London is home to just over nine million people. And as anyone who’s ever tried to get a haircut there will tell you, only a fraction fewer barber shops.
As is the case with almost everything in the capital – bars, flats, romantic partners – the sheer depth of variety can make it nigh-on impossible to find a suitable barber shop, which is why we have taken to the streets to track down the cream of the Big Smoke’s crop.
The best hairdressers in London are available at a range of prices. Some offer precision skin fades as low as a round or drinks.
Fish (Soho)
What was once an old fishmonger turned sexshop is now an institution for hairdressing in the old sexshop. If the walls at Fish salon could talk, they’d likely tell tales of seafood, seduction and some of the finest scissor skills Soho has ever seen.
Fish, opened by Paul Burfoot 30 years ago in London, is a barbershop that has become synonymous with London and its products. The barber shop is also known for its raw authenticity, something that many modern barbershops lack.
Cuts from: £40
193 Wardour St., W1F 8ZF
Ruffians (Covent Garden)
Don’t let the name fool you, the highly-skilled staff at this Edinburgh-born barbering establishment are anything but violent, which is just as well given the array of bladed implements they have at their disposal.
Ruffians is one of the names behind the barbershop revolution in recent years. It has helped men take pride in themselves and their appearances again.
Cuts from: £55
27 Maiden Ln, WC2E 7JS
Pall Mall Barbers (Trafalgar Square)
Pall Mall Barbers has a long history, dating back to 1896. The floor is no stranger to hair shorn. The Whitcomb Street shop, one of the oldest shops in London, has changed hands many times but it is still used for chopping mops.
For mid-price cuts, Pall Mall Barbers’ has a glowing reputation, which has seen it open up locations all over the city to cope with demand. There’s even a New York shop coming soon, too.
Cuts from; £30
45 Fitzroy St, W1T 6EB
Pankhurst, Soho
Pankhurst is located in the basement conservatory of Carnaby Street just a few steps away from the cobblestones that have been badly worn. This place is perfect for gentlemen looking for timeless, classic haircuts. While you wait for your turn, flick through coffee table magazines in the basement conservatory before selecting between a classic haircut, wet-shave, or hot towel massage.
The clientele here is more mature than at the hipster Shoreditch spots, and the cuts they excel at match the audience – neat and elegant, perfect for those who live in the boardroom.
Cuts from; £55
10 Newburgh St., W1F7RN
Ted’s Grooming Room (Charing Cross)
For an authentic Turkish barbering experience without having to set foot outside of London, try one of Ted’s Grooming Room’s 11 city-centre locations.
Here you’ll be able to enjoy a relaxing hot towel massage, one of the closest shaves you’ll ever experience and, if you’re feeling brave, you can even elect to have the hair burnt out of your ears with actual fire – which surprisingly is nowhere near as horrifying as it sounds.
Cuts from: £32
19 Lancaster Pl., WC2E 8EB
Joe and Co.
Joe Mills has been a DJ for over 20 years and is now a celebrity barber. He knows how to use a pair of scissors like no other.
His light and airy Soho salon offers some welcome respite from the more dimly-lit, ‘traditional’ barber shops that have otherwise engulfed the city – which is perhaps why he counts a selection of discerning musicians, models and actors alongside his loyal clientele.
Cuts from: £44
22 Peter St., W1F
Murdock London (Covent Garden)
Producing its own range of acclaimed fragrances, creams and potions, Murdock is more than just a barber shop – it’s a grooming empire.
With eight locations spread out over some of the city’s most selective neighbourhoods, the brand is delivering on its pledge to make traditional London barbering part of the modern man’s routine – earning itself a nationwide reputation in the process.
Cuts from: £45
18 Monmouth St., WC2H 0HB
Slider Cuts (Holloway).
When the likes of Dizzee Rascal, Anthony Joshua, Tinie Tempah and Reggie Yates are after a flawless fade, there’s only one place in town they’ll go.
Slider, a former MC, has been doing his thing for over a decade, earning himself and his shop a reputation as London’s hottest spot for cutting afro hair. But don’t take our word for it, pop in and find out what the fuss is about first hand.
Cuts from: £22
206 Hornsey Rd., N7 7LL
Manifesto (Farringdon)
If you’re not a fan of the whole ‘ye olde barber shop’ vibe that a lot of outposts seem hellbent on perpetuating, the sleek, modern styling of Farringdon’s Manifesto might be more to your liking.
You won’t find any wood-panelled walls or men in waistcoats here, but what you will be greeted with is a barbering experience unlike any other, courtesy of some of London’s most respected scissormen.
Cuts from: £35
96 Leather Ln., EC1N 8TX
Nomad Barber (Shoreditch)
Located just off the East End’s bustling Brick Lane lies Nomad, an award-winning barber shop that lives up to its name.
When proprietor and master barber Miguel Gutierrez isn’t in the shop cutting hair to perfection, he’s jetting off around the world to learn about his craft from the people who practise it and updating his Nomad Barber YouTube channel with the results.
Cuts from: £35
8 Heneage Street, E1 5LJ
Aveda (Covent Garden)
A bright and breezy space with industrial touches and an on-site coffee shop – Aveda Men isn’t what you might call your typical London barber shop. The decor is not the only thing that makes Aveda Men stand out.
Fusing ‘traditional barbering and holistic wellbeing’, Aveda Men offers a place where the city’s men can unwind while enjoying treatments ranging from a classic cut and shave to a 30-minute facial.
Cuts from: £35
174-177 High Holborn (WC1V 7AA)
Barber Barber (Spitalfields)
The barber shop is where men should go for a trim, to shave or even just have a conversation. Johnny Shanahan, the owner of two London barbershops, has decorated them according to his tattoo ideas.
The traditional leather chairs, antique wooden apothecary cabinets and neon-lit Hollywood mirrors contrast with the decorative signs and vintage apothecary. Barber Barber will give you a break from your modern life.
Cuts from: £42
51 Brushfield St. E1 6AA
RXB Barbers (Oval)
If the free Wi-Fi, free drinks and friendly chatter aren’t enough to get you through the door of this South London barber, then the supreme cuts surely will be.
If you’ve ever marvelled at the flawless edging and masterful fades rocked by the likes of Drake and thought to yourself, “how is that even possible?” Wonder no more, pay RXB a visit and all will become crystal clear. You’re short on cash? Why not have your trim done for free by an apprentice?
Cuts from: £20
80 Brixton Rd., SW9 0BH
Truefitt & Hill (Westminster)
The world is awash with salons attempting to replicate that authentic, old-world barber shop feel but Truefitt & Hill doesn’t have to. Why? Well, because it’s certifiably the oldest such establishment on the face of the Earth, and most likely beyond for that matter.
This London institution has been around since 1805. In that time it’s earned several royal warrants that have seen its barbers cutting the hair of many generations of the Royal Family, as well as respected figures like Sir Winston Churchill, Frank Sinatra and John Wayne.
Cuts from: £50
71 Saint James’s Street, SW1A 1PH
Jack The Clipper
Since more than two decades, the Turkish barbers who work at this London institution are doing their best to keep the art alive of shaving and trimming in the capital. They’ve won themselves a cult-like following in the process and have opened five locations across the capital to keep up with demand.
The professionals here are some of the last still practising their trade, so while you wouldn’t have wanted Jack the Ripper anywhere near you with a blade, Jack the Clipper is worth paying good money for.
Cuts from: £27
47 Bow Ln. EC4M9DL
Huckle The Barber
While many shops rely on antique furnishings and questionable claims of heritage to get bums on barber’s seats, Huckle the Barber does precisely the opposite.
There’s no pretence, gimmicks or fuss to be found here – just skilful barbering, solid cuts and good conversation. So sit back, enjoy a drink of your choice and let your stylist get to work, safe in the knowledge that when you strut back out of that door, you’ll be a new man.
Cuts from: £22
55 Lamb’s Conduit St, WC1N 3NB
Carter & Bond (Notting Hill)
Situated in the heart of picturesque Notting Hill, Carter & Bond has been providing residents with some of the best barbering in London for the past decade.
The upstairs of the shop is stocked with grooming products galore, including premium shaving bags and accessories from Carter & Bond itself. Downstairs meanwhile you’ll be treated to some of the sharpest wet shaves, beard trims and haircuts the Big Smoke has to offer.
Cuts from: £35
215 Westbourne Park Rd, W11 1EA
Sharps Barbers (Fitzrovia)
With its flagship shop in Fitzrovia, Sharp’s offers up modern barbering in surroundings that give a nod to the past. The brand has been in operation since 2002, cutting and styling the hair of London’s men and that of their cousins across the pond in New York.
However, as good as they are at it, the guys at Sharps don’t like to call it ‘grooming’ – they say ‘prep’ instead. So why not visit them and find out what else they do?
Cuts from: £32
9 Windmill St. W1T 2JF
Gentleman’s Tonic (Mayfair)
If you’ve ever left the barber’s thinking to yourself, “that was nice, but it would’ve been better with a facial and a Swedish massage thrown in,” then this unapologetically opulent Mayfair grooming parlour and spa will be right up your street.
Choose from a selection of treatments – including all the traditional barbering services – while relaxing in either one of the luxurious private booths, or the palatial barber shop room, all complete with TVs, floating sinks and every other mod con you can think of.
Cuts from: £55
31a Bruton Pl. W1J 6NN
Dunhill The Spa & Barber At Bourdon House (Mayfair)
Alfred Dunhill, the luxury connoisseurs who make exceptional clothing and accessories decided to try out barbering.
On paper, the leap from stitching seams to snipping sideburns doesn’t sound like a particularly natural one, but it’s something that The Spa & Barber at Dunhill has managed with aplomb. So enjoy a thorough client consultation, before kicking back in the shop’s ornate surroundings and putting your hair in the hand’s of one of The Spa’s highly-skilled stylists.
Cuts from: £50
2 Davies St. W1K 3DJ
