With over 100 shops and a sprawling food court, spread over five floors on the banks of the Inner Alster Lake, the €430m Europa Passage is the dramatic brainchild of noted local architect Hadi Teherani. (europa-passage.de)

The brainchild of Yvonne Massa and Hakan Demirdoegen, two twentysomethings with an eye for fashion, Nuena, which boasts two city-centre outlets, specialises in costume jewellery (nuena.de).

Just ten minutes north of the city-centre, Eppendorfer Baum is the chic home to countless bijoux boutiques selling everything from bohemian kaftans and clutches to jewellery, stationery and bespoke scents. There are also top-notch takeaway eateries, kitschy furniture shops, a children's store and, if you continue and make for Weidenstieg and Eppendoferweg, artisans like goldsmiths and hat-makers.

The world's top modern furniture and home-accessory brands like Poliform-Studio, Officina Alessi, ligne roset, Bang & Olufsen and Tobias Grau are all housed in one fashionable brick-clad interiors emporium. Stilwerk (stilwerk.de), located on the cobbled street flanking the Elbe and steps from Hamburg's legendary fischmarkt, also contains a ground-floor bar and café.