Guide: Orchard Road malls

Nearest MRT: Orchard

SHAW HOUSE. The highlights of the five-storey Shaw House include a branch of Japanese department store Isetan and, of course, the popular flagship Shaw Cinema.

WHEELOCK PLACE. Smaller than many Orchard malls, Wheelock Place is heavy on surgery clinics, from dental to eye and plastic surgery. Highlights include Marks & Spencer and Skinny Pizza, the hipster pizza joint famed for its squid ink version.

FAR EAST PLAZA. The slightly grubby five-storey Far East Plaza, set behind TANGS Plaza on Scotts Road, has become a bit of a cult destination for its fashion gems hidden among the tat and many tattoo parlors. Star shops include local designs at WoodWood and quirky Sino-kitsch at The Corner Shop.

TANGS PLAZA. The four-storey TANGS department store, owned by the late CK Tang, sells pretty much everything, like an up market Mustafa.

ION ORCHARD. The space-age ION Orchard is the biggest mall on Orchard (Ngee Ann is second), with a monster range of shops – biggies like Accessorize, Uniqlo,Topshop and Zara, but also more thoughtful brands such as Penhaligon’s and Hervé Léger. There’s a Strip/Browhaus, an art gallery and Luke Mangan’s Salt Grill on the 56th-floor ION Sky.

LUCKY PLAZA. Lucky Plaza is quantity over quality, with more than 500 shops. Come here for authentic Indonesian and Filipino fare, cheap beauty services and to buy wigs and magic gear.

WISMA ATRIA. Wisma Atria does the lower end of designer, with the likes of Lacoste, Gap, Miss Selfridge and Charles & Keith, plus the Isetan department store.The food highlight is Din Tai Fung.

PARAGON. Paragon is committed to mid- to high- end brands, with a fairly predictable selection that includes (to go with the Ms) Miss Selfridge, Miss Sixty, Miu Miu and Moschino.

NGEE ANN CITY. Though not the prettiest building, NAC has more than 130 stores, from the designer C-brands (Céline, Chanel, Chloé) to Zara and Mango.There’s a Kinokuniya bookstore; some decent Japanese restaurants below Takashimaya department store; and beauty options galore, from Kiehl’s and Jo Malone to Sccube the Apothecary, Phyto Hair Spa and, er,Tokyo Bust Express.

Nearest MRT: Somerset

MANDARIN GALLERY. A classy if flashy mall, with the likes of Bathing Ape, Armani, BOSS and Marc Jacobs, as well as hip Japanese furniture at atomi.The food highlight is Ippudo for ramen.

MIDPOINT ORCHARD. There’s a tackier feel here, much like Lucky Plaza – it’s also crammed with small, cheap shops.

CINELEISURE ORCHARD. The colourful Cineleisure, on Grange Road behind Mandarin Gallery, has a cutesy teenage girl feel, with sushi trains, karaoke, e-gaming and shops with names like Pocketz and Pretty in Tokyo.The focal point, though, is the bustling 12-screen Cathay Cineplex.

313 @ SOMERSET. Good mid-range mall with a focus on big-hitting flagships such as Uniqlo, Zara and Forever 21. Decent mid- range hairdressers, too, in Salon Vim and Shunji Matsuo.

THE CENTREPOINT. One of the city’s older malls, refurbished in 2006 and housing Gap, Robinson’s and Marks & Spencer. www.fraserscentrepointmalls.com

ORCHARD CENTRAL. Trendy shops like the Editor’s Market and Dream Vintage, plus the new Dean and DeLuca, the world’s tallest indoor Via Ferrata climbing wall, an art-filled roof garden and decent restaurants. It’s difficult to navigate at times, though. www.orchardcentral.com.sg

OG ORCHARD POINT. Another department store, which we’re not particularly excited by. Granny’s Secret, thankfully, is a local food joint rather than a lingerie store. www.og.com.sg

Nearest MRT: Dhoby Ghaut

PLAZA SINGAPURA. This Dhoby Ghaut perennial (which is further down beyond the limits of this map) is tackier than most Orchard offerings.The big draw is Carrefour. www.plazasingapura.com.sg

A FEW HANDY HINTS:

• Get out of the taxi at Wheelock Place to avoid ERP charges
• Take a cab from ION Orchard to avoid the $3 area surcharge
• The CentrePoint has the cheapest parking on average ($2/first hour daily)
• Paragon’s toilets have been voted the city’s cleanest
• An underground link runs from Wheelock (and Shaw) to Ngee Ann City