Dublin's Independent Shops, Dublin, Ireland (D)

Seemingly unchanged for decades is this great little place. Here you can enjoy a choicely selection, complete with sipping at a tea or coffee sitting amongst the books, framed by the window. Plus excellent literary dining in the restaurant upstairs. An extensive range can be found here as this shop also stocks literary magazines, good card ranges, notebooks and Penguin gifts. A must for any booksy types or if present hunting for one!

Modern Industrial materials happy in any modern home. Offering a collection of strikingly unique objects, furniture, textiles and wares for the home. Everyone will find something they admire here- old, new, vintage, recycled and industrial. Especially of note are the stunning retro lamps. Overall its the kind of place you would like to fold up neatly and take with you.

Brings together the best of clothing, jewellery, art pieces, accessories and crafts all under one roof. A shop for the cool hipsters and artists tucked away in Temple Bar- here you can find cutting edge, original products of Irish design in a typically eclectic mix.

Located on the ground floor of the Library is this cute little gift shop full of postcards, books, stationary, posters and gifts associated with the Libraries collections and exhibitions. Including a treasure trove of gift items including Japanese wall hangings, carved elephants from Nepal, maps, jewellery, incense, woven baskets, decorations with intricate painted patterns and CDs featuring world music.

Opposite St Andrews Church and the Tourist Information Centre is this goldmine of a shop. With wonderful collections of sumptuous vintage and antique costume jewellery in a dazzling array of colour, arranged by style. If you love jewellery or want to find something completely unique and different as a gift, you are sure to find a beautiful treasure here.

A fantastic place to find an original Irish made present. Full of gorgeous things, from fashion to home furnishings, jewellery, gorgeous china, vintage furniture and much more. Many of the garments as well as the famous blankets and throws sold, are naturally made at their hand-weaving mill in Wicklow. Plus an excellent food hall and café which are very popular and where you will find tempting delights.

Tucked down an alley arcade is this small gem. In what looks from the outside to be a dungeon is actually a great store with an abundance of books and records some new, many second hand. Hunt hard and come across some classics and some obscurities in equal measure!

Fancy food and wine shop with an A* service. The food hall at Fallon & Byrne models itself as a proper modern day grocer. With just-caught fish, cured meats, delicious cheeses, fine artisan foods and the freshest fruit and vegetables it gets the taste buds moving just thinking of it. The food hall also has a deli that serves tea, coffee, yummy sandwiches and cake.

An array of Fenders and Squires to delight any music maker and lover. Set over three floors enough instruments to shake a tambourine at. Described as ‘a vital artery in the Dublin rock scene’* the wealth of famous Irish and International musicians to visit the store attest to this. The shop also occasionally hosts live events and also runs a music school at the top of the shop.

So many pretty things! Where do we begin? This store sells independent women’s fashion at reasonable prices. The shop is packed full with floaty dresses, vintage prints, kittens and bows. With its decidedly retro feel mixed with the modern its full of fun and plenty of smiles. There is also a recent addition of 'YesterHere'. Vintage and handmade home-ware items located just upstairs.

Cocoa Atelier is one of the few places you can buy good quality, French-made chocolates and beautiful macaroons which have to be tasted to be believed. You wont find anything more delicious! If Macaroons are not your thing, you can find plenty other sweets and chocolatey delights- choose your pick from Chocolates, Macaroons, Candied Fruit, Coated Nuts, Truffles, Spreads & Pastes and other culinary ingredients.

Dublin's best non-food sheltered market serving the city since 1881 and housed in an amazing neo-gothic arcade. Selling vintage and new trendy clothing, art-work, jewellery, records, souvenirs plus some gourmet nibbles to be found. An nice mix with a quirky and a great atmosphere.

This compact, little shop packs a punch in home-ware Designer goods. Great trendy gifts for around the home from a good selection of Irish designers. Items are both imaginative and practical with a cool, precise, designer aesthetic – now how many times do you get to see that?!

The first thing that hits you as you enter this teashop/cafe is the rich combination of sweet tea smells, all contained in glass jars like some age-old apothecary. That coupled with a living room vibe, a well-stocked bookcase and friendly service makes you feel right at home. With over 150 varieties of loose leaf tea to choose from, plus a small selection of tempting kitchenware goods.

Although officially a 'department store' well worth a mention. Luxurious, elegant and extremely fashionable. A landmark on Grafton Street and Dublin’s most exclusive store, if its your thing, this store is full of designer labels, quality home-wares, fantastic cosmetics, dazzling shoes and a whole plethora of both international and Irish brands.

Expect to find everything you might possibly need here in this market hall for the responsible shopper. From screen-printed T-shirts to vintage cameras to organic food or eco-detergent, nearly everything is here. Thursdays has a limited selection of local and imported fairtrade products, but Saturday and Sundays is when it really comes alive with all the market in full swing. There's a few on-the-premises food stalls (selling some snacks and some delicious falafel), toilets and even a D.J. Check online as each Sunday you can find a different themed market, from vintage fairs to world food.