The Best Independent Bookshops in London
Are you looking for the best independent bookshops in London? Perhaps you are unsure where to start, well, then you have come to the right place! In this blog post, you will find the best independent bookshops in London, and where to find them. You will also find some of the best bookstores in London in general, and where to find them. In this blog post you will find some of the best bookstores in London, including the best secondhand bookshops in London.
There are more than 850 independent bookstores in Britain, and out of those 850 over 100 of them are located in London! It is arguably the greatest literary city in the world, and when many of these independent bookstores in London offer online orderings, then there is really no excuse to not choose these independent bookstores over Amazon.
As you can hear, London has an overwhelming amount of bookshops, so many that you could spend more than an entire holiday just exploring bookstores… Instead of doing that, I have put together a list of the 11 best bookstores in London that you absolutely cannot miss when visiting London, so that you will have a better idea of which to choose when visiting London. It is everything from secondhand bookstores in London to a bookshop dedicated to selling LGBTQ+ friendly books only. If you are in the least bit interested in books, these cool bookshops in London will make you want to move to London straight away, I know I want to!
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The best independent bookshops in London
1. Daunt Books
84 Marylebone High St, London W1U 4QW, United Kingdom
Daunt Books has a handful of locations across London, these include Hampstead, Cheapside, Summertown just to name a few. The original Daunt Books London is the bookstore located in Marylebone; this one is also the most famous spot, you know, the one you see pictures of all over Instagram, this is the one! Daunt Books is organised by countries, which gives it a travel feeling! It can be a little confusing at first, but do not worry, you will get a hang of it. If you are having a hard time, make sure you talk to the lovely staff who can help you find what you need.
Daunt Books London also usually hosts quite a few events (when the pandemic doesn’t affect this), and it is a lovely place to spend a day browsing through all the amazing sections. You can find more information about Daunt Books London and the events right here.
2. Libreria
84 Marylebone High St, London W1U 4QW, United Kingdom
Libreria is the best bookshop in London when it comes to the arrangement of the shelves! Libreria is a place you could get stuck in for hours, in a good way! Not in a “I-can’t-find-what-I-am-looking-for” kind of way, more like a “there-it-is….oops-what-is-this-one…and-this-one…” – if you are looking for something within a specific theme, but you do not necessarily have a specific title you are looking for, or if you are looking for a specific title, but also something similar, then this is the spot for you to visit! Libreria has arranged their shelves with broad themes like ‘wanderlust’, ‘the city’ and more. The bookstore is open from Tuesday to Sunday till 6pm, and if you want to learn more about the bookstore such as the options for ordering online then click here.
3. Foster Books
183 Chiswick High Rd, Chiswick, London W4 2DR, United Kingdom
Foster Books is one of the best secondhand bookshops in London as well as one of the best bookshops in London in general. It is located in Chiswick, London, and it has been going for 50 years now. The most iconic thing about Foster’s book is its front bay window. The front bay window is the oldest on Chiswick High Road, and it dates back to the late 18th century. Foster Books sells second hand, rare and hard to find books so if you are looking for a special edition of a classic novel, this is the place!
4. John Sandoe Books
10 Blacklands Terrace, London SW3 2SR, United Kingdom
John Sandoe Books is one of London’s most beloved bookstores, and it is easy to see why. It is truly one of the best independent bookshops in London, if not the best book store in London. John Sandoe Books is located in Chelsea and is named after the owner John Sandoe. He founded the shop in 1957 with Félicité Gwynne, and his intention was to only offer the best current books and obtain any other requests. This philosophy still remains as best as possible in the bookstore today. John Sandoe Books offers thoughtful and enticing new books within all genres such as: fiction, poetry, history, music, theatre, photography, fashions, natural history, travel, cookery, science, etc. You can read more about the history of John Sandoe Books here and find more information on their books and more here.
5. The Notting Hill Bookshop
13 Blenheim Cres, London W11 2EE, United Kingdom
I am not going to lie, Notting Hill is one of my favourite movies of all time… and this bookstore is a must for fans of the movie, going into the bookstore feels just like stepping into the movie scene. You know the one where she goes “I’m just a girl…standing in front of a boy…asking him to love her”
The Notting Hill Bookshop is located in Notting Hill at the address: 13 Blenheim Cres, London W11 2EE, United Kingdom. This bookshop is just like in the movie, a travel bookshop filled with… you guessed it, travel books! So if you are a fan of travel, adventure, and books, this place will be a hit for you! This is considered one of the best bookshops in London for travelers. This bookshop will definitely also be a hit with you if you are a fan of the Notting Hill movie! Make sure you add this one to your list, it is truly one of the best independent bookshops in London. The bookstore is open all days of the week from 9 am to 7 pm. You can find more information on the bookstore right here.
6. Hurlingham Books
Ranelagh Garden, 91 Fulham High St, London SW6 3JS, United Kingdom
Hurlingham Books is London’s best kept secret when it comes to the best bookstores in London! It is one of the best secondhand bookshops in London, it has a charm and quirkiness that you immediately will fall in love with when stepping into the shop. Hurlingham Books is the oldest independent bookshop in South West London, it was founded in 1968 by Ray Cole. Hurlingham Books not only has the beautiful, quirky secondhand bookstore in Ranelagh Garden, they also have a huge warehouse in Fulham, which is about 10 minutes from the shop, where they hold over one million books! Make sure you add this one to your list, because it really is one of the top bookstores in London. You can find more information about the bookshop as well as shop online for books here.
7. Gay’s the word
66 Marchmont St, London WC1N 1AB, United Kingdom
This is London’s first and oldest LGTBQ+ bookstore in the UK and is also one of the best bookshops in London. Gay is the Word was founded in 1979. The bookshop sells books that cover themes related to LGTBQ+. The books in the bookshop are all divided into genres such as classics, biographies, best of 2021, young adult, trans & non-binary, etc.
The bookshop also hosts many community events, all of which are hosted by the five staff members of the shop. An example of a community group in Gay’s the word is their longest running community group called “Lesbian discussion group”. This group has been going for more than 40 years. This group discusses current topics such as sexuality, lifestyle, politics and so on. This is one of the independent best bookstores in London, to back that up, Gay’s the word also offer a monthly book subscription service that is called “Queer Book Box”. With “Queer Book Box” you can choose between the original box, the super box or the all out box. They offer UK and international shipping, so make sure you have a look! You can read more about the book box here. You can also read more about the bookstore in general right here.
8. London Review Bookshop
14-16 Bury Pl, London, WC1A 2JL, United Kingdom
London Review Bookshop was opened by the London Review of Books magazine in 2003, it has a selection of 20,000 titles and is a local favourite amongst the literature lovers. Even though it is famous amongst literature lovers, and even though the place offers intellectualism, it is not pretentious. On top of that, it offers over 200 events hosted in-store every year, and even has a mini auditorium in which the events take place. The staff are super friendly, and this bookshop is one of the best bookshops in London, so do not miss out on this one! You can find more information on the bookshop and its events right here.
9. Word on the Water
Regent’s Canal Towpath, London N1C 4LW, United Kingdom
Word on the water, also known as London’s Book-barge, is a bookshop located… on the water! Word on the water is on the best independent bookshops in London, yet also one of the best bookstores in London in general, so make sure you head out to visit this little gem. It is most well known for its quirkiness and its look, it is also well known for its many events. This little bookshop often has live jazz and musical performances at the bookshop! You can find more information on book requests here.
10. Travis & Emery Music Bookshop
17 Cecil Court, Covent Garden, WC2N 4EZ
You will love Travis & Emery if you are a fan of music. This bookshop is one of the best bookstores in London for music lovers, it stocks antiquarian, second-hand and rare books that relate to music. The bookshop carries over 40,000 items, all of which are somehow related to music – to list a few, they stock vocal, choral, miniature and full scores, old and new books on music. The bookshop was once home to Wolfgang Mozart, and is located in Cecil’s Court, Covent Garden, a street that will feel like a step back in time. You can find more information on their phone number and how to contact the bookstore right here.
11. Brick Lane Bookshop
166 Brick Ln, London E1 6RU, United Kingdom
Brick Lane Bookshop is an independent book store in East London on Bricklane, Shoreditch, and it is considered one of the best bookshops in London. The bookshop has a collection that includes anything from fiction to travel and history. The bookshop has a very interesting history, and it all starts in 1978 when the bookstore was established. You can read much more about THAP and how it all started for Brack Lane Bookshop right here.
How to get around to the different bookstores…
All the best bookshops in London listed will be fairly easy to reach, and as you may have noticed, the blog post covers bookstores in East London to Central London, so you are very likely to find at least one of them being fairly close to where you live or will be staying in London. However, if you want to do a full day (or perhaps two) of visiting all of them, do not worry, I made a little day-trip itinerary to make sure you get to visit all of these amazing bookstores.This will be the best order to do so:
- Travis & Emery Music Bookshop
- London Review Bookshop
- Gay’s the word
- Libreria
- Brick Lane Bookshop
- Word on the Water
- The Notting Hill Bookshop
- Foster Books
- Hurlingham Books
- John Sandoe Books
- Daunt Books
You can get around the different bookshops by taking the tube and buses. The best way to pay for your transport will be to buy an oyster card. You can find more information on oyster cards here.
I hope this guide on the best bookshops in London helped you find some new, cool independent bookshops that you can now visit! I am excited for you, have a good time!
