The Strand Arcade

The Strand Arcade was one of five shopping arcades built in Sydney in the 19th century and is the last to remain in its original form. It's still a shopping arcade; there are cafés in the central aisle where you can order, as I did, spinach lasagne and ginger beer which you eat while, given that it's a thoroughfare, passers by freely engage you in conversation about whether the lasagne is any good; and the mezzanine floors are packed with interesting little shops. There are old-fashioned lifts with rich chestnut-coloured doors and antique stained glasswork. It's a place to buy chocolate fish, ballgowns, antique watches, jewel-coloured glassware, satin peignoirs, silk kimonos and duck-shaped brushes. Pictured: dresses by Alex Perry; vibrant glassware at Dinosaur Designs; Marimekko homewares and Swedish design at Funkis; corsets and blue satin swags at Ms Couture; flowers at Pendolino Restaurant, tucked high in the eaves; and chocolate in cute wooden boxes at Haigh's.