Opened in 1990, this sprawling mix of food, art and fashion was the first concept store. Today with its own restaurant and three-room hotel, it’s less a shop than a destination. Wonderful presentation shows off excellent buying in books, shoes and clothes, and the attention paid to giftwrap, bags and packaging makes it hard to resist at least a small purchase. Unless it’s torrential out, make the effort to visit the roof terrace.

Located at Darsena, where two canals meet, this fish stand caters to home cooks and hungry passers-by. On the right is a splendid display of raw fish and seafood, to the left are cooked items – fried fish fillets, prawns, squid, baby octopus. A selection of this fritto misto served in a cone is just €5 and a substantial snack that’s fresh, crisp and varied enough to keep you interested to the end. Enjoy it on the move or sitting on a bench taking in views of the canal.

In a slightly shabby, out of the way corner of the city, this contemporary art space is both luxurious and bleak. Designed by Rem Koolhas, it is vast – 205,000 square foot – comprising restored industrial buildings on top of which are new structures, including a tower clad in gold leaf, housing Prada’s own collection. The rest of it is given over to temporary exhibitions, and to Bar Luce, a delightful green and pink homage to Italian cafés of the 1960s, designed by Wes Anderson. More than just a feat of art direction, the food, drink and service are notably excellent.

In the post-industrial Baltic Triangle, currently in the throes of an orgy of construction, you’ll find this compact bakery and café. At the back, on a slightly raised level is the oven, stacks of flour and shelves filled with loaves of bread line one wall, with a selection of cakes and pastries at the front. Their bread is exceptional and a breakfast of two slabs of sourdough toast served with a selection of local jams and nut butters (the Funky Nut Company’s Chinese Spice peanut butter is a standout) will set you up for the day. Lunchtime soup and sandwiches come recommended too.

For a little over 50 years this has been a source of curiosities and cast-off s. It has an unreconstructed air, unstyled and certainly not “curated”, with books, records, clothes, militaria, furniture, jewellery, crockery and assorted oddities stacked up amid houseplants, lit by rows of paper globes and skylights. An old-fashioned junk shop atmosphere is at the heart of its appeal, but no business lasts this long without knowing the value of what it’s selling.

A short bus ride from the city centre, this handsome park feels a world away. Prosperous-looking houses line the perimeter, dogs are walked, ducks and geese enjoy the large boating lake, and attractive features such as the Fairy Glen make it a thoroughly pleasant place to  wander. Crowning it all is the Palm House, constructed in 1896; 100 years on it was almost derelict. Now fully restored, it’s elegant and light-filled, used for tea dances, yoga and home to a very jolly robin, who serenades all who enter.