those tea sets!

[Biba]

I'm a faithful client, Best shop in London without a doubt.

hate to bring up agathe out of context but whats her surname i want to facebook her

[August]

I like the little tea cup set and the pink frilly dress. I will have to check this out.

[Caz @ THE LOOK]

Hurrah!

Quite simply the best shop in London.....

[Nina]

Maison Bertaux is a Londoner's secret, it's the only cake shop in Soho that isn't full of tourists on a Sunday afternoon, well I hope you have fun getting a table now but then you probably get to visit it in the week when fewer people are in there.

[Nina]

Incidentally I'm pretty sure that's why Time Out don't publish details of Maison Bertaux... how are you meant to get cake and tea when you encouraged the place to be full all day everyday?

[susie_bubble]

I doubt my post here is going to have Maison Bertaux rammed everyday and I don't even think Time Out has that sort of effect... look at Wahaca which was rammed for the first week post-review but quietened down after a bit....

Plus, I'm really just bummed about the omission of the SHOP at Maison Bertaux...not specifically the cake shop....

[tommy]

I had to take some people around on a "retail trip" recently and I can't believe that none of them knows that Shop at Maison Bertaux exist! Sure it's hidden below a cake shop but its predecessor was on Brewer Street, for eons!

[madame]

Feeling quite emotional from all the love on this blog and your comments - thanks for your support everybody, it's not easy being such a well-kept secret, you're all helping to spread the word! xx

[Belle Mae Tea Sets]

I don't see myself making it out to London any time soon, unfortunately.. so come to the states. Open up shop here and bless us with your presence! Please!