I can't believe I am the first person to review The Cove. This is a true Yelpers paradise. This wee…read moregift shop is literally full to the brim with antiques, cards, gifts and presents that your mum would like. Thy have a huge rang of vintage items set outside the store, this is what actually caught my attention. It's a bit like an upmarket car boot sale. There didn't really seem to be a theme to the items. There was a mix of furniture, household decorations and general bric-a-brac. I loved it - there is something really exciting about sifting through all their products. Almost like a treasure hunt. Antiques collectors would love this place. It also had a range of vintage camera equipment that was behind lock and key. Upstairs houses more modern handmade gifts, cards and part accessories. If you want a unique gift for a loved one or are decorating your home and want something a little different look no further than The Cove! Couldn't recommend it highly enough.

Yes this shop is great. My first car was a Morris Minor, dark blue. I got a little Corgi car…read morejust like it, even the registration number is similar!

Beautiful hand-made items. Nikki is also willing to help with jewelry repairs! A true gem in St…read moreGeorge's Market!

I was really pleased I took the time to go into this hidden gem of a shop…read more From the outside it just seems like a little jewellery shop selling fiddly pieces but inside is a tardis to home grown arts and crafts. The Empathy Creations themselves are all handmade pieces of jewellery from basic costume jewellery right up to really beautiful pieces suitable for a special occasion. they will also sit with you and plan a set to your own liking if you are looking for something they haven't got already. The back of the shop is like a little art gallery displaying pieces of pottery, clocks and paintings by local artists - a fabulous treat right on my doorstep! I couldn't resist buying my nephew a hand crafted jigsaw puzzle for a very decent price. Call in some day - the man behind the counter who makes the pieces is not pushy but very friendly. You will be pleasantly surprised at the treasures in store.

Liberty Blue used to be the shop indie boys would go to for their t-shirts and cord trousers. These…read moredays, it's where the hipster teenage girls go to get their fix. Basically, if you're an Urban Outfitters fan, you'll like this place. Hell of a transformation, no? Well, Liberty Blue pulled it off with aplomb, becoming one of Belfast's favourite boutiques. In fact, it's one of the only independent shops in the city centre these days, which is nice. It's a great place to go for a funky dress or a vintage-inspired top and while it is slightly more expensive than its high-street counterparts, sometimes you just have to be prepared to pay for something less ordinary.

I love this shop. It is a treasure trove of all things lovely!…read more It really reminds me of what used to be my favourite clothes shop in Dublin, Sabotage, on Wicklow Street in that it is quirky, fun, individual and stocks some classically stylish clothes. Liberty Blue tends not to follow any trends and instead trusts their customers discerning eyes. When I was at college in the city, I used to come here and browse through the rails of clothes hoping that all the studying would pay off and I would land a top newspaper job so I could buy all these lovely clothes. Seriously, I used to motivate myself to work harder by lusting after clothes I couldn't afford. It works! The window displays are usually very striking and are the thing that draw most punters in off the street. Inside the store is beautifully laid out, it's the kind of place which is a pleasure just to come in and browse around. There are cutesy skirts, cool Edie Sedgwick t-shirts, gorgeous dresses, both casual and fancy, Audrey Hepburn style cardigans and good music to boot. On display in the middle table there are some handmade broaches, rings and jewellery trinkets, funky tights and a battered old suitcase with some vintage belts in every imaginable colour- a snip at £4 each or 3 for £10. The jewellery also deserves a special mention, the necklaces are really cool, chic and very charming. Long gold chains with bird cages or little gold Eiffel towers. These necklaces have done me for many birthday presents this year, they all come moderately priced too. The assistants are really friendly and always make a point of saying hello, which is a really nice touch I think. Check out the sale rail down the back for some bargains. Prices vary and should suit all customers. The more expensive party dresses range from £50-£70 and there are really good quality dresses from about £20. Definitely cheaper than their contemporaries Topshop and Urban Outfitters. I don't mind paying money for something quality that looks unique and it's always an added plus to be supporting such a fabulous and unique local business.

Great service. Thanks Great selection of items…read more Really good value for money

E. Lauro is a blast from the past in terms of shops. It looks like a pawn shop because of all the…read morerandom (really random) little trinkets and items strewn across the window. It is in fact, a jewelers. It's just an explosion of gold jewelry, watches, little boxes and various antiques which is a lot for the eye to take in. From venturing into this 2nd hand shop I can only assume that they will buy absolutely anything, anyone's selling. It's run by a strange looking man who just smiles as you walk in. It's quite small so you always feel like he's looking at you as you wonder round trying to find a little hidden gem among the mass of items spread out over 4 glass counters. If you're in the mood for a hunt around for something unusual then this is the place to go.

The Gatehouse Boutique (or Gate House Boutique) is a fabulous, quaint clothes shop. It's filled…read morewith quirky, unique womenswear and has some gorgeous hats and scarves. It'll not be to everyone's taste but I absolutely love it.

Jacksons 38 is one of five (yes, you heard right) departments, if you like, all owned by Jacksons…read moreof Saintfield. Not a clue who this guy is, but he essentially owns half of the Main Street... As well as the main hardware / cookware store a few doors up, there is also a 'Lifestyle' stores few doors on up from that, which consists of a health food shop, a coffee shop and a home interiors shop. Phew! However, my trip was only to this sweet little boutique. Mainly consisting of ladies, gents and kids shoes, it is also a jewellery shop, an accessories shop (wallets, belts, scarves etc.), and a ladies clothes shop. Blinkin' heck. It's one of those shops that's a myriad of little rooms and sections that see to go on forever. There really is a beautiful selection, and the range of kid's school shoes rivals an actual shoe shop's range. The lady sales assistant was very pleasant and welcoming - cheery smiles galore. She was helpfully aiding a customer who was trying on shoes, but didn't neglect the others who were busy looking too. I must commend this Jackson fella on such a beautiful little shop. Highly recommended.

Conservatory Coffee, health food, boutiqueness…read moreHaiku perfection Visited here on a priest's recommendation to sip coffee with Michael W. Smith in the background and hoping to catch a nice Irish evangelical's eye... But even without those expectations being met (there's always next time), I think I've found my new favorite coffee shop in County Down. As you walk into Jackson's there is the boutique on the right, health food on the left, and straight to the back, nectar of the gods: COFFEE. Even further back, comfy couches and tables fill a beautiful, bright, glass conservatory facing out into the courtyard. Me and a friend sat until close (4:30 p.m.) sipping our coffee and admiring others fancy beverages and jealousy inducing desserts. While I have yet to witness it, I was told that the scones are as big as your head and full of fruity surprises. I couldn't ask for a better setting or cup of coffee to sip, sit, people watch, and/or work.

Bang Boutique is at the higher end price range of vintage shopping in Belfast. In my opinion it's…read moredefinitely not as good as the other shops I've been to (Rusty Zip, Best & Vintage) They do sell some really funky clothing, stuff you really wouldn't see anywhere else. But in my eyes it's all second hand clothing, but here it's got the 'vintage so expensive' tag. One bonus though is the manager and staff who are awesome, you'll often find them in adjacent Muriel's (By the way, go here! It's great!) One thing that did disappoint me was a visit I made after going to buy a friend a Michael Jackson t-shirt I'd seen. (This was shortly after his death, she was devastated) we had a bit of banter together and then I enquired about it, he was asking £50! I mean, no way! Said friend was (is) his hugest fan, but even she would kill me for spending that amount of money. It was absolutely ridiculous. That's totally just cashing in on the mans death, I wasn't impressed.

Bang Boutique is a cool little vintage clothing store just across from Muriels bar…read more It has really cool and funky clothes but I fear it is one of those vintage shops where everything is great to look at but you never actually buy anything because it's all too pricey. There were some cool things to browse through on the counter like an old school telephone and a girl's annual from the 1960's called Boyfriend, which had some really cool drawings in it. I also spotted some cool leather handbags but at £20, they were a tad too expensive. The owners are really nice and friendly and will chat away to you as you browse. I could imagine the members of Belle and Sebastian doing all their shopping in a place like this.

Yet another of the massive amount of international names that have come to Northern Ireland in the…read morelast few years and set up huge stores just outside of towns. Laura Ashley is a perfect fit for Bangor with its large middle class and, quite simply, bored population who are more than willing to spend lots of money on bed linens and the like. Here you can get all sorts - mirrors, home furnishings, cushions and throws, sofas and chairs, paint and other homely knick-nacks. The staff are nice enough and always helpful. Its based in Bloomfield Shopping Centre so its easy to get to and there is plenty of parking about.

Blooming dear, as in expensive!…read more A packet of pot pourii, pouree, pourie, smelly stuff - you know what I mean was over a tenner IN THE SALE - sweet jumping Joseph we are in a recession don't ye know! Called in for a nose at the sale stuff even though I wouldn't buy a thing from here in a million years as it is all soulless mass produced over priced middle class crap. The sale was rubbish - a two seater sofa reduced down to £900 even though it was very similar to a sofa a few doors away that was priced at £500! Don't get me started on the clothes - really expensive and dootsy - skirts that are either too full or a weird length. Dresses that my mammy wouldn't even wear. I dunno this place is not for me. If I lived in a pastel palace or a lighthouse I might buy the wallpaper and bed linen from here - but I don't so I won't.