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Leysieffer
Leysieffer has been creating irresistible chocolates for nearly a century. Its champagne truffles, nougat, dark chocolates and other temptations, all artfully displayed at this busy flagship store, make nice gifts for the folks back home.
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Michaela Binder
This talented jeweller makes stylish rings, ear studs and necklaces in clean, basic shapes from brushed silver and gold. The twist? Each piece is accented with felt inlays that can easily be exchanged to match your mood or outfit from a palette of 12 colours. Prices start at around €50 .
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Milk Berlin
Their bags are in hipster boutiques all over town but only their flagship store presents the latest collection. The classic model is a slightly trapezoidal messenger bag fashioned from waterproof materials and emblazoned with various designs - stripes to sunflowers. New in 2007: a chic leather line.
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Onkel Philipps Spielzeugwerkstatt
Philipp Schünemann presides over this three-room fantasy universe crammed with 'preloved' wooden trains, hand puppets, puzzles, board games and other toys - just about anything but game boys. He lends, trades and repairs everything and has even carved out some space to display his GDR toy collection.
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Overkill
This supply store for dudes is a top place in town for limited edition sneakers by adidas, Nike, Converse and Puma and such obscure brands as YackFon and Addict. While here, you can also stock up on cool T-shirts and an entire wall of spray cans to feed your creative urges.
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Pazianas Olivenöl
Themistokles Pazianas' family has been growing Greek olives for four generations, so the man knows a thing or two about the noble fruit. Mellow and fruity to pungent - only top-quality oil makes it onto his shelves, along with other olive-based treats such as pastes, jams and tea.
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Potsdamer Platz Arkaden
This pleasant indoor mall brims with mainstream clothing, books and electronics chains. In between are smaller stores selling everything from eyewear to cigars to tuxedos. The basement has Kaiser's and Aldi supermarkets, and lots of fast-food outlets. Head upstairs for a bewildering and mouth-watering selection of Italian ice cream at Caffé & Gelato.
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Respectmen
Clothes make the man, as Mark Twain once quipped, and this multibrand store can bring out the suave, confident bloke in you with such grown-up urban labels as Cinque, Drykorn and J.Lindeberg.
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Saturn
This is your standard go-to place for electronic appliances, accessories and music with a bevy of special-purchase deals.
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Sommerladen
Versace makes you swoon? Marc Jacobs gets your heart pumping? Can't live without Prada, Cacharel or Margiela? Johanna Mattner specialises in these and many other fashionista favourites, all gently 'preworn' and at discounts as steep as the Matterhorn.
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Ta
Ta(u)sche makes messenger-style bags in various sizes that are practical, durable, stylish and kitted out with exchangeable logo flaps that zip on and off in seconds. How handy is that?
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tausche Taschen
Berlin-made Tausche messenger-style bags are practical, durable and kitted out with exchangeable flaps, which zip off and on in seconds. Bags come in seven sizes, starting with two flaps at a reasonable price. Additional flaps can be purchased individually as can various inserts for carrying laptops, cameras, workout clothes or baby nappies.
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Thatchers
Veterans of the Berlin designer scene, Ralf Hensellek and Thomas Mrozek specialise in making professional women look good in clothing that's feminine but not fussy, sexy but not vulgar, and always well-tailored. Their smart dresses, skirts and shirts go easily from office to dinner to nightclub, but they won't go out of fashion by the next season.
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Türkenmarkt
Heaps of fruit and vegetables, mountains of bread, buckets spilling over with olives, great selections of feta spreads and cheeses - Berlin's Türkenmarkt is as good as anything you'll find this side of Istanbul. Quality is high, prices are low and helpful smiles abound. Head west along the canal for a picnic in the park at the Urbanhafen.
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Über Store
Anja Kantowsky's hanky-sized store is like Forrest's famous box of chocolates: you never know what you gonna get. That's because she changes her complete assortment of offbeat knick-knacks roughly every three months. Each selection has a theme, such as Seduction, Home and Wanderlust.
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Uko Fashion
High quality at low prices is the magic formula that has garnered this uncluttered vintage clothing store a loyal clientele. It's a veritable gold mine for secondhand and second-season items and samples by such hot labels as Freesoul, Vero Moda, Pussy Deluxe, Gsus and Armani.
