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Mustafa Centre
A Singapore legend, as much cultural rite of passage as shopping experience, Mustafa's narrow aisles and tiny nooks have everything from electronics, clothing, toiletries, tacky clothes (lurid Bollywood shirts always make great presents), cheap DVDs, gold, money changers, a supermarket (it's the place to stock up on Indian spices and pickles) and sometimes half the population of Singapore.
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Ngee Ann City
Chocolate blancmange-coloured doyen of Orchard, with Takashimaya department store (with fabulous basement food centre), the vast Kinokuniya bookshop, and resident gods Cartier, Chanel and Louis Vuitton.
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Pantry Magic
Neatly stacked with gleaming copper, stainless steel and cast iron, this is cookware so professional it makes you want to throw a tantrum and hurl it across the room. A very comprehensive range - there are even miniature fondue sets.
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Paragon
Classy, classy, classy: Givenchy, Ralph Lauren, YSL, Hugo Boss, Versace, Gucci, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Prada and people who love them. Great basement food selection.
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Plaza Singapura
Conveniently located on top of the Dhoby Ghaut MRT station and the North East MRT-line interchange, Plaza Singapura was Singapore's first multistorey mall, and is as popular as it is vast. This massive place features a 10-screen Golden Village cineplex, fashion and music. Check out the French Carrefour supermarket in the basement for a wide selection of imported cheeses, wines and an impressive range of gourmet treats.
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Projectshop Blood Brothers
Popular local street-wear label selling summery gear - tank tops, cutesy t-shirts and sun dresses for girls; cargo pants for boys - plus bags, belts and wallets at reasonable prices, with unpretentious service. Can't decide what to buy? Refocus your desires over coffee and cake at the Projectshop Café next door. There's a branch in Wisma Atria Shopping Centre.
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Red House Antiques
Specialist in Chinese antique furniture and restoration, Red House has been around for years and is one of the most reliable dealers in the city. There are some magnificent old pieces on display, from the smallest chair to the most enormous doors and screens.
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Red Peach Gallery
One of the best bets if you're in the hunt for Ming-style home furnishings and Chinese artwork. There's no pretending the stuff is antique and the quality of the workmanship is good.
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Royal Selangor
If Uncle Jim has always craved his own personalised tankard, here's your chance to get it for him. Indulge the short pewter-smithery demonstration, then admire the range of other articles, from jewellery to hip flasks, Malaysia's pewter specialists turn out.
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Shang Antiques
Specialising in antique religious artefacts from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, India and Burma, as well as reproductions, there are items in here dating back nearly 2,000 years, with price tags to match.
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Sim Lim Sq
A byword for all that is cut-price and geeky, Sim Lim is not for those uninitiated in the world of sim cards, RAM, motherboards and soundcards. If you know what you're doing, there are real bargains to be had, but the untutored are more likely to be taken for a ride. Hard bargaining is essential.
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Sungei Rd Thieves Market
A true Singapore oddity, this collection of old geezers and dodgy characters splaying out random collections of used items on the pavement every day offers a peek into the underbelly of the city. Tennis shoes, mobile phones, watches, motorcycle helmets, old LPs, a builder's hard hat, a dinner jacket and a set of spanners were just a few of the items we saw on our last visit. Everyone expects the authorities to close it down any day, but somehow it continues to thrive.
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Suntec City
This is Singapore's largest mall with endless shops selling all manner of goods, a staggering 60 restaurants, cafés and a food court. One of the biggest crowd pullers is the Fountain of Wealth, which was once accorded the status of 'World's Largest Fountain' (although sadly not the world's most attractive fountain) in the Guinness Book of Records.
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Supernature
Supernature is Singapore's best organic deli. Their shelves are heaving with chemical- and gluten-free veggies, groceries, baby food, wine and meats. They also do a roaring trade in organic coffee and take-away juices (try the predictably green 'Incredible Hulk').
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Swiss Butchery
This is the place to come to satisfy those sausage and steak cravings. They also have a small range of sauces and a few groceries to complement the flesh frenzy.
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Takashimaya Shopping Centre
Voted Singapore's favourite one-stop shopping mall, Takashimaya has all the usual men's, women's, food and household departments, as well as a fitness centre (home to Singapore's largest swimming pool) and the giant Kinokuniya bookstore. The basement is great for a bite - the Japanese food here is especially good.
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Tanglin Mall
Expat haven (check the crowds of wives at Caffé Beviamo) with an excellent gourmet supermarket, shops for mothers and midrange boutiques.
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Tanglin Shopping Centre
The place for art, antiques and carpets. Try Antiques of the Orient (02-40) for maps, charts and photos, or the Asian academic titles at Select Books (03-15).
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Tekka Centre
Once you've fought your way through the hawker centre and the rather lurid wet market (avoid if you don't like severed sheep's heads), there's a whole floor of textile and sari shops on the first level - the cheapest place to pick up an Indian outfit. Prices are labelled, but bargaining is expected.
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That CD Shop
Filling a two-storey warehouse with stacks of CDs, comfy leather couches, subtle downlights, free coffee and a Nakamichi sound system that sets the chandeliers a-rockin', this feels less like consumerism and more like a party. Consider moving in on a permanent basis.
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The Cathay
Streetwear, beauty and nail salons, 'lifestyle' shops and the excellent Picturehouse cinema behind an unfinished-looking old Art Deco frontage.
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Thieves Market
This market is more than 30 years old and a fascinating glimpse into Singapore's underbelly. There's a huge jumble of goods, often sold by grizzled old Chinese 'uncles' - think old record players, battered woks and bad shirts. There's the occasional find, but it's an absorbing way to spend an hour or two whether you spend or not.
