Happen to stumble across this local market and found a booth serving kangaroo skewers. Being the…read moreadventurous foodie, I had to give it a try. The meat was cooked fresh over a large grill and was very tender and light. Served with a nice chimi sauce on the side it made for a great bite.

This was like an outdoor flea market and farmers market…read more It was lovely to check it out! My favorite vendor was the porcelain figures. They had a wonderful selection of beautifully hand painted miniatures! The market itself isn't too large. It took me about 30 minutes to view the whole thing and stop at vendors I wanted to see. There was a good selection of hand made goods, like totes, paintings and other goods. This is a wonderful spot to shop local!

This independently owned gift store is worth a look for buying gift for him or her. I was intrigued…read moreby the tasteful battery powered, flameless candles made from real wax (set of three for $70). They have quite a bit of jewellery, a lot of which were pieces I'd not seen before. So many boutique gift shops stock the same ranges - I guess because they sell. But it's nice to come across a store that takes the risk of stocking something unique - it makes me go back for original gifts. There are also eco shopping bags, hand made woven bags, scarves, beautiful kaftans, bright kitchen wares, vases, journals and retro cards. For him there are funky cuff links and a pretend pencil size match to select phone or IPad applications. Friendly staff.

Rapture Living is one of those stores you shouldn't visit if you're feeling weak-willed. The…read moregorgeous array of accessories, homewares and keepsakes are just too tempting for words. Just this week I ventured in - fortunately with a mind to buy a birthday gift - and within 30 seconds I had found the perfect present. Of course I then spent the next 10 minutes wandering around trying to justifying buying the rest of the store for myself! Luckily the lovely lady in the store offered to giftwrap my pressie, which provided enough of a distraction to keep me away from buying up all the jewellery!

My overseas visitors wanted to buy souvenirs for their 11 grandchildren and their neighbours who…read morewere minding their property in their absence and they wanted something Australian made. We popped into "Bits of Australia" at Balmain and we were very warmly greeted by the store owner. We were all gob-smacked at the high quality of all the items for sale. The variety of items available for purchase was impressive and at very reasonable costs. There was something for every age group. I would highly recommend a visit to this beautiful store.

I have visited Sydney multiple times over the last 16 years, but this was my first visit to Bits of…read moreAustralia. It will not be my last! In a search for gifts to take home, I didn't want to hit the tacky tourist shops. This shop works directly with the artists and I appreciate the artists are compensated fairly. There is a marvelous selection of gifts, aboriginal art, scarves, household items.

At Newtown's Modern Times bookshop, you can purchase an interesting range of books with particular…read morefocus on art, their have a selection of Art books you may not find in other book shops, the pop culture focus really appeals to me. Also on offer is an extensive collection of cult comics and graphic novels (I saw a Tank Girl art book there) they also have really odd toys for sale and they have wrapping paper, which has a fun pop culture style, they had Thunder Birds paper! Also they have a Doctor Who section with all kinds of books DVDs and a great collection of collectibles for sale. I must resist. If you are looking for children's books or a gift for kids, their children's section is truly excellent. The shop has an excellent set up as it is directly connected to Art on King (there is no diving wall) although they are two lots of businesses, so it is an artist's dream shop.

This Newtown store is actually two stores in one, the arts craft supply store, Art on King and the…read moreBookshop/stationary store. They don't have a large stock and mostly carry new and popular titles, but their comic book and graphic novel section is quite nice. They also offer 15% discount off new releases. Since the shop isn't too large it is easy to browse quickly through the titles. I bought The Decision Book by Mikael Krogerus on a whim since it was displayed ever so valiantly next to the cashier (I used the Swiss Cheese model and SWOT to make this decision). The stationary portion of the shop is well stocked with all sorts of creative tools and Art on King is one of the best art supply shops in Sydney.

I love Exhibit. It's the perfect store in many ways. It's air-conditioned, it's next door to…read morePatisse (best cake shop ever), the store assistant is super lovely and most importantly it is filled to the brim with gorgeous and original pieces for your home. They do furniture, rugs, masks, lighting, ceramics, art, glassware, mirrors - a whole range of stuff which listing it seems to take something away from the beauty and exclusivity of them. I also like the fact that they stock a lot of local designers but also collect from overseas so the range in variety of product and taste is wide. The textiles from Africa, Australian artifacts, Egyptian crystal chandeliers and European ceramic pieces - it takes you to far away places without paying for the plane ticket out of here. Apart from filling your home with beautiful furnishings I find Exhibit is a good place to shop for wedding presents.

Tony and Cherie have stuffed this place with so much stuff that you are left to root around on your…read moreown. It's fantastic, a shopaholics delight! From lace tablecloths to picture frames, little nic nacs to cushion covers, you have to spend time looking around, it can't be done if five minutes. They sell a range of good brands: Disney Traditions, Coots, Biddys etc etc. Have a look at their Leaning Tower of Pisa pot and cups or their Eiffel Tower. They have both large and small items, just getting to them is the problem. Lots of fun.

Dont have that much in variety but probably worth checking if you are looking for some hidden gemsread more

The book store is great but the cafe isn't. I never write bad reviews but I was so disappointed…read morewith my food. The field mushroom sandwich was almost cold, the toast was dry as in no butter, the mushrooms were tasty but as I said almost cold, the "bed of rocket" was wilted and dry - I would throw it out at that stage if it were in my fridge, and the over all portion was not generous. All that for $16, the coffee is fine but over all the cafe is over priced. Buy a book and go read it somewhere else, is my advice.

Go Variety Store is a fun place to pass some time. It houses lots of useful day-to-day items. I…read moreusually pop in when I need some office supplies but don't feel like driving to Office Work on Parramatta Rd. Their prices are slightly more expensive, and the range of stationary supplies is severely limited, but you're paying for the convenience of not having to travel far (if you live in Concord, anyway). The shop is cluttered and feels a little stuffy, but that's what I love about it. The woman who owns the place is also a highlight of shopping at Go Variety. She is always friendly, helpful and quick with a joke. She always has a funny story to tell, or weird piece of information to impart. With all the stock-standard variety store merchandise, Go Variety is a great place to pick up a few bits and pieces for the home or office.