Floris
4.5
9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
About
This elegant St. James's perfumery has kept distinguished gentlemen closely shaved and freshly scented since 1730. Come in for shaving kits, candles, and fragrances for men, women, and the home.
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The area
Address
Neighborhood: St. James's
Perennially fashionable since the days of Henry VIII, the aristocratic “Clubland” of St James's is a premier destination for high end craft and bespoke design. Here you’ll lose count of the Royal Warrants (which indicate that the Royal Family patronizes the establishment) seen in shop front windows, even during a short stroll to bordering Green Park or St James’s Park. With the brightly lit and constantly buzzing junction of Piccadilly Circus at its northeast corner and none of Central London too far away, this is an surprisingly central and accessible part of town, especially given its prosperous demeanor.
How to get there
- Piccadilly Circus • 4 min walk
- Green Park • 6 min walk
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10,000 within 3 miles
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2,295 within 6 miles
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
4.5
50 reviews
Excellent
39
Very good
8
Average
2
Poor
1
Terrible
0
chrisp44UK
London, UK150 contributions
Dec 2021
Paid a visit to get a family Christmas present. It's a nice store with an air of history about it. Lots of fragrant products on display and available to sample. The member of staff who attended to me was helpful but not pressuring. Although it is a high-end store, you can find some reasonably priced items that make very good presents.
Written January 6, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Francis W
London, UK22 contributions
Oct 2012 • Solo
Floris was founded in 1730. That's a long time ago. The company has built its reputation on scent and perfume of the very highest quality. The premises in Jermyn Street are the tourist's delight: traditional, with lots of polished mahogany and brass, and a uniformed gentleman who opens the door for overburdened customers. A feeling of timeless security is almost tangible to those entering the shop.
Something for everyone is here: soap, toilet water, hand cream, potpourri, bath gel - you name it, it's available, along with sundry antiques for the dressing table, not forgetting a wealth of aftershaves, foams, and sundries for the gentleman. The company is by Royal Appointment - not only to Her Majesty the Queen, but also to her son and heir, the Prince of Wales; James Bond, 007, also favours their No.89 Gentleman's Cologne. It lingers long into the night, and the next morning will certainly leave any pillowcase reminiscent of the passionate secret agent's presence. Purchases are wrapped and bagged by a small army of well-mannered and well-trained staff, and the door is politely opened again for one's departure.
Such a world should recognise its strengths, and be impervious to change.
But ...
A few years ago, Floris appeared to do something foolish, probably at the recommendation of an outside adviser, brought in to boot the company into the 21st century. They began to throw out the baby with the bathwater, suddenly ceasing to make some of their loveliest and most enduring fragrances. The immediately noticeable casualty in this aromatic night of the long knives was their Lavender toilet water - ironically, the first item in their original catalogue of 1730. It had been produced ever since, and anyone - male or female - who has ever worn it or smelt it must agree that here was something special. No other lavender scent could touch it, and suddenly, it was gone.
One might be forgiven for thinking it would be regarded as the jewel in the company's crown. But no ... It, along with 'Moss Rose' and many other products, was one of the casualties of lunatic advice - a desire to 'move with the times' and to attract a younger clientele. (Yes, this outrageous sentiment was related to me by the store's manager, who at the time was fielding a number of adverse comments about the ruthless and vulgar change in their packaging - another attempt to appeal to what they saw as a less grey-haired market. Unfortunately they chose patterns virtually indistinguishable from those introduced by Marks & Spencer at around the same time!)
The company then produced some rather vulgar scents for both sexes, which quickly appeared on the 'clearance' and 'sale' shelves - an admission, if ever there was one, that something was not right.
So how come such an old-established firm as Floris fails to recognise the value of its faithful, be they grey-haired or not ? Who do they ask ? They certainly didn't ask me, and I have been faithful to them for decades. Nor did they ask my son or his wife, both in their very early 30s, both of them fairly well-off, and both the perfect target for Floris's new-found zeal in the direction of a 'youth market'. Both dislike the changes, by the way, and mourn the passing of several of their favourites.
WHAT WE LOVED WAS THE TRADITION AND EXCLUSIVITY - not the company's desire to be all things to all persons. None of us is afraid of the new, but tradition is what most people want from a firm of such a venerable age, and there is nothing wrong with that! FLORIS SHOULD BRING BACK AND TRUMPET THEIR LAVENDER OF 1730!
I am still a customer, though I now shop around. I can't be the only slightly disappointed punter. Examine e-bay for examples of some of the now defunct older products, and these change hands at high prices (see their miraculous 'Malmaison' toilet water - the proper version, not the half-baked nonentity of nowadays) and go to people of all ages and all classes in all locations, who simply have the sense to recognise a good thing when they smell it.
Yes, Floris stands alone, and probably always will, but a little bit of heart-searching, and a little less desire to be trendy, where trendiness is simply unnecessary and undesirable, would do no end of good.
Greatness is something to be cherished. It seems a pity that the greatness of Floris is in grave danger of existing mainly in the memory.
Something for everyone is here: soap, toilet water, hand cream, potpourri, bath gel - you name it, it's available, along with sundry antiques for the dressing table, not forgetting a wealth of aftershaves, foams, and sundries for the gentleman. The company is by Royal Appointment - not only to Her Majesty the Queen, but also to her son and heir, the Prince of Wales; James Bond, 007, also favours their No.89 Gentleman's Cologne. It lingers long into the night, and the next morning will certainly leave any pillowcase reminiscent of the passionate secret agent's presence. Purchases are wrapped and bagged by a small army of well-mannered and well-trained staff, and the door is politely opened again for one's departure.
Such a world should recognise its strengths, and be impervious to change.
But ...
A few years ago, Floris appeared to do something foolish, probably at the recommendation of an outside adviser, brought in to boot the company into the 21st century. They began to throw out the baby with the bathwater, suddenly ceasing to make some of their loveliest and most enduring fragrances. The immediately noticeable casualty in this aromatic night of the long knives was their Lavender toilet water - ironically, the first item in their original catalogue of 1730. It had been produced ever since, and anyone - male or female - who has ever worn it or smelt it must agree that here was something special. No other lavender scent could touch it, and suddenly, it was gone.
One might be forgiven for thinking it would be regarded as the jewel in the company's crown. But no ... It, along with 'Moss Rose' and many other products, was one of the casualties of lunatic advice - a desire to 'move with the times' and to attract a younger clientele. (Yes, this outrageous sentiment was related to me by the store's manager, who at the time was fielding a number of adverse comments about the ruthless and vulgar change in their packaging - another attempt to appeal to what they saw as a less grey-haired market. Unfortunately they chose patterns virtually indistinguishable from those introduced by Marks & Spencer at around the same time!)
The company then produced some rather vulgar scents for both sexes, which quickly appeared on the 'clearance' and 'sale' shelves - an admission, if ever there was one, that something was not right.
So how come such an old-established firm as Floris fails to recognise the value of its faithful, be they grey-haired or not ? Who do they ask ? They certainly didn't ask me, and I have been faithful to them for decades. Nor did they ask my son or his wife, both in their very early 30s, both of them fairly well-off, and both the perfect target for Floris's new-found zeal in the direction of a 'youth market'. Both dislike the changes, by the way, and mourn the passing of several of their favourites.
WHAT WE LOVED WAS THE TRADITION AND EXCLUSIVITY - not the company's desire to be all things to all persons. None of us is afraid of the new, but tradition is what most people want from a firm of such a venerable age, and there is nothing wrong with that! FLORIS SHOULD BRING BACK AND TRUMPET THEIR LAVENDER OF 1730!
I am still a customer, though I now shop around. I can't be the only slightly disappointed punter. Examine e-bay for examples of some of the now defunct older products, and these change hands at high prices (see their miraculous 'Malmaison' toilet water - the proper version, not the half-baked nonentity of nowadays) and go to people of all ages and all classes in all locations, who simply have the sense to recognise a good thing when they smell it.
Yes, Floris stands alone, and probably always will, but a little bit of heart-searching, and a little less desire to be trendy, where trendiness is simply unnecessary and undesirable, would do no end of good.
Greatness is something to be cherished. It seems a pity that the greatness of Floris is in grave danger of existing mainly in the memory.
Written December 3, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TravellingSwissDad
Switzerland45 contributions
Jul 2018 • Solo
It may seem a bit daunting at first to enter this shop on Jermyn street which is one of the oldest and most reputed of all London. After all, the likes of Churchill and Ian Fleming (and James Bond!) were among their customers, and the Royals still are. But fear not: staff are friendly, very welcoming and the armosphere is relaxed. They are very knowledgeable and truly helpful in guiding you through their selection. I love how they do not just spray a bit of perfume on some paper strips as seen in high street shops but present you a glass dome with your choice - and to neutralise your sense of smell between different fragrances hold some coffee beans under your nose! Whereas with the big international brands you pay for marketing, here you pay for quality. Found a lovely fragrance for me. Do try their mouthwash, it is delicious.
Written July 15, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bagsgalore
United Kingdom402 contributions
Wonderful shop with top staff.
Lovely to experience customer service as it should be.
Awful Fortnums could learn alot from Floris.
Hope to be back very soon.
Tracy.
Lovely to experience customer service as it should be.
Awful Fortnums could learn alot from Floris.
Hope to be back very soon.
Tracy.
Written February 10, 2009
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kasia J
London, UK5 contributions
May 2019 • Solo
To start with positives, Nicola was lovely and very competent (the only reason why I didn't choose the lowest rating) and taught me a lot about various scents and perfume making process. I also learned my preferred notes and what sort of scents I am hypersensitive to.
However in retrospect, the whole Floris bespoke experience was rather disappointing. It is basically mixing a couple essential oils into one of their factory-made commercially available products (which is fine). The main drawback is that once you choose a base and an addition you cannot go back - the whole 100ml batch is being prepared straight away. I would think for this price, they really should prepare samples, let 5-10ml of perfume go to waste and allow at least minimal exploration. Fragrances combine in a non-trivial way and I cannot tell what the result of mixing two scents will be (they brought out surprising notes in each other and also smelled differently on paper and on my skin). But I had to decide on them prior to mixing. We ended up adding bergamot, which I really wished could be undone (the scent is irritating on my skin but not on paper), but it got just diluted with a bit of base. The result is just another generic feminine scent, which is honestly pretty but I don't really feel like it has any personal touch to it (my favourite essential oils - jasmine and rosewood - were not available either). After wearing it for 10 days, I don't think I will reorder. It is not long lasting either. It feels like the entire experience revolves around how traditional and posh Floris is rather than creating an actual quality product. I'd rather trade the champagne and book browsing for a possibility to explore combinations of different scents and to take steps back if needed - I really expected this experience to be mostly about that.
However in retrospect, the whole Floris bespoke experience was rather disappointing. It is basically mixing a couple essential oils into one of their factory-made commercially available products (which is fine). The main drawback is that once you choose a base and an addition you cannot go back - the whole 100ml batch is being prepared straight away. I would think for this price, they really should prepare samples, let 5-10ml of perfume go to waste and allow at least minimal exploration. Fragrances combine in a non-trivial way and I cannot tell what the result of mixing two scents will be (they brought out surprising notes in each other and also smelled differently on paper and on my skin). But I had to decide on them prior to mixing. We ended up adding bergamot, which I really wished could be undone (the scent is irritating on my skin but not on paper), but it got just diluted with a bit of base. The result is just another generic feminine scent, which is honestly pretty but I don't really feel like it has any personal touch to it (my favourite essential oils - jasmine and rosewood - were not available either). After wearing it for 10 days, I don't think I will reorder. It is not long lasting either. It feels like the entire experience revolves around how traditional and posh Floris is rather than creating an actual quality product. I'd rather trade the champagne and book browsing for a possibility to explore combinations of different scents and to take steps back if needed - I really expected this experience to be mostly about that.
Written May 23, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
moany_mum65
Glasgow, UK86 contributions
Jan 2012 • Family
We popped into the shop on a holiday to London and restocked my husband's aftershave. Was very pleased to see the in store prices compared to online, so will be back on my next visit to test some of the other products.
Written January 11, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DebbyLeicester
Leicester8 contributions
Feb 2011
I got a great deal on line,China rose,for only twenty pounds.It was ordered about 3 oclock Wednesday afternoon and delivered,free,to my door Thursday morning at 9oclock.This is the first time ive ever ordered from Floris,although i have bought from their shop,so i would just like to say thank you for great service.Debby,Mids,
Written February 16, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ed T
Sarasota, FL223 contributions
Aug 2019
Shopping as it was 100 years ago. This elegantly appointed shop has a collection of fragrances that is sure to please to most discerning shoppers. The staff is helpful but never overbearing.
Written August 23, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
redroses123
Sterling Heights, MI957 contributions
May 2019 • Couples
Such a beautiful shop. A bit expensive, but I asked the sales clerk for a perfume that smells of carnation and he produced a beautiful bottle. I asked for a few samples and only received 3. For the amount of the perfume, I would have liked more, in case I purchased another bottle. A must visit if you are in the area.
Written July 2, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stefano Malachi
London, UK1,250 contributions
Dec 2017 • Solo
It's recommended to visit Floris for a bespoke exploration of fragrances made for the celebrities like Marilyn Monroe and Winston Churchill. Founded in 1730, Floris is the oldest English retailer of fragrance and toiletries. It holds a Royal Warrant as the perfumery to the Royal Family and is run today by the 8th and 9th generation of the family. I highly recommended to pop by this perfumery while you are visiting London; it's one of the best authentic English perfume that you can have from London!
Written June 10, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jocelyne W
San Bruno, CA
Bonjour, Jocelyne. Que voudriez-vous savoir sur cette attraction ?
Bonjour, Puis-je me procurer le parfum en commandant sur internet?
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Floris Information
Excellent Reviews | 39 |
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Very Good Reviews | 8 |
Floris Photos | 20 |