Specs Appeal: Five of London's Best Independent Opticians

Much like trawling for the right pair of jeans, shopping for prescription glasses has not traditionally been a hugely enticing prospect.

The market has, until recent years, been dominated by a few large corporates, offering unoriginal frames at (ahem) eye-watering prices.

But there’s a new guard of eyewear stores that’s cropped up across the capital in the past few years, combining the expertise of on-site opticians with the design and value of direct-to-consumer frames. These newer players offer their own fashion-forward frame designs at surprisingly affordable price points (and often crafted from more sustainable materials), in store environments that put the fun back into shopping for a pair of specs. Read on for five cool brands to know.

Founded in London in 2018 by brothers Farès and Abbas Manai with the ambition to offer premium glasses direct to consumers without the retail markup, Bloobloom has eight stores in London. The brand, which offers free eye tests in store, has a popular free home trial service, which allows customers to select five frames to try on at home for five days. That way, you can decide in the comfort of home whether you suit the ’60s-inspired rounded rectangular Serene, or the bold navigator shape of the Commander. Bloobloom is also committed to responsible business practices, working exclusively with ethical factories and operating as a certified carbon neutral company. For every pair of glasses purchased, it donates a pair to someone in need through its Pair for Pair programme.
Eye test: Free
Frames: Starting at £99
Locations: Canary Wharf, Carnaby, Covent Garden, King’s Road, Marylebone Village, White City, Spitalfields, and Notting Hill.

Founded in Amsterdam in 2013, Ace & Tate makes well-designed eyewear more accessible. A certified B-corp company, the brand exclusively stocks collections of minimal-leaning optical frames and sunglasses that are designed in-house. It opened its Broadway Market store (its 10th in the capital) in Hackney in March. While the stores speak the same design language of clean and modern lines, natural materials and pops of colour, each features fun nods to its neighbourhood: for example, the Soho store references the primary-coloured pavements of the nearby Carnaby Street in the ’70s.
Eye test: £25, or complimentary with the purchase of a pair of glasses.
Frames: Optical frames from £145
Locations: Soho, Hackney, King's Cross, Borough Yards, Mayfair, Covent Garden, Spitalfields, Clapham, Notting Hill, and Islington.

British brand Finlay was founded by four friends with a mission to make specs shopping a pleasure. At both its London stores, it stocks the brand’s own collection of frames, which are handcrafted from premium Mazzucchelli acetate (a plant-based plastic) or super-lightweight titanium and fitted with Zeiss lenses for clarity and protection. Each of the brand’s designs can be made into optical glasses or sunglasses with your prescription, and both sites offer eye tests for adults and children, and contact lens fitting appointments. The stores also stock an edit of frames from other independent eyewear brands from around the world – think Cutler and Gross, Ahlem, Illesteva and Kaleos.
Eye test: From £50
Frames: Starting at £145
Locations: Soho and Notting Hill.

Founded in Paris in 2010 by entrepreneur Antonin Chartier, Jimmy Fairly opened its first UK store in 2018. The brand, now global (in countries including France, Spain and Italy), has eight stores in London where it sells its own designs exclusively. And it’s popular with fashion girls and A-listers— everyone from Dua Lipa to Jennifer Lawrence have been seen rocking its fashion-forward sunnies, which range from minimalist metal frames to bold vintage-inspired tortoiseshell glasses.
Eye test: £25, or free with purchase of any frames.
Frames: From £65
Locations: Soho, Angel, Notting Hill, Battersea, Covent Garden, Spitalfields, King’s Road, Hackney (Broadway Market), Hampstead, Chelsea, Stoke Newington, Carnaby.

Founded in King’s Cross in 2013 by Tom Broughton, Cubitts designs timeless frames that are made to last, with every pair glazed in-house in London. Alongside eye examinations and bespoke services, the brand is committed to repairability, helping customers keep their spectacles in use for years rather than replacing them. In June, Cubitts unveiled The Yard, its new headquarters and shopping space housed in a 13,000 square-foot former Victorian stables in Coal Drops Yard. Here, customers can visit the workshop – with its exposed concrete, red brick and original cobblestones – and see staff at work while they wait for same-day glazing or undergo eye examinations.
Eye test: £50
Frames: From £175
Locations: Soho, Covent Garden, Coal Drops Yard, Marylebone, Notting Hill, Spitalfields, Belgravia, Hampstead, Islington, Cheapside, Broadway Market, Borough, St James’s.