Shopping in Edinburgh
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Greensleeves
If you want to buy a designer dress without breaking the bank, have a flick through the racks at Greensleeves, which specialises in high-quality secondhand clothes, handbags and shoes, many with designer labels.
reviewed
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Valvona & Crolla
The acknowledged queen of Edinburgh delicatessens, established during the 1930s, Valvona & Crolla is packed with Mediterranean goodies, including an excellent choice of fine wines. It also has a good cafe where the menu is based on family recipes from central and southern Italy, such as rigatoni all’amatriciana (pasta with Italian smoked bacon and tomato sauce) and frittata con fava (omelette made with broad beans, fresh herbs and Parmigiano Reggiano).
reviewed
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Jo Malone
This sweet-smelling palace of posh cosmetics has in-store experts offering a ‘fragrance-combining’ consultation that will allow you to choose your perfect perfume, along with a range of other scents to ‘layer’ over it. Try the original nutmeg and ginger bath oil that made Ms Malone famous, or other intriguing combinations such as lime, basil and mandarin, or amber and lavender.
reviewed
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Lime Blue
Put on your shades and tighten your grip on that purse – you’ll be dazzled by both the merchandise and the pricetags in this elegant and clean-cut jewellery emporium, with diamond-encrusted necklaces and rings by Leo Pizzo, finely crafted brooches by Picchiotti and watches by Versace. Downstairs you’ll find a broad range of silver jewellery, crystalware and other luxury goods.
reviewed
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Armstrong’s
Armstrong’s is an Edinburgh fashion institution (established in 1840, no less), a quality vintage clothes emporium offering everything from elegant 1940s dresses to funky 1970s flares. As well as having retro fashion, it’s a great place to hunt for ‘previously owned’ kilts and Harris tweed, or to seek inspiration for that fancy-dress party.
reviewed
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Helen Bateman
From sparkly stilettos and sleek satin pumps to 1950s-style open-sided court shoes and soft suede loafers, Helen Bateman’s shop has every kind of handmade shoe and boot you could wish for. You can even order customised satin shoes – slingbacks, pumps or kitten heels – dyed to any colour and decorated with whatever your heart desires.
reviewed
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Cruise
An ornately corniced and plastered foyer leads into three floors of white-painted, minimalist art-gallery-like decor. This and a second outlet at nearby 80 George St show off the best of mainstream designer labels for men and women including Paul Smith, Jasper Conran, Hugo Boss, Joseph Tricot, Armani and Dolce & Gabbana.
reviewed
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Annie Smith
Annie Smith’s back-of-the-shop studio creates beautiful and original contemporary jewellery in silver and 18-carat gold, with beaten and worked surfaces that reflect natural textures such as rock, ice and leaves. If there’s nothing in the shop that takes your fancy, you can commission Ms Smith to make something to order.
reviewed
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Forbidden Planet
This place stocks a wide range of sci-fi comics, graphic novels, DVDs and T-shirts, as well as Star Trek, Simpsons and South Park merchandise. It’s also the place for Alien vs Predator action figures, Bleeding Edge dolls and Kurt Cobain lunchboxes (if you have to ask, you don’t wanna know…).
reviewed
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Underground Solush’n
A paradise for searchers of new and secondhand vinyl, this place has thousands of records – techno, house, jungle, hip-hop, R&B, funk, soul and 45s – plus a (smaller) selection of CDs, T-shirts, videos, books and merchandise. It’s also a good place to find out what’s happening on the local music/clubbing scene.
reviewed
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One World Shop
Stocks a wide range of handmade crafts from developing countries, including paper goods, rugs, textiles, jewellery, ceramics, accessories, food and drink, all from accredited fair-trade suppliers. During the festival period (when the shop stays open till 6pm) there’s a crafts fair in the churchyard outside.
reviewed
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Whistles
Crisp white and hot pink décor sets off the racks of designer clothes for women in this branch of the well-known London-based store. Lots of little black dresses here – just the place if you’re looking for something a little more formal for that special occasion – as well as quirky and off-beat styles.
reviewed
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Scottish Gallery
Home to Edinburgh’s leading art dealers, Aitken Dott, this private gallery exhibits and sells paintings by contemporary Scottish artists and the masters of the late 19th and early 20th centuries (including the Scottish Colourists), as well as a wide range of ceramics, glassware, jewellery and textiles.
reviewed
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Peckham’s
Peckham’s is a busy neighbourhood deli selling all the usual deli stuff: smoked salmon, gravadlax and kippers, all kinds of cheeses, freshly made bread and sandwiches, and organic veggies. There’s also a great selection of wines and whiskies, and you can buy booze here until 10pm, seven days a week.
reviewed
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Aha Ha Ha
The guys at Aha Ha Ha have enough plastic poo, fake vomit, stink bombs and remote-control electronic farting machines to keep your average Dennis the Menace happy for a month or more. It’s also a good place to go if you’re looking for Halloween masks, costumes, magic tricks and practical jokes.
reviewed
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Crombie’s
Crombie’s is a top-quality butcher shop where the good folk of Edinburgh go to stock up on prime Scottish beef and lamb, and superb homemade haggis. It’s also famous for its gourmet sausages, with almost three dozen varieties ranging from wild boar and apricot to basil, beef and blackberry.
reviewed
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Carson Clark Gallery
Scotland’s leading map specialist has knowledgeable staff who are more than happy to advise on their interesting range of original and facsimile antique maps, charts and plans of Scotland, Europe and the rest of the world. The shop also has on offer some gorgeous antique globes.
reviewed
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Boudiche
Boudiche is a divinely decadent boudoir designed to make shopping for lingerie a lush, leisurely experience – you can try on basques and bustiers in the opulent changing rooms, each one equipped with a mirrored dressing table and an antique bell to call for a shop attendant.
reviewed
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Second Edition
This is a small bookshop for serious collectors buying and selling rare editions, with a good range of titles on Scottish subjects. The owner often goes to buy books on weekday mornings, so wait until after noon if you want to be absolutely sure that the shop will be open.
reviewed
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Arkangel
Owners Janey and Lulu will help you pick out a glamorous outfit from their carefully selected wardrobe of off-beat European chic and vintage fashion – look out for designer wear by Antoine & Lilli and Irene Van Ryb, and jewellery by Angela Caputi and Martine Boissy.
reviewed
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Wonderland
Wonderland is a classic kids-with-their-noses-pressed-against-the-window toy shop that is filled with model aircraft, spaceships and radio-controlled cars and all sorts of other desirable things, but it also caters to the serious train set and model-making fraternity.
reviewed
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Edinburgh Architectural Salvage Yard
A happy hunting ground for house renovators, this is a rich source of period features where you can find everything from original Georgian and Victorian cast-iron fireplaces and kitchen ranges to roll-top baths and gleaming, chrome, art deco bathroom fittings.
reviewed
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Backbeat
If you’re hunting for secondhand vinyl from way back, this cramped little shop has a stunning and constantly changing collection of jazz, blues, rock and soul, plus lots of ‘60s and ‘70s stuff, though you have to take some time to hunt through the clutter.
reviewed
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Ian Mellis
Scotland’s finest cheesemonger purveys the best of British and Irish cheeses. This is the place to purchase traditional Scottish cheeses, from smooth Lanark Blue (the Scottish Roquefort) to sharp Isle of Mull Cheddar. There’s also a branch in Stockbridge.
reviewed
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Oscar & Fitch
If you’re looking for some stylish spectacles, this boutique stocks the city’s largest selection of designer eyewear, from head-turningly avant-garde daytime glasses to popstar-cool shades, all expertly fitted to your personal satisfaction.
reviewed
