15+ Best Bookshops in London That Will Steal Every Book Lover’s Heart

Last Updated on 12th March 2026 by Charlotte Nadeau

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No matter where you are in the world, few places feel as comforting and familiar as a bookshop. In London, you’ll find some of the most charming literary corners imaginable, perfect for soaking up the quiet serenity of shelves upon shelves of books. Tucked between historic streets, down hidden staircases, or even floating on Regent’s Canal, London’s best bookshops are sure to steal your heart!

London is filled with literary locations, and its bookshops just scratch the surface! If you’re visiting for the first time, check out my 55 London Travel Tips to Know Before Your First Trip to make your adventure that bit easier.

Hatchards

Address: 187 Piccadilly, London W1J 9LE

Hatchards is the oldest bookshop in London, and in the whole of the United Kingdom, for that matter! Founded in 1797, it sits just steps away from the renowned Fortnum & Mason, as well as the elegant shopping arcades of Piccadilly Arcade and Burlington Arcade.

This beautiful five-storey bookshop offers a peaceful retreat from the hustle and bustle of Piccadilly, and it’s also the official bookseller to the royal household!

You can expect to find titles from new fiction, classic literature, and high-quality books, to more specialised non-fictions, including history, biographies, and art books. Hatchards are also pretty well known for selling signed special editions and hosting a wide variety of events throughout the year.

Hatchards has two locations, the other being within the International Station at St Pancras. However, I recommend visiting its flagship at Piccadilly for the full five-storey experience of books upon books in a grand London townhouse.

Daunt Books

Address: 84 Marylebone High St, London W1U 4QW

Located in leafy Marylebone, Daunt Books is easily one of the most beautiful bookshops in London. There are actually six Daunt bookshops, but its flagship is the most popular, and for good reason! Set within a stunning Edwardian-era building, with long oak galleries and graceful skylights, upon stepping in, you can’t help but feel a certain magic in the air.

Something particularly special about the Marylebone branch is that it sells books with a focus on all things travel. Shelves upon shelves of books are stacked with travel writing, guidebooks, and literature, arranged by country – it’s truly an adventurer’s dream.

Libreria

Address: 65 Hanbury St, London E1 5JP

One of the most mesmerising and glowy bookshops in London comes in the form of Libreria, a quiet bookish corner in Shoreditch. This bookshop is run by Second Home, a co-working space across the road, as a place to foster creativity and serendipitous discovery. The interior exudes exactly that: a warm, lamp-lit, narrow space filled with books, where a giant mirror stretches across the ceiling and back wall, making the bookshop feel even more enchanting.

You can expect to find a curated selection of contemporary titles, mainly organised by theme from time and space, to brain and well-being, or books about architecture, wanderlust and the city of London itself.

Judd Books

Address: 82 Marchmont St, London WC1N 1AG

Teeming with books, this Bloomsbury bookshop is deceptive in size. Step inside, and you’ll soon find stairs leading down to a never-ending labyrinth of shelves stacked from floor to ceiling with second-hand treasures and new but heavily discounted titles. In fact, Judd Books is a hotspot for local students looking to purchase a bargain, as it’s filled with a huge selection of academic books.

Judd Books was set up in the 1990s by two booksellers from the long-running radical bookshop Housmans. Today, it’s a beloved bookish corner where readers can browse, discover, and lose themselves among carefully curated shelves stacked with over 50,000 books!

Gay’s the Word

Address: 66 Marchmont St, London WC1N 1AB

Since opening in 1979, Gay’s the Word has been both a bookshop and, most importantly, a crucial meeting point for London’s queer community, particularly during the era of rampant homophobia. However, it did face its challenges, fighting off homophobic harassment and legal action during the 1980s. Gay’s the Word faced legal action when hundreds of imported books were seized by authorities under outdated censorship laws. This was a high-profile case that sparked public support and ultimately led to all charges being dropped.

Nevertheless, Gay’s the Word has withstood the test of time with resilience, and it is the UK’s oldest LGBT+ bookshop. Warm, welcoming and filled with the most loved LGBTQ literature, it’s always a joy to visit. Head to the back and you’ll see a shelf dedicated entirely to second-hand books.

Foyles

Address: 107 Charing Cross Rd, London WC2H 0EB

Foyles has three locations dotted throughout London, but its flagship can be found along Charing Cross. This bookshop first opened its doors in 1906 and has been a beloved bookish corner and a beacon for bibliophiles ever since. Set over six storeys, you can wander the staircases that turn around a central atrium‑like space, or purchase a book and sit at the café while you soak up the bookshop’s pleasant atmosphere.

Waterstones

Address: 203-206 Piccadilly, London W1J 9HD

While I don’t normally recommend giant chains, Waterstones is worth a visit in London, mainly because its flagship is Europe’s largest bookshop. Boasting over 200,000 unique titles, it’s impossible not to be drawn to this Art Deco building that’s quite literally stacked to the brim with books.

Jarndyce

Address: 46 Great Russell St, London WC1B 3PA

Situated just steps away from the British Museum, Jarndyce Antiquarian Booksellers is noted as being one of London’s best bookshops for rare finds. Step inside, and you can quite literally smell the history of each page. Jarndyce specialises in copies from the 18th and 19th centuries, with plenty of Charles Dickens on offer.

While rare implies possibly out of the question when it comes to prices, there are some more affordable reads available, often starting from £20-£50. However, these prices do jump quite quickly, with some of the bookshop’s more rare and first editions costing hundreds or even thousands of pounds!

Word on the Water

Address: Regent’s Canal Towpath, London N1C 4LW

This is definitely up there with one of the most beautiful bookshops in Europe. Quirky, unique, and downright cosy, Word on the Water is London’s only floating bookshop and a hidden treasure of Regent’s Canal.

To set the scene, you hear the bookshop before you see it, as the owner often blasts out soothing jazz tunes from a sound system on the roof of the barge. During summer, books and plants decorate the bookshop, but come winter, you can cosy up inside by the fire (yes, a real fireplace!) and peruse the books on offer.

Goldsboro Books

Address: 23-27 Cecil Ct, London WC2N 4EZ

Goldsboro Books is one of many bookshops found along Cecil Court in the heart of London. This independent bookseller specialises in first editions and signed books, and it boasts of being home to the world’s largest signed first edition book club.

London Review Bookshop

Address:  14-16 Bury Pl, London WC1A 2JL

The London Review Bookshop is a literary‑minded, intellectually curated independent bookstore in the heart of Bloomsbury. The shop’s windows are filled with staff favourite picks, highlights of “Author of the Month” picks, and a display of titles from the latest literary prize shortlists, helping readers stay up to date with the hottest new titles on the literary scene.

Connected to the bookshop is a St John bakery which does the most mouthwatering sweet treats (I recommend the chocolate-filled doughnuts), delicious sandwiches and fresh coffee. You can browse for books, then take a left turn down the corridor, and you’re in a cosy café setting, it’s magical!

Bookmarks

Address: 1 Bloomsbury St, London WC1B 3QE

Bookmarks is the largest socialist bookshop in Britain. The company itself has published books since 1979, while the bookshop has been situated here in Bloomsbury since 1998. Specialising in non-fictional and fictional books that concern politics, economics, anti-fascism, anarchism, labour history, trade unionism, arts and culture, anti-racism, the environment, biographies, and feminism. They even have radical books for children.

It’s a radical riot: loud in spirit, lively in debate, and unapologetically political in its brilliant selection of books and ideas and definitely worth stopping by if you’re passionate about a particular subject.

Skoob Books

Address:  66 The Brunswick off, Marchmont St, London WC1N 1AE

Hidden down an unassuming set of stairs, this bookshop is described as a “temple for used academic books” as it’s home to over 55,000 uncatalogued works to rummage through.

One of my favourite things about this bookshop is that literally every surface is stacked floor to ceiling with books, and even though it feels like a disorganised chaos, the bookshop is mapped out by category, author name, poetry, non-fiction, fiction, etc. Basically, everything is very easy to find, but you can enjoy the aesthetic of what feels like an eclectic person’s musty living room; there are even leather chairs dotted throughout for you to sit and read on.

Notting Hill Bookshop

Address: 13 Blenheim Cres, London W11 2EE

For those who have watched the iconic rom-com, or at least know about it, then you’ll recognise this as the filming location and lovely little bookstore owned by Hugh Grant’s character in the film. In fact, at the time of filming, this was an antique shop, but it has since been transformed into a bookshop. It’s claimed that the interior of the Notting Hill bookshop was copied for the Notting Hill film, and to be honest, it is a bit of a tourist trap in terms of people flocking to it for photographs and souvenirs.

However, it’s still a very charming bookshop in its own right, if not a bit busy, but you can find a wide selection of contemporary fiction and non-fiction. That, and it’s situated very close to Portobello Road Market, a wonderful area to browse antiques and secondhand wares.

Books for Cooks

Address:  4 Blenheim Cres, London W11 1NN

Found practically opposite the Notting Hill Bookshop, you’ll find a bookstore that sells what it says on the tin: books dedicated to cooks! Books for Cooks was founded in 1983, and it features thousands of cookbooks from classic recipes to contemporary eats. There’s even a small café where they make up recipes from said books, and of course, serve alongside delicious wine. Books for Cooks also hosts a variety of cooking classes in their small space upstairs.

Brick Lane Bookshop

Address: 166 Brick Ln, London E1 6RU

Named after the creative area it resides in, Brick Lane Bookshop was established in 1978 and remains a literary cornerstone of the vibrant neighbourhood in East London. You can find titles ranging from fiction, non-fiction, to local and London History, poetry, travel, classics, children’s books, as well as some stylish tote bags.

Any Amount of Books

Address: 56 Charing Cross Road, London, WC2H 0QA

Any Amount of Books has been a cornerstone of Charing Cross since the 1980s. Set over two floors, this charming secondhand book shop buys and sells rare, hard-to-find and antiquarian editions. They stock a wide array of genres with prices starting as low as £1.50. It’s a book lover’s haven, particularly if you love that familiar smell of musty pages!

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