Overview
Annandale feels more like a village than a city suburb. Wandering its busy Booth Street, you'll find DIY stores, buzzing cafes and colourful gift shops, all independently owned and community minded — if you can't find what you need in store, you'll be directed to a neighbouring shop that's equally passionate about local produce and supporting other local makers. And when you're on foot, you can pick up freshly baked pasties, natural wine and a hardy pot plant, all without having to travel far between stores.
To celebrate the local-first spirit of Annandale, we've teamed up with American Express to bring you a list of stores you should visit next time you're in the area. So whether you're buying bread, booze or birthday presents, you can shop small with your Amex Card.
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Chef Kimmy Gastmeier’s woodfired sourdough loaves have become legendary in the inner west. People line up daily to pick up the signature fig leaf with its distinctive crust, and they’ll often sit in for a cup of Loggerhead Coffee and a house-made sausage roll or a slice of its pineapple sponge, too.
Since opening in 2019, Cherry Moon has really leaned into its General Store name, stocking fruit and veggies, loose leaf teas, environmentally friendly washing liquids, toilet rolls and shampoo and conditioner bars. You can also fill your basket with pickles, kimchi, cultured butter, keffir, sausages and cheeses from the store’s fridge, as well as its house-made ice cream found in the freezers near the back.
Image: Kitti Gould
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This Booth Street nursery has been bringing up beautiful green babies from seedlings to potted plants since 1980. You’ll find junior fiddle leaf figs, snake plants and swiss cheese plants to take home for your collection, as well as packets of seeds and green shoots for when you’re ready to get serious.
The family-run nursery is packed to the rafters with ceramic and plastic pots, native and exotic plants, as well as succulents, cacti, bags of soil, gardening tools and plant food. It’s open daily, which means you can pop by and ask the knowledgeable staff about how best to take care of your indoor jungle whenever the need arises.
Image: Cassandra Hannagan -
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Annandale locals with a taste for skin contact wines can find their preferred drops at this family-owned bottle shop on Booth Street. The store champions natural wines and has plenty of options to choose from if you like organic, minimal intervention and bio-dynamic vinos.
Owner Chris Loth also flogs his own label of preservative-free drops, and Loth prides himself on stocking labels you mightn’t have come across before. Limited by budget? Have a chat with whoever’s on the front desk, as the bottle-o has a broad selection of quaffable drops. It also runs weekly wine tastings.
Image: Cassandra Hannagan
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Found inside an 1880s-built former chapel, Acadèmie Salon is a neighbourhood hairdresser that aims to bring out the best look for you, rather than give you a TV-style transformation. The salon is run by Mikele Simone and Richi Grisillo, whose team of stylists strives to make you feel like a rockstar. Speaking of which, the salon has been known to cater to genuine celebs. But don’t let that put you off, as whoever walks through the archway entrance is treated with the same premium haircare and expert advice as those with a public profile.
Like many salons, pricing is a reflection of the stylist’s level of skill and experience, but you can expect to pay between $100–120 for a hair cut (including wash, massage and blow dry) and between $90–200 for a colour treatment.
Image: Cassandra Hannagan
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This independent boutique on the corner of Booth and View Streets is where you come when you know you need to buy a gift, but you’re not sure what to get yet. It started life as a children’s toy and clothing store in 2002, but five years ago it broadened its range to include women’s fashion, homewares, beauty products and indoor plants and pots.
You’ll find Australian-made products like Bondi Wash body wash, Leif kakadu plum hand cream and hand-poured soy candles from Maison Blanche. You’ll also want to run your hands over soft blankets and quilts from Kip and Co, Indus, Citta Design and Jamie Kay; finger through the racks of dresses and shirts from Elk the Label; and open every Gentleman’s Hardware pocket tin of miniature tools. Whatever the occasion, there’ll be a gift here that fits the brief.
Image: Cassandra Hannagan
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This neighbourhood pub on the corner of Booth and Johnston Streets is welcoming, community minded and no-frills. It hosts live music sessions every Sunday from 4pm, trivia on Wednesday nights, and meat raffles on Thursdays. It’s where you come when you’re craving a pub feed, and its bistro cooks up schnitzels and chicken parmis daily.
You can sit in the bar or the courtyard, and there’s a kids’ play area if you’ve got little ones in tow. The menu rarely changes, and that means you know exactly what you’ll get every time you visit. Prices linger around $20–30 for a main, and there’s fish and chips, rump steak, beef and bacon burger and twice cooked pork belly, all served with the usual sides.
Image: Creative Commons/J Bar