This southern city bustles with beautiful shops and eateries
Dunedin is cool both in temperature and style. The gothic little city, perched on a sweeping peninsula, feels the same as the city might have done 20 or 30 years ago.
That is to say, it’s near timeless, smattered with cafes where students loiter over a long black, shops sell the type of cushions you’ll want to own forever and the boutique Dunedin accommodation speaks of the city’s unique heritage.
The busman’s guide to Dunedin:
Moi on George
Moi on George, 317 George Street
On the main stretch of shops, you can’t miss Moi on George, a homewares store that stocks impressive international offerings and local goods. You’ll recognise the usual array of names here: Sage & Clare, Martino Gamper, Kip & Co, and Citta, which should entice you in with the contemporary designs and bright patterns.
Mum-and-daughter duo Sandy Cubitt and Courtney Henderson run the shop and their design expertise is worth the visit alone.
Adjo
Adjo, 333 George Street
Nordic-style cuisine feels strangely at ease in this southern city. The hearty fare that Adjo serves up – sardines and goats’ cheese on house-made bread, stewed apples on crunchy chocolate muesli – is perfect to fuel you through the blustery winds that await you outside.
A trip to the cosy cafe (and gallery space) would be incomplete would checking out their extensive porridge menu. Choose from 10 porridge options, each more nourishing than the last.
Dunedin Art Gallery Shop
Dunedin Art Gallery Shop, 30 Octagon
We’re suckers for a good art gallery and Dunedin Public Art Gallery is well-stocked with surprises (a nonchalant Monet tucked away in a corner, anyone?). But perhaps the biggest surprise is the magnificent gallery shop, which boasts an array of books, trinkets, and homewares.
Pick up a print of Robin White’s wonderful paintings of the local landscape, or a Mondrian-inspired vase.
Vull Design
Vull Design, 34 Moray Place
At Vull Design, owner Shiree Gwynne scours the globe for those magazine-worthy, hard-to-find objects. Her taste is impeccable and her lighting selection is second to none.
Nestled back from the Octagon, fit in a visit to the store on your way to the railway station. They’ve recently got in a crop of Alessi kettles that we’ve got our eyes on.
Slick Willy’s
Slick Willy’s, 323A George Street
Tucked away up some century-old steps lies Slick Willy’s, which has been kicking around since 1983. Slick Willy’s is about as cool as the students who frequent it, which is very, judging from the nose piercings and Doc Martens.
The store primarily deals in fashion but fear not, there’s still a great selection of homewares to satisfy a casual browser. From checkered towels to 3D-printed stools, you’ll love the colourful and stylish ranges available
in-store.
Also visit: Go surfing at the seaside suburb of St Clair and dig into a delicious halloumi wrap at Long Dog afterwards. You can’t beat the cafe for coffee or ocean views. Pequeno Lounge Bar is the best kind of hidden bar: a cosy historic building with an open fire and a penchant for live jazz. Enjoy a Negroni or three.
Text Caroline Moratti
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