Laurier Avenue West, Montreal

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Published: 12:00am, 3 Jun 2007

If not totally off the beaten track for tourists, Montreal's stylish, eight-block-long Laurier Avenue West is certainly under the radar. In the middle of elegant patisseries and chic bistros are one-of-a-kind boutiques selling everything from children's designer clothes to swanky homeware. But a shopping trip to Laurier should not be a mad dash for something to wear that night. Shopping a la Laurier is leisurely, and that means several pauses for white wine on an outdoor terrace or a fresh, buttery croissant and steaming bowl of coffee in a small cafe with big windows and a panoramic view.

And if you like your cafe dans un bol as the French Montrealers do, you'll find plenty at La Maison d'Emilie (below left) (No 1073; www.lamaisondemilie.com), a 25-year-old shop that celebrates the 'art of the table'. Adorn your dinner setting with French butter dishes and camembert baking bowls. For the kitchen, there are gadgets such as a hi-tech garlic dicer (C$20/HK$140) and some stylish goggles (C$25) for use while slicing onions.

If you need coffee to fill that cafe au lait bowl, stroll across the street to Gourmet Laurier (No 1042; www.gourmetlaurier.com), a shop specialising in coffee and tea but also renowned for its gourmet goodies. There are 40 kinds of mustard, from little pots of fig mustard from L'Olivier (C$11) to Sakari's pepper mustard from the Basque region (C$8.50). Be sure not to miss the most local of treats, the wonderful maple sugar candies and syrups (a speciality from Quebec's maple forests), priced from C$10 to C$30.

Bling addicts will love nearby Agatha (No 1054; tel: 1 514 272 9313), which is full of unique, funky, retro-looking pieces (below right). Glittery crystal and long faux-pearl necklaces dangle on the walls. Glass cases sparkle with this season's clips and brooches encrusted with fantasy jewels. Shoppers will go wild for Agatha's Jungle Pop line of necklaces and bracelets adorned with pink elephants, zebras and giraffes. Cheap and chic baubles cost from C$50 to C$350.

When you've satisfied your grown-up glam quotient, visit Les Enfants Deslongchamps (No 1007; tel: 1 514 274 2442) for tot trends. There are racks of pastel, vintage-inspired frocks from British designer Butterscotch and, for summer-holiday-bound boys, Italian-designed navy and white resort wear by Bimbalo. No child's wardrobe is complete without French couture and Petite Ours for boys and girls fills the gap with colourful cottons and super-soft fabrics. Brace yourself for prices from C$75 to C$390.

If you really have to catch the next flight out, make sure you visit Jet-Setter (No 66; www.jet-setter.ca) for stylish travel bags and chic sleep masks. Jet-Setter's gadgets are worth the trip. Shelves are crammed with devices for every travel emergency. Broken your glasses? Buy a tiny repair kit. Power failure? Buy the wind-up mobile-phone charger. Miniature pop-up maps, hideaway cups and even a pen that writes in space are all here. Prices for multi-pocketed bags to cool gimmicks range from C$5 to C$500.

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