THE MONOCLE SHOP London — Local services in London

Much smaller than I expected. They had Monocle 24 on as the background music with 1 staffer. Service is minimal but in a good way. Since there isn't much space nor a huge selection of items it was better that he let me browse around in peace rather than trying to sell me something. With a purchase, you get a coupon for a free beverage from the Monocle Cafe a few blocks down. The Monocle Shop is certainly a nice little extension of the Monocle brand - it's stocked with items that they've collaborated on and worth a visit if you're a fan. I didn't give 5 stars because it simply isn't a 5 star...

I had high hopes for visiting this store as a longtime fan of the magazine, but the experience was disappointing. We ordered two glasses of wine, which somehow became a confusing and drawn-out ordeal. The asian woman behind the counter didn’t seem to know what wines were available, so we had to change our order after paying. She also warned there might not be space to drink inside but didn’t suggest any alternatives. It ended up taking six minutes just to get the wine.

Serving wine at a cafe should be simple. Monocle sets a high standard online—this in-store experience didn’t...

This review is about the London shop, not about the magazine.

I am a bit of a Monocle fanboy. I have a subscription, I buy the city guides, I buy books, I walk with my tote bag so I was very happy to visit London… and the shop is nice… but come on, be a little bit happy if you see a potential customer proudly walking with that tote bag in your store. There was absolutely no interest and I left unsatisfied.

And I think that’s kind of stupid since monocle is all about...