The Irish Times Best Shops 2016: The top 100 are revealed
Written by Thousands of nominations have been considered and The Irish Times have whittled the competition down to a shortlist of 100 #BestShop2016
We are proud to announce the 20 finalists from DublinTown and the Creative Quarter. All are worthy winners. We wish all stores the very best of luck. The winners of Best Shops 2016 will be announced on August 27th!
BEST BOOKSHOP
Hodges Figgis, 56-58 Dawson St, Dublin 2. Founded in 1768 this is a bookworms dream where many an hour can be spent here browsing through the three floors and bargain basement with nearly every title under the sun.
Ulysses Rare Books, 10 Duke St, Dublin 2. An unrivalled selection of first editions and hard-to-find titles. This is a book collectors haven.
Books Upstairs, 17 D’Olier St, Dublin 2. With great Literary periodicals to ponder over, this is an old world store with a quaint artisan café upstairs
BEST SPECIALIST SHOP
Musicmaker Dublin 29 Exchequer St, Creative Quarter. The Drumgeon is the basement drum department aka the spiritual home of Dublin’s drummers. With walls upon walls of leading electric guitar brands, and drumskin collection signed by legendary customers like The Edge, Blondie, Robbie Robertson and relaxed jamming sessions it is easy to see why Musicmaker has been at the centre of Dublin’s music scene for the last 30 years.
Mr Middleton, 58 Mary Street, Dublin 1. In the early 1970’s Thomas Quearney known to many as Mr Middleton started growing plants in his parent’s back garden, by 1973 he had started trading and selling at markets. It is the passion for new and old varieties of noteworthy merit that is so evident in the ethos of the store and has earned them a place in the shortlist for Best Specialist Shop.
Anthony Peto, 14 Anne St S, Dublin 2. The Parisian chapelier chose Dublin to launch his first overseas hat boutique. A hat maker renaissance.
Parfumarija Westbury Mall in the Creative Quarter. Olfactory heaven with rare and special scents. In this playground of scent, you will encounter rare, imaginative fragrances created by some of the world’s top perfumers pursuing their pure, uncorrupted vision, free from the constraints of the mass marketed mainstream.
Appassionata Flowers, 29 Drury St, Creative Quarter; Fabulous specialist floral studio in the Creative Quarter with bespoke and unusual arrangements of fresh flowers. Ruth and her talented team bring inspiration to any occasion with their beautiful simplicity and exquisite attention to detail.
Conns Cameras, 54 Clarendon St, Creative Quarter; Experts in their field. This has long been the go-to camera store for all photographers and camera enthusiasts.
This is Knit, First Floor, Powerscourt Townhouse Centre Nirvana for the needle set.
Cloth, 5 Johnson’s Place, Dublin 2; Smartly merchandised fabric and haberdashers by mother and team Deirdre and Sinéad with art school training in London, Dublin and Limerick. They source rare materials from all over the world, from Kerry to Kashmir, Paris to London to Edinburgh, to North and South America and to the Far East, and beyond.
BEST FOOD AND DRINK
Celtic Whiskey Shop, 27-28 Dawson St, Dublin 2; A distilled collection of the world’s finest malts, wines and beer.
Fallon & Byrne, 11-17 Exchequer St, Creative Quarter; Two-time winner in this competition, the city grocers is as popular as ever.
BEST SALON
Dylan Bradshaw, 56 South William Street, Creative Quarter. Previous winner with a loyal, highly-polished following.
Hair by Mane The Grooming Rooms, 16 South William Street, Creative Quarter. Boasting state-of-the-art equipment and luxurious interiors topped off with a large heated roof terrace and a private pampering room, this salon provides clients and hair revellers the most sumptuous hairdressing experience.
Davey Davey Stephen Street 24 Stephen St. Smart men and women’s hair salon with barber. The Davey Davey philosophy is to create commercial but sensational creative looks.
BEST VISUAL MERCHANDISING
Optica, 6 Dawson St, Dublin 2; Edgy, classy, avant-garde eye wear from Donal and Deirdre MacNally.
KID Store Dublin Top Floor, Powerscourt Townhouse Centre, stunning design led concept store offering a unique shopping experience for the modern family including a play area for kids and a comfortable baby feeding room.
Sugar Daddy Barbers by Sugar Culture, Creative Quarter, 2 Exchequer St; Sugar Daddy respects the heritage of classic barbering and brings a modern twist to the new generation of male urbanites taking pride in their appearance.
BEST FAMILY-RUN SHOP
Monaghan’s, Royal Hibernian Way, Dawson St, Dublin 2; Opened in 1960 by Tom Monaghan and still operated by Tom and his daughter Suzanne. Cashmere specialists. No doubt shortlisted because of their excellent customer service and high quality stock of the very best in 100% pure Scottish Cashmere for both ladies and gents.
#DublinTown wish all the shortlisted the very best of luck! Follow us on Twitter for more updates on The Irish Times #BestShop2016
