Berlin Shopping

  1. Absinth Depot Berlin

    Van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec and Oscar Wilde were among the fin-de-siècle artists who drew inspiration from the 'green fairy', as absinthe is also known. This quaint little shop has over 60 varieties and an expert owner who'll happily help you pick out the perfect bottle for your own mind-altering rendezvous.

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  2. Altes Textilkaufhaus

    This alternative department store combines a dozen ministudio/stores operated by local designers and artists under a single roof. The assortment ranges from wacky to practical to fabulous and includes fashion, felt slippers, stone jewellery, art, cuddly toys, lamps and various knick-knacks.

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  3. Ausberlin

    This unpretentious store has made it its mission to discover, promote and sell only articles made in Berlin. We're not talking trashy souvenirs but wallet-friendly stuff you might actually want or need, including T-shirts, accessories, toys, chocolates, music, lingerie and jewellery by hundreds of local designers.

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  4. Berliner Klamotten

    An arbiter of fashion cool, Berliner Klamotten gives dozens of local designers a platform for their latest collections by opening temporary showrooms. The latest incarnation has been in business since April 2007 and features 39 designers. Alas, there's no telling how long they'll actually be here this time.

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  5. Berlinomat

    This mini-department store is a showcase for about 150 home-grown designers working in fashion, accessories, furniture and jewellery. Showered by electronic beats, you can inspect sassy jeans by Hasipop, cult GDR era-style sneakers by Zeha, messenger bags by MilkBerlin and plenty of hip items you won't find on the high street back home.

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  7. Best Shop

    Owned by a fashion designer and a music impresario, this lifestyle boutique has hip clothes by Pfadfinder, Tatty Devine, Henrik Vibskov and other designers du jour , plus fun accessories and electronic music by local labels Kitty-Yo, !K7 and Bpitch Control.

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  8. Biodrogerie Rosavelle

    This candy store of cosmetics will have you looking fabulous in no time. Products are all natural, all the time. Favourite Euro-lines such as Dr Hauschka and Logona sell for a lot less here than overseas, and you can also get manicures and beauty treatments.

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  9. Bonbonmacherei

    The lost art of handmade sweets has been lovingly revived in this little basement store with its integrated show kitchen. Watch master candy-makers Katja and Hjalmar using antique equipment and traditional recipes to produce such tasty delights as tangy sour drops or green leaf-shaped maiblätter (May leaves), a local speciality made with woodruff.

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  10. Boyz 'R Us & Goldelse

    One's for boys, the other for girls, but both stores carry a well-edited collection of fashion-forward finds by adidas, G-Star, Diesel, Energie, Hamburg-based label Kresse and the sexy Swedish brand Bikkembergs.

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  11. Bruno's

    This gay supermarket was founded by Bruno Gmünder, publisher of the Spartacus guides. It's the go-to place for gay-themed books, magazines and videos, plus clothing and lots of toys, lubricants and other essentials.

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  13. Confiserie Melanie

    Those with a taste for the finer things in life make regular pilgrimages to this tiny, old-school victual store where Sabine Dubenkropp has gathered sweets, condiments and hooch from small suppliers around Europe. Be sure to try his own handmade truffles flavoured with absinthe, porcini mushrooms, garlic and other unexpected ingredients.

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  14. Department Store 206

    Not your usual department store, this place is a veritable theatre of retail starring the gamut of hot lifestyle labels, plus music, stationery, home furnishings and hard-to-find cosmetics. The distinguished design alone makes it worth a trip.

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  15. Eisdieler

    Not just flavour of the month - the urban wear designed by this cooperative and sold in a former ice cream parlour has firmly established itself in Berlin's design world. Besides T-shirts, jeans and other clothes created under the Eisdieler label, each one has his own line as well. There's a second store in Auguststrasse, Mitte.

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  16. Flohmarkt am Arkonaplatz

    This smallish flea market feeds the retro frenzy with lots of groovy furniture, accessories, clothing, vinyl and books from the 60s and 70s. Fuel up with a croissant and a latte in a nearby cafe, then join the throngs of Berlin hipsters poking around for stylish finds. Prices are moderate. The adjacent little park is a good spot for a bargaining break.

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  17. Flohmarkt Am Boxhagener Platz

    Though this flea market has a few too many pros for our taste, it just means you'll have to dig a little harder for the cool finds. Conclude your treasure hunt with coffee or breakfast at a neighbourhood café.

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  19. Galeria Kaufhof

    A total renovation has turned the GDR-era Centrum Warenhaus into a 21st-century retail cube with a glass-domed light court and a sleek travertine skin that glows green at night. There's a gourmet section on the ground floor, although it can't compete with the KaDeWe food hall.

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  20. Galerie Michael Schultz

    This well-established gallery represents such contemporary German hot shots as AR Penck and Georg Baselitz but also works with well-known German figurative painters of the next generation, such as Nobert Bisky, Cornelia Schleime and Berlin-based Römer + Römer, a Russian-German artist couple whom we've interviewed.

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  21. Galeries Lafayette

    This beautiful Berlin branch of the exquisite French fashion emporium is famous for the dramatic architecture of Jean Nouvel. The entire store is centred on a glass cone, shimmering with kaleidoscopic intensity. The top floor is dedicated to designers du jour and there's a gourmet food hall in the basement.

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  22. Goldhahn & Sampson

    Pink French salt, Moroccan argan oil and crusty German breads are among the temptingly displayed delicacies at this posh food shop. The owners hand-pick all items, most of them rare and from small suppliers. For inspiration, nose around the cookbook library. An on-site cooking school was planned at the time of writing.

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  23. Harry Lehmann

    Time seems frozen at this endearing slice of 'Old Berlin', where the Lehmann family has been brewing perfumes since 1926. Dozens of scents are kept in big-bellied jars and then syphoned into smaller flasks. They're sold by weight in small amounts which makes for an inexpensive souvenir. Try the elegant Akazie or sensuous Lambada, or customise your own scent.

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  25. Hugendubel

    Equipped with reading corners, a café and plenty of travel guides and English books, this is an excellent all-purpose chain.

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  26. Ic! Berlin

    What looks like a bachelor pad, with worn sofas, wacky art and turntable, is the original showroom of this now internationally famous eyewear maker. The feather-light frames with their patented klutzproof screwless hinges have added 'spec-appeal' to Tom Cruise, Shakira and other celebs. Prices start at around €300 .

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  27. Intershop 2000

    For a memento from an extinct country, make a beeline for this unusual container store selling everyday products made in the GDR. Items to choose from include hen-shaped plastic egg cups, Interflug airline refreshing towels, and flags and pins.

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  28. KaDeWe

    At the second-largest consumer temple in Europe, after Harrod's of London, the assortment is so vast that if they don't have it, it probably doesn't exist. This legendary 6th-floor gourmet food hall is a culinary universe selling only the best of anything - Veuve Cliquot to oysters, chorizo to harissa - from around the world. Don't expect any bargains.

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  29. Killerbeast

    'Kill uniformity' is the motto of this unique boutique where Claudia and her colleagues make new clothes from old ones right in the back of the store. No two pieces are alike and prices are very reasonable, so pick up one of her creations if you're a fan of that dressed-down Berlin look.

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