1. Zest
The takeout counter (owned by Toronto food stylist Julie Aldis) is Port Hope’s answer to Dean & DeLuca, serving up a wish list of designer delectables (sea scallops, rare tamarind-beef sammies). Next door, its brand new bistro is the hood’s most fashionable resto, winningly mixing small-town charm with South Beach gloss. Chefs use local produce; herbs are grown in the back garden; apples from Aldis’s orchard in Grafton make their way into pies. 64 John St., 905-885-7200.

2. Chicks and the Magpie
The sassiest shop on the strip, this cheerful jewel box is packed with all manner of necessary frippery: handbags from Montreal’s Matt & Nat, belts by Michael Kors, jewellery from Toronto’s Foxy Originals and fragrant celeb-vetted scrubs and lip butters from Cake Beauty. Movies (Legally Blonde, 13 Going on 30) play on a plasma above the cash, setting the decidedly girlie mood. 60 Walton St., 905-885-0998.

3. The Senate
A spot of Queen West on Walton, this is the third outpost in owners Stephen Ashton and Teri-Jo Collina-Ashton’s sartorial empire (they also own Chicks and G. Facey Clothing across the street). The well- appointed boutique carries an impressive selection of homegrown lines: Arthur Mendonça, David Dixon, Rosa Costanzo, Franco Mirabelli and Chulo Pony lead the charge. 56 Walton St., 905-885-1927.

4. Garden Accents
The verdant shop—abloom with everything for your yard—inspires even the botanically maladroit to take to the soil. There are stone bird baths, cedar bird feeders, bronze fountains and Indonesian teak patio chairs and tables ($300–$4,000) that seem destined to enjoy a leisurely life on some Muskoka terrace. 48 Walton St., 905-885-7776.

5. Hinchcliff & Lee
Romantic and grand, the two-storey emporium is devoted to Chinese antiques and reproductions. Co-owners (and couple) Tracy and Doug Vandenberg head to China twice a year on buying expeditions. Some standout finds: an intricately hand-carved pinewood cabinet from Fujian Province ($1,950) and a 300-year-old wooden statue ($1,550). 37 Walton St., 905-885-5905.

6. The Capitol Theatre
With a drawbridge marquee, and terrazzo floors in the lobby, the 1930 Capitol is a relic of a crimson-curtain time before SilverCity. One of the country’s first theatres dedicated to talkies, it has been lovingly restored to the tune of $4.5 million and now serves as a cozy movie house and performance centre (Sarah Harmer was a recent headliner). 20 Queen St., 905-885-1071.

7. Smith’s Creek Antiques
This sweeping space carries enough antiques to furnish a hamlet of urban cottages. Most pieces—cupboards, tables, armoires—hail from 19th-century Ontario and Quebec: an 1860 tiger maple commode and pre-Confederation crocks (decorated with birds and sunflowers) make you long for the days of inkwells and butter churns. 27 Walton St., 905-885-7840.

8. Lantern Inn
Designed by William Thomas in 1845 (who also gave us Toronto’s St. Lawrence Hall and St. Michael’s Cathedral), it’s still the grandest pile on the street. The 20 rooms and suites are handsomely furnished with mahogany four-poster beds. Dinner is served on the terrace; on chilly afternoons, guests can warm up by the fire in the dining room. 2 Mill St. S., 905-885-2449.