Best Bookshops in London
In the search for the best bookshop in London, we asked several writers to share their favourite places. From multi-storey shops to small local independents, these are some of the most inspirational and charming places to find books in the capital….your biggest dilemma will be which one to visit first!
Cecil Court Bookshops
The Tourist England Team:
There’s a tiny street in London, a few minutes walk from Trafalgar Square called Cecil Court. This is a paradise for second-hand book lovers, with around eleven (!!) bookstores on both sides of the street. A treasure trove from a bygone era, this should be the first stop on any serious book lovers itinerary! From here, take a right onto Charring Cross Road. It’s a long street, and there are about eight bookshops, mostly on the left-hand side. This includes Foyles, one of the most famous multi-story bookstores in the world.
the London review bookshop:
London Bookshop Review
Abegail from The Poetry Shed:
“So much more than just a bookshop, the London Review Bookshop stimulates all the senses. I love losing myself in there, drifting into the solitary calmness you find when you ease open a brand-new book. Their shelves are so well organised it’s easy to navigate from contemporary poetry and fiction to their wide range of non-fiction… then of course there’s the Cake Shop for a catch-up chat with friends… and the fabulous evening literary events… It’s not “just” a bookshop, it’s the heart of Bloomsbury.”
Tourist England top tip: This little “pocket” of London by the side of the British Museum have about eight bookstores, including on Bloomsbury Street and Great Russell Street.
Address: 14 Bury Place, Bloomsbury, London, WC1A 2JL
Nearest Underground Station: Holborn or Tottenham Court Road
daunt books:
Daunt Books in Marylebone
Merilyn from Books Unpacked:
“Daunt Books for Travellers is so, so much more. The Marylebone shop especially is an aesthetic delight, thousands of well-chosen books in an Edwardian restoration with soaring windows, oak balustrades, and shelves. Not only travel guides, but literary travel writing, arranged by country (the way we travel!). The best fiction and nonfiction, too, plus a publishing arm bringing back classics by Jamaica Kincaid, MFK Fisher, John McPhee, Saki, and more. Staff are savvy and kind, making every visit feel like a voyage of discovery.”
Address: 83 Marylebone High Street, London W1U 4QW
Nearest Underground Station: Baker Street or Bond Street
Additional stores in Holland Park, Hampstead, Cheapside, Chelsea & Belsize Park
Stanfords:
Stanfords bookshop
Rohan from Travels of a Bookpacker:
“As a book lover and an avid traveller, Stanfords is my idea of heaven on earth. The world’s largest map and travel bookshop covers three storeys of anything you can imagine related to travel and books. Travel guides, journals, travel writing, gifts and of course an entire floor dedicated to maps and globes. There’s also a cafe if you need to recharge during your visit. Do not enter this store unless you have a spare few hours and are prepared to leave with a serious case of book-fuelled wanderlust!”
Address: 12-14 Long Acre, Covent Garden, London WC2E 9LP
Nearest Underground Station: Covent Garden or Leicester Square
Heywood Hill:
Heywood Hill
Dane from Social Bookshelves:
“I’d have to recommend Heywood Hill in Mayfair. It’s a delightful little bookshop that’s been there since the 1930s and a blogger friend of mine, Eleanor Franzen from Elle Thinks, is lucky enough to work there. They sell a mixture of old and new books and also offer subscription deals. Eleanor has great taste and the bookshop itself is stunning with something for literally everyone, so be sure to stop by and say hello if you get a chance.”
Address: 10 Curzon Street, Mayfair, London W1J 5HH
Nearest Underground Station: Green Park
Any Amount of Books:
Any Amount of Books
Daniel from The Reader is Warned:
“My Favourite bookshop in London is the inimitable Any Amount of Books, a wistful paradise of second-hand wonders. The staff are always welcoming and the shop is restocked daily so there is always something special to be found. Upstairs has the expensive and newer items, but the basement is where the real gems are. Three rooms of books stacked floor to ceiling, with that rich scent of time and forgotten history wafting throughout. I always leave here with a vintage treasure.”
Address: 56 Charing Cross Road, London, WC2H 0QA
Nearest Underground Station: Leicester Square
