20 Unique gifts to shop in South Bank

Step away from the High Street crowds this Christmas and shop small at South Bank’s many independent boutiques and unique museum shops instead. From Christmas choccies to novelty socks - if you're in need of some fresh festive gift-shopping inspiration, we’ve got you covered!

Here’s a look at 20 unique gifts to shop in South Bank this Christmas to get you inspired.

You can never go wrong with a good book...

Head to the newly revamped branch of Foyles at Waterloo Station for all the essential bestsellers, or visit their sister branch at the Royal Festival Hall where you can often find books on sale that have been signed by the authors themselves. The collection of beautifully bound hardbacks of classic novels currently on sale make for particularly nice gifts.

The BFI Shop at BFI Southbank stocks a comprehensive range of books about and by filmmakers, while you won’t find a bigger selection of books related to all things theatre, actors and acting than the National Theatre Bookshop.

For poetry lovers the Southbank Centre shop inside Royal Festival Hall boasts a finely curated selection of poetry anthologies – Brian Bilston’s And So this is Christmas is a festive favourite.

3 pictures of books; From left: Hardback classics at Foyles, poetry at Southbank Centre Shop Royal Festival Hall, bestsellers at the National Theatre bookshop

From left: Hardback classics at Foyles, poetry at Southbank Centre Shop Royal Festival Hall, bestsellers at the National Theatre bookshop

Socks - always a classic

You can never go wrong with socks at Christmas, right?! Up your festive sock gifting this year with something original.

For thespians pick up some William Shakes-Feet socks from the National Theatre Bookshop or for film-loving hipsters the BFI has some iconic patterns, including socks inspired by the Overlook Hotel from Kubrick’s The Shining.

For something fun and quirky you’ll find a huge range of themed novelty socks on sale, from hamburgers to craft beers – complete with novelty packaging (yes the beer socks come inside a beer can!) at Brand Academy at Oxo Tower Wharf.

From left: Lucky Socks from Brand Academy, William Shakes-Feet socks from National Theatre, Overlook Hotel socks from BFI Shop

Sparkling jewellery

South Bank is heaven for those with a passion for one-of-a-kind jewellery.

For unique handmade pieces that you won’t find anywhere else Oxo Tower Wharf is a must-visit. Meet the makers themselves at the small and enticing owner-run studio shops. Favourites include the Jewellery Designers’ Collective (JeDeCo), Loveness Lee and Alan Vallis.

For something more mainstream there’s Oliver Bonas or Accessorize at Waterloo Station, and if it's novelty you're after snap up a laser-cut necklace or a pair of earrings from National Theatre’s popular bespoke collection created with artist Amber Joy.

Jewellery by Loveness Lee and JeDeCo at Oxo Tower Wharf

Art posters and prints

Gift a work of art this Christmas for that someone special in your life - the ultimate one-of-a-kind gift, or delight an art-lover with a unique print from their favourite exhibition.

For contemporary art lovers the Hayward Gallery shop has a brilliant range of posters from exhibitions past and present, as well as some striking graphic prints inspired by the South Bank’s Brutalist architecture.

For a unique artwork visit Gabriel’s Wharf, home to two friendly galleries specialising in print art and works on paper; Skylark Galleries and Southbank Printmakers. In addition to artworks both small and large (prices range from as little as £40 for small works on paper), both shops also stock beautiful artist-designed greeting cards.

From left: Exhibition poster prints from Hayward Gallery, the shop window at Skylark Galleries, the 2024 Southbank Printmakers calendar

A bit of pampering

After Christmas comes the long month of January – a perfect time to stay home and pamper yourself.

The agua spa at Sea Containers London is selling a special Christmas hamper this year, put together by all-natural luxury spa products label Hedgerow. The Hedegrow Hamper includes a signature body scrub, bath & body oil, muscle relief balm, lemon-infused essence and super salve balm, all beautifully packaged.

Waterloo Station also has some great options for picking up winter pampering gift sets. Head to Lush on the station concourse where there’s a huge selection of Christmas pampering hampers wrapped in the funkiest packaging. Over at The Sidings drop by Kiehl’s and shop their limited-edition Christmas range of gift sets for him and her.

From left: Hampers by Hedgerow, Kiehl's, Lush

Gifts for foodies

Also at The Sidings you'll find the friendliest branch of the Belgian chocolate shop Neuhaus. Choose a bespoke selection of colorful pralines and get them neatly boxed up for Christmas. Alternatively, visit the small chocolatier Gabu based at Gabriel's Wharf, a boutique brand known for its ethically sourced handmade chocolates.

Looking for something totally niche to wow that tried-it-all foodie? Gift a jar of artisanal honey produced by the hives in the gardens of Lambeth Palace. The Lambeth Palace honey won at this year's National Honey Awards, and having tried it ourselves we can confirm - it is exquisite! Jars are on sale at the Lambeth Palace Library.

For cooks, we recommend grabbing a copy of the Garden Cafe Cookbook from the Garden Museum shop. Subtitled A Year in the Kitchen, the relatively small (81 pages) but richly detailed book is a culinary journey through the seasons, featuring four recipes for each season that have been used in the kitchen at the acclaimed Garden Cafe restaurant.

From left: Lambeth Palace honey, Belgian chocolate at Neuhaus, handmade chocolates by Gabu

And finally... the Novelty Mug!

Struggling with what to buy your colleagues for this year’s Secret Santa? A novelty mug is always an easy winner. In fact, the same goes for distant relatives, awkward teens and anybody else who you might not know exactly what they want...

The quirky gift emporium Brand Academy at Oxo Tower Wharf has a massive selection of novelty mugs to match every interest – from Mandalorian helmets to all things Harry Potter, while if the office team is upping their sustainability credentials this year, there’s a great selection of travel mugs to choose from.