Babette's

I’ve never been to the London based Books for Cooks store and it obviously makes me a pathetic loser. EVERYBODY knows The Legendary Books for Cooks. Inspired by the London institution a Viennese store was launched some time ago, and I immediately fell in love with its second branch distinguished by a slightly altered concept. Besides cook books it also offers an impressive collection of herbs and spices. Shiny floors, airy shelves and pharmacy-like cabinets, weighed down with hundreds of cook books and flasks with condiments. An ethereal fairy behind the counter is willingly seeking nonexistent herbs for us. Spices and their wonderful mixtures are what will lure me back here; to breathe in the pale memories of something good and forgotten.
Books there are a plenty, cook books of any sorts and kinds, highly specialized publications on specific ingredients or methods of preparation, national cuisines and low profile eating deviations. Don’t come too hungry.

To die for: Babette’s has got a minicafé where you can get a rough espresso and rifle through books. I found great pieces on veganism.

Turn off: many books are in English, but most of them naturally in German. If you cannot Deutsch sprechen, you can still go crazy about the herbs.

Babette's, Schleifmühlgasse 17 or at Am Hof 13, Vienna

Lomography Store

Although not personally a LOMO camera owner, I am a huge fan and advocate. Dreamy colors, nostalgic roundness and overflowing images excite something ancient, warm and dear in me. In the vile, chaotic Beijing the LOMO Shop became an oasis of Westernism, a piece of highly treasured homely feel. Little cameras, fish eye lenses, film, cases. Sleepy Chinese geeks just peeked at me drowsily and went on with their geeky activities.

I didn’t buy anything, but I felt truly good for a moment.

Similar shops can be found in Barcelona, Paris, New York, Sydney… the nearest one in Vienna (at Museums Quartier). Read more about LOMO: http://www.lomography.com/

Buy LOMO cameras cheaply through eBay.

Lomography Store, No. 9, Long Tou Jing Jie, Xi Cheng District, Beijing, China