Must-see shopping in Sydney

  • Interior of historic Strand Arcade (circa 1892).

    Strand Arcade

    City Centre & Haymarket

    Constructed in 1891, the beautiful Strand rivals the QVB in the ornateness stakes. The three floors of designer fashions, Australiana and old-world coffee…

  • Mitchell Road Antiques in Alexandria

    Mitchell Road Antique & Design Centre

    Newtown & the Inner West

    This extraordinary vintage and antique market is a warehouse full of retro chic, whether you are after original 1970s Lego, pre-loved rocking horses, a…

  • Dinosaur Designs.

    Dinosaur Designs

    Sydney

    This tiny shop is a visual treat. Richly coloured, translucent resin bangles and baubles sit among technicoloured vases and bowls, and chunky sterling…

  • Carriageworks Farmers Market

    Newtown & the Inner West

    Over 70 regular stallholders sell their goodies at Sydney's best farmers market, established to connect small NSW producers with consumers in the big city…

  • Artery

    Surry Hills & Darlinghurst

    Step into a world of mesmerising dots and swirls at this small gallery devoted to Aboriginal art, particularly from the central and western deserts…

  • Australian Wine Centre

    Circular Quay & The Rocks

    This shop, with multilingual staff, is packed with quality Australian wine, beer and spirits. Smaller producers are well represented, along with a…

  • Abbey's

    City Centre & Haymarket

    Easily central Sydney's best bookshop, Abbey's has many strengths. It's good on social sciences and has excellent resources for language learning,…

  • Gannon House Gallery

    Circular Quay & The Rocks

    Specialising in contemporary Australian and Aboriginal art, Gannon House purchases works directly from artists and Aboriginal communities. You'll find the…

  • Craft NSW

    Circular Quay & The Rocks

    This craft association gallery at the quiet end of the Rocks is full of beautiful and original creations. It's the perfect spot to pick up a unique gift…

  • Queen Victoria Building

    City Centre & Haymarket

    The magnificent QVB takes up a whole block and boasts nearly 200 shops on five levels. It’s a High Victorian neo-Gothic masterpiece – without doubt Sydney…

  • Little Bottleshop

    Newtown & the Inner West

    One of Sydney's best bottle shops for those interested in Australian wine, this unassuming place features an excellent curated selection of small-vineyard…

  • Paddington Markets

    Sydney

    Originating in the 1970s, when they were drenched in the scent of patchouli oil, these markets are considerably more mainstream these days. They're still…

  • Gleebooks

    Newtown & the Inner West

    Gleebooks is one of Sydney’s best bookshops, with its aisles full of politics, arts and general fiction titles, and the staff really know their stuff…

  • Berlelouw Books.

    Berkelouw Books

    Sydney

    Expecting the dank aroma of second-hand books? Forget it! Follow your nose up to the cafe, then browse through three floors of pre-loved tomes, new…

  • Faster Pussycat shop in Newtown

    Faster Pussycat

    Newtown & the Inner West

    Inspired by ‘trash pop culture, hot rods and rock and roll’, this cool cat coughs up retro clothing and accessories for all genders and ages (including…

  • Grounds Markets in Alexandia

    Grounds Markets

    Newtown & the Inner West

    Alexandria's favourite factory-garden-farm-cafe hosts these excellent markets, with a rotating crop of crafty stallholders and delicious baked treats.

  • Zimmerman boutique.

    Zimmermann

    Sydney

    Chic and cheeky women's street clothes and swimwear from sisters Nicky and Simone Zimmermann. There are other stores around town.

  • Birkenhead Point

    Sydney

    This harbourside former brickworks and factory is now a major shopping complex composed principally of outlet stores. It gets packed at weekends, so visit…

  • Paddy’s Markets

    City Centre & Haymarket

    Cavernous, thousand-stall Paddy’s is a covered market of mostly low-quality mass-produced tat, including stall after stall flogging cheap souvenirs –…

  • David Jones

    City Centre & Haymarket

    DJs is Sydney’s premier department store, with high-quality clothing and a highbrow food court. A revamp has added a flashy new designer shoe floor on…

  • Title

    Surry Hills & Darlinghurst

    Focusing on distinct pop-cultural streams, seemingly determined at random (but probably at the owner’s whim – very High Fidelity), this offbeat little…

  • Rip Curl

    Sydney

    The quintessential Aussie surf shop, Rip Curl began down south in Victoria, but drops in here perfectly overlooking the Bondi shore breaks. Beyond huge…

  • Kirribilli Markets

    Sydney

    Kirribilli's general market (7am to 3pm, 4th Saturday of the month) offers exotic foods and lively harbourside hubbub, and sells everything from vintage…

  • Sax Fetish

    Surry Hills & Darlinghurst

    No, it’s not a bar for jazz obsessives, but rather a sexy, dark-hearted shop selling high-quality leather and rubber gear. All genders are catered for,…

  • Simon Johnson

    Sydney

    Simon Johnson is the place to fill your high-class picnic hamper. You’ll find the tastiest olives, the creamiest French and Italian chocolates and the…

  • Urban Oasis

    Darling Harbour & Pyrmont

    A curated selection of mostly Australian designs, including clothes, jewellery, books, homewares and men’s grooming products. Pick up luxe gifts and…

  • Better Read Than Dead

    Newtown & the Inner West

    This is our favourite Newtown bookshop, and not just because of the pithy name and the great selection of Lonely Planet titles. Nobody seems to mind if…

  • Red Eye Records

    City Centre & Haymarket

    Partners of music freaks beware: don't let them descend the stairs into this shop unless you are prepared for a lengthy delay. The shelves are stocked…

  • Westfield Sydney

    City Centre & Haymarket

    The centre's behemoth shopping centre is a bafflingly large complex gobbling up Sydney Tower and a fair chunk of Pitt St Mall. The 5th-floor food court is…

  • Strand Hatters

    City Centre & Haymarket

    Got a cold or wet head, or a serious case of the Crocodile Dundees? Strand Hatters will cover your crown with a classically Australian Akubra bush hat …

  • Paspaley

    City Centre & Haymarket

    This shell-shaped shop sells lustrous pearls farmed along uninhabited coastline, from Darwin in the Northern Territory to Dampier in Western Australia…

  • Bondi Markets

    Sydney

    On Sundays, when the kids are at the beach, their school fills up with characters rummaging through tie-dyed secondhand clothes, original fashion, books,…

  • Mud

    Sydney

    The small flagship shop of this Sydney ceramics brand whose single-colour creations have achieved notable worldwide success is a sweet place. You can even…

  • Watters Gallery

    Surry Hills & Darlinghurst

    Since 1964 this funky institution in the seamy lower reaches of Riley St has been pumping out quality. James Gleeson, Ken Whisson, Tony Tuckson and…

  • Rozelle Collectors Markets

    Sydney

    One of Sydney’s best bargain-hunter markets, with very few tourists. Sift through antiques, collectibles, hippie jewellery, vintage clothes, plants, books…

  • Koskela

    Newtown & the Inner West

    Beautiful designer furniture and homewares are created from repurposed wood at this striking historic warehouse space. It's well worth a browse and there…

  • Balmain Market

    Sydney

    This small market is set in the shady grounds of St Andrews Congregational Church. Stalls sell arts, crafts, books, clothing, jewellery, plants, and fruit…

  • Surfection

    Sydney

    Selling boardies, bikinis, sunnies, shoes, watches, tees…even luggage – Bondi's coolest surf shop has just about everything the stylish surfer's heart…

  • Glebe Markets

    Newtown & the Inner West

    The best of the west: Sydney's bohemian inner-city contingent beats a course to this crowded retro-chic market. There are some great handicrafts and…

  • The Rocks Markets

    Circular Quay & The Rocks

    Under a long white canopy, the stalls at this market are a focus for tourists, but some excellent handicrafts outweigh the amount of koala tat. Pick up…