Obsessed with this shop! There were so many and all had different items. Staff was super friendly…read moreand welcoming, decent pricing and wide selection of merch to choose from. Can't wait to visit Ireland again!

Whoooo Hoooooo! Carolls I love you! There are two reasons why:…read more 1. I'm Irish and proud and when I walk past Carrolls and see the Belfast t-shirts and the tourists mulling around I get a great sense of pride. I am proud that if a Spanish/French/Ethiopian wanted to purchase something, nay anything with a shamrock on it they could get it here. I'm proud that pencils and pencil cases, hairbands, rubbers, sweets, aprons and the like with sheep/shamrocks/leprahauns on them can all be purchased here! 2. The Irish tunes that are being pumped outta this place from opening until closing fill me with happiness and make me want to sing along as I am walking past in the pissy rain on dull and gray winters afternoon - sure you couldn't beat it. For all things Irish Caroll is yer man/woman?

The Wicker Man is a lovely traditional gift shop on Belfast's busy High Street. The company was…read moreestablished in 1994 in the hope of promoting local businesses and selling local art work. Nowadays the store sells work from artists in Ireland both North and South. They sell some intriguing items including beautiful Beleek pottery, some gorgeous Celtic jewellery, as well as work by some enterprising local artists. You can find work by Carrick artist Thomas Joseph, Belfast artist Gary Anderson as well as the exceptionally popular Anna Nielsen prints. The jewellery sold here is really gorgeous, it's very well made and you should try here if you're interested in buying the likes of a claddagh ring or a Celtic knot brooch. The stock is in no way limited to the usual array of touristy nick nacks, even I shop here if I'm after a particular work of art. But for those visiting the Emerald Isle you can choose from a huge range of typical Irish souveneirs. For something different they also have some beautiful picture frames and clocks. If you've never been here before and are a fan of our great wee country then you should definitely not miss it. The staff will greet you with a warm welcome and make you feel more than comfortable. Great shop, great stock, great prices, great people!

We finally found yarn in Belfast! In the heart of the city we were lucky enough to pop in out of…read morethe rain and get dessert and coffee at College Street Cafe! Don't miss it! The walk on over to Wicker Man for some beautiful boucle yarn!! We all grabbed a few balls!!

Utopia is my first port-of-call when I know someone's birthday is coming up, or at Christmas…read moretime...you're pretty much guaranteed to find something in here you know that person will like. The variety is huge - massive wooden chess sets to quirky key rings and everything in between. There's nothing cheap or tacky, just beautiful gifts at incredibly affordable prices. The last time I was (it was only last week, due to their being a friend's birthday on the horizon), I was served by the most friendly lady I've ever had the pleasure of speaking to. She really was genuinely lovely, and that really made the trip for me. There's nothing better than decent customer service, and I definitely experienced some top class service that day. With some of the loveliest ranges in town, and wonderfully helpful staff, Utopia really is a must see...you won't be disappointed.

Yeah I have no complaints about Utopia. I'm glad there is only one of its kind in Belfast as that…read morekeeps the family who run it in trade and the customers flocking back. I love to go in at Christmas time as my mum has a thing for Christmas decorations and this is the best place in town to get a quality piece at a really good price. It houses such a mixture of goodies you could spend hours just browsing. There is a massive selection if ornaments such as statues of dogs, animals and fairies. They also have a large collection of really nice inexpensive costume jewellery. You can pick up anything in here from a rubber chicken to a ceramic panda. It is definitely the place to go for gifts of any sort. I was bought a poker set from here many moons ago and I still treasure it as although it wasn't really expensive it has the feel of a luxury item.

If you are on a brief trip to Belfast, this is the only place where you can reliably get unionist…read moresouvenirs. The other shop is somewhere in East Belfast, evidently. The selection is broad and includes controversial items like paramilitary badges and loyalist magazines, an important part of Ulster history that gets little attention in generic shops. It is more like a history and politics nerd store than an ordinary shop. Very reasonably priced, too. The shop is a family business, and the owner's personable son seemed enthusiastic about it. You could see that the imagery mattered to him not just as merchandise, but because of its symbolism. He was also helpful with describing the current situation in Shankill Road. I will definitely go to this place again when I revisit Belfast.

At the other end of the souvenir shop spectrum from the new Shankill Information Centre just across…read morethe road is Ulster Souvenirs which sells all sorts of flags, mugs, teatowels, music, DVDs and knick knacks relating to the province that you could possibly think of. Like a typical, traditional old souvenir shop it's tiny and crammed with things from floor to ceiling. On a more practical note you can also get new watch straps and batteries here which are inexpensive at £2.50. Talk to the staff and they will willingly impart touristic local information, on subjects such as the unfortunate demise of the Fernhill House Museum just up the road in Glencairn Park.

Describing itself as modern vintage, I think this is more of a sweet shop for grown ups. From the…read moremoment you walk in your senses are overwhelmed by Kidson's trademark flowery designs on everything from lunch boxes to wellington boots. It is a bit twee for some, but for pieces here and there, there is always something for an ideal girly gift or something to perk up your pantry. It isn't cheap for what it is, but for a hint of pretty I'd be glad to take any of it.

Tiger is really just a modern 'junk shop'. It's a bright, light, contemporary space filled with…read morecheap, mass produced, predominately plastic 'Made in China' tat (yes, even though it's a Danish store). I think of it as being like a car boot sale full of random items including candles, nail files, beads, cheap craft and art materials, games, toys, coffee, spices, makeup brushes, napkins, sweets, yoga mats, hand wash, notebooks, novelty knick-knacks, pots, pans and picture frames. Despite the fact that Tiger peddle a pile of rubbish, I quite enjoy a good riffle through it. Since everything's so cheap I tend to lose my mind and am tempted to buy all I see. Thankfully, sense intervenes just in the knick of time, so I always manage to leave the shop empty handed. However, when I next need napkins, candles or a new yoga mat I might consider heading straight to Tiger. I envisage it as being a useful shop to pick up Christmas stocking fillers or novelty items to bulk out 'proper' birthday gifts - for people I don't like or for when I can't be bothered putting any effort or thought into gift buying. Much to my shame I must admit I do like Tiger, in spite of my better judgement. Thus is the seductive and dangerous appeal of such shops. After all, surely we need more plastic and rubbish in the world....or do we...

This is my type of shop! I wanted to buy everything and walking around gave me so many ideas for…read moreevents! Tiger really has everything - it's sort of like little snippets of life, that as quite a strange thing to say but what I mean is that it's not a shop selling specific products, it sells a little bit of everything. I saw craft items like canvases and paints, as well household gym equipment. It even had a gourmet food section. If you're planning a party visit Tiger. It's the perfect place to pick up novelty items like quirky straws and party games. Cost wise it's not expensive - the price tags are weird though - they try and encourage you to buy multiple items by pricing things as 4 for £2 for example. Even for singular items the tag says '1 for £10'. Strange. A few people have compared this to Ikea - I can see the resemblance - it oozes Scandinavian coolness. I loved it - was really quiet when I went in so I got to have a good nosey around.

Shipwreck'd the shop acts as the Ticket office for Lagan Boat Tours, the shop is ideally located in…read moreDonegal Quay although you've probably walked past it hundreds of times and never noticed it. It's a real shame that this wee shop doesn't get the attention it deserves. It's full up of maritime merchandise and Titanic related gifts. The sell T-shirt in here that say, 'she was alright when she left here' referring to the Titanic. The lovely ladies working in the shop told me that this is actually a registered slogan of the Lagan Boat Company, so this is the only place you can get one of these tongue and cheek T's. This shop is the perfect place to pick up a unique Belfast Souvenir, maybe you've been to the Titanic Centre but you want something a little different, something that no one else has... well if that's the case drop in here for a look. It's right next to 'The Big Fish' and located through a Café so it's the perfect place for a Belfast tour pit stop.

Whilst looking for a local gift shop yesterday I stumbled upon this wee market stall and I…read moreimmediately knew it was what I was looking for! The Little Melt Company sell beautiful looking and smelling products. I purchased a lovely owl oil burner and a lemon cheese cake soap. It was the soap shaped like cheese cake that drew me to the stall in the first place - All the products on the stall beautifully crafted and displayed and the staff couldn't have been more helpful. They had a whole rage of different scents available for the burners and were happy enough for us to have a smell of them all before we choose the ones we wanted. If you're looking for a unique local gift this Christmas, look no further! It doesn't get more authentic than this.

Oh. My. Word. I think I'm in love. No, I KNOW I'm in love....with this extra-fabulous shop. Sigh…read more Trade Winds is quite possibly my favourite ever gift shop. It stocks such a wide range of, well, everything really, that you'd never be tired looking. It was pretty busy when I went in yesterday, with mainly young girls eyeing up all the beautiful gifts / toys / accessories / jewellery, and their mums keeping a careful watch over them. Amongst the wide variety of stock were gift bags, cards, candles, novelty toys and games, funky clocks, wall-hangings, beaded curtains, bags...and so much more. I discovered the cutest little wooden cat light pull for £3 some odds, and immediately knew I had to buy it. Nothing to do with the fact that it was incredibly sweet and lovely, and everything to do with the fact that my mum had smashed the previous one off the bathroom wall, causing it to break into a thousand pieces. Indeed. Staff were exceptionally pleasant, but kept a business like atmosphere about the place. That sounds like a bad thing, but I guarantee is really wasn't...it was an incredibly well run shop. All I need now is an excuse to go back. Mmmm, when is the next birthday I have to buy for...?

Well what a wonderful wee shop, highly attractive both outside and in. I could have spent hours in…read morethis delightful wonderland looking at all their pretty pieces of pleasantry. What captivated me most were the gorgeous jewellery boxes, sweet note pads / writing books (teeny tiny small ones to super big ones) and amazing mirrors (even one whose frame was made from vines of trees.) All the items were being sold for very reasonable prices. I was actually pleasantly surprised by how cheap most of it was. Maybe that's what a day shopping on the Lisburn road does to you though! I'll definitely be back in here when I've (a) more time and (b) more money. The staff were pleasantly talkative and left us to our own devices after greeting us, not in your face nosy or shyly secretive, just a nice in between. A superb shop selling some splendid stock!

There's a new kid in the Belfast Market Game and that new kids name is Fine & Dandy. This name…read morecouldn't be more apt for a market supports local creative talent. Set up every Sunday in the Crescent Arts Centre Fine & Dandy has a wide variety of stalls. There's everything form collage crafts to fine chutneys and jams. Although this market doesn't have the reputation or scale of St Georges Market it does have a certain charm. Every stall is manned by a passionate creative who will take time to tell you the story behind their goods and give you an insight in to how their product came from conception to reality. If you're interested in local art and crafts them I would highly recommend heading down to Fine & Dandy Market as soon as possible. There's not only arts and crafts on sale, there is also baked goodness in the form of scones and other hot food and you can grab a coffee to help perk you up on a Sunday morning. I have the feeling that this wee market is really going to take off so it's better to ride the crest of the wave and visit now while you can still navigate your way through the stalls. This is a monthly market so pop a reminder in your calendar - you don't want to miss out!

Good market. Nice mix of food and crafts. High quality of…read moreproduce. If I was to be picky the only thing really is that none of the stall holders spoke to me. Great smells of the food. Good that it's free to go to. Also good place to have the market as there is lots of passing trade. It's a great idea to have the barber guys there to do hair.