4 Best Auction Houses in London (2026)

Independently ranked by our review of ratings, reviews and reputation · How we chose

By Talise Sterling, Goods and Shopping · ✓ Data verified July 2026 · 7 min read

London's auction houses run from household names selling film props and fine art to a specialist that only touches violins. Ratings across the four on this page swing from 4.2 to 4.9, a wider gap than you'd expect at this level, and that 0.7-star spread has more to do with what each house sells than how well it treats bidders.

Short answer: Christie's London leads this list on name recognition and a solid 4.5 average across 397 reviews, though The Saleroom has the largest review base overall, 561, as an online platform spanning more than 700 independent auction houses rather than one venue. For stringed instruments specifically, Amati Auctions rates highest at 4.9.

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1. Christie's London
2. The Saleroom
3. Bonhams
4. Amati Auctions
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How London's Auction Houses Compare

#	Business	Rating	Reviews	Best for
1	Christie's London	4.5 ★	397	World-renowned name	View ›
2	The Saleroom	4.2 ★	561	Online bidding across many houses	View ›
3	Bonhams	4.5 ★	134	Fine art and exhibitions	View ›
4	Amati Auctions	4.9 ★	70	Stringed instruments	View ›

Our shortlist, reviewed

#1 Overall🕑 Open 5 days/wk

Christie's London

4.5397 Google reviews

Christie's London, on King Street in St James's, is one of the best known names in the auction world, handling antique and modern art, artifacts and objects across international sales. The house regularly opens pre-auction viewings to the public for free, recent examples include a guitar and gear collection from musician Mark Knopfler and an exhibition tied to the Jim Irsay musical instrument collection.

What people praise

Staff described as knowledgeable and happy to explain items and the auction process to visitors
Exhibitions praised as free and open even to non-bidders
Complimentary coffee and a welcoming atmosphere mentioned repeatedly

Worth knowing

As a major international house, expect formality and higher-value lots than a smaller regional auctioneer, treat visits mainly as viewing opportunities rather than a place to find budget items

Reputation scorecardrank in London

Rating4.5 / 5

Review volume397 · 92th

Confidencehigh

Recency3 months ago

Info completenesssite · phone · hours

Rating breakdown77% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: Ranks first here mostly on name recognition and a solid 4.5 average across nearly 400 reviews. Reviewers consistently treat it as a place to view world-class collections for free as much as somewhere to bid.

Website +442078399060 Directions

8 King St, London SW1Y 6QT

#2🕑 Open 7 days↩ Responds to reviews

The Saleroom

4.2561 Google reviews

The Saleroom is an online bidding platform rather than a single auction house, it connects bidders to more than 700 independent auction houses across categories like antiques, jewellery, collectibles and fashion, adding roughly 4 million items a year. Bidders register once on the platform, then bid into individual sales run by whichever partner house is holding that lot.

What people praise

Alert system for flagging specific lots praised repeatedly
Several reviewers describe smooth registration, fast invoicing and reliable delivery arranged through partner auction houses

Worth knowing

Because it aggregates many independent houses, service quality (shipping costs, payment options, communication) varies by which house is actually running a given sale
One reviewer flagged an internet bidding practice they felt disadvantaged online-only bidders versus those in the room; The Saleroom said it was reviewing the issue internally

Reputation scorecardrank in London

Rating4.2 / 5

Review volume561 · 97th

Confidencehigh

Recency3 months ago

Info completenesssite · phone · hours

Rating breakdown72% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: Ranks second here despite the lowest average rating on this list, 4.2, it has by far the largest review base of the four, 561, reflecting its scale as a platform rather than one venue. Go in understanding you're rating the platform, not a single house's own service.

Website +442037255555 Directions

The Harlequin Building, 65 Southwark St, London SE1 0HR

#3🕑 Open 5 days/wk

Bonhams

4.5134 Google reviews

Bonhams, on New Bond Street, is a long-established fine art auction house covering art, pictures, collectables and motor cars. Alongside its regular sales, it runs public exhibitions tied to major collections, reviewers mention costume and prop exhibitions from film and television productions displayed ahead of auction.

What people praise

Exhibitions praised repeatedly as free, well laid out across multiple floors, and detailed
Entrance and building itself called elegant by several reviewers
Staff described as friendly and helpful even to visitors not there to bid

Worth knowing

Like Christie's, its profile skews toward higher-value fine art and collectables, so it may not be the first stop for smaller, everyday auction items

Reputation scorecardrank in London

Rating4.5 / 5

Review volume134 · 82th

Confidencemoderate

Recency11 months ago

Info completenesssite · phone · hours

Rating breakdown76% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: Ties Christie's on rating, 4.5, but with a smaller review base, 134, ranking it third here mostly on volume. Reviewers treat its public exhibitions as a genuine reason to visit even without bidding.

Website +442074477447 Directions

101 New Bond St, London W1S 1SR

#4🕑 Open 5 days/wk

Amati Auctions

4.970 Google reviews

Amati Auctions is a specialist auction house dealing exclusively in stringed instruments, violins, violas, cellos and bows, running monthly sales split into a higher-end Amati Specialist tier and a more accessible Amati Affordable tier. It also offers valuation days and online valuations for owners deciding whether to sell.

What people praise

Staff, named James Buchanan repeatedly, praised for expert, on-sight identification of instrument makers and origin
Sellers describe the process handled with empathy as well as professionalism
Buyers from outside the UK, including the US, praise remote transactions as smooth and well communicated

Worth knowing

As a single-category specialist, it's only useful if what you're buying or selling is a stringed instrument, general antiques or art need one of the broader houses above

Reputation scorecardrank in London

Rating4.9 / 5

Review volume70 · 76th

Confidenceearly

Recency7 weeks ago

Info completenesssite · phone · hours

Rating breakdown94% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: The highest-rated business in this list at 4.9, though on the smallest review base of the four, 70. It ranks last here purely on volume, if a stringed instrument is what you're dealing with, this is the most specialized and highest-rated option on the page.

Website +442070997114 Directions

10A Chandos St, London W1G 9DQ

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How we rank these auction houses

Rating is the live Google average for each business. Review volume ranks how many people actually left a rating against the wider pool of auction houses we pulled for London. Confidence weighs rating against volume, so a near-perfect score from a small handful of reviews scores lower than a strong average across hundreds. No business on this list paid to move its position or change these numbers.

What does it cost to buy or sell at a London auction house?

Auction pricing doesn’t work like a flat service fee, buyer’s premiums and seller’s commission vary by house, lot value and sale type, and quoting a single figure here would be misleading. Ask each house directly for its current premium and commission schedule before you register to bid or consign an item.

Auction houses across central London

Christie’s and Bonhams both sit in St James’s and Mayfair, Amati Auctions is a short walk away on Chandos Street, and The Saleroom operates entirely online from its Southwark base. If you’re searching for an auction house near me in central London, three of these four are within easy walking distance of each other.

What to ask before you buy or sell at auction

What’s the buyer’s premium on top of the hammer price?
What’s the seller’s commission if I’m consigning an item?
Do I need to register in advance to bid, and is there a deposit?
How is shipping handled once I’ve won a lot?
Can I get a free valuation before deciding whether to sell?
If I bid online through a platform, does the actual auction house handle service issues, or does the platform?

Frequently asked questions

Are these rankings paid?

No. Rankings come from public Google data: rating, review volume and recency. A business can pay to be a Featured Partner, which adds a badge and top placement, but that never changes another business’s score or position.

How did you choose these four auction houses?

We pulled the highest-volume, highest-rated auction houses for this search in London from public Google data, then weighted rating against review count.

How often is this updated?

Ratings and review counts were last verified in July 2026. We recheck listings periodically as new reviews come in.

Is The Saleroom the same as an auction house?

Not exactly. It’s an online bidding platform that connects you to more than 700 independent auction houses, so the experience varies by which specific house is running the sale you’re bidding on.

Do I have to bid to visit an exhibition?

No. Christie’s and Bonhams both run pre-auction exhibitions that are free and open to the public, several reviewers mention visiting purely to view items on display.

The bottom line

For general fine art or collectables, Christie’s is the safe default given its name recognition and solid review base. If what you’re buying or selling is a violin, viola, cello or bow, skip straight to Amati Auctions, it’s the specialist and the highest-rated business on this list.

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