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17 years ago

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Isabella's

Isabella's

(4 reviews)

£££

Isabella's is a beautiful gift shop situated in the ill-fated Morgan Arcade…read more Like The Royal Arcade, it is enclosed under a beautifully ornate Victorian glass ceiling, but where this works to the advantage of The Royal Arcade, intensifying the vibe, with the noises amplifying as they carry down this lovely long mews, it has the opposite effect in The Morgan Arcade. With very little activity, the few sounds that are made tend to echo harshly off the buildings and ceiling, accentuating the fact that it isn't much used. Businesses like Isabella's are staving off the demise at the St Mary Street end of the arcade. Well positioned sandwich boards at the mouth of the arcade are drawing in a steady stream of visitors as far as her shop at least. But even this isn't an entirely successful quest. Isabella's was once an up-market gift shop selling originally designed accessories and ornaments. These days such items sit gathering dust on the shelves, whilst the low cost cheap and cheerful Welsh souvenirs and nick-nacks fly out of the door. And even though these sales keep her busy all day, the average spend is about £1.00 per person, and so when she tots up the take at the end of the day it is depressingly low compared to the volume of custom. This is a tragedy. What's more, if Isabella is lucky enough to sell one of her beautiful handbags or a piece of exquisite jewellery, the money is immediately reinvested in the more gimmicky souvenir stock, instead of the more creditable higher cost items. It's a war of attrition that will eventually culminate in the unique identity of the shop being lost, and a valuable outlet for more creative endeavour will be lost forever. Isabella clearly has taste and flair in abundance. She's a smart woman attempting to do what she loves. I'm not sure whether she can see the transformation through to the bitter end. But with bills to pay, she's there for the meantime at least. And who knows, something may happen to turn around the fortune of this declining arcade? The Cardiff Arts Institute

Located in the Grade II listed Morgan Arcade, Isabella's seems to specialise in two main types of…read moregifts: Murano Glass Jewellery and Welsh Gifts. It's a slightly odd mix, to be honest - with the rather expensive-looking glassware and gifts on the one hand, and the rather brash, touristy, Welsh-themed items on another. It's probably best known for its brightly-coloured range of Antica Murrina handmade Murano glass jewellery, and Simstars - which are some kind of charm beads made of sterling silver or Murano glass, which you can put together in your own design to make up a unique charm bracelet or necklace. They also stock IVV, a range of Italian hand-made decorative glass in all sorts of interesting shapes, vibrant colours and different textures. When it comes to Welsh gifts, you can choose from a fairly predictable range of mugs and kitchen aprons with a Welsh flag design; slate house numbers and name signs; fridge magnets showing the traditional Welsh costume; ornaments of Welsh dragons; and postcards of local scenes and attractions. Although this shop does contain some beautiful objects, it doesn't hold a great deal of appeal for me - but if you're a visitor to Wales, or you're really into glass jewellery, Isabella's is worth a look.

Joie De Vivre

Joie De Vivre

(2 reviews)

Joie De Vivre Boutique and Vintage Store is the kind of shop that I really like. Packed full of…read morecurios and smelling of handmade soap, I enjoy the same kind of delight as I do when visiting an architectural salvage yard, where the smells are just as satisfying, if in a different way, and there's that sense of anticipation and excitement of not knowing what I'll find. Not surprisingly, this shop, comprised of a number of traders displaying their wares over two floors, has emerged from a successful series of boutique vintage markets, which continue to trade at various locations around the city, in tandem with the shop. Prices are reasonable, and the type of stock is much more to my taste than the Cardiff Antique Centre just a few doors down, and include genuine vintage items of all descriptions as well as a good selection of household goods.

There are some shops which serve the purpose of looking pretty, offering an attractive presence as…read moreyou walk past , just to make the shopping experience a pleasant one. This is one of those shops to most people, but to a small minority also provides a useful source for something or other. The shape of the shop means it has a narrow front occupying much of the arcade, in this sense it is a triumph and can display it wares beautifully. The large glass windows make the shop light and attractive, a facet of many of Morgan Arcade's shops. Selling a range of gifts, from picture frames to fake flowers and children's books and toys, it is gloriously unspecific and I'm not sure I'd ever feel the need to buy anything in here. There are a lot of gift shops around Cardiff and this isn't any better or worse than the rest of them. As something to look at, it gets top marks though.

Birthdays - stationery - Updated May 2026

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