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Although Ku'damm is still touted as the shopping mile of Berlin, the best stretch for exclusive fashions, such as Louis Vuitton, Hermès, and Jil Sander, are the three blocks between Leibnizstrasse and Bleibtreustrasse. For home furnishings, gift items, and unusual clothing boutiques, follow this route off Ku'damm: Leibnizstrasse to Mommsenstrasse to Bleibtreustrasse, then on to the ring around Savignyplatz. Fasanenstrasse, Knesebeckstrasse, Schlüterstrasse, and Uhlandstrasse are also fun places to browse.
Ku'damm ends at Breitscheidplatz, but the door-to-door shopping continues along Tauentzienstrasse, which, in addition to international retail stores, offers continental Europe's largest department store, the upscale Kaufhaus des Westens, or KaDeWe.
Peek under the railway tracks of Charlottenburg’s Savignyplatz station and you’ll find this much-loved bookstore. The large selection of books, many of them special editions or out of print, include numerous titles on art, design, and architecture, and the international offerings are extensive.
This living-room-like space is the go-to for sophisticated menswear with a British posh edge; you’ll find everything from tuxedoes to hunting jackets on their shelves. The owners manufacture their own line of quality British-style smoking jackets, and the inventory also includes top brands and small fashion accessories. There’s a small bar in the back, where you can toast your latest purchase in style.
If you want a taste—or rather, a smell—of old Berlin blended seamlessly with the new, head to Harry Lehmann. The shopkeepers have revitalized the old-time perfumery, which originally opened in 1926, keeping the more than 70 traditional fragrances and adding in a few covetable creations of their own.
Enter this serene shop next to the Literaturhaus and you'll be stepping into a world of high-quality loose-leaf teas. The stylish store displays its teas in museum-like cases, where you can smell the wares, and there are tasting areas where expert attendants brew and explain the teas. There is also a Mitte shop on Alte Schönhauser Strasse and an outpost in KaDaWe.
This third-generation artisan shop offers a taste of the old-world treat marzipan, using a family recipe that dates back to the turn of the 20th century. The vintage-style shop features candy-striped wall paper, vintage tools, and rows of handmade marzipan, all wrapped in delicate packaging.
A great place to look for designer secondhand finds, this tiny shop is tucked away near West Berlin’s Savignyplatz. You’ll find labels like Hermès, Versace, Chanel, and Jil Sander on the racks.
While markets in former East Berlin districts are perfect for unearthing both trash and treasures, the antique market on Strasse des 17. Juni is at the high end of the spectrum. Open on weekends, the Berliner Trödelmarkt und Kunstmarkt is home to one of the city's more curated selections, with vintage and high-end secondhand jewelry, housewares, silverware, books, and toys. The flea-market stands are nearer the Tiergarten S-bahn station, while handicrafts begin past the Charlottenburg gates.
Fine handcrafted jewelry, watches, and other high-end designer accessories can be found at Bucherer.
Handmade, classic styles of shoes and brogues, mostly from England, Austria, and Hungary, are sold at Budapester Schuhe. There is another shop at Kurfürstendamm 199 and an outlet at Kurfürstendamm 204.
The sleek, minimalist flagship store of German designer Jil Sander carries the newest collections from this iconic, understated brand, including fashions for men.
The trendsetting outfitter Mientus stocks Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, and Hugo Boss and has an in-house tailor. The Wilmersdorfer Strasse location is their flagship, carrying both women's and men's fashion, and there's also a men's-only branch at Kurfürstendamm 52.
German designers featured at Oliver Hofmann share a philosophy of sleek minimalism. Rubber and diamond rings and matte platinum and diamond pieces are conscious understatements at this jewelry showroom.
The five-story Stilwerk houses a variety of upscale shops that all specialize in home furnishings and accessories. The location has helped turn the surrounding neighborhood into Berlin's Design Mile, with numerous interior design and furnishing stores on Kantstrasse and nearby.
In the homey setting of Wohnart Berlin you can imagine how the stylish European furnishings, lamps, housewares, or stationery items might suit your own pad.
