Iconic tattoo shops in Central London

Central London is not only buzzing with tourist attractions but tattoo shops as well. With different stories, aesthetics, and atmospheres, each and every one of them makes the London inking scene what it is now.

The Circle London

Located in the heart of Soho, this tattoo studio might be the largest in London. The store itself is 1200 square feet, broken down into two floors. The raised ground floor is the reception area, decorated with an antique church alter, where, as you explore further, you find a gallery and retail space. You can find a selection of clothing, taxidermy, homewares, books, magazines, and other exciting items in the store. You can also find some up and coming and acclaimed names in the contemporary and street art scenes in the offered items. For entertainment, they have an Xbox connected to a high definition projector and a vending machine full of healthy foods. Moving on to the ground floor, you stumble upon a piercing room, occupied by two professional piercers and a variety of jewelry for you to choose from. The head piercer, Rhianna Jones, has nearly two decades of experience!

Coming down to the basement, you will find 14 resident artists who have perfected their craft. One of them practices the art of hand-poked tattoos. Kat Blackstone designs her to be hand-poked tattoos inspired by ancient symbology and Eastern embroidery. On top of the variety resident tattooists offered by the studio, The Circle London features regular guest artists. From the thirteen featured on the studio’s page, there is one specialising in street art styles, two drawing inspiration from esoteric symbology, one using fine line techniques to portray manga characters. That’s only the tip of the iceberg. Visiting is the only way to get the full experience. You can find The Circle London in Noel Street, Central London.

**Gypsy Blood Tattoo **

Established initially as London Ink in 2007, this tattoo studio has gone through a transformation. With a new name and refurbishment, the tattoo studio emerged as Gypsy Blood Tattoo and now welcomes everyone with open hands. The studio aims for the customers to have their tattoo needs satisfied to the fullest by encouraging the cooperation between the artist and the customer. That way, every customer that entered the studio leaves with their expectations met and exceeded.

Gypsy Blood currently holds five resident artists and one apprentice. Sonny makes beautiful, bold traditional tattoos, possibly one of the best in London. Then, there is Alex, who likes tattooing in a black and grey neo-traditional or realism styles. Similarly to her, resident tattooist Jack, who enjoys tattooing in black and grey realism portraits. Tattooing in black comes Jenny with a vast social media following (over 50 thousand followers on Instagram). Her designs are a bit grotesque that balances out when combined with more delicate symbols, such as flowers. Then, Ophelya, the studio’s apprentice, enjoys tattooing in ornamental and french prison style. And last but definitely not least, there is the current studio owner, Josh, who prefers black and grey, new traditional and Asian inspired traditional tattoos.

You can find this lovely studio in Angel, Central London.

Good Times Tattoo

Known for its relaxed atmosphere and great artists, at the heart of Shoreditch is the Good Times Tattoo Studio. Filled with natural light and the artists’ originals, Good Times creates an environment that everyone would be welcomed in. With ten resident tattooists, you can be sure to find a style and artist fit for you. On top of the resident tattooists, there currently are a few guest tattoo artists. There is Noon, who excels at contemporary art tattoo and also does blackwork and bodysuits. Next comes Lucy, who does excellent work with floral designs. In her portfolio, you could also find some designs leaning towards traditional Americana and tattoos with religious imagery. On top of the regular guest artists, the studio has temporary ones as well. On for September 5th and 15th is EJ Miles. She is keen on illustrative work inspired by Asian designs and tends to take up the realism style.

If you would like to check this studio out, you can find them in Shoreditch, Central London.

Disclaimer: the tattoo studio rating is purely our opinion.