Part 2 of our guide to shopping in Newtown shows you where to pick up unusual and original gifts, stock up on natural foods and after all the shopping, where to have a coffee break and snack.
Gifts
Eastern Flair 319-321 King St, Newtown
One of my favourite shops for its bazaar-like atmosphere, gently exotic scent of incense and organised clutter of beautiful eastern-inspired homewares. Downstairs you will find clothing, lovely scarves, dinnerware, jewellery, soft furnishings, linen, cushions, figurines and home decor while upstairs is furniture, all at very reasonable prices.
Eastern Flair
1/249 King St, Newtown
This bookstore carries a carefully curated selection of kid's books and whimsical toys which would make fantastic gifts. They also stock Mud ceramics, decadent scented candles, luxury soaps, stationery and a beautiful range of cards and wrap.
Pentimento Books and Gifts
251 King St, Newtown 2042. Ph: (02) 9550 3009
Monster Threads is "a brand of whimsy, art and magic". For cool t-shirts and great gifts for slightly older kids.
Some of the gifts on offer at Monster Threads
https://www.facebook.com/RisaShopNewtown
Shop 2/441-443 King Street Newtown, NSW 2042. Tel: (02) 9519 9647.Closed Mondays
Handcrafts, gifts, jewellery, clothes.
Risa Shop: Yorkie Mug
195 King Street Newtown
Bin after bin of self-serve bulk health foods including hard-to-find ingredients like dried mulberries, and different types of puffed grains and flours. If you love making your own muesli, you will find lots of new and interesting ingredients to add. Simply grab some brown paper bags and a pen, fill with your desired items, write the product code on the bag and take everything to the counter for weighing and paying.
Naked Foods: Bulk organic ingredients in self service bins
287-289 King St Newtown
For raw probiotics, bone broth, big range of organic chocolate, natural cosmetics, paleo muesli.
Dr Earth sells bone broth and paleo muesli
397 King Street Newtown Ph: 61 2 9550 1709
Suzy Spoons Vegetarian Butcher
22/24 King St, Newtown Ph:(02) 9557 9762
Haberdashery and Crafting
All Buttons Great and Small
How marvellous that there exists a shop devoted to buttons of all shapes and sizes.
All Buttons Great and Small
277 Australia St, Newtown
When in Newtown, you must drop into Black Star Pastry which is famous for its Strawberry and Watermelon Cake. Layers of crunchy sweet watermelon, slightly sweetened whipped cream and almond dacquoise, topped with pistachios and rose petals make for an ethereal cloud-like dessert.
Cloud 9 Chocolate Cafe
199 King Street Newtown
Cloud 9 Chocolate Cafe
142-146 King St Newtown
Eating Out - Highlights
Moo Gourmet Burgers
232 King St Newtown
Sushi Wow
235 King St Newtown
For a quick meal stop, check out this popular sushi train offering unusual spicy sushi combinations.
The Bach Eatery
399 King St Newtown
Pronounced 'batch' (short for 'bachelor'). Be sure to sample their signature dish, Pappardelle pasta with mushroom ragout and a 63 degree poached egg.
Getting there: By train to Newtown Station or St Peters Station, or numerous buses from Central Station travel down King Street.
When: Some shops are closed on Mondays and/or Tuesdays, so if you want the widest range, any day other than Monday or Tuesday.
Newtown: whimsical, quirky, socially aware
If you enjoyed this article, please check out Part 1 of my Shopping Tour of Newtown in which I share my favourite boutiques for pretty frocks and charming childrenswear.
