Berlin is a city of alluring stores and boutiques. Despite its cosmopolitan gloss, shop prices are generally lower than in cities like Munich and Hamburg. Most stores offer tax-free shopping for non-European Union citizens, so be sure to ask about it before making your purchase.
The city's liveliest and most famous shopping area is still found around Kurfurstendamm and its side streets, especially between Breitscheidplatz and Olivaer Platz. Running east from Breitscheidplatz is Tauentzienstrasse, another shopping street. At the end of it is Berlin's most celebrated department store, the Kaufhaus des Westens or KaDeWe.
For trendier clothes try the boutiques along the side streets off the Ku'damm, such as Fasanenstrasse, Knesebeckstrasse, Mommsenstrasse, Bleibtreustrasse, Schluterstrasse, and Uhlandstrasse. Kantstrasse west of Uhlandstrasse has reemerged as a stylish shopping area. Most shops here offer home furniture and accessories or designer stationery. For less trendy and much less expensive shopping try the pedestrian zone at Wilmersdorfer Strasse (U-7 station of same name), where price-conscious Berliners do their shopping.
Not far from Wittenbergplatz lies Keithstrasse, a street full of antiques stores. Eisenacher Strasse, Fuggerstrasse, Kalckreuthstrasse, Motzstrasse, and Nollendorfstrasse - all close to Nollendorfplatz - have many antiques stores of varying quality. Another good street for antiques is Suarezstrasse, between Kantstrasse and Bismarckstrasse.
The rebuilt boulevard of Friedrichstrasse offers the most elegant shops in historic Berlin, including the Galeries Lafayette department store. The jewel of this street is the Friedrichstadtpassagen, a gigantic shopping and business complex of three buildings praised for their completely different designs. Nearby Unter den Linden has a mix of expensive boutiques, including a Meissen ceramic showroom and tourist souvenir shops. Around Alexanderplatz, more affordable stores offer everything from clothes to electronic goods to designer perfumes. Many smaller clothing and specialty stores have sprung up in and around the Nikolai Quarter.
Shopping Centers
The elegant Uhland-Passage (Uhlandstr. 170) has leading name stores as well as cafes and restaurants.
The Kempinski Plaza (Uhlandstr. 181-183) features exclusive boutiques and a pleasant atrium cafe
The city's newest shopping mall, Potsdamer Platz Arkaden (Potsdamer Pl., TEL: 030/2559-270) has 140 shops, cafes, and restaurants under high glass ceilings.
Department Stores
Department Store Quartier 206 (Friedrichstr. 71, TEL: 030/2094-6276). The smallest and most luxurious department store in town offers primarily French women's and men's designer clothes, perfumes, and home accessories.
Galeries Lafayette (Französische Str. 23, TEL: 030/209-480). This intimate and elegant counterpart to the KaDeWe (Kaufhaus des Westens) has evolved into the city's most popular department store. Only a sixth the size of KaDeWe, it carries almost exclusively French products, including designer clothes, perfume, and all the French produce you might need for preparing your own haute cuisine at home.
Galleria Kaufhof (Alexanderpl., TEL: 030/247-430). At the north end of Alexanderplatz, the Kaufhof is worth a visit for its stunning gourmet food department.
Kaufhaus des Westens (KaDeWe) (Tauentzienstr. 21, TEL: 030/21210). The largest department store in Europe, even surpassing London's Harrods, is the undeniably classy KaDeWe. It has a grand selection of goods on seven floors, as well as food and deli counters, champagne bars, restaurants, and beer bars on its two upper floors.
Stilwerk (Kantstr. 17, TEL: 030/315-150). The new and unique Stilwerk is not a real department store but an upscale mall with 48 shops and restaurants, all catering to the stylish. Most shops sell home accessories.
Wertheim (Kurfurstendamm 181, TEL: 030/8800-3206). This downtown store is neither as big nor as attractive as KaDeWe, but Wertheim offers a large selection of fine wares.
Gifts
Gipsformerei der Staatlichen Museen Preussischer Kulturbesitz (Sophie-Charlotten-Str. 17, TEL: 030/326-7690). If you long to have the Egyptian Museum's Queen Nefertiti bust on your mantelpiece at home, check out the state museum's shop, open weekdays 9-4, which sells plaster casts of treasures from the city's museums.
Konigliche Porzellan Manufaktur. Fine porcelain is still produced by this former Royal Prussian Porcelain Factory, also called KPM. You can buy this delicate, handmade, hand-painted china at KPM's two stores (Kurfurstendamm 27, TEL: 030/886-7210; Unter den Linden 35, TEL: 030/206-4150), but it may be more fun to visit the factory salesroom (Wegelystr. 1, TEL: 030/390-090), which also sells seconds at reduced prices.
Puppenstube im Nikolaiviertel (Propststr. 4, TEL: 030/242-3967). This is the ultimate shop for any kind of (mostly handmade) dolls, including designer models as well as old-fashioned German dolls.
Scenario (Savignypassage, Bogen 602, TEL: 030/312-9199). Tucked under the elevated tram tracks, Scenario sells stationery articles, gift items, and a lot of leather wares and jewelry. The designs here are always at the cutting edge of what's state-of-the-art in Europe.
Spielen Berlin (Neue Schonhauser Str. 8, TEL: 030/281-7183). This small shop in the Mitte district has a unique blend of traditional German wooden toys of yore and modern, educational toys and games for kids.
Wohnart Berlin (Uhlandstr. 179-180, TEL: 030/882-5252). For stylish European furnishings, lamps, glass, porcelain or stationery items, this is the place to "shop till you drop."
Men’s Clothing
Budapester Schuhe (Kurfürstendamm 199, TEL: 030/881-1707). This old-style shop for men's shoes offers the largest selection of business shoes in all designs and colors.
Mientus (Wilmersdorfer Str. 73, TEL: 030/323-9077; Kurfürstendamm 52, TEL: 030/323-9077). This large, exclusive men's store offers conventional and business wear, as well as sporty and modern looks.
Selbach (Kurfurstendamm 195/196, TEL: 030/262-7038). A wealthy young crowd shops here for elegant evening wear and designer labels.
Women’s Clothing
Jil Sander (Kurfurstendamm 185, TEL: 030/886-7020). The new flagship store of German design legend Jil Sander carries her complete line of clothes.
Kramberg (Kurfurstendamm 56, TEL: 030/327-9010). If you're looking for international labels, including Gucci, Armani, and Chanel, drop by here and enjoy the first-class atmosphere.
Modehaus Horn (Kurfurstendamm 213, TEL: 030/881-4055). For German designer wear, try this boutique. It's not cheap, and the styling is more conservative than chic.
Peek und Cloppenburg(Tauentzienstr. 19, TEL: 030/212-900). "P and C" offers women's, men's, and children's clothes on five floors. The special Joop! designer store on the top floor and the international designer department in the basement should not be missed.
Antiques
Berliner Antik – und Flohmarket This is one of the largest, more established, and expensive areas dealing in antique art. The series of stores offer everything from costly lamps to bargain books. Other antiques stores are found under the tracks at the Friedrichstrasse station (TEL: 030/208-2645), open Monday and Wednesday-Sunday 11-6.
Berliner Kunstmarkt (Berlin Art Market). On weekends from 10 to 5, the colorful and lively antiques and handicrafts fair on Strasse des 17. Juni swings into action. Don't expect to pick up many bargains.
Villa Grisebach (Fasanenstr. 25, TEL: 030/885-9150). One of the city's most classic arts and antiques auction houses also hosts exhibitions and special events at which you can buy paintings.
