Things to See in Denmark Street
Date post added: 23rd July 2026
Theatre-goers have Drury Lane. Journalists have Fleet Street. Tailors have Saville Row. And music-lovers have Denmark Street.
Denmark Street is where musicians, music publishers and instrument shoppers have congregated for decades. Nestled in the West End, Denmark Street is the place to peer through the windows of a music shop and drool over the guitars your heart desires. It’s teeming with music history and known as Tin Pan Alley (after its New York equivalent).
Want to know more about this muso’s paradise? Read on for the many reasons to visit Denmark Street, London’s Tin Pan Alley.
Where is Denmark Street?
“6 & 7 Denmark Street” by Tony Hisgett is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Denmark Street is in London’s West End. It’s near the Tottenham Court Road and Oxford Street junction, just off Charing Cross Road. Its nearest tube station is Tottenham Court Road.
It lies east of Soho Square and south of St Giles Circus. The likes of Soho and Covent Garden are a short walk from here.
At only around 100m long, it’s easy to miss. Its street name sometimes doesn’t even fit on a map!
A brief history of Denmark Street
“Augustus Siebe 1788-1872 pioneer of the diving helmet lived and worked here.jpg” by Spudgun67 is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
The original intention for Denmark Street was upmarket housing. It was created between 1682-1687. It didn’t take long for its fortunes to decline.
In the 18th century, the neighbouring area of St Giles housed London’s worst Victorian slum – The Rookery. It was impoverished, lawless and rife with disease.
It then became a small-scale manufacturing zone. Fun fact for you. Augustus Siebe invented the modern (modern then, rather than now) diving suit with its detachable brass helmet. There’s a blue plaque commemorating his engineering endeavours at 5 Denmark Street.
It was in the late 19th century that it became known for music. Being so close to the West End music halls and theatres, musicians came here for sheet music. This progressed and by the 1960s it was the place for music production and recording studios. Young musicians would hang out in its cafes, coffee shops and clubs hoping to mix with music publishers.
Why visit Denmark Street in London?
“Hanks Guitar Shop, 27 Denmark Street WC2 – 2015-03-10 14.55.33 (by Garry Knight).jpg” by Garry Knight is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
If you’ve ever dreamt of strumming a guitar like Ed Sheeran or even Slash, you’ll love Denmark Street. If you want to follow in the footsteps of music royalty like Elton John, Jimi Hendrix and Adele, then head here. Or if you simply want to soak in abundant music vibes, then Denmark Street’s the place to do it.
Denmark Street’s known for its music shops; guitar shops in particular. Whether you yearn for acoustic guitars, electric guitars, electro acoustic guitars, bass guitars or even ukuleles, you’ll find them in Denmark Street. And you’ll often find wannabe guitarists drooling over a must-have guitar hanging in a music shop window.
Music history’s been made on this very street. Both The Kinks and The Rolling Stones produced early songs in recording studios on Denmark Street back in the day. Music’s still being recorded in studios here too.
You’ll often hear live music on Denmark Street. Its music legacy is very much still alive in its music shops, recording studios and late night music venues. And there are frequent pop-up performances, events and mini festivals here too.
What are the key historical moments or notable artists associated with Denmark Street’s Tin Pan Alley legacy?
“Blue plaque in Denmark Street” by Philip Halling is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
In the 1950s and 60s, Denmark Street was alive with musicians and music industry professionals. Amazing things happened here.
NME (New Music Express) had their offices on Denmark Street. It’s here that the first UK singles chart was compiled in 1952. For those of us who tuned into the music charts religiously on a Sunday evening, that’s quite a legacy.
The Beatles’ publishing company was formed in 1963. That was at music publisher, Dick James’ office on the corner of Denmark Street and Charing Cross Road.
Tin Pan Alley Studios opened in 1954. The Small Faces and Manfred Mann are just two of the bands that made music in its basement.
The Rolling Stones recorded their first album at Regent Sounds Studio in 1964. The Kinks recorded their classic song, “You Really Got Me”, in a recording studio on Denmark Street. The likes of David Bowie, Elton John, Jimmy Page, Pink Floyd and The Sex Pistols hung out and made music here.
A young Reg Dwight worked in the office of Mills Music, making the tea and such like. Together with lyricist Bernie Taupin, they created legendary Elton John songs. Their classic, “Your Song” was penned here.
Fast forward to the 1990s and the music scene was still going strong. In 1994, The 12 Bar Club at 28 Denmark Street opened its doors. It was a small live music venue with capacity for only around 100. It may have been small but it was a mighty good music club. Adele played one of her earliest gigs here. It was the first place KT Tunstall performed. Damian Rice and Martha Wainwright were early performers here. Jeff Buckley played a memorable set here. And The Libertines and Keane played here before hitting the big time. Sadly, 12 Bar Club closed down in 2015.
If you’d like to hear raucous tales from this area, you must join our music raconteur Adam on his rock ‘n roll tour of London.
What music shops can be found on Denmark Street in London?
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Amazingly, in this time of bricks-and-mortar retail decline, many independent music stores have survived on Denmark Street. Yet another reason to visit them, buy from them and support them.
- Rose Morris – This iconic Denmark Street music shop’s been around for 100 years. You’ll find some of the friendliest, most knowledgeable staff in town here. They love you to try before you buy. Back in the 60s, Rose Morris introduced the Rickenbacker guitar to Britain and that became a key sound of The Beatles.
- Argents – This was originally a keyboard store opened by Rod Argent of The Zombies. It’s become a specialist shop for sheet music now. You’ll find it at 19 Denmark Street.
- Regent Sounds – It’s now a guitar shop, but it had a previous life as Regent Sounds Studios possibly as early as the 1930s. It’s the longest running Fender and Gretsch guitar and amp specialist store.
- Wunjo Guitars – You’ll find a vast range of guitars in this independent musical instrument shop. Head here if you’re after classic, pre-loved or unusual items like banjos and banjalelelins.
- No Tom Guitars – Specialists in vintage guitars and accessories, this store’s been around for 30 years. Why the name? There’s the tomtit songbird. But it’s also Cockney rhyming slang. Tomtit = shit; no tom = no shit. No Shit Guitars.
- Hanks Guitar Shop – This music shop at 27 Denmark Street has had many famous musicians through its doors. Noel Gallagher’s said to have bought electro pedals there. Other legends including The Rolling Stones and Coldplay have also been known to frequent this gem of a store.
Discover our pick of the best music stores and vinyl shops in London.
Where to eat and drink on Denmark Street?
“26 Denmark Street, St Giles, April 2023” by No Swan So Fine is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Our music aficionado and London Walks guide, Adam, visits this area frequently. These are his recommendations.
- The Lower Third, 26 Denmark Street – This great bar and live music venue has one long, bar room and a couple of cosier rooms. There’s a pretty good selection of beers and whiskies, but don’t be shy to ask for a cocktail either.
- Thirteen, 1-3 Denmark Street – An award-winning Soho cocktail bar, this is a lively venue where you always get a friendly welcome. Cocktails and a Japanese-inspired snack menu are the order of the day. There’s an ever-changing roster of DJs playing everything from funk to rock.
- Flat Iron, 9 Denmark Street – This reliable little restaurant serves up a good steak. Staff are super helpful and really know about steak. It’s a small, noisy, buzzing place. Back in the 1960s it was La Giaconda, a legendary cafe where David Bowie, Marc Bolan and the like hung out.
Walk in the footsteps of music legends
Denmark Street is the place to go if you’re a budding band member. Browse the guitars. Get advice from music experts. Soak in the musical vibes and enjoy the myriad sounds.
The best way to understand Denmark Street is by hearing the incredible tales of its history. When you’re standing where music legends have stood, listening to the events they witnessed and created, you start to truly realise its impact. Take one of our music tours and you’ll hear stories from the best guides around.
Pippa Jackson
Pippa is a word nerd and content aficionado with a background of working in TV on both sides of the globe. She loves to discover and share the diverse and wonderful stories of her much-loved London. When she’s not writing blogs and articles, you’ll find her walking beside the Thames or even paddleboarding on it (in the finest of conditions only!) or enjoying a coffee in the sunshine with a good book.
David Tucker
David – the Seigneur of this favoured realm – broods over words, breeds enthusiasms and is “unmanageable.”* He’s a balterer, literary historian, university lecturer, journalist, logophile and lifelong thanatophobe. For good measure, he’s the doyen of London guides.