Do not ever go to Victoria's Basment in Artarmon! Today I…read morewas looking for food colouring and found like 15 bottles which where out of date since 2017/2018. When I went nicely to the next staff member she told me to go see the manager. When I approached the manager and showed her the out of date bottle she started screaming at me: "That's the suppliers fault and not outs. They must have delivered out of date products. We just filled it up. It's not our responsibility to check them when filling." I was shocked and just said no need to yell at me and yes it is your responsibility as a store manager to make sure your products are in date. Manager: "Fuck off and leave the store if you are not happy!" Seriously, is that a way to treat a customer? I have been going to this store for 6 years now and every time I or another customers talked to her she gets rude and screams at you. Glad the new Kitchen Warehouse opened around the corner as I will refuse going there from now on.

Homewares and Kitchenwares Galore!…read more There is something occupying every corner and space that is provided! From tea pots to knives, Victoria Basement has what you need for the kitchen, home, bathroom, gifts and so forth. It always seems to be a bit quiet at this one probably cause i go through the week so not sure about the weekends. Staff was very accommodating in helping me find a pairing knife! I love the tea pot sets!

Very cool design and gift store. Go here if you're looking for a quirky original gift and don't…read morehave much of a budget. The store itself I could spend hours going from one thing to the other imagining who to buy what for, where to put it or what to do with it. Things like: Guitar shaped fly swatters ($15.95) Bright red Dodo rocking bird ($425) Dingy Regatta mobile for baby ($72) Wild and Woolf Daisy flower design tool kit ($65) Colourful parrot shaped pegs ($38) I think the stuff I listed above says it all really. Worth a visit just for the fun of it.

I was so excited to find this shop. The Top 3 website is just packed with things that I am sure I…read moreneed, but I must be an old-fashioned tactile person, because I would much rather see and feel the real thing than buy from a picture. And of course, I do really NEED a guitar-shaped flyswat, a couple of bold coloured hanging pot plants that hook onto one another in a chain and a spiky red sake bomb. You think you don't? You obviously haven't been to Top 3 yet - the store or the website. Lots of the jewellery is irresistible too - costume stuff but very cool.

Don't shop anywhere else before checking the prices here. I've been shopping here for over twenty…read moreyears for that must have kitchen gadget to what to buy for Christmas, Wedding or any other special occasion. Because of the buying power of this store, all of the major brands are heavily discounted on single and box set items. Just a pity I have most kitchen ware now as boxed sets of Esteele Kitchenware Saucepans were $899 now only $350! What a bargain for the best saucepans made in Italy.

Awesome place for homewares, great prices, fantastic selection. I recently scored some sweet Jamie…read moreOliver stainless steel flatware. Regular price: $400, Victoria's Basement price: $119. That, ladies and gents, is what I'm talking about. And the quality is great, so my assumption is that this was last season's flatware. Does flatware even have a season? Well, whatever the reason, I don't care. I am very happy with my purchase.

I know I'm going to sound like a girl when I say this, but...I love pretty little, shiny things!…read moreThat's why I can never stroll past Abode without a cheeky browse at whatever they have in there. It's hard to define what this store is about, it has home-wares but it also has plenty of awesome novelty gifts. I'll admit I am guilty of walking in there, buying a present for a friend and then falling so in love with it that I keep it. I'm a horrible person, I know, but you try it! You'll go bonkers for all the gorgeous, funny and random things in there. Whether you feel like adding something quirky to your home, buying a card for a loved one or getting a present for someone, you'll find it in Abode. Just make sure to give yourself at least half an hour in there, I guarantee you'll keep getting side tracked.

Abode is the home of pretty things! This is the sort of shop you could browse in for hours trying…read moreto decide on the right card or gift for someone. The wooden floors, non in-your-face staff and quirky Things make this a really welcoming place to hang out in. Much like a place called Abode should be really. I don't see the point of greetings cards that aren't tailored to the person being greeted, and Adobe has a great selection of fun/arty/beautiful cards on top of the wide array of unique gifts for another person (or yourself of course). If you're looking for the likes of a unicorn lamp to a Dali-esque "melting clock" or just have no idea what to get your funky friend for their birthday, Adobe is a damn good place to start.

Pungent is how I'd describe this shop. It belts you as soon as you enter like some Mothers Day gift…read moreconvention has hit town. All things aromatic is only the start of it. It's glittery and sparkly and ARRRGGGHH. It's a real assault on the senses and the kind of shop that you'd have a heart attack in, if you went with small children. The remit for this Award winning shop appears to be 'anything to fill the home and if it smells good it's a bonus'. Kitchenware, cushions, candles, cards, corner tables...all manner of, pardon the vernacular, cr*p. If you're keen to support local business though, instead of heading to the big chains head here, for enough frippery to fill your home several times over. We bought our first coffee table from here - A squat Balinese affair that served as a diminutive dining table/study/coffee table for many years. Fond memories.

Mosman seems to specialise in this sort of business - people in the lower north shore must be…read moreforever thanking one another or recognising events and milestones, as these shops just cry out for you to buy the things to give them to someone else. It's not necessarily that you wouldn't want them for yourself - just that you probably wouldn't BUY them for yourself. Candles to thank the neighbours for emptying the letter box, photo frame for the teacher, salad servers for your dinner party host, hand cream for Secretary's Day. All price levels covered, and the usual last minute temptations on the sales counter. The Storehouse must be facing severe competition, but it's a local stalwart and regular local business award winner so it must be getting something right - not least its convenient location up above the supermarket.

I was in this store yesterday. I experienced a hostile work environment. I saw the manager yelling…read moreand berating one of the staff in this store. This was not only done in front of the young girls colleagues it was while myself and other customers were in this store. I found the managers behavior absolutely disgusting towards this young girl.. This woman should not be in this position her actions were unacceptable. I hope someone reports her.

Wedgwood, Royal Doulton, Villeroy & Boch, Waterford, are brands a new bride like me dreamt about…read moreand desired long after the wedding was over, the gifts were opened and the sunken feeling that it wasn't going to magically appear on my dinner table. Stepping into Victoria's basement opened up a whole new world of possibilities for me! At honest, affordable even cheap prices, it dawned on me, I can make it all mine! Oh yeah!! The 'Basement' is actually two floors huge and neither is underground. Oh well, thats what happens when shops set up names under estimating their popularity and future growth plans. The staff are too busy moving things around or stocking items or behind the billing counter. Not that you need any assistance.. Everything is available as is and it's all laid out for you. The prices are marked and sometimes the store runs specials by offering further discounts on sale items. Now comes the hard part, deciding between Gordon Ramsay's white maze and Jasper Conrans Pinstripe.. Or maybe I should get the Jamie Oliver tefal to start with.

As a kid, I would revel in the gigantic orange juicer that sat out the front of this shop; a robot…read moreof a machine that sucked the fruit up from an abundant barrel of the stuff, crushing the oranges in its transparent belly and squirting the juice out the other end into plastic litre bottles. Antico's has seen many an incarnation since then, but it's always remained a supplier of quality fruit and veg at prices a little on the high side (their housemade salad mix features edible marigolds and violas, if that's any indication of gastronomic clout). Most recently, they've expanded to include a full cured and fresh meat section complete with dangling salami and giant legs of ham waiting to be carved to order. Though produce is always fresh and they stock a range of harder-to-find items - like lamb's lettuce, shimeji mushrooms and Thai eggplants - the prices are just too high to do the bulk of my shopping here. In the deli section, a 200 gram pot of bircher muesli is $6, while a small bag of paella rice is a whopping $10. I will pop in here if I'm after a foodie gift at the last minute, as their range of pantry goods include the aesthetically pleasing Simon Johnson products with walnut oil and tarragon vinegar aplenty.

Antico's beautifully displays his fruit and has customers from flocking all over the Nortth Shore…read moreto buy his fresh fruit, vegetables and organic food. He has samples of almost every fruit available for customers to try- it's almost like a small morning or afternoon tea delight! We always buy our fruit here because everything always tastes amazing and is in really good condition! The staff are really friendly and upon check out they make a point to say "have a nice day" enthusiastically. The prices are higher than normal but the quality is exceptional.

It's hard to escape this establishment without caning the credit card, or growing a wishlist as…read morelong as your arm. An array of leather goods that would make any tannery proud spoils ladies for choice. In fact, if you're after a handbag or wallet, this place has it covered. They've got every style and colour under the rainbow and they must come from some seriously special cows because this leather is as soft as it gets. If you're in a hurry to find a gift, get here. This is also jewellery central. Not to mention, one of those places you can just spend forever in perusing nik naks like picture frames, homewares, cushions and general décor bits and bobs... but prepare to be faced with an agonizing purchase decision... unless there's enough room on your creddy card to get one in every colour. Better yet, bring your sugar daddy and get every style in every colour. One for each outfit. ... a girl can dream can't she?