There is a couple of greater satisfaction in life than checking out a quality bookshop. No matter the weather condition, they’re a port in a storm where anyone and everybody is welcome. Not all bookshops are developed in the same way though, so we’ve assembled Sydney’s best. Check out these 5 best bookshops in Sydney.
Oxford Street has undergone more changes in the last few years than Shane Warne’s face. However, Berkelouw has remained a component. The three-level bookshop which is next door to Verona Cinemas has been keeping bookish types pleased for more than twenty years. Downstairs, on the ground floor, you’ll find brand-new books, publications, curios, and gifts. The next two stories hold an extensive collection of previously owned titles is covering fiction, art, culture, and history. The 2nd flooring is the place where you can find the shop’s café that and you can enjoy with a view out of the Oxford Street; it’s the perfect location to chill out with a good book and coffee or watch the world go by with a glass of red wine.
This a store for paper and audiophiles as well, selling previously owned (second hand) books as well as vintage vinyl. There is a retro atmosphere with scrabble letters for signs, an old typewriter and handmade spots with quotes like “what would Nietzsche do?”. Instead of the typical most modern book releases, in this bookshop, you will find recommendations with a diverse mix of classics that encourage reading off the beaten track. The aim of Desire Books & Records is about supporting local authors and creatives. Every month there are open mic nights with local writers.
The family-run Gleebooks have remained in the book industry for more than 40 years, and it’s reasonable to state they understand their Descartes from their Dahl. We love originals, and for previously used books, the secondhand shop just down the road. We host talks throughout the week and include a remarkable roll call of authors and public figures promoting their new books and disputing the issues of the day.
Kinokuniya is an oasis of books located in the middle of the city. The large store offers most books that you could imagine in just one category. We recommend you to wear comfortable shoes because you’ll definitely spend a lot of time browsing the shelves from classics to fantasy, baking bibles to the viewpoint. There is one spot on the corner of the bookshop committed to Japanese and Chinese books and magazines, including a substantial collection of manga. If you have spare time, you should give a chance to our bookshop and spend the day looking around in here.
Sappho Books Café & Wine bar has a transformed balcony house in on Glebe Point Road which is packed with previously owned books. Downstairs you’ll find a treasure of fiction, from Amis to Zelazny. When you continue upstairs, you will come to books related to history and culture. Going further up you’re your book tour you will arrive at a room dedicated to exclusively to secondhand music books and sheet music. When you’ve finished touring, settle in Sappho’s yard café with a book in your hand and feel the sun on your skin. On Tuesdays, we host open mic nights and poetry. It is definitely a perfect place for a book lover.