From the quirky to the aesthetic and niche, London has bookstores for every occasion. Here are some of my favourites as a local. Follow me on tiktok @liviainlondon for more recommendations.
London’s most popular bookstores ‘for travellers’, straight out of instagram.
Marylebone's Daunt Books
A beautiful boat converted into a bookstore by King’s Cross
Word on the Water - The London Bookbarge
A phone box renovated and turned into a library
Lewisham Phone Box
Specialises in Alice in Wonderland iconography
Alice Through The Looking Glass
A classic favourite on Charing Cross Road
Foyles
The oldest bookstore in the UK!
Hatchards Piccadilly - London
A whole street full of eccentric bookshops, a peaceful hideaway tucked behind London’s bustling Leicester square
Cecil Court bookshops
Books are organised by theme rather than alphabetically, so you can go straight for whatever vibe you're looking for
Libreria
This warehouse allows the public to buy books with a 70% discount of retail prices twice a month!
66 Books
Specialising in books that were once banned from other bookstores
Gay's The Word
Massive underground warehouse for books in Bloomsbury
Skoob Books
Europe’s largest bookstore, with 8miles of shelving! Also has cafes and a restaurant
Waterstones Piccadilly
A bookshop filled with recipe books, and even has a tiny (but busy) cafe at the back!
