Spoon House

Cute design store for inquisitive shoppers
Noteworthy for: This tiny store full of hanging trinkets is more expensive than other similar places, but you won't get any tourist tat here.

Word to the wise: If you don't understand what something is, just ask the owner - he speaks a little English.
This tiny store on fashionable Gulou East street is overflowing with all kinds of uniquely designed accessories, ornaments, clothes and much more.

Most items are the creations of homegrown designers or artists, and many of them - including the old-style ceramic jewelry and pots - are hand-crafted. Stock ranges from refreshingly simple dual-colored canvas totes by Listen Lab and Nengmao's retro style leather bags, to notebooks with dreamy illustrations and quirky portable sound recorders, complete with a mini plastic Buddah inside the machine.

There are some very wacky inclusions like the gory/psychedelic t-shirts by the aptly named label Bad Taste, but it's interesting to see the country's design ideas, however dubious they may be.