I've been hooked on the Body Shop ever since I used to douse myself in Brazil Nut Body Butter…read moreduring high school. While their range has expanded a whole lot since those days, the old classics stay the same. The same White Musk fragrance, the same Bronzer Beads, the same tubs of lip balm. To me the Body Shop has always been the perfect place to grab a present for someone you don't know too well. A little impersonal perhaps, but hey, everyone loves the Body Shop.

The shop keepers are a bit up themselves but otherwise a good store. Love the green tea set up…read more Nicely organised and stocked, I just wish the prices were a bit more reasonable...

It's somewhat ironic that I wandered into this health food store while I was heading towards the…read morevery unhealthy bakery next door. I like organic food stores, I like them because they have the potential to make you change your habits or the way you might look at the food you eat. I like them because they offer a range of choices and some really interesting produce. Naturally Aware is good, but not great. It has a decent range of oils, flours, pills and skin care. The store is small so be prepared for a struggle if its busy, but you'll be surprised how much the owner has managed to pack into the shelves and along the walls. I guess what I thought was missing was the excitement that I love when I go into a really great organic health food store. Because there was so much packed into the shop, it isn't presented in a very attractive or inspirational way. I like stores that have baskets filled with oats and muesli or a special corner devoted to tea. In this situation I feel like less is more. The store may have a more lasting impact if there was less to take in. That being said, you'll find things here that you would have trouble locating outside the CBD. For the already converted, it does have a really great range.

Puf 'n' Stuff is easily one of Melbourne's cutest vintage stores! Unlike a lot of second hand…read morestores where you have to trawl through racks and racks of nasty 90's dresses with worn out fabrics, Puf 'n' Stuff is so well curated you get nothing but the good stuff! As Arabella has already mentioned, the clothes here are well organised, so if you've got a particular style you're after then bingo - you just head to the appropriate rack. It's kinda like a time-saving set up, while you're also engaging in a bit of money-saving and of course planet-saving! Awesome. The printed frocks at Puf 'n' Stuff are a real highlight - if you're after a new dress for a picnic or even a day wedding but need to save a few pennies, it's the place to find something fun and unique without ripping out the credit card. I love it!

Gertrude Street boutique Puf 'n' Stuff may sound like a fine purveyor of some pretty illicit…read moresmoking substances, but it's actually a very welcome import from Sydney and hands down one of Fitzroy's best vintage shops. Although Puf 'n' Stuff is good across the board, its range of accessories is particularly noteworthy. After an Art Deco glomesh clutch bag for a ridiculously cheap $65? Go to Puf 'n' Stuff. Fancy a vintage Givenchy LBD for about the quarter of the price of elsewhere? Ditto. One of the most interesting - and individual - things about Puf 'n' Stuff is the way the stock is displayed. Not for Puf 'n' Stuff the hodge podge of stock in a variety of disparate styles and drawn from a maelstrom of eras as per Melbourne's other vintage shops. No, no. Puf 'n' Stuff's stock is displayed almost thematically so you'll find a clutch of polka dot tea frocks next to one another, a small rack devoted entirely to vintage denim shirts, one to crochet and guipure lace and another to fringing. Sure, I may like rifling through the odd mixed rail but Puf 'n' Stuff's clever approach to displaying its stock takes a lot of the guesswork and elbow grease out of vintage shopping, and that, I welcome. Prices are very competitive for what is some pretty premium vintage fashion and staff are a little cursorily friendly but friendly all the same. An incredible vintage shop.

Since the renovations the place rules, best green grocer in Melbourne now. Abby is wrong.read more

Have been going here for a long time and they keep expanding…read more It Started out with a single shop bought out the next shop twice. It has a big range and is a viable alternative to the nearby Woolworths supermarket for most things plus flowers. The quality of some produce has gone down tho since the last extension and the price gone up. The potatoes and pumpkin used to be excellent and several other items used to be excellent but are now no better than Woolworths supermarket. One or two items tho remain better. The cliental is varied but the people sometimes hold the queue up while they decide to do more shopping. the queues can get very long. Don't be in a hurry if you go there. Some fellow purchases are a bit impatient too and will nudge there way with the flowers or trolleys etc while your being served. I have started to go to the Prahran market instead of late and am tending to move away from toscano's altogether for the above reasons.

Great fresh produce it's healthy and tastes delicious! Cashiers are lovely and willing to help you…read morefind something. Also has sweet treats to enjoy! Amazing!

ORGANIC OUT YOUR EARS!…read more I kinda agree with the other 2 reviewers and their commentary. I wish that I could afford to have loaded up the pantry with all of these goodies sold here. Actually, my brother probably wouldn't eat it anyway, and it'd be a moot point, because I couldn't afford that store. I walked up/down, up/down, imagining the things that I would purchase, and what i would put together with what, and how it would be served. The displays are nice and their inventory does make one want to be as healthful as possible. So instead, off to Foodworks I went, just a bit deeper into the Village.

Bacon, as we all know, is awesome. And the best bacon in all of Melbourne can be found at Bill's…read more That by itself would earn Bill's a 5-star rating, but they also do a wide variety of sausages which are amazing. On Saturdays, Louie grills them up out front of the store and does a sausage sizzle - $3 for a snag with onion and bacon. Try the spicy Italian or the pork and fennel.

The food was delicious! the service was fast and the coffee was amazing. friendly staff. In overall…read moreI had a good experience 100% recommended :)

Fresh Coffee - yes, but not something to write home about. A nice place and would say is average at…read morebest. Fresh muffins and some sandwiches available. Like bartenders adding personality to a bar, the barista adds spirit to the cafe!

The Vegetable Connection definitely has a very good reputation of doing amazing looking window…read moredisplays. If you have ever walked up this end of Brunswick Street I am sure you have seen the beautiful gourmet-looking displays of food peeking out at you from their shop front window. This is after all is what The Vegetable Connection is all about. Selling you the dream of gourmet food. And they do have a good selection of gourmet foods. Chanterelle mushrooms , black truffles, organic small goods and any other kind of gourmet delight you can think of. As you would expect, The Vegetable Connection is certainly not a 'cheap value for money' kind of shop. But then again - if you are in the market for black truffles then value isn't what you are after. My main criticism of this place is the fact that they sell a small range of organic fruit and vegetables right alongside non-organic fruit and vegetables. I have know many people that have mistakenly thought that all of their fresh produce is organic - which is in fact not the case. So just make sure you look at their signage clearly. Definitely worth a look-in - you never know they may have that ingredient you just haven't been able to source anywhere else.

Buying fruit and veggies is a delight at this small store on Brunswick Street. On each of my visits…read morethe staff have been very friendly, making jokes with me and asking about what I'm cooking for dinner. It's obvious that they enjoy working here and it makes such a difference when I hand over my hard earned cash. The produce is beautiful, with plenty of great value on abundant and seasonal produce. (Ie. 3 avos for $5 and a whole cabbage for $2 on my most recent visit). They have a great selection of high-quality and mostly organic meat, dairy and pantry items too so you can essentially buy everything you need for a meal in the one transaction. I much prefer a visit here to support smaller producers than the nearby supermarket.