Discover the best shops in Bowral and surrounds with this complete guide to shopping in the vibrant Southern Highlands village.

The best shops in Bowral range from giant emporiums for antiques and collectables to shoe stores and shops dedicated to showcasing sheepskin. The village is a veritable bowerbird’s nest with Bowral shops selling everything from coins to jewellery, toys, Art Deco furniture, books, glassware and textiles sourced from around the world. If you’re a serious shopper and looking for something to do in the region, you’ll know that you can hit the high street here for hours.

Put together an itinerary based on our guide to the best shops in Bowral.

In short

If you only visit one shop in Bowral make it Bespoke Letterpress, where you can stock up on beautiful stationery and buy all your Christmas gifts in one hit.

Bowral antique shops

Those with an abiding fascination for everything from vintage furniture to unconventional art should follow our guide to some of the best antique shops in Bowral and beyond.

Dirty Janes Bowral

Expect objets d’art, antiques, collectables and curios for the curious that span the past century at Dirty Janes, a destination for collectors with limited time. Dirty Janes is such a good hunting ground for treasures that you could just visit this one-stop vintage shop in the Highlands and be happy with your finds. All up, there are more than 80 independent dealers, decorators and upcyclers at Dirty Janes, Bowral.

Address: 13 Banyette St, Bowral

The Bronte Tram

Visit one of the best cafes in Bowral for coffee and start plotting your plan of attack. You will find everything from brass candlesticks, chandeliers, wedding chests, leather suitcases, vintage furniture and stunning silverware at The Bronte Tram, which sources its collectables from around the globe.

Address: Shop 2/379 Bong Bong St, Bowral

Grandpa’s Shed, Fitzroy Falls

Remember what it was like to get lost in Grandpa’s Shed? Well, Grandpa called and he wants his stuff back. Grandpa’s Shed in Fitzroy Falls is an essential stop for road-trippers who like to fossick. The eclectic and luxuriant mix of junk and ephemera and carefully curated clutter is not for your Marie Kondo kinds. It’s perfectly imperfect and worth the 20-minute drive from Bowral.
Address: 1353 Nowra Road, Fitzroy Falls

Bookshops in Bowral

The number of bookshops in and around Bowral says something about the denizens of the village, which once served as a rural retreat for Sydney’s landed gentry.  Plan your visit to coincide with the annual Southern Highlands Writers’ Festival .

Berkelouw Book Barn

Although it’s technically in Berrima, 11 minutes from Bowral, Berkelouw Book Barn has to be top of the list of best bookshops in Bowral. As well as a stunning collection of secondhand, rare, antiquarian and contemporary books, the storied Berkelouw Book Barn is a destination in its own right for its adjacent restaurant and accommodation.

The Bookshop Bowral

The Bookshop Bowral is an institution for its carefully curated selection of books written by culturally diverse authors from around the world. Check the calendar of events hosted by the book shop, which schedules in-store signings and talks by authors during the annual Southern Highlands Writers’ Festival.

Address: 309 Bong Bong Street, Bowral

The Phoenix Bookstore

So named after a fire destroyed its original premises, The Phoenix Bookstore has started a new chapter selling new and old books from its new location tucked in behind Bowral Post Office. Join the steady stream of shoppers browsing and chatting with the staff at this cosy bookstore who, as dedicated bookworms, will help you find something that takes your fancy.

Address: Lamond Lane, Bowral

Books Ever After

Everything from fairy porn to romance novels has been blowing up on BookTok. At the forefront of the trend is Books Ever After, run by bestselling romance author and Books by the Bridge Author Events founder, Kat T. Masen. Find one-of-a-kind bookish merchandise, limited editions, book events, and personally signed paperbacks to add some spice to your next book club.
Address: Shop 4, The Grand Arcade. 291-297 Bong Bong Street.

Boutique shops in Bowral

Shopping is one of the best things to do in Bowral thanks in part to the creative community who call the Southern Highlands home. There are fabulous one-of-a-kind boutiques, hipped-up homeware stores and quirky op shops dotted around the main street’s jumble of Bowral shops.

Wilson & Dorset

It’s a much more pleasing experience to run your hands over the woolly wares at Wilson & Dorset in Bowral than to shop online. The NZ brand with the cult following chose Bowral as its flagship Australian store because of its proximity to the countryside. Head here for everything from designer floor rugs to laptop covers, cushions and accessories.

Address: 363 Bong Bong Street

Burnt Co

Delight your olfactory senses with a visit to Burnt Co. This local gem creates sustainable home fragrances delivered via a range of candles, diffusers and room sprays. The Bowral shop has the market cornered for sustainable candles complete with a return and burn system for refill options. Or take a candle-making class to create something unique for your home.
Address: 5 Bong Bong St, Bowral

SoHi

Step into SoHi and be dazzled. Is it a boutique, a tasting room, a jewellery store? Well, the main product is alcohol, but this isn’t like any bottle-o you’ve set foot in. Sample local gins, vodkas. Buy some Red Pony Negroni. Or choose from martinis straight from the freezer. You can also get uber bougie and use the refill fountain. Private tastings are also on offer for small groups.
Address: Shop 3b/391-397 Bong Bong St, Bowral

Bespoke Letterpress

This couture letterpress stationery store was once part of The Press Shop, now housing one of the best cafes in Bowral. But Bespoke Letterpress became so popular it had to move to larger premises on Bowral’s main street. Bespoke Letterpress is paradise for lovers of pretty and practical stationery such as diaries, planners, calendars and more.

Address: Shop 2B, 310-312 Bong Bong St, Bowral

HEM

Looking for something funky or flouncy? You’ll find it here at HEM, which has a whimsical mix of local and global brands that make a fashion-forward statement. Forget fast fashion. HEM has managed to lean toward up-and-coming designers and contemporary homewares that are stand-alone standouts.

Address: 1/23 Boolwey St, Bowral

Susie Anderson Home

Sip coffee with your friends so you’re well-fuelled before your foray into the Suzie Anderson Home store. Take the Style Quiz ahead of your visit to help provide tailor-made tips for choosing everything from gift sets to tablecloths, homewares, fashion and furniture.

Address: 409-411 Argyle St, Moss Vale

Bare Body Beauty Co.

The Shoe Merchant

Birkenstocks, Ecco, Emu Slippers, Floresheim, Frankie4, Louenhide and Rollie Nation are just a few of the beautifully designed brands stocked at The Shoe Merchant in Bowral. Fans of designer footwear travel from all over Sydney to Bowral to find shoes designed for everything from dancing to walking.

Bowral markets and op shops

There are plenty of upmarket stores to browse in Bowral. But it’s the affordable op shops and stores with vintage vibes that offer the biggest buzz for treasure hunters in Bowral. The Bowral Market is also a better-than-garden-variety market too. In addition to the quality bric-a-brac and artisan wares, it showcases the State’s bounty of fresh produce.

Bowral Market

Bowral Market, held on the second Saturday of each month, sells food, clothing, jewellery, plants, arts and crafts. The pet-friendly market sources a lot of fresh produce from the Southern Highlands. Hot tip: Stock your eco bag with a kilo of Robertson potatoes, a jar of Chapo’s Raw Honey and relishes from Lame Duck Foods.

Address: Bowral Bowling Club, 40 Shepherd St, Bowral

Timeless Fashion & Furniture

It’s all about the thrill of the hunt at The Southern Highlands Community Hospice Shop where you are likely to find everything from a powder-blue safari suit from the ‘70s to a military-style jacket, pair of cowboy boots, Portico clock or framed print signed by a local artist.

Address: 315 Bong Bong St, Bowral

Father Chris Riley Op Shop

Hard-core antique collectors and up-cyclers will enjoy rummaging for a bargain at this op shop. Father Chris Riley supports young people who are trying to turn their lives around so they can feel even more righteous about forgoing fast fashion while in pursuit of that cricket cardigan or glittering jumpsuit.

Address: 8 Bundaroo St, Bowral

Bowral Crafts Unlimited

Craft skills of yesteryear are still thriving thanks to the charitable nans, aunties of the Southern Highlands. Their wonderful handiwork is on show at Bowral Crafts Unlimited, the collective serving the Wingecarribee community since 1972. More than 60 volunteers work to craft wares that are sold to support community services such as the local hospital and Rural Fire Service.

Address: 22 Wingecarribee St, Corbet Plaza, Bowral