- shopping
- (1038)
-
The co-op on Rue du Commerce has sensibly-priced souvenirs for the tourist and of course the obligatory Swiss chocolate. It's also a great place to buy lunch.
Rue du Commerce - a 30 min walk from Cornavin train station
Les Paquis is one of the smartest parts of Geneva as it's right next to Lake Geneva and has some trendy (ie expensive) shops as well as some cheaper souvenir shops.
There are shady little squares and swish mansions and is a good part of the city to see on your way back to Cornavin train station.
Beware of pickpockets though!
Les Paquis is on the Rive Droite side of Lake Geneva and is west of Quai Wilson
The combined streets of Rue de la Conféderation, Rue du Rhône and Rue de la Croix d'or are lined with some of the most expensive shops in Switzerland (the others being in Zurich) so if you have serious Swiss francs to burn than this area is the place to go, otherwise it's great just to look at those watches and clothes which you can't have. Even the brand name stores of H&M and C&A are not as cheap as you may think they are.
There are numerous undercover shopping malls just off each street too which are great places to escape from the summer heat.
The Rue de la Conféderation is a 20 min walk from Cornavin train station, just follow Rue du Mont Blanc, cross the Rhône river via the Pont Mont Blanc and turn into Rue de la Conféderation which becomes the Rue de la Croix d'or and then becomes the Rue du Rhône
I went wedding dress shopping on my own, which I think helped a lot. It meant that I got to choose exactly what I wanted without anyone else interfering and tempting me with more expensive items. After a couple of shops I was totally disheartened with the snobby sales assistants.
In the end I visited Savile Row fashion as they often had dresses in the window that I liked. I made an appointment to go in and the two assistants spent an hour showing me nearly every dress in the shop. They were all reasonable price and as they were nice I felt that I could be honest with them.
The shop that I went to was called Savile Row Fashion in Suriwong Street in Bangkok, and I would highly recommend it.
118 rose hotel, Suriwong road, Patpong, Bangkok 10500
contact no: 022354427, 0858441307
email: savilerowfashion@gmail.com
It may be hidden up the far end of Cuba Street but don't let that put you off. Walk that little bit further because this place has some fantastic coffee and food especially their iced chocolates and savoury muffins. It has a cool kitsch interior as well as outdoor seating so is a great place to hang out and relax. Check out the great local clothing stores on the way down Cuba Street too, especially Frutti and Carly Harris.
Running away from the Piazza Garibaldi down to the Piazza del Mercato are Naples' markets. In keeping with the city's general atmosphere, they're a noisy, chaotic affair (with more than a whiff of the mafia about them by all accounts!).
Watching the fish market at Porta Nolana - and every other specimen of market stall imaginable scattered across the area - is an essential Naples experience in and of itself.
To the west/southwest of Piazza Garibaldi
Right opposite the excellent Café Gollem (a lovely, cosy little bar where you can sample up to 200 Belgian beers) is one of the best beer shops in Holland. Selling about 500 beers from all over the world and specialising in beers from small independent brewers, it's an absolute treasure trove for the beer lover. You can buy Westvleteren there (which is reputedly the best beer in the world and extremely hard to come by), as well as some truly stunning Scandinavian and American beers. Try the Norwegian Porters and Imperial Stouts. Highly recommended.
And once you've bought some for later, why not pop into Café Gollem to try a couple on tap and maybe a Kaasplank (literally a plank with cheese & bread on it). Very satisfying. There's also a second branch of Café Gollem right by the Albert Cuyp Market in the Pijp district.
crackedkettle.nl/store/
www.cafegollem.nl/default_EN.asp
www.cafegollem.nl/bierkeuken/default_EN.asp
Both The Cracked Kettle and Café Gollem are on Raamsteeg, a small alley between Spuistraat and the Singel canal. The other Gollem is on Daniel Stalpertstraat, round the corner from the Albert Cuyp Market and the Heineken brewery
One of the best organic farmer's markets I've ever been to. Amazing cheese, bread, vegetable stalls, even a stall selling all sorts of mushrooms in season (bought some chanterelles and a black truffle last time). Smoked mozzarellas, huge focaccias, stunning veg - a truly superb market. 9am - 4pm Saturdays (the rest of the week it's a flea market).
Noordermarkt is in the shadow of Noorderkerk, about 10 minutes' walk from Centraal Station, on the edge of the Jordaan district.
A monthly market (held every first Sunday) which takes place either inside or outside the Milgi bar on City Road (an eclectric bar/bistro with video art, squashy sofas, chandeliers and a good line in cocktails and homemade pop).
It's a bit of a hotchpotch of jumble, young designers, live music, DJs, the odd random performance artist, maybe a BBQ, maybe some nice hot soup...
It's genuinely really great for hand printed tees and pumps, jewellery, second-hand books, vinyl, vintage-rummaging, people-watching, cake-eating, cocktail-drinking... And sometimes it happens at night too, which can be very, very good.
Milgi, 213 City Road, Cardiff, www.myspace.com/northcotelanemarket
A shop where you will not be pestered, hassled or pressured into buying anything. If you do not have a well-informed guide, do not go into any carpet shops unless you are prepared to buy one, as you will be invited to have tea, and then be subjected to intense sales pressure.
Just above the harbour
The original Mitch Tonks fish restaurant also has a fishmongers. Fresh fish everyday. Homemade taramasalata appetiser is great. I tend to go for the specials, never been disappointed. Lemon tart is wonderfully sharp. Gets busy at weekends and evenings so booking is suggested.
Green Street, Bath
Closed Monday
www.fishworks.co.uk
A great wine bar at Casa da Guia near Cascais, with simple delicious food and, of course, very good wine. Fantastic views of the Atlantic Ocean. Well worth a visit.
If you are a fan of this brand you will love this outlet store. It's well signposted once you are in Inca, with a large car park. The styles are generally a season behind but knock down prices are amazing. This place can get pretty busy in the summer so be prepared, but at these prices it's all worth it!
It has a Spar and a Centra.
Northside
About 45 kms from Amsterdam, Aalsmeer is the "Wall Street of flower trade". It has an average daily turnover of 6.6 million Euros, with about 60,000 clock transactions every morning.
silenteloquence.suryaonline.org/2007/05/29/wall-street-of-flower-trade/
www.vba.nl/
A great way to enter Annecy is to walk from the train station to Rue Carnot - this is the main shopping street of Annecy where pricy big name fashion stores make their mark. But the Rue Royale has cheaper shops and allows quick access to the lake or to the canalside park off Rue de la Republique. But it's best if you follow Rue Carnot down to its end and go on to Rue Perriere which goes behind the Palais de l'ile and connects to Rue Ste Claire - Annecy's most famous street with its cobbled stones and arcaded shops.
From the train station just go straight down Rue de la Republique and turn right onto Rue Royale
The Vielle ville is the old medieval and historic heart of the city with arcaded streets lined with the inevitable souvenir shops, but there are some interesting shops selling clothes and local food.
However, don't go on Sunday morning/afternoon (after 1pm) when there is the market and tourists, vans and market traders clog the narrow cobbled Rue Ste Claire, but there are plenty of hidden alleyways and squares behind the castle and canals where the tourists don't go. Just loose yourself.
Annecy lines 28 miles north of Chambéry and 20 miles south of Geneva. It can easily by reached by TGV from Paris and Geneva, as it's on the direct line between Valence, Chambéry and Geneva
It's the king of kitsch in Rome. For all your hard-to-find knick-nacks and crazy gifts, this is the only place to go in Rome. On three floors, it's a splash of fun and colour in Rome, with a funny staff and loud music. It's open every day until 1am - kids will love it.
Via Santa Maria dell'Anima, 29 a cross street of Piazza Navona (it's 20 metres from Piazza Navona)
www.toomuch.it
Narry and Aron (father and son) cannot be beaten. They are truly amazing. Especially Narry with his butter soft English and the just mind-numbing ability to remember everyone's name! Having a few suits from them is almost a right of passage for us in the Department of Defense and the protective and investigative services. Walking into their shop is like walking into a museum of US intelligence agencies.
And they make damn fine suits and custom shoes. They even fit them to better conceal whatever weapon you may be carrying.
118 suriwong, near Patpong Street, next to Rose Hotel
0858441307, 022354427
I have been slowly upgrading my wardrobe. I have proceeded cautiously because I know that 90% of the tailors here are ripoffs and most people bought a suit based on the advice of the tout sitting outside the shop or from a Thai airways in-flight magazine ad.
Thankfully, there is an antidote to the Bangkok ripoff tourist tailor. I was recommended this place by an AAAC member. It's far away from the Sukhumvit Road tailors and really a world apart. I imagine this guy could hold his own against the best of the UK or Italy.
This is the tailor shop that the highest echelons of Thai society use.
I had a midnight blue tuxedo made there and it turned out beautifully. I probably broke some rules with the burgundy lining but I couldn't resist
the color when I was given the lining samples.
I had an initial fabric selection and then three fittings as the garments progressed. His fabric selections are limited but are of the highest quality.
A suit from July Tailor will cost 4000 - 12000 baht.
I have always seen another Farang (foreigner) in there. His work is in the upper echelons and his prices are much more reasonable than even the best tourist tailors. That being said, they are still lower than a good canvassed off-the-rack suit in the USA.
118 suriwong/silom road (near rose hotel) patpong street bangkok thailand
saladang station
free pick up 0858441307 022354427
contact:savilerowfashion@gmail.com
Send your feedback or queries to been.there@guardian.co.uk
Search Been there
